Toshiba's G450 4-in-one mobile phone / USB flash drive / MP3 player / HSDPA modem

Computers, Mobile phones, MP3 players, Peripherals
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With a bizarre keypad arrangement and small round screen, Toshiba’s G450 may be a mobile phone, but perhaps is better suited as a USB storage device, MP3 player and modem for your laptop. If you can manage to squeeze anything onto the 160MB storage, that is.

There’s no word on expandable memory of the all-in-one device, however as a back-up phone and HSDPA/GPRS/EDGE modem, it may be worth investing your £150 in when it’s available in March.

Full details under the jump.

Press Release
Toshiba Unveils a World First with the New G450: USB Modem that’s also a Mobile Phone and MP3 Player

First in a range of unique HSDPA USB modem phones, the simplest way to link any laptop PC to the internet over a mobile network and not miss out on calls

London, UK – 21st January 2008 – Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd, Mobile Communications Division, today announced the G450, a unique four-in-one innovative mobile device designed to quickly and easily enable anyone to connect a laptop to the internet using a HSDPA mobile network. As well as providing instant high speed mobile broadband access, the G450 is a mobile phone for voice calls and texting, a USB data storage device and an MP3 player. It will be available across Europe in the first quarter of 2008.

The perfect solution for anyone looking for a mobile handset that integrates and works seamlessly with their laptop, the G450 simply plugs into any USB socket to provide broadband PC access to the web, emails or office network over 3G/HSDPA mobile networks, or EDGE or GPRS connections. No settings are required you can just ‘plug and play’. You can also make and receive calls whilst using the G450 to connect to the internet too; the G450 will allow you to simultaneously make a call and be connected to the Internet when on a 3G/HSDPA network.

The G450 also provides all of the key functions you’d expect of a mobile phone, including voice calling, SMS texting and an alarm clock, making it a perfect simple to use phone. Weighing only 57 grams, the G450 is light enough to carry with you all the time and charges direct from a laptop USB socket too, allowing you to top up power wherever you’re working.

The G450 can also be used as a USB memory storage device, with room for up to 160 MB of data; enough space for work files, pictures or even songs when using its in-built MP3 music player. Music will be automatically paused whilst you take a call and resume when you hang-up.

Available in white, red or black colour schemes, the G450 packages all of its capabilities within a unique and extremely compact (just 98mm long) lozenge-like design comprising of three interlinked spheres.

Says Takashi Okamoto, Deputy Managing Director, Toshiba Information Systems (UK) Ltd: “With increasingly mobile lives and flexible working practices, there’s a real and growing need for new solutions to connect people and enable them to work more effectively when they are away from the office. The G450 is an exciting product because it opens up new avenues for mobile access, keeping users in touch by email and the web via their notebook PC wherever they’re located as well as providing them with an easy-to-use voice device. The G450 is a great illustration of Toshiba Mobile Communications’ aim, which is to bring to market innovative new mobile devices that meet the changing requirements of our modern, mobile lives.”

Toshiba G450 – specification overview
• Form Factor: Bar (USB modem type)
• Size: 36mm x 98mm x 16mm
• Weight: 57g
• System: UMTS/HSDPA(3.6Mbps)/GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Chipset: Qualcomm MSM6280
• Memory: 160MB (user available memory)
• Interface: mini USB
• Band: 2100 for UMTS, 900/1800/1900 for GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Battery: 600mAh
• Standby: Up to 200hrs*
• Talktime: Up to 140 mins*
• Display: OLED 96×39 pixels
• Messaging: SMS with T9 text editor
• Media Player: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+
• Utilities: Alarm
• Colours: Black, Red, White
• Accessories: mini USB cable, Stereo Headset (with microphone and switch), charger, user guide, CD-ROM

* Dependent on network conditions and usage

Specifications are correct at the time of this press release. Product design and specifications are subject to change without notice.  2008 Toshiba Information Systems UK Ltd. Toshiba is a trademark of Toshiba Corporation in Japan and other countries.

Toshiba G450 press release

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Katherine Hannaford
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