The mobile industry has always loved to hate high-end luxury phones decked out with blingy Swarovski crystals, gold, high-fashion names, and stratospheric price tags—and maybe it’s a sign the Android ecosystem is starting to mature that luxury Android devices seem to be getting nearer to market. Small Danish manufacturer Lumigon—which, so far as we can determine has never launched a product—says it’s getting ready to enter the Android marketplace with the Lumigon T1, an Android-based smartphone with a high-quality media experience: the phone will feature a five megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch 800 by 480-pixel touchscreen display, an integrated FM transmitter for pushing tunes to vehicle audio systems, and a built-in sound system from high-end entertainment gear maker Bang & Olufsen.
“T1 is built on Scandinavian craftsmanship and design, coupled with the finest materials such as steel, aluminum, and scratch-free glass,” said Lumigon founder and CEO Lars Graveen, in a statement. “These uniquely designed phones are also packed with features not seen in mobile phones earlier.
Lumigon initially announced the T1 earlier this year with the intention of shipping the phone during the second quarter of 2010, but delayed the release to rework and improve aspects of the product. The design now has physical call management keys on the phone’s face and integrating Bang & Olufsen’s well-regarded ICEPower audio amps into the device for high-quality audio over speakers, headphones, or receivers.
The T1 will feature an 800 MHz Freescale processor, integrated GPS, Bluetooth, HSDPA connectivity, HDMI output for pushing content to a big screen, and in an interesting move can serve as a universal remote control for AV gear. The software includes a learning function so it can memorize commands from virtually any IR-controlled device. The T1 will run Android 2.2 “Froyo.”
Lumigon says the T1 will be available for sale in a handful of outlets before the end of the year for €500 before taxes and subsidies; Lumigon says broader distribution should follow in 2011. The company is also working on a slider phone called the S1…although that’s not expected to reach the market until the second half of 2011.
