There were definitely mumblings about it across the internets but, it’s finally here. Helio is really trying to introduce the “thinnest clamshell” in the US, and it looks hot! Yeah, they even have H.O.T. on it, too. Basically, jam the Helio Ocean into a tiny flip phone and more or less you’ve got the new Helio Fin. It borrows the great messaging integration the Ocean offered like AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo IM, and the built in push email services from the aforementioned companies, and also lets you also add your own inbox. Garmin Mobile makes its debut on Helio offering turn-by-turn directions in almost real-time. A welcome addition to the standard Google Maps we’re usually stuck with. 3 megapixel camera? Check. MySpace? Check. Up to 4GB of expandable memory? Check. One small caveat however, is that their full HTML browser still runs through Google’s Mobilizer. You can just click to the view the real version of the page, but a real setting allowing this function to be turned off completely would have been nice. When can you buy it though, you ask? Today my good friends, today. Available for $179 at all Helio stores and national retail locations, we think this might sell like a monster. I’m super excited to get this unit here at the office, and we should have the full review up by tomorrow courtesy of Helio, of course. Full press release after the jump!
HELIO FIN PACKS ADVANCED 3G SERVICES
INTO THINNEST FOLDER AVAILABILE IN THE U.S.
Helio Debuts Garmin Mobile and Customizable RSS Feeds for H.O.T.
LOS ANGELES, CA – August 15, 2007 – Helio’s portfolio of innovative mobile devices just got thinner with the introduction of Fin™ by Samsung, the thinnest folder currently available in the U.S. True to Helio form, Fin’s ultra thin blue-black magnesium body comes packed with Helio’s full line-up of 3G content and services including MySpace on Helio, GPS-enabled Google Maps™ for mobile, YouTube™, HelioUP for instant upload of photos and video to YouTube™, Flickr and other destinations, plus Helio’s messaging suite which combines Instant Messages, text messages, picture messages and emails in one ultimate inbox. Fin also debuts Garmin Mobile™ for GPS-enabled voice-guided navigation and the addition of customizable RSS feeds to H.O.T. (Helio On Top), letting members sign up for updates on news and information they want delivered to their device home screen, no clicks required.
“Our last device was proof of what Helio is capable of, but we’re not resting on our laurels,” said Sky Dayton, CEO of Helio. “Less than 90 days later, we’re launching one of the thinnest folders on the market. Fin is smart, fast and powerful, but thin enough to slip into your pocket without a crease.”
The Fin
Supercharged and ultra thin, the slim and fully loaded Fin is a powerhouse in blue-black magnesium and just over 11mm deep, the thinnest folder currently available in the U.S. Produced by Samsung, Fin runs on a high-speed nationwide 3G network, has a 3 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, night mode and built-in Photo Studio for high quality photos and video, a 2.3 inch QVGA display, 100MB available internal memory expandable via microSD™ to 4GB, an HTML browser, GPS capabilities for integration with Helio’s GPS services like Buddy Beacon and Google Maps for mobile, stereo Bluetooth and support for an array of audio and video formats including MP3 and AAC audio, and MPEG-4 and H.264 video. Fin also has communication covered with a version of Helio’s ultimate messaging suite, combining Instant Messages, text messages, picture messages and emails in one messaging paradise. Fin has out-of-the-box access to Yahoo! Messenger, AOL’s AIM® Service and Windows Live Messenger, email from Yahoo!® Mail, AOL® Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, Gmail™, Helio Mail, EarthLink® email, the ability to add additional IMAP or POP3 email accounts, and push mail support for Yahoo!, AOL, Windows Live and Helio Mail.
Point + Shoot + Share
With HelioUP, high quality photos and video shot with Fin’s 3 megapixel camera can instantly be uploaded to popular sites like YouTube™ and Flickr™ directly from the device, so members can capture and share their experiences as they happen. HelioUP is GPS-enabled so users can geo-tag photos and video with location information and other metadata. Another industry first, Helio is the only U.S. mobile operator to let members automatically post geo-tagged photos from their device directly to Flickr’s World Map (flickr.com/map), one of the world’s largest collections of location tagged photos. Now members can photo blog a road trip, vacation or party, letting friends and family tune in on Flickr to not only see what happened, but where.
Customizable RSS Feeds for H.O.T. (Helio On Top)
Helio has added customization to the innovative H.O.T. (Helio On Top) service giving members with compatible devices click-free access to their favorite RSS feeds delivered directly to their device home screen. Through the new H.O.T. area of the Helio website, members can set as a H.O.T. channel one of the countless available RSS feeds on the Web. Members can also share their favorite RSS feeds with the Helio community or select from other member recommendations. Members can also still select from an assortment of optimized H.O.T. channels from Helio partners including Yahoo!, MTV, Accuweather, Surfline, The Onion and more. Whether it’s their own blog, favorite news or weather site, the latest celebrity gossip or sports scores, members can have RSS feeds delivered right to their mobile device, no clicks necessary.
Garmin Mobile
Helio members can now get voice-guided navigation with Garmin Mobile™. Utilizing the device’s GPS capabilities, Garmin Mobile provides a moving map with turn-by-turn directions that follow the member in near real-time, making it easier than ever to get to a specific street addresses or any of nearly six million pre-programmed points of interest, including gas stations listed by price at the pump, ATMs, and more. Garmin Mobile can even check weather for driving conditions and find alternate routes in the event of heavy traffic. Garmin Mobile is available now on select Helio devices for $2.99 per day.
Fin Availability and Pricing
Fin is now available at Helio retail locations, www.helio.com, by calling 888-88-HELIO and at thousands of retail locations nationwide for $175 through a limited time offer for Helio Samsung devices. New members purchasing a Fin or other Samsung device on Helio receive $50 instant savings at Helio locations, or if purchased at third party retail locations, new members can mail in for a $50 Helio Visa® prepaid debit card.
