AirTouch Chooses NeoPoint 1600 Dual-Mode Smartphone To Deliver Wireless Information Services - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Sept 27, 1999

NeoPoint, Inc., the creator of the smartphone done right, and AirTouch Cellular Wednesday announced that NeoPoint will supply AirTouch with its dual-mode NeoPoint 1600 smartphone (CDMA/AMPS 800 MHz) to provide customers with state-of-the-art voice and wireless information services via AirTouch's Mobile Internet service. AirTouch, which was the first major CDMA carrier in the United States to offer all-digital wireless Internet access, is expected to commercially offer the NeoPoint 1600 in the near future.

Offering a variety of unique features, the newly designed NeoPoint 1600 provides AirTouch subscribers with a feature-rich, compact, affordable smartphone. All menu-driven capabilities including access to the wireless Internet, e-mail PC synchronization, and personal information management are offered in the simple and easy-to-use, NeoPoint 1600.

The NeoPoint 1600 supports the first of AirTouch's Mobile Internet offerings, called Net Access, which can use the phone as a wireless modem to connect laptop computers to the Internet or other information networks. Products coming soon from AirTouch will include wireless portal services that work with handheld smart phones and personal digital assistants to facilitate a variety of mobile messaging, information and e-commerce services. These valuable applications include e-mail, access to corporate schedules and addresses, stock quotes, stock trading, flight booking and personal banking.

"AirTouch believes the NeoPoint 1600 is tailor made for visually pleasing, interactive wireless services with its sleek design, large screen and built-in productivity applications," said Cliff Fitterer, managing director, wireless information services. "AirTouch is proud to be the first cellular carrier to adopt the NeoPoint 1600, which will ensure maximum voice coverage throughout the United States by virtue of operating in both digital and analog modes."

"We are excited to provide AirTouch with our latest pocket-sized smartphone. We are confident that AirTouch customers who value mobility, productivity and easy-to-use advanced communications capabilities will truly enjoy the NeoPoint 1600," said Sanford Weisman, senior vice president of sales and marketing for NeoPoint, Inc. "The NeoPoint 1600's excellent voice and data capabilities, including e-mail and Web access, combined with AirTouch's new wireless data network, will provide subscribers with a powerful, easy-to-use wireless information package. We are pleased to be working with an industry leading carrier like AirTouch, and look forward to a long-term, prosperous relationship."

The compact NeoPoint 1600 weighs a mere 6.5 ounces and measures only 5.5" x 2.0" x 1.0" inches. The smartphone has a large, 11-line LCD, which can display as many as 10 times the number of characters as previous wireless phones. The display also makes it easy to view the smartphone's 30 number call history. NeoPoint 1600's built-in personal organizer can hold up to 1,000 contact names and numbers, schedule and to-do list items for the next year. All of this information can be easily synchronized with popular PC-based organizers including Microsoft Outlook, ACT!, Lotus Organizer and the supplied software IntelliSync Mobile desktop, via SoftSync Plus software. And by using the included SoftSync Cable, the NeoPoint 1600 functions as a wireless modern to send and receive data from laptop computers.

The NeoPoint 1600 also provides a silent ring vibrate feature, auto redial function, and "mute" option, as well as call timers, flip call answer and multiple ringer settings. It also works with the full range of features offered by AirTouch's digital network, including voice mail, three-way calling and caller ID.

NeoPoint's complete line of products and services are on display during the PCS '99 show, Sept. 22-24, 1999 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in booth #3908.

AirTouch serves 9 million U.S. cellular and PCS customers on a proportionate basis. Its ventures operate in 25 states and 22 of the top 30 U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. AirTouch is part of Vodafone AirTouch Plc, the world's largest wireless communications firm based in the United Kingdom. It has mobile operations in 23 countries on five continents, with more than 28 million proportionate customers. For more information, visit the AirTouch web site at www.airtouch.com.

NeoPoint, Inc. is the market leader in developing state-of-the-art smartphones that optimize the way wireless users access the people and information resources essential to them. In addition to its consumer products, the firm's Network Engineering Services group provides sophisticated RF engineering services and analytic tools to leading wireless equipment vendors, carriers and infrastructure manufacturers worldwide. Based in La Jolla, Calif., NeoPoint is a privately held company that also operates an office in Seoul, Korea. For more information, visit NeoPoint's web site at http://www.neopoint.com.