Mitac have launched their Windows Mobile 2003 based Mio 8390 Smartphone.

Matt M at MTekk talks about another Smartphone which will hopefully hit these shores ...

Mitac have launched their Windows Mobile 2003 based Mio 8390 Smartphone, a clamshell design phone with 16Mb of usable memory, integrated camera, and more! The phone will as yet be available only in Taiwan, but I hope to see the phone make a debut in other countries, including Australia. Its predecessor, the Mio 8380 (a Smartphone 2002 based phone) was rumoured to be coming to Australia, however this doesn't seem to have eventuated. We can but hope though - another competitor to the HTC built i-mate Smartphone2 (O2 XPhone, Orange SPV e200, QTek 8080) would be more than welcome.

" Mio Technology Corp. launched its all-new smartphone, the Mio 8390, at Taipei Youth Activity Center. Integrating Windows? Mobile 2003 software for smartphone and IntelR PXA262 application process, the Mio 8390 is a tri-band phone that provides the ability to handle both information and communications. In addition to all the features users expect from a state-of-the-art mobile phone-including color screen, digital camera, video recording capability, 40-polyphony ring tones, and engaging games-the Mio 8390 adds even more. For example, Mio's marvel offers a screen that can display 260,000 colors, support for MP3 files as ring tones, the latest Java MIDP 2.0 games with polyphonic sound and tactile feedback, an extra-big 2.2" screen, customizable interface skins, integrated MSN Messenger client, and super-large memory capacity. These features make the Mio 8390 the most richly featured next-generation smartphone on the market. At the same time, the Mio 8390 offers consumers a choice of dazzling silver and opulent red color schemes. The new smartphone is set for availability in the early part of February, and will be sold through Synnex International distributors throughout Taiwan at a suggested retail price of NT$15,800 (tax included). "

Specs courtesy of Mike Temporale at  Smartphone Thoughts :

• Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone
• Intel PXA262 Processor (200 Mhz)
• Tri-Band phone (GSM 900/1800/1900)
• 40-polyphony ring tones
• Large 2.2" screen capable of 260,000 colors
• Support for MP3 files as ring tones
• Java MIDP 2.0 games with polyphonic sound and tactile feedback
• Choice of dazzling silver and opulent red color schemes
• 300K digital camera, with a zoom lens and adjustable focus and brightness, a four-shot burst mode, five-step zoom, and support for night photography
• 16MB of usable memory

There doesn't appear to be Bluetooth support, unfortunately, and no mention is made of SDIO (although it does have an SD card slot) but it's nonetheless a very nice phone!

Read the Press Release in full here .