Iridium Satellite unveiled its smallest satellite phone – the Iridium “9555″ – at its annual Partner Conference in Miami, Fla. The new 9555 offers a significantly reduced size, a more hand-friendly form factor and new features such as an internally stowed antenna. It is also featuring a brighter screen, a speaker phone, improved Short Messaging Service (SMS) and email capabilities, and an upgraded mini-USB data port. The new phone is engineered to withstand and perform well in the world’s most rugged, remote and industrial environments, including being water- and shock-resistant.

The 9555 design includes a menu-driven interface, making it very user-friendly for customers. Soft keys are utilized to allow for flexible menu choices and ease of navigation. Key features of the 9555 handset include:

• Lighter weight design – 27 percent lighter than 9505A handset
• Compact – 30 percent smaller than 9505A handset
• Internally retractable antenna for compact carrying
• Illuminated, weather-resistant keypad redesigned for ease-of-use
• A menu configurable in any of 21 languages
• Enhanced functionality for improved integration of messaging (short email and SMS)
• Additional address book fields for more phone numbers, email addresses and notes
• Programmable international codes for automatic dialing
• Built-in help function
• Integrated speakerphone
• Mini-USB data port
• Standby time up to 30 hours
• Talk time up to 4 hours

The 9555 handset will be available from Iridium service partners starting in November 2008.