Smit MID-560 will run on Android

Android based MIDs are gaining popularity

SMIT MID-560 runs on Android operating system

The past week has witnessed some pictures of an Android based MID (mobile internet device) which will most probably be powered by a Rockchip CPU and will have a 4.3-inch/5-inch screen with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Android is fast becoming popular on these small MID devices. In the past, we have seen devices like Aigo MID, Eston MID, etc. running on the Android operating system.

Now, Shenzhen State Micro Technology Co. Ltd. (SMIT), has launched an Android powered MID called the MID-560. This is not the first time that we have seen an MID from SMIT. Earlier, SMIT had released two MIDs by the name of MTV-P1101 (Wi-Fi) and MTV-T1200 (Wi-Fi and 3G). The recently launched Android powered MID-560 has a 5-inch (800x480 resolution) TFT touch screen display. Under the hood there is a 533/667MHz Samsung ARM11 SC3640 CPU (the same chip used in the Samsung Mondi, though at a lower clock speed) and a Samsung 6410 chipset. Other features include:

·         WiFi

·         GPS

·         DVB

·         Mobile TV:  support CMMB standard; programs auto-scan; live record; EPG.

·         Built-in flash memory up to 8GB

·         MicroSD card slot

·         Two USB 2.0 ports

·         Android 1.5 operating system

It has the all the necessary software like Google Chrome Lite Web 2.0 browser, push Gmail/email, Gtalk, Google maps, e-book reader (txt,pdf) application, and photo viewer software. The MID-560 supports media formats that include DivX4/5, XviD, H.264, AAC, MP3, WMA and OGG. There is no information on the pricing and availability of this device yet. It sure looks promising to me.