D-Link Intros Dual Mode GSM/Wi-Fi Phone

By Greg Scoblete -- TWICE, 10/3/2006

Fountain Valley, Calif. — Networking manufacturer D-Link announced that it will ship a line of wireless phones capable of switching between GSM cellular and Wi-Fi networks in the first quarter of 2007.

The V-Click line will feature tri-band GSM (900/1,800/1,900 Mhz) and 802.11 Wi-Fi access. The phone will activate GSM access through an existing or pre-paid SIM card from any GSM carrier.

The phones will feature a dedicated button to activate the Wi-Fi connection, which is powered off to conserve power. Using Wi-Fi and an optional wireless VoIP service, users can reduce their mobile bills and surf the Web quicker than by using a cellular network, D-Link claimed.

A D-Link V-Click phone

The phones support Opera Mobile, a mobile browser for logging into Wi-Fi hot spots, Web surfing and sending e-mails. It features built-in WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption, Wi-Fi roaming, and a 2-inch 176 by 220 pixel LCD screen.

The V-Click phones will weigh in at 3.3 ounces, with a talk time of up to five hours on GSM networks and two hours on a Wi-Fi network. They will sport a 300 contact phone book, 24MB of internal memory for personal storage, and a calendar.

The D-Link phones will be unlocked and retail for a suggested $599.