World’s First Completely Java Powered Cell Phone

LG Electronics and SavaJe Technologies Inc. announced that LG Electronics completed development of a fully Java powered cell phone using SavaJe OS™, SavaJe Technologies’ Java™ Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) Connected Device Configuration (CDC) based open OS.

The handset features a slide design with 176×220 color TFT display, 1.3MPixel camera, Bluetooth, and an SD Card memory card for storage of up to 1GB of applications, music, video and pictures.

The handset plays MP3, AAC and AAC+ music formats as well as H.263 and MPEG4 videos.

SavaJe OS is a open operating system for handsets, based on Java technology. All handset applications, including the handset UI itself, are written in Java.

What is the value of 100% Java?
This enables LG Electronics to easily offer operator customizations, while using a common software platform.

Using deep theming functionality, SavaJe OS can implement operator-specified applications and menus, as well as color schemes, sounds, background images and icons that affect both built-in and downloaded applications.

SavaJe offers a multitasking mobile handset Java environment for applications developers. The operating system implements open Java standards developed by the Java Community Process (JCP). It claims to offer one of the richest and most complete sets of Java ME APIs seen to date on any mobile device, including core support for both the Java ME Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) and the CDC environment, using a single optimized Java Virtual Machine.

In addition, SavaJe OS opens wireless development to desktop developers for the first time on mobile devices, with support for Sun’s Swing-based advanced graphics API.

Additional Java APIs are provided for multimedia, messaging, telephony, IM/chat, networking, file system, and PIM access. As a result, compelling new applications and services can be easily and rapidly developed by both wireless and desktop Java programmers.

Open OS security is addressed by the implementation of OMA-compliant Digital Rights Management (DRM), a secure key store, certificate and policy management, and a complete set of Java ME CDC security APIs for cryptography, secure networking, authorization and authentication.

Dr. Skott Ahn, Executive Vice President, LG Electronics, said “Creating an open OS is a significant achievement in itself. To do so using Java, offering this level of performance for the entire applications platform, including full telephony support, brings a new era of opportunity for developers, operators and end-users.”

“The SavaJe and LG Electronics implementation of a complete handset operating system buries the myth that Java is not suitable for a complete embedded handset applications platform once and for all. The Java Micro Edition (Java ME) platform is already available on over 500 million handsets worldwide. The SavaJe-based LG Electronics handset provides not only compatibility with existing Java wireless standards, but also access to APIs that have until now only been available in the desktop environment. We are excited to be providing the next generation of the wireless Java platform to operators, developers and end users,” said George Grey, President, SavaJe Technologies.

LG Electronics is demonstrating and promoting the product to operators worldwide, and is ready to mass-produce handsets to operator specifications for delivery in 2006.

Read the press release here.