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ITRI unveils integrated WiMAX/Android device
Harris Lin, Hsinchu; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Friday 4 September 2009]
The Taiwan government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has unveiled an in-house developed mobile device integrating WiMAX technology and the Android platform. The MID-like device, which ITRI has dubbed a PID (personal Internet device), is built using MIMO mobile WiMAX chips developed by ITRI, and will carry a price tag below NT$8,000 (US$243) when it enters commercial production, ITRI said. In comparison, prices of Android-based 3G handsets currently range between NT$10,000-25,000 a unit, whereas prices of Linux- or Windows-based MIDs cost about NT$15,000 on average. Shipments of Android- or WiMAX-based MIDs are expected to reach 30 and 27 million units, respectively, in 2013 compared to their respective shipments of one million units projected for 2009, ITRI estimated. 
Prototype of integrated WiMAX/Android "personal Internet device (PID)" developed by ITRI
Photo: Harris Lin, Digitimes, September 2009
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