Apple Peel Turns iPod into iPhone
Beijing Times, 8/10/10
A Shenzhen-based company called Yosion Technology has begun accepting online pre-orders for its new "Apple Peel 520," a product that will convert Apple's iPod Touch into an iPhone-like mobile phone.
The Apple Peel 520 is a case designed specifically for the iPod Touch that features a communications module, SIM card tray, and battery; with the case on, an ordinary iPod Touch will offer phone and SMS functionality. At present, the lowest official price for an iPhone in China is RMB 4,999, while the cheapest iPod Touch is available for about RMB 1,500. Even with the RMB 388 for the Apple Peel 520 case, the combination is still more than RMB 3,000 less than the cost of an iPhone.
The product is still in beta. According to a vendor accepting pre-orders for the case on e-commerce site Taobao, the Apple Peel 520 is approximately a week away from release. Yosion says that the finished product will resolve some of the problems, including issues with GPRS mobile data and undeletable SMS messages, that appeared in testing units.
Keywords: Yosion iPhone iPod wireless Apple handset smartphone