Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) and Fly Mobile have announced the launch of the CG588, loaded with a full QWERTY keypad, mobile e-mail service and on-the-fly access to social networking sites. The Fly CG588 has a special active dual-SIM combination of CDMA and GSM, allowing users greater flexibility in choosing their operator of choice. The handset comes pre-loaded with Fly Buzz!, a combination of Nimbuzz! and Snaptu applications, which help users stay connected on multiple popular platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, etc., at speeds of up to 153 Kbps.

The phone is priced at Rs 4,795.

“The new handset, CG588, is an exciting handset with an alluring form factor, enabling customers to have a differentiated telecom experience,” said Sunil Batra, president, CDMA operations, TTSL said. “The device is an affordable solution for those who want to stay connected to the Internet and access information services on their mobile phones, while having the convenience and dependability of a high-performance dual-SIM CDMA-GSM handset. The phone has an ergonomic QWERTY keyboard and makes for easy navigation, communication and Internet access. We are delighted to partner with the Meridian Group and look forward to many such alliances to further enrich our repertoire of state-of-the-art handsets,” he added.

The Fly CG588 is bundled with an attractive offer from TTSL for both voice and data usage. With a first recharge of Rs 104, customers will get 1 GB free data usage, 250 local on-net minutes, 250 Local off-net minutes and 250 SMSs worth Rs 1,500. With this offer, Fly CG588 will take mobile messaging and social networking deeper into the Indian market, making it easy to access and use for a wider array of the country’s telecom users.

Prem Kumar, chief executive officer, Meridian Telecom, India, said: “We are very excited about the launch of the CG588 with Tata Teleservices Limited. CG588 is a feature-rich handset with a full QWERTY keypad and easy access to the Internet for surfing. The dual-SIM capabilities of the phone, offering both CDMA and GSM operation, is not just a strong USP in metropolitan cities, but is also highly appreciated in Tier II and Tier III towns. Today’s youth want to be connected on the go and carry a mobile phone that has an attitude, the CG588 is yet another product from our stable that is in keeping with our stated objective of providing best-in-class technology and style at an affordable price point.”

Key Features:

1)    CDMA+GSM active dual SIM combination: supports both Voice and Data up to 153Kbps on the same bandwidth configuration, offering high performance, high-capacity wireless Internet access

2)    Mid-end QWERTY phone with five-way scroll

3)    Dedicated camera key and volume key

4)    Fly Buzz!—Combination of Nimbuzz! and Snaptu applications which provide on-the-go access to Facebook, Twitter, Google Talk, Yahoo! and MSN Messenger, Flickr, etc.

5)    5.8-cm 262K color TFT display

6)    1.3-megapixel camera and video player with recording capabilities

7)    MP3 audio player, FM radio, 3.5-mm universal audio jack

8)    Expandable memory up to 4 GB

9)    WAP and Bluetooth support

10)  CDMA USB modem: The CG588 can be connected to the computer for Internet browsing

11)  1500 mAH battery—300 hours of stand-by time, up to 8 hours hours of talk-time on CDMA and GSM networks