Samsung Officially Debuts Mondi MID with Clear WiMAX

Samsung has filled the void. Back in January Nokia pulled the plug on its N810 Internet Tablet, leaving Clearwire without a proper mobile Interent device for its fledgling Clear Mobile WiMAX network. Now Samsung has stepped up to the plate with the Mondi, a 4.3-inch touchscreen gadget that has a striking resemblance to Nokia’s ill-fated tablet but runs Windows Mobile 6.1 instead of Linux. In addition to a resistive touchscreen that supports widgets, the Mondi features a slide-out keyboard and optical mouse to the left of the QWERTY. Other highlights of the black device include integrated GPS (via Route 66), Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, Skype support, a 3-MP camera, and HDMI out. But the Mondi’s most exciting feature is that it will be able to surf the Web at blazing speeds using the bundled Opera 9.5 browser–where Clear is available. Unfortunately, Clear’s 4G goodness is far from ubiquitous. It’s still only available in Baltimore and Portland for now, but the provider says that Atlanta, Las Vegas, Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Philadelphia, and Seattle will all be online later this year. Clearwire also promises that it will cover 80 cities by the end of 2010. But that’s assuming Clearwire will have enough funding to get to 80 cities. Given the wait-and-see state of the Clear network, it’s not surprising that Samsung isn’t providing any details on pricing or availability. Stay tuned for hands-on impressions. Full specs after the jump. The Samsung Mondi includes the following features: * Windows Mobile 6.1 * Microsoft Outlook and Windows Mobile Office * WiMAX Mobile Internet Access * WiFi Access (BTv2.1+EDR) * GPS: Route 66 Navigation with Preloaded Maps * 4GB of Internal Memory * Direct Push/Mobile Email (POP3, IMAP, SMTP) * Supports Instant Messaging and MMS * 3.0 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder * Bluetooth ® 2.0 * Opera 9.5 Web Browser * HDMI TV Out * Supports Multiple Video and Audio Player Formats