We’ve been working over the past month on our official targeted device list for Swirl Connect. I write "targeted" instead of "supported," as this is the list of
devices that we intend to support, and not necessarily the list of
devices that will be officially supported upon product launch. Swirl Connect, by the way, is the name of the software that installs on your mobile phone.

We still have a way to go on our support list, and it involves poring through specifications, manuals, reviewing emulators, and testing out working phones. It looks like our initial support list will contain almost 300 mobile devices, considerably higher than our initial estimate, due in most to a change in support strategy.

We’ve decided to release Swirl Connect in a tiered support plan. Tiered support, as in categories of devices with different features supported, rather than tiered support, as in different payment levels. Our only payment level is free. But I guess calling that a payment level is a bit of an oxymoron.

If you’re playing along at home, here are the basic phone requirements for using Swirl Connect:

• Basic Support: MIDP 2.0 phone with either CLDC 1.0 or CLDC 1.1. Support for the Wireless Messaging API and the Multimedia API. Also required is an Internet connection and some kind of persistent data storage, either on the phone, or installable as part of the software, but both of these are a given if your phone supports MIDP 2.0.
• Full Support: All of the above, plus support for the Bluetooth API.
• It’s Good to Be King/Queen Support: All of the above, plus support for either the Location API or the PDA API.

If your phone was purchased within the past year or so and has Java support, chances are high that some level of support will be available. If you’re wondering whether your phone specifically will be supported, or would like to request that your phone be added to our support list, drop us a line, and include your phone’s manufacturer and model. We’ll get back to you shortly with an affirmative or negative.

Filed under:
Device Support, Latest Activity, Swirl Connect by Shaun