Don’t Look Now iPhone! You Got Competition

June 29, 2007 | by Fritz | No Comments

“I think people will buy it cause it has a sexy joystick.” -Wanda Sams Atari spokeswoman

by Fritz

Cupertino- Many will say that the launch of Atari’s new cell phone is a little bit mistimed since Atari plans on beginning the sale of its new cell phone called “Porta-phone” on the exact same day as Apple’s iPhone is scheduled to launch. But Wanda Sams says that Atari stands by its decision and think’s that it will be able to compete.

“Sure we have very little attention in the media and barely anyone knows about it but I think our grassroots campaign will pay off big time.” Sams said.

The iPhone will have a touch screen where you can surf the web, check email, watch videos, listen to music, and ask for directions to your nearest liquor store using a GPS system and it’s all built into a small hand held phone. Although the Porta-phone doesn’t have a touch screen it will have a green and black 64 pixel screen with a fat joystick sticking out of the phone and a large red button to help you scroll through some of the many functions like changing the ring tone to one of seven choices, changing the color saturation of green and adjusting the volume of the ring. The Porta-phone takes an exciting 9 DD batteries and does not have a charger for the users convenience.

Atari has no where near the advertising budget that Apple does so they have not released any actual photos of the Porta-phone but Crooked Street Press was allowed have the staff cartoonist do a rendering of the new phone. It becomes obviously clear how popular this phone will be once the hype of the iPhone wears off two or three years from now.

“I’m not sure I want to talk into a phone with a joystick in my face.” Tad Suley, an early product tester for Atari said. “The phone is heavy too…it weighs like 6 pounds. Plus you can’t even put it in your pocket and even if you do get it in your pocket it looks like you’ve got a boner.”

Right now there is actually only a couple of cell phone service providers that are offering service to the Porta-phone. Most of them in the midwest like US Cellular and IP-Moblie which is a knock off of T-Mobile.

The Porta-phone is coming to K-Mart stores near you for a bargain price of $89 and the battery’s are not included.