The Miniature Antenna Fits in the Slimmest Handset Models, Offering Real LBS Potential to Manufacturers

HALF MOON BAY, Calif., October 14, 2008 – Sarantel, a UK-based manufacturer of filtering antennas for mobile and wireless devices, today launched its location-based services (LBS) Pro antenna in the U.S. market at the Canalys Navigation Forum. The LBS Pro is a miniature energy-saving high-performance GPS device aimed at mobile handset manufacturers. The new product outperforms existing GPS antennas and is small enough to fit in most compact handset models. 

 “The US market for mobile GPS navigation, once tiny compared to the European market, is now the fastest growing region for this type of devices,” said Chris Jones from Canalys. “The LBS technology in combination with the social networking phenomenon could accelerate this growth even more, producing the next wave of mobile services, meeting high consumer expectations and generating additional revenue to handheld manufacturers.”

 

The Sarantel LBS Pro delivers the level of positional accuracy and reliable performance that is essential for hands-free pedestrian navigation, which consumers are increasingly demanding. Accuracy and reliability are fundamental to the success of LBS, which will drive future mobile services. The antenna is based on Sarantel’s PowerHelix filtering technology, which offers the following advantages over traditional antennas:

 

·         Better performance in urban environments with tall buildings, which typically impede satellite reception.

·         Does not lose energy and de-tune when held close to the body. This means that mobile consumers can leave their phones in their pockets while listening to turn-by-turn instructions through their headsets, resulting in a more natural and safe hands-free user experience.

·         Requires a minimum of 10 percent less GPS battery power so that consumers can practically use their phone for pedestrian navigation. 

 

“We are excited to launch our latest product in the U.S. market which will go a long way towards solving  the positional accuracy and reliability issues with GPS in mobile phones, a prerequisite to true implementation of LBS services that meet consumers’ interests, like social networking and non-invasive targeted mobile advertising,” said David Wither, CEO, Sarantel. “Sarantel has proven the phones equipped with our technology are able to work reliably in the users pocket which we believe it an essential feature for broad adoption of a range of LBS applications.”

 

Pricing and Availability

The Sarantel LBS Pro antennas are immediately available and samples can be ordered at Sarantel’s website: https://samples.sarantel.com/. Pricing for the Sarantel LBS Pro varies depending on quantity. For example, an order of 10,000 units would be priced at $3.79 per unit.

 

About Sarantel

Sarantel is a leader in the design of high-performance miniature antennas for portable wireless applications including hand-held navigation, satellite radio and laptop computers. Sarantel’s revolutionary ceramic filtering antennas offer dramatically improved performance over existing antenna designs, resulting in a clearer signal, better range and a 90 percent reduction in the amount of signal radiation absorbed by the body. Because of their smaller size and higher capabilities, Sarantel’s antennas enable manufacturers to create innovative high-volume consumer products incorporating technologies such as GPS, Wi-Fi, WiMax, 3G, GPRS, Satellite Radio and Bluetooth. Further information can be found at www.sarantel.com or