Fly Mobile Launches Levi's Cell Phone

It has no low-rise waist or flared pant leg, but a new Levi's phone from Fly Mobile offers users 3.5 hours talk time plus all the usual browser-camera-media player extras.

The Eastern European cell phone operator unveiled the phone Monday. The 4-ounce unit comes in black, has the Levi-Strauss logo etched on its metallic back side, and comes with a suggested retail price of $520.

Unfortunately, it's only available for Fly's customers in Russia.

The 1.76-inch screen has resolution of 220 by 176 pixels; a 2-megapixel camera shoots still or motion images in 1,6001,200 resolution in both MPEG4 and 3GP (H.263) formats, the operator said.

The Levi's phone has 64 MB of embedded memory that can be enlarged via the MicroSD slot under the back panel of the device. A USB port simplifies data transfer and storage.

The media player supports all the major formats: MID, IMY, WAV, AMR, AAC, and MP3. The player can also record and play video, or be used as an FM radio. A 300-name phone directory allows users to associate a melody and photo with each name, using an embedded image editor.

The Levi's phone does not come with a built-in e-mail client, but is equipped with WAP 2.0 or GPRS class 8 for Internet access. The handset also doubles as a GPRS modem. In addition, the unit has a Bluetooth 1.2 A2DP interface. The phone works on GSM 900 networks, as well as DCS 1800/1900.

The phone also features miniature steel bolts around its perimeter, front, and back -- an homage of sorts to the copper rivets used on the pockets of the original Levi's denim jeans. While that may tempt some users to slip the phone into their back pocket, Fly suggests using the soft velvet case that ships with the phone.