Dubai's Neo, the manufacturer behind the "world's smallest fully featured mobile phone," says that it's looking well beyond its domestic horizons for the new year. It seems the company has secured certifications from several of the key regulatory agencies around the world, including the FCC -- though it's not clear whether they're for the original 808i or for three new handsets promised by the end of 2008 -- and intends to go global inside of two months. The next model on the Neo docket will be the "Ellipse," an elliptical (surprise, surprise) phone with WiFi, touchscreen, a 4 megapixel cam, and media player; sell this in the US and keep it the same size as the 808i, and these cats may just have a market niche carved out for themselves; they'll be at MWC, so with any luck, we'll get a little look-see at it then.

[Via MobileTechNews]

There's no shortage of wee sized mobiles out there to test the longevity of our poor eyes, but the "UK- and Dubai-based" startup, dubbed Neo, is adding yet another option to the mix. While we admire the shiny Photoshop job seen above, the company has reportedly assured us all that the miniscule 808i will see the light of day in "March 2007." Admittedly, the specs aren't too far-fetched (unlike some yet-to-be-produced handsets out there), as it touts tri-band compatibility, a color LCD, Bluetooth, 1.3-megapixel camera, MP3 / MP4 playback, 128MB of flash memory, and a microSD slot. At a glance, the nifty bar atop the mobile bears resemblance to some of Sony Ericsson's offerings, but the 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.3-centimeter enclosure and 90-gram weight sure stands out. If all goes "as planned," the 808i should hit the Middle East just a few months into 2007, with Europe getting it soon after.

[Via RegHardware]