Aircell Samrtphone

We missed this last week while we were at CTIA, but Aircell announced a new smartphone for making that all-important call from 35,000 feet.

The Aircell Smartphone (catchy name, eh) will allow air travelers on private business jets to make and receive calls just as they would while on the ground. It will be compatible with Aircell's forthcoming GoGo Biz service, which will supply in-flight Internet access and voice call service for corporate aircraft customers. Though the handset won't be available to airline passengers anytime soon (and hopefully never), Aircell also operates the GoGo in-flight Wi-Fi service that many commercial airlines currently employ.

The Android-powered Aircell Smartphone will offer Bluetooth, a wired headset jack, an alphanumeric physical keypad, and a 3.8-inch color touch screen. The design looks pretty standard, though in its press release Aircell notes that the device "exceeds the size of most consumer smartphones on the market today."

Full availability is planned for late this year, with pricing details also to come. The company unveiled the Aircell Smartphone at the 2011 Aircraft Electronics Association trade show in Reno, Nev.