ROAD promises Handy-PC smartphone by Q1 2006

They still haven't issued any actual product shots, but Remote Office Access Devices, or ROAD, threw out a press release earlier today claiming that they would start shipping their new Handy-PC smartphone early next year. If you recall, this was the German outfit which announced back in February its plans for a really tricked-out, clamshell-style smartphone with a spec sheet that, at least at the time, read like a fanboy's wishlist: a QWERTY keypad, a wide 640 x 240 pixel touchscreen display, an optional two megapixel digital camera, built-in WiFi, IrDA, an SD memory card slot, 400MHz Xscale processor, 64MB of RAM, and 64MB of ROM, and your choice of Linux, Windows Mobile, or Symbian for the OS. We'll give 'em the benefit of the doubt for now — now that the HTC Universal has dropped, these specs definitely seem a little more plausible — but all we gotta say is that they better have some working units on display at CES in January.

[khamel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

if this phone comes to cingular my smt5600 is going on ebay the same day its announced. windows mobile has grown on me so if it comes with wm5 then i'm sold.

[More Please @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

I know I a lot of you want to BITCH and BITCH about the size of these type of phones but when you depend on the keyboard as much as deaf people do, you will welcome phone like this and wish they would hurry up and get on the market. SCREW T-Blo and their crappy Sidekick. I for now am still holding on to my OGO and as crappy as it is, I'll take it anyday before I touch a Sidekick.

[eso @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

how is this appreciably different in form from any of the past dozen or so Nokia Communicators?

[Andy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

Cool, looks like a Psion Revo plus phone!

[JT @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

I'd have to be one of the bitchers mentionned above.
I respectfully agree on this kind of thing being targeted at niche markets (there is nothing wrong with that). But with GPS standard in cars, bluetooth+wifi and all online services like Gmail and .net, my money is on less bulky devices.
I did own a P910 and went back to palm+razr: why? Because i don't need a freaking smartphone when I go out (it's called a woman-repeller, and it doubles the bulge in your pants - that might actually be good) or when I am doing anything BUT work, which, luckily enough, is about 1/3 of my time.

[will @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

I'm kinda new to these small devices.. are the "Y" key and "Z" key supposed to be switched?

[Adam Don @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

Well it's no HTC Universal...

[Samuel McConnell @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

Will: German keyboards use the "QWERTZ" layout, this is sometimes called a Kezboard. It would be changed for domestic markets if it ever shows up here.

[RedbullNY @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

I dont get the hype...this is just like another Nokia Communicator with oooo a touch screen...cmon ppl get real...seriously by around q1 2006 there will be an ipaq with wifi and also the Motorola Q which may be smaller in screen size but also lighter to carry around.

[RedbullNY @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

I dont get the hype...this is just like another Nokia Communicator with oooo a touch screen...cmon ppl get real...seriously by around q1 2006 there will be an ipaq with wifi and also the Motorola Q which may be smaller in screen size but also lighter to carry around.

[khamel @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

i might be in the minority but the difference maker for me is windows mobile. i have outlook at work and the ability to easily sync my contacts and calendar as well as email setup for exchange and gmail is the clincher. if you know of a similar phone (w/QWERTY) and windows mobile, id be all of that one as well.

[TZK @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

Reminds me of the Nokia 9300, only smarter.

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

Now that's what I'm talkin' about! A company finally decides to utilize all the space given to them. Nokia was closest to the mark before this. I hope it's not *too* big. And what's wrong the the Sidekick? It has the best thumb keyboard out there, which I'd think a hearing impaired person would appreciate.

[Mazen Mokhtar @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

I used the OGO for a few months, and I must say that the thumb keyboard is the best I have ever used. The keys are easy to find in the dark and when pressed they have a soft click that lets you know that a key was pressed. It has a directional pad with four additional keys that lets the user easily navigate the four directions either by single step or by page.

Unfortunately, the OGO software is limited to Messenger and Email, and the Email client is barely worth using. What we need is the OGO keyboard on the sidekick.

[AC @ Dec 19th 2005 12:20AM]

For RedbullNY, I think that the appeal will be the option of which OS you can have on the phone. The Communicator 9300 is great for Symbian-philes, but Windows Mobile users are probably dying for something like this to hit the market. I don't know anyone that has a Linux smartphone, but this may be up their alley too...