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HP looking to rebuild PDA, smartphone empires?
Once the glittering crown jewel of the Windows Mobile world, HP has sat back, taken it easy on R&D, and watched its empire dwindle to an empty husk of what it once was. The reasons are unclear, but other manufacturers have certainly had no qualms about rushing in to fill the void -- most notably HTC, the ODM largely responsible for HP's success in the first place. Does it stand a chance of reclaiming the throne? Eh, with so many competitors in the game at this point, probably not, but that may not stop it from trying. Rumors have been swirling the last few days that HP will surround its iPAQ 510 Windows Mobile 6 Standard smartphone with a wide variety of devices positioned both above and below it, and if the details pan out, there could definitely be a few winners in the bunch. The 600 series is said to be similar to the 510 in form factor -- candybar with a numeric keypad -- but will add tri-band HSDPA, a touch sensitive navigation wheel, double the RAM and ROM, and will sport Windows Mobile Professional in place of Standard. The 900 should be largely similar, but trades the numeric keypad for a QWERTY version. Word on the street is that these should be announced in September with availability late in the year -- if it all turns out to be true, we wish the best of luck to ya, HP!
HP Labs and mobile phones: coloring people beautiful
Mobiles can do just about anything these days -- and oh! do we love it -- but fashion and color choice advice was apparently lacking. HP Lab's new software "Color Match mobile service" has come to the rescue armed with color wheels and image processing software, to save society from the perils of mismatched make-up. Users of the system simply snap a photo of themselves holding a special color chart up to their face, fire it off as an MMS to an image processing server that will clean up the pic and reply by SMS with some color choices that will suit their skin tone. Pretty handy business all around and if you are a color-challenged fella, there is hope this idea will be extended to help you pick out just the right tie for that troublesome outfit.
HP crushes dreams, offers no WM6 upgrades
The former Windows Mobile heavyweight champ (sorry, HP, but we're pretty sure that title belongs to some friends of yours now) has made the unfortunate -- though not altogether unexpected -- announcement this week that it will not be providing Windows Mobile 6 upgrades to its existing line of Windows Mobile 5-based devices. That list includes the rx4000, rx5000, rw6800, and hw6900 series -- among others -- leaving even buyers of the company's more recent models in the lurch. If it's any consolation, the models won't be offered with Windows Mobile 6 preinstalled either (because let's face it, it'd just be downright insulting to be teased with an upgrade you can't have) though all future models out of the company will mercifully be rocking Redmond's latest and greatest.[Via the::unwired]
HP shows the HTC of yesterday as concept of tomorrow
We've seen concept phones galore over the years, but a recent prototype spotted at the If Design Awards at this year's CeBIT convention piqued our interest a bit more than usual. Purportedly envisioned by Teague, the sure-to-be-renamed "Data Center Communications Vision of the Future Server" for HP looks to be a Pocket PC / rugged handheld hybrid with a slideout QWERTY keyboard, oversized touchscreen display, and quite a chunky motif. Of course, we doubt this will turn out to be your average PDA / phone, as it reportedly boasts "integrated hardware / software mobile technology to allow IT personnel to monitor data center equipment, diagnose and track problems, and perform system services" as well. Essentially, this presumably beastly device is intended to interface with HP servers and data centers rather than catering to the typical style-conscious consumer, as it even touts RFID / Bluetooth connectivity options to assist administrators in resolving outstanding issues sans wires. As with most products still stuck in the Photoshop stage, there's no word on whether this thing will actually hit the market, nor if it'll show up primarily through enterprise channels if it makes it that far, but it looks like the diagnostic handheld market is just starting to get interesting nonetheless.
HP iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger
It looks like HP's taking another shot at the Smartphone market -- a market it's only halfheartedly attempted to breach in the past -- with the new iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger. The candybar (which, in our humblest of opinions, bears an uncanny resemblance to the Nokia N70) will run Windows Mobile 6 Standard and top out with quadband GSM / EDGE, though the inclusion of 802.11b / g spices things up a bit on the data side and throws the possiblity of VoIP into the mix. A quick glance at the spec sheet shows a 220 x 176 display, 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM, microSD expansion, Bluetooth 1.2, and a lowly 200MHz OMAP850 to keep everything humming along without killing battery juice. See the latest iPAQ minus the glitz and glamor of the press photography in the gallery! HP iPAQ 510 Voice Messenger
Windows Mobile "Crossbow" reviewed
The speculation is over kids, mobile-review got themselves a copy of the next major release of the Windows Mobile OS and slapped up a review for all to see. Codenamed "Crossbow," the mobile OS is expected to hit sometime in the first half of 2007 under what can be assumed to be a Windows Mobile 6.0 moniker. Although, as the review points out, a full numeric update is a bit generous as it could just as well be dubbed Windows Mobile 5.0 Second Edition given the lack of new features. For that, you'll have to wait another few years for Photon which will finally unify the Pocket PC and Smartphone divisions -- it's the former (a near-RTM development version) under review. So, now that your expectations are fully deflated, what are we looking at? To start with, most of the new functions in Crossbow are meant to play nice with the 2007 release of Office and Exchange. Just to run down the highlights, we're getting a fully revamped Outlook Mobile app with new Vista-inspired sounds and themes, Windows Live integration featuring Live Search Mobile, Live Mail Mobile, Live Messenger Mobile (which, ironically, was first available on Symbian S60 3rd edition deivces) all available direct from the Today screen, VoIP (SIP) support bundled into the phone-related part of the system, and Smart Dial 2.0 integration for fast search through contacts just like WinMo 5.0 SmartPhone edition. We're still looking at a typical 64MB ROM / 64MB RAM footprint and a minimum 200MHz CPU. Overall, the system performance is speedier throughout due to continued efforts at optimization started with AKU 3.0. There are few more changes of course but what we're looking at here is not an attempt to leapfrog the competition, rather, Crossbow is an effort just to keep the pace which ain't all bad. Oh, and good news for HP and E-Ten device owners, you'll likely have the option of updating to the new OS via a firmware update -- everyone else had best get to pestering their manufacture or trolling the torrents for the bump.[Thanks, Eldar]
Cingular hooks up with TeleNav for LBS
Following its CDMA and iDEN competitors headlong into the hot location-based services game, Cingular is finally poised mark their first wide-scale LBS deployment by hooking up with TeleNav to offer turn-by-turn navigation to its customers. Though the service will be marketed mainly toward the carrier's business users, pretty much anyone with a lousy sense of direction stands to benefit, with both auto and pedestrian modes included in the box. It'll be offered starting at $5.99 a month for 10 uses or $9.99 for unlimited use on the HP hw6920, Treo 650, Cingular 8125, and the just-'round-the-corner 8525, though handsets without GPS receivers (that is, pretty much anything but the HP) will need to hook up to an external Bluetooth unit to make it all happen.
HP's iPaq hw6920 / hw6925 finally hitting Cingular next week
It's been almost a full year since we first spotted the Swiss Army Phone better known as the iPaq hw6900, and after endless teasing and false starts, Cingular will finally start selling this highly-anticipated jack-of-all-trades starting on October 31st. We have to admit that we're not quite as excited about the hw6920 / hw6925 (with / without camera) as we were, like, nine months ago, but its release is still notable due to the fact that it'll be one of the first mass-market US smartphones to include integrated GPS hardware and software (in the form of TeleNav's GPS Navigator). As you're probably well aware from both the official and leaked spec sheets we've covered, this 416MHz, Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU2-powered handset also features Bluetooth with A2DP, 802.11g, a 1.3 megapixel camera, miniSD slot, reportedly-loud keyboard, and frustrating 240 x 240 pixel screen. The only other major downside here is the lack of a 3G radio, although the GPRS / EDGE capabilities should offer decent connectivity while you search for the nearest hotspot. Obviously having your cake and (almost) eating it too doesn't come cheap, as the hw6920 will start at $360 with a two-year contract and continue to climb skyward.[Via Mobility Site, thanks Ronald D.]
HTC buyout of Dopod in final stages: i-mate, O2, HP wail
Continuing their skyrocket beyond ODM-dom, HTC's buyout bid for Taiwanese Dopod has moved into the final stages. Having signed a memorandum of understanding, the only thing left in the estimated $150 million deal is approval from the Taiwanese government. Assuming HTC chairwoman and Dopod controlling shareholder Cher Wang, daughter of petrochemicals billionaire Y.C. Wang and wife of HTC boss-man Peter Chou, has enough influence to push this through (read: she does), then HTC is about to find themselves in direct competition with their own customers O2, i-mate and HP. HTC already confirmed their decision to self-brand phones in Europe, now the Dopod deal could result in HTC designs being sold exclusively under the Dopod branding outside of Europe. In fact, HTC has already cut ties with both O2 and i-mate in Australia, New Zealand, and India. So if Dopod's claim that HTC manufactures 80 percent of Windows Mobile phones is true, well, O2, i-mate, and HP best be looking for fresh design and manufacturing blood on the quick. [Thanks, Ash]
HP iPAQ hw6940 hits retail channels, finally
Has HP come through in the clutch -- or is it too little, too late? That's the question Pocket PC-hungry consumers will be answering in the next few weeks now that the long... nay, long-rumored hw6940 Mobile Messenger is finally shipping stateside. We were sorta excited about this thing, like, nine months ago, but at this point we're not sure how we feel about Bluetooth 1.2, a pedestrian 64MB of RAM, and the lack of 802.11g -- not to mention that the inclusion of AKU2 doesn't command the same respect it did just a few short months back. Add to that the $600 this thing will set you back, and needless to say we're hoping Cingular's going to bless it with a hefty subsidy when it finally drops in their neck of the woods.[Via MobilitySite]
Star Trek, hw6900 series coming to Cingular next week?
Cingular rebate forms circulating over the past couple days are indicating the presence of three devices -- HP's hw6920 / hw6925 and HTC's Star Trek, offered here as the 3125 -- and while too much time has passed for us to get too worked up at the thought of putting our hands on any of these, they're worth noting nonetheless. Now, the popular rumor says that since these puppies have shown up with rebates, they're in the pipeline for delivery next week. While we're hoping that's true, we're not betting on it. Cingular has a reputation for placing rebates on phones ages before their retail availability -- heck, it's not even unheard of for rebates to expire before the phone even drops. So if next week comes and goes and one, two, or all three of these handsets are nowhere to be found, just remember: a pessimist is never disappointed.
The Boy Genius Report: HTC Hermes & StarTrek, and iPAQ hw6920 coming to US
Field report tidbits from Engadget's mobile insider, the Boy Genius.If this latest Boy Genius scoop is correct, then Cingular's also launching a slew of Windows Mobile phones this summer, some less surprising than others. The HP iPAQ hw6920/25 was more or less expected any time now, and should have WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, EDGE data, and MSFP / AKU2, as expected (you probably already knew the rest). The HSDPA-equipped HTC Hermes is also making its way to these shores, not exactly to the surprise of anyone at Engadget who've been expecting this phone on Cingular for quite some time -- but all the same it's pleasant knowing we'll finally wrap our mitts on a Hermes of our own some time in the September / October range. But what we weren't expecting (at least not so soon) was Cingular to launch the HTC StarTrek in August / September, which will quickly shame all you early adopters and RAZR-haters who wanted to get their hands on an import as quickly as possible. Keep an eye out for further details as we snag 'em.
HP iPaq hw6915 ready to ship on July 4?
HP's everything-to-everyone hw6xxx series of Pocket PC phones have taken their fair share of criticism for some flaky software, sluggish performance, and bizarre 240 x 240 display resolution, but as we previously reported, the hw69xx looks to be a worthy upgrade. Besides the obvious bonuses like a faster processor and integrated WiFi, the keyboard is allegedly more usable thanks to a revised key shape and, well, it's just good to see that HP finally showed up for the Windows Mobile 5 AKU2 party. Folks that have been waiting for these bad boys to drop might want to reach for their wallets: MobilePlanet is now showing July 4 availability for the hw6915, coming in just shy of $890. Despite the decidedly patriotic release date, the first round of units will likely be European, but the quad-band GSM / EDGE has our American readers covered either way.[Thanks, Daniel]
HP iPaq hw6915 PocketPC phone reviewed
We've been on the fence about HP's hw6000 line of Swiss Army phones ever since we first spotted the GPS-equipped iPaq hw6515 -- these models include everything but the kitchen sink, but they also force you to use that non-standard 240 x 240 screen. Still, MobileTechReview's in-depth look at the latest member of the family, the hw6915, makes us think we could overlook the square screen and lack of 3G data options because, well, the rest of this Windows Mobile 5.0-powered smartphone sounds like exactly what us convergence-geeks are seeking. According to MTR, the quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE handset impresses on many fronts, including its solid keyboard, powerful internal antenna, GPS performance, and best-in-class benchmark numbers. HP also throws in some nice extras, like helpful Today screen plug-ins, a full-featured wireless radio manager, the ability to location-stamp photos, and even A2DP in the Bluetooth stack, which isn't normally included in WM5 AKU2 devices out of the box. Besides the fact that this screen resolution may not support all third-party apps, the only real knock to this model concerns the camera's startup/shutter lags -- and if that's the worst thing to be said about a device that seemingly does it all, then we're totally sold.
HP to offer HSDPA-equipped laptops
HP is set to release some business laptops later this year with integrated UMTS/HSDPA technology for global wireless internet connectivity. Of course, HP's not the first manufacturer to offer laptops with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), but it is a further indication that the technology is becoming more mainstream --after all, Ethernet and WiFi were once only available as add-ons. With the new laptops, users will be able to access networks like Cingular's BroadbandConnect and EDGE in the US as well as UMTS networks overseas. Still no word on actual specs on the laptops otherwise, or an exact release date.
HP: mobile TV not ready for prime time
HP has weighed in on the issue of whether consumers are ready to watch TV on their cellphones, and has answered with a resounding "no." The company has declared that it has no plans to add any 3G features -- especially video -- to its smartphones until at least next year, with one of the company's Asia-Pacific execs declaring that a cellphone screen is "too small for 'Desperate Housewives'… [and] you won't be watching a full football or cricket match." Of course, given that HP doesn't manufacture its own smartphones, what the company thinks may have less impact than what features companies like HTC decide to include on their smartphones. And, whether HP likes it or not, Windows Mobile smartphones are already video-capable, even if downloading via non-3G networks makes getting those vids a chore.
HP unveils rw6800 series... in Asia
Oh HP, don't play us like that. Tease the rw6828 around for a little while, then announce only in Asia? And the specs on the HP iPAQ rw6800 series ain't shabby enough to get us to look the other way, either: 416MHz Xscale processor, 64MB RAM, 128MB flash memory, 262k color QVGA touchscreen display, MiniSD, GSM / GPRS / EDGE, Bluetooth 1.2, 802.11b on the rw6828, FM tuner, 2 megapixel camera, and stereo speakers. We'll let you know as soon as, uh, it shows up on the FCC, ok?[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Leaked pictures of HP's XDA Atom rebadge, the iPAQ rw6828
We've been hearing plenty plenty about the iPAQ rw6828, HP's rebadge of the XDA Atom, including an inadvertent leak to HP's website and a few blurry pics here and there, but now we're finally seeing some decent pictures of the phone surface. Not that there are lot of surprises, it's basically your average XDA Atom, but they do mix up the face look a little bit. Otherwise it appears to be the same old QVGA display and 2 megapixel camera -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
More deets, carrier info on the iPaq hw6900 series
We got our mitts on the highly-anticipated iPaq hw69xx's internal HP spec sheet, and while we knew most of the deets already, we did spot a section listing the numbering scheme for the various carriers that will offer this phone. The Cingular-branded version will be known as the hw6925 with camera and hw6920 without, and Canada will get the hw6945 for Rogers with camera, hw6940 without. A few other tidbits that caught our eye were mentions of A2DP support (wireless headphones are even listed as an accessory) and a feature that automatically stamps each photo with the device's GPS coordinates. Overall, we're getting pretty excited for this Swiss Army Phone, and think we can get over minor annoyances like the square screen and lack of SD/SDIO.
HP creates new division for iPaq
When a company spins a product line into a new division, it usually means one of two things: either the company has no idea what to do with the product and wants to shunt it aside, or the product is so big that it deserves some autonomy (think Palm at 3Com). We're not quite sure which scenario is in the offing with HP's announcement that the company is creating a new division for the iPaq. On the one hand, the line hasn't exactly seemed like a top priority for HP since it acquired it as part of its purchase of Compaq. However, the fact that HP is supporting the hw6500 series would seem to indicate a renewed interest in the smartphone market. So, for now at least, we'll hope for the best from HP's new iPaq division, though if the line eventually gets put out to pasture, we'll know this was the first warning.
