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HP iPAQ 600 gets Korean confirmation
Though spec sheet details still haven't been confirmed, the existence of the rumored iPAQ 600 from HP now seems like a sure thing. A spokesman for HP Korea has said that a "third-generation PDA phone, dubbed the iPAQ 600" will launch on multiple Korean carriers later this year, featuring HSDPA, a numeric keypad, and likely a 2.8 inch display. Of course, a Korean launch doesn't really do us very much good in these parts, but we've gotta believe that HP is going to aim for one or more American launches as well as they've done in the past -- and even if it doesn't, the reported tri-band HSDPA radio should work swimmingly once we get any carrier lock issues taken care of.[Via the::unwired]
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 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]
Joystiq hands-on: HP's mscape
HP showed off several of its gaming research and development projects at a recent San Francisco media event. The company said that many of these technologies had been in progress before the VoodooPC acquisition, but Rahul Sood and other VoodooPC leaders were able to see the gaming applications of previous research.I spent some time trying mscape ("mediascape") and discussing the project with some of its engineers. This gaming platform -- which isn't meant to compete with a hardware-and-software solution like the DS or PSP -- has already been used in the real world, unlike most of the in-progress projects demonstrated.Mscape sits on a PocketPC or other device, presenting an augmented reality game space. Other game designers and companies have tried to bridge the virtual world and the real world, with games that are played on devices by moving around outside. But HP's muscle may eventually help push these new experiences to mainstream gamers.
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
HP iPAQ rx5900 Travel Companion reviewed
The folks at LAPTOP Magazine have come out with some pretty high praise for HP's iPAQ rx5900 Travel Companion (a slight variation of the rx5915), calling it the best GPS/PDA hybrid yet and bestowing its Editors' Choice award on the shiny little handheld. The iPAQ scored the most points for its top-end navigation software, courtesy of TomTom, which they say worked like a charm in conjunction with the SiRFstar III antenna. And, being based on Windows Mobile 5.0, the iPAQ also provided all the PDA functionality you'd expect from a regular handheld, with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth to round out the connectivity options. The biggest downside, not surprisingly, is that the battery will run down pretty quickly when you have the GPS turned on, lasting just 90 minutes with the backlight on as well. Although it does come with a car dock and charger, which will come in handy if you don't want to have to worry about getting stranded on your next cross-country trip.
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]
HP's iPAQ rx4000 gets a big brother: the rx5915
This new line of consumer-oriented HP iPAQ devices is growing into a family right quick. We just saw the rx4000 a couple of days ago, and now we're catching wind of at least a couple rx5000 devices. The rx5000 types go with the "Travel Companion" moniker, since they include a SiRF Star III GPS receiver for a bit of navigation action. WiFi seems to be optional for the rx5000 units, but the rx5915 has it, along with a 3.5-inch QVGA touchscreen, 2GB of flash memory, 64MB RAM, Bluetooth 2.0, SDIO slot, standard 3.5mm headphone jack and a 400MHz Samsung processor. Hopefully these specs give us a better indication of what HP is packing in the rx4000 units, and the flash memory size does appear to be a variable, so we're guessing we'll at least get a 2GB option in rx4000 land. The Travel Companion iPAQs feature a traditional 9-way direction pad, along with 2 Windows Mobile buttons, but none of the rx4000's jog dial action. As for price, the rx5915 weighs in at a hefty, if almost reasonable, $600. We've been hearing some rumblings about whether or not these new iPAQs were going to make it to the States, but we can at least say that the documentation we've seen shows off the rx5000 nav features gallivanting around North America, so we've got that going for us.
HP's new iPAQ rx4000 goes widescreen
A quick glance at the spec sheet of HP's new iPAQ rx4000 Mobile Media Companion doesn't really show it as a force to be reckoned with, but a quick look at the device itself reveals it to be quite a new thing entirely for the iPAQ line. HP seems to be going after a consumer dollar with this device, with a $300 pricetag and cute PMP-inspired design, but the specs aren't terrible. The rx4000 features a 2.8-inch screen which runs in landscape or portrait mode, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and is naturally a full-fledged Pocket PC with support for VoIP software and Microsoft Office apps if you're feeling in a productive mood. Of course, the "Mobile Media Companion" moniker reveals the proposed functionality of the device, and between the media player support, nifty scroll wheel and decent screen the rx4000 shouldn't go far wrong there. Unfortunately, HP has so far only announced an October launch in Asia, so there's no telling when or if we might get this little guy in the States. There's also no word on internal storage -- a few gigabytes of flash memory wouldn't go far wrong here -- but we're guessing it isn't anything much if HP has decided not to mention it in their press release.
Boy Genius strikes at Engadget Mobile: Canary (KRZR), BlackBerry Stealth, StarTrek, Hermes, etc. coming to US
It was a long day for the Boy Genius, but dude hooked Engadget Mobile up with a veritable cornucopia of launch plans for Cingular, including releases for the Motorola KRZR (aka Canary), V3i, HTC Hermes and StarTrek, the new BlackBerry Stealth, the Treo Nitro and Treo Lennon, HP iPAQ hw6920/25, and Nokia E62. Go check 'em out over at Engadget Mobile, you won't be sorry.Treo Nitro and Treo Lennon coming to Cingular in OctoberThe Boy Genius Report: BlackBerry StealthThe Boy Genius Report: Canary is KRZR, getting launched SeptemberThe Boy Genius Report: Cingular snags Motorola V3i, Sony Ericsson w810 The Boy Genius Report: HTC Hermes & StarTrek, and iPAQ hw6920 coming to USNokia E62 to drop for $599/$399 in September/October
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.
Mio A701 GPS-enabled Windows Mobile smartphone reviewed
On paper, the Mio A701 smartphone sounds like almost the perfect convergence device, sporting a Windows Mobile 5.0-powered 520MHz Xscale processor, SiRF III GPS receiver, tri-band GSM radio, Bluetooth, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Sadly, at least according to Reg Hardware, the A701 has so many little faults that the device is often barely usable, and sounds like a skip except for those folks who absolutely must have GPS and aren't into the square-screened iPaq hw6xxx series from HP. Some of the Reg's gripes with this model include its crappy camera (one of the worst they've ever seen, apparently), GPRS-only data connection, flimsy telescoping stylus, lack of dedicated buttons for WM5 softkey control, and buggy navigation software (luckily it's optional). Besides the full suite of accessories that come included in the box, there doesn't seem to be much good to say about the $660 to $790 A701, which is no doubt a big disappointment to those who may have been looking to import what appeared to be such a hot phone.
