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ASUS shows nav-enabled P535
If you're willing to trade the P525's honest-to-goodness numeric keypad for an embedded SiRF Star III GPS antenna, ASUS is about to drop your hookup with the upcoming P535. The Pocket PC Phone Edition device is rumored to come packing some serious heat with an XScale humming along at a generous 520MHz, Bluetooth 2.0, 802.11g, a 2-megapixel cam, and a miniSD slot in the event that 256MB of internal flash doesn't cut it for you. No word on release, but without GSM 850, 3G, or EDGE on board, we're not getting too worked up about it.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Palm briefly confesses to Treo 680, 750 for Cingular
Dear Palm,Why is it that you have such a devil of a time keeping a lid on your product pipeline? It seems like in those precious few moments when your carriers aren't leaking documents describing unreleased Treos, you're doing it yourself. No bother; we already knew darned well Cingular would be getting a pair of new handsets from you, freshly freed of their pesky external antennas, in Palm OS and Windows Mobile flavors -- we just wish you'd make it a little more challenging to scoop the deets sometimes. Anyway, you've got a crowd of Palm fanatics anxiously awaiting your 680 and 750 here in the US, so let's get this show on the road, shall we?Love,Engadget[Thanks, William and Jon]
O2 gets HTC Artemis as "Xda Orbit"
We're not really feeling the carrier-specific exterior (apparently known by HTC as the "Cruiser") as much as the sculpted lines of its generic sibling, but at least O2 Germany customers can take solace in the knowledge that they'll be getting some form of the nav-enabled device. The "Xda Orbit" brings all of that GPS, trackball, and WiFi goodness in a slightly more conservative package -- it's by no means ugly, just not as nifty as the original Artemis we're used to seeing strut its stuff. Look for the Xda Orbit to drop complete with a 512MB microSD card loaded with maps of Austria, Germany, and Switzerland for €249.99 (about $315) on contract in the next few weeks.[Via the::unwired]
Zenum's Opus Operis Pocket PC in November?
Don't shoot us -- we're just the messengers on this one, but an outfit going by the name "Zenum" is claiming that they'll be releasing their rather comely "Opus Operis" Pocket PC Phone Edition device come this November. If real (and we really have no basis to form an opinion one way or another on this), it's shaping up to be a hot handset, rocking a full keyboard, 128MB of ROM, 64MB of RAM, 802.11g, Bluetooth with A2DP, miniSD expansion, a 2-megapixel shooter, and a landscape-mounted QVGA display, all in an attractive, thin (looking) shell. Of course, with devices in this category, keyboard comfort is a huge factor, and we won't get a sense for that until this thing -- if this thing -- hits the streets. Sadly, the Opus Operis leaves both GSM 850 and EDGE out of the equation, so data-hungry users and Americans are probably best off looking elsewhere.
HTC's nav-friendly Artemis reviewed
French site Ultimate Pocket had a crack at the HTC Artemis this week, coming away with a solidly positive impression of the GPS-enabled unit. They were really digging the trackball (as were we), the comprehensive software package, and the FM radio support which allows direct-to-MP3 recording. The review doesn't really go into the device's GPS, and for folks planning on using the Artemis as their navigation system, it's an important point to touch on. What the author does mention is a rumor of a GPS-less version of the Artemis eventually dropping; given its exceptionally sexy chassis, we're all for it, but we don't have availability information (or even so much as an HTC code name) to back that one up right now -- we'll keep our eyes peeled.
ASUS P525 Pocket PC phone gets reviewed
CNET's Australian outpost had a chance to put the ASUS P525 smartphone through its paces recently, using the BlackBerry 7130 series and the just-launched HP iPAQ hw6900 series as measuring sticks. They found it compared favorably to both, clocking in a bit heavier (though similarly sized) to the 7130 and besting the hw6900 for battery endurance, though some folks cross-shopping the P525 with the hw6900 might be swayed by the latter's QWERTY keyboard nonetheless. Strangely, though the P525 includes business card recognition software, the reviewer found that the phone's 2-megapixel cam wasn't sufficient to deliver the clarity needed for the software to actually function. The lack of 3G is a downer, too, but hey -- it looks mighty purty, and that's the important thing with a smartphone, right?
HTC Trinity up close and personal
If our thumbs are a little cramped today, it's from incessantly trying to turn on this mockup (yeah, we found out a little late) of HTC's curvy Trinity at CTIA. Technically, we suppose this particular example lacks any sort of connectivity, but its production siblings manage to pack the trifecta of Bluetooth 2.0, HSDPA, and 802.11g all into one of HTC's best looking packages to date. That "BRAND" placeholder in the upper left got us to wondering: just how much would it lay us out to do a run of Engadget-branded pieces? If we have to ask, we're guessing we can't afford it.
More deets on O2's Xda Stealth
Perhaps we failed to adequately emphasize one key feature of the Gigabyte-sourced Xda Stealth when we outed its FCC filing yesterday: its diminutive size. At 110 x 53 x 22.5mm, it bests the HTC Wizard in all but length (where it clocks in just 2 millimeters longer), putting it nearly in dumbphone territory. Granted, the Stealth lacks a full keyboard, but everything's put into better perspective when remembering that it manages to stuff Pocket PC Phone Edition power (and specs to match) into a package on par with some Smartphones on the market. Though there's no 3G radio aboard the handset, we take solace in its 802.11g support; in fact, the only thing raining on our parade is the triband GSM support, which leaves parts of the world unhappy pretty much any way you slice it -- let this be a lesson to Gigabyte that they've got some American sales waiting in the wings as soon as they want to tack GSM 850 onto this thing.Update: MTekk reports that the Stealth will be finding its way to Australia post haste, officially launching before the end of the month for around $940 Australian ($707 US).
Samsung's IP-830w Pocket PC for Sprint
Does the model number vaguely ring a bell? Sure enough, this seems to be a Sprint-specific version of the Samsung i830 Pocket PC slider, packing both CDMA and GSM radios for globetrottin' goodness. True, Verizon's had the predecessor i730 for a good while now, but at least the i830 will come out of the gate with Windows Mobile 5 plus AKU2, and of course, that GSM support is going to be music to the ears of many a traveling businessman. No details yet on availability or pricing, but given that the fact sheet encourages readers to "order or view online" at Sprint's website, it shouldn't be long. [Warning: PDF link][Via Mobility Site, thanks Chris L.]
Palm Treo 750v gets official
Thanks to countless leaks over the last several months, one of the most anticlimactic smartphone releases in history has finally gone official. Palm has issued all the juicy details on their UK site, and... well, it's pretty much exactly what we expected: internal antenna, quadband GSM with triband UMTS (lending itself to a Cingular release), and a superbly average 1.3-megapixel cam sitting atop Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC Phone Edition. The phone is still apparently in the pre-order phase, though Vodafone's site is showing a price "From Free to £127.66" (about $240) depending on contract -- not bad considering what you get, but whether similar pricing will carry over to Cingular is another question entirely.[Thanks, Wolwol and Camp]
FCC reveals O2's Xda Stealth
If you like your O2 Xdas with a few less keys than what the Cosmo's packing, news of the Gigabyte-designed "Stealth" might just get your heart racing. The FCC's spilled the beans on the triband GSM (sorry, Yanks) slider, revealing 802.11g, a 2.4-inch QVGA display, 192MB of flash with 64MB of RAM, and a respectable 2-megapixel shooter. Without GSM 850, a US release is out of the question, and frankly we're not quite sure what bearing FCC approval has on it dropping in the European marketplace, but we reckon it mustn't be long.[Via phoneArena]
i-mate rolls out JAQ and SPL models
It's official: i-mate isn't just a HTC rebrand shop anymore. Their new JAQ and SPL models have just been announced for reals, and neither relies on their ol' standby partner to provide the goods. The JAQ hails from Inventec, packing Pocket PC Phone Edition into a fairly clever looking (or different looking, if nothing else) QWERTY chassis with 128MB of ROM, 64MB of RAM, miniSD expansion, Bluetooth, and a 2.8-inch display. The SPL, on the other hand, bears a striking resemblance to a device we first saw outta TechFaith. The slim candybar Smartphone rocks stats similar to its JAQ sibling with the same 128MB ROM / 64MB RAM, miniSD, and Bluetooth, but with a more Smartphone-appropriate 2.2-inch LCD. i-mate is positioning both of these devices as mid-range, suggesting that they might be looking at non-HTC handsets to bring Windows Mobile on the cheap while their HTCs will stay positioned at the top. [Warning: PDF link]
HTC "Omni" to take torch from Universal?
Amidst a flurry of recent product announcements (and leaks) out of the HTC camp, their king-of-the-hill Universal (pictured) kinda got lost in all the hubbub. What's next for the psuedo-laptop of the Windows Mobile world? MoDaCo is reporting that the "Omni" will serve as the Hermes to the Universal's Wizard (if you will) by taking the Universal form factor, tacking on an HSDPA radio, and swapping out the Intel processor for a speedier Samsung core. As an added bonus, the Omni should be a bit slimmer than the model it replaces and rock Windows Mobile 5 AKU3, giving hope that the device will have VGA out capability. If HTC can finalize the specs in short order, we could allegedly see this thing as early as the end of this year, though 1H 2007 seems the more likely target.[Via Pocket PC Thoughts]
Rundown of HTC's P3600 "Trinity" with HSDPA
Windows Mobile users that think they might dig the Hermes, but would like to see HTC dial down the keyboard factor and dial up the... uh, cute factor, are about to find their soulmate in the Trinity. The device (shown here in its self-branded P3600 incarnation) ends up getting a lot of love in this review, earning props for its Swiss Army Knife-like connectivity options, quality of construction, and chassis design. Performance proves to be on par with its Hermes sibling, though battery life was inexplicably worse -- despite having more juice on board. The reviewer chalks up the discrepancy to the review unit being a prototype, which seems fair enough. The lack of a keyboard may ultimately doom the Trinity to niche markets, but with HSDPA, Bluetooth 2.0, and 802.11g all packed into an unusually great looking device, we might just be willing to go back to character recognition.
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]
HTC gets official on their Q4 lineup
All four of these phones have had their fair share of leaks, but now HTC is ready to fess up and assign some names to their Q4 lineup of phones, which is all set to bust up on Europe this fall. Starting from the left we've got the S3300, codenamed Artemis, which is due for an October launch, and features TomTom software to power the GPS action, along with a 2.8-inch screen and a snazzy new "RollRTM" trackball / track wheel. The P3600 (aka Trinity) picks up where the Prophet and Magician left off with a bit of bulk, some cute looks, but sadly no QWERTY action. The phone does, however, manage HSDPA speeds and a 2 megapixel camera, so it won't be all tears when this thing drops in September. Next we have the Q-killin' "Excalibur" S620, which measures a mere 0.5-inches thick, weighs 4.6 ounces, and manages that lovable QWERTY keyboard and 2.4-inch screen. The phone, due for an October launch, will also come with quad band GPRS/EDGE (3G is conspicuously absent), WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Finally, HTC's S310 "Oxygen" candybar isn't anything too terribly interesting, but it's a nice new look for HTC candybar fans who found the HTC Breeze to be a bit too squarish. The S310 should be out this September. Possibly the best news among all this action is that it seems HTC has decided to abandon the frightening naming convention they adopted for the "TyTN" and "MTeoR." That was a slippery slope if we ever saw one. The worst news is, of course, HTC is only self-branding these phones in Europe right now, and will be letting US carriers adulterate these phones with garish branding and spec drops before we ever get a chance at 'em. Oh well, such is life. Keep reading for entirely-too-large pr0n of all four phones at their shiniest.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Vodafone taking preorders for Treo 750v
The teaser shot of the keyboard on Voda's site might not be very revealing, but hey, we've got plenty of evidence lined up to know pretty much what's in store for Vodafone customers come September 12 either way. Businessfolk on the carrier's UK site are now being encouraged to preorder the device, which will be "using Vodafone's high-speed 3G network" humming along atop Windows Mobile 5.2. The remainder of the spec sheet (if accurate) is nothing we couldn't have guessed, suggesting a 1.3-megapixel cam (we've heard 2 megapixels thrown around; we'll see), Bluetooth, and that fabulous HSDPA radio, though there's no mention of WiFi -- potentially a deal breaker for some. And for the record, yes, we're figuring that if they panned up on that annoying teaser shot, there'd be no external antenna in sight.[Via Mobility Site]
HTC Artemis becomes "MDA compact III" for T-Mobile Germany
The Artemis, HTC's first Pocket PC Phone Edition device with a GPS receiver on board, is one of those HTC code words we feel as though we've heard floating around for ages -- but only recently were we able to get an alleged snap of the oft-rumored device in the flesh. It appears we now have some solid confirmation that the blurry shot was in fact an Artemis, seeing how T-Mobile Germany's gone ahead and announced it as their "MDA compact III." Our German could use some brushing up, but the spec sheet seems to tell us that the rather stylish piece will be rocking a 2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth (naturally), and that in-built GPS module for the directionally challenged among us. Sifting through the device's control panel reveals that it packs a 200MHz OMAP850 with 64MB of RAM and 128MB of ROM, fairly standard fare for modern Pocket PCs. No word on a release date, but as usual, we'd caution our friends on T-Mobile in the US against getting their hopes up.[Via the::unwired]
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.
Cingular 8525 (HTC Hermes) in the wild
It's with mixed feelings that we greet the Cingular 8525's first live shots in the wild. Yes, it's apparently real, and yes, it matches the renderings we posted not long ago, but these pics also seem to sadly confirm our fear that this particular rendition of the Hermes will be coming to American buyers sans front-facing cam. There's no crying in cellphones, though, so we're going to do our best to concentrate on the positive: the 8525 should improve significantly on the 8125's speed thanks to a new processor, and of course, it's hard to argue with HSDPA. We don't have ship date for this puppy, but given the pics, the state of Cingular's 3G network, and the general availability of Hermes variants worldwide, we'd say that "real soon now" is an appropriate attitude to take.[Thanks, Notorious Jatt]
