Pocket PC Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

"Whoa. Welcome back, iPAQ. What you see here is the HP iPAQ K3 "Obsidian," which has made an appearance in Vietnam a couple of months after we first learned of its existence. VNExpress has it that this Windows Mobile 6.5 phone sports a 2.46-inch AMOLED touchscreen at 320x240 pixels, a Qualcomm 7200A processor @ 528MHz, 256MB RAM/512MB ROM, GPS, 3.2MB camera and WiFi b/g. So, things have been upgraded since we saw the early leaked specs."

Oh HP, how I mourn the loss of the iPAQ line - please let your comeback actually keep the line going. This looks like a step in the right direction (WM 6.5, all the usual bells and whistles), but with HP's track record of slipping release dates, who knows when we'll see it. It is branded though, which is a good sign we may see it before 2012.

Product Category: 3G touch PDA Phone with embedded keyboard

Manufacturer: HP

Where to Buy: Expansys [affiliate]

Price: $484 USD

System Requirements: Runs Windows Mobile 6.1

Specifications: Marvell PXA270 Processor running at 416 Mhz, 128 MB of RAM and 256 MB of ROM. Quad-band GSM/GPRS and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA, able to get 3G/H anywhere it's available. 3.0 megapixel camera, USB 2.0, BT 2.0 with EDR. 1940 mAh battery, 802.11b/g. Weight is 154g (5.4oz) with battery.

Pros:

• Solidly built, very reliable, lightweight and easily pocketable;
• Keyboard feel/design works well to prevent keying errors -- very solid tactile response;
• GPS sensitivity and stability is excellent;
• Battery life is very good.

Cons:

• Accessories package is a bit light -- should have included a cover/case and a second stylus;
• The position of the USB sync port and its rubber cover are a pain to work around.

Summary: I've owned numerous HP iPAQs over the years -- from the venerable 1950 through the Jornada series to the Messengers. While HP is not always the first with the latest and greatest features on their PDAs, I've always been impressed by the quality and reliability of their products. The hardware is very durable and stands up to the rigors of daily office and personal use, and the software provided clearly has the corporate user in mind. The HP iPAQ 910c Business Manager is no exception. This is a solidly built unit that will serve the business/corporate user very well. It doesn't come with a sexy, gesture-based interface, but it does everything it claims to do well, and consistently. Read more...

"The HP iPAQ 910c Business Messenger is, as its name implies, a very good business phone. Like the BlackBerry Curve, it proves that business phones can be attractive and we do like the looks and compact size. It's a dream phone for those who love the T-Mobile Dash, Moto Q9 and BlackJack II but want Windows Mobile Pro rather than standard edition. The QWERTY-bar design is ever-popular in the US and we do love it for easier one-handed operation and expedience. The iPAQ doesn't bring any flashy design elements as do the HTC Touch Pro or Omnia, but we'll largely forgive that since it aims to be a solid business and messaging phone rather than an iPhone competitor. That said, we do wish it had a flush touch screen which would make it both more attractive and finger-friendly. While the iPAQ couldn't be described as an iPhone killer, it certainly is a Treo killer and we're impressed with the display, features, design and build quality compared to recent Windows Mobile Treo models."

More iPAQ 910 reviews have surfaced, courtesy of PocketPCSoft.net and MobileTechReview, and they seem to confirm what others have said in the past: it's a winner. If you're after a solid, no-frills device, this looks like the one to get.

Our buddy, Chris, has just unboxed the HP iPAQ 910. The quad-band GSM/EDGE and tri-band UMTS/HSDPA device is impressive, packing 128MB RAM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 3.0-megapixel auto-focus camera, a huge 1940mAh battery (HTC, are you taking note of this?), and Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Alas, some of you may be let down by its QVGA display. But if you can look past that, this may be the device for you.

"HP today announced the first shipment date of the HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger, a 3G smartphone designed for maximum mobile productivity to a global audience at the HP Connecting Your World conference. The HP iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger shines with a stylish, glossy, piano-black design and features an integrated QWERTY keyboard, Microsoft Windows® Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system and the latest wireless technologies,(1) to simplify the complexities of business and personal life. The feature-packed HP iPAQ 900 Series offers voice and mobile email communications, along with support for critical business applications. It uses tri-band UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE wireless technology to allow customers to make calls(2) and quickly access the Internet around the world, while integrated BluetoothTM and Wi-Fi wireless technology allows for convenient connectivity. "



Ah HP, the company that everyone loves to criticize for their tardiness and odd behavior when it comes to mobile devices (it all went down hill after the 6315... 4 years ago...). Anyway, they're apparently shipping their iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger (A.k.a. a Pocket PC Phone) now, and it doesn't look half bad. WM 6.1, Modern design, Wifi / bluetooth / GPS / GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA / EIEIO (OK, joking about the last one...) and a 3 Megapixel camera. If it is actually shipping, that's a good thing.

Press release after the break. Read more...

"I'm pleased to say my 614c arrived this morning, I put together a short unboxing video, which also compares the device to the 514 and 6915 as well as shows the scroll wheel in action. Look out for a review in a week or so when I've had chance to use the iPAQ 600 day to day."

It never rains but it pours - we have not one, but three items on the just released iPaq 614/614c. You're not likely to see this offered officially in the US, but if you like it enough, where there's a will there's a way - it's a nice enough Pro device to evaluate in that light. First up, gregh at PocketPCSoft.net has an unboxing video. Next, Shaun McGill at PDA24/7 also has a first impressions post on the 614c - he notes a couple of potential deal breakers like the card slot being under the battery. Lastly as a followup to last week's unboxing video, Tracy and Matt have a full review of the device, and say while the device is snappy, it is on the large side and the current ROM isn't bug free (pic above from their review). Enjoy reading!