The touch-screen devices use Windows Mobile 6 Professional operating system and run on UMTS/HSDPA and quad-band GSM/Edge WiFi networks. The company did not announce any carrier deals for the devices, but they would work on AT&T or T-Mobile USA and European networks. HP said the phones would work with most of the major carriers.
One of the devices, called the iPAQ 600 Series Business Navigator, includes a navigation wheel, iPod-style, to control the device and enables users to view 3D maps. It costs $600. The second model, the iPAQ 900 Series Business Messenger, has a QWERTY keyboard. They both have 256MB of Flash, as well as expandable memory.
Their launch follows HP’s first smartphone device, called the Voice Messenger, which it announced in February.
Several other iPAQ devices were announced this week, as well as various notebook and desktop computers. The company launched more than 55 products this week, including services, under its Personal Systems Group division.
Our View
HP needs to move into the smartphone arena because stand-alone PDAs, while still in demand, are likely to become less popular as more handhelds have phone functionality.
But compared to a newer model BlackBerry and Treos, HP’s smartphones are positively clunky in design. Still, HP has deep pockets for design and marketing, as demonstrated by its latest notebook campaign.
HP also lacks brand recognition in the smartphone space. However, IT managers already buy other HP products and so it’s a trusted brand. It will come down to execution: smartphone product cycles are shorter than for printers and PCs, and because of their small footprint, smartphone designs are more complicated.
