HP Unveils New IPaqs

Hewlett-Packard has unveiled its fall lineup of new IPaq handhelds, including the first Pocket PC to bundle three major wireless technologies: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular.

All the new personal digital assistants run Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 software, for either Pocket PC or Pocket PC-Phone Edition. But HP is also introducing a new product naming scheme to distinguish IPaq PDAs that are aimed at consumers and digital media enthusiasts from those that are designed with corporate users in mind. The business units are still called Pocket PCs, but the consumer PDAs are now referred to as Mobile Media Companions. All, however, sport a refreshed IPaq design that looks more streamlined than its predecessors.

All these new IPaqs are scheduled to ship this fall, except for the H6300 series unit, which may appear at the end of August.

High-End Units

T-Mobile is the first carrier to offer an H6300 series IPaq, the line of handhelds with integrated GSM/GPRS, 802.11b, and Bluetooth wireless radios.

T-Mobile's product, the IPaq Pocket PC H6315, will cost existing T-Mobile customers $600; a $100 rebate offer will bring the price down to $500 for those who activate a new T-Mobile account. This model uses a Texas Instruments OMAP 1510 processor, and has 64MB of SDRAM and 64MB of Flash read-only memory, with 55MB available for file storage, plus an SD expansion slot. It has a 3.5-inch color screen, and comes with a built-in camera and basic image-editing and organizing software. It also includes a snap-on keyboard for composing messages.

Amazingly, the H6315 isn't the most expensive model HP announced. The IPaq Hx4705 Pocket PC, at $649, has that honor. That's probably at least partly because it's got a touchpad for navigation and is based on Intel's fastest (624 MHz) and most expensive Bulverde processor for handhelds.

Other high-end features in the Hx4705 include integrated 802.11b and Bluetooth (but no cell phone) connectivity; 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM; advanced security software; and support for both SD and CompactFlash expansion cards. It has a 4-inch VGA display. (See PC World's review of the H6300).

IPaqs for Media Mavens

HP announced two different models in the new Rx3000 series of Mobile Media Companions. Both are powered by a Samsung S3C 2440 processor and have a 3.5-inch color screen.

The top-of-the-line Rx3715 goes for $500 and features a built-in 1.2-megapixel camera, integrated 802.11b Wi-Fi, and software not only to view music and video, but also to send multimedia wirelessly to a TV or stereo. It has 152MB of user-available memory, a charging cradle, support for the latest video formats (H.263 and MPEG4), and a one-year warranty.

The lower-end Rx3115 is similar, but lacks the camera; it has only 56MB of user-available memory, a charging cable rather than a cradle, and a 90-day warranty. HP did not announce pricing for this model.

Economy Models

For more budget-minded customers, HP has announced the Rz1700 series, which will encompass both Pocket PC and Mobile Media Companion models. The first products in this line are the Rz1710 Pocket PC and the Rz1715 Mobile Media Companion; both cost $279.

The startup screens reflect the different focus of these handhelds. The Pocket PC has a Today screen similar to that found on traditional IPaqs, while the Mobile Media Companion affords fast access to photos and music. However, the hardware is the same.

Both are based on a 203-MHz Samsung 2410 processor and have up to 25MB of user-available memory, but these IPaqs lack the cameras and integrated Wi-Fi of the more expensive lines. Each has a 3.5-inch color display, SD slot, and personal information management software.