Handspring Cuts VisorPhone Price, Boosts Browser

Topping a list of consumer pricing and service announcements this week, Handspring has cut the price on its VisorPhone mobile phone add-on for the company's flagship Visor PDA, and has cut a deal with Microsoft to draw MSN content for its Blazer Web browser add-on.

The VisorPhone is dropping in price from $299 to $249. The mobile phone can be attached to a Visor personal digital assistant through Handspring's Springboard expansion slot. Users can use the accessory phone to make wireless calls and also access the Web and e-mail accounts. The VisorPhone is sold separately from the Visor PDA, which comes in five models priced from $149 to $449.

Handspring cut prices on a number of its PDAs last week, with the mid-range Visor Deluxe dropping from $249 to $199, and a $50 rebate added to the high-end Visor Platinum, bringing its price tag to $249.

Those cuts come as competitor Palm also dropped prices across its product line. The maker of the Palm OS that Handspring licenses, Palm is also a Handspring competitor in the PDA market. Its introductory m100 model is now priced at $129, down from $149; its IIIc and Vx are priced at $299; and its VIIx, another wireless device, is down to $199 after a $100 rebate.

MSN Content Joins Handspring Browser

While Palm OS handheld makers face growing competition from PDAs based on Microsoft's Pocket PC, that hasn't stopped Handspring from teaming up with MSN to provide content for its Web browser.

Under an alliance announced today by the two companies, MSN Mobile will provide the content for the default home page on the Handspring Blazer Web browser. Blazer users will also have access to the MSN MoneyCentral personal finance service, Expedia travel, and MSNBC news and weather. Blazer connects to the Internet via a modem attached to a Handspring Visor PDA or any other device based on Palm OS version 3.1 or higher, the company says.

Microsoft and Handspring say they also plan to explore opportunities for future collaboration on smart devices based on Microsoft's emerging .Net platform.

Get Google on Handspring

Google today announced Handspring is integrating Google's intelligent search engine with the new version of Blazer.

Google said Blazer users can quickly search and browse a full range of Web content, including more than 1.3 billion Web pages in the popular search engine's index.

Blazer's technology works on any Palm OS handheld running version 3.1 or higher, and it supports all major content types, optimizing HTML, WAP, and cHTML Web pages for viewing on a handheld display. Search results include short summaries of each Web page, and Blazer includes support for color graphics, personalization, bookmarks, and strong security.