HP has announced two new Windows Mobile smartphones today – the iPaq Voice Messenger and Data Messenger. HP is pitching the smartphones at two different markets and the iPaq Voice Messenger is aimed at users who need a phone first; the iPaq Data Traveller is pitched at people looking for a more traditional smartphone.

Although the design of each smartphone is different, specifications are largely the same – more photos, full specifications and our hands-on video after the cut.

The iPaq Voice Messenger has a candy bar design with 20-key Qwerty/numeric keypad, while the iPaq Data Traveller has a full slide-out Qwerty keyboard similar to that on the HTC Diamond Touch Pro. Both offer quad-band GSM, tri-band UMTS and HSDPA and have a 3.1 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 and 128Mb/256Mb RAM/ROM.

There are couple of particularly interesting features found on both smartphones. First, both have a ringer silence switch – old news for Palm (and now iPhone) users, but a long overdue touch for other Windows Mobile device manufacturers. Second, HP has dumped the physical four-way control pad in favour of an optical sensor that works just as well, but has fewer moving parts.

Both smartphones will be available in November, both unlocked and with contract from Vodafone. The HP iPaq Voice Messenger will cost around £333 inc VAT unlocked, the HP iPaq Data Messenger around £399 inc VAT. The full specifications and press release are below. Look out for our full reviews later this week.

HP iPaq Voice Messenger specifications

• Sleek phone-centric device with a 20-key QWERTY design for messaging and emails
• 3G wireless broadband connectivity for voice and data:1,2
  • Tri-band UMTS (900/1900/2100MHz)
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz)
  • HSDPA up to 3.6/7.2 Mbps
  • HSUPA up to 2.0 Mbps
• Operating system: Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard Edition
• GPS: integrated support6
• Display: 2.4-inch (60.96 mm) diagonal QVGA, 64K color, 240 x 320, non-touchscreen
• Camera: 3.1MP, auto-focus, 5x digital zoom, flash LED
• Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g1
• Bluetooth: v2.0 + EDR1
• Memory: 128MB mobile DDR SDRAM / 256MB NAND Flash memory
• Storage: MicroSD (support up to 8GB5)
• Battery: 1260 mAh Lithium-polymer
• Charge/sync connector: Micro-USB
• Headset: 2.5 mm stereo headset jack
• Dimensions: 114 x 50 x 13.6mm (H x W x D)
• Weight: 107 grams
• Navigation: 5-way optical navigation with center select

HP iPaq Data Messenger specifications

• Slide-out QWERTY keyboard and 5-way control
• 3G wireless broadband connectivity for voice and data1,2
  • Tri-band UMTS (900/1900/2100 MHz)
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
  • HSDPA up to 7.2Mbps downlink
  • HSUPA up to 2Mbps uplink
• Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional edition
• GPS: integrated support6
• Display: 2.81-inch (71.12 mm) diagonal QVGA, 64K color, 240×320
• Camera: 3.1MP auto-focus, 5X digital zoom with flash LED
• Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g with WPA2 security1
• Bluetooth: 2.0 + EDR1
• Memory: 128M SDRAM/256MB Flash ROM
• Storage: MicroSD (supports up to 8GB4)
• Battery: 1140 mAh Lithium-polymer
• Charge/sync connector: Micro USB
• Headset: 2.5mm stereo headset jack
• Weight: 5.64 oz/160g
• Dimensions: 4.5 x 2.24 x 0.69 in/114.5×57x17.4mm (H x W x D)
• Light sensor for display brightness control
• Proximity sensor for touchscreen control while on a call

HP Drives Mobile Connectivity Around the Globe

BRACKNELL, October 21, 2008 – HP today announced an agreement with Vodafone in Europe that will provide customers access to Vodafone’s high speed network on two new smartphones launched today – the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger and the HP iPAQ Data Messenger.

The new HP iPAQ Voice Messenger and the HP iPAQ Data Messenger will be available through Vodafone’s business sales channels starting in the UK, with other European countries to be announced.

The HP iPAQ Voice Messenger and HP iPAQ Data Messenger are the latest additions to the HP smartphone portfolio. The HP iPAQ Voice Messenger is a sleek 3G smartphone with an integrated 20-key keypad that allows users to access powerful voice, email, Internet browsing and GPS applications.(1,2,3) The HP iPAQ Data Messenger is a sophisticated 3G smartphone with a large touchscreen display, full slide-out alphanumeric keyboard and built-in GPS capabilities,(3) providing a new way to experience mobile messaging and navigation from HP.

“HP is taking mobile computing beyond borders and boundaries to something truly global as a result of our relationship with Vodafone,” said David Wright, vice president and general manager, Personal Systems Group, HP UK&I. “Our new HP iPAQs will enable people to stay connected seamlessly on Vodafone’s high speed networks to the information, content and people that matter most to them.”

“High speed wireless connectivity is changing the way people communicate and helping our customers make the most of their time. Our continued relationship with HP is an important next step in helping customers stay connected to our high speed networks via easy to use, stylish smartphones in more places while on the move,” said Jens Schulte-Bockum, Director of Terminals, Vodafone Group. “Leveraging the depth in HP’s routes to market and the global scope of our partnership, we are expanding the range of mobile devices and regions where customers can experience true office mobility.”

Stylish new 3G smartphones

The HP iPAQ Data Messenger and HP iPAQ Voice Messenger offer email and voice capabilities, along with convenient access to a wealth of applications, making it easy for people on the move to stay connected.(1,2,3)

Users can easily setup and access email, and connect to the Internet around the world with advanced 3G wireless technologies, including HSPA broadband speeds, tri-band UMTS and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE.(1) Travelers can connect to the Internet and email(1) where WiFi is available, as well as find their way on the road with integrated GPS and Google Maps.(3)

Both smartphones feature a unique five-way optical navigation button that provides a “gliding” sensation when scrolling through menus, and intelligent predictive text capabilities that learn user’s vocabulary and style from messages and emails for progressively faster and easier message composition.

With integrated Microsoft Windows® Live Messenger, instant messaging is more intuitive. Additionally, the familiar Windows Mobile® 6.1 operating system means many customers can skip the hassles of a “new phone” learning curve and IT departments can easily and securely integrate the iPAQ smartphones into their existing Microsoft® Exchange environments.

“People expect their mobile phones to integrate seamlessly into their life, to meet their personal and business needs throughout the day”, said Alfredo Patron, Director, Microsoft Mobile Communications Business EMEA. “We are excited that HP continues to rely on Windows Mobile to deliver mobile solutions for their business and prosumer customers. From messaging and editing documents, to navigation and Internet browsing, these new iPAQ smartphones bring a new level of enterprise-class mobile solution to market.”

The HP iPAQ Data Messenger and the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger feature Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile, making synchronising contacts, appointments and tasks a breeze. Both devices feature ample memory to access important Microsoft Office Mobile files and store favourite photos and music with up to 8 gigabytes (GB)(4) of convenient micro secure digital (SD) storage. Users can easily capture and share pictures with the 3.1MP auto focus camera with built-in LED flash and 5X digital zoom and upload photos to Snapfish(1) directly from the HP iPAQs.

The new iPAQ devices feature one-step printing support for select WiFi, USB and Bluetooth enabled printers. Users can easily print their documents or email by directly connecting to USB printers, or pairing with Bluetooth enabled printing devices.

A sleek package featuring a beautiful 2.4-inch QVGA screen, the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger packs a powerful punch with its many connectivity options and is ideal for people on the go who want a slim and stylish smartphone with a 20-key keypad design.

The HP iPAQ Data Messenger is a stunning 3G world phone with a large, 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen designed for those who prefer working with mobile applications and composing their detailed messages on a full alphanumeric keyboard. The HP iPAQ Data Messenger’s large touchscreen display automatically rotates between portrait and landscape orientation to easily view mobile content.

More information on the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger and the HP iPAQ Data Messenger is available at http://hp.eu/handhelds

HP iPAQ customers can choose from more than 250 software titles and download up to four of them at no additional charge by visiting http://www.ipaqchoice.com/uk. From games and entertainment to business and travel, HP offers software for virtually every need. With a full range of available options and accessories, customers can expand their HP iPAQ capabilities and adapt them to the way they work or play.

A dedicated smartphone section features ringtones, software and utility tools designed for the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger and HP iPAQ Data Messenger. In addition, a dedicated navigation section offers maps, location-based services, speed camera services and in-car accessories.

The iPAQ Choice website allows customers to log in and download software “over-the-air” and view the latest software titles. Via the website, customers can stay in touch with and up to date on what’s new with HP iPAQ, even when travelling. More information is available at www.ipaqchoice.com/uk.

Pricing and Availability

The HP iPAQ Voice Messenger and the HP iPAQ Data Messenger are available at http://hp.eu/handhelds with the following pricing:

• The HP iPAQ Voice Messenger is expected to be available in November at a recommended street price of £333 including VAT.(5)
• The HP iPAQ Data Messenger is expected to be available in November at a recommended street price of £399 including VAT.(5)

Pricing through Vodafone is expected to be announced in November.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, provides printing and personal computing products and IT services, software and solutions that simplify the technology experience for consumers and businesses. HP completed its acquisition of EDS on Aug. 26, 2008. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.

(1) A standard GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA infrastructure, Wi-Fi network access, other Bluetooth-enabled devices, separately purchased equipment, and a service contract with a wireless service provider may be required for applicable wireless communication. Wireless Internet access requires separately purchased Internet service contract. Check with service provider for availability and coverage in your area. Not all web content available. Normal GSM Data Calls (CSD) are not basic GSM data services. These services may not be available via all service providers, and may require separate subscription. Establishment and continuation of a wireless connection depends on network availability, provider support and signal strength. Coverage is subject to transmission limitations and terrain, system, capacity and other limitations. Not all features and service options are available in all areas.

(2) Telephone service requires a separately purchased service contract. Check with service provider for availability.

(3) Purchase of additional maps and/or software may be required to enable some features or allow navigation in certain areas. Map coverage may vary and is not guaranteed.

(4) Sold separately or as an-add on feature.

(5) Estimated Street prices. Actual prices may vary.

Review Video:

There was once a time when the next HP iPAQ handheld was awaited with great expectancy. At a time when mobile phones were pretty basic, the pocket PC was the ultimate in corporate gimmickry: a place to store all your contacts, calendar info, notes and something you could expand to include even GPS functionality, pocket PCs running Windows CE were seen as rightful heirs to the Filofax crown of the Eighties and early Nineties.

But things, as they tend to do in the world of technology, have moved on dramatically since then. It’s now a rare sight to see a device running the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile device operating system that doesn’t have phone technology built in as standard. And, rather than those famous ‘jacket’ add-ons so prized amongst iPAQ enthusiasts of yore, advanced features such as Wi-Fi, high speed mobile data connections and GPS are increasingly being thrown in as standard

So it’s hard, initially, to see a market for the latest phone-free iPAQ – the 114 Classic Handheld, based on Windows Mobile 6.0 Classic. But I suppose it could fill a niche. After all, not everyone wants their phone and organiser on the same device. If you want to be free from your work schedule and email when you get home, for example, splitting your workload across two devices makes some sort of sense, and it also makes sense if the handheld organiser has other benefits, such as a fast processor, a good quality screen and is stuffed with other useful features.

And to some extent the iPAQ 114 meets those requirements. The first thing to say about it is that it looks every bit the smart-suited businessman’s or woman’s accessory. It may not have the chic appeal of, say, the E-TEN Glofiish PDA phones I reviewed earlier this month, but it is slim at just 13mm and its understated grey fascia and rubberised plastic rear lends it an air of understated quality. I also really liked the controls, which are simple and responsive, and the HP customisations on the Today screen which display battery life, memory usage and a brightness control are handy too.

It also holds some advantages over phone organisers such as our favourite TyTN II or the aforementioned Glofiish devices. The first of these is that it doesn’t need to be a slave to pocketability – you don’t have to keep it handy so you can answer calls – and it can therefore boast a larger screen without being too inconvenient. In this case the screen is a spacious 3.5in and it’s a good one too: bright and clear, and it’s transflective so viewing outside in bright sunshine isn’t a problem. The 114 even has a light sensor on it that -because the display is transflective – will dim the backlight in brightly lit environments and boost it when it’s darker.

The inclusion of Wi-Fi and a phone-style earpiece speaker set into the rear also means you can use the device to make VoIP phonecalls when at home or in the vicinity of a hotspot. I downloaded Skype to test this and it seemed to work just fine, though the quality of calls will of course depend on how stable your connection to the Internet is.

Under the hood it has a more powerful processor than most Windows Mobile smartphones can boast – a 624MHz Marvell PXA310 – and it feels highly responsive to use. I loaded it up with over 400 contacts and stuck a 2GB memory card in its SD card slot that was full of data. I then performed a full data search with a single keyword and it took only a few seconds to complete. Contact searches, meanwhile, were instantaneous and even with a whole load of applications up and running, it didn’t feel sluggish switching between them (perhaps because it’s unencumbered by having to run a phone at the same time). Helping the performance along is a generous allocation of memory – there’s 256MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM – while other advantages include a 3.5mm headphone socket, so you can use decent wired headphones to listen to your music if you want.

It’s a good start, but alas that good performance doesn’t continue. The rest of the 114’s feature-set just isn’t up to the level we’ve come to expect of the modern connected organiser, and even if you pass over the fact that you can’t make mobile calls on the device, it’s impossible to ignore the shortcomings. I’ll start with the screen, which though bright and clear is comparatively low resolution at 320 x 240 pixels. I’d have hoped for at least a VGA screen here, so you have to rely on Cleartype if you want to get more than a few emails on-screen at once.

There’s also little in the way of decent software extras included apart from the HP Today screen optimisations mentioned earlier – there is a voucher in the box that gives you a choice of free software to download from the iPAQ Choice website, but the options aren’t wide-ranging, consisting of a small selection of games and a couple of bits of productivity software. Compared to what you get with a Glofiish device, where a whole raft of extra features is bundled, it’s a bit on the mean side.

And though Bluetooth 2.0 and Wi-Fi are included, there’s nothing else I’d consider a valuable extra in PDA terms: no built-in GPS receiver, for instance, no synchronisation cradle, and not even a low resolution digital camera.

Even battery life from the 1,200mAh lithium ion battery – which you might expect to be last longer than the average PDA phone since it doesn’t have a GSM or mobile data connection to maintain – isn’t that impressive. With the iPaq 114 fully charged, you’re unlikely to get more than two days full use out of it. I used it in and around the house leaving the Wi-Fi on and the power settings under orders to switch the backlight off after 30 seconds and the device off after two minutes of inactivity and it never lasted more than 48 hours after a full charge.

Verdict

Overall, as a basic Windows Mobile organiser, the iPAQ 114 does hold some appeal. It’s not horrendously expensive and has some nice features such as that light sensor, its large readable 3.5in screen, a 3.5mm audio socket and a very quick and responsive performance.

But in a world where you can have a slim, smart PDA phone, such as the Glofiish X600, with GPS, a camera and a higher resolution screen on a contract for even less money than this, you have to question why anyone would choose such a device.

Review Video:

RIM’s BlackBerry handsets used to be in a class of their own. Anyone after a phone offering instant, push email coupled with business-level PIM integration only had one place to go. But nowadays rivals are ten a penny, and every smartphone manufacturer worth its salt has a BlackBerry-style handset in its line-up. Some – Nokia’s E71 – have even managed to beat RIM at its own game.

With its heritage in the PDA arena, you’d think that HP would well be placed to give RIM and Nokia a run for their money. But though its PDAs have long been the best in the business – I reviewed its business PDA, the iPAQ 214, back in February and was very impressed – I’ve yet to see HP evolve its PDAs into successful smartphones. The 614c Business Navigator, for instance, was a real mish-mash – part business PDA, part GPS device, part smartphone – and a big disappointment as a result.

Fortunately, the 914c (or 910 for those in the US) is a more straightforward device: a dyed-in-the-wool candybar QWERTY phone, and it’s a far better product for it. But can it compete with the best business emailer on the market, the E71?

First impressions would suggest not – it’s hardly the sexiest of devices and is a rather bulky and heavy device. The front is trimmed with shiny chrome, the rows of keys separated by strips of silver, and the rear panel finished in comfortable-feeling soft-touch plastic, It weighs 154g and is 16mm thick – a world away from the sleek lines of Nokia’s superb E71, which tips the scales at a mere 127g and measures just 10mm thick.

So what does the extra bulk and weight get you? Well, the keyboard is good. Those silver strips clearly define the position of the keys vertically, while a rounded, horizontal profile to each button means that you won’t keep hitting neighbouring keys when typing and editing. There are dedicated keys for the full stop and comma, and the navigation cluster above the keyboard is large and easy to use. There are no fancy touch-sensitive or trackball controls here, but the five-way up/down/left/right/select works well and it’s complemented by a BlackBerry-style scroll wheel on the right hand edge. But is this any easier to use than the keyboard on the E71? It’s good, sure, but the answer has to be no.

The screen then, surely, is better? Well, yes, it is bigger and, unlike the screen on the Nokia E71, it is touch-sensitive. But the size difference is only, surprisingly, fractional (2.46in versus 2.36in) and at this size the touch-sensitivity doesn’t help that much – you’ll only use it when you absolutely have to and only then with a stylus. This is not a finger-friendly touch-sensitive device like the iPhone or HTC Touch Diamond. The E71’s screen is also transflective, which makes it easier to see in bright sunshine, though turn the brightness up on the 914c’s LED backlit transmissive screen, and you won’t have to squint too hard to read it.

The main reason for the 914c’s size and heft, it would seem, is its enormous battery. Crack open the rear panel of the 914c and you’ll find a lithium-polymer battery whose 1,940mAh capacity is bigger than anything else I’ve come across on any Windows Mobile smartphone. This leads to good longevity: around two to three days with push email switched on and even longer (three to four days) if you choose to switch that off. But even here, it’s still no better than the Nokia. In fact, I’d say that the E71 is actually a little better, and its Exchange client also gives you more flexibility and control over what times of the day and week push email is used. This allows you to eke the maximum possible battery life out of the phone without having to keep switching it on and off all the time.

And the longer you use the 914c, the more you realise just how good its main rival, the Nokia E71, actually is. Its specification, for instance, isn’t anything to be sniffed at. There’s tri-band HSDPA for speeds of up to 7.2Mbit/sec in addition to GPRS, EDGE and quad-band GSM. You get Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a GPS receiver that works pretty well, plus a 3.0-megapixel camera complete with LED flash. The 914c has a 416MHz processor and 128MB of RAM, which push Windows Mobile along at a fair old lick, and a reasonable 256MB of ROM for application and file storage (plus a microSD card slot for expanding that further). But the E71 manages to match that (almost) stride for stride. It lacks the faster 7.2Mbit/sec HSDPA compatibility, but has everything else that matters, adds a front-facing camera for video calls where the HP has none, and is at least as quick and responsive.

There are a few areas where the iPAQ does have the edge, especially with document editing and creation. Though the Nokia is equipped with QuickOffice 4.1, this can’t compete with the iPAQ’s Microsoft Office Mobile, which can edit and create Office 2007-compatible documents. Synchronisation via ActiveSync with Outlook is more effective and elegant than it is with Nokia’s bloatsome PC Suite, and the iPAQ can be charged via USB where the E71 must be plugged into the mains.

Verdict

When considered on its own, HP’s iPAQ 914c isn’t a bad phone at all. In fact it’s among the better Windows Mobile BlackBerry copies around. The keyboard is good, the screen not bad, it’s stuffed with features and the battery life is impressive.

But it’s hard to recommend a phone when in almost every area that matters it is outstripped by the best the competition can muster. Nokia’s E71 is just as well-stocked with features and just as usable as the 914c but it manages to squeeze everything into a slimmer, sleeker, far sexier device, and one that’s even a little cheaper.

Review Video:

Once upon a time, HP was firmly at the front of the Windows Mobile Pocket PC pack, its new ranges of devices eagerly awaited, particularly within the business community, which is where it focussed its attentions.

That’s changed as more and more companies have come on board the Pocket PC bandwagon, and these days, HP is more within the pack than leading it. This is not to say that the company doesn’t still turn out good devices, just that the competition is tougher, and HP has had to work hard to survive.

It is in that context that the iPAQ rw6815 Personal Messenger has to be evaluated. It’s ironic that HP dubs it a ‘personal messenger’ because equipped as it is with Direct Push, a corporate could let employees synchronise calendar, contacts, tasks and email over the air. It would be a good way to use its support for Tri-band GSM, GPRS and EDGE.

Surely this turns it into more than a ‘personal’ device?

In terms of design, HP has come up with something that looks rather different from the norm. It is all round silver, which these days is the exception rather than the rule. Most of the casing is plastic, and the battery cover feels rather flimsy. There is a nasty plastic cover which protects the screen – but doesn’t stretch far enough down the front fascia to protect the front buttons too.

You can see through the cover to check on the display, and it lifts easily when you need to touch the screen. You can also, thankfully, remove the cover completely just by gently pulling it out of the small sockets that hold it in place. I did that almost immediately never felt the need to put the thing back. If you are worried about protecting the screen, the provided soft case (with integrated belt clip) does the job nicely.

The iPAQ rw6815 Personal Messenger is shorter and fatter than most PDAs at 102 x 58 x 19mm and its somewhat squat format feels quite comfortable in the hand. Its 140g is OK for a device which packs as much punch as this one does.
Fortunately, the slightly unusual dimensions have not led to a compromise on the screen, which measures 2.7 inches corner to corner, and delivers 240 x 320 pixels and 65,000 colours.

Under the screen, to the left and right of the softmenu buttons and Call and End keys, are two speakers. HP’s specifications indicate that these are in fact stereo speakers, but frankly they are so close together that there’s no way I could hear any stereo effect from them when playing music.

However, if HP has gone to the length of providing stereo speakers, why has the company supplied a headset with a 2.5mm jack with no port for a standard 3.5mm one without investing in a converter?

There is also a question mark over the wireless connectivity. It is great that the triple play of infrared, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi all make an appearance here, though the latter is 802.11b only.

HP has done a good job where device memory is concerned. There is 114MB of free memory for storage of applications and data, which is considerably more than most Pocket PCs in the current range are able to offer. If you want more, the expansion medium of choice is miniSD cards, and thankfully the slot is on the casing – on the top edge to be precise – rather than hidden away under the battery.

There is a two megapixel camera built into the iPAQ rw6815 Personal Messenger and its lens is accompanied by a tiny self portrait mirror – almost too small to be of any use at all. There’s a twin-light LED flash too. Once you’ve activated the camera by pressing the button on the right edge of the casing it is easy to access the various camera controls and options by tapping icons on the screen.

Hewlett Packard adds some software to the Windows Mobile Pocket PC standard fare, including voice control and some software for manipulating images shot with the camera. Compared to what you get with some other Pocket PCs the bundle is rather feeble.

Battery life too was not quite what I would have liked. Continuous MP3 playback from a miniSD card with the screen forced to stay on got me eight and a quarter hours of music. I’ve seen some Windows Mobile Pocket PCs recently approach and even pass ten hours under the same regime, so this is a case of ‘could do better’.

Verdict

In fact, ‘could do better’ seems like a fair overall judgement on this device. It is a comfortable Pocket PC to use, and not too bulky to carry around. But while it comes up trumps in some areas, most notably built in memory and memory expansion, it lets down in others, such as the lack of ‘g’ Wi-Fi support and slightly less than top notch battery life.

Review Video:

Hewlett Packard has established its handheld computing name firmly in the corporate sector. It proudly holds a pivotal position here: you’ll see executives toting their iPAQs on trains far more often than you’ll see them with rival Pocket PCs, and only RIM’s Blackberry seems to come near the iPAQ for popularity. You might think HP would be happy with that niche, and concentrate on consolidating its position, but it would appear that this isn’t the case.

The company recently announced four new Pocket PCs, two of which are squarely aimed at consumers. The rx1710 is the entry level device, but by far the more compelling of the two is the rx3715, which HP is calling its Mobile Media Companion.

In a world where Pocket PCs can be hard to differentiate (many have silver casings, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software is always there, WiFi and Bluetooth are becoming ubiquitous), and differentiation is often made on the basis of things like processor speed (which can frankly be negligibly important for many home users), installed RAM (the more the better), or the size of the navigation button (a matter of personal preference), launching a device which is radically different from the rest is quite a bold move.

Differentiation is really the name of the game for HP with this Pocket PC though. The company has gone for a rather sedate slate grey casing leaving brash corporate silver behind. And Microsoft’s dull old Today screen has gone, replaced by a screen that throws you straight into many of the multimedia offerings available.

One of these is a built-in Photosmart digital camera capable of shooting stills and video, the former at resolutions up to 1,280 x 960 with resolutions of 160 x 120, 320 x 240, 640 x 480 also available. The latter at 160 x 120, 176 x 144 and 320 x 240. Where the still camera is concerned there are colour filters (black and white, sepia, negative, cool), white balance settings (auto, sun, tungsten, fluorescent), three data compression settings, and a self timer to play with. Image and videos are viewable on the hardware and HP replaces the Windows Mobile Pictures software with its own HP Image Zone which lets you view images, share them, print and draw on them, and works in conjunction with the supplied PC desktop version of the Image Zone software.

A Mobile Media Companion has to provide for more than just video and stills, though, and a second button on the bespoke Today screen is labelled ‘mobile media’. Tapping this takes you to a new screen offering locally stored and streamed material, the latter accessed across the built in 802.11b and requiring that you install the provided Mobile Media for PC software on a Windows XP machine. If you use an older operating system, or run a Mac, you’ll need to find a different streaming solution. While on the subject of wireless, you get Bluetooth functionality too, so you should be able to stay connected pretty much anywhere.

This ‘media access’ screen also provides a route to one of the unexpected successes of the PDA world – infrared remote control. Hewlett Packard has taken its media streaming software from Nevo and has also chosen to put Nevo’s infrared remote control tool onto the ROM of the rx3715, thereby providing couch potatoes with control over TV, VCR, DVD player and whatever other infra red hardware they happen to have.

There are settings for a huge array of devices already built in, and the software can learn from your infrared handsets if what’s provided doesn’t suit. There is plenty of customisation on offer. For example you can set up configurations for different rooms in the house and for different users and have one-tap activities – think of these as macros for the control of several infrared devices at once.

There is a copious amount of help in the printed manual covering set up and use of all this multimedia, installing and using the PC applications, streaming and downloading to the iPAQ rx3715.

To round off the software range HP has included Dockware’s screensaver (which presents date information over an image), the PocketTV MPEG player, and the iTask application switcher that HP uses more often than not. This now includes a button to move to landscape mode (a feature allowed by Windows Mobile for Pocket PC 2003 Second Edition but rather poorly implemented by Microsoft in that it requires you to go to the Settings area to make the change.) There is also a backup utility which, oddly, doesn’t seem to want to send backup data across a wireless network to your PC.

None of the software and features on the iPAQ rx3715 are impossible to configure on other Pocket PCs. But three things make this Pocket PC unique: the integration of all these elements onto ROM, the provision of copious amounts of memory in which to run locally stored media and saved images (152MB of available memory really is a vast amount for a Pocket PC), and the means to access all those multimedia odds and ends from a single non-standard main screen.

As for the more usual Pocket PC side of things, all of the Windows Mobile usual fare is here and accessible, as already noted, from the Start button. Notably absent, as it is not part of Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition by default, is Microsoft Reader. It isn’t stretching the imagination too far to expect that a multimedia user might want to read the odd ebook, so I’d have liked to see a reader on ROM, though not necessarily Microsoft’s own.

Most of this review has been about software, but then apart from the generous 152MB of memory, the WiFi for media streaming, and the Bluetooth, it’s the software that will sell the iPAQ rx3715. For the record though, there is an SD card slot in the top of the casing which supports SDIO so you can add peripherals as well as more memory, while a button on the left side of the casing where you might more usually find a jog wheel activates the camera. The four buttons which more normally activate key Windows Mobile Applications are, this time around, dedicated to the Mobile Media control area, the HP Image Zone viewer, Nevo’s infrared remote control tool and the iTask application switcher.

You get a docking cradle which is rather nicely styled and coloured slate grey like the hardware, and a dongle which allows you to charge the iPAQ rx3715 without the cradle. There’s a carry case too, which is a nice touch for a device Hewlett Packard clearly expects to be toted frequently by its owners.

For all its megapixels don’t expect the built-in camera to replace a good dedicated digital camera. Dedicated cameras are still far and away better than anything you’ll find in a phone or PDA. The media streaming is nice, and it works, but I stream audio to my old Mio 558 over WiFi so it’s hardly a special feature. Nevo’s TV remote control? I could buy one of a number of applications to provide this feature.

I couldn’t close without a word on battery life. Rather than invent a fancy new fangled media streaming test, I ran the test I always run for Pocket PCs – simple looping of MP3 music until the battery gives out. WiFi and Bluetooth were turned off, the screen set always on and at half brightness, speaker volume as high as possible and beam receive was off. A low battery warning came through after four hours 22 minutes, music continued for 6 hours 25 minutes and when music playback stopped so did the machine. This is a pretty good result and I conclude that HP has put some effort into getting the battery to perform well.

You could be forgiven for thinking that HP is targeting PalmOne’s market directly with the rx3715. But let’s take a step back from that for a moment. You can buy PalmOne’s flagship Zire 72 for £231 inc VAT and delivery from Clove. The same company is selling the rx3715 for £360 including VAT and delivery. So the rx3715 will set you back more than £100 more.

Palm OS based devices have tens of thousands of third party applications including masses of excellent freeware to choose from, while the array of Pocket PC software is still small (though growing), by comparison.

OK, the Zire 72 lacks the huge memory, WiFi (though it does have Bluetooth and infrared), MPEG player and media streaming. But you can add the first two and even have a chance of adding media streaming through the new PalmOne WiFi card – though I have not seen the card yet so can’t give a view on it.

So maybe the rx3715 isn’t so much a PalmOne killer as a shot at opening up the consumer area for wannabe Pocket PC owners. Personally I’m not sure I like the dedicated main screen or the way the main Windows Mobile applications are hidden from view. But it will be interesting to see how well this device does in retail – it is expensive for a consumer focussed media device for all its streaming, built in wireless and standard Windows Mobile functions. But then again, it is a novel, slick and cleverly thought through combination of hardware and software.

Verdict

HP is definitely serious about targeting the consumer PDA market, and there are a lot of good features on the rx3715 that could make it a winner on the high street. That said, the price is high for a consumer product, which could swing potential buyers towards a Palm OS device.

Prada phones, phones studded with diamonds and fashion phones are a regular sight in the moody, glass-fronted emporia of the average high street. Yet this kind of glamour rarely casts its golden glow on the world of smartphones.

The iPhone was a rare bright spark, and there has been the odd flicker of light from HTC, E-TEN, Samsung and Blackberry, but other than that, smartphones have largely conformed to the bland business template over the past year or two. HP’s latest handset, alas, does nothing to change this.
The iPAQ 614c Business Navigator is a large and ugly phone that’s all drab black and grey plastics with no brushed aluminium highlights or chrome trim to set it off. It’s pretty chunky, too, with porky dimensions of 60 x 117 x 18mm. And it’s hardly a design masterpiece in other respects – its integrated numeric keypad has a rather cheap-looking, shiny finish and is topped by a pair of ’soft’, context-sensitive keys that look like a pair of malevolent eyes leering at you as you write a text or surf the web.

It does at least try to balance out its design shortcomings with a few clever tricks. The first of these is its touch ring (don’t laugh) control. Embossed in glossy relief on top of the numeric pad keys, it enables you to sweep a thumb or finger in a clockwise or anti-clockwise motion to control the navigation through lists and the like. An innovative addition, to be sure.

The phone has support for the latest super fast HSDPA mobile data networks at up to 7.2Mbps. It also has a GPS receiver built in… but this is no ordinary satellite receiver. It uses the new Assisted GPS (A-GPS) technology, which is designed to combine location information gleaned from the phone’s cell location with the data from the satellites themselves to speed up initial satellite lock. The phone is, alas, only supplied with Google Maps – no sat-nav software to speak of – but it did do a decent job of locking onto satellites in central London taking a reasonably quick one minute to lock on to five satellites and provide a position.

Inside, it boasts a very fast processor, using a 520MHz Marvell part to power things along. This is among the most responsive Windows Mobile smartphones I’ve used, with crashes, pauses and hourglass tedium kept to a merciful minimum, even with a handful of applications open simultaneously. And it complements this with a full array of top-end smartphone hardware: Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR and 802.11b/g wireless for data connections in Wi-Fi hotspots.

But as soon as I started to use the 614c in anger I discovered that these innovative, and you could say, luxurious touches cannot make up for a design that turns out to have more than just flawed looks. That touch ring control works well, for example, but only in isolation. As soon as you reach the option you’re looking for, you’ll quickly discover that selecting it isn’t as straightforward. The most natural thing would be to hit the button in the centre to select, but that has no effect; instead you have to crab your thumb to the side of the keypad to hit the Enter key. It’s hardly what you’d call great ergonomic design and I found myself, more often than not, operating the device two-handed – with left thumb permanently resting on the OK button on the left edge of the 614c.

Another problem with the touch ring is that because it’s superimposed on the number pad you end up activating it unintentionally when trying to tap out texts and emails. It’s infuriating to find when you look up at the screen after beavering away at the keypad for a moment or two, that the cursor has mysteriously moved from the body of the email to the address field – and that’s where most of your text has ended up. There’s also no way, it seems, of moving the cursor left and right within text other than tapping with a finger nail or the 614c’s telescopic stylus – the touch ring simply moves the cursor up and down.

Elsewhere, it’s less of a disaster, but still not enough to elevate the 614c from smartphone mediocrity. The phone has a pretty decent three megapixel camera on the rear with a light and portrait mirror. It’s quad-band and can be used pretty much anywhere you can get a signal, though that’s nothing special these days. The screen is pretty bog standard – a 2.8in transflective touchscreen effort at 240 x 340 pixels. Battery life is unremarkable too: despite the seemingly high capacity of 1,590mAh I managed to extract just a couple of days of fairly low level use – though this does seem to be the sort of standard that we’re stuck with now – at least until phones with more efficient 3G and HSDPA chips are built.

Even HP’s usual thoughtful range of software extras can’t quite make up for its deficiencies. It’s nice to see Remote Desktop preinstalled, a decent PDF viewer is welcome and HP’s Photosmart Mobile application is a nicer application to use than Microsoft’s standard issue Pictures and Video tool. This also has the added bonus of integration with HP’s SnapFish online photo development service.

Verdict

The 614c is certainly a well-endowed handset. It’s not the first to squeeze so much into a pocket-sized chassis, but there are a few notable features, such as A-GPS, 7.2Mbps HSDPA and a very fast processor. Only the non-VGA screen could possibly be said to be behind the times.

What really puts the mockers on its prospects, however, is the fact that it’s not only a pretty ugly and bulky phone – especially for one without a sliding keyboard – but also one boasting awkward ergonomics. Its innovative touch ring control simply fails to live up to its initial promise and turns out to be more a hindrance than usable addition.

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The iPAQ range of Pocket PC based PDAs have always been a step ahead of the competition. The first colour iPAQ was such a desirable unit that Compaq found itself unable to produce enough to meet the demand. The sleek brushed aluminium design has carried through the entire life of the range and it looks as good today as it did back then.

One of the major sticking points with the original iPAQ was the lack of a flash memory slot. Instead bulky expansion jackets had to be attached to the device in order to accommodate extra storage in the form of CompactFlash modules and even PC Cards. This issue was addressed a while back with the implementation of an SD slot that could be used for both storage and peripheral use.

I’m quite a fan of the iPAQ range, so much so that I actually bought an iPAQ h5450. Now when an IT journalist actually puts his hand in his pocket and buys a device, you can’t get much more of a recommendation. The reason that I bought the h5450 is that it had every feature I wanted including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi but, it has to be said, the unit itself is quite large compared to many other PDAs.

The iPAQ h1940 is at the other end of the spectrum from my h5450. It’s absolutely tiny at 69.8 x 113.3 x 12.8mm (WxLxD) and weighs in at a svelte 124g. What’s particularly impressive is that even with a unit this small, HP has still managed to give the h1940 a solid feel. Holding the h1940 in your hand gives you an air of confidence that it will last the distance and won’t get damaged at the first knock. Unfortunately you don’t get a carrying case in the box meaning that you’ll either have to be very careful with it or you’ll have to fork out some extra cash.

Inside the h1940 is a Samsung S3C2410 processor running at 266MHz. This is a fair bit slower than the 400MHz Intel XScale CPU in my h5450, but it’s unlikely to be an issue for the target user. The processor is backed up by 64MB of memory, of which 56MB is available as main memory. There’s also 14MB of non volatile memory called iPAQ File Store. This is where you can store very important data since this memory area will remain intact even if the battery runs completely flat.

Talking of batteries, this was another issue with the early iPAQs, where the battery was sealed inside the case. This meant that the whole unit had to be sent back to the manufacturer to have the battery changed when it no longer held its charge. Thankfully, the new iPAQs including this one, now have removable batteries. Not only does this mean that you don’t have to send the device back to HP when the battery gives up the ghost, but it also means that you can have a spare battery with you for those long haul flights.

Battery life is reasonable and you can probably push around four hours of general use out of it. Obviously the battery life is dependant on what you’re doing, how long you have the backlight on and at what brightness level you have it set to. That said, PDAs aren’t like notebooks and don’t tend to be used for extended periods, instead they’re used for short periods throughout a day, so this kind of battery life should suite well enough.

The screen measures 3.5in and sports a resolution of 240 x 320 with a 16bit colour depth. In use the screen is excellent for such a small device. It’s not quite as clear or bright as my h5450 but it can be used comfortably in almost any environment. There are four levels of brightness for the backlight, but the brighter you set it the more it will drain the battery.

Below the screen are the standard Pocket PC control buttons. By default the four program buttons are linked to Calendar, Contacts, Inbox and Today, although they can all be reprogrammed. There’s also a four-way rocker pad with a select button in the centre. This is for navigation, but I for one tend to use the stylus most of the time.

The stylus is stored in a slot at the top right of the unit. Unlike my h5450 the stylus isn’t spring loaded and needs to be pulled out by the protruding hook. The stylus itself is rather small, but it does feel solid and comfortable in the hand. The metal shaft is a nice touch and I’d have liked a similar feature on the h5450 stylus.

At the top left of the case is the headphone socket. Unfortunately this is a 2.5mm socket so you won’t be able to plug a standard set of headphones into it. There is a 2.5mm to 3.5mm converter jack in the box, but it’s something else that you’d have to carry with you and hardly ideal. I understand that HP wanted to keep the h1940 small, but I doubt the a 3.5mm headphone socket would have made the unit too big.

Just above the screen in the centre is the power button. This is quite large and also doubles as a status indicator. When the unit is charging it flashes orange and when the charge is complete it lights up in solid orange. That’s not too much of a problem since you’re unlikely to be using the device while it’s charging. However, when you have Bluetooth activated, the power button flashes blue continually, which is somewhat distracting. My h5450 also flashes blue when Bluetooth is active, but the light is tiny by comparison to this one, even though the device itself is far larger.

At the top centre behind the power button is an SD slot. Here you can expand the storage capacity and transfer data to another device enabled with an SD slot. This is in fact an SDIO slot so it can be used for peripheral devices as well as plain memory cards.

On the left side of the case you’ll find an IrDA port and a quick activation button for the voice recorder. Like all the other quick access buttons, pressing this one will power the device on if it’s switched off at the time. The only feature on the right of the case is the release switch for the battery cover.

At the bottom there’s a proprietary connector that’s used for both USB connection and charging. Due to the entry-level nature of the h1940 there’s no docking cradle included in the box. What you do get is a USB synchronisation cable and a power adapter. The USB cable has a power socket that the power adapter connects to so that the device can charge while it’s also connected to the PC. The power adapter also comes with a converter to allow you to charge the iPAQ without needing the USB cable. Unfortunately you can’t charge the h1940 from the USB port like you can with the h5450.

The integrated Bluetooth is a great feature and something that I use on my h5450 all the time. Assuming that you have a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone, you can check your email anywhere you like. I used the h1940 with a Sony/Ericsson T610 and the two partnered without any problems. The only tricky part about setting up your POP3 email is getting the dialling string correct. Once you’ve tracked down all the prefixes and dial strings and set them correctly though, it’s just a case of setting up your POP3 details in the Inbox application and away you go. Even though my T610 supports GPRS I still tend to use GSM dialup for checking my email since I’m usually only connected for a couple of minutes and the call makes up part of my free monthly call quota.

Of course Bluetooth isn’t just handy for dialup networking, it’s also great for transferring data between enabled devices. Especially useful is the ability to transfer contacts and electronic business cards with other PDAs or mobile phones. Of course you can do this with infrared, but it’s a lot more hassle trying to line up the devices in order to make the connection.

Installing and using ActiveSync is as simple as it always was. Once you’ve installed it on your PC and created the partnership between the devices all your data will be seamlessly synchronised. As long as the iPAQ is connected to your PC, any changes made to your contacts, calendar, notes etc. will automatically synchronise.

Despite it’s diminutive size, the h1940 seems to be able to handle most things you’re likely to throw at it. The slower processor does take longer to perform certain tasks than my h5450, but multimedia duties didn’t seem to phase it at all. Playing back MPEG movies on the h1940 was no problem at all, and there was no evidence of any frame jumping or slowdown. Music playback was also first rate using both mp3 and WMA content. As mentioned above, the only down side in this area is the 2.5mm audio jack.

It’s hard not to like the h1940. It’s a small and stylish PDA that does pretty much everything you’d want it to. With a price of £264.31 including VAT it’s not going to break the bank, but you do have to factor a couple of things into that price. The more expensive PDAs, including the iPAQs that are further up the food chain, will ship with docking cradles and carrying cases. So, if you want both those features you might find that one of the seemingly more expensive iPAQs could actually turn out to be cheaper. That said, for basic use and for those who want a slim and stylish Pocket PC, the iPAQ h1940 will fit the bill perfectly.

Verdict

There may be smaller PDAs based on the Palm operating system, but if you want to use Pocket PC the h1940 is probably the most unobtrusive device available. You don’t get as much in the box as you do with other iPAQs, but it’s still a great little PDA that won’t weigh you down if you carry it with you everywhere.

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The iPAQ h4150 is Hewlett Packard’s latest ‘slimline’ model of Pocket PC. It follows on from the unashamedly lower end h19xx series in terms of its slimline size, but beefs up the specifications somewhat. It is tiny enough, and thin enough, to fit in all but the tightest of pockets, and its 3.5in screen, while the smallest you will find on any of the current crop of Pocket PCs, occupies pretty much all of the space available to it. And at 132g you’ll barely notice the weight in your pocket.

The 400MHz Intel PXA 255 processor won’t surprise anyone used to comparing Pocket PC specifications. Nor will the 64MB of RAM. What does surprise a little is that only 55MB of this is user accessible. Also, in these days of flash ROM availability for backing up key data while on the move, the fact that there is only 2.8MB of ROM set aside for the user is annoying. This is because the iPAQ h4150 has 32MB of ROM, and pretty much all of it is used up by the operating system: other devices boost the user accessible area by using 64MB of ROM.

There is a single expansion card slot (of SD flavour) in the top of the casing. This supports SDIO so you can add extra hardware. You won’t need to use the slot to add either Bluetooth or 802.11b though, as both are built into the hardware itself. Hewlett Packard provides an application for activating and deactivating the wireless modes, and this allows you to toggle on and off one or both modes with a couple of screen taps. I initiated 802.11b and started using the Internet via my router in a rather impressive 10 seconds from a standing start.

Hewlett Packard sees the primary users of its iPAQ range as being corporate, and to that end provides a series of extra applications designed to enhance its appeal. These applications help sway my favour more towards this iPAQ. Between them they form the kind of bundle that small enterprises and home-based professionals might find particularly useful. It is true that some of the provided software, like the Adobe Acrobat reader and RealOne Player are available as free downloads, but having them supplied makes installation that much easier.

Others, like the iPresenter PowerPoint Converter, and the Westtek ClearVue Suite which provides tools for viewing Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, are good productivity additions which would otherwise cost money. Also in this category are F-Secure FileCrypto data encryption software and Colligo Personal Edition, a tool for file sharing using 802.11b, a faster option than using the built in infra red port and one which does not require devices to be physically aligned. Hewlett Packard adds in its own tool for printing using wireless too, which will be handy for anyone with a wireless enabled printer.

What all users, professional and consumer alike need is good battery life. Here too I was impressed with what I saw. My standard MP3-looping test delivered battery life for five hours 21 minutes, which is impressive for a Pocket PC. Also the battery is removable, and the sturdy docking station Hewlett Packard provides has space to charge a spare.

It is worth giving a thought to hardware design too. Hewlett Packard has gone minimalist, with the obligatory four application shortcut buttons and five way cursor pad below the screen, and just two lights above it, one indicating battery charge status and the other doubling as an indicator for Bluetooth and 802.11b.There is no jog wheel: indeed the only other buttons are one for the voicenotes recorder and one to release the battery. I tend to prefer this sleekness over designs that liberally splash buttons and wheels around the casing.

Verdict

Competition is getting tougher and tougher in the handheld world, but Hewlett Packard manages to retain its leading position. Including both Bluetooth and WiFi in the h4150 makes it a device for the all round wireless user, and I can’t think of any other company that matches HP for sheer style of hardware design. The software bundle is a real boon too and if even half of it is required by the user, it represents a significant price advantage.

If you want both CompactFlash and SD expansion in a dual wireless Pocket PC you’ll have to go elsewhere. But ultimately Hewlett Packard has come up with a Pocket PC that offers excellent features and value for money.

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