HP's new iPAQs: the Beauty & the Best

In one of the latest forray to enter the touch-screen smartphone trend, comes from HP. Personally, I've never liked HP's design. Either they are the laptop, PC, or even their mobile phone. Somehow, somehow they all look too reserved... lack of those needed lines to tell the cutting-edge technologies inside.

But the newest, and the upcoming line-up of HP's longstanding iPaq procession is about to change that kinda expression. Introducing; iPaq Data Messenger & its brethren the iPaq Voice Messenger.

iPaq Data Messenger

Is a touch-screen mobile phone with a body of a slider, meaning it'll host a full QWERTY keyborad underneath. Here's the quick run-down list of the specs inside:

• Quad-band GSM, up to HSDPA (7.2Mbps)
• Qualcomm MSM7201A 528 Mhz processor
• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• 128MB SDRAM, 256MB flash ROM
• 2.81 inches TFT touchscreen, 65K colors (240 x 320 pixels)
• microSD up to 8 GB
• WiFi
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
• A-GPS
• 3.1M camera with LED flash
• micro-USB
• 1140mAH battery
• 160g weight

iPaq Voice Messenger

Has only slightly different specs than its big brother, here's the quick peek of what those differences are:

• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard
• 2.4 inches TFT, 65K colors (240 x 320 pixels)
• 107gr weight
• 1260mAH battery

HP said that the iPaq Voice Messenger is aimed at users that want a phone for voice calls first, but who may also need to receive emails while on the go. The nickname goes along with the main function...

But then these two handsets share the same new exciting features such as a new optical sensor that replaces the five-way navigator key common to many phone designs, and a power saving mode that minimises power consumption if the battery charge level starts to get low while the user is out on the road.

I'm most interested in these iPaqs' new optical sensor D-pad, which makes it easier for users to move through menus with greater speed while minimising the chances of mechanical failure, according to Neil Dagger, HP’s iPaq and wireless business manager. “You just glide your thumb over the disk, and you glide though the menus, tapping it when you want to select something,” he said.

Both handsets will be offered SIM-free; the iPaq Voice Messenger will costs less at £333 and is due to ship in mid-November, while the iPaq Data Messenger costs £399 and will be available from the end of November.

Sources are from wmpoweruser (via Uber Phones), and GSMArena.

Update: This is just in, Engadget has got the video hands-on that I've embedded below this post. Enjoy! And also, Engadget says that Vodafone will be the official wireless carrier to be the first to offer it next month in Europe; prices are the same as I've mentioned above.

[blogged with my Treo 750v]