the company.
(Click here for a larger view of HP's IPAQ Data Messenger)According to HP, the IPAQ Voice Messenger and IPAQ Data Messenger both feature optical sensors that are used instead of standard mechanical five-way controllers. Tracking a user's finger movement, the sensors allow "gliding through menus with greater speed" while minimizing the chance of mechanical failure, HP claims.
Otherwise, the two phones have differing user interfaces, because the IPAQ Data Messenger is a Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device with a 2.8-inch touchscreen display. The IPAQ Voice Messenger, on the other hand, is a Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard device whose 2.4-inch screen also offers 320 x 240 resolution, but lacks touchscreen functionality.
The Data Messenger offers a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. The Voice Messenger, on the other hand, has a 20-key keyboard that features a central numeric keypad, plus a pseudo-QWERTY layout (right) where some keys must be used to type more than one letter. As on designs such as
T-Mobile's Shadow, the Voice Messenger's keyboard layout has been supplemented by predictive software that attempts to guess and complete words a user is typing, according to HP.
Other than user interface and packaging differences, the IPAQ Voice Messenger and Data Messenger are very similar. HP has not revealed the processor, clock speed, or the chipset used for the devices' GPS functionality. However, the company says both devices have 128MB of RAM, 256MB of flash storage, and a microSD slot for storage expansion.
The phones' Europe-oriented connectivity is said to include tri-band UMTS (900/1900/2100MHz), HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) Category 8 (up to 7.2Mbps downlink), and HSUPA (high speed uplink packet access) Category 5 (up to 2Mbps uplink). Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz) is also part of the mix, as is 802.11b/g wireless networking, and Bluetooth 2.0.
In addition to typical
Windows Mobile 6.1 capabilities, the IPAQ Voice Messenger and Data Messenger are preloaded with various HP utilities, Google Maps, and a PDF viewer. Both phones also include the
Opera web browser, says HP, though what version was not specified.
Finally, both the IPAQ Voice Messenger and IPAQ Data Messenger include a 3.1 megapixel camera, with autofocus and LED flash, according to HP.
Features and specifications listed by HP for the IPAQ Voice Messenger and IPAQ Data Messenger include:
- Processor -- n/s
- Memory -- 128MB of RAM and 256MB of flash storage
- Display -- 2.8 inch touchscreen display (Data Messenger) or 2.4 inch display (Voice Messenger), both with 320 x 240 resolution
- Camera -- 3.1 megapixel, with autofocus and LED flash
- Keyboard -- Slide-out QWERTY keyboard (Data Messenger) or 20-key alphanumeric/QWERTY keyboard (Voice Messenger)
- Wireless:
- WAN:
- Tri-band UMTS (900/1900/2100MHz), with HSDPA Category 8 (up to 7.2Mbps downlink), and HSUPA Category 5 (up to 2Mbps uplink)
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz)
- WLAN -- 802.11b/g
- PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- GPS
- Other I/O:
- USB port
- 2.5mm headset jack
- Battery type -- 1140mAh (Voice Messenger), 1260mAh (Data Messenger)
- Dimensions:
- Voice Messenger -- 4.48 x 1.96 x 0.53 inches (114 x 50 x 13.6mm)
- Data Messenger -- 4.48 x 2.24 x 0.68 inches (114 x 57 x 17.4mm)
- Weight:
- Voice Messenger -- 3.77 ounces (107g)
- Data Messenger -- 5.64 ounces(160g)
HP says the IPAQ Voice Messenger and Data Messenger will be available during November, either with cellular contracts from the carrier Vodafone, or in unsubsidized, unlocked versions. The latter will cost 399 Euros (approximately $514) for the Voice Messenger, or 499 Euros (approximately $643) for the Data Messenger, according to HP.
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