Smart phones getting smarter — and musical

Gary Krakow Columnist • E-mail

Cell phones today are blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with so many features that in the near future they’ll be able to replace your PC or laptop in many instances.

The following three phones fit into the “this device does almost everything” category. While none of them can do everything, each in its own way makes for a worthy addition to your belt, pocket or pocketbook.

Today is release day for Hewlett-Packard’s iPAQ hw6500 Mobile Messenger. It’s a quad-band, GSM/GPRS/EDGE world phone with 128 MB of memory and a 3-inch color screen. The camera is a built-in SXGA, 1.3 mega pixel device capable of 1280 by 1024 resolution.

In terms of categorizing it, the iPAQ is a PDA which also has a phone inside (as compared to a cell phone handset which also has PDA functions inside). Actual dimensions of the device are 4.65 by 2.8 by 0.71 inches and it weighs 5.8 ounces.

The new iPAQ features digital wireless voice, wireless e-mail, access to Cingular’s nationwide EDGE network, integrated GPS receiver, a built-in keyboard, Bluetooth and a 1.3 mega pixel camera. It has the distinction of being the first Pocket PC in the U.S. to use Cingular’s high-speed EDGE network.

In real life use, the hw6500 is a terrific device. Its BlackBerry-like shape is easy to hold and to get used to. I was able to wirelessly send/receive my Outlook mail directly from my company’s mail servers with ease. Loading Web pages was pretty good; I've seen faster, but I’ve also seen slower (see below). 

I appreciate the Bluetooth connectivity but wish H-P had also included Wi-Fi inside. I believe that any modern device should be able to bypass the cellular network and use Wi-Fi for speedier downloads and even VoIP. There is even a Skype software client available for Pocket PC devices like this.

Cingular plans to sell the hw6500 for $449 when you sign up for a two-year contract, plus they’ll charge $39.99 per month for unlimited data when you also buy a qualified voice plan.

MORE FROM WIRELESS

Wireless Section Front

Americans delay cell phone upgrades   Outage cripples BlackBerry Americas network Texting drivers six times more likely to crash Maine to consider cell phone cancer warning Verizon defends higher smart phone fees BlackBerry users dealt with e-mail outages Teen runs up dad's cell bill to nearly $22,000 Google sharpens mobile focus with 'Nexus One' Nearly 1 in 3 older teens gets ‘sexting’ messages McDonald's to lift fee for Internet access Wireless Section Front   Add Wireless headlines to your news reader: