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Launched at the 3GSM World Congress 2007 in Barcelona, the iPaq 510 Voice Messenger introduces VOIP capabilities and Microsofts new Windows Mobile 6 operating system to Hewlett-Packards mobile device line.
The iPaq 510 is a quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone, and it will deliver as much as 6.5 hours of talk time, according to HP officials. The phone also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The iPaq 510 measures 4.65 by 2.8 by 0.71 inches, and it weighs 5.8 ounces. During our initial tests, eWEEK Labs found the device to be much lighter than it appeared but also solid.
Priced starting at $299, the iPaq 510 will be available this spring directly from HP (in an unlocked version) and from select dealers. HP officials said they are still working out details with carriers. In the United States, T-Mobile and Cingular operate GSM networks.
Running Windows Mobile 6, the iPaq 510 allows users to view HTML-formatted e-mail and includes Direct Push technology and Windows Vista synchronization. In addition, HP software allows users to dictate e-mails and complete tasks hands-free. The iPaq 510 can recognize as many as 20 voice commands, from navigating the calendar to placing phone calls.
eWEEK Labs found the voice recognition capabilities to be fairly solid in preliminary tests; the device made it easy and quick to dictate correspondence when on the move. We also found the voice capabilities to be handy for listening to e-mails and text messages.
We had no trouble connecting our test iPaq 510 to Wi-Fi networks and using wireless connections to place VOIP (voice over IP) calls. We installed and used the Skype 2.2 beta for Windows Mobile to place those calls.
Because the iPaq 510 supports only EDGE networks and not the higher-speed UMTS and HSDPA networks, users will not be able to surf the Internet while placing a phone call on cellular networks. Users who demand this type of multitasking capability should not worry too much, though: During tests, we were able to place a cellular call while surfing the Internet over Wi-Fi.
Senior Writer Anne Chen can be reached at anne_chen@ziffdavis.com.
