HP Plans to Unveil Smart Phone

Hewlett-Packard Co., aiming to grow its device business beyond corporate users, is preparing to release a new smart phone that will also be marketed to consumers, according to people briefed on the plan. The device will debut in Europe, these people say, and will be sold by a mobile carrier in retail stores.

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The new device will have a touchscreen and keypad and will use Microsoft Corp.'s Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, say people briefed on the plan. It will be able to send and receive emails, and access the Internet.

The phone is the latest version of H-P's iPaq devices. H-P, which has been selling iPaq-branded devices since it acquired personal-computer maker Compaq Computer Corp. in 2002, primarily focused earlier iPaqs on businesses and typically didn't sell them through retail stores.

The new phone will likely be released in Europe within the next two months, say people familiar with the matter. It will later be released world-wide.

H-P spokesman Mike Hockey said the most recent iPaq device, a business-oriented smart phone, was launched in June. H-P trails behind manufacturers like Nokia Corp. and Research in Motion Ltd. in world-wide smart-phone sales, according to market researcher IDC, with less than a 3.3% global market share. Mr. Hockey said, "the iPaq brand is extremely strong around the world, especially in the European market."

[ Wall Street Journal]

The device will apparently feature a keypad rather than the more traditional QWERTY keyboard as seen on the HP iPaq 910c.

H-P spokesman Mike Hockey said, “the iPaq brand is extremely strong around the world, especially in the European market.”