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New HP iPaqs invade Europe; no word on U.S. availability

HP releases two new HP iPaq smartphones in Europe, but no word on U.S. availability for the HP iPaq Data Messenger and the HP iPaq Voice Messenger.

Bonnie Cha Former Editor
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
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Bonnie Cha
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HP iPaq Data Messenger HP

On Tuesday, HP added two new iPaq smartphones to its portfolio. But before you go getting too attached, you should know that for the time being, they'll only be available in Europe. Partnering with Vodafone, the HP iPaq Data Messenger and the HP iPaq Voice Messenger will first be offered in the United Kingdom and then eventually make their way to the rest of Europe.

Will they ever reach the United States and join the HP iPaq 910c Business Messenger? Well, we asked our HP contact, who said she hasn't heard anything about a stateside release but would let us know as soon as she did. (Oh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that phrase.)

For the curious, both the iPaq Data Messenger and the iPaq Voice Messenger offer a new five-away optical navigation button that provides a "gliding" sensation when scrolling through menus. The devices also have predictive text capabilities so they will learn a user's vocabulary and style when composing messages. Both smartphones run Windows Mobile 6.1 (Professional Edition on the Data Messenger and Standard on the Voice Messenger) and offer integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a 3-megapixel camera.

While the two models share a lot of shared features, they have different focuses--if you couldn't tell by their names. The HP iPaq Voice Messenger is more of a phone-centric device and has a 2.4-inch QVGA non-touch display and 20-button keypad. Meanwhile, power business users might be more attracted to the HP iPaq Data Messenger and its slide-out QWERTY keyboard and touch screen. The Data Messenger will go for around 499 euros ($652), while the Voice Messenger is priced at 399 euros ($521).