HP Unveils iPAQ h1915... without Bluetooth

Hewlett Packard has officially announced a new member of the h1900 series at the CeBIT tradeshow. The h1915 is almost identical to the h1910, except that this one has SDIO support. Despite rumors to the contrary, it doesn't include Bluetooth wireless networking.

It runs a 200 MHz Intel XScale PXA250 processor, not the newer PXA255. It has 64 MB of RAM, of which 46 MB is available to the user. It has 16 MB of ROM.

It runs Pocket PC 2002. Like the h1910, this is probably the Standard Edition, which doesn't have all the features of the Premium Edition.

It has a 240 by 320 pixel, transflective screen that can display 16-bit color. This LCD is 3.75 inches when measured diagonally.

The h1915 is 4.5 by 2.75 by 5.5 inches and weighs 4.25 ounces. It uses a removable, 900 mAh Lithium-ion battery.

It will sell in Europe for 400 Euros. It is not known if this model will be available outside of Europe.

SDIO Support

The big change in this model compared with its predecessor is its support for SDIO. By default, SD slots can handle memory cards. There is also a standard, called SDIO, that has been created to allow these slots to handle other types of cards. This includes wireless networking cards, digital cameras, presentation tools, and more.

Until recently, SDIO support was almost inconsequential, as very few SDIO peripherals were on the market. But several companies have recently announced plans to release SDIO wireless networking cards, which has greatly increased public interest in the standard.

There have been rumors that HP plans to release a patch that will give the h1910 SDIO support, but HP has declined to comment on this.

Related Links

• Brighthand Reviews the HP iPAQ h1910 Pocket PC
• RumorMill™: HP to Release iPAQ 2200 Series