RumorMill™: Web Store Taking Pre-orders for iPAQ h6000

One of the most highly anticipated handhelds of next year is HP's upcoming iPAQ that will offer three types of wireless networking. A web store is trying to take advantage of this anticipation by already taking pre-orders for this device, even though it hasn't been announced by HP.

Earlier this year, an HP executive said his company will be releasing a new iPAQ model with not only mobile phone functionality but also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In October, a rumor surfaced that this model will part of the h6000 series. The rumor also gave additional details on it.

Now Tek n Toys is the first out of the gate taking pre-orders for this handheld. However, this doesn't appear to be an additional confirmation of the device. Instead, the web store is repeating the details from the October rumors. It doesn't even have a price for the model.

The picture displayed on the Tek n Toys page is of the WANDA prototype developed by Texas Instruments, a Pocket PC that offers GSM/GPRS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. It has been widely speculated but not confirmed that the h6000 series will be based on the WANDA reference design.

Rumored Details of the iPAQ h6000 Series

Supposedly, the HP iPAQ h6000 series will be a Quad-Band GSM/GPRS Class 10 device, meaning it could be used in the U.S., Europe, and almost every other country.

As it will be a handheld with a built-in mobile phone, it will presumably run the Phone Edition of Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC. This handheld will reportedly have 64 MB of RAM and 64 MB of ROM.

If these rumors are correct, the h6000 will include a 3.5 inch transflective screen capable of displaying 16-bit color. It will also have a built-in camera with a maximum picture resolution of 640 by 480 pixels (VGA).

This Pocket PC will be about the same size as an iPAQ h2215. It will have an SDIO-capable SD slot and a flip cover. Because a powerful battery is necessary for any wireless handheld, the h6000 series will sport a 1850 mAh swappable one.

Supposedly, the iPAQ h6000 series will be released in March of next year.

Thanks to Max Miller for the tip.

Related Links

• TI Designs Handheld with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GSM/GPRS