Windows Mobile 5.0 Upgrade for iPAQ hx4700 Significantly Delayed

On the day Windows Mobile 5.0 was officially unveiled, HP promised that it would release this summer an upgrade for its flagship handheld, the iPAQ hx4700.

Now, however, this company has announced that the upgrade has been delayed by many months.

A statement on HP's web site explains this delay by saying "Due to unforeseen extended delays in the availability of a critical 3rd party driver, the upgrade kit for the hx4700 will be delayed to mid to late Spring 2006."

The company did not specify which third-party driver is causing the problem, which could push the release of this operating system upgrade back for as much as nine months.

This delay only affects the iPaq hx4700 series. HP says that the Windows Mobile 5.0 upgrade for the hx2000 series will be available this summer.

A Bad Blow

This delay means that HP's premier handheld is not going to have the latest version of Windows Mobile until months after its competitors do.

For example, both Dell and Fujitsu-Siemens have said that they will release operating system upgrades for their high-end models in the next couple of months.

This will certainly have a negative effect on sales of HP's hx4700 series.

Thanks to Dr. Toad for the tip.

Related Links

• HP Will Offer Windows Mobile 5.0 Upgrades for Some iPAQs
• Brighthand Reviews the HP iPAQ hx4700
• HP Releases Battery Fix for iPAQ hx4700