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Host Of New WinMo6 Devices Unleashed

As to be expected, the whirlwind that is 3GSM deposited more than a handful of new enterprise-class smartphones on the wireless world today. Sure, there are a couple of non-Windows Mobile 6 devices, but the bulk of the handsets we saw from Spain today use Microsoft's new darling operating system.

No fewer than six new Windows Mobile 6 smartphones hit the show floor today at 3GSM. Vendors like HP, i-mate, ASUS, Motorola, and HTC all delivered on long-rumored data-centric devices for the Windows set. Let's take a quick look at the juicy details for some of the more notable smartphones.

First is the Motorola Q q9 smartphone. Building on the original Q's platform, the q9 sports a large keyboard with somewhat smoother lines. Like its older cousin, the q9 is very thin at 11.8 mm. It will be quad-band GSM and Edge, plus 3.6 Mbps HSDPA. The new device will likely find life in the United States on both Cingular's and T-Mobile's networks. It also has a 2.0-megapixel camera and supports stereo Bluetooth.

Next up is the new iPaq 500 Voice Messenger from HP. This is the first iPaq from HP in a while and comes with a few innovative features for business users. The most interesting feature is the iPaq 500's ability to "listen" to voice commands. With 20 preset commands, users can open and listen to e-mails and text messages, access features and functions, and activate voice dialing. It also includes Wi-Fi, so it can potentially be used as part of a VoIP setup. It also has memory slots, music and video media players, and boasts six hours of talk time. It is a GSM/Edge phone and will be available in the United States this spring.

The HTC S710 is a bit misleading. At first glance, you might mistake it for a regular candybar phone. As with HTC's older Pocket PCs phones, though, it slides open sideways to show off a full qwerty keyboard. It is also a GSM/Edge phone and has Wi-Fi, a 2 -megapixel camera, and Bluetooth. No U.S. carriers have agreed to sell it yet.

Some other notable devices are the i-mate lineup of Ultimate devices. This handful ranges from phone to PDA to laptop replacement. All come with Windows Mobile 6 and some interesting video features, including XGA video output.

All in all, if you're an enterprise user in the market for a Windows Mobile 6-equipped smartphone, the selection just grew by leaps and bounds. You'll have to be patient, though, as most won't be shipping until the second quarter of the year.

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