Phone makers venture into PDAs

Should there be an all-in-one device that performs like a handset and PDA? Or do customers prefer more than one device that fills specific needs? This week, two handset manufacturers released PDAs with separate approaches.

Samsung’s (www.samsung.com) SPH-I300 phone is a wireless handset that features the benefits of the Palm-OS platform. It was jointly developed by Sprint PCS (www.sprintpcs.com) and Samsung, in conjunction with Palm (www.palm.com).

The all-in-one device offers Web browsing and access to e-mail through the Openwave mobile browser 4.1 and Palm’s wireless Web clipping technology. The handset has 8MB of memory so that customers can download one or more of the 10,000 available Palm OS compatible applications. Weighing six ounces with the standard battery, the dual-band handset offers a backlit, virtual dialing pad on the touch-screen panel with a 256-color display. The SPH-I300 also features a dual LCD screen with caller ID on the front and top of the handset for when it’s worn on the hip.

According to Jay Highley, Sprint PCS vice president, business, marketing, the company has seen a growing demand for wireless workplace products and services that increase professional and personal productivity.

“The SPH-I300 delivers this and more by integrating wireless computing functionality with voice services into a single chic device,” Highley said.

Audiovox (www.audiovox.com) has chosen the two-is-better-than-one approach, with its introduction of a pocket PC called Maestro. The first in a series of Audiovox pocket PCs, Maestro combines Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) Windows-powered pocket PC 2002 software with wireless communications capabilities. The device will be co-packaged with an Audiovox CDM-9100 wireless handset as a total mobile communications and pocket computing solution.

“We are breaking new ground with Maestro,” said Philip Christopher, Audiovox Communications president & CEO. “Maestro is our first hand-held computing device and by offering it for sale through wireless carriers, Audiovox further supports wireless data initiatives.”

The pocket PC features 32MB of SDRAM and 32MB of Flash ROM, and an Intel (www.intel.com) Strong ARM 206MHz processor. When connected to the Audiovox CDM-9100, Maestro provides Internet access without the need for an add-on modem or an additional wireless Internet service provider. Via a cable connection between the phone and Maestro, users can surf the Internet, check and send e-mail — including Pocket Word and Excel documents.

Why two devices? Christopher offered this answer: “The combination of the Maestro and CDM-9100 provide a level of practicality and portability not offered to PDA or wireless consumers before, because we recognize that sometimes, all you need is a great wireless phone or a great PDA — but not both.”