Pocket PC phones offer Wi-Fi, GPRS and sat-nav

E-Ten and HTC announce Pocket PC-based phones that brim with connectivity

Handheld vendors E-Ten and HTC have unveiled Pocket PC phone devices based on Windows Mobile 5.0, featuring mobile access to email and the internet via Wi-Fi and GPRS networks.

Both firms have announced devices with slide-out qwerty keyboards, enabling users to compose emails and edit documents using the built-in Office Mobile applications, while E-Ten has unveiled two models with built-in satellite navigation.

HTC's P4350 features a 2.8in touch-screen colour display and is a quad-band GPRS phone supporting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to headsets and hands-free car kits. Like HTC's Tytn launched earlier this year, the P4350 has a hide-away qwerty keyboard that slides out of its side, and the display changes orientation to match. The device will ship first in Germany and the Netherlands for about £387.

Also equipped with a slide-out keyboard is E-Ten's Glofiish M700, the first device of this format to offer both Wi-Fi and GPS navigation built-in, the company said.

Meanwhile, the Glofiish X500 has no keyboard but is the thinnest all-in-one Pocket PC phone in the world at 15.5mm, according to E-Ten. It also has GPS.

Although all three devices have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular functions, none supports 3G wireless. E-Ten's Teresa Chou said 3G devices would be available early next year, along with devices with high-resolution VGA screens.

Both E-Ten models use an embedded SiRF Star III chipset for their GPS functions. They also have a camera and FM tuner as standard.

The X500 is available now with a SIM-free price of £374. The M700 should be available in mid-December, said E-Ten, but the price has yet to be announced.