HP iPAQ 910

HP's venerable iPAQ hand held line has seen its ups and downs over the years. But today, the company's tight enterprise focus distinguishes it from its competitors. Even Research In Motion, the perennial business-handset manufacturer, has pushed into the consumer smart phone space. But HP is sticking to its corporate guns. The unlocked iPAQ 910 is HP's latest business smart phone, and the successor to the company's hw6900 series handsets.

The new version comes loaded with Wi-Fi, GPS, and HSDPA data radios, along with a 3 mega pixel camera, and good video playback performance. But first and foremost, HP is positioning the iPAQ 910 as a corporate e-mail device that can access workplace data anywhere in the world. Despite the iPAQ 910's bulging feature set, it's not ungainly in fact, it looks much like a BlackBerry 8800 or Motorola Q9c.

The handset measures 4.5 by 2.5 by 0.6 inches (HWD), and is fairly hefty: 5.4 ounces. Still, those numbers pin it as slightly smaller and lighter than the Palm Treo 755p�an apt comparison, given the iPAQ 910's 2.5 inch, 320 by 240 pixel touch screen and stylus input.

HP packs into the box an AC adapter, a USB synchronization cable, a metal stylus, and wired stereo ear buds. Fashioned in a glossy black, the iPAQ 910 has a gunmetal gray chrome surround on the front bezel.

With its rubberized back panel, the handset is comfortable to hold and talk into. Control wise, the iPAQ 910 is the anti iPhone neither sleek nor minimal, and covered in buttons, dials, and ports. On the front panel, there's a five way navigation key in the center, with four buttons to either side, which perform various functions. The left hand side of the unit houses a hardware volume control, a voice control button, a mini USB port, and a microSD slot.

The right hand side, meanwhile, contains a scroll wheel more on this below along with OK and Camera buttons. On the back of the handset, you'll find the camera sensor and flash, a small self-portrait mirror, and the phone's mono speaker. My preproduction review unit had a troublesome rubber port cover on the left side.