Verizon To Debut Two New Pocket PCs?

[Janak Parekh]

<a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/">Engadget Mobile</a> has scored some exclusive slide deck images for what appears to be two different upcoming Verizon Pocket PCs, one by HTC and one by Samsung. First up is the <a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/12/22/verizon-utstarcom-xv6800-the-cdma-tytn-lives/">UTStarcom XV6800</a>, which is basically the CDMA equivalent of the HTC TyTN/Hermes, but with more memory, Bluetooth 2, and EVDO (upgradeable to rev. A). Looks like a great upgrade from the XV6700!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20061222-VerizonXV6800.jpg" /><br /><br />Second up is the <a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/12/22/verizons-samsung-i760-out-blackjacks-the-blackjack/">Samsung i760</a>, with a portrait slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 128MB of storage, Bluetooth v2, and, most interestingly, it's a <b>"WM Crossbow Pocket PC"</b> scheduled to ship in Q2 '07. The design of the front is unique, too... check out the numbers and the d-pad. Is this thing as tall as I think it is? 8O <!><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20061222-Verizoni760.jpg" /><br /><br />Intriguing! I can't wait to see more details. (They appear to have <a href="http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/12/22/verizon-utstarcom-smt5800-libra-comes-stateside-in-green/">previewed a new Smartphone</a> -- the HTC Libra -- corresponding to a CDMA <a href="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13101&highlight=">HTC Vox</a>. It has a Pocket PC screenshot on it, but as both <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=51264">PPCT</a> and <a href="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=13048">SPT</a> have speculated before, it looks like both the Vox and the Libra are <i>probably</i> Smartphones, not Pocket PCs.)

[whydidnt]

I can't add much intelligent to say about these devices, since we don't have much to go on, but.... Yummy! :D

Both look very intriguing.

[Jeff Song]

I wonder if the samsung will have a smaller screen (like 2.4" or so) to compensate a bit for the larger size. Will be interesting to see though.

The XV6800 looks good. I wish my 8525 came with 96mb RAM though.

[alizhan]

And they both have cameras, which means that I will never buy them. :evil: Come on, VZW: surely you realize the market for at least ONE smartphone without a camera? Between the required data plan (how about just turning the crap requiring a data plan OFF if I don't have one?), and having to leave the thing OUTSIDE any time I enter a restricted area (like my own office), these phones are useless to me. I doubt I'm the only one, either--and phone-less PDAs are quickly following suit.

But I rant.

I don't see the new Samsung as being too tall. I'm assuming the keypad slides behind the screen, just like with the previous two editions of the device. With the placement of that round thing in the picture, though, they must be using one of the fancy 10-key-to-QWERTY multi-press keyboards. Eh.