HP's HW6500 Will Launch in US on Both Cingular & T-Mobile

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://jschurman.mvps.org/#Documentation,_Articles,_Newsgroups' target='_blank'>http://jschurman.mvps.org/#Document...les,_Newsgroups</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/hp_cingular.gif" /><br /><br />According to a Word and PowerPoint document found on <a href="http://jschurman.mvps.org">MS MVP Joe Schurman's blog site</a> (titled "Microsoft Mobile Enterprise.ppt" and "Microsoft Mobile Enterprise.doc"), the upcoming HP HW6500 Mobile Messenger will be made available in the US by both T-Mobile and Cingular. What's unclear to me is whether the HW6500 will be a single quad-band phone, split into two editions of tri-band (one for each partner), or a single model tri-band made specifically for the US (in which T-Mo only uses two bands). As long as we're not looking at that last scenario, this is potentially great news for all GSM users here in the US.<br /><br /><b>Post-Disclaimer</b>: Upon further review, as pointed out by MobilePaddy, the documents only explicitly specify a launch with Cingular. We'll have to wait to see if T-Mobile will include this device as well.

[PPCMD]

Why make it quad band and then turn off one or more bands for US use? I enjoyed my MPx220 in the carribean and consider quad band a useful feature if you travel outside the US. If its not quad band then don't offer it.

[tasmms]

Figures ---- No CDMA. Verizon stinks!!!!!

[jgalindo]

No wifi?

[MobilePaddy]

There is no mention at all in this presentation or word document that the phone will be offered by T-Mobile. It only mentions Cingular and the HP together, never with T-Mobile.

[OSUKid7]

There is no mention at all in this presentation or word document that the phone will be offered by T-Mobile. It only mentions Cingular and the HP together, never with T-Mobile.
Then where did Ekkie get that image in the first post?

[MobilePaddy]

Read the presentation. That slide that mentions tmobile and cingular is unrelated. It does have a page dedicted to the hw6500 with the provider listed as Cingular. Anyhow, This presentation even mentions the mpx300 (which is now dead) so hard to know if its current.

[Janak Parekh]

Figures ---- No CDMA. Verizon stinks!!!!!
Too bad Verizon's service is really good. The problem is that GSM targets a bigger international audience, so vendors often go with GSM versions first. If it's successful, a CDMA version might come in the future...

--janak

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Read the presentation. That slide that mentions tmobile and cingular is unrelated. It does have a page dedicted to the hw6500 with the provider listed as Cingular. Anyhow, This presentation even mentions the mpx300 (which is now dead) so hard to know if its current.
MobilePaddy, I think you're right. I've updated the original post.

I had associated the two slides together but they could be unrelated. In any case, if this device is offered globally, there's a good chance it will be GSM 900/1800/1900 (at least overseas), in which case I couldn't imagine why T-Mobile wouldn't offer it, though that's no guarantee. Though for Cingular, it would obviously have to be GSM 850/1800/1900 (or at least 850/1900).

We shall see...

[Ploobers]

Well my hope is that TMobile will let me trade in my 6315 for this, assuming it works better.

[ADBrown]

Nitpick: In the US, T-Mobile only uses one band, 1900 MHz. It's Cingular that has a mixed 850/1900 network.

As for why it might be tri-band instead of quad-band, T-Mobile has a history of hiding or disabling 850 MHz capability in their phones.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Nitpick: In the US, T-Mobile only uses one band, 1900 MHz. It's Cingular that has a mixed 850/1900 network.
I'm aware of that. If one single US model is distributed to both Cincular and T-Mobile, T-Mobile would likely disable the 850 leaving only two of the three bands functional (1800/1900). While 1900 would be the only band utilized within the US, they would still allow the use of the 1800 band for those who roam outside of the US.

That was my point in saying they would only use 2 out of the 3 bands. This point is actually quite significant to me b/c I travel extensively between the US and Thailand where such a phone would force me to go with the inferior service provider while in Thailand.

As for why it might be tri-band instead of quad-band, T-Mobile has a history of hiding or disabling 850 MHz capability in their phones.
Exactly my point above... which in that case, it would really be the exact same model distributed to both T-Mobile and Cingular. The only difference being the in-house modification that T-Mobile performs before selling.

So for example, AFAIK, Motorola ships the exact same V600 to both T-Mobile and Cingular, though T-Mobile will cripple it before it reaches the consumer. Whereas the SE T610 and T616 are visually-identical-but-different phones that are each manufactured differently with the reseller in mind.

[ADBrown]

Is there any solid evidence that this is originally tri-band rather than quad band? I would think that if any machine this serious would have to be quad band, particularly for use on Cingular, since I believe most of Cing's international roaming is 900 MHz. T-Mobile also uses 900 MHz international coverage, if I'm not mistaken.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

Is there any solid evidence that this is originally tri-band rather than quad band?
That's the multi-hundred $ question to me! ;)

I would think that if any machine this serious would have to be quad band, particularly for use on Cingular, since I believe most of Cing's international roaming is 900 MHz. T-Mobile also uses 900 MHz international coverage, if I'm not mistaken.
Yes, T-Mobile allows roaming for both 900 and 1800 as does Cingular, but if you examine their phone lineup (or at least last time I saw), not all phones support both international bands. I've seen a few T-Mo phones that were dual-band (i.e. 900/1900) and some Cingular phones that were only dual or tri-band (850/1900 or 850/1800/1900).

I hope you're right that a phone of this magnitude would be made available on quad-bands, but then again, Motorola is the only company that I've seen that delivers quad-band devices on a semi-consistent basis.

[possmann]

That's it - I'm switching from T-mo to Cing... T-mo used to have the lead with technology but just hasn't kept up the handset lead - why it won;t release the same handsets they are using and enjoying much success with over in Europe here in the USA I have no clue.
Yes they have great rate plans and solid customer service, but come on - get with the technology program here T-mo!

[jschurman]

Hi, this is Joe, who created this presentation. I received information on HP partnering with Cingular for the hw6500 from another website before I put this presentation together and spoke in conversation to a fellow HP rep. At this time, HP has not made an announcement as to who the carrier is and therefore, I have removed the last bullet under the Cingular slide due to a request that I received today. I am among those who are anxious to see when this device will be released and who will provide service for it.

Thanks,

Joe :!: