BenQ P50: Fast Becoming Vaporware

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/5947.html' target='_blank'>http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/5947.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Initially slated for launch in late 2004 only to shortly thereafter be delayed until the first quarter of 2005, the Windows Mobile based P50 communicator from BenQ is facing yet another hurdle on its road to retail availability. A BenQ representative today confirmed to infoSync World that the P50 will not be launched in Europe until the third quarter of 2005, and then only in Italy, initially. Similarly, the P50 will not be made available in the U.S. market until late in the third quarter."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/wey-20050505-BenQP50.jpg" /><br /><br />This is the sort of news that can make your blood boil. Following the "glowing" success of the MPx (note, the sarcasm), it appears that the BenQ P50 may be next on the vaporware list. Despite all the P50 announcements made last year and earlier this year, the folk at infoSync World have just received confirmation from a BenQ representative that the P50 will not be officially launched until Q3, 2005, and that will only be in Italy anyway. There's no doubt that the P50 has an impressive set of features, but just how much of an impact will it make in the market a year or so following its initial announcement? With all this talk of the next version of Windows Mobile being just around the corner (and no doubt, some new devices too), you may start to wonder whether the P50 will be worth the wait. Call me pessimistic, but I think I smell some MPx B.O. on this one.

[Guttrhead]

Weren't they showing off the p50 in january 2004 at ces? I'm sure it was on display by the time cebit came around that march. A company that thinks it can sell a high tech gadget, without changing specs to upgrade it, almost 2 YEARS after they start showing it off, needs to get their collective heads checked. I really like the setup of the phone and think it looks classy, but no 3g data, wm2003, qvga screen and only 64/64 memory. I don't think that birds gonna fly come Q3, especially not for the $800 they say its gonna cost, they might get half that. This thing should come loaded with "Taps" as the ringtone.

[beedee]

Seems like it becomes more or less common to announce PPC Phoneedition devices, only to delay market launch for ever and ever. I tried to get some information about launch date of the ASUS mypal P505 from ASUS reps - only to receive the information that - very probably - the device will not be launched until verly late 2005 in Europe. Well, looking at the MPX and the P50, we all should know what this means ...

[MS Mobiles]

[i] A BenQ representative today confirmed to infoSync World that the P50 will not be launched in Europe until the third quarter of 2005,

"today"? InfoSync guys always had ability to present old news as new.

During CeBIT I was talking with BenQ employees in perspon got the same information then (in March 2005).

Regarding launch in Italy: it can be deduced from the BenQ.it website.

General impression of mine: I have seen BenQ P50 in flesh for the first time in March 2004 during CeBIT and if it would be released around September-October 2004 then it would have any chances - now it will have no chances and since this is first Pocket PC phone of BenQ you can expect much less support (from company and community) than from HTC-made or Motorola-made phones...

Oh, BenQ, I thinkit's better to count on HTC, HP and Motorola.. as far as Pocket PC phones are concerned - the new flat RAZR-similar Pocket PC phone from Motorola may yet rock the boat.

I personally will be buy however HTC Universal anyway as my next phone after HTC Magician...

[cmorris]

I wonder if they decided it was worth waiting to integrate WM 2005...

[lapchinj]

...Call me pessimistic, but I think I smell some MPx B.O. on this one.My sentiments exactly :pukeface:
Jeff-

[Kursplat]

PLEASE don't let them do this to the i730 as well. PLEEEEAASSEEEE!!!!!

[Camp]

1: I really would like to know what is going on in the engineering departments that worked on the MPX and the P50. What causes these massive delays of very highly anticipated devices? Obviuosly both companies have manufactured high tech devices before, what is any different about these?

2: A lot of the news releases that were released around the beginning of this year announced different software that BenQ was working on to include with the P50. This was over the course of January to March. Instead of including software that people may or may not even want on their device, they should have been working on getting it to market. It seems to me that BenQ was nearly ready at some point near December 2004/January 2005, and then decided to start changing something around and adding useless software.

3: Read number 1 again.

[bradolson]

Glad I decided not to wait for this and got a JAM back in December :)

[Phoenix]

Indeed. And by the time they come out with the P50 at the end of Q3 (that is, if they actually do), the JAM 2 will be drawing closer to its release (at least from what I've been told).

[snayar]

This is sort of bad news... :(

However, I recently received news from an insider of the biggest mobile company in Mexico (Telcel) that P50 will be coming out real soon (ETA, this summer)... In Mexico that is... So we'll see... :roll:

FYI: BenQ has a manufacturing plant in Mexicali, Baja California Mexico... So close to the U.S. (sigh!) :cry:

[beedee]

Just received an additional information from an ASUS Germany rep: "We have no plans to launch this device in Germany". If they do not launch in Europe's largest market, what does this mean for the other markets? Again: I think we all know! All too sad.

[gibberish]

Recently I got a chance to play with BenQ's P50 model. It's a pre-production unit but looks quite solid. The response time is quite good and the feeling of keyboard is better than expected on such a device

My source told me that the P50 is now under the final software stability test with MS and if the test pass (The test usually takes 1~2 days if the device does not fail during test), the device will be available "very soon" :wink: (How soon? My guess is in less than 1.5 months). If the test fails, it may well be delayed into 3Q (nobody knows the deadline in this case...)

The hardware are ready several months ago, it's the software that blocks the way...

Hope it come out earlier. WM2005 is just by the corner...