Here in the Philippines, I found out from a friend who works at local gadget retailer Mobile1 that up until now, the HP iPAQ rw6828 has been selling really well, and with good reason. The mix of features that appeal to both corporate (push e-mail) and general consumers (good multimedia capabilities) seems like a good mix indeed.

Now that Mobile1 has picked up the HP iPAQ hw6965, perhaps this PDA phone will find the same success? HP actually names its products depending on the region, so those based in the US know this gadget as the HP hw6945.

Know Availability: HP started making the PDA phone available from its website since September, selling it for $599.

Learn the Specs: Probably the most attractive feature of this Windows Mobile device is its GPS receiver. Again, no one beats the manufacturer for detailed specs, and once again here's a shortlist for your convenience:

• Screen: 3.0" TFT QVGA, 64k colors


• Memory: 64MB


• Network: Quad-band GSM (800/900/1800/1900 Mhz)


• Camera: 1.3 megapixels


• Connectivity: Integreated GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. Also capable of GPRS and EDGE


• Expansion: miniSD slot, no SDIO


• Size (height x width x depth): 4.65 x 2.8 x 0.71 in (118.0 x 71.0 x 18.0 mm)


• Weight: 6.33 oz (179.45 g)

Read a Review: CNET Asia rates this device a 7.4 out of 10 (Remember that HP names its products depending on the region). The review praises the hw6945's deep feature set, but faults its somewhat sluggish responsiveness. I've asked a friend who's been using the device, and he's said that the gadget hasn't crashed or hang during his two months of usage.

Find Out Where to Buy: Here are some links to get you started:

• Direct From HP


• Amazon


• CNET

What's the Use? For some reason, HP has also released a camera-less variant of the hw6945 (the iPAQ hw6940), yet both cost the same. Can anyone explain to me why HP would do this?