Windows Phone Thoughts: BenQ P50: Fast Becoming Vaporware

"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."



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.