Windows Phone Thoughts: HP's iPAQ 910: Swing and a...Hit?

"HP's iPAQ range used to be the doyenne of the PDA world, back when cellphones were cellphones and anything more complicated than an alarm required a standalone PocketPC (or Palm, depending on your preference). Years later, and the PDA in general is a much-diminished force; the line between smartphones and cellphones has blurred and customers expect to be able to do much of what their laptops can while they're mobile. Into this competitive market HP have launched the iPAQ 910 Business Messenger, a Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro smartphone with full QWERTY keyboard. After our unboxing video we promised you a review; read on to see whether HP are likely to take back their top spot."

HP's had some bad stumbles in the past few years related to phone-based devices, but it looks like the iPAQ 910 might finally break that bad streak. The battery 1940 mAh battery is certainly worth writing home about: that's a lot of juice. The 320 x 240 screen, less so - but at least it's not 240 x 240. I have a fondness for front-facing keyboards, and since HTC seems to have all but abandoned that form factor, it's nice to see other companies (Samsung, Motorola, HP, etc.) continuing to support this design. The HP iPAQ 910 won't win any beauty awards, but with a good keyboard and great battery life, it looks like a competent work-horse.