First WM6 baby hatches: Meet the HP iPaq 510 Voice Messenger

HP iPaq 510 Voice Messenger

(Credit: CNET Networks)

As most of us are counting sheep and dreaming of faraway places this Sunday night, things are abuzz in Barcelona, Spain, where the 3GSM World Congress has officially kicked off. This was the day Microsoft was supposed to officially take the wraps off Windows Mobile 6. But oopsies--someone beat them to the punch. Still, there's plenty of exciting news coming out of Ciudad Condal, such as, oh I don't know...one of the first Windows Mobile 6 devices?!

Today, HP unveiled the HP iPaq 510 Voice Messenger, an ultracompact smart phone that focuses more on voice features and fills a void in the company's mobile-device lineup, falling somewhere between its workhorse Pocket PC phones and standalone PDAs. It offers advanced voice command capabilities, both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (no 3G support, though--boo hiss), a 1.3-megapixel camera, and of course, all the goodies that come along with Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition. We had the opportunity to check out the device for a couple of days, and we're generally impressed by its features and performance, but a little lukewarm on the design. You can check out our full review here, and we're still putting the phone through its paces, so stay tuned for updates.

HP has not made any carrier announcements yet, but it's a GSM phone, so it'll be either Cingular or T-Mobile. Plus, the company will sell unlocked versions from its Web site sometime this spring, with prices starting at $299.