Sierra Wireless Announces Windows Powered Smart Phone

[Ed Hardy]

Sierra Wireless has announced that it will release its first smart phone by the middle of next year. This will offer both a phone keypad and unique flip-open QWERTY thumbpad.

Read more at http://www.brighthand.com/article/Si...oq_Smart_Phone

[AristoBrat]

Just when I've gotten myself calmed down enough to NOT have to buy every new PocketPC that comes out, ... I'm starting to get that 'gotta have' feel everytime I see a new SmartPhone.

[gfunkmagic]

Very interesting thumbboard design!! This sorta seems like a MS smartphone version of the Treo600...maybe. However, this obviously is not meant for one handed operation. It will be interesting to see how well this does in the market...

[Scott R]

I heard about this phone a couple of months ago from a co-worker who swore me to secrecy (because he had to sign an NDA). I really like the flip-out thumbboard, but I'd have to play with it first-hand to see how it really feels. Still not overly impressed with the whole MS Smartphone platform, though.

According to my co-worker, they were looking to user-test this phone around now. Interesting note:

Sierra Wireless plans to have its first smart phones on the market by the middle of next year.

So can anyone guess why they would have chosen today to pre-announce this?

Scott

[Ed Hardy]

Originally posted by Scott R
So can anyone guess why they would have chosen today to pre-announce this?

Sierra Wireless doesn't have any other smart phones on the market so they aren't hurting their own sales, and it can hope you'll wait for this rather than buying a competing smart phone that is available sooner.

[Scott R]

Come on Ed, the answer is because the Treo 600 just started shipping!

Scott

[Ed Hardy]

Right, Sierra Wireless wants you to wait to buy a Voq, not get a Treo 600 now. Or a Motorola MPx200, which was announced last month.