Product: 02 XDA IIs integrated phone and PDA Price: $6,988 Pros: Wi-fi and quad-band connections make this GSM/GPRS phone work anywhere, any time Cons: Outdated non-megapixel camera
Mobile operator and wireless handheld system supplier O2 has upgraded its popular Xda-series integrated phone and personal digital assistant, with a slide-out keyboard and wireless local area networking function.
The Xda IIs, available in Hong Kong in the middle of next month, runs the second edition of Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 operating system for Pocket PCs.
The addition of a 39-key, slide-out Qwerty keyboard makes it easier to use the device for e-mail, contact management, calendars and text messaging using Microsoft Office programs.
Next year, the Xda IIs will include BlackBerry Connect software to allow e-mail to be pushed to the device from a professional user's corporate server or via web-based services.
Having the 802.11b connection in the latest Xda model would enable users to browse the Web at Wi-fi hot spots. But with the right software, a user could also make VoIP (voice-over-internet protocol) calls on the same Wi-fi infrastructure.