November 1, 2000

Shapes of things to come
OUTLOOK: What form will the merged phone/PDA assume?

Call it convergence, or perhaps a clash of the titans, but the PDA and the cell phone are on a collision course. We've long known that these disparate devices would merge, but we still don't know what form the result will take.

Until now, the only merged choice was the pdQ Smartphone from Qualcomm (now Kyocera), a bulky Palm-OS device that failed to garner any significant market. But now, both PDA and cellular vendors are readying more compelling converged devices, which should arrive over the next three to six months.

Handspring has made the most commotion so far with its GSM VisorPhone, a module that fits into the Springboard expansion slot on the Palm-OS-based Visor PDA (see "Power couple" in this issue's GEAR section). The product is doubly important to Handspring because its success would not only increase revenue but also validate the Springboard concept. Initially, Handspring will sell the $299 module directly, along with service from leading GSM carriers. Not to be outdone, Palm has announced a $299 GSM module for Palm V and Vx PDAs. Codeveloped with RealVision, the Palm add-on will ship in Q1 2001; the Handspring product is due this quarter.

But you won't have to start with a PDA to get PDA functions. However, you may have to wait a while if you prefer the Palm OS and user interface. At least two vendors, Motorola and Kyocera, plan to offer Palm-based phones. Motorola is planning a tri-band GSM model for worldwide use, but shipments aren't slated until 2002. Kyocera hasn't detailed its plans for the pdQ follow-up.

Meanwhile, in Europe, Ericsson is shipping the R380 GSM phone (pictured), which uses Symbian's EPOC operating system and PDA applications. This device has a reasonably large LCD that's partially covered by a flip-down keypad. A world version, which will work on North American GSM systems, is due in December with a retail price of $400.

This struggle may be decided on form factor, price, software compatibility, convenience, or time to market. For instance, cell phones already contain the processing power necessary to handle PDA functions; they need little more than extra memory. Because of that advantage, the R380's price tag comes in impressively lower than a PDA plus an add-on module. However—a big however—most cell-phone displays are clearly lacking when it comes to PDA use. The R380's horizontal screen may prove an exception, but that will be up to consumers to decide.

PDAs would be a better fit for cell-phone capabilities if they carried an integrated DSP (digital signal processor). For now, however, a PDA add-on module will have to bring its own DSP and other add-on baggage, such as a separate battery. So, ironically, a unified phone/PDA might still force users to carry two separate chargers or power sources.

The only public indication of a PDA-DSP alliance comes from Handspring and Texas Instruments. The two are collaborating on a 3G reference design, but that design appears to be a Springboard module, not an integrated product.

The PDA form factor could occasionally prove inconvenient—try jotting down a number while you're talking with the unit up to your ear. But users increasingly rely on headsets, even with traditional cell phones. The larger PDA display is clearly better for email and Internet access, which is invariably available on new PCS phones.

The Symbian OS featured in the Ericsson R380 betters the Palm OS when it comes to tasks such as audio coding and multitasking. On the other hand, Palm has more developers writing applications for its OS than for any platform other than the PC.

For me, it won't be the form factor or the OS that guides my decision, but a great feature set. Give me a device with an integrated DSP that not only handles cellular processing, but also performs digital-audio and voice-recorder functions, and I'm there.

—Maury Wright