Cingular 8525 Pocket PC Unveiled

Cingular Wireless on Monday unveiled its 8525 Pocket PC, which it claims is the first Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS)/High-Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA)-enabled PDA available for sale in North America, according to a Nov. 6 press release.

The device—which is set to be released on Nov. 16 in the United States with a $399.99 price tag—will run on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system.

“The Cingular 8525 Pocket PC breaks new ground in wireless broadband connectivity in North America,” said Kent Mathy, president of Cingular’s Business Markets Group, in the release. “Not only is the Cingular 8525 the first UMTS/HSDPA-enabled PDA to launch on the continent, it is the only PDA or Smartphone on the American market today to give users wireless 3G capabilities both in the U.S. and in dozens of countries abroad.”

The 8525 Pocket PC works in conjunction with Cingular’s BroadbandConnect service—which is UMTS/HSDPA-enabled—and the service is available in some 130 U.S. markets, according to the release. Cingular plans to expand that coverage to additional areas over the coming months. There are roughly 140 UMTS networks in 61 countries around the globe, and some 72 HSDPA networks, according to the release. If a user wanders outside the BroadbandConnect coverage area, he or she will be able to access Cingular’s Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) network where available, which spans some 13,000 cities and towns and reaches along upwards of 40,000 highway miles, according to the release.

Users of the BroadbandConnect service from Cingular get average downlink data speeds of 400Kbps to 700Kbps, and average uplink speeds of roughly 384Kbps, according to the release.

“On Cingular’s HSDPA network, the 8525 will empower people to use the key features of our platform simultaneously, like talking on the phone while at the same time downloading and reviewing documents, surfing the Web or using one of thousands of applications available today,” said Pieter Knook, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Mobile and Embedded Devices Division, in the release.

The device features an enhanced scroll wheel for improved navigation, as well as a four-direction button and a touch-screen stylus. 

The Cingular 8525 Pocket PC also comes with the wireless carrier’s first widely available GPS location-based navigation application from TeleNav. The TeleNav GPS Navigator enables users of the 8525 Pocket PC to receive spoken or on-screen turn-by-turn directions, though the service requires subscription and a Bluetooth GPS receiver.

Finally, the device comes with a 2-megapixel digital camera and camcorder, with an optional 1GB Micro-SD card for storage, according to the release.

High Tech Computer will manufacture the devices.

For more information, visit Cingular’s site.

Cingular is a joint venture between AT&T and BellSouth.

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