Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone from Willcom

Nov 30 '05 Update: The release date has been announced at the 14th Dec. Prices start from 39,800 yen ($US360) if you take out a one year contract at the same time. Standalone without the W-SIM will be 45,000 yen (US$400).

------
Amazing news for the Pocket PC market in Japan. Willcom have announced the W-ZERO3 from Sharp, a Pocket PC Phone Edition device using the Windows Mobile 5.0 OS which will use Willcom's W-SIM module for voice and data (to 64 kbps) communications and has a built in QWERTY keyboard and WLAN.

This will really electrify the so-called smartphone market in Japan. Although Windows Mobile 5.0 may have some way to go to catch up with the usability of phones on the Japanese market, the operating system is way, way ahead of the rest in terms of PDA functionality. The range of applications for Windows Mobile is almost unlimited. For example Skype produce a version of their VOIP software for the Pocket PC.

On the downside at 220g it will certainly weigh on the Pocket. Also in terms of memory expansion it only supports miniSD which is no good for those who have invested heavily in regular size SD memory cards.

Scheduled to go on sale at the end of December it will be interesting to see what the top 3 carriers do to try to catch up.

Some related links (JA = Japanese only):
Wireless Watch Japan
Pocket PC Thoughts
Digital World Tokyo
Willcom Product Page (JA)
Sharp Product Page (JA)
WinCE Fan Announcement (JA)
WinCE Review (JA)