The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

HP preps secret iPhone rival

Everyone loves a parade

Free whitepaper – Managing operating systems and applications with the new Dell Management Console

Only more consumer-y

Hewlett-Packard plans on keeping up with the Joneses by releasing a smartphone marketed to consumers within the next two months.

At least, according to Wall Street Journal, which cites unnamed sources briefed on HP's latest foray into the increasingly crowded smartphone market.

The new device will fall into the HP iPAQ line that has been punting Windows Mobile Smartphones for business use for the last year or so.

Details on the consumer mobile are nearly nil aside from it having a touchscreen, keypad, and running Windows Mobile 6.1, according to the WSJ. The phone will likely hit European retail stores by the end of 2008 and be released worldwide soon thereafter.

HP joins Apple, Nokia, RIM, Google with its Android platform, and - in all likelihood - a future host of big name companies slavering over the success of the iPhone in the consumer market. ®

Hitachi IT Operations Analyzer: 30-day free trial.

Sign up, sign up for The Register's weekly mobile & wireless newsletter - click here

Don’t Miss

DustbinDirty, dirty PCs: The X-rated picture guide

Ventblockers Horror beyond human imagination

SC09Top 500 supers - rise of the Linux quad-cores

SC09 Jaguar munches Roadrunner

Ubuntu teaser Early adopters bloodied by Ubuntu's Karmic Koala

Smooth Windows upgrade it ain't

Sign up, sign up for The Register IT security newsletter

Narrowcasting for the email classes