HP getting back into the smartphone game?

If the latest leaked photos and specs offer any indication, it looks like HP is looking to step up its handheld game with an all-new series of iPaq-branded, Windows Mobile 6 smartphones and a handheld GPS unit/portable media player. At right you'll see the flagship iPaq 914, which sports a 240×320 touchscreen, 3-megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, HSDPA and built-in Google Maps. Allegedly, the 914 will ship in November for somewhere in the neighborhood of $800. There will also be a non-QWERTY model, the 614, available with the same features and price. Meanwhile, the iPaq 214 will boast a 480×640 display and WiFi but no calling functions--save for VoIP calling over WiFi. It will retail for about $500 in October. Its little brother, the 114, looks to be even more bare-bones, with a 320×240 display, 64 Mb of RAM and Bluetooth; it will retail for around $430 in October. Finally, we have the iPaq 314, a standalone GPS unit/media player that does not run Windows Mobile. It does, however, have a 800x480 display and can snyc with Outlook and mobile phone books via Bluetooth. Price and launch date for the 314 are currently unknown.

There's two things to keep in mind here: first and foremost, these are rumors and should be read as such. Still, the leaked photos and info seem quite legit, so I'd say that chances are pretty high that these are the real deal. Second, the pricing and availability is for Sweden (prices are converted from SEK), so I'd wager to say that we'll see these at much lower prices whenever they hit the States.

For more photos and info on the rumored smartphone lineup:
- see this article from Unwired View