New GSPDA Xplore G88 Smartphone

Posted By: Ryan on Saturday, February 21, 2004 5:05:47 PM

updated Group Sense PDA Limited (GSPDA) today officially announced the G88 Palm Powered smartphone. The new model is very small and lightwight, it runs Palm OS 4.1.2 and includes a 16 bit color screen and built in camera.

Xplore G88
Following the successful Palm Powered Xplore G18 launched last year, the Palm Powered G88 integrates traditional Palm OS PIM functionality and telephony features in a sleek and compact form factor. The Xplore G88 runs Palm OS 4.1.2 and features a built-in 320 x 240 digital camera with digital zoom; 16 MB RAM/16 MB ROM/22MB Flash Internal Memory Card; high quality color 2.2 inch D-TFD 65K colors LCD screen; and SMS / MMS / WAP / e-mail / Java support.

It also features a new slide hard numeric keypad and one-handed navigation 5-way jog dial to fit the natural habits of mobile phone users. GSPDA reports that it is currently talking with several operators to bring the G88 to market this summer.

"The modular architecture of the Palm OS platform allows GSPDA to create innovative smartphones for the growing wireless market," said Francis Li, executive director marketing and business development, GSPDA. "We will continue to collaborate with PalmSource to enrich our wireless product offerings and expand our reach into new market segments."

"We believe that the new G88 demonstrates GSPDA's continued track record to bring innovative and easy to use Palm Powered smartphones to market," said David Nagel, president and chief executive officer of PalmSource. "GSPDA is not only an innovator in Palm Powered smartphone design, they also embrace their development efforts with a cutting-edge time to market approach."

A few pictures of the new unit were taken at a recent PalmSource press conference in Europe. The press conference itself was for the new PalmSource development tools.

GSPDA Xplore G18
The current Xplore G18 is currently on sale in Hong Kong, Singapore and other locations in Asia and Europe. Its dimensions are 100 x 48 x 21.1 mm (3.9 x 1.9 x 0.8 inches) and it weighs approximately 105 grams (3.7 ounces). According to a GSPDA spokesperson a US GSM version of the G18 is also in the works, but a release date or carriers have not yet been announced.

Thanks to Nghia for the tip!

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Article Comments
16 total comments

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Nice, but...

cyberdude @ 2/21/2004 7:05:24 PM #

Nice, but I'm looking forward ro the Cobalt version.

RE: Nice, but...

chinchorrero @ 2/21/2004 7:33:14 PM #

Same here.
Cheers

"Life is Too Short"
Tungsten T3-Sony ericsson T610,HBH-60,SanDisk 256Mb Sd Card

Same here as well

vesther @ 2/22/2004 10:52:30 PM #

Looking forward to Cobalt, if not, Garnet. Preferrably Cobalt.

A Palm-Powered Handheld is the bread and butter for many people. Without a Palm-Powered Handheld, your progress is all for naught.

Palm OS Yesterday

AJG @ 2/21/2004 9:06:51 PM #

So we have Palm OS Cobalt, Garnet, and Yesterday... I mean, I'm not one to attack hardware companies with my opinions. Generally they have their reasons for doing just about anything (whether intellegent or not) but why Palm OS 4.1.2? I appreciate web clipping, but I'm just not sure about this. Would going to OS 5.2+ and an ARM processor not be advised at this stange of the game? Does an OMAP processor use that much more power than a 68k?

Again, I'm not trying to sound like an a$$, but I am trying to understand why they would do this? Any thoughts? Please enlighten me.

-AJ

RE: Palm OS Yesterday

hotpaw4 @ 2/21/2004 10:13:32 PM #

Cell phones usually take a very long time to design, test and fully certify. They probably started this project before OS 5 hardware and applications were mature enough for a companies first PalmOS product.

I happen to think this form factor would be nice for a non-phone device. It looks even more pocketable than a Palm V.

Number Pad

JKingGrim @ 2/21/2004 10:43:32 PM #

Is that number pad on the bottom retractable? That would be pretty neat.

RE: Number Pad

serpico @ 2/22/2004 2:05:55 AM #

From the article:

"The pictures show a similar design to the current GSPDA Xplore G18, however this model has a new differentiating small slide out keypad. The keypad appears to be a fixed number pad."

Very cool. But how small can these things get? Really, if it gets any smaller, just put it on the wrist like a watch. That way no need for pockets. Dick Tracy style. Use Bluetooth and a headset for communication. The technology is here already, just make it. I hate carrying so many things and having this on my wrist would save alot of time and hassle.

RE: Number Pad

SPCagigas @ 2/24/2004 1:24:14 PM #

Brighthand mentioned this phone in its 3GSM coverage, including a couple different pictures The keypad is definately retractable. Take a look here:

http://tinyurl.com/2etxf

Steve

Warning!!!! Don´t throw your money out of the window!

Georg @ 2/22/2004 11:43:31 AM #

I bought last year as one as the first this GSPD 18 smartphones at Cebit show in Hannover. Finaly in summer (after some deleys) I got it and payed 300 US$ plus fright.
I could never use it, because the sofware has been full of bugs! I have sent several E-mails to teh compay and asked for a software update, but never got any response!!!
I know some other owners in the same situation!
But next Cebit show will be in 4 weeks......than I can take them under German laws......

georg@satconsystem.de

looking for a industrial stile PalmOS divice

RE: Warning!!!! Don´t throw your money out of the window!

;-) @ 2/22/2004 5:46:43 PM #

looking for a industrial stile PalmOS divice

Why don't you just get a TRGpro or a HandERA 330? Oh, yeah... Way to go, Palm!

Poor Georg. Is your company still in business?

It's just too big.

OT ...

Token User @ 2/22/2004 11:05:12 PM #

looking for a industrial stile PalmOS divice

Symbol ... (http://www.symbol.com/products/mobile_computers/mobile_palm_spt1800.html)

... pretty bombproof, but monchrome and running 4.x.

~ "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed." - DV ~

RE: Warning!!!! Don´t throw your money out of the window!

frauen1 @ 2/23/2004 9:29:14 AM #

Or aceeca (http://www.aceeca.com/home/)

TRGpro/HandERA - still the most practical PDAs ever made...

;-) @ 2/23/2004 4:06:33 PM #

Symbol ...

Or aceeca

Only problen is these devices cost several times what the HandERA PDAs used to cost and don't have the expansion flexibility Georg's company depended on. He's still "S.O.L."

It's just too big.

16 colors?!?

rsc1000 @ 2/23/2004 9:16:51 PM #

>>Palm OS 4.1.2 and includes a 16 color screen and built in camera.

Like everybody here - I think OS 4.x is a real dissapointment at this stage of the game. I know phones take a while to design and get approval - but the Treo 600 has been out for 6 months now running OS 5.2, so that can't be the issue. However, the device does look to be the 1st Palm OS smartphone this small - and that counts for something. But what really freaks me out is the statement that it has a "a 16 color screen ". Is that a typo? Please tell me you meant "16 bit". Otherwise this has got to be the most underpowered Palm OS phones since the Kyocera 6035 from 3 years ago. Thats ok if it really is as small as it looks AND its dirt cheap. But it had better be very cheap if they want to sell these - maybe a kind of 'Zire for smartphones'?

RE: 16 colors?!?

helf @ 2/24/2004 11:40:30 AM #

ryan updated the article, it was a typo.. but jeez, don't you think you could have read the rest of the article?

' high quality color 2.2 inch D-TFD 65K colors LCD screen;'

oh wow, that answers your question!

It's a matter of perspective

ssummer @ 2/24/2004 11:08:49 AM #

For those looking at this smartphone as a replacement for their PDA, it looks like crap.

For those looking at this smartphone as a replacement for their cell phone, it looks like a great product.

I'm so tired of the lame and non-interoperable PIM apps built into even the newest of cell phones (which even PalmOS3 runs circles around), the choice to use PalmOS irregardless of version, puts a GSPDA phone way ahead of the pack when comparing it to the current batch of can't-quite-call-it-a-smartphone-phones.

Palm Software on sale