GSPDA to Introduce Xplore M-Series in North America

Posted By: Ryan Monday, March 14, 2005 12:12:17 PM

Group Sense PDA Limited (GSPDA), today announced its entry into the North American market with the availability of its Xplore M-series smartphones. GSPDA, one of the largest sellers of handheld products in Asia and the subsidiary of Group Sense (International) Limited is launching the Palm Powered M28, M68 and M98 smartphones in North America. [updated with photos]

Joining the existing Palm Powered Xplore G18 and G88 smartphone product family, the Xplore M-series combines the industry-leading Palm OS and state-of-the-art wireless and multimedia features in a compact form factor. The Xplore M-series consists of three devices: the Xplore M28, Xplore M68 and Xplore M98.

"We are excited about entering the North American marketplace," said Thomas Tam, managing director for Group Sense (International) Limited. "The Xplore M-Series of smartphones feature state-of-the-art design and the ease of use of the Palm OS in a compact form factor we believe North American consumers will appreciate and want to use. The Xplore M-Series tri-brand smartphone also provides greater convenience for travelers."

"We believe GSPDA's cutting edge design philosophy and efficient time-to-market are well suited to the North American market," said David Nagel, president and CEO of PalmSource. "With the Xplore M-Series of smartphones, GSPDA is providing North American consumers an innovative and easy-to-use Palm Powered smartphone."

Xplore M-series Smartphones Expanded Features and Benefits:

Palm OS Garnet
Tri-band GSM850/1800/1900MHz, GPRS Class 10
Bluetooth technology for communicating with headsets, car kits, computers and printers equipped with Bluetooth (Xplore M68 only)
MP3 and MPEG4 for audio and video capturing and playback
1.3 megapixel integrated camera for vibrant photos
64 MB RAM/32MB SDRAM Flash Internal Memory Cark
2.2-inch D-TFD 65K colors LCD screen
SMS/MMS/WAP/e-mail/Java support
1GB of memory capacity with Secure Digital (SD)/Multimedia Card (MMC) for expansion (Xplore M28 and M68)
Transflash card for expansion (Xplore M98)
One-handed navigation five-way jog dial

GSPDA Xplore M68

Previously, GSPDA has revealed they are working on a releasing a Palm OS Cobalt powered smartphone.

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why no 3G

treo007 @ 3/14/2005 3:59:55 PM #

First off, this is good news, so I'm not simply trying to be negative. But it's time for smart phones to make the 3G leap.

YA

Frenchie @ 3/14/2005 4:02:52 PM #

Alright, now if Verizon offers one of these phones i'll be an instant buyer.

The world will end in 2006. Just as it was predicted in the bible along with the release of Microsoft Longhorn.... :p

RE: why no 3G

hkklife @ 3/14/2005 4:31:48 PM #

Sigh...here we go again.

Verizon uses CDMA. All of the above phones are GPS/GPRS. Completely and utterly incompatible. Globally, CDMA is in just a handful of countries so it'll always be 2nd fiddle to GSM, especially as far as smartphones & data-centric devices are concerned.

Verizon simply needs the Treo 650. Right now I am hearing late May '05 at the earliest with August/Sept '05 as the more likely timeframe for a 650 launch on Verizon.

When you combine P1 and Verizon (two of the tech industry's biggest laggards, bar none) you know you're in for a wait of epic proportions.

RE: why no 3G

Frenchie @ 3/14/2005 5:35:50 PM #

Crap, thanks hkklife for the reality check. I do realize that verizon uses CDMA(GSM suxs). If cingular offered the same "In" program Verizon has i will be an instant customer.

The world will end in 2006. Just as it was predicted in the bible along with the release of Microsoft Longhorn.... :p

RE: why no 3G

AdamaDBrown @ 3/14/2005 6:23:30 PM #

Frenchie, Cingular does offer unlimited calls to any other Cingular customer with most plans. It's called Mobile to Mobile, and is offered by basically every national provider. And why do you feel GSM sucks? GSM has all the best phones, the easiest hardware swapping, and you aren't tied down to what phones make it through VZW's Byzantine approval process.

RE: why no 3G

Wollombi @ 3/15/2005 6:11:48 PM #

Yes, but GSM coverage in the States simply can't compete with the coverage of CDMA. Service availability is important. Verizon has the best (meaning widest/most consistent) coverage in the U.S., bar none, with Sprint coming in a close second (Sprint and Verizon have an agreement to roam on each other's towers). Cingular and T-Mobile can't hope to keep up until they fix their coverage and their abysmal customer service issues. Yeah, they're less expensive, but in this case you really do get what you pay for.

I really wish they would have released CDMA counterparts for these, as they would make a much bigger splash in the market being able to support both major systems.

_________________
Sean

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.

CDMA vs. GSM in the USA: No contest - CDMA wins

The_Voice_of_Reason @ 3/15/2005 9:16:55 PM #

Oh Dear. I just agreed with everything Wollombi said.

Revelations 6, Verse 4 says this is a sign the Apocalypse is Near.

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Press release: CUPERTINO, California — February 11, 2005 — Apple® announced today that Steve Jobs will begin selling his own feces to Apple Cultists beginning March 1. Apple's new iPoo™ lineup is expected to easily surpass the iPod shuffle as the company's most popular product. Yes, Apple Cultists can already easily create their own iPoo™, but feces didn't seem cool until Jobs told them it was cool. Remember, kids: the ONLY cool feces is Jobs' highly individualistic, rebellious iPoo™ (coming soon in six different colors/flavors, including the red [hematochezia] and black [melena] U2 GI bleed model)

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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.

RE: why no 3G

hkklife @ 3/15/2005 10:20:00 PM #

That Samsung world phone that Verizon has, despite having the best build quality I've ever seen on a cell phone and nifty retro-Darth Vader styling, is a combination GSM/CDMA unit. It's a pity it cannot be forced to roam on domestic GSM networks (only those overseas).

If someone could somehow shoehorn AMPS, CDMA, and GSM into a single cell phone (with Bluetooth thrown in for good measure) that the same size as a V710, it'd be a doozy.

Trying to cover the massive sprawl that is the USA with GSM towers is a fool's errand. CDMA is, like it or not, the system best suited for our particular country. I want to see more dual-standard phones released, however, and combined with cheaper international roaming by Verizon.

M98

rsc1000 @ 3/14/2005 4:10:42 PM #

Is this mM8 above really Palm OS? The UI in the pic looks substantially different from any Palm OS (quite different from GSPDAs other customized launcher). If this is Palm OS then it looks like the most phone like Palm OS device (in terms of size/form) yet released.

RE: M98

LiveFaith @ 3/14/2005 6:38:37 PM #

Looks more like Symbian. That screen size aint gonna be much for Palm OS ussage anyway. I wonder if the m98 is just one of their phone, but not Palm OS?

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: M98

rsc1000 @ 3/14/2005 7:30:40 PM #

Hmmm - must be palm OS: http://www.palmsource.com/products/products.cgi?Cat=Smartphones#GSPDA

RE: M98

LiveFaith @ 3/14/2005 7:43:09 PM #

Wow, you're right. Strange screen shot or GUI?
2" LCD is small, but I bet 160x160 looks strong on it. About the same density as 320x320 on a normal PDA. But just read an eBook on this for 2 hours! :-)

Xplore™ M28
Palm OS Version: 5.4
Processor: TI OMAP 310, 168MHz
Display: 2.2
Battery: Rechargeable Lithium-Polymer
Expansion Slot: SD / MultiMediaCard
Size/Weight: 1.85 x 3.9 x 0.8 (4.5 oz)
Network Technology: Tri band 900 / 1800 /1900 MHZ, GPRS Class 10

Xplore™ M68
Palm OS Version: 5.4
Processor: ARM 9 OMAP 310
Display: 2.2 TFT , 64K colors, 160 x 220 pixels
Battery: Lithium-Polymer 1300mAh
Expansion Slot: SD / MultiMediaCard
Size/Weight: 1.95 x 4.29 x 0.89 (4.5 oz)
Network Technology: Tri band GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900MHZ, GPRS Class 10

Xplore™ M98
Palm OS Version: 5.4
Processor: T1 OMAP 310,168MHz
Display: Main LCD 2.0. Sub LCD 1.17in
Battery: Li-Polymer 860mAh
Expansion Slot: External TransFlash Memory
Size/Weight: 96.5 x 47 x 24 mm (4.2 oz)
Network Technology: GPRS Class 10, Tri Band 850/1800/1900 MHz

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: M98

LiveFaith @ 3/14/2005 8:12:44 PM #

Ed @ Brighthand writes ...

"Hmmm, some of the information listed on the PalmSource site disagrees with what's in the GSPDA release on these models. I suspect these phones have been tweaked a bit for the U.S. market, while PalmSource has info on the Asian versions.
Still, it's nice to know that the Xplore M98 will be a clamshell device."

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: M98

AdamaDBrown @ 3/15/2005 1:55:30 AM #

Actually, unless I'm mistaken, a 2" LCD is the same size as the infamous Treo 600 screen.

RE: M98

LiveFaith @ 3/15/2005 9:49:06 AM #

Adam,
I don't think the 600s is near that small. Sometimes they are measure horizontally or diagonally. The Treo looks loads larger than the one on that little flipper.

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

What is M98??#

mbuhboot @ 3/14/2005 5:35:28 PM #

Is it a misstype or an un-announced new model?

Specs correct?

AdamaDBrown @ 3/14/2005 6:23:04 PM #

I was under the impression that two of these were tri-band 900/1800/1900, and the M98 was the only one that was 850/1800/1900.

A pity that the M98 doesn't have Bluetooth, and that none of them have EDGE. A clamshell phone running a real OS with those specs might have been a little tempting.

RE: Specs correct?

LiveFaith @ 3/14/2005 6:40:04 PM #

Adam,
I'm not sure the M98 is even Palm OS. Haven't seen that one on other announcements. Would be nice to have Garnet on a flipper with better screen real estate than that.

Pat Horne; www.churchoflivingfaith.com

RE: Specs correct?

LiveFaith @ 3/14/2005 7:47:31 PM #

I'm wrong.

RE: Specs correct?

twizza @ 3/15/2005 11:58:08 AM #

They all gun Garnet 5.4, GSPDA uses a different launcher that (according to other reviewers) is quite well.

antoinerjwright.com

This makes sense

RhinoSteve @ 3/14/2005 7:31:40 PM #

Ok, PalmOne screws up and goes PPC smartphone, these guys move in and make a killing since they are member of different secret societies.

Woohoo!!

RE: This makes sense

AdamaDBrown @ 3/15/2005 1:56:22 AM #

I doubt these are going to set the market on fire. They don't have much of anything to offer over the Treo, and they'll probably be priced almost as high.

RE: This makes Group sense

Masamune @ 3/15/2005 5:30:14 AM #

These appeal quite a lot to people who dislike the Treos, such as me. I'm definately not a fan of the Treo design or built in Keyboard and it has taken a very long time for Bluetooth to make an apeearence on the Treo line. This would be a good accompaniment to existing Palm users who are shopping for a phone to go with their T3/Zodiac/Clie.

As for how useful these will be as Smartphones, we'll have to wait and see. People looking for the Palm equivalent of the SE P910/i might do well to try and track down a PiTech QDA 700.

RE: This makes sense

Midknyte @ 3/15/2005 11:34:56 AM #

The M28 looks hella better than the Treo

RE: This makes sense

Rome @ 3/15/2005 12:18:19 PM #

Smaller, lighter, and probably cheaper than Treos. That's three key advantages for a lot of potential phone buyers.

Personally I carry a treo 650, but I know enough people who prefer a smaller and lighter Palm OS smartphones.

RE: This makes sense

RhinoSteve @ 3/15/2005 2:07:48 PM #

You have it right Rome. The big downside to the Treo for a lot is the full keyboard that makes the product to wide. A software keyboard will suit me fine when needed. Besides, good Smartphone apps use text input to an absolute minumum. This is going to be a nice addition to the Palm OS smartphone realm. Put TF in it and you have something that is really small!

RE: This makes sense

hkklife @ 3/16/2005 12:05:54 PM #

Agreed. If these things are anywhere close to reliable and working reliably, they are going to steal the remaining thunder from the Treo 600s. P1 needs to quickly come out with something smaller & funkier looking than the 600 to compete in the low end of the market (a Zire Treo?) as well as a proper new high-end model. Let the 650's price settle down a bit and make that the midrange model.

I still have grave doubts about software support for the GSPDA's screen resolutions, however.

Never took off in parts Asia

Graffiti @ 3/15/2005 1:14:08 PM #

GSPDA better get it right in North America, cos they never took off with whatever model they have so far released in Malaysia. Sadly it looks like they fumbled right at the touchline by ignoring the CDMA networks.

Why the lukewarm response in Malaysia? Going by the crowd comments at local mini-tradeshows with the Treo and Xplores selling side-by-side, it sounds like boxy designs, lack of a keyboard, and lackluster screens are the Xplore turn-offs.

My own nay against the Xplore would be its display: Milky and definitely not as sharp or bright as the Treo 600 (let alone the Treo 650.) Let's hope GSPDA did something about it for the North American sets.

Graffiti
http://www.pda-1.com

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

RhinoSteve @ 3/15/2005 4:56:20 PM #

What you are forgetting is that the States and Asian cell phone markets are very different. I bet a place like Malayisa was a test market.

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

AdamaDBrown @ 3/15/2005 7:57:14 PM #

Actually, they're an Asian manufacturer in the first place.

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

Graffiti @ 3/17/2005 1:17:18 PM #

The M68's screen is loads better than what I've seen on previous GSPDA products, if this photo is anything to go by:

http://tinyurl.com/6q6vm

That's from Brian over at BargainPDA.com; more pics in this post:

http://tinyurl.com/6sy4k

Graffiti
http://www.pda-1.com

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

Surur @ 3/17/2005 4:19:48 PM #

It looks like a child's toy phone! At least they should have made the keys look less plasticky! I would be embarrassed to use that phone in front of anyone. No wonder it never took off.

http://www.bargainpda.com/assets/3689.jpg
http://www.bargainpda.com/assets/3684.jpg

Surur

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

The_Voice_of_Reason @ 3/17/2005 10:53:45 PM #

Actually, it looks like a pretty nice design. Put an Apple iPhone logo on it and people like you would be raving how it's the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Unfortunately, GSPDA makes unreliable equipment. Reminds me of Hyundai cars from 10 years ago...

*************************************************************************************

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Sony CLIE UX100: 128 MB real RAM, OLED screen. All the PDA anyone really ever wanted.

More choices

e_tellurian @ 3/18/2005 4:31:35 PM #

The choice to find ones wallet will now offer a choice too via GPS.

Interactive choices have a wonderful way of sharing wealth.

E-T

e-tellurian

completing the e-com circle with a people driven we-com solution

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GSPDA to Introduce Xplore M-Series in North America

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why no 3G

YA

RE: why no 3G

RE: why no 3G

RE: why no 3G

RE: why no 3G

CDMA vs. GSM in the USA: No contest - CDMA wins

RE: why no 3G

M98

RE: M98

RE: M98

RE: M98

RE: M98

RE: M98

RE: M98

What is M98??#

Specs correct?

RE: Specs correct?

RE: Specs correct?

RE: Specs correct?

This makes sense

RE: This makes sense

RE: This makes Group sense

RE: This makes sense

RE: This makes sense

RE: This makes sense

RE: This makes sense

Never took off in parts Asia

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

RE: Never took off in parts Asia

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