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Palm Tungsten W GSM/GPRS data device
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By Larry Garfield, Monday 28 October 2002  
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The Tungsten T wasn't the only ground-breaking announcement from Palm today. The Tungsten W goes after a different market, with always-on wireless data, an integrated keyboard, and an enterprise-class network behind it.
Palm today released its latest foray into the world of wireless data with the Tungsten W, a tri-band GSM/GPRS device aimed at high-end users and businesses in need of constant access to their data. It's primarily designed as a data device, but supports voice communication as well.
 | The Tungsten W offers an always-on GSM/GPRS connection and thumb board.
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The Tungsten W is a tri-band GSM/GPRS device, meaning it will function in North America, Europe, and Asia. It uses a Class 10 radio for wider range and better signal quality. Palm claims that users can expect an average of 30-50 kbps data transfer rate. It offers an always-on data connection as well as voice support through a headphone jack and included earpiece. There is no built-in microphone or enhanced speaker, as both are included on the earpiece and cord. It also allows the user to use the voice functionality at the same time he or she is using other applications on the device. Palm claims that the Tungsten W also has the largest battery ever in a Palm-branded handheld, offering 6-10 hours of talk time or 250 hours standby time.
Rather than a Graffiti area, the Tungsten W has a thumb-board for typing messages. It also has the same 4-way D-Pad Navigator control as the Tungsten T, allowing one-handed operation of most functions and one-handed dialing from the Address Book. It also uses the new High-Density API from PalmSource, running at 320x320 16-bit color. It also includes the standard Secure Digital card slot, on the lower right side.
The Tungsten W runs Palm OS 4.1.1, and includes a suite of connectivity software similar to that on the Tungsten T. It includes Web Browser Pro, a proxy-based browser that supports all major internet standards including HTML 4.0, XHTML 1.0, cHTML (iMode), CSS 1, Javascript 1.5, and WML 1.2, as well as support for caching, bookmarks, and cookies. It also includes VersaMail, Palm's new replacement for MultiMail, which supports multiple e-mail accounts through HotSync, POP3, and IMAP as well as selected attachments, as well as a WAP Browser and SMS client. Unlike the Tungsten T, it will also include VPN software. For users who prefer handwriting to the keyboard, it will ship with a full version of Jot.
If the Tungsten W sounds a lot like the RIM Blackberry, it should. Palm's Tungsten Mobile Information Server for enterprises offers very similar push capabilities with synchronization to Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, and IMAP servers. Palm is targeting corporate users who need constant access to their corporate data, which they claim users keep telling them is far more important than a desktop-like interface, and individual power-users who want an omni-present Internet connection.
The Palm Tungsten W will be available soon through carriers, though none have been announced. It will also be available on its own through some retail channels, as it is fully SIM compatible and users can simply swap their SIM card from another GSM/GPRS device into the Tungsten W. The retail price without activation will be $549 USD, while the price with activation will depend on the carrier.
High-res pictures of the Tungsten W are available on the following pages.
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| Hands-on impressions, news, reviews, prices and release dates; now all-in-one-page: |
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| Hands-on impressions, news, reviews, prices and release dates; now all-in-one-page: |
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