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Introduced almost a year ago, BenQ's supposed "Treo killer," the P50 Pocket PC Phone will finally ship next month.

As with other handsets taking aim at palmOne's highly regarded and successful smartphone line, the P50 is, at 4.7 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches and 5.3 ounces, relatively compact and light—unique for a Pocket PC Phone early last year, but less so now.

Today, the quad-band (850/900/1800/1900) GSM/GPRS P50 is one of several upcoming handsets (e.g. Samsung's SCH-i730, Asus's P505, E-TEN's M500, and Motorola's particularly unique MPx) smaller than traditional Pocket PC cellular-wireless handhelds.

The P50 also includes a thumb-keyboard like the Treo 600 and its successor the Treo 650. Unlike the Treos, however, the P50 also integrates Wi-Fi, in addition to Bluetooth.

As with Samsung's SCH-i730, BenQ saved space by going with a small 2.8-inch display. A screen that runs at the Pocket PC standard 240 x 320 pixel resolution, but supports 18-bit color (262,144 colors)—more than most other handhelds and smartphones.

Other known features include a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, an SDIO-enabled Secure Digital slot for memory and peripheral expansion, plus a battery with specifications for 5 hours of talk and 200 hours of standby time.

BenQ hasn't announced which mobile operators will carry the P50 yet. Those that do will most likely subsidize the smartphone's hefty $800 price tag.