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Unlike mobile handsets built on Microsoft's Windows Mobile for Smartphone platform, Pocket PC Phones tend to be as large as their unwired Pocket PC counterparts—considerably bigger than most cell phones.

With a couple of upcoming cellular-wireless Pocket PCs (Samsung's SCH-i730 and Motorola's particularly unique MPx), however, the trend from manufacturers appears to be towards smaller Pocket PC handsets.

That's good news for consumers who prefer Microsoft platforms, but require more functionality than is available with the software giant's Windows Smartphone operating system, such as a touch screen and native mobile office applications. It could also make Pocket PC Phones more competitive in the North America, where palmOne's Treo series dominates.

Two additional newly revealed Pocket PC Phones, the Asus P505 and E-TEN M500, follow the smaller is better philosophy.

Asus P505
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the (900/1800/1900 MHz) GSM/GPRS Asus P505 (see top image & one bellow) for release in the United States over the holidays. (It appears the FCC's work is never done.)

According to documentation filed with the agency, the new smartphone should be based on Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone Edition. Whether it is the Second Edition of that platform is unclear. If it is, then the cellular-wireless Pocket PC will support portrait and landscape viewing.

P505 measures 4.25 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches and weighs 6 ounces, pretty small and light for a Pocket PC. The handset's small display is only 2.4 inches diagonally and supports the Pocket PC standard 240 x 320 pixel resolution. The device's keypad flips down to reveal the whole screen, as part of the display is covered when the keypad is in its up position.

Other features include a 1.3-megapixel camera for pictures as large as 1280 x 960 pixels, a 416MHz Intel PXA270 processor, 64MB of memory, Bluetooth, and an SDIO-enabled Secure Digital slot for memory and peripheral expansion.

Purportedly, the P505's 1050 mAh battery delivers 4 hours of talk time. You should get 15 hours out of the battery when the P505 is used as a standard Pocket PC.

It is not known when the Asus P505 will be available, what mobile operators will carry the smartphone, or how much it will cost.

E-TEN M500
Taiwan-based E-TEN is familiar in Asia but isn’t that recognizable elsewhere. The company offers a number of mobile handsets in China and other Asian markets with the M500 being its latest smartphone.

The new quad-band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) GSM/GPRS cellular-wireless handheld uses the Second Edition of Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Phone operating system. Since it runs on the Second Edition of the platform, users should be able to switch the handset's display between portrait and landscape viewing.

Like the Asus P505, the M500, at 4.25 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches, is pretty small for a Pocket PC Phone and, at 6.0 ounces, light. Additional features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, 400 MHz Samsung S3C2440 processor, 64 MB of memory, an SDIO-enabled SD card slot, and Bluetooth.

According to E-TEN, the M500's swappable 1440 mAh battery delivers 3.5 to 4 hours of talk and 150 to hours standby time, or 10 to 15 hours of regular Pocket PC use.

As with the Asus Pocket PC Phone, it is not known when the M500 will be available, what carriers will offer the smartphone, or how much it will sell for.