The HTC P6500 is a handset aimed primarily at large corporate customers who want a platform that they can build business applications on - it isn't aimed at the consumer market and will probably not be available through standard retail outlets.
This is a Windows Mobile 6 device with a large 3.5" 240x320 pixel anti-glare touchscreen, a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, a barcode scanner, a fingerprint sensor for security, twin SDIO ports for memory expansion or peripherals and the P6500 has built-in GPS.
Network connectivity is via tri-band HSDPA and UMTS or quad-band GSM with GPRS and EDGE data. The P6500 also has WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0.
There's some confusion over the amount of memory in the HTC P6500 - some sources say 1GB, some say 256MB. It's possible that there is more than one variant, but if this is important to you then check before ordering. You can add more memory using an SD card in one of the SDIO slots.
So who would buy the HTC P6500? HTC suggest that logistics companies and the emergency services are two possible types of customer. To get the best out of the P6500, you'll really need to roll your own applications to go with it. The rich combination of features does mean that the P6500 is an unusually capable handset. It might also appeal to hobbyists and programmers who want to work on something a little different.
HTC aren't the only people producing handsets in this market - Motorola recently acquired Symbol Technologies who make similar types of devices, and there are a few other players in this market too. HTC say that the P6500 should be available from November onwards, but did not give any guidance on pricing.
