Why Are the Hybrids Not More Popular & For That Matter, Who Will Even Need a Smartphone Anymore With Them Around?

The Evolution of the Little Talked About-But Much Wanted-Hybrid
With the rise of the smartphone, one thing is for sure, cell phones are almost coming to the phasing out stage. Maybe not within the next year, or even two years, but I would have to say that by the end of three years-at absolute most-the regular cell phone will be rendered useless, if not obsolete.

Think about this… The Smartphone has taken a little bit to catch on and was once a thing for corporate businessmen, such as is the Blackberry once was, the rich and/or upper class and the like, right? Well, these days, and especially over the course of 2009, the smartphone has become the most talked about and newly “needed” item and (almost) everyone has one. And those who do not, either have the cell pone/netbook/laptop combination or they have plans to get a smartphone. It was the tech talk of 2009 and it brings me to a really simple question. What then of the up and coming hybrids? The so called “XP Phone” gadget type thing that we hear so little about? And what about the newer one, the HDPC? Where are these little things going to come into play? Here’s a thought for you…

The “XP Phone” and Why We Heard Almost Nothing About IT
You would think a gadget that acts like a computer and makes calls like a cell phone would make the news a bit more. Oh yeah, that’s right-it did. The Smartphone, right? Wrong. There is this thing called the XP Phone that almost no one talked about in the beginning of December, but has actually been around for a while. The XP Phone has features just like a regular PC, or a netbook if you will and a cell phone together. And the XP Phone is not the only one around or available, either, but more on that in a bit.

The XP Phone is from China’s In Technology Group and is not available here in the US, of course just like any good phone anymore, but it is apparently, according to some sources on the internet, available for the AT&T, Vodafone and Orange carriers with optional 3G status on pre-order, still as yet unpriced. There is an order form on the newly minted English version of the site that takes your information and after you input your info, and any remarks you might have and the color and carrier of choice, click submit and it tells you to wait a few seconds to continue ordering. It then states that the “Booking Order is Confirmed” after it successfully processes your info and that’s it. The only personal info it asks for is your name address and phone number, no billing info or credit card to hold the order. I think it may be possible they are just testing the waters to see how many people might actually purchase it, as there is no price or release date… I entered my info the other day, and as of now all I haven’t even gotten an email saying my info was received. No harassing phone calls, no marketers-nothing at all. Very strange for a pre-order system. On most sites, they at least send you a confirmation email. I will keep you all posted on the situation and any new news (or no news).

Ok, so, now for the features… The biggest is that is has both solid state and standard hard disks built in, for the power saving features, a super CPU called the “AMD Super Mobile CPU,” and so much more. Here are the specific specs of this power gadget in a little package, VIA Pocketables.net:

• • CPU: AMD Super Mobile CPU
• • Memory: 512M/1G
• • SSD: 8G/16G/32G/64G
• • HDD: 30G/60G/80G/120G
• • LCD: 4.8′ TFT Touch-screen LCD 800*480
• • Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP
• • Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/WCDMA (HSDPA/HSUPA)
• • CDMA/CDMA2000 1X/CDMA1X EVDO,TD-SCDMA，TD-HSDPA
• • Wireless: WiFi 802.11b/g,WiMax(optional),Buletooth,Stand-alone GPS
• • Camera Specifications:CMOS, 300k/1.3 Million
• • Ports: 1 x earphone jack, 1 x microphone jack,Docking Connector (includes VGA output signal ), 1 x USB 2.0, SIM Slot
• • Battery: Removable Lithium-ion
• • Talk time: about 5 hours,Stand by time: about 5 days
• • Real life: about 7 hours(Standard), about 12 hours(Large)
• • Talk time: Standby time，Operation time may vary depending different usage.
• • Weight: 400g (include battery)

So there you have it. A computer and a cell phone in one. So why is it then, if it has everything everyone could ever want or need all in one device, is it not more popular? And why is it that it has not yet caught on in other countries or made available for export anywhere? We’ll get to that in a minute, but first, I’ve got another one for you. Same concept, different name.

The Hybrid Portable Dual Computer
This hybrid is very much like the XP Phone. It is almost the same size and shape, color and what have you, but it has a different name. There is not really much to go on once you are on the site, unless of course you can read their language that is. I am assuming it is Korean, but please correct me if I am wrong, as the group, called Mobile Intelligent Ubiquitous Technologies, is based in Seoul, Korea. The only page in English, really is the product page for the hybrid and any other link I click on sends me to a 404 error page. The only info on the site about the actual device is this photo-describing what the device is:

I have, however managed to find some info about it on the Internet, of course, so here’s what I’ve got:It has all the normal functions of a PC and a cell phone plus a video camera, TV and radio-all digital of course and a 3 megapixel camera. But other than that, your guess is as good as mine.

The biggest attraction to the device I think will be the features available for the price and weight. Think about this, it weighs a little over 3/4 a pound, slightly more than 400 grams and has everything a PC and a cell phone and more. Who wouldn’t want one of these? And apparently, according to some sources, it is going to be priced around $500 USD, more or less, making it a bit less expensive than other regular smartphones on the market.

Which Brings Me To My Original Question…
Why the hell on Earth is no one talking about these devices? I just do not get it. The “XP Phone” is touted as a fully featured smartphone with laptop/PC capabilities and the HDPC is touted as a laptop/PC with fully featured Smartphone capabilities. What’s the difference and why are companies not taking more aggressive action to market it or make it their own? I will tell you why, at least the reason I think we don’t hear more of it. First of all, if something like these devices were to get out on the mainstream market, it would be the death of the smartphone, netbook, laptop all at once. A device that does all of the above-and more-in the palm of your hand, weighing less than one pound and costing less than a smartphone that is unsubsidized. All the other carriers and manufacturers would go out of business.

The other take is for whatever reason, no one wants to know about it. Think about this-why is the netbook not more popular? Because no one wants something so small when they can have a regular sized laptop or a PC even that does the same thing cheaper. For less cost than a netbook, they get the whole package of the laptop or PC and it is fully featured. Whereas some netbooks have a watered down OS because of the processing power involved-there is almost none on some models.

And the Verdict Is
Well, to be honest, I put in my “Pre-order” and I am hoping that something materializes from it. I sincerely hope the hybrids and the XP Phone will make it. They have everything anyone could ever want form a mobile device. It is mobile computing and a phone and everything else anyone could ever need in one package. Isn’t that what everyone has been waiting for all these years? Yet when we are finally hit with it, it gets ignored like no one ever thought about it. But it is here, and I am hoping it will be to stay. I will keep you all posted on the pre-order situation and let you know how that turns out.

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