Sagem
WA3050

When the WA3050 was announced, Sagem claimed it was the first wireless Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PC device – in fact, the Trium Mondo was probably the first device but the WA3050 was certainly an early example. It had integrated dual-band GSM/GPRS connectivity and allowed customers “real-time wireless access to information including email, the Web, time-sensitive corporate applications as well as high-end mobile phone capabilities.” The device was described as “thin and light” offering “refined design with superior ergonomics” that combined “Sagem’s expertise in mobile phone design with the rich functionality of the Pocket PC platform”. It had a large monochrome LCD display, which was considered one of its most disappointing features as it was difficult to view in daylight. A monochrome display was also considered a little backward, given rival PDAs from Compaq and HP had colour TFT displays. That said, the monochrome display did mean the device had considerably better battery life than rival colour products. It was able to offer Internet browsing “over high-bandwidth wireless connections” using Microsoft’s Pocket Internet Explorer, but could also access WAP information using an integrated browser. There was also support for a “pocket versions” of Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel. Users could listen to MP3 audio files using Windows Media Player and read eBooks with Microsoft Reader. When it was launched, the General Manager of Microsoft’s European Mobility Solutions Center, Hjalmar Winbladh, stated that the WA3050 placed Sagem and Microsoft “at the forefront of the mobile device market” and that the announcement was “a testament to the rapid pace of the mobile marketplace”.