Hitachi Ltd. today unveiled the Hitachi Multimedia Communicator Pocket PC, Hitachi's first Windows device and the first Pocket PC to feature an integrated camera, keyboard and phone features in one handheld.

The company said the Multimedia Communicator combines standard functions of a Pocket PC, with the high-speed enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network to deliver the ability to take pictures, provide text input for emails with a built-in keyboard, place and receive phone calls, and browse the Web. Based on the new Microsoft Windows Powered Pocket PC Phone Edition software for CDMA networks, the Multimedia Communicator is expected to be available in the first half of 2003 only from Sprint. Samsung announced its CDMA Pocket PC device, the SPH-i700, earlier today.

Hitachi said it is working closely with mobile operators toward not only retail availability but also enterprise availability of the Hitachi Multimedia Communicator in the United States. The Multimedia Communicator is planned to offer Microsoft Pocket PC Phone Edition software that includes Pocket Outlook (contacts, calendar, inbox), pocket versions of Microsoft Word and Excel, Pocket Internet Explorer browser software, Windows Media Player, phone dialer and more, such as an XScale 400MHz processor, full-color TFT screen, camera, QWERTY keyboard and a replaceable battery.