Asus brings supercar status to its handhelds

Though the new Eee PC was the focus of attention at the Asus booth, the Taiwan-based company also used CeBIT to announce a big batch of new Windows Mobile devices that come with Windows Mobile 6.1 (WM6.1), the latest revision of Microsoft's mobile operating system (OS). This includes the Asus Lamborghini ZX1, a PDA-phone co-branded with the Italian luxury car maker. It's not the first time Asus has partnered the supercar brand as they have previously collaborated on a line of notebooks. And like the laptop, this one will come with a carbon-fiber finish for that "premium" look.

The Lamborghini-branded WM6.1 handheld.

Another interesting model is the M536. Like the M530w smart phone, this comes with a QWERTY keypad in a BlackBerry-like form factor. The big difference is that it has a touchscreen and thus uses WM6.1 Professional as its OS. This model will come with a 320 x 320 display and a fingerprint sensor where you'd usually find a directional pad. The added security feature could make it an attractive proposition for the business user, which is probably the market Asus was intending to reach with this model in the first place.

Two other design-oriented handhelds, the P320 and P560, were also on show. These come with a modified interface, a factor that's fast becoming the defining element of otherwise cookie-cutter WM6 devices because of increasingly similar hardware and wireless features. One non-touchscreen model was also highlighted--the M930. This was previously announced in Europe and has a clamshell design not unlike the Nokia Communicator smart phones.

Unfortunately, Asus has not yet confirmed the availability and price of the devices in Asia. We do know that the ZX1 will at least be available in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore some time in Q2.

Read on for more information on the new handhelds.