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Two new Windows-based smartphones could soon find their way onto a carrier network near you. Both are built by Asian manufacturers. The first, the XDA IQ, is due soon from U.K carrier O2, and the second is from Lenovo, better known in these parts for taking over IBM's PC business.

O2, which often releases Windows Mobile handsets under the XDA banner, has yet another High Tech Computer (HTC)-built smartphone in the works, the XDA IQ. Sometimes it appears the Taiwanese ODM is single-handedly responsible for nearly every new Windows Mobile handset coming to market. Both Cingular's 8215 and T-Mobile's MDA Pocket PC Phones, not to mention the former carrier's 2125 and latter operator's SDA Windows Smartphones are based on the same HTC reference designs, for example.

The candybar-shaped XDA IQ runs on the Smartphone flavor of Windows Mobile 5.0, not the Pocket PC Phone edition, so there's no touch input with its 2.2-inch, 240 x 320 pixel (QVGA), 65,636 color display. It weighs 3.8 ounces (110 grams) and measures 4.3 x 1.9 x 0.75 inches (10.9 x 4.7 x 1.9 centimeters).

And it's not a 3G device either. Although the IQ's quad-band (850/900/1800/1900MHz) GSM/GPRS radio supports 2G EDGE networking, 802.11b Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 1.2.

Additional features include a 200 MHz TI processor, 64 MB of RAM, 64 of ROM, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and a 1150mAh battery for four hours talk and up to 150 hours of standby operation.

The Register says there's no word yet on how much the XDA IQ will cost or exactly when it'll ship. Although, as we said at the beginning, it should be soon. As with most HTC-built devices, a version of the IQ could easily find its way to the U.S.

Lenovo i921
In the U.S., when people hear the name Lenovo, they most likely think, well, ThinkPad; since the company took over the famous laptop brand - along with the rest of IBM's PC business - in 2005. They're now the world's third largest PC maker.

In Asia, China in particular, the Chinese company is also known as a mobile phone and smartphone vendor. Past Microsoft-based handset models from Lenovo include the ET560, ET660, and ET960.

The mobile phone/PC/laptop vendor now has a new Windows Mobile handset on the way. It is called the i921.

Although it hasn't been confirmed, the OS is most likely the 5.0 flavor of Windows Mobile. As to whether the platform is Pocket PC or smartphone, it is way too soon to tell that just by looking at the picture with so little additional information available.

It is also not known yet whether there's a keyboard or keypad under that display either, if anything at all. The i921 could simply offer touch screen entry, but only if it is a Pocket PC Phone.

Additional supposed features of the i921 include Bluetooth, a minSD slot, a 240 x 320 pixel resolution (QVGA) for its display, and a 2-megapixel camera. It weighs 4.3 ounces (123 grams) and measures 4.1 x 2.0 x 0.8 inches ( 10.3 x 5.1 x 2.1 centimeters).

We'll report more details as they become available.