COMDEX FALL, LAS VEGAS, NV- November 18, 2002 - National Semiconductor (NYSE:NSM) today announced that its LMX9814 Bluetooth™ WPAN module, introduced last spring, is shipping in the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5400 series, which was announced today and is the latest member of the best-selling Pocket PC family on the market. The module is based on National's all-CMOS Bluetooth wireless technology chipset, which includes a completely integrated Bluetooth radio and a baseband/link manager chip with integrated reprogrammable Flash memory. National will be showing the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5450 in its Comdex meeting room (room N107, hall C-5); at MobileFocus on Sunday, November 17 at the Mirage; and at PressClub on Monday, November 18 at the Four Seasons.
"We expect that by 2007 worldwide shipments of handhelds and PDAs will grow to more than 30 million units. About three-quarters of these products will have Bluetooth capability," said Matthew Towers, senior Bluetooth analyst at IMS Research, a leading provider of market research to the global electronics industry. "Manufacturers are eager to improve the communication functionality of their devices and they are doing it with products like the Bluetooth module from National Semiconductor."
"National is pleased to provide consumers with Bluetooth connectivity through the LMX9814 WPAN module for HP's iPAQ Pocket PC h5400 series," said James Benefer, product marketing manager for National's wireless communications product line. "As demand for Bluetooth-enabled products increases, National is able to provide its customers with a reliable, cost-competitive volume supply of products, thanks to our CMOS foundries and in-house, low temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate technology."
National's WPAN Bluetooth module is fully self-contained, allowing HP to easily integrate Bluetooth capabilities into the iPAQ Pocket PC h5400 series. The module measures just 10mm by 14mm by 1.9mm and has low power consumption, contributing to the iPAQ's extreme portability and extended battery life. It is also Bluetooth certified and production ready to support customers' volume manufacturing requirements.
"Bluetooth is a key connectivity feature for the HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5400 series," said Jim Mann, Director of Engineering, HP Smart Handhelds. "By selecting National Semiconductor's Bluetooth solution, HP is able to integrate Bluetooth capability with one simple module, meeting HP's standards for low power, small form factor and Bluetooth functionality."
For more information on National's Bluetooth products, visit http://wireless.national.com. To view a high-resolution downloadable photo of the Bluetooth module, visit National's photo gallery at http://www.national.com/company/pressroom/gallery/wireless.html. For more information about the iPAQ Pocket PC h5400 series, visit HP's web site at http://www.hp.com.
About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on the fast growing markets for wireless handsets; displays; information infrastructure, and information appliances. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $1.5 billion for its most recent fiscal year and has about 10,000 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.
