Asus Rolls Out Fast Touch-Screen SmartphoneAsus Rolls Out Fast Touch-Screen Smartphone

Smartphones have become increasingly capable of running multiple applications, but many users know the pain of having lagging programs or overall sluggish performance.

Asus is hoping to make those problems a thing of the past with the release of the P565 smartphone. The company said the handset's 800-MHz Marvell processor and "Glide" user interface will enable the P565 to blaze through resource-heavy tasks.

The smartphone is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, so it's full of programs and features for mobile workers. Users can get access to push corporate e-mail as well as e-mail from personal Web-based providers. The handset also can view and edit many Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF documents, and there's a business-card reader.

The handset has integrated Wi-Fi, EDGE, and 3G connectivity for downloading e-mails or surfing the Web. There's also build-in GPS, Bluetooth version 2.0, and a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus.

The P565 sports a 2.8-inch touch screen that has a 480-by-640 resolution. This high-resolution display can be good for things like watching videos, but it can also come in handy for seeing details in business documents such as individual cells in spreadsheets.

Windows Mobile is often seen as a powerful mobile operating system, but it can be a bit cumbersome to use. To combat this, Asus has layered its Glide user interface on top. The company said the UI makes the handset friendlier to touch navigation, and it makes switching between tasks an easy process.

At 4 by 2.4 by 0.6 inches, the P565 is similar in size to other devices in its class. The back cover has a leather accent, giving the smartphone a stylish look. Asus did not release price and availability information at press time.