Created: 9 August 2026
In June of 1998, Sharp announced a new Mobilon generation, starting with the HC-4500. Although preserving the form-factor, there is a notable increase in the physical size: from 186 x 93.6 x 26.4 mm to 186 × 95 × 29.4 mm (W x H x D), and in weight: from 410 to 495 grams.
The change in dimensions and weight is likely attributed to the screen upgrade: the earlier monochrome LCD has been swapped to a colour display. Its dimensions remain unchanged, though: still 6.5 inches diagonally and a 640 x 240 px resolution. A July 1998 article in BYTE magazine calls this colour Sharp Mobilon the best of the keyboard-based handheld group, with only the NEC MobilePro 750C comparing to it.
The new generation Mobilon offers users an optional attachable camera (fixed onto a PC Card). It has a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 with 16.7 million colours that was great for small printed images or attachments to electronic documents, yet not good enough for normal photograph prints, according to Personal Computer World, the July 1998 issue. The camera has a 2x optical zoom and a further 2x digital zoom from the Mobilon.
The HC-4500 came with the same the Philips PR31700 processor used in the 1st Generation Mobilons. Only the amount of available RAM was increased.
Specifications
- Display: 6.5 inches, 640 × 240 px — Colour STN LCD (Dual-Scan)
- CPU: Philips PR31700 — 74 MHz
- Operating system: Windows CE
- OS version at launch: 2.0
Advertisement
SHARP Mobilon 2nd Gen HC-4600
- Waterproofing: None
- Dustproofing: None
- Configuration 1: Operating memory (RAM) 16 MB, Built-in storage memory 16 MB, External storage PC Card Type II
- Configuration 2: Operating memory (RAM) 16 MB, Built-in storage memory 32 MB, External storage PC Card Type II
About three months after the HC-4500, Sharp released a successor: the HC-4600. The only difference is that the storage space on the new device can be expanded from 16 MiB to 32 MiB, should the buying user fancy it.