For a short time, the MC70 will be the only handheld offering Wi-Fi in three specifications, over 802.11a/b/g, Krebs said. Intermec Technologies Corp., a competitor of Symbol, is planning to support all three as well in a device it will launch in about six months, he said.

The ruggedized small form-factor market was worth about $2.3 billion globally in 2005, Krebs said, and is expected to grow about 11 percent this year. While Intermec is the closest rival to Symbol, other competitors include Psion Teklogix Inc., LXE Inc. and Hand Held Products Inc.