The iPAQ GPS sleeve: how a PDA add-on brought portable navigation to pocket PCs

Compaq introduced the iPAQ PDA platform in 2000 and HP continued the line after acquiring Compaq. One popular accessory was the GPS sleeve, a snap-on module that added satellite positioning to iPAQs and let users run maps and navigation software. As smartphones added built-in GPS and mapping services in the 2010s, standalone sleeves and many PDAs left the mainstream, but they remain an early example of modular mobile hardware.

From PDA add-on to portable navigation

The iPAQ began as a line of Pocket PC handhelds introduced by Compaq in 2000. After Hewlett-Packard acquired Compaq in the early 2000s, HP continued the iPAQ line and its ecosystem of accessories.

One notable accessory was the iPAQ GPS "sleeve": a modular, snap-on module that added a GPS receiver and antenna to an iPAQ handheld. The sleeve attached to the back of the device, supplying satellite positioning and sometimes its own power, while the iPAQ ran mapping and navigation software.

What a GPS sleeve did

A GPS sleeve converted a general-purpose PDA into a basic navigation device. Users could load maps and routing software onto the iPAQ and use the sleeve to get a location fix from the Global Positioning System. Because the GPS hardware sat in the sleeve, HP and third-party vendors could sell GPS as an add-on rather than bundling it into every model.

Sleeves were one of several modular accessories available for iPAQ devices. Others included extended batteries, wireless networking modules, and protective covers. The sleeve concept matched the Pocket PC era's modular approach: give users a core handheld and let them add features they needed.

Why it mattered at the time

In the mid-2000s, standalone GPS units and PDAs with add-on GPS were both common. The iPAQ GPS sleeve offered a compact way to add navigation without buying a separate dedicated receiver. For field workers, travelers, and hobbyists who already used an iPAQ, a sleeve could be a practical upgrade.

The accessory helped demonstrate how modular hardware could extend the capabilities of mobile devices. It also reflected HP's strategy then of supporting an accessory ecosystem around its handhelds.

Where it stands today

Over the 2010s, smartphones with integrated GPS, constant-data map services, and turn-by-turn navigation became the dominant solution for most consumers. As a result, add-on GPS sleeves and many dedicated PDAs moved out of mainstream use. The iPAQ brand has largely disappeared from the consumer market as mobile phones absorbed most PDA functionality.

That shift doesn't erase the role accessories like the iPAQ GPS sleeve played. They were a transitional technology that bridged dedicated GPS hardware and the fully integrated navigation we now expect on phones.

1. Confirm the timeline and date when the iPAQ brand exited mainstream consumer markets or when HP discontinued major iPAQ hardware lines (statement currently marked with [[CHECK]]).