The Sanyo device allows you to personalise the phone with wallpapers

Leading companies are showcasing gadgets that close the gap between the phone and the handheld computer.

They are hoping to persuade the consumer to pay that little bit more for a mobile or a personal digital assistant that does it all.

"One of the underlying trends at the show is idea of convergence - features and functions coming together in a single device," said Sean Wargo, a senior analyst with the Consumer Electronics Association.

The Palm phone

One of the most talked about gadgets that attempts to bridge the divide between mobile and handheld at CES is the Treo from Handspring.

"In the Handspring Treo, you have your personal digital assistant, e-mail, chatting, the personal organiser and a wireless phone all in one device," said Mr Wargo.

The Treo is the first in a series of phones based on the Palm operating system. Due to appear in the shops in the US in the coming weeks, it also has an optional built-in keyboard.

The Treo is also one of the few gadgets here that can be used both on European and US mobile networks. In the US, a Treo with a black and white screen is expected to sell for $399 with a contract.

A colour version is expected by mid-2002 for $599.

Mobile wallpaper

The colour screen on a new mobile phone by Sanyo has been wowing the crowds at CES.

The sleek, flip-top SCP 5150 phone has a display with 256 colours which Sanyo says will not look washed out in sunlight.

The Treo is the first in a series of phones based on the Palm operating system

As well as simply using it to make calls, the 5150 works as an electronic organiser and web browser.

Sanyo has also added a feature that lets you personalise the phone, by letting you download pictures to the device.

So you could have a picture of your family as wallpaper or have a picture of your friend come up when they call. But these add-ons come at a price. The phone costs $399 with a contract in the US.

"The phone is very highly featured," said Sanyo's David Berkus. "Consumers will be willing to pay extra for the phone because it offers so much."

So far, the phone is only available in the US.

Big screen

The South Korean electronics giant Samsung has gone the other way. It has taken a handheld computer and added the capabilities of a mobile phone.

The Korean company used this international platform to reveal its Nexio S150 wireless handheld PC. About the size of a large paperback book, the Nexio looks like a thin tablet.

What sets is apart is its large five-inch colour liquid crystal display, which has a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels.

Browsing the internet through its built-in high-speed wireless connection is easy on the eye as you can see most of the web page.

The Nexio runs on Windows CE, so the menu screen will be familiar to users of Microsoft's operating system for the desktop.

You can use it to write documents, plan your day or listen to music. And you can also attach other devices through its USB port such as a camera.

The Nexio is now available in Korea where it costs a whopping $850. Samsung is looking to bring it to the US within a year but so far there are no details on when it will be available in Europe.