I've been hanging with the Sprint PPC-6700 Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone for the past week and I'm moderately impressed. I was anxious to see if the Sprint PPC-6700 would be a better email tool than my Treo 650. Is it? Maybe, maybe not.
The PPC-6700 is a full-featured Pocket PC running Windows Mobile 5.0 with a Sprint PCS cell phone built-in. The first thing you'll notice about the PPC 6700 is the QWERTY slider keyboard that slides out from the side of the phone rather than the bottom. By sliding from the side of the phone, the keyboard is perfectly positioned to use the phone in landscape mode. I was pleasently surprised at its compact size. Although you obviously lose some screen size if you're used to carrying a full Pocket PC, the compact size of the PPC-6700 makes it easy to use as a phone.
The Phone
As a phone the PPC-6700 is mediocre at best. The phone feels good against your ear and it is easy to hear people on the other end. The PPC-6700 does not do a great job of canceling out background noise however. People that I talked to on the PPC-6700 reported lots of background noise. My other Sprint phone has fantastic noise canceling abilities so people never know whether I'm driving, in a noisy restaurant, or at home in my office. This is definitely not the case with the PPC-6700.
The speakerphone is nearly useless. It is so soft that you can't really use it unless you are alone in a totally silent environment (like a library). Unfortunately the same can be said for the ringtone volume. It is simply too soft.
Dialing on the PPC-6700 is okay if you're using two hands, but don't expect to do a lot of one handed dialing. I expected an easy way to setup speed dial keys but was disappointed. On my Treo I can go straight to a screen full of one touch dialing buttons with the click of a hardware button. Not so on the PPC-6700. The speed dial button isn't even available on the main dialling screen unless you do a ROM update. After doing a ROM update the dialing feature did get better, but my Treo definitely shines as a phone over the PPC-6700.
The Pocket PC
As a Pocket PC the PPC-6700 is okay. It's definitely not the fastest PPC I've ever used, but it is usable. In a side by side comparison to my two year old iPAQ 2215 there is no comparison. My iPAQ is much faster!
After using a Treo I noticed that Microsoft leaves a lot to be desired in the Windows Mobile design department. Is it just me or does Microsoft's software make things hard to find. It seems like I'm always having to pull down a menu, or search in another folder for something I need. With my Treo things seem to be right where you'd expect them to be. If you're serious about using a PPC you'll definitely want to use some third party software to make up for Microsoft's shortfall. The following is a short list of software titles that made a huge difference for me.
Must Have Pocket PC Software
ValkSoft True Toolbar - This is the best addition you can make to your PPC in my opinion. ValkSoft True Toolbar is NOT a Today Screen plug-in so it will not slow down your PPC. If you're looking for a slick way to launch your programs and switch between them, download this software today.
SPB Pocket Plus - This package will add a ton of features that you'll want to choose from. You can place icons on your Today screen to launch your favorite program, or add much needed options to your hardware buttons and that's just two of the many options that this software allows. Some users have reported a speed decrease while using this software, but the trade off is worth it.
Tweaks2k2 - Every PPC-6700 user should have this software. It allows you to choose from a laundry list of Registry Hacks that will help speed up your PPC and make it more usable. Don't even think about it, just download this software!
Sunnysoft Backup Manager - For some odd reason Microsoft left out the ability to backup your PPC with the latest version of Windows Mobile. This package will help you backup your data.
Aces Texas Hold'em - No Limit - We all know that Poker is the rage these days and the folks at Concrete Software have given us a fantastic way to play poker. This one will help you pass the time when you're waiting around for someone. Try it and see for yourself, it's a great game.
The Email
As I stated earlier, I was anxious to use the PPC-6700 because I wanted a better email device than my Treo 650. Although the slide out keyboard is definitely an eye catcher, it does not necessarily beat the Treo 650 keyboard. The keys on the PPC-6700 are wider than the Treo 650, but they are flat, and they touch each other. It can be hard to know what key you are actually on when you type. The layout of the keyboard takes some getting used to. Some of the symbol characters are not where you'd expect them to be. Perhaps I'm biased, but I think the Treo is easier to use as an email device.
WiFi and Bluetooth
The PPC-6700 includes both WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as the EVDO connection from Sprint so you'll always be fully connected. This is a huge advantage over my iPAQ. I do wish Microsoft would do a bit more work on WM 5.0 in the connection department. When setting the mail application to automatically check my mail, there is no option to check for a wifi connection first, and if one is not found then connect over the EVDO connection. You must simply choose the method that your PPC-6700 will connect to retrieve your mail. If you choose the EVDO connection, don't expect your battery to last you an entire day.
Battery Life
The PPC-6700 ships with a 1350 mAh battery which is reasonable, but not the best capacity for a device like this. Other reviews I've read have reported good battery time but in my case the battery lasted 1 day at best. I would definitely keep a charger close by when using the PPC-6700. Moderate usage of the phone, and mail applications can definitely drain the battery in an 8 hour work day.
The Camera
The PPC-6700 includes a 1.3 megapixel camera. It takes decent pictures in situations with good lighting. In night situations you'll have to roll the dice. The button to launch the camera and to snap the photo is located on the bottom right side of the phone. This means that when you tip the phone on its side to use the camera, the button is no on the upper right side of the phone just where you'd want it to be for a camera. Great design point there!
In the box
When you open the box you'll find a Lithium Ion battery, cradle, USB sync cable, charger, stereo headset with mic, leather case, software CD, two styli, and a printed manual.
Conclusion
This is a decent phone for business users but I was honestly hoping for more. The PPC-6700 seems sluggish and frankly a bit thick. It's a nice device for a first version but I'm definitely hoping for more in a followup device. If you can afford the $449 price tag, it's worth a try for Pocket PC lovers. Those of you who are used to using a Treo or Blackberry will be disappointed.
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