September 18, 2005
Sprint PPC-6700
Experience the powerful and feature-rich Sprint PCS VisionSM Smart Device PPC-6700, the first Pocket PC Phone Edition device on Windows Mobile 5.0 Software available in the U.S. It’s the newest mobile device platform from Microsoft®. With an exciting new form factor—smaller and lighter than traditional Pocket PC devices—this powerhouse has EV-DO built in, ready to support Sprint Wireless High Speed Data capabilities where available. It also sports a 416 MHz Intel® processor, megapixel camera and camcorder, a sliding QWERTY keyboard, and Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi data capabilities.
Sprint PPC-6700 Reviews
TheStreet reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and concludes, "All in all, the 6700 jams a lot of laptop features -- and accompanying frustrations -- into a small package. Fortunately, the headaches subside a bit after a little recreational use of portable email, combined with the fortifying effects of having Google at your disposal wherever you go."
PhoneMag reviews the Sprint PPC-6700, and says, about the phone's camera: "The camera provides a maximum image resolution of 1600 X 1280 with no zoom and smallest possible is 160 X 320 with zoom upto 8x. Supported shooting modes are : Photo, Video, MMS Video, Contacts Picture, Picture Theme, Panorama, Sport (multi-shot), and Burst. Pictures produced have a fine color quality. The camera can also produce good results in reduced light."
MobileBurn reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and notes, about the phone's camera: "The camera takes reasonable photos, but outdoor shots tended to exhibit a lot of purple fringing. The white balance system worked pretty well and supports manual as well as auto settings, and the camera's macro slider, located around the lens, allowed me to get some fairly decent close-up shots. The camera supports 4 regular capture resolutions (160x120, 320x240, VGA, 1280x1024) and one 2 megapixel scaled mode. The scaled mode does the equivalent of an image resized in order to obtain the additional resolution, and my casual tests suggest that it does nearly as good a job of doing so as Adobe's Photoshop. Modes exist for taking panorama shots, framed shots, contact sized photos, as well as sports mode. There are also a few simple effects such as grayscale, sepia, and a "cool" effect."
BargainPDA reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and talks about the device's camera: "As is prototypical for mobile devices, the camera on the 6700 is of moderate to low quality. While it doesn't suffer from some of the obvious quality issues of other devices--faded or blackened colors, spots, etcetera--it really is just not that great. 1.3 megapixels of resolution can't save most images from being blurry, and you can see streaking and other artifacts in the finished shots. On the bright side, its light performance is decent, and more distant shots look considerably sharper. It can also shoot video, though only in the size of a postage stamp."
The Gadgeteer has a detailed review of the HTC Apache/PPC6700, and concludes, "While I have really been impressed with the form factor and all the things that I am able to do with this small device, I do not feel that the Apache is a phone I could ever recommend to a complete novice. Between the quirks that I have found and the necessary work-arounds to get it to do things that it should have done out of the box, there are enough problems present to frustrate someone without infinite patience or online answer resources.
With that said, even though it has been an exercise in patience and frustration, for the most part I am very happy with the PPC-6700. "
MobileMag reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and concludes, "Overall, I like the speed with which the 6700 acts. I like that it’s full-color and that you have the ability to do so many things with it. The Qwerty keyboard is a neat touch and the slightly rounded keys are easy to use. Finally, its size is only slightly larger than my LG phone making it a real option as my only PDA/phone and info device. At $449.99 USD from Sprint it may be a bargain for someone replacing multiple devices."
ComputerWorld reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and concludes, "As a phone, the PPC-6700 worked fine, but don't expect great sound from the puny speakerphone embedded on the back. It's got the usual calling features, including Caller ID, speed dial and mute, but oddly, no support for voice dialing. However, you can shell out $40 for Microsoft Voice Command, which runs on this pocket PC device. If you want to take advantage of high-speed EV-DO, check Sprint's Web site to make sure there's coverage in the areas you frequent."
Laptop Mag reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and concludes, "Our biggest gripe with this PDA/phone combo is its display. Yes, it looks great indoors, but we could barely make out the numbers on the Phone screen outside on a sunny day. You’ll either have to hold the PPC-6700 at the right angle to see the onscreen dialpad or slide open the keyboard and use the numeric keys."
PocketPCThoughts reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and finds it's quick and responsive, although the battery life isn't great and you should expect to recharge nightly. Overall: "The size, more than any other thing, took me by surprise with this device. I guess I had always assumed that devices like this, the HTC Wizard, and the HTC Magician couldn't be THAT small for viewing pictures. Rest assured, they are. This phone packs quite a feature set in a small package, including a very usable keyboard, great key layout, and a very readable and bright screen. In spite of a less than great battery life (especially for those of you who are used to charging a phone every few days vs. every day), and lack of VGA, this device is a winner - with many converts to prove it!"
Technology Evangelist compares the Sprint PPC-6700 and the Treo 700W, and finds neither PDA ready to replace the Treo 650: "I have had more issues with the phone on both devices than I ever did with the Treo 650. Calls placed to me were dropped completely, voicemail notifications were delayed over an hour, and messaging notifications may or may not come in. I believe this is more of a WM5 fault than a device problem as it happens on both the 6700 and the Treo 700w. With the 650 even if I missed a call the device always gave me an audible alert. With the 6700 and Treo 700w that alert only happens about 50% of the time."
Specifications
Operating Mode: Digital dual-band; this device operates within the CDMA frequency bands of 1900 MHz digital and 800 MHz digital
Dimensions: 4.25" x 2.3" x 1.0"
Battery Type: 1350 mAh Li-Ion Polymer
Battery Life: Up to 3.7 hours
Weight: 6.07 oz
Sprint PPC-6700 Reviews
Newsfactor reviews the Sprint PPC-6700, and writes, "The camera, which can take quality still photos and capture video, will be of some interest to business users, although the major target audience for this feature is consumers. One of the handset's most notable features is the fact that the onboard Microsoft Latest News about Microsoft Mobile 5.0 operating system is capable of running a large number of familiar enterprise applications right out of the box."
Matt Maier reviews Sprint's PPC 6700 at Om Malik's Broadband Blog, and writes, "As it turns out, the 6700 may be the best-designed and implemented PDA phone to date. I spent the last four days testing the 6700 encountering no major problems; in fact, the 6700 may be one of the first devices to offer a viable alternative to towing around a laptop on short trips. Not only was I able to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi at home and the office (its internal antenna was able to pick up a Starbuck’s signal 29 floors below and a block away), at times I was able to get download speeds in excess of 400 Kbps using Sprint’s EV-DO network here in San Francisco."
SyncOnline has preliminary impressions of the PPC-6700: "Before me is the PPC-6700 Pocket PC Phone sporting the new Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system and with Sprint’s high-speed EV-DO network capable of data-download rates up to 700 Kbps makes this device the hottest new communication device available on the planet. Other feature highlights includes speakerphone, built-in camera that takes good still photos and also captures videos. The 1350 mAh lithium battery suppose to keep you in business for up to 3.7 hours of continuous use."
MobileTechReview reviews the Sprint PPC-6700 and comments on its camera: "Colors are fairly accurate, light balance is good unless the subject is in strong sunlight in which case it will white out and noise is at a minimum for well-lit outdoor and indoors shots. The camera can take photos in JPEG and BMP format up to 1280 x 1024 resolution, and has an LED flash that helps low light shots a bit, but not much. Turn on the flash and it stays on until you turn it off, and thus it works with photos and video- in fact it makes a great impromptu flashlight. The camera has a macro mode slider switch that surrounds the lens and it helps a bit when taking close ups. In addition, the phone can shoot videos with audio at a maximum resolution of 320 x 240 in MPEG4 (best choice for quality, compatibility with Windows Media Player and small file size), Motion JPEG AVI and 3GPP2 formats. Videos aren't too jerky but do show noise even in well lit settings and audio volume is low."
Eric Convey at the Boston Herald reviews the Sprint PPC-6700, and finds, "Most prominent is a keyboard that slides out from under the body of the device. This is not unique among such products, but the quality of the keyboard is first-rate. Buttons that click with a firm action are a treat to work with."
From the News Release
Sprint today announced the launch of the Sprint PCS Vision(SM) Smart Device (PPC-6700), the first PDA/phone-combination handset in the country to offer the new Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 software, featuring updated Microsoft Office applications including Outlook Mobile and the new PowerPoint Mobile. Marketed by UT Starcom Personal Communications and operating on the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network, this CMDA device is a light and manageable productivity powerhouse combining a wireless phone, Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO) and Wi-Fi data functionality, Bluetooth Wireless Technology, email, Web access, a full QWERTY keyboard, and a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capabilities. The PPC-6700 will be available through Sprint business sales channels next week for a suggested retail price of $629.99 before discounts and promotions. The device will be offered nationwide in Sprint Stores and online at www.sprint.com later this year.
"Sprint continues to provide mobile professionals a portfolio of wireless devices and broadband choices unsurpassed in the industry," said Vicki Warker, vice president of marketing and product for Sprint. "With Wi-Fi, 3G and EV-DO high-speed wireless data, our customers now have more choices for staying productive while on the go. The PPC-6700 allows customers to capture the power of any of those services without taking up too much space in a briefcase or pocket."
The PPC-6700 reproduces the Windows-based PC experience and utilizes a new suite of Microsoft Office software, including the addition of PowerPoint(R) Mobile(TM) for viewing presentations on the go and Excel(R) Mobile(TM) with enhanced attachment-viewing capabilities. Managing documents, email, appointments, contacts and tasks is easier than ever with a 416 MHz Intel(R) PXA270 processor and a sliding QWERTY keyboard that opens from the side and automatically changes orientation from portrait to landscape viewing mode.
"We believe the PPC-6700 really is the next-generation mobile device," said Philip Christopher, president of UTStarcom Personal Communications. "Built with business applications in mind, the sliding keyboard and advanced data capabilities are just two of the many features, which when paired with Sprint's advanced wireless service, are designed to enable professionals to virtually carry office capabilities in their pocket."
Multiple data capabilities give customers more choices for quick and convenient methods to send or receive email, attachments and text messages; view documents; browse the Web; listen to news, music and other audio clips; and access corporate applications while on the go. The handset supports broadband-like speeds where Sprint's wireless high-speed data (EV-DO) is available and is backwards compatible to provide 1XRTT throughput speeds in areas where EV-DO service is not yet available. Sprint currently provides wireless high-speed data service in more than 75 markets nationwide, covering more than 100 airports in the country. Embedded Wi-Fi for data will also allow users to connect in thousands of Sprint-compatible domestic and international Wi-Fi ZONES(TM) and other public, enterprise and residential Wi-Fi locations. Various billing methods apply in non-Sprint venues.
With embedded Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology, the PPC-6700 automatically connects with Bluetooth headsets and car kits (sold separately). Dial-up networking capabilities for use with Bluetooth-enabled laptops and desktop computers will be enabled with a future software release. Capturing, sharing and viewing pictures and video is easy with the embedded 1.3-megapixel camera with built-in flash and digital zoom. The device also includes a built-in mini USB port and mini SD expansion card to add memory; transfer music, photos and video from the desktop; or load additional games and applications.
"With the power and flexibility of the new Windows Mobile 5.0 software platform and the speed of the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network, mobile information workers will have the freedom to stay connected when and where they want," said Suzan DelBene, corporate vice president of marketing for the Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. "The PPC-6700 is the result of Microsoft's strong relationship with Sprint, molding flexible software with innovative hardware and a dependable network to help business customers more easily access their most essential information."
The PPC-6700 also supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync(R) for over-the-air synchronization of email and calendar information with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003.
Packaged applications include Action Info(TM) and AudibleListener(R). Users will enjoy a 30-day free trial of access to content from their favorite brands, including eBay(R), Amazon.com(R), FOX Sports, AP News, AP Stocks, Microsoft(R) MapPoint(R), AccuWeather(R), Restaurant Row(TM), and Zap 2 it(TM) Movies. Also, Sprint customers can receive $100 cash back with a 12-month subscription to audio books, audio magazines, newspapers, radio programs and more with audible.com(R).
Additional content is available via the Sprint PCS Software Store provided by Handango(TM), an intelligent on-device catalog of applications and digital media, allowing users to find, download and buy software, games, ringtones, graphics and other applications simply and securely.
See more from our Miscellaneous Camera Phones category »
Posted by BJ at September 18, 2005 12:49 PM
