I have been reviewing the 6315 for functionality, ease of use, practicality and ability to integrate within a corporate as well as personal environment.

First things first, there is no better specified data and voice enabled COMMUNICATION device like this on the market.

1. Wifi 802.11b
2. Bluetooth
3. GSM (Quad band (1900, 1800, 900, 850 MHz)
4. GPRS (Quad band (1900, 1800, 900, 850 MHz)
5. Infrared
6. USB
7. 640x320 digital camera

The iPAQ links all these in a well integrated package with relatively few shortcomings.

The equipment in the US is primarily supplied through T-Mobile although I am informed that after a 90 day period if you want to take your service provision to another carrier there are few obstacles.

If however you want to use this phone outside of the US then I would suggest staying with T-Mobile as their coverage and roaming arrangements are very good.

On opening the package I received the iPAQ, wired headphone/microphone, charging cradle, SIM card, battery charger, thumb keyboard, belt clip carry case and a the usual CD of applications.

The iPAQ comes installed with Microsoft Pocket PC 2003 and the by now standard suite of Microsoft Pocket PC applications.

These include Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Media Player v9 and Outlook with Powerpoint and PDF view functionality available through the ClearVue applications.

Full specifications at
http://www.tmobile.com/products/overview.asp?phoneid=228503&class=pda

What is new is that T-Mobile have bundled a 3 in 1 instant messenger (IM) client in that allow connections to AOL, ICQ and Yahoo.

In addition the Outlook mail now integrates the SMS and MMS functionality out of the box. For non European's and those over 16 years old, SMS is Short Message Service, MMS is Multi-Media Messaging Service (IM and IM with attachments via the GSM/GPRS phone service).

The major failing with the equipment is the low memory that comes with it. There is only 55Mb of user accessible memory and this is very quickly consumed with only a few additional applications and 14 days of e-mail.

A minor problem but acceptable is the low speed processor that comes in the equipment. There are a number of times when the wait for applications to come up or switch was irritating. If however the trade off is faster but shorter battery life then I'll stay with what I have.

The system AS A PHONE is almost good for the documented 5 hours talk time and 5.5 days standby, my experience is that 4+ and 5 is nearer the mark. This is perfectly acceptable as a phone and in line with real world requirements.

HOWEVER, if you start to use either the GPRS or WiFi capacity with any degree of frequency the battery life drops dramatically.

In my testing I used a VPN client connecting to the corporate network using both GPRS and WiFi.

Using GPRS on permanent connection, mostly for e-mail and other light usage dropped battery life to an average of 17-22 hours before failing.

Using WiFi on permanent connection, mostly for e-mail and other light usage dropped battery life to an average of 5 hours before failing.

This is not to say that there is any flaw or failing with the equipment simply that using "always on" wireless connections such as GPRS and WiFi stretches current battery technology to the limit.

For those of a technical mind, the basic testing was done as follows.

1. Outlook was set with both Activesync and IMAP e-mail, updates using the default settings for connection and updates.

2. An average of 105 e-mail received and 25 sent per day

3. An average of 60 minutes per day of web browsing

4. Synchronization of email every 10 minutes for IMAP and every 15 for Activesync during work hours (07:00 - 18:00). Activesync dropped after synchronization.

5. Number of phone calls in, 5 for an average of 5 minutes each, the same for outbound calls.

Look and feel

The iPAQ is slightly broad and bulky in the hand but is in fact almost identical in size and weight to the Treo 600 which is frequently compared against.

There are rubberized grips on both sides of the phone which are comfortable even if your hand is damp.

The attachable thumb keyboard is very functional and easy to use although does add bulk both to the base and the rear of the phone. My personal preference is not to use it but that's just me...8-)

The screen display is crisp and well lit and is viewable in even glare conditions in bright sunlight, slight yellowish tinge if viewed at a sharp angle, this may be subjective or a consequence of the touchscreen.

The provided earphone/microphone is best described as functional.

There are buttons recessed under the rubber grips for volume up and down, the earphone, activating the camera, voice recording and resetting. All require conscious action to use and I never had issues with accidentally using them.

I have used the iPAQ for some 6 weeks now and am impressed with its versatility and "out of the box" ease of use.

I am less impressed with the amount of memory that comes with the machine, both for storage as well as applications. I am a little irritated with the speed but accept the trade off for battery life.

All in all a worthy piece of equipment, fits in both the personal and corporate world. I highly recommend based upon the issues I have raised above.


Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 499.95
Recommended for: Business Executives - Powerful and Professional