The Audiovox offered by Sprint is definitely a "killer" Pocket PC
phone. It and its variants are the fastest models currently on the market and
offer the most RAM. The unit builds on the strong XDA II platform which was
never offered by US carriers but enjoyed great success overseas and with US
importers. Unlike the GSM XDA II, the PPC-6601 is a CDMA network device with
support for 1xRTT for data and EVDO when Sprint makes that very fast data service
available. If youre looking for a convergence device and want the best possible
Pocket PC performance, put this Sprint offering on your short list.
The PPC-6601 is a Pocket PC first, and a phone second. The same can be said
of all Pocket PC Phone Edition models such as the HP iPAQ 6315, XDA II and the
Samsung i700. They look, feel and act like Pocket PCs and indeed are full-fledged
Pocket PCs with no concessions made. Add a mobile phone radio and phone software
and youve got a Pocket PC Phone Edition model. Pocket PC phones support all
mobile phone features such as speed dialing, conference calling, caller ID and
speakerphone and use an on-screen dialer for making calls. What are the tradeoffs?
Unlike petite cell phones, Pocket PC phones are large and since they were designed
to be PDAs first, their ergonomics are geared towards PDA use rather than cell
phone use. Not that theyre uncomfortable to use, but if you dont like the
idea of holding a Pocket PC to your head, consider using a Bluetooth headset
or purchasing another breed of smartphone. However, if youre already carrying
both a PDA and cell phone and need a full-featured PDA, then a Pocket PC Phone
can lighten your load.
Display:
Transflective TFT color LCD, 64K colors. Screen Size Diag: 3.5", Resolution:
240 x 320.
Battery:
Lithium Ion Polymer rechargeable. Battery is user replaceable. 1490 mA. Claimed
talk time: 3.6 hours, claimed standby: 6 days.
Performance:
Intel XScale PXA 263 400 MHz processor. 128 MB built-in RAM. 64 MB Flash ROM
with 14.57 megs available for your use.
Size:
4.9 x 2.75 x .74 in. Weight: 7.35 ounces.
Audio:
Built in speaker, mic and 2.5mm stereo headset jack. Stereo earbud headset included.
Voice Recorder and Windows Pocket Media Player 9 included for your MP3 pleasure.
Networking:
Integrated Bluetooth. CDMA/PCS mobile phone network with support for 800/1900MHz
digital bands. 1xRTT for data.
Software:
Windows Mobile 2003 SE for Pocket PC Phone operating system. Microsoft Pocket
Office suite including Pocket Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Outlook. Also,
Terminal Services, MSN Instant Messenger for Pocket PC and Voice Recorder, Solitaire,
Jawbreaker as well as handwriting recognition. 3rd party and HTC software: Album
(image viewer), Handmark Express (demo), Audible Player, xBackup, Permanent
Save (allows you to save contacts, calendar, connection settings and tasks to
non-volatile flash ROM) and WModem (allows you to use the phone as a modem for
a PC or PDA over Bluetooth, IR, Serial or USB). ActiveSync 3.7.1 and Outlook
2002 for PCs included.
Expansion:
1 SD (Secure Digital) slot supporting SDIO and SDIO Now!.
