HP IPAQ h6315 Pocket PC Phone Edition

     If you watch NFL football, you know what an expansion team is. You also know that generally speaking the first couple years of an expansion team are riddled with minor success and major hurdles. Well I wouldn’t equate HP’s leap into the smart phone market on the same level as creating an NFL expansion team, but their new HP IPAQ h6315 seems to face a lot of similar stifling obstacles. If you know what people want, why don’t you give it to them? Well I guess that’s like asking quarterback to make that 90 yard Hail Mary. Let’s Look at the Specs.

Specifications for HP IPAQ h6315

Band :	Quad-band GSM/GPRS
Data:	GPRS,  Integrated WiFi (WLAN 802.11b), Bluetooth,  and IRDA
Size:	76 x 48 x 44 mm
Processor:	Texas Instruments OMAP™ 1510
Weight:	6.7 oz
Battery:	200 hours standby time (estimated)
Life:	4.5 hours talk time (estimated)
Main Display:	3.5 in TFT active matrix,  16-bit,  240 x 320 pixels
Sub-Display:	NA
Camera:	640x480 resolution
Video:	No
Messaging	MMS, SMS
Email:	Yes
Browser:	Yes
Memory:	64MB RAM, 64MB ROM

HP takes a real risky dive off into the deep end here by distinguishing their new Pocket PC by adding the “Phone Edition” to the end of the name. It’s not exactly what I would have chosen to distinguish my entry into the smart phone market. Maybe they could of called it a HERO, but they didn’t and it’s probably a good thing. I’ll probably say this again, but the IPAQ h6315 will appeal to those who like its style and form of functionality, but I believe it lacks something to win a larger majority of users.

So what will you like if you are a Packer fan?

The h6315 is application packed on a Windows Mobile 2003 Phone Edition platform. Whatever you need, you’ll probably be able to get it for this device. What’s also great about the application features is being able to manage different wireless connections and have different profiles.

This baby is connected, and HP does it well. With IrDA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and quad-band GSM/GPRS capabilities, you are in wherever you go. Want to hit the local Wi-Fi connection or let it roam? It’s no problem with HP’s revamped Wireless Manager. Talk on the phone through a Bluetooth headset and do some emails too. You won’t be disappointed with the h6315’s wireless capabilities.

It has a few stylish design features that some will appreciate. The h6315 has rubberized sides that influence and increase the ease of grip. It’s has a myriad of buttons on the side that function far better than any protruding wheels.

The battery life is above and beyond on the h6315. It boasts an 1800 mAh Lithium-Ion battery, which will offer around 4-5 hours talk time, 7-8 hours PDA usage and around 200 hours standby. I believe this is accomplished by design since the IPAQ uses a slower Texas Instruments OMAP processor that runs at 168MHZ.

The h6315 comes with a neat snap-on keyboard that is functional. This will appeal to some people and turn off others. Those who don’t mind carrying around the little keyboard in case the need arises will find it appealing. But nobody is going to leave the keyboard attached as this removes the h6315 from the pocket pc category. Do you think you can keep up with that little keyboard in case you need it? Not for those of us who travel streamlined and don’t carry around a ten pound briefcase. Just when somebody needs that little bugger sure enough they will have left it at their desk or at home.

So what might you not like if you are a Packer fan?

The h6315 does come with a camera, and it does function again slightly better than your typical camera phone. From my perspective, it’s still a novelty. We all would like to have it replace a digital camera to some degree and given the MSRP of the device I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect a little more from it.

You have no other option but to use T-Mobile. T-Mobile has great coverage in certain major metropolitan areas and select others, but beyond this, you are out of luck. Also, the PDA can run rather slow with multiple applications running, and as mentioned above, I think this contributes to the great battery life because the h6315 is running on a slower processor.

Of all the great features and functionality of the h6315, there is a major flaw that stands out. The phone has been designed to function as a good PDA, and a solid cell phone that has plenty of talk time. This is from a functionality stand point. Ergonomically I wouldn’t want to use this device as my cell phone any more than I want to go back to audio cassette tapes. This comes down to personal opinion and preference, and everybody will differ. But I think and you can comb around the web and see similar responses that most people find the h6315 cumbersome to use as a phone. It is cumbersome to dial without the keyboard, but I left that at home. And it feels awkward having the LCD held up to the side of your head. I feel like I’m holding a toaster to my head, or I’m in the 80’s walking around with jambox on my shoulder. It’s nit picky as some will say, but at $599 and strapped with T-Mobile, guess what? I get to be as picky as I want.

So did the Packer score a touchdown?

I’d have to say it’s a field goal. It is very well designed on a functionality basis. It’s a great PDA and a solid cell phone. If you understand the trade offs in that the PDA function will be a little slower and the cell phone side will lack some ergonomics, you won’t be disappointed. And you’ll be able to judge if you are the kind of person it appeals. But that group will only be certain people. It will include those that don’t mind carrying around an extra keyboard just in case the need arises. Admit it! You know if you’re the type of person that would just lose this or break it. It will include those who are fanatic about getting their PDA and cell phone into one efficient device even if it means you look like you’re jamming to your favorite 80’s rock. Finally, you don’t mind T-Mobile. Unfortunately many people will not answer yes to all these and that means as whole this isn’t a device that can appeal to masses. So the Packer stopped just short of the goal line. Maybe it's just not feasible to make a solid PDA that makes an ergonomically pleasing phone at this time. This may simply be the case, and in such, it's not for everybody.  

Pros: Great application base, 4 built-in wireless technologies, solid functional design, one of the best in battery life for today’s smart phone market.

Cons: Camera is a little sub par, processor is a little slow, only cell carrier option is T-Mobile, ergonomics will turn many people away


OVERALL RATING OUT OF 10: 7.5