I'm looking into purchasing a new phone / pda for my Verizon service. It will be my first PDA since my old Psion days in the early/mid 90s.
The two phones I'm currently looking at are the Palm Treo 700W Smartphone and the Verizon Wireless XV6700.
For more information, check out http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverview&sortOption=priceSort
(You have to enter your zip code to see the page)
Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?
On the way home from checking up on the bowling alley, I went with my mom to the Verizon Wireless store, and we must have been there for 3 hours at least, looking at the two phones. In the end, I went home with the Treo and my mom went home with the 6700. Based on my experience using both, here is the knowledge I came away with:
The Treo 700W is the first Palm device to have a Windows-based operating system, and it boasts the new Windows Mobile 5 to boot. However, it has the same form factor as previous Treos and retains its one-handed design. This makes for one really powerful phone. For example, with just one hand, I can easily turn the device on, navigate to the contact I'd like to call, and dial. I can also easily and quickly put the device onto speakerphone or use the little bluetooth headset I picked up for myself. I can also navigate through much of the OS with one hand pretty comfortably. Alternatively, I can hold the device in one hand and use the stylus in the other to perform more complicated tasks. Despite the integrated features of a PDA, the phone features aren't any more complicated or awkward to use than picking up any ordinary cellphone and dialing. My main gripes with the Treo are the small screen with very poor resolution and the extremely tiny keys. The screen resolution is only an issue if you plan on taking full advantage of the Windows Mobile aspect of the device. It was sufficient for my needs - I was able to easily add and browse my contacts, make phone calls, check my email, and chat on MSN messenger. However, for anything more serious, the terrible screen resolution should be taken into consideration.
The Audiovox XV6700 is more of a full featured PDA with phone features. It boasts an awesome (and huge, for what it's worth!) keyboard and screen and a faster processor than the Treo. Additionally, it has built-in WiFi access, which can only be accomplished on the Treo with an SD Card. For those looking for a nice easy to work with PDA, I would recommend the 6700 over the Treo. It's definitely a much more powerful machine. However, I don't recommend it as someone's primary phone. If you would like to make a call, you must first turn it on, and then either pull out the stylus and activate the on-screen keypad, or slide out the keyboard cleverly hidden under the screen. When you slide out the keyboard, the screen automatically rotates to landscape format to provide more screen real estate, but there is about a 1-2 second delay in the rotation, which could quickly grow to be a big nuisance if all you're tryng to do is make a quick phone call. Something else I didn't like about the 6700 was the use of an Accupoint-type front input instead of up/down/right/left buttons like the Treo. Since I don't seem to have the coordination for these, I most certainly would have to resort to the slide out keyboard or stylus to get anything accomplished, which makes it much less convenient for me.
For those who know me, you know I'd be the first to say that I'm all for the absolute latest and greatest powerful tech gadgets. And the 6700 definitely is a much more powerful device than the Treo. However, I was looking for something to use as my primary cellphone, and I just didn't find that in the 6700. It's too clumsy to make a quick call. Additionally, the Treo has a more solid, sturdier feel to it. I would definitely recommend the 6700, however, to those who are looking for an all-in-one pda / organizer / contact manager that also has the convenience and ability of being able to make calls.
If I were looking for a Windows mobile device that doubled as a cellphone, I would have gone with the 6700. But I went into the Verizon store actually looking just for a new cellphone, and I came out happy because I got a very powerful full-featured phone.
However, I would like to add that I haven't used a PDA device in nearly a decade and being joined at the hips with a PDA isn't a part of my current daily living. The more I use my Treo, I can easily see myself growing accustomed to using the PDA features my Treo has, and in the near future wanting something more powerful. At that time, I might purchase something more along the lines of a 6700. We'll see.
An update ... some info about each of the phone:
The 6700: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/articles/ppc6700.mspx
The Treo: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/palm/default.mspx
http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo700w/
Now that it's 2008, do you have any other reviews or comparisons? I am looking for a phone, preferably a smartphone, preferably with WiFi that will not jack up my monthly Verizon bill.
I was interested in the Treo, to replace my old Tungsten E, but the Verizon store told me the only phone they had with WiFi was the XV6800.
Any suggestions or guidance?
Thanks!
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