Review of the Hewlett Packard iPAQ HW-6915 Smartphone
 £34.94 Your Best Buy |  £63.23 |
HP¡¦s powerful IPAQ HW 6915 worldwide messaging device offers the latest wireless technology to keep you in touch with the world. With an integrated HP Photosmart Camera and GPS Navigation you¡¦re guaranteed to have fun and look smart when you¡¦re on the move. Design |
| HP don¡¦t have an obvious signature design but you can just tell when a device belongs to them, oozing with a sense of modesty and pride all at the same time. And the HP iPAQ HW 6915 doesn¡¦t defy HP convention. With a silver coloured design, the chassis has globular corners keeping it looking contemporaneously neat. The integrated keyboard underneath the large screen is big enough to use, and small enough to keep the device looking reasonable. The dimensions are 7.1 x 1.8 x 11.8 cm, so putting it in your pocket is completely out of the question, but that¡¦s where the supplied holster steps in. Weighing just 175g, it¡¦s not a heavy device making it sit comfortably in your hand when using it for long periods. |
Features |
HP has shown full appreciation of the iPAQ HW-6915¡¦s fast 416 MHz Intel PXA270 processor by providing heaps of great features to test it out on. Starting with the software, HP have provided a selection of their own exclusive programmes, and some Microsoft -Mobile programmes too. Messaging services include Phone Dialler, SMS Support, MMS Composer, Microsoft Push Email, and Pull Email via ActiveSync. For MP3 and Video downloads, internet and radio HP have provided the 6915 with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile. With mobile versions of Microsoft software including Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Internet Explorer, you can do everything you would do on your home PC, but this time in the palm of your hand. HP¡¦s exclusive software offerings include iPAQ Wireless, HP Profiles, Bluetooth Manager, Today Panel Lite, SIM manager, and Modern Link. With all the soft stuff discussed, let¡¦s have a look at the harder stuff on offer. The memory grand total is impressive at 195MB, so it¡¦ll be ages before you need to upgrade it. The Lithium-Ion battery is removable and rechargeable, via the AC port. Keeping you tangle-free and futuristic, HP has included wireless technologies including integrated WLAN 802.11b, Bluetooth 1.2, and IrDA. These features provide you with the chance to use high-speed internet in the office, at home and anywhere else you might find yourself. On the subject of finding yourself, you¡¦ll never get lost again using the integrated GPS TomTom Navigator Plus 1. It provides accurate guidance to direct you to many destinations throughout Europe. The 16-bit screen provides a gorgeous eclectic range of 64,000 colours, which supports the icon-based, easy-to-use menu nicely. The iconic menu set-up is great for use with both your finger and the stylus included in the box. Audio is catered for well, with voice recording, built-in speakerphone, microphone, and a 2.5mm headphone jack. On-the-move audio-call modes that will definitely come in handy are the handset mode, handsfree speakerphone mode, and wired or wireless headset mode. And once you reach your destination safely using your TomTom navigator, and handsfree speakerphone, you may want to take a few pictures with the integrated 1.3 megapixel HP Photosmart camera. European, and further worldwide travel is no problem for the iPAQ HW-6915 as it comes equipped with Quadband GSM technology making it perfect for worldwide travel. Synchronising your iPAQ HW-6915 couldn¡¦t be easier, with the USB desktop synchronisation cradle, it houses the device neatly and offers a hassle-free, extremely fast synching service. HP don¡¦t always provide the cradle in all countries, and offer a simple cable instead, so check it out to make sure yours does, as it is well worth having. Other ports, hidey holes, and crevices you should know about are the mini SD memory slot which supports 4-bit mini SD memory cards, a USB port, AC adapter port, and the desktop cradle port. |
Performance  |
| From a mobile messenger you would expect to be able to send messages when mobile, but with the HP iPAQ HW-6915, you can do a whole lot more. By providing us with such a speedy performance, we were sucked in from the start. We loved the TomTom navigator, which worked accurately, providing loud and clear instructions as to which direction to take. The menu system is ideally designed, with all the most frequently used applications being the easiest to access. And once we¡¦d chosen an application the HP iPAQ HW-6915 responded by opening it up in just a few seconds. The full HTML browser was great, and the screen is big enough to see websites clearly, without causing eyestrain. To save the battery life, the iPAQ HW-6915 goes into power save mode, which puts the device into standby, but it wakes up as soon as you get an incoming call, or text message. Making and receiving calls was great using the iPAQ 6915 with all the right options, and easy access to loudspeaker at any point in the call was incredibly handy. Volume levels are very high, so you won¡¦t risk missing that all-important phone call, and you can pump up your MP3 tunes when you¡¦re out an about too. We enjoyed using the stylus more than our fingertips, simply because it left too much residue on the screen and it was a hassle to keep wiping it. We¡¦ve not mentioned the integrated camera up until now for one reason, and that is because it¡¦s not worth mentioning. We didn¡¦t rate the results that we saw, but we wouldn¡¦t let that change our minds about buying it because many devices include cameras in order to compete in today¡¦s marketplace, and a camera isn¡¦t something a user of the iPAQ HW-6915 would be buying it for. Apart from this minor blip, in our opinion, the only other downfall was its battery life. Nowhere near as good as we¡¦d hoped for, we only managed to get 2.75 hours WiFi time, 4 hours talk time, and 122 hours standby time. |
| Overall Opinion |
| We really enjoyed our time with the HP iPAQ HW 6915 mobile messenger on various levels. The nice design, great menu system, and fantastically accurate, quick performance were all factors that won us over. In fact, I¡¦m getting one for Christmas 2006. |
What's In The Box?  |
| „X Lithium-Ion 1200 mAh removeable/rechargeable battery „X Removable flip cover „X Wired stereo headphones with 2.5 jack „X AC adapter „X USB desktop synchronisation cradle (or in some countries just the synch cable) „X Stylus „X Holder „X Product Guide „X Get started CD |
| By Lisa Malyon |
|
Pros + Quick response to requests + Amazing accurate performance + Clear, bright and colourful screen + Easy synch options + Sync cradle included (in some countries) + Extensive software options + Worldwide roaming + Perfect travel companion |
Cons - Small keys - Average battery life |
|
Overall Rating 
|
30/11/2006 at 12:01:53pm
Read Hewlett Packard Reviews
