Over the last year, Verizon has been straying from its reputation as a carrier that has boring phone selections. The new Verizon XV6700 smartphone continues that style revival with good looks as well as impressive features.
Look and Feel
Measuring 5.2 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches and weighing about 6.5 ounces, the XV6700 is a tad on the bulky side when compared to your average smartphone. Sporting a sleek black-matte finish with silver accents, the XV6700 is equipped with a luxuriously large 2.8-inch color screen.
A Qwerty-style keyboard slides out from the side of the case, changing the viewing orientation of the screen from portrait to landscape. And when it comes to ensuring smartphone longevity, the slide-out design is a much better way to go than the standard flip phone, which is prone to wear and tear on the hinge.
Features
The XV6700 incorporates a speedy processor; built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios; EVDO capabilities; 64 MB of RAM; and 128 MB of Flash ROM. Even better, the smartphone incorporates a MiniSD expansion slot that allows you to expand the handset's memory.
Powered by the Microsoft  Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system, the XV6700 ships with the Mobile Office suite, which includes versions of Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word, making it possible for business executives to manage e-mails, spreadsheets, and presentations -- regardless of location.
Enterprise workers will also appreciate that the VX6700 supports over-the-air synchronization of e-mail and calendar info with Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. In addition, the phone offers support for POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts; picture and video messaging; and Web surfing through Pocket Internet Explorer.
The built-in 1.3 megapixel camera/camcorder integrates built-in flash and macro functions with an 8X digital zoom. Still images can be snapped at resolutions of up to 1,600 x 1,280 pixels, whereas MPEG-4 video clips have a maximum resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The onboard Windows Media Player 10 software enables jukebox-style playback of music, still images, and video clips.
Performance
The dual-band XV6700 ships with a lithium-ion battery that can power the unit for up to five hours of continuous talk time or up to 200 hours of operation in the standby mode. That is impressive. However, the speakerphone's audio volume is less that it should be when taking or placing calls in noisy environments.
Though the VX6700 keeps you connected with both Wi-Fi and EVDO capabilities, the handset is not designed to double as a wireless modem for laptops. And if you want to use the onboard Wi-Fi radio, you must turn off the phone features altogether.
The Verdict
Verizon's new smartphone offers good looks with great business features, but a lack of some connectivity options knocks the XV6700 down a few pegs. Business road warriors can find better options in the super-popular Palm Treo 700w.
Verizon XV6700
Specs: 800-MHz CDMA/1900-MHz PCS phone with high-speed EVDO; 416-MHz Intel X-scale processor; 2.8-inch, 65,000-color TFT screen; 64 MB of ROM; 128 MB of Flash ROM; Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios; 1.3-megapixel camera; MiniSD expansion card slot.
Pros: Attractive design; latest Microsoft mobile software; plethora of wireless options; good battery life.
Cons: Not designed to double as a wireless modem for laptops; phone must be turned off to use integrated Wi-Fi radio.
Verdict: Verizon's new smartphone offers good looks with great business features, but road warriors can find better options in the super-popular Palm Treo 700w.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Price: $399.99 with a two-year contract
www.verizonwireless.com
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