HP iPaq hw6515 Mobile Messenger review (AT&T)

When dialing into the phone features, the HP iPaq hw6515 is replete with communication options. First off, the gadget is a quad-band world phone that operates on GSM cellular networks around the globe. Designed to keep travelers in touch on the go, the hw6515 also supports text messaging and POP3-, IMAP4-, and SMTP-based e-mail. In addition, it's compatible with Microsoft Exchange Server so that you can access corporate e-mail--that is, if your IT department allows it. The hw6515 is EDGE capable, so if you live in a coverage area, you can benefit from faster network speeds, topping out at about 130Kbps, to transmit and receive data. However, compared with the maximum 2Mbps throughput of EV-DO on CDMA networks, EDGE is downright slow. In addition to EDGE, you'll find integrated Bluetooth wireless networking to connect to hands-free headsets, laptop computers, and other mobile devices. In an effort to keep a fairly compact form factor, HP opted to forgo integrated Wi-Fi, which is unfortunate.

On a positive note, the HP iPaq hw6515 boasts a robust 1.3-megapixel digital camera for a phone. HP thoughtfully included its HP Image Zone photo-management software, which allows you to view slide shows of your photo library. We found the images we took to be sharp, but their color was slightly washed out. For other entertainment features, the hw6515 comes with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile for handling multimedia files, including MP3s, WMAs, and WMV video clips.

Interestingly, the HP iPaq hw6515 is equipped with an internal GPS receiver, meaning you can quickly convert the smart phone into a navigation device just by installing your Pocket PC GPS software of choice. The hw6515 ships with Microsoft's Pocket Streets, which doesn't provide real-time driving directions, but you can plan routes ahead of time. This application, however, can communicate with the iPaq's built-in GPS receiver and pinpoint your approximate street-level position.

In CNET Labs' tests, the quad-band HP iPaq hw6515 (850/900/1800/1900; EDGE) performed reasonably well as a phone. We used it in New York on Cingular's network, and while callers sounded clear on our end, they knew we were chatting on a cell phone. Also, if we didn't place the earpiece exactly within the audio sweet spot, voices had a tendency to become muffled.

As a PDA, the HP iPaq hw6515's application performance was smooth overall, though we did notice significant sluggishness when a multitude of programs were running simultaneously. This is most likely due to the phone's modest CPU speed. Battery life was pretty good, however. The hw6515 managed to get 5.8 hours of power with the device playing a looped video clip and the screen set to half brightness. By comparison, the Palm Treo 650 lasted 4.25 hours. Since our battery-drain tests are designed to zap power as quickly as possible, you'll probably get more mileage with real-world use. By the same token, battery life will be significantly affected if you have all three of the hw6515's wireless radios on at the same time.