Customer Reviews

HP iPAQ h6315 PDA Phone (T-Mobile)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I finally got tired of always having both my pockets filled with my h1945 and Sony-Ericsson T610. I've been using the two of these together for a few months, and when I read a little about the h6315 it intriged me. I researched it more and finally decided to buy one. I'm already a T-Mobile customer, so it was just an extra 20$ a month to add the unlimited GPRS (Internet over the cell network). I've had it for about a week, and here are my thoughts.

When researching the device, I found it impossible to find the speed of the processor. Here's why: it's 168mhz. You're thinking "Good Lord, that's slow!" -- but what it really means is AMAZING battery life (I am talking unbelievable). So your first choice is between a fast PDA, or the ability to use it unrestrained for a couple days without having to charge it. The only place I've noticed slow performance is with video (which is nigh-unwatchable) -- other than that, it's performed fine. It was no sweat, I don't really ever use my iPAQ for video. MP3s played fine when you keep your other activities undemanding. The biggest problem with the slow processor is lock-ups. From normal use (I'm not a super power-user, I'd bet) I had to reset the device with my stylus about 3 times a day when it would lock up.

I focus on the speed so much as it was the biggest on-the-fence deciding factor for me when I was looking into buying the 6315. Everything else works flawlessly; The reception is good (better than my T610, that's for sure), sound quality is good (yes, the speaker is quiet because its located on the back of the unit), the screen quality is great (Looks great using the thing at noon on a sunny day in the middle of a field), bluetooth works fine, the wi-fi is very good (with no delay for picking up networks) -- So, the lockups being the only thing that bother me (and like I said -- decide between speed and battery life now), I think this PDA is perfect for me. Resetting it is no problem if it locks up.

Here goes:

Pros:
BATTERY LIFE
Good Reception
Good Speaker/Mic quality for calls
Camera alot better than my T610
Screen Quality
Connectivity options are amazing

Cons:
Locking Up
Poor video playback

I'll confess, I am a gadget freak. So much so that I get teased a lot about it. When I left my Pocket PC Phone Edition (the original) on a train back in March, I practically needed rehab to function with just a Blackberry. I have been waiting for this iPAQ h6315 to come out since they first announced it, and now that I finally have mine, I am thrilled.

I prefer this type of combination device for several reasons, not the least of which is the block recognition writing style which is easy for an old Palm user like me to adapt to. For those who prefer the QWERTY style, there's a keyboard included in the package, how's that for a deal? I also like just having one device clipped to my belt. I was carrying several. Now I just have this and my company issued Blackberry, which I use only for corporate email (hate it for everything else!). The camera is good for a built in--it is not designed to replace my Fuji S5000 in quality, but for fun photos on the go, it is fine! Through GPRS, I am able to web browse at dial-up speeds, which, though slow compared to WiFi, is better than nothing and lets me do what I need to do where I need to do it.

The WiFi on this is SWEET. I run an 802.11b network at home and am a T-Mobile HotSpot user, and the instant connection I get both at home and at Starbuck's is amazing. And the convenience of Bluetooth?? I never used my old Pocket PC as a phone, though it was built in, because I hated that darn ear bud cord dangling in my way, and hated putting the PDA to my face to talk on it. I got the Motorola Bluetooth headset, set it up in less than 5 minutes, and it is so light and comfortable I hardly notice I am wearing it! Plus the quality is so good that I can drive in my convertible with the top down and still have a conversation.

Is this a replacement for my laptop? No, that's not why I bought it. Does it keep me connected in every way possible using Bluetooth, GPRS, WiFi and GSM? You bet. It keeps me organized, keeps all my information in one place and keeps me amused as well. With a memory slot built in and a million software titles available to download, this is one cool tool for gadget freaks like me, who always have to have something to play with.

Being a techno geek, I love this device. The HP iPAQ h6315 is a Pocket PC with the convenience of a phone built in. It runs Windows Mobile 2003 as the operating system which allows for a huge assortment of both free and for pay software to be downloaded on to it. However it also acts like a computer in that it will periodically lock up. When this happens, a soft reset is easy to perform and you can be up and running in less than a minute again.

Things to do when buying the device:

1. Immediately upgrade the firmware to the latest. At this time many of the units in stock still have the original buggy firmware. If you are familiar at all with computers, upgrading the firmware is relatively easy.

2. Order yourself a 1GB Secure Digital memory card and a PC card reader. Put the card in the reader and give the SD card a volume name (this fixes a bug). Then put it in your iPAQ.

3. When installing applications, install them to either the iPAQ File Store or the SD Storage Card. Also create a My Documents folder on the SD Storage Card and put your documents in there. Set up Pocket Internet Explorer to cache files to the SD card. Set up Pocket Outlook to save email to the SD card. The goal is to save as much as you can to the SD card or the iPAQ File Store as possible. You want to save your precious RAM for running programs.

4. To protect your screen from scratches and to be able wipe off smudges, get yourself a good screen protector sheet. Several brands are available. Stay away from the cheap ones. You get what you pay for.

5. Read the h6315 forum at PDAphonehome.com for answers regarding this device.

Pros:
The coolness factor. It really is a small computer. As long as you have WiFi wireless access or phone service, you have connectivity to the internet. You really can view web sites with Pocket Internet Explorer. Also you can retrieve and respond to all your email. Server admininstrators would find the Terminal Services client handy. This unit also works as a great MP3 player. If you are a VB .NET or C# .NET programmer, it is a snap to write software for this device. Oh yeah, it is a quad band GSM phone as well, so it will work overseas.

Cons:
This device is a small computer, so if computers fustrate you, then this device is not for you. It is not as fast as the latest Pocket PCs. This was done to save battery life. The other Pocket PCs will run for 3 hours on a battery charge where as this unit will work for an entire day on a charge.

I bought this from T-Mobile a week ago using the Amazon discount. My feelings for this device are mixed which explains the 3 stars.

Good things first :-

This is the device that I have been looking for, for years. It has everything - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR, GSM Phone etc. MS Mobile OS and Outlook makes it the best partner for synchronizing Outlook items from your PC. I use it for synchronizing with my work PC over USB and with my home PC over the wireless LAN. I love it. Setting it up to synchronize over LAN was not easy because the user guides do not provide any instructions. Also, I can browse and check my email when I am connected to a wireless LAN.

It is a little uncomfortable to hold in your palm as a phone, but don't buy it if you are going to primarily use it as a phone. It is meant to be a PDA with phone feature on it. I use Jabra BT200 bluetooth headset with it and it works just fine. Of course, you need the phone to make an outgoing call (unless you use voice-activated dialing feature, which I haven't tried), but you can receive a call using just the bluetooth headset.

When connected to USB using the cradle, it gets charged over USB which is a neat feature. I keep the external power cable at home and the USB cradle at work.

Good things kind of end there. Now the bad things:-

This device is definitely in a beta stage. I don't think it has been thoroughly tested with all the features and memory management before they released it. I frequently get errors (usually while starting Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) or non-responsive buttons. Most of these problems go away with a soft reset. I am ok with a soft reset once in a while because it takes only a few seconds and I don't lose anything. But, the real bummer happened yesterday (after one week of owning it) when it suddenly switched on by itself (I had it in my pocket at that time) and completely reset itself to the factory state. It wiped out all my outlook items, programs, headset set up, PC partnerships etc. in a few seconds. I couldn't get a clue as to why it happened. It is impossible to do something like that manually even if I wanted to do it. I am trying to make myself believe that it was just a freak incident and won't happen again, which I know is not the case when it comes to computers. I have another week or so to return it. If this happens again, it is going back. I will keep this review updated....

The other bad things - the leather pouch that came with the device is too big. I can't imagine anyone wearing it on the belt.

I feel I can write a novel on this device ... More later.....

I've waited for quite some time to buy either a smart phone or PC phone. For the longest time I have carried a lap top (with built in Wi-Fi), a cell phone (tri-band GSM), and until recently, a Palm V. What a hassle. When the iPaq h6315 came out two weeks ago, I decided to give it a try. I've been using the device for two solid weeks and I am thoroughly impressed.

Pluses:
- The synchronization with Outlook is seamless. I finally have all my Outlook contacts, shared calendar (organized by categories), tasks, and notes synchronized with my phone.
- The audio quality for voice calls is excellent, call volume is always loud enough.
- The wireless (GPRS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth) options are easy to configure and work together seamlessly.
- The battery life is very good, but I would recommend purchasing the extended life battery pack.
- The integration with the T-Mobile network is also very good. Both in the phone itself, and the ability to connect to T-Mobile HotSpots as a preferred Wi-Fi network.
- The design is rugged and sturdy enough for heavy every day use.

I really could go on and on about all the features I love about this device.

Negatives:
- The screen is active while the phone is active. Not a problem if you are using a Bluetooth earpiece or ear bud. But, just about ever time I let someone else use the phone, the physical contact made by the cheek or ear lobe touching the screens opens various menus or applications.
- The VGA camera is not optional. I would have preferred to be able to order the device without the camera.
- Roaming through Wi-Fi networks, e.g. in a neighborhood or mall, creates a large number of persistent entires in the Wi-Fi configuration menu. It ends up getting cluttered and needs to be cleaned up periodically.

All in all I give this device a strong recommendation. It is the ultimate connectivity tool for business use. I'm leaving my lap top at home or in the office, and I've put my Palm V in a box.

I bought the h6315 the day it came out on the market for the many benefits that the other reviewers mention. After 3 months of using the 6315, I want to share some of my experiences. First of all, the overall device gives you complete freedom for being out of the office. Here is how I'm using it:
- If I'm close to, or know of, wifi networks, then I enable my wifi, otherwise I shut it as its annoying. Now, if the device discovers many, simply go to the wireless menu and connect to the network you want by holding the stylus and clicking connect. Otherwise I rely on GPRS which works great
- There has been a patch upgrade for sending or replying to emails with attachments. I have also noticed that it improved my GPRS connectivity especially when I have a strong signal
- For using it as a phone, forget holding it next to your ear. This device is made to be used with a Bluetooth headset. I have tried a couple, the Platronics M3000 works the best. It has many features and accessories for longer term wear that makes it so comfortable. I rarely have problems with Bluetooth connection. One point to mention, if I answer the phone call from the Bluetooth ear piece, works great. If you answer from the 6315, the voice is low!!!!
- Another note on using the 6315 as a phone. When my battery dies on my Blutooth earpiece, or want to conserve battery life, I switch to stereo headset and use the mic on the 6315 to talk, it works very well. Especially when listening to music and you get a call, as the music is put on hold it starts ringing. The last way of using it as a phone was through the speaker on the back as speaker phone, it's good in quite places.
- As for driving and using the device, get the Microsoft Voice Recognition software. It works great and makes the 6315 a true hand free voice activated device. I have configured my voice recorder button to activate the software. Great while driving
- Battery life is good, extended battery doubles the battery life.
- I keep forgetting about this and remember it when writing long emails, it comes with a detachable keyboard that you simply attach and viola, you can type much faster.
- I'm getting the Bluetooth GPS and a car mount kit during Christmas. I will update my feedback after using them.
- The case is great and you can store 2 SDs
- The device can be unstable sometimes; a simple reset does the trick. I make sure that I do it every morning as I run backups every night
- T-Mobile has been great. I switched from Sprint and not going back
- International use, I have traveled to the Caribbean, and Eroupe, and this device have been amazing. From the minute the plan lands, and I enable GPRS, I'm back up and running with the entire features that I have back home.

What I would like to see in the next edition:
- More memory so that I can add some more applications
- Integrated voice activated features so I won't have to buy the MS package
- The ability to lock the screen when the 6315 in the case. Since it keeps waking up to download emails, it starts turning things on and off as the screen is very sensitive
- Longer battery life, it's never long enough

I have had my 6315 for two weeks, now. I use the phone for business and have 5000 minutes/month with T-Mobile--and I use them all. Unfortunately this device is not best suited to my needs. I spend a lot of time on the road and dialing contacts, even when in speed dial mode, is too cumbersome. For $40 you can get MS Voice Command, a well-reviewed voice recognition system for these Pocket PCs. That would help, I imagine. With a normal cell phone you can hold it in your hand and very quickly navigate between contacts with your thumb. This device requires you to look at what you're doing, and either use the stylus (while driving: this requires two hands) or the smallest tip of your finger (sometimes able with one hand) to select your contact (which is very small) or voicemail.

The primary reason I am returning the device is because of the above difficulties, and the dreadful reviews I have encountered online regarding the unit's interface with all manner of bluetooth headsets. I have yet to read of anyone's seamless experience with a bluetooth headset used over a long period of time.

There are additional bugs that are irritating, but can usually be solved with a soft reset--your "contacts" list will spontaneously be rendered inaccessible--the phone will sometimes freeze while trying to receive one call while on the line with another call. While relatively small bugs, I paid over $500 for this device and, naturally, I expect better performance.

There is no way to inactivate the screen yet still use the phone, and this is often a problem. Holding it to your face will sometimes activate other buttons. Leaving it in my pocket without putting it in standby mode has randomly dialed phone numbers. An unfortunate flaw for a high end device.

The wireless features--other than the bluetooth note, above--are very good. Using Pocket Internet Explorer works pretty well. I was not able to use the Pocket Inbox for email. I did buy a bluetooth keyboard and have generally found it easy to use with the 6315 and very helpful for typing emails in the car or taking notes in meetings, though once it would not connect for some reason.

The screen is excellent. The battery life is good when one considers how much this PC is doing at once. Again, I am on the phone many hours each day and, thus far (2 weeks), I have gone all day without having to recharge. The processor speed is slower than many PPC's, but quite adequate and helps preserve battery life.

If I did not rely so heavily on my cellphone, I am sure I would keep the 6315. This device is fantastic as a pocket pc. But you are paying $500 for a ppc and a phone. Both must work excellently.

The good:

Finally! An all-in-one device that actually does everything pretty well! A couple years ago I bought a Sidekick thinking it would do it all. It did, but it did everything rather badly. The feedback on the phone line was so bad that everyone I talked to complained about hearing their own voices coming back to them. I ended up swapping my SIM card back and forth between my trusty Motorola for phone calls, and the Sidekick to browse the web. As a web browser, it was better than nothing, but only slightly. It was awfully slow and timed out a lot. As a PDA, it wasn't too impressive either. The features were so stripped down that I ended up going back to my old Ipaq. So I was schlepping around three gadgets, and carrying an oversized purse to make room for them all.

By contrast, the 6315 has excellent sound quality as a phone. As a PDA, it is great - just what I'm used to. As a web browser, its speed is decent using GPRS, better with WIFI. Plus Bluetooth! And I have always loved the fact that Ipaqs have downsized versions of MS Word and Excel so that I can keep a running expense log, and do some writing when I have a spare minute. Thus, despite the many problems I'll mention, I am pretty content with my 6315.

Also, while some have groused that the Ipaq is only available with T-Mobile right now, for me this is a positive. I use my phone ALL THE TIME, and I was fortunate enough to latch onto T-Mobile's 3,000 anytime minutes for $49.99 plan a few years ago. There is no other company that has a comparable plan, with a comparable selection of gadgets and phones, for anywhere close to that price!

The bad:

There are some bugs that need to be worked out. The phone turns itself off for no apparent reason now and then, and I discover hours after the fact that all my calls have been going to voicemail. Also, even when I set it to require the PIN before making a call, sometimes it does, sometimes it does not.

When I have the earphone plugged in, the phone makes no external sound whatever. So if I make a call using the headset, and then just take off the headset without unplugging, all my calls and alerts are inaudible.

It's not as hands free as I would like. On my Motorola, I could just hit one button to open my phone book, scroll down a set number of times (1 for Mom, 2 for Dad, 3 for best friend, etc.), and then hit another button to send the call, all without taking my hand off the steering wheel or my eyes off the road. The Ipaq requires both hands and my full attention to turn it on, access my contact list, navigate to the right person, and click the link that will make the call. In other words, it demands more attention than a car radio, and is thus unsafe to use while driving. Grr!

The downright irritating:

If you hold the device up to your ear to take a call, your cheek or jaw WILL touch the touch screen, setting off all manner of other functions or disconnecting the call. There needs to be some way of disabling the screen when you want to. The only solution I've found is springing another $30 for an INNOPOCKET aluminum case, which lets you at most of the buttons but protects the screen behind an acrylic window.

If you have WiFi on, your browsing will be interrupted constantly as new WiFi sites are detected, and God help you if there is a T-Mobile hotspot anywhere nearby! You will be rerouted to a security screen asking for registration and password, and even if you don't want to use the Hotspot and pay T-Mobile charges, you cannot get away from this screen!!! I hate this so much that I only use WiFi when I'm darned sure there are no T-Mobile stores anywhere nearby.

For whatever reason, T-Mobile sells the 6315 but none of the accessories, and in my experience, the sales reps at T-Mobile stores know diddly about the device's compatibility issues. They offered me a Jabra Bluetooth headset, but fortunately I had read up in advance and knew that it was incompatible. HP's website has a list of compatible Bluetooth devices, but T-Mobile doesn't sell any of them. T-Mobile also does not sell the car charger, the spare AC charger, the extended battery, memory cards, etc. Most of these you have to get from HP online, and pay a premium price for them.

Forget the camera entirely. It is worthless. I do enjoy being able to download photos from my digital camera, though - it's like having a wallet full of photos to show off to my friends.

The Upshot:

If you're looking for a gadget that does it all reasonably well, the 6315 is that device. There is lots of room for improvement, and it's possible that the Treo 650 will outpace it in the coming months, and I'm eagerly looking forward to the release of the Flipstart hopefully sometime next year. But at the moment, the 6315 is the best there is, and while some of the problems are annoying, it's worth it to be able to carry a tiny purse again!

I read a lot of reviews online. Was I to give up my Z600 and H5555 for this H6315. Some people seemed to love this unit some despice it. The slower processor and only 64MB was a major concern after getting used to the fast processor in the H5555 and the 128MB of ram.

I decided to go for it after debating for a while. I got the unit it was way cool speed was not to big of an issue but it would constantly lock up on me and had serious issues. Many times I had to soft reset the unit 2 or more times in a row to get it operational. Well after a week the SD slot died and I got a new unit on advanced replacement since HP offers a 14 day replacement guarantee. I was ready to throw the thing into the wall and stomp on it then go get the sledgehammer to finish the unit for good.

I'm glad I did get it replaced the new unit been working as flawlessly as I could expect (after using a H5555 for well over a year and a H3670 for well over year before the H5555).

Bluetooth drains the battery but nothing worse then any other device I used before (Z600, T68i to mention a couple of previous bluetooth devices). Bluetooth seems to almost be designed to drain your batteries. But the H6315 outlast my Sony/Ericson H65 bluetooth headsets battery so no major complaints.

Camera. Works as well as you might expect from a cellphone camera (not very well). It sure is a improvement over my old Z600 and in par with my wifes Nokia 6600. Don't expect anything fancy after all it's only a 0.3Meg pixel camera giving you a 640x480 picture (far surpassing most cellphone cameras I seen).
Flash? Would be nice but then no other cellphone have a flash either. If you want a decent digital camera then you should buy just that a digital camera not a cellphone or pda with built in camera.

The slower processor have not been a major issue that I was afraid it would be. Programs takes a bit longer to launch and it takes longer time to boot but nothing extreme.

Memory. I do miss the 128MB ram of my H5555 I could do just about anything and install apps to my hearts content without having to worry or running low on ram. Having to use 68MB again have turned out to be a bit challanging need to be more careful to make sure I store more on my SD card and less on ram and have to be more careful on the apps I install and be sure not to not install a bunch that I do not use.

Conclusings:
I really enjoy this unit. To be able to check my mail, get weather and news and even view MSNBC on the go is really nice thanks to GPRS and WiFi. It hurt to have to buy MS Voice Commands to get voice dialing which I was used to from my T68i and Z600 this should been included with the cellphone.
I do not miss my Z600 or my H5555 very much but wished I had more RAM in this unit.
My first unit frequently looked up and was horrible but after gotten it replaced I have almost only good things to say about the H6315 obviously my first unit was defective and I suspect the QA is not what it should be since I read numerous reviews of other people that have had horrible experience that resembles my own with this first defective unit. If you buy one and it frequently looks up on you bring it back to the store you bought it from and have them replace it under the 14 day return/replacement policy that HP offers on these.

Despite negative reports from some disgruntling users, this is a very good unit. To be fair, this is the most comprehensive device currently avaible on the market. The battery time is longer than other PDA/smart phone devices on the market, and you can purchase a longer-lasting battery from HP. Don't expect a device with so many functions will come cheap, it is not fair. After spending some time setting things up (longer than I had expected), everything runs well as expected (phone, WiFi, email, bluetooth, internet). The only complain I have is regarding T-Mobile, in some areas the phone connection was not good. But blame it on T-Mobile, don't blame this problem on the device. I would say I did not have problem in 90% of the areas I travel through. Yes, the second generation will be better, but for now this is the best you can find on US market. I am not going to waste my life waiting for the second generation, I need this device now.