Sierra Wireless Voq Professional Phone w/ VoqMail Pro (Unlocked)

by Sierra Wireless

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches ; 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0002Z9AIQ
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,004 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Are you an on-the-go professional who carries around a lot of devices to keep you in touch and on track through your workday? The Voq Professional Phone from Sierra Wireless could offer new-found freedom. The Voq was specifically designed to overcome the challenges of carrying multiple devices unnecessarily. The phone combines the best features of a high-end GSM mobile phone, a handheld personal digital assistant, and an e-mail device into one powerful and pocketable device.

There are actually two versions of the Voq Professional Phone, one bundled with VoqMail Professional Edition and one with VoqMail Personal Edition. If you need compatibility with enterprise e-mail servers (Exchange, Lotus Notes, Novell Groupwise) and VPN services, then choose the product on this page. Users who plan on only using their Voq with POP and IMAP-based personal e-mail services can use the other version, which is bundled with VoqMail Personal Edition. Note that phones with VoqMail Personal Edition can be upgraded to the Professional version at any time via the Sierra Wireless Web site.

Design

Click the image to get a closer look at the Voq's features. For a complete list of the applications that come pre-loaded on the Voq Professional Phone, click here.

While the Voq follows the candybar form factor it adds a touch of hand-friendly ergonomics with a slight hourglass shape. The most dramatic feature of the Voq, though, is a unique fold-out number pad that reveals a QWERTY keyboard for text entry. Just below the 176 x 220 pixelss display is a five-way selection joystick that allows you to navigate and control the Windows Mobile interface. Shortcut and selection buttons are also provided here. up/down buttons are provided on the left side of the phone for volume control and supplementary menu control. There's a standard 2.5mm headset jack, while USB data and charging is handled by the i700's docking ports on the bottom of the device. An infrared port is also provided for wireless data synchronization. Memory expansion is provided by a slot for MultiMediaCard (MMC) and Secure Digital (SD) cards. The Voq ships with 48 MB of internal memory, which is expandable via the memory card slot. The device features a 200MHz xScale processor. The device runs on the Windows Mobile for Smartphones 2003 operating system.

Calling Features
The Voq's built-in speakerphone with support for conference calling makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear. Polyphonic ringtones are included, as is a vibrating alert. The Voq also features voice recognition technology that lets you dial a number by speaking the digits to the phone. The included Pocket Outlook software features a contacts list that is cleverly integrated with the phone's dialing functions. Finding numbers and contacts is easy with the Voq's intelligent lookup and search functions.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
The Voq is designed as a complete solution for people who want to bring their office with them. The unit comes packed with pocket versions of Outlook, Internet Explorer and MSN messenger, as well as VoqMail Professional Edition. In addition to keeping track of contacts, Pocket Outlook features integrated calendar and e-mail functions. VoqMail Pro, which is presented as an alternative to Outlook's e-mail functions, optimizes battery and network performance to deliver mail seamlessly and reliably for users with personal accounts (POP, IMAP) and work accounts (Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes, Novell GroupWise). VoqMail Pro also supports VPN access. With VoqMail Pro you can also wirelessly synchronize your calendar and contacts to Microsoft Exchange 2003.

Traditional text messaging is also supported by the phone, as is the multimedia messaging service (MMS) for sending and receiving photos, sounds and graphics via text messages. The Voq's EziTAP predictive text engine supports SMS text prediction and completion using the front numeric keypad for one-handed operation. As mentioned, MSN messenger is also included if wireless instant messaging is more your cup of tea.

Microsoft's ActiveSync software keeps the device synced with all of your PC's Outlook information (via USB or IR connection). Users who want Internet connectivity on the road with their laptop or PDA can tap the Voq's wireless modem capabilities (service provider data charges apply). You can also use the Voq's built-in Internet Explorer browser for GPRS-enabled Web browsing.

A number of additional handy software tools are bundled with the Voq including a voice memo recorder, a to-do list and an alarm clock. A calculator application features advanced and basic modes.

Imaging and Entertainment
The Voq isn't just for work. The inclusion of Windows Media Player means that you can use the handset as an MP3 or video player. The amount of music and video you can store is only limited by the unit's memory, and the included stereo headset is designed for music enjoyment. You can also personalize your Voq with customizable backgrounds and screens. If you're into mobile gaming, the Voq has you covered. The phone ships with Mt. Voq, Solitaire, and Jaw Breaker and more Java or Windows Mobile-based games can be added.

Vital Statistics
The Voq Professional Phone weighs 5.11 ounces and measures 5.25 x 2.16 x .96 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 6 hours of digital talk time, and up to 100 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the GSM 850/GSM 1800/GSM 1900 frequencies.

What's in the Box
Voq handset, battery, AC adapter/charger, mono headset, synchronization cable, companion CD, Voq pocket reference, Voq user guide, warranty card and end user licenses.

Product Description

You demand more from your phone. Voq Professional Phone is a unique version on a Windows Mobile-based Smartphone designed for you, the mobile professional. The Voq phone provides the capabilities of three powerful devices: a high-end mobile phone; a two-way messaging device; and a personal digital assistant. All in one phone. Its compact, pocketable design and flip open QWERTY-thumbpad is tailored for your busy lifestyle. Like you, the Voq phone is the best in its class.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After 3 months: still good phone, useful PDA, January 29, 2006

By 

R Subramanian "MovieFreak" (Boulder, CO, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sierra Wireless Voq Professional Phone w/ VoqMail Pro (Unlocked) (Wireless Phone Accessory)

Overall: Good phone; SOLID build; reasonable battery life: 2.5-3 days with an hour's talk time + some PDA-work (and cheap spares), good QWERTY keyboard for SMS/e-mail, syncs well with Outlook (appointments, contacts). Decent documentation.

Phone pros: good/decent signal, good/decent call quality. Good external numeric keypad. Predictable battery life (2.5-3 days, though I talk maybe 1 hour in that time). Got a spare battery off an online auction site for cheap. Can use .wav files as ring tones (MP3 -> .wav via Audacity? I haven't tried). SOLID build.

Phone cons: somewhat large (candy-bar with a big screen!), have to get used to the earpiece position (can't rest the phone on my ear)... And once, though the keypad was locked, the phone (slipped into my pant pocket) called up my friend. Weird. But that hasn't happened again. Ringtones could be louder.

PDA - I can sync my contacts with Outlook and keep track of my appointments, which is all I really want. Have also managed to use Gmail via POP3; the VoqMail application does not support POP3.
(For POP3, you have to enter the server IP address and port completely (pop.gmail.com:995, smtp.gmail.com:465), I had some trouble with that. Internet connection via GPRS also has somewhat of a weird work-around - look up the cingular.com FAQ for setting up the Audiovox SMT5600 SmartPhone, nice screenshots.)

PDA pros: QWERTY flip-out keypad good for notes, contacts, appointments. My fingers are not slim, but not fat either - so I can enter data/SMS at a good pace. SD expansion slot. Windows Mobile 2003 SE actually, FWIW. "Flight" mode - but I still turn it off in the plane!

PDA cons: Has frozen (only!) a couple times in 3 months, can't find a reset pinhole, so took out the battery... (momentary flashback of my last PDA - a Toshiba e310).

Have had the Sierra Voq for over three months now, happy camper. Way better than the Motorola v180 (which it replaced) or the e310. Now, if only I could get a decent non-leather cover for it... Too bad Sierra stopped production, but if they hadn't, I wouldn't be able to own this wonderful phone! One man's poison....

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Feature rich phone. Good phone, but could do with some improvements., September 10, 2005

By 

Martin J. Brewer (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sierra Wireless Voq Professional Phone w/ VoqMail Pro (Unlocked) (Wireless Phone Accessory)

Obviously the intuitiveness of the phone is dictated by Windows Mobile Smartphone 2003 - which at best can be described as OK. Feature wise it's right up there and of course it integrates seamlessly with Office via Activesync or over the internet. Which does bring up the issue of configuring it. I bought it for use with T-Mobile and I found it quite difficult to navigate which T-Mobile services I'd need to get all of the functionality on the phone - combined with the fact that since this phone is unsupported by T-Mobile, you'll need to manually configure the email/internet etc. Finally got it all figured and now everything works well. However, using all of the features will consume your battery. Heavy usage of the email and internet features will mean a battery life of about 1 1/2 days. Lighter use, or no use, brought it back up to about 3 days on standby. Sound quality is excellent and construction is above par with one caveat - the screen is made of plastic which is anything by scratch resistant. Advise buying a carry case.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Phone!, June 12, 2006

By 

Cavity Search (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sierra Wireless Voq Professional Phone w/ VoqMail Pro (Unlocked) (Wireless Phone Accessory)

I bought this phone to replace my old one, which was getting old and [...]. This is possibly the best cell phone I've ever had. I get good, strong signals in places where before I got nothing. The reception is crystal clear and the sound is loud enough to hear in noisy environments. The display is clear and easy to read, even in the sun.

Pros:
Solid build
Outstanding receiption
Large display (for a phone) which is sunlight readable
QWERTY keyboard which is very pleasent to use, compared to a number pad
Loaded with software
Plays movies and music
Speaker in the phone is loud and clear, better than most laptop speakers
Battery lasts long enough to get you through the day
Plays MP3's for ringtones
Vibrates AND Rings at the same time, if you so choose
External antenna connection (still looking for adapter...quite sure I'll find one soon)
Comes with high quality handsfree earbud/mic
Sincs easily with Outlook for contacts, calender, and tasks
Voice dial by name or number (works great)
IRDA and cable (included) connection to computer for sinc
No Bluetooth (no worries about hackers stealing your data)

Cons:
Sometimes it takes a while to complete a task when running through a bunch of programs
Alarm and installed ringtones are pathetic
Doesn't come with car charger (it should, considering the battery life)
Battery life is short
No Bluetooth (toys are restricted to the cabled and IRDA variety)
Last Sierra Wireless phone, which means eventually they'll stop even having a web site for support


I've seen a bunch of folks complaining about the battery life. The way I see it, if the battery lasts until I plug it in at night, with a little to spare, that's good enough. I can see if they are flying all the time, but who is so lazy that plugging in their phone every night, as opposed to every three or so nights, is a big sleep-loosing issue? I've ordered a car charger on Ebay, just in case, since at a moments notice I may find myself driving or flying cross-country. As soon as I find a spare battery, I'll buy it, for the same reason.

The phone is big, compared to my last phone, which wasn't a smartphone, didn't have a QWERTY keyboard, had a tiny screen, and didn't do anything other than place calls. However, compared to other smartphones, it's about the right size, and feels good in the hand as well. It's also much smaller than a PDA phone, or a PDA/cell phone/MP3 player/movie player cluster of devices that all need their own batteries, chargers, add-ons and doodads. Frankly, nobody should be whining about the size, since the dimensions are clearly stated. Doesn't anybody own a ruler?

It is somewhat a pain to configure this phone for internet access. According to Cingular, all their phones have some top-secret software installed that magically allows them to access the net. Since their programmers didn't have a chance to work their voodoo on this phone, there's absolutely no chance that it'll work with their internet service. Well, after a bit of fiddling with the settings, much trial and error, and looking at the settings of their other phones (available on their web site) it worked just fine. I managed to view most web sites, except those with Shockwave animation, which seems to shut down the browser (same as my PocketPC). CAUTION! I racked up [...] in internet charges with just a few minutes of browsing. After you get it working, I strongly suggest you enroll in a data plan.

As for some of the other issues folks complain about, there are three things to keep in mind:
1) This phone is bought from a third party, and was never offered by any US service provider. That means it is up to YOU to set everything up, or have that nerdy kid down the street do it for you. It wasn't overly complex for me, and though I have some experience with networking, I am by no means a pro.
2) There is a firmware update for this phone. You much check out their web site for downloads and instructions. As it is, my phone had the latest firmware, which was a very nice touch.
3) This phone was the first Sierra Wireless made, as well as the last. Unlike Sony, Nokia, Motorola, and others, they didn't have years and years to polish their design, work out kinks, respond to customer feedback, and so forth. They boldly tried to make phones, did an incredible job for a first try, found the phone business to be filled with too many lawsuits and much drama, and quietly bowed out. This means you aren't going to get a perfect phone, and support for this phone will eventually dry up altogether. Be prepared for this.

I don't think this (or any) phone was ever worth [...] mainly because of the limitations of Windows Mobile and a device that must be around the size of a cell phone. It is certainly a bargain [...], with no contract, unlocked, brand new, and a fairly complete software package. It's also not a huge loss if it gets stolen or broken.

Kudos to Sierra Wireless for a great phone. I only wish they had time to build more refined models.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update 9/20/06

First of all, this phone DOES work with the new SIM cards from Cingular. I turned it on, placed a call, and received a call, all without problems. I also got full bars in my living room, which even my brand new phone doesn't get.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find an external antenna adapter. According to one source, the connector was designed for a car kit adapter, sort of a quick-connect type thing. I did buy the car kit, however, the antenna connector barely touches the contacts, so it's unlikely you'll get a solid, reliable connection that's suitable for data, although it probably works very well with voice.

I stand behind by review (except for the spelling mistakes...oops)

I went through three phones, all brand new with oodles of modern goodies and fancy bling, before I found one to replace the VOQ, and even then I was disappointed with the OS, which is Windows Mobile 5. There is a lot more software out there for WM 2003se than WM 5.

In fact, I haven't decided yet if my current phone is The One.

If you can find the car kit (found mine on Ebay) it might be a worthy investment. The VOQ slides right in, and the kit can either be installed in one car, or moved from vehicle to vehicle. It comes with the parts to do both. The only bad thing is the antenna, which is lame, but you can buy a Wilson antenna and hook it right up to the connector.

The performance is very good. I've played several games on the VOQ, and it performed flawlessly, with no slowdowns. Other apps did slow down at times, but it never locked up.

The mono headset is the best wired headset I've used. The stereo headset is good for music, but not good at all for calls.

I've been using a 2 gig SD card with no problems, although I've heard the max capacity is 512 mb. There's something to be said for a standard size SD card, which is very rare with phones today. No silly adapters for mini or micro SD cards, inexpensive, and easily removed without having to shut down, remove the battery and SIM, and all that nonsense which seems to be the standard with today's phones.

The phone felt solid when I first got it, and after a few months of using it I can say it is very solid.

If this had bluetooth, heck, if it just had a good external antenna adapter, I'd keep it. I even considered digging around in there and soldering a good connector, but after having tried a bluetooth headset, I can't see going back to wired.

I still haven't decided whether to put the VOQ on Ebay. Should something happen to my current phone, which is too expensive to quickly replace and which Cingular refuses to insure, again because it's too expensive, I'd have a real hard time going back to a cheap normal phone. I'm even having a hard time giving up my QWERTY keyboard. Anyway, I'd hate to see this great phone sit around for nothing while the battery ages, so I'll probably send this up after the return period is over for my new phone.

Did I mention this phone works with the new SIM cards from Cingular? Outstanding!

CS