PDA: Public Display of Affection. MUCH better than the 6600.
Written: Feb 13 '07 (Updated Jul 27 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wi-Fi, sleek, large keys, better software, when open - the image flips automatically
Cons: No back-up battery, cables and accessories not the same as the 6600
The Bottom Line: great upgrade from the 6600, but may be a bit much for basic cell phone users
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| criteeker's Full Review: HTC Verizon XV6700 Cell Phone |
I have owned both the Treo 650 and the Audiovox/UT Starcom 6600. When I switched over to Verizon, this 6700 wasn't due for another couple of months. I should have waited, because the 6600 was a waste of time and I love this 6700 phone/PDA/ultra cool gadget.
We've all been there before... We buy a new cell phone only to realize that all the chargers, connectors, batteries, etc will no longer work with your new phone. What a waste! I thought upgrading from the 6600 to the 6700 would be hassle free and I was wrong. Not even the storage card is the same - making it a bit more laborious to get info from one cell phone to the other. The 6600 used an SD card while the 6700 uses the mini-SD card. I'd guess this is because of a space issue in the phone.
The connectors on the 6700 are much more sturdy. The connector on the 6600 were flimsy and broke too often. My other gripe about the 6600 was the volume - both during calls and the ringtones (especially). The 6700 is nothing short of VERY LOUD.
There are also so many types of cell phone users. Including those who just want a straight phone, those who want a phone with a camera and/or texting ability and then those who need a phone to be a mini laptop or palmtop as they're called. These types include many different devices rolled into one. The Audiovox 6700 is just that kind of phone. Its target demographic competes with the Blackberry or Treo-type phones.
In The 6700 Box:
The phone, a 1350 mAh battery, USB cable & cradle, manual, power cord, quick start guide, software CD and a wired headset/headphone.
Accessories you should buy: A set of screen protectors, extra stylus, the high capacity 1800 mAh battery, a Bluetooth headset and a mini-SD storage card. The prices of these have plummeted so I opted for the 2-gig card. Great for storing pictures and video.
As a phone: 4.5 stars. It is a bit thick (front to back) but it's still about the same weight (10 ounces) as a Treo 650. Adding the hi-capacity battery adds a bit more weight and size, but for a gadget that's so many things in one, you learn to live with it. The 2.8" display is not protected so installing a screen saver is key.
The stock battery has a bit better performance than the 6600 (2.5 to 5 hours), but adding the hi-capacity battery is the smart move because mine seems to last for two to three days of heavy usage. For some reason, the 6700 does NOT have a backup battery. Backing up your device often is very important here. At least the 6600 had a button-type back up battery. I guess it's another space saving thing. To date there are only two OEM batteries made by Audiovox for the 6700 - 1350 and 1800 mAh.
There are third party batteries available in 1500 mAh (slim version) all the way up to 2400 mAh (the extended version). One source for accessories I have used is www.seidioonline.com.
The supplied cradle will charge your phone with either the slim or hi-capacity battery on board. There's a second slot to charge another slim or hi-capacity at the same time. Nice that they thought ahead and allowed for a larger battery. Caution: If you use any kind of skin-type case, it will not fit into the cradle. Although there are a few aftermarket cradles that allow for charging with a case on the phone.
One of my biggest complaints with the 6600 was that I could not hear the phone ring unless it was right near me. The exact opposite is true with the 6700. It's REALLY loud. So much so, that I have to turn down the ring volume most of the time. Good thing it has a vibrate mode.
The included headset/headphone is a nice addition. This enables the user to listen to music and answer a call with the touch of a button. Touching the button again, ends the call and the music resumes.
Backing up your phonebook is as easy as using ActiveSync that sends your contact list to your PC and can be stored in Microsoft Outlook or a few other similar contact management programs.
My service is with Verizon and I have zero complaints to date. I think I lost four calls in the 19 months I've had Verizon - and one lost call since I switched to the 6700.
As a Camera: 4.5 stars. It's still 1.3 megapixels, but this time around there's a macro switch on the lens for up-close shots. And yes, there's a flash. It takes pretty decent pictures for a phone. Something important when documenting an auto accident or when you forget your digital camera for family events. You can also shoot video and are only limited by the size of your memory card.
As an MP3 and Video Player: 4.75 stars. A huge plus with this device is that when you slide out the keyboard, the display automatically switches to horizontal and vise-versa. This product supports playback of .wma, .mp3, .midi, .amr, .awb, .m4a and .gcp files via Windows Media Player. The sound is pretty good actually. Unlike the 6600, you can play music either on the headset or out in the open via a small speaker. Obviously, it sounds much better on the headphones - especially if they're noise canceling.
As a PDA: 5 stars. Based on Microsoft Windows, it incorporates Microsoft Word and Excel. It manages your contacts, your tasks and your notes. Notes can be entered as text or voice.
As a Web Surfer: 5 stars. Surfing the net from the comfort of your car is easy and pretty fast - thanks to its Wi-Fi ability. A great feature here is that during ActiveSync, I'm able to sync my favorite places on my PC's version of Explorer to my phone. A huge time saver.
There's also a connectivity switching program called Comm Manager. From one screen you can enable or disable any of the connectivity features like Wi-Fi, the phone, Bluetooth, etc. Shutting down other devices saves battery power.
As a Text Messenger: 5 stars. Very easy to use interface and with the larger keys on the slide-out keyboard, it's a dream for fast texting. It uses MMS and Pocket MSN messaging. The only gripe I have here is that when you add a contact with *82 in front of their number, the texting feature will have an error. The *82 code is for showing your number when calling certain people. Because of the texting I have to remove the *82 when calling them and more often than not I get their voicemail. I wish they'd create a patch for this issue.
Sending pictures or files requires a few taps, but nothing too complicated.
Overall Impression: I love this phone! For me, there's usually one or two things that bug me about a phone but the other features make it worth living with. With this phone there's very little to gripe about. If you're in search of a simple phone or you hate reading thick manuals, this is not the phone for you. But if you're looking for a multi-function device that performs on all fronts, get this phone and thank me later.
As a small side note: Silver phones (like the one shown in this review) are for Sprint customers while the black and silver ones are for Verizon customers.
Update 3/24/07: The phone seems to have developed a stylus alignment issue. I am constantly having to re-align the stylus because tapping one thing will actually register another. This is really annoying when entering a new contact. I have to make a trip over to the settings and click on system in order to make the stylus and screen synch up. I'm hoping there's a patch available. Stay tuned.
UPDATE 7/26/07:
I got the 6700 and MAN is it a great phone - much better than the 6600. Please read my review of the phone by clicking HERE
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 300
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