The Treo 650′s 320×320 pixel display offers 65,000 colors, a major improvement over the Treo 600, but contrast is disappointing, with some difficulty seeing the images on the screen in bright outside light. The touch screen is not protected and needs a cover to be purchased separately as one is not included. The keyboard is very cramped, making it easy to press multiple keys or adjacent keys inadvertently. The battery life is variable, lasting longer with less application use. Weighing in at over half a pound, the Treo 650 is a hefty unit.

The Treo 650 offers a Bluetooth port as well as an infrared port. No cradle is included; instead there is a USB cable that connects the unit’s multi-connector to the USB port of the PC. Unfortunately, there is no integrated Wi-Fi. Internet access is slow and some pages are not fitted to the screen size, forcing the user to scroll sideways as well as up and down. We tested this dual band unit for the Sprint PCS network on the East Coast and found it worked well in most areas.

One of the best features of the Treo 650 is the camera that takes photographs at a 640×480 resolution and records short video clips at 320×240. These can be emailed using the unit’s messaging capabilities. We emailed still pictures and videos to our email accounts. There was no trouble with emailing either photos or video clips to the Sprint website and then downloading them to a home computer. The length of the video clips depends on the available memory and the quality was average.

The Treo 650 is useful for anyone that needs the multiple power of an organizer, a powerful camera and a cell phone, although the price is steep and the weight may make using the phone uncomfortable.

The S710a comes with many multimedia and phonebook features, such as MP3 support, video recording and play back, as well as the ability to use your stored photo as caller id when receiving calls from your friends. The screen is large and very bright, with 262k colors and a whopping 320×240 screen resolution. The screen comes in handy for dialing outdoors, browsing the internet and viewing your photos and videos. The quality of the photos was good, while the video quality was acceptable for a phone. The audio quality of the speakerphone was pleasing – MP3 playback was crisp and clear. The S710a has 32 megabytes of multimedia storage and supports the Memory Stick Duo for external storage needs.

The S710a is not flawless. The number keys are a bit too small for the average finger and noticed that the menu is often slow in transitioning between different menu pages or even when using the phone in camera mode often falling behind the user’s commands. This problem is similar to one found in the Nokia 6600, but it is more noticeable with the S710a. Another major concern is the location of the microphone. Static cuts into the conversation if a user holds the phone too close to the face or moves it too much while talking. To properly use this phone the microphone needs to be held at least an inch away from the mouth. This is not a very comfortable position.

If you want the latest cool phone with a great look and a nice built-in camera, then the Sony Ericsson S710a is for you, but be ready to use your Bluetooth headset or the speakerphone when making calls.

The PPC-6700 is a feature-packed device that can be a great solution for on-the-go mobile users. When you are on the road you can use the device’s WiFi feature wherever there is a wireless network. This feature worked seamlessly in our tests. More important, thanks to Sprint’s EV-DO network, you can browse the web or check your email without having to wait for slow downloads. We tested the PPC-6700 extensively on the East and West coasts with great results. The device was able to keep the connectivity while traveling in a car or train with no problems. We even ran the portable version of GoToMyPC on the device with impressive results. In fact we were able to log in our desktop computer remotely and perform everyday tasks like checking email with ease.

The 2.88” screen has an above-average brightness when compared to other Windows Mobile devices. Even though it is a smaller screen than average, it still comes with a sharp 320×240 resolution. The screen is great indoors and at night, but we had some difficulties reading it under direct sunlight.

The keyboard, located at the bottom of the unit, slides out sideways and the screen automatically rotates to landscape mode. Each button on the keyboard is raised and larger than average, making it easy to use. You will not end up pressing 2 keys at once, even if you have larger fingers. In our experience the PPC-6700 offers a much better typing experience than the cramped Treo keys. The only downside, similar to the Treo, is that the numeric keys are accessed by pressing a button on the bottom left corner of the keyboard, followed by the actual number. This feature is something to get used to, but it’s not too complicated.

The Bluetooth feature allows you to easily connect with your wireless headset or even to sync to your Bluetooth-enabled notebook. Alternatively you can use the USB cable to connect with your computer. This allows you to recharge the battery in the process. You can also transfer files or store your MP3s using a miniSD card through the built-in slot.

As a phone the PPC-6700 provides clear calls, and easy to dial using the large numbers on the screen. We weren’t too pleased with the speaker feature as it didn’t deliver a clear, loud sound, but you can always work hands-free using a Bluetooth headset.

The PPC-6700 is also available through Verizon as the Verizon Wireless XV6700, which comes with a black casing and minor software differences such as the proprietary Verizon and Sprint applications.

Overall, the PPC-6700 by UTStarcom is a great solution for the business user on the road. We definitely recommend it.