HP iPAQ hw6955 French

I have had a few devices before I found this one couples years ago, but they don't have this many features! I hate to carry several devices (cell phone, mp3 player, PDA, etc.) and this device truly merges everything into one.

Size/Weight
It's a bit wider than the average cell phone, but not too large to hold in hand while talking. Buttons are not too small that I accidentally press other buttons instead of the one I want.

WiFi
A cool feature for someone who doesn't want to pay for GPRS data plan. Great for checking emails/stocks, but not for everyday use as 802.11b isn't that fast for wireless connection. WiFi uses a bit more power than GPRS so expect your battery to be drained.

GPS
One of the main reason I stick with this phone is because of the A-GPS on this device. Unlike Blackberry and iPhone, this GPS can operate without data plan, as the NAVTEQ software installs the maps into the phones storage memory or miniSD card.

Reception
I have no problem with reception on this phone, and because of the Quad-band feature, I bring this phone with me to every business trip around the world.

Qwerty Keyboard
I actually liked the keys better than touch-screen keyboard on iPhones because they are easier to feel when pressing. And they are spaced further apart than Treo and Blackberries keys, making it easier to hit the right key. Backlight in bright white... typing in the dark is no problem!

Camera
A disappointing feature with only 1.3MP camera, and this phone cannot send MMS at all (I've called Rogers technician to go through with this).

Battery
This worst part of this device. Device shuts down once at 50% battery life (it'll take some luck to turn it back on), and shuts down completely at 30% (which you need to plug into a charger to turn the device on)

Do NOT buy this phone. It seems everyday I find another reason. The user interface demands a LOT of USELESS 'clicks' to delete a message etc. Even when locked, it often redials from my belt. That happens so often, I now call myself after every call, so that when it does redial, it isn't annoying a prospective client. When the battery dies, there is NO warning, and it shuts itself off at approx 30% power. So, why call it 30%? Call it what it is - 0%! I didn't mind the wide format, because I was going to use a blue tooth earpiece, but there is a bug in the firmware and it will NOT work with Blue Tooth 2.0. Also, about once or twice a week, I need to pull the battery to force a hard reset, because it has gone into some sort of loop on the interface.
The buttons are WAY TOO small for an average man's fingers. So, this phone requires TWO hands to operate. Since I can't bring my self to sell it and pass these troubles onto someone else, I am tempted to put a large nail through the screen, take a picture, and put it on eBay at double retail price with a full list of issues. Hopefully HP will buy it from me to get it off eBay.

I had previous models if HP, and many blackberries old and new.

Good:
The reason I got HW-6955 is because it yields the best synchronization with the outlook as compared to other smart phones including Nokia , Blackberry etc. Phones, addresses and many other contact information including groups calendar and tasks finally work exactly as they appear in Outlook.

WiFi is a great option and definitely provides potential for money savings.

GPS works great with Streets and Trips 2005 that I had for over 2 years now.

Reception is good so far, I know I can get signal when in the elevator, and Blackberry or Nokia would drop calls.

Bad:
Battery sucks. It depends on the usage and settings, but it is possible to drain the battery in about 2-2.5 hours from full to empty.

Price:
Well I did not pay for it, but I think it is fairly priced if bough on the contract, it is only 350 from [service provider] as compared to 399 for blackberry that does not have Camera, and WiFi.

This phone sucked so bad I had it replaced 4 times and they all did the same thing, if someone called it would freeze so you couldent answer the phone,
when you switched in between menues it would freeze.
It was slow over all.
Bad recepetion at all time.

please dont waste your time or money on this phone.

Thanx