Click to View

Sprint PCS launched the PPC-6700 Pocket PC Phone, the first Windows Mobile 5.0 smartphone in the United States, a couple of months ago. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada today, competitor and fellow CDMA operator Verizon Wireless introduced the same smartphone for its network.

While Verizon calls its version of the Pocket PC Phone the UTStarcom XV6700, the handsets are otherwise essentially the same. Both support high-speed Evolution Data Optimized network (EV-DO) cellular networking, for example. For Verizon customers that means data-transfer rates of 400-700 kilobits per second (kbps) in more than 1,180 major metropolitan markets across the nation.

There's also Wi-Fi for connecting to WLAN's and Bluetooth for personal area networking to headsets, car kits and printers, for example.

Like many other smartphones today, the UTStarcom XV6700 integrates a QWERTY thumb-keyboard that slides out from the side of the unit and a 2.8-inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixel) resolution type display; typical for a Pocket PC. You need to use the keyboard when the screen is in landscape mode.

Additional features include a 1.3-megapixel camera with built-in flash and digital zoom for taking still images and video. The device also includes a built-in mini USB port and miniSD expansion card to add memory, transfer music, photos and video from the desktop, or load additional games and applications.

As a Windows Mobile handset, the UTStarcom XV6700 includes versions of familiar applications like Microsoft Outlook, Pocket Internet Explorer 4.0, and Windows Media Player 10. Windows Mobile 5.0 features Microsoft ActiveSync (version 4.0) for faster and easier synchronization of e-mail, contacts, calendar, tasks, and documents. There's also Pocket MSN with Hotmail, Messenger and content services for maps and directions, weather, news, money, entertainment and yellow pages.

The 5.2 x 2.3 x 0.9-inch and 6.5-ounce device runs on a 416 MHz Intel PXA270 processor, 64 MB or RAM and of 128 MB ROM. UTStarcom XV6700's 1350 mAh Lithium Ion Polymer battery promises up 5 hours talk or up to 200 hours standby time.

Verizon started shipping the UTStarcom XV6700 to enterprise customers today and will make it available generally on January 19 for $300 after $100 rebate with two-year customer agreement and qualifying data plan.

SmartPhoneToday will post a review of the Sprint version of this Pocket PC Phone next week.