HP iPAQ hw6515 - Mobile Messanger with GPS

[Ilya]

Overview
I've been using the 6515 for about 3 months now and I like it so far. (Not exactly the latest gudget, but I thought I would post my review of it here in The Gudget Corner.) Basically it is a Pocket PC running Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 SE, Phone Edition. It works on Cingular Wireless network and supports EDGE/GPRS data connectivity. What makes this PDA/phone unusual is that it has a built-in GPS receiver and can be used as a true satellite navigation system.

Specs

CPU: Intel PXA272 processor (312MHz)
OS: Windows Mobile 2003 SE, Phone Edition
Memory: 64MB SDRAM, 64MB Flash ROM
Connectivity: Bluetooth, GSM/GPRS/EDGE, GPS, IrDA, USB
Two expansion slots: 1 SD and 1 mini-SD.
Display: square 3" 240x240 TFT with 16-bit color​

Convenience
It's bigger than a Treo, some may find it bulky for a phone. And it looks kind of weird when you talk on it. But really, you are not supposed to talk on it. This is what Bluetooth headsets are for! For a PDA, the size and the form factor are nearly perfect. It fits very comfortably in the palm and feels very solid. The screen is big and bright enough. There is no antenna on the outside, so it looks more like a PDA or a calculator, not like a phone.

Connectivity
EDGE is no longer the highest speed available with Cingular. However, it still offers the biggest footprint nationwide, compared to UMTS/HSDPA or wireless broadband from Verizon, which are only available in big cities. It provides stable and reliable connection with download speeds well above 100K, which is fast enough for streaming audio and even some streaming video.

The hw6515 does not have a built-in WiFi. However, since it comes with two expansion slots (one SD and one mini-SD), you can easily add a WiFi SDIO card, while keeping the other slot available for a memory card. And as far as I am concerned, in most cases I prefer the convenience and global availability of EDGE/GPRS to the higher speed of WiFi hot-spots.

Software
The hw6515 comes with Windows Mobile 2003 SE, Phone Edition. It is not the latest version of Windows Mobile, but perhaps the most tested and at present time the most supported one by software vendors. Bundled software, includes all standard Microsoft goodies, including Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player 10, Outlook 2002 (desktop), Microsoft ActiveSync 3.8. Also included is Microsoft Pocket Streets, ClearVue Works programs (PDF, Document, Presentation and WorkSheet), and various tools from HP: Photosmart, Image Zone, iPAQ Backup, security tools, etc. And since this is a true Pocket PC, not just a smart-phone, you can install any third-party programs designed for Windows Mobile 2003. The only compatibility issue that you need to be aware of is that not all third-party programs are designed to work on a square screen!

Satellite Navigation System
As I already mentioned, hw6515 has a built-in GPS receiver. It can be used with the bundled Microsoft Pocket Streets, but if you need spoken driving directions you need to buy some real navigation software. I am using TomTom version 5 with US Maps ($130). It's basically the same software and maps as used in all standalone TomTom products. Pretty good program, although I did discover several map errors and routing mistakes. Overall, this gives you a decent Navigation System. Instructions are loud and clear and position is accurate most of the time, but unfortunately not always: sometimes (especially in bad weather) it may be wrong by as much as 200 feet! Fortunately this doesn't happen often. I was thinking about buying my next car with a navigation system, but now I don't have to. This will do it!

Other features
There is a built-in 1.3 Mega-pixel camera, so you can take snapshots and even shoot videos, but as with most phones the quality is poor. May come handy in a car accident though. Integrated thumb keyboard - convenient if you need to do a lot of typing on the go. The built-in microphone can be used for voice recording (activated with a single button), and of course the phone can be used as a wireless EDGE/GPRS modem for a laptop.

Pros

• Reliable data connectivity at a reasonable speed: EDGE/GPRS
• GPS Satellite Navigation system
• Two expansion slots for adding Wi-Fi, storage, etc.

Cons

• Not upgradeable to Windows Mobile 5.
• No support for latest high-speed connections, like UMTS/HSDPA
• Not all third-party programs support square screens.

 

[Kirby Baker]

Nice writeup.. But the big question I have, is this a pda/phone that is going to be replaced sometime soon with a newer version? Havent seen any press releases, but given that its been out a while, I just feel a bit hesitant to get one. Wish it was upgradeable to WM5!

 

[TheForce]

KIrby- You may be referring to the 6715 whichj is the WM5 device but it will have other stuff different as well. HP seems to think that the user has primary usages and decided to make one device, the 6515 a GPS centered unit while the 6715 is more for the average PDA user.

I disagree with a couple of Ilya's negative comments about the "other services" particularly the coverages of EVDO. as exampled "only available in some large cities." That was true a year ago. When I got EVDO for my laptop in November it was in 170 cities around the USA and continuing to grow. In January, I traveled on I-95 to Richmond VA and while going down the highway, lost data connection twice. Once just north of Savannah in So. Carolina and again just south of Virginia into North Carolina. Traveling along US 58 from Emporia to Virginia Beach, I lost Data connection several times. I also had my GPRS and compared it, No service through South Carolina and half of NC. Good connection in Virginia but nothing off the main interstate. In Newport News, nothing, but Verizon had solid signal on EVDO. So, while Verizon does announce cities for coverage, the actual footprint extends far outside of those cities.
But as for data speed, EVDO is not wifi. For large downloads having wifi is still preferable to EVDO. EVDO allows easy websurfing compared to the slower wireless services. But if you need to grab media files, as I do in the field, I still like to switch to wifi but EVDO now makes it possible. GPRS was impossible.

eg. typical upload- wifi 1 minute, EVDO with good signal 5-8 minutes, EVDO with poor signal 20 minutes GPRS 2 hours

So, I would suggest that if you are strongly looking for a good GPS navigation device as the primary reason for a PDA, the 6515 needs to be your top of the list PDA/phone. If you need versatile internet service with phone, Verizon's EVDO with a wifi option like my XV6700 should do the trick. Obviously, both can do what the other does to a less convenient form. I can add GPS as an outboard Blue Tooth receiver and plug in a 2 G map SD card for excellent GPS PDA but the 6515 as stated can also have wifi card plugged in and also have mini SD for the maps storage. You really have to define what youe primary and secondary needs are to find the right device.

 

[Ilya]

I disagree with a couple of Ilya's negative comments about the "other services" particularly the coverages of EVDO.

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend any Verizon customers!
I only stated that EDGE had bigger footprint than EVDO, and to the best of my knowledge this is still the case, though I am not necessarily up-to-date on the latest developments.

When I got EVDO for my laptop in November it was in 170 cities around the USA and continuing to grow.

EDGE is available in 13,000 cities. And has been available for some time now.

In January, I traveled on I-95 to Richmond VA and while going down the highway, lost data connection twice. Once just north of Savannah in So. Carolina and again just south of Virginia into North Carolina.

Yes, I know those dead spots. I usually lose voice GSM connection there too, not just data. I wish Cingular improves coverage along I-95. Overall, I am pretty happy with the Cingular coverage (ever since they merged with AT&T Wireless).

And by the way, I am not saying that Cingular is necessarily better than Verizon. If the voice coverage is more important than data, or if you travel primarily in the EVDO areas but you do not have the 3-d Generation UMTS/HSDPA yet, Verizon might be a better choice. However, for many of us, the discussion about which provider is better is really irrelevant, as we are stuck with our two-year contracts.

As for using WiFi for downloading big files, so far I didn't have a need to download big files into my PDA wirelessly. I was thinking about getting one of those SDIO WiFi cards for my 6515, but haven't found a good excuse for that yet. For my casual web browsing, checking emails, etc. EDGE is more than sufficient.

Laptop, of course, is a different story. In my laptop I have both WiFi and EDGE. But even with the laptop I find myself using EDGE more often than WiFi. On the road I usually don't have time to look for hot-spots. And even in hotels with free WiFi, I often use EDGE instead. It often gives me a more stable connection than WiFi, which is critical, if I am using a VPN. If WiFi drops my VPN connection every few minutes and I have to reconnect - it makes the work almost impossible, regardless of the speed. Of course, for downloading, and especially for uploading big files I would prefer WiFi or even wired Ethernet, no question about it.

 

[Kirby Baker]

Just found a site that is taking pre-orders on the Treo 700w GSM version. Likely to be a Euro model, but I dont care. My V3 is a Vodafone version and works fine. Think I will check the Treo out when it comes to GSM land....

 

[Ilya]

Nice writeup.. But the big question I have, is this a pda/phone that is going to be replaced sometime soon with a newer version? Havent seen any press releases, but given that its been out a while, I just feel a bit hesitant to get one. Wish it was upgradeable to WM5!

I had the same dilemma too: to buy the 6515 now or to wait for the 6915. The upcoming iPAQ hw6915 (formerly referred to as 6715) will have all the features (and the form factor) of 6515, including a built-in GPS, but it will have Windows Mobile 5, bigger Flash ROM (128MB), faster CPU (416Mhz) and a built-in support for WiFi. Unfortunately the WiFi comes at a price of one of the SD slots. The 6915 will only have a single MiniSD slot, which for me is worse than having an extra slot and a WiFi card.

The main problem with the 6900 (there will be 6910, 6915, 6920, 6925, 6940, 6945 and 6965 - different models for different countries, with or without the camera) is that it is still not known how soon it will be released in the US (most likely it will be first released in Europe, as 6500 was), and even then it is not clear which wireless operator will have it.

And another thing to keep in mind: by the time 6915 is released it will be obsolete too: It doesn't have support for UMTS/HSDPA.

 

[Kirby Baker]

Looks like the Treo 700W GSM is going to be hitting a few of the GSM providers in Europe in September. Long wait, but at the prices of these things, I think its best for me to wait and comapre these 6900's and Treo's once they are available for GSM. I wonder if they will hit market sooner in Asia? Guess all this waiting will just make it a early xmas gift for me

 

[Ilya]

Treo 700W does not have built-in GPS, so it's a different device altogether.

 

[TheForce]

Thanks for the update, Ilya, on the evolution of those Ipaq's. Actually, for me the biggest selling point of the ipaq is the screen size. Please don't laugh, but to deal comfortably with my new XV6700 or the Treo, I went to Staples and bought a pair of +2 reading glasses. No more eyestrain to read the tiny micro print! Now, you don't know this but I don't wear glasses, never did and have just a slight astigmatism in my right eye. Not needing correction. So, that is an inconvenience but it works.

Back to Verizon vs. Cingular- I was a Bell South Mobility customer since 1985 and they were the founders of Cingular if you recall. Only when the Ipaq6315 came out did I switch to the T-Mobile service in October 2004 for that reason. At that time Neither Verizon nor Cingular had any real high tech data service. T-Mobile was it. Over 2005 I saw Verizon and Cingular go different directions I did only a 1 year contract so I found my move to Verizon to be free without penalty. I now am stuck with Verizon for 2 yr contracts but don't think it will be a bad 2 years as the data is fast enough and the footprint continues to grow. So, far I have not found a place I go that does not have EVDO in my business travels. With GPRS I hit coverage only about 60% of the time.

Correct me if I'm wrong on this but from a data speed point of view, the EDGE service that you say is so wide spread is only at minimum speed as is the top end of GPRS. In other words, I sometimes would clock at 125 kbps on Gprs and I understood that EDGE was good from about 100 to 250 kbps. With EVDO, the speed is minimum at 300 and has topped out at 1.6Mbps. This is why I say it is like having a DSL line. Plus, unlike my home provider the upload and the download are the same. I believe the laptop card is faster connect, however, than my pda phones.

Kirby- be sure you read the reviews on the on board memory of the Treo's There is a bunch of complaints about that. The device is really not for any power user but rather a businessman needing cell phone and e-mail with their Outlook 2003 exchange server. This is why my wife likes it so much. It is a good match for her. I kept running out of memory so I went with the XV6700. Hopefully, these pda makers will get it figured out by then and will do it right for the GSM version.

The mini SD slot is not such a bad deal. I thought it would be a problem but the san disks come with an adapter and the cost is competitive. I have a 1G and just ordered a 2 G mini SD that will work on both my Treo and XV6700. The only switch over now is to replace all my SD with minis so I can swap around easily.

Oh, BTW one of my regular business locations has no cingular service, northern Westchester county NY. Want cell service there- It's Verizon or Sprint. My T-mobile will sometimes connect on top of the hill.

 

[TheForce]

Ilya- I was doing some surfing on the 6900 series and ran across the info that HP just release a rom upgrade for your 6515. If you didn't know, you should check that out as it is claimed to fix memory leaks among other things. Release was on Jan 25th.

 

[Ilya]

My average download speed over EDGE is 120-160K. This is good enough for web-browsing, but not always good enough for video-streaming. EVDO and Cingular's HSDPA can definitly do better than that: 400K or more, though keep in mind that you need to disable proxy/accelerator before running any speed tests. (In one of our local Verizon stores they used to show a laptop connected via EVDO. They were running some speed tests showing excellent bandwidth: sometimes even above 1Mbps! But then when I went to some web sites the speed wouldn't look that great at all. It took me awhile to figure out why. They were running tests without disabling the proxy/accelerator and as a result, they were actually measuring speed between the webserver and the proxy. No wonder they were getting such great results!)

The 6515 only works with Cingular, so whether EVDO is better or not doesn't make much difference.
I wish HP supported HSDPA (BroadbandConnect, how Cingular calls it). But looks like it won't be available even in the upcoming 6900 model.

 

[Ilya]

Ilya- I was doing some surfing on the 6900 series and ran across the info that HP just release a rom upgrade for your 6515. If you didn't know, you should check that out as it is claimed to fix memory leaks among other things. Release was on Jan 25th.

I saw it, but I don't think this applies to US models (6510a and 6515a) which already have ROM version 1.12. Thanks anyway!

 

[Ilya]

By the way, here is some data on the 6900, in case you are interested:

http://h40047.www4.hp.com/certifica...hw6940_hw6945_hw6965_Series_HSTNH-H06C-WL.pdf

 

[TheForce]

check out msmobiles.com/news.php and see the article on the Hw6515.

More new GPS updates for you. AGPS achieves faster fixes for the hw6515. There is a link to the download there in the article.

 

[Ilya]

There were some problems with the previous AGPS patch 1.27. I hope this 1.28 patch works better!
Thanks for the link.

 

[Stargazer]

When I read the topic I thought it meant MSN Messenger with GPS as in it would tell you where your located to the person your chatting with.