Verizon XV6900 News

Verizon XV6900 hands-on --

Updated:
Tue 07/01/2008 @ 11:43

RATING:

Anyone remotely familiar with the HTC or Sprint Touch will feel right at home with Verizon's version, the XV6900. The XV6900 isn't content to just fall in line and play "me too," though -- Big Red decided to go with a blindingly glossy white finish, bucking the soft-touch black used as a staple of the Touch line, and that could be a boon or a bust depending on who you are and how you intend to use the device.

The tenets of HTC's TouchFLO interface are totally preserved from the other Touches we know and love, and thankfully, Verizon went easy with the application of bright red to the UI elements. Physically, the XV6900 is just ever-so-slightly larger than its GSM cousin -- not enough for the average person to ever notice in the course of regular use -- and the addition of 3G data is more than enough to make up for that slight difference as far as we're concerned. One thing that struck us was how much better the XV6900's display was over the original's; the overwhelming improvement in contrast is pretty striking, although to be fair, we would've never noticed had we not had them side by side. Check out the full gallery below.

Gallery: Verizon XV6900 hands-on

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Review: An HTC Touch for Verizon, the XV6900 --

Updated:
Mon 06/30/2008 @ 07:13

RATING:

Physical Aspects

At 102mm x 60mm x 14mm (4.0" x 2.4" x .6") in size, the new XV6900 for Verizon is 2mm longer than the original GSM device, but still quite small for a smartphone with these capabilities. At 111g (4.0oz), it is also pretty light for a Pocket PC smartphone. By comparison, other HTC PocketPC devices like AT&T's Tilt look like giants next to the XV6900 and weigh 63g (2.2oz) more.

The smooth lines that make up the design of the XV6900's white body, along with its compact dimensions, make the XV6900 one of the most comfortably held Pocket PC devices ever made. The 77mm (3") long stylus is not going to please a lot of people, though, as it is too short to be comfortably used for an extended period of time.

Luckily, the driving force behind the XV6900 is that its large 2.8" (44mm x 57mm), 65k color touchscreen display is finger friendly, meaning that users will be able to get away with using the stylus less than with typical Pocket PC devices. Unlike many stylus compatible touchscreens, the display on the XV6900 is flush mounted to its body, and the touch sensitive surface extends well beyond the limits of its 240x320 pixel resolution. Not only does this make it easier to hit on-screen controls that are located by edges or corners of the display, but it means that the screen can easily be cleaned with a quick swipe on a pants leg. My only complaint with the display is that it can be a bit hard to read in direct sunlight, though running it at maximum brightness level mitigates the problem to some extent.

Beyond the large screen that dominates the XV6900, there is relatively little else to talk about. The small d-pad that is located beneath the screen is well designed and easy to use. It is flanked on either side by very small call control keys that light up green and red. A chrome edge separates the dark front and rear faces of the XV6900. A volume slider is located on the left side, a dedicated camera key with a very nice feel is found on the right. The power key is on the top of the XV6900, and the typical miniUSB power/data/headset port is on the bottom edge. A 2 megapixel camera and self-portrait mirror are located on the back cover. The entire back cover can be removed easily to expose the battery and allow the unique microSD card slot cover on the right edge of the phone to be opened.

While I ran into some problems with the SIM/microSD cover on the original HTC Touch, in that I could not get it back in place without some trimming with a knife, I had no such problems with the Verizon version of the device. I still find the cover a bit difficult to open, but it is at least secure and works properly on this version.

The Verizon XV6900 for Verizon comes with a small case, an extra stylus, and a splitter for charging while using a 2.5mm wired headset at the same time. A power adapter, USB cable, and screen protector are also included in the kit.

Michael Oryl is the Philadelphia based owner and editor-in-chief of MobileBurn.com. He also operates several other tech sites, including DigitalBurn.com.

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Verizon XV6900 Review - In-Depth --

Updated:
Tue 04/29/2008 @ 01:49

RATING:

We've been using the new XV6900 for more than a week now. Here is our take on our favorite Windows Mobile phone from Verizon Wireless.

Appearance
The striking white color really makes the XV6900 stand out from the rest of the black and gray smartphones on the market. Almost everyone that has seen me use a black smartphone before, never batted an eye. Now I get questions everyday from friends and colleagues asking me "what phone is that?"

This is the first PocketPC I've owned that actually fits comfortably in my Pocket. The phone is remarkably thin and lightweight. The rounded edges give the phone a softer look and feel. With only a 0.5 inch depth, 3.9 inch height and 2.3 inch width, this phone is easy to hold in your hand and carry.

Reach Out and TouchFlo
The XV6900 comes with "TouchFlo" gesture interface software from HTC, the maker of the phone. TouchFlo makes it quicker and easier to access commonly used programs. With a 3D Cube interface, you can slide your finger across the screen to access different programs, favorite contacts and more.

XV6900 3D Cube (Applications)

XV6900 3D Cube (Multimedia)

WindowsMobile – Easier to Touch
HTC has improved many aspects of the Windows Mobile Interface by modifying the interface to be more finger touch or gesture friendly.

Anyone that has misplaced their stylus and tried to use the tip of their finger to close a program or use the slider to scroll up or down on another Windows Mobile touch screen device will appreciate the XV6900's intelligent design and user interface. There is no beveled edge around the screen, unlike other devices, which allows users to easily reach the edges of the visible screen with their finger. Closing programs and grabbing and moving the slider are very easy tasks to accomplish on the XV6900.

Using the HTC supplied "Large Start Menu" program (active by default) makes it very easy to use your finger to select items on the start menu.

Large Start Menu

Standard Start Menu

TouchFlo also allows you to slide your finger across the screen to scroll up and down or left and down. This is very useful when viewing a web page or scrolling through a list of contacts.

HTC has replaced the standard Windows Mobile Today screen with a feature rich Touch interface that significantly improves the usability of the phone. The new Today screen includes a large digital clock and 4 tabs (Home | Weather | Launcher | Sound) allowing quick access to frequently used programs, settings and information.

XV6900 Today Screen (Home)	XV6900 Today Screen (Weather)

XV6900 Today Screen (Launcher)	XV6900 Today Screen (Sound)

Text Input
Since the XV6900 doesn’t come with a physical keyboard, you will need to use one of the on-screen keyboards for adding contacts, typing emails, texting or filling out web forms. The XV6900 comes with 6 different methods for entering text. Some options are easy to use with finger gestures, others are easier to use with the included stylus.

Two of the input methods are very Touch friendly. The Touch Keyboard and the Touch Pad.

The Touch Keypad simulates a wireless phone keypad on the touch screen to allow you to enter text, numbers, and symbols just as if you were using a wireless phone keypad. The number of keys on the keypad is 12.

Touch Keypad

The Touch Keyboard simulates a 20-key QWERTY (typewriter) keyboard on the touch screen to allow you to enter text, numbers, and symbols similar to the way you would using a QWERTY keyboard.

Touch Keyboard

Internet Access & Connectivity
While XV6900 doesn’t come with Wi-Fi, the XV6900 does come with EVDO wireless broadband internet access. The EVDO is software upgradable to and even faster EVDO Rev A once Verizon makes it available. The current EVDO speeds are a bit slower than your standard DSL, but much faster than dial-up. For phone based internet access in the U.S., the Verizon EVDO network is as fast as it gets.

One weakness of Windows Mobile is the web browser. Although the browser has been improved in Windows Mobile 6, it’s beginning to show its age. It doesn’t render web pages as well as some other 3rd party web browsers such as Opera Mobile. If you plan on heavy web browser usage, you might want to upgrade to Opera Mobile.

Internet Explorer Mobile (New York Times Mobile Edition)

Email access is very good. It was easy to setup POP3 access right from the phone to our email server. The HTML rendered messages are much easier on the eyes then plain text.

Use Your XV6900 as a Modem for you Laptop
If you are a mobile warrior, you can use your XV6900 as a hotspot for internet access almost anywhere. Simply install the VZW Access Manager on your notebook, supply your phone number & password, connect your phone to your laptop via the supplied USB cable and start browsing the web.

To use the XV6900 as a modem, you will need both a qualifying data plan and a tether internet access plan. We have the $44.95/month unlimited data plan along with a $14.95 tether option to use.

Desktop Software for Using the XV6900 as a Wireless Broadband Modem

Broadband Speed Results Test

	Home AT&T DSL	VZW Access Manager
Download Speed	1,281 kbps	1,001 kbps
Upload Speed	324 kbps	46 kbps

Tests run using speakeasy.com’s speed tester.

For downloading, using the XV6900 as a modem is almost as fast as home DSL.

Multimedia
Unfortunately, Verizon doesn’t offer is excellent VCAST service on the XV6900, therefore out-of-the box multimedia usage is limited to whatever media can be played on the Microsoft Windows Media Player that is supplied with Windows Mobile 6.

Software Applications
Office Mobile
- Excel Mobile
- Word Mobile
- PowerPoint Mobile
- OneNote Mobile
PIM
- Calendar
- Contacts
- Email
- Notes
Active Sync
Modem Link
Adobe Reader LE PDF Viewer
HTC Applications
- Camera
- Camera Album
- Comm Manager
- Voice Recorder
- Voice Speed Dial
- ZIP
Windows Media Player
Games
- Solitaire
- Bubble Breaker

Bottom Line
The XV6900 is a lightweight, beautifully designed Windows Mobile phone. Broadband access (EVDO) is very fast and makes up for lack of Wi-Fi. The HTC software additions to the phone make using Windows Mobile with finger gestures easier than on any other WinMo phone. We’d like to see more multimedia features and the Web Browser might need to be upgraded for web power users.

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Lightning Review: Verizon XV6900 (aka HTC Touch) --

Updated:
Fri 04/18/2008 @ 11:34

RATING:

The Gadget: Verizon XV6900, their version of Sprint's Touch by HTC, which is a pretty compact Windows Mobile 6 smartphone overlayed with HTC's custom TouchFLO for finger touchiness.

The Price: $299.99 online after $100 rebate with two-year contract.

The Verdict:

For a phone known in its past life as the "Touch," the touchscreen should be way more responsive. You've gotta actually put some weight behind your pokes, or maddened multi-tapping will be the order of the day (typing can be a serious calorie-burning exercise in frustration). Fingernails seem to work better than fleshy nubs, but it means swiping to get to the slick 'n' schmancy 3D Touch Cube navigation screen can occasionally turn into a massage for your phone.

The UI is basically the same as Sprint's sans Sprint logos, so if you liked your friend's, you'll feel at home. This is a Windows Mobile 6 phone, so all the usual pains (and glories) apply. Verizon's media toys, like V Cast mobile TV are still MIA on the WinMo front. The EV-DO Rev. A's blazing speeds are sweet, but unfortunately the browser doesn't match the awesomeness of the pipe—Gizmodo looks like an unreadable train wreck, for instance.

The size, shape and weight are great, but that doesn't exactly make up for the rest. Touch at your own risk. [Verizon Wireless]

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Verizon XV6900 Now Available --

Updated:
Wed 04/16/2008 @ 12:00

RATING:

As promised, Verizon has just released the XV6900, a Windows Mobile smartphone based on the very successful HTC Touch design.

It has a tablet shape with minimal buttons, instead emphasizing its touchscreen. It offers a customized launcher called TouchFLO, designed by HTC to make the device easy to use with fingers instead of a stylus.

Verizon XV6900

This device supports Verizon's 3G network, which it calls BroadbandAccess. It also has Bluetooth.

The XV6900 runs Windows Mobile 6 Professional, and comes with a suite of applications for handling Internet-based tasks like web browsing and email. Other applications include Microsoft Office Mobile for editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files, and Adobe Reader for viewing PDF files.

Other features include a 128 MB RAM/256 MB ROM, 2.0 megapixel camera, and a microSDHC card slot.

Verizon says its its standard 1100 mAh battery gives to 3.5 hours of use or 10 days of stand-by time. Its extended 1880 mAh battery gives 6 hours of use or 17 days of stand-by time.

Physically, the XV6900 is 4.0 inches tall, 2.4 inches wide, and 0.6 inches thick. It weighs 4.0 ounces.

The Verizon XV6900 is available now $300 with a two-year contract and online discount.

As mentioned earlier, this is a version of the extremely popular HTC Touch, which is already available from Sprint and Alltel in the U.S., as well as a number of wireless carriers around the world.

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