Verizon finally rolls out Windows Mobile 6.1 update for Verizon XV6900 (Touch)

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.

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.

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.

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 

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.