Audiovox XV-6600

The Audiovox XV-6600 (which will be available to consumers beginning January 17) is almost the same as the Sprint PPC-6601. There's one huge change, though: This is the first handheld to use the Verizon EV-DO (Evolution Data Only) network (which the company calls BroadbandAccess).

EV-DO is true wireless broadband. It's currently in 16 major cities and counting. (We expect Verizon to announce more EV-DO cities at the Consumer Electronics Show.) Testing in New York City, we got throughput of from 520 to 670 Kbps.

With that kind of pipe, Web pages and e-mail attachments download smoothly, limited more by the awful Microsoft Pocket Internet Explorer than bandwidth. Pony up for NetFront's superior browser and Westtek's ClearVue attachment viewers to get a better Web and e-mail experience. The only third-party software Verizon bundles is Intellisync wireless sync, which uses a desktop redirector to let you manually sync PIM files and e-mail with POP3/IMAP accounts or a PC running Microsoft Exchange or Lotus Notes. It works, but stops short of BlackBerry-style push e-mail.

The XV-6600 lacks Wi-Fi, but with EV-DO, that doesn't matter much. Remote desktop access via LogMeIn worked perfectly, and large files downloaded swiftly.

You can also use the XV-6600 as a Bluetooth modem for your laptop, but speeds drop sharply because of restrictions on the Bluetooth connection: Our throughput was from just 250 to 300 Kbps on EV-DO—slow enough that downloading files definitely felt sub-broadband. But that's still more than twice what Sprint's version manages. Enterprising hackers have hooked the XV-6600 up as a USB modem to get much higher speeds. Verizon doesn't support that approach, but doesn't forbid it, either, so Google away.

EV-DO comes with a price, of course: for unlimited use, you'll pay a monthly fee of $45 on top of your voice plan. That's reasonable, though—it's about the same as most Wi-Fi hotspot providers charge, and it's much lower than Verizon's harsh $79-per-month plan for laptop PC cards. When you're not in an EV-DO area, the XV-6600 drops back to Verizon's national 1xRTT network, running at around 70 Kbps—a real difference, and a drag.

The XV-6600's talk time is a little less than its Sprint-branded sibling, but sound quality is a bit better thanks to Verizon's excellent voice network, and you'll get a little more PDA time. Otherwise, the XV-6600 is just like the PPC-6601—big, heavy, speedy, powerful, and expensive. It's uncomfortable to hold to your head and has a quiet built-in speaker, but it comes with a very good wired stereo headset and worked fine with our Logitech and GN Netcom Bluetooth headsets. Neither model of this PDA/phone supports voice dialing.

The XV-6600 won't win away Treonauts who adore their device's perfect balance of phone and PDA. But if you have deep pockets and a thirst for true mobile broadband, the XV-6600 is a great choice.

SPEC DATA :

• Operating System: Windows Mobile 2003
• Type: Pocket PC
• Screen Size: 3.5 inches
• Flash Memory Type: Secure Digital
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Notes: price with contract