HP IPAQ Review

The Hewlett-Packard iPAQ Voice Messenger smart phone at first glance appears to be a glorified cell phone and closer examination reveals that judgment to be accurate. When this reviewer first purchased the Voice Messenger, it was painfully ironic to realize that this device, which touted itself as a 'smart phone', was not at all intelligently designed.

Visually, the most obvious aspect about the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger is the faux QWERTY keyboard, which does resemble the layout of the QWERTY keyboard while retaining the standard T9 button arrangement. This makes for an awkward neither here, nor there sort of experience and adjusting to the QWERTY layout without the convenience of individual buttons for each alphabet can prove to be a trying experience even for the most patient adapter.

Another quirk of the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger is the presence of a scrolling 'button' that employs a light sensor to detect the direction of scrolling. This is one of the smart phone's redeeming features, for it eliminates the possibility of wear and tear on that most useful of buttons. While this reviewer was initially skeptical of the sensor's ability to consistently pick up finger motions, it has been a pleasant surprise to have the Voice Messenger successfully perform the intended movement every time. It must be said, however, that this scrolling device, while initially alluring with its silver coating, quickly fades to reveal a transparent base. While its functionality is not compromises, this can be an eyesore.

The HP iPAQ Voice Messenger integrates a 3.2 megapixel camera, which is sufficient for the occasional usage of this smart phone as a camera, but ultimately pales in comparison to the far more advanced cameras that are presently being worked into consumer phone models. The Voice Messenger also works in WiFi capability, which is quickly becoming standard practice among smart phone manufacturers. However, the awkward keyboard arrangement and the relatively small screen make surfing the web an inconvenience on this device.

The battery life of the Voice Messenger is perhaps its biggest failing, and in a portable device, this fault can prove to be a critical one. While this device had an initial standby battery life of two to three days, the battery life quickly declined - at the end of several months, the standby time was reduced to less than 24 hours.

On a software front, the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger uses the Windows Mobile 6.1 interface and this review, in its focus on the Voice Messenger device will avoid a discussion of the merits and failings of that platform.

In conclusion, the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger is a device that meets the basic expectations of a smart phone but hardly goes any further, packing in design flaws and paling in comparison to competing smart phone devices in today's market.