Verizon XV-6800 Smartphone (Verizon Wireless) | 
| Brand: HTC
List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $249.99
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Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 4416
Color: Blue
Media: Wireless Phone
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
Model: XV6800
UPC: 044476802386
EAN: 0044476802386
ASIN: B0011FQR96
Release Date: December 18, 2007
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| Features:
| • | Windows Mobile 6 smartphone with sliding QWERTY keyboard for easy input | | • | Fast downloads via Verizon's EV-DO connectivity and connect to open Wi-Fi networks (802.11b/g) | | • | 2.8-inch color TFT reorients itself automatically depending on how you hold the phone | | • | Up to 5.4 hours (324 minutes) hours of talk time, up to 340 hours of standby time; measures 4.33 x 2.32 x 0.73 inches (WxHxD) | | • | Included: Phone, AC travel Charger, Battery, USB Data Cable; Spare stylus, Simple pouch; USB Splitter; Software, Guides |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Leave the laptop behind and stay connected and productive wherever you roam with the XV6800 Smartphone, the newest Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition device from Verizon. It features an extra-large, 2.8-inch touchscreen as well as a surprise waiting up its sleeve: just slide the top of the phone sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. And the new Windows Mobile 6 operating system enables you to view and edit Word and Excel documents as well as provides instant message capabilities via Windows Live Messenger. (See more details about Windows Mobile 6 below.) The included Outlook Mobile software offers up-to-date e-mail, calendar and contact information. It operates on Verizon's North American CDMA voice network, as well as on Verizon's speedy EV-DO data network, which enables you to quickly access audio, video and data applications as well as connect directly to your office's network. You'll be productive wherever you roam thanks to the integrated Wi-Fi connectivity for use at wireless hotspots and access to Verizon's BroadbandAccess Connect service (which lets you use your phone as a modem to your laptop; subscription required). Other features include built-in Bluetooth connectivity (for headsets and stereo headphones), 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, and MicroSD memory card expansion. 
Surprisingly svelte and easily pocketable, the Verizon XV6800 weighs under 6 ounces and measures just 0.73 inches thin. | Verizon Service
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon's multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) With BroadbandAccess Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices. Verizon's Wireless Sync always-on email service (subscription required), you can stay connected and get the job done while away from the office--without a delay and in a secure environment. Email is delivered to your device in real time across the National Enhanced Services Rate & Coverage Area, and you get the ability to forward large attachments via email as well as access both your personal and corporate emails on one device. Wireless Sync offers strong security with AES encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard) technology so that unauthorized parties cannot access or alter application data transmitted over wireless networks. 
The Verizon XV6800 slides open sideways to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, and the screen reorients itself depending on how you hold the phone. | Phone Features
The sliding keyboard provides a familiar interface and allows for quick and efficient input of information, and the slide-to-hide form factor eliminates bulkiness for a sleek and stylish design. It measures just 0.73 inches thin and weighs a svelte 5.8 ounces. The 2.8-inch color touchscreen transreflective TFT screen automatically orients itself depending on how you hold the phone (i.e., from portrait to landscape and back again). It displays 65,000 colors and has a 320 x 240-pixel resolution. In addition to supporting EV-DO wireless broadband networking, the Mogul also features Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), which enables you to use open wireless networks at airports and coffee shops. This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server--using Sprint's Mobile Broadband Network. And when connected to a Bluetooth headset, caller information for incoming calls will be spoken through the Bluetooth device. Decide to answer the call without ever looking at your phone. The 2-megapixel autofocus camera (with up to 8x digital zoom) on the back of the Mogul captures images up to 1600 x 1200 pixels (good enough for prints up to 8 x 10 inches). You can make such camera adjustments as white balance and exposure metering, choose from resolution modes (such as sports for fast-moving action) as well as use of the integrated flash, and set a self-timer of either 2 or 10 seconds. Additionally, the Wing can capture video with or without audio (in MPEG-4, 3GPP2, or H.263 format, the latter being best for sending via MMS). You can also play back audio and video files downloaded from the Internet or sent to you via email using the integrated Windows Media Player. Other features include: - Included memory: 256 MB ROM (163 MB user accessible); 64 MB RAM (49 MB user accessible)
- Instantly send and receive SMS Text Messages across the room or across the country.
- Updated ActiveSync technology (version 4.5) offers one of the best PC to mobile device sync experiences, making it easier to configure with faster data transfer and sync accuracy.
- Hands-free operation of your phone is made easy with the built-in speakerphone, allowing you to take a conference call virtually anywhere
- Stereo headset jack for handsfree operation and music enjoyment.
Powered by Windows Mobile 6
Windows Mobile 6 adds power to your mobile office with up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars. |  
Edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets on your phone, just as you would on your desktop/laptop PC. |
Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6 updates the Windows Mobile 5 platform with a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file. With Windows Mobile 6, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations. - Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
- With Excel Mobile, youa€™re not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
- PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
- After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.
All Windows Mobile 6 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 12 more reviews...
 5-Star PDA + 3-Star Phone February 5, 2008
Nathaniel C. Moffat (Bethesda, MD United States)
52 out of 53 found this review helpful
You can find a great phone or a great PDA, but combine them and even the best smartphone will fall short in some respect. Understanding which tradeoffs fit your profile is the key. You will appreciate the XV-6800 if you: 1.) Have ever been called a nerd; 2.) value an endlessly customizable productivity and entertainment gadget; and, 3.) can live with okay-not-great phone functionality. On the other hand, if you are a power phone user (and/or prefer a simple interface to one with exposed complexity), you may find a simpler cell phone a better choice.
A WORD ABOUT THICKNESS
There's a widely-accepted myth that phones with slide-out keyboards are thick because of, well, the keyboard. It's not true. Like cell phone screens, they're wafer-thin: It's the battery (typically located beneath the keys) that's to blame. Because consumers comparison shop for long talk/standby time and power-draining features (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth), hefty batteries are a necessary evil.
The XV-6800 is a case in point. At about the size of an elongated Altoids tin, and weighing 5.8 ounces, it is objectively neither large nor heavy. Yet at 1.2 ounces per cubic inch of volume, pick it up and "solid" comes to mind. It's like the old trick question, "Which weighs more: a pound of feathers, or a pound of iron?" Anyway, something to keep in mind about weight and form factor.
AS A CELL PHONE
Strictly as a cell phone, the XV-6800 is competent. Reception is good, especially given the internal antenna. Voice quality is okay; speakerphone volume could be better. Power phone users may prefer a device with real (not graphical) keys; getting the keypad screen back on to input numbers or navigate phone trees is often an extra step. After the voice speed dial function kept popping up for no apparent reason, I disabled it.
SCREEN
The QVGA (320x240 pixel) touch screen is bright (adjustable in 10 increments), with good contrast, and rich color. At 2.8 inches, there's less "screen door" effect than with larger QVGA screens. Web pages render well, and even the tiny text found on non-mobile optimized web pages is quite readable.
KEYBOARD
About a second after the back-lit QWERTY keyboard clicks open, the screen switches from portrait to landscape viewing mode. Keystrokes offer positive tactile feedback and a muted click to let you know you typed a letter. After a couple of minutes getting used to the function key, you will find yourself thumb-typing away. If you simply can't deal with tiny keyboards, you can always summon the familiar graphical keyboard and hunt-and-peck using the stow-away collapsible stylus.
OPERATING SYSTEM & SOFTWARE
The phone ships with Windows Mobile 6.0 operating system (OS) and Windows Mobile 6 Professional. The OS is stable and seems more crash-free than previous versions, and is helped by the device's abundant memory. Included are pleasantly usable mobile versions of Adobe Reader, Excel, Word (intuitive, with lots of formatting options), and PowerPoint. The Internet Explorer Mobile browser works well (there is a handy launch button top right on front), with websites downloading quickly where the Verizon EV/DO data network is available.
Before considering this device a laptop replacement, though, see if creating spreadsheets and composing documents on a 2.8-inch screen is an appealing idea for you. I don't mind it, but if you are moving toward reading glasses and large text, you may be happier knowing they're there to read email attachments.
RANDOM SETUP TIP
After extensive troubleshooting and re-installs, the device was still not recognized by my PC. Here's what worked: Start > Settings > Connections tab > USB to PC. I then un-checked "Enable advanced network functionality." If it doesn't do the trick, you can re-enable it and move on.
CAMERA
The two megapixel (1600 x 1200) camera takes pretty good pictures. The many edge-of-screen icons suggest daunting complexity, but they are actually an advantage because you won't have to navigate through pages of menus just to check settings. There is slight shutter delay (this is won't replace a serious camera), but for a smartphone, it's better than you would expect. One other note: What looks like an exposed lens is actually a clear and fairly hard lens cover. It is slightly recessed and seems unlikely to scratch.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the XV-6800 is a powerful, flexible, configurable device that will be more rewarding for a tech-savvy user than for someone who thinks of it as "a cell phone with extras."
 Could have been great January 17, 2008
Conrad B. Senior (Easton, CT United States)
31 out of 46 found this review helpful
I waited a long time for this phone, as I wanted a phone with Wifi capability in order to check email, and occasionally browse the Internet. My needs were simple. I wanted to sync up with Outlook. I use Task List daily and wanted it at my fingertips. I'm not overly impressed with Outlooks task list, but it was what I had on my home computer. I also use Calendar, and Contacts on a near daily basis. On to my review.
Phone: As a phone I rate it 3 stars. It is average at best. The touch screen was cool, but I found it didn't work well. Given the screen is huge, one must still constantly work one's way through the menus. FOr example, after dialing, if you need the keypad you must press a small icon to bring it up again. Those of us who regularly need to wind our way though automated attendants will find this frustrating. Pulling up a phone number was not easy as it was with all my other phones. I can live with that. I though that perhaps I could get voice dialing working with a blue tooth head set to mitigate the hassle pulling this large phone out of my pocket. I found the bluetooth would pair up nicely but it never worked right. I'd hit the ear-piece to accept a call and find it dropped--it was suppose to auto answer--so perhaps this was a setting that could be adjusted. I paid $200 for the phone new via corporate discount, and didn't think it was worth half that amount.
PDA Functions: 1 star It took multiple phone calls to Verizon to get this function working. I found my data charges changed from monthly to per use and was billed an astronomical amount for data, when all I did was run some broad band speed test as directed my Verizon. If they don't reverse these charges, I will be switching to AT&T next month. More I how I have learned to hate Verizon later. The bottom line. Making this work with older versions of Outlook--like Outlook 2000, and Outlook 2003 may be painful to work through. I hate Outlook 2007. So for me, the next option it a Palm type PDA--those PDA's are designed to be both fast and useful.
Operating System: 1 star I prefer the Palm interface. MS's OS is slow to boot up. I found the PDA shutting itself off for no apparent reason and rebooted itself often.
Controls and Buttons: 3 stars My XV6800 would turn on the Internet function often. There is a dedicated button at the top right for this, and it seems to activate in my pocket. This can be reprogrammed, but I decided to return the device instead. The wheel on the side works well--I'm right handed. I found the combination of buttons and the wheel worked well. I wish I had more time using these as I would probably have liked the device better if I had been less reliant on the stylus.
Keyboard: 4 stars. The keyboard slid out easily and worked well. The function keys and shift key were a bit of a pain, but I'm sure that was operator error (me) and suspect there is a way to lock these. To punch in a number for contacts mean punching the function before every numerical button press--i.e. a ten digit phone number required 20 keystrokes. Someone please tell me there is a way around this! Loading a contact manually was a MAJOR hassle. I didn't like the way the fields were laid out and it was not fun. I hated it. I found I needed the stylus when using the keyboard, as the wheel was in an inconvenient location--unless you are left handed when the keyboard is open. So if I needed to use a stylus, why have a keyboard--I'd rather have a smaller device with a good virtual keyboard like the iTouch.
Virtual Keyboard: 1 star This was a joke. The Return, space, and Punctuation keys were with the numbers! That means the typing anything length must be done using the big keyboard--otherwise, one my switch between the numeric virtual keyboard and qwerty keyboard--back and forth every time you need to use the space bar--insanity! What were they thinking? They must have been on drugs when they developed this device! Why didn't they use the Palm style virtual keyboard? The XV6800 keyboard is was ridiculous to the point it was useless. Why have it then? It made no sense to me.
Wifi: 1 star. I never got this working. This device is programmed to go to Verizon's network. Verizon told me that I had to pay them for Wifi access that they did not provide. I tried to disable the dialing sequence for the Verizon network, and it reprogrammed itself to come back on. There was no way to disable Verizon's network and use the Wifi. This is a lawsuit ready to happen, and the main reason I returned the device. Verizon had a great network, but they continue to screw up what could be great phones, in their quest to screw their customers. I am now using an iTouch for small device Web browsing. The virtual keyboard is laid out well, you can resize with your fingers, and stop page loading if you hit a link by accident
Verzons's Data Network: 1 star. I found it slow loading web pages. It was so slow that it is maddening. You will go out of your mind waiting, and if a page partially loads and you scroll down--guess what happens the page finishes loading? It sends you back to the top--so you must wind your way down again to find your place. This can happen multiple times it your fruitless attempt to read a web page as it slowly loads. Often I found myself directed to another page when I was simply trying to scroll down farther. The size of the display is horrible. Their network is so slow that I talked to their customer support about it and found that their was nothing wrong with my XV6800--this slow speed is what I was stuck with. By the way, I get a 21% discount for unlimited data. My cost was $35/month. Even at this reduced rate I did not feel Verizon's slow speed was worth anything. If you want to add stress to your life, and go crazy, get Verizon's data service.
Camera: 4 stars. It was a little hard to operate. I was never sure if my pictures were saved. In some cases they were and in others they were not. It is not an easy camera to operate and I did not study the manual on it, but it did take better pictures than any other phone I've ever used. I think that once an operator learns how to use this cumbersome camera, he or she will like it. But don't expect it to me layed out in a way that makes sense--it is nothing like any other camera you have ever used. There is nothing intuitive about it. Still I gave it 4 stars for the picture quality which was quite good.
MPEG Player: 1 star This requires an adapter cord that I was not willing to carry around with me. The adapter plus into the USB port and provdes for another USB port so that it can be used when playing music to charge--which is something you will need to do. Still I wish there was a plug in the phone for ear phones. This is some sense to this though. Read on.
Stereo Bluetooth: Not tested. This might make the MPEG Player into 5 stars, but I doubt the battery would last two hours in this mode. So the idea is to plug it into your car charger while using it. Don't plan to use these walking around unless you are close to a charger!
Basic Functions: 1 star On/off. I was never sure if it was on or off. I found it turned itself off often.
Battery Life: 1 star. Battery life is the worst I've ever seen. I tried turning off every function I could think of like automatically checking email, active sync, and Wifi while setting the display brightness as low as possible. I made a point to turn off the screen when I was not using it. Still my battery life was at most 1/2 a day. The back of the device is so flimsy, it did not seem reasonable to buy another battery and be constantly changing batteries. I would have chosen that option, if the back and battery were one easy to slip on part (remember the old style cell phone batteries?), and if it came with an external charger. On the plus side the XV6800 does charge with a mini-USB. This should be the standard for all cell phones--so that you can charge with any computer, wall charger, or car chargers.
The bottom line is I went back to my old phone. If you want Wifi, I urge you to get an iTouch. I love mine. I use it at home while watching TV, at the Yacht Club, and while traveling--most of my friends have Wifi. For a PDA, I'm now considering getting a Palm Treo 755p. The Palm interface is far superior to the Microsoft OS. If you need Web Browsing, get a small computer with a full sized keyboard and chose Sprint if you need a fast internet connection.
Finally, if you think Verizon has a good network, think again. A good network does not make up for selling crappy, crippled phones. The XV6800 was a good idea, but at it's best it has serious limitations, when you subtract the features that Verizon has crippled in it, it is not worth even a look. I recommend anyone thinking of Verizon as a provided to going for an iPhone with AT&T--the cost may be greater, but the iPhone is pretty good and getting better. AT&T's network is continually getting better, more so since they have integrated with Cingular. I'm stuck with Verizon for another two years. After that I'll be looking elsewhere.
Great if you want a PDA phone. December 30, 2007
***MATT***
18 out of 20 found this review helpful
It's been about a month since I got this phone and overall so far-so good. This is a PDA first, and a phone second. This isn't for the average person and requires some technical knowledge to operate, otherwise you will become completely frustrated.
The bad.....The Mobile 6 OS is designed for right handed people and as of now there is no way to move the scroll bar to the left of the screen. Keep that in mind if you plan on using the stylus with your left hand that your hand will cover the screen when you use the scroll bar. Next, the memory should have been a bit higher than 64mb because there is some lag when changing the view to panoramic, and running multiple programs. I did add a 2GB micro sd card for storage which I'd recommend. The "speaker phone" is also a issue for me. I wish it was louder because it's very hard to hear if there is any background noise(like while riding in a car). The voice dialing is also pretty useless because the phone seems to always misunderstand the names you announce to dial and you have to hurry and hit the end button otherwise the phone will automatically dial the wrong person. My LG9800 was much better at voice dialing and you didn't have to manually speak and save every persons name in your phonebook! The LG was automatic(it had a text to speech function). The Bluetooth has to be refreshed quite often and doesn't connect automatically, you must turn on the bluetooth on your phone first. Even after you set it up, it seems to randomly disconnect the settings a couple of times a week. The camera(2.0 megapixel) seems to take washed out photos. Maybe I need to play with the settings a bit more but my old LG (1.3mp) definitely took better photos. The camera is also slow to take photos. Also, no lens cover for the lens filter.
The good.....The phone is clear, and I seem to get better reception than I did with my old LG. Windows6 has been totally stable for me and hasn't crashed yet. Active Sync is awesome to transfer stuff back and forth between this and your PC. Nice touch screen that works very well(make sure you apply the included screen protector). The WiFi works awesome and it's great for both internet and email. The full Querty keyboard is a must for people who like to text. The keyboard also lights up. I like the fact that this phone does not use Get it Now, V-Cast, or any of those other "V" programs as I found that software unreliable as I had quite a few issues with the music player. The Data network (if used on this phone) is much faster than the Get it Now network. It doesn't freeze up on me like the Get it Now network did. The indicator lights are useful and let you know if the phone, bluetooth, or data network is connected. Turning off the Blue Tooth and/or wifi saves battery life when not in use. There is also a message indicator light to let you know if you have a message. Also, there are a ton of apps out there that you can download so you can really customize this phone. The camera has multiple settings and hopefully with a bit of tweaking, I can take better photos. The flash also acts as a flashlight, and this has come in handy multiple times already. The phone also comes with google maps, and there are a few free themes/ringtones/etc to download from the microsoft mobile site. So far the battery life seems great, but isn't it always great when you get a *new* phone? I suspect with all these bells and whistles the battery will eventually wear down and I'll probably have to buy a spare. We'll see.... For now, it's charged every couple of days, and only comes with a AC charger, not a car charger.
Overall, the good outweighs the bad(for me). Before you buy this phone, I'd seriously look into understanding Windows Mobile first. This phone has a lot of bells and whistles, but is probably difficult to work for the average cell phone user. I really wanted the AT&T Tilt which has better features (and cost less) than this phone(also HTC), but in terms of cellular service.... Verizon has been *a lot* more reliable for me(Northeast). I guess you can't have it all.....
 Review based on previous reviews February 2, 2008
Mary Z (U.S.A)
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I own this phone and judging from what the other reviewers state, I would never have even tried it. However many items reviewed as negative were either based on their knowledge of pda-phones or the Windows mobile operating system, (which is standard on most all phones of this style) and several things I read were not accurate. I previously owned the X6700,which this phone replaced and have found it to be a great improvement, especially with the internet connection speed over Verizon's network as well as more memory and faster response time for programs. Windows Mobile 6 is also more stable and necessary resets are a thing of the past with this phone. WIFI may also be turned off and on with this phone saving battery life yet allowing me to connect to my home and office network at will.
Note that there is a learning curve that is needed to operate the phone as it is unlike a regular cell phone, but this should be expected as you can do so much more with the xv6800. For the sake of clarity, will list features I would like to respond to that other reviewers felt negatively to.
Voice dial: Yes it is useless but Voicecommand by microsoft is a wonderful program that will fit the bill, (the voice recognition is great)Not free but there are lots of freeware for windows mobile.
Onscreen Keyboard: While I don't use it that often, this came with windows mobile, not the phone. Resco Keyboard is inexpensive as a replacement and looks just like a standard keyboard with the shift functions etc. just like a standard keyboard.
WIFI: This phone will connect with ANY wifi network successfully after being configured. I have used it in the airport, home and office to connect to the internet and other computers. Very handy! I suspect the previous reviewer did not set up the wifi correctly and this is where the problem originated they complained about.
Verizon Network. Network speed really depends on where you are. At home I have gotten 450 to 600kps but I live in the only area of town that does not have evdo! At work I have gotten 1500kbs which is better than my dsl at home! I do have the unlimited data plan but if you do not want to use it and do not want the phone to auto connect check out forums like pdageeks and there are easy ways to disable it permanently.
Email: Verizon supplied direct push software can check your personal or business email as often as every 10 minutes depending on how you configure it, but be prepared to take a hit on battery life for frequent checks. It works quite well but my only compaint here is that the filter for junk email doesn't screen well enough for the amount I still recieve. Luckily I have it go to my 4gb data card that has enough room so I only have to delete it every few days.
Battery life: I have seen complaints about battery life but I personally have had no problems. With light use, I have gone for three days between charges but as with most pda phones, nightly charging is recommended and that is what I try to do. I have not tested, but have listened to music continously on a 4 1/2 hour car trip via the headset and still had well over 50% battery available that night when I plugged it in.
Bluetooth: I have a stereo bluetooth earpiece that I use in the car and at home as it has a second removable earpiece to use when listening to music. Works fantastic and I don't have to deal with cords but music sounds wonderfull! (plantronics) However when I am not using it, I turn the bluetooth off if I think about it, to save battery life especially if I will not be at home to charge the phone. A button on the right side of the phone brings up the comm manager with one push making it easy to do. I also use this unit as a GPS with a mini bluetooth unit from deluo (less than $80) So this phone does double duty in the car and is just as good as my old tomtom! without any charges for service.
Camera: The camera is definately much better in clarity and brightness in comparison to the 6700 but don't expect it to replace anything but another camera phone. It shouldn't be expected to compare with a real camera though in my opinion.
In conclusion,I am extremely happy with this phone. When I first began using windows moble, there is a learning curve, but once I felt comfortable with it, would never think of going back to palm based systems. Almost anything you want can be customized. For the reviewer who didn't like the number of menus need to access a certain function, all buttons can be remapped to run a program or a function easily and many replacements for features such as keyboard or voice software are replaceable although not all are free.
My initial problem with the phone was with the volume, I had problems hearing callers even at full volume, almost sent it back until I found an easy and free fix at the phone forums. The only other issue I am aware of is the alarm function failing to wake up to phone while charging for those who use it as their morning alarm, there is a fix for this on the forums as well but I have not tried it since I don't need the function.
Verizon does offer a 15 day free test drive where you can return the phone without penalty even if you just don't like it and want something else so there is little risk of getting stuck with something you don't want.
Advertised WIFI Connectivity of NO Use January 25, 2008
E. Mccloskey (Westfield, NJ USA)
13 out of 27 found this review helpful
This review focuses on one heavily promoted aspect of this phone and one which was a major part of my decision to buy - WIFI connectivity. I have found very little useful information about the phone's WIFI capability except confusion and false data on internet review sites. Many questions have been asked by the phone's owners and potential owners, but I have found no tangible, positive information showing that the phone can connect to the internet via WIFI. Thus this review.
Verizon advertises that the XV6800 phone has WIFI connectivity. Using WIFI, you should be able to connect to the Internet using MS Mobile's Internet Explorer and connect to email via Outlook without paying the monthly data access fee that Verizon charges for this type of phone (approximately $45/month). Their advertising does not say that you can do these things. It simply states that the phone has WIFI. I opted out of Verizon's data access plan with the idea that I would use WIFI only. After all, Verizon's advertisements do claim the phone has "WIFI connectivity" - with the clear implication that you can use the connection productively! And true enough it does have WIFI. But I found out that once connected to WIFI, you cannot do anything with the connection. It's sort of like driving down a dead-end street. It gets you no where.
All of the many professional reviews of the XV6800 phone I have read on many websites promote the wonders of the WIFI connectivity. But I highly doubt that any of these reviewers actually tried to do anything with the WIFI connection or investigated the WIFI features in depth. The XV6800's configuration options do not provide for using WIFI to connect to the Internet via Internet Explorer or to email via Outlook.
As an aside and for comparison, I bought my wife an Apple iTouch MP3 player for Christmas. The iTouch has WIFI connectivity too. And it connected to our wireless network with no effort and no problems -- automatically. And it accesses the Internet via WIFI with no problems. Not so with the XV6800.
Yes, the phone recognized our network and connected to it. But from there it was all downhill. Outlook on this phone does not allow any other service provider than the Verizon Wireless network. This is not WIFI! It is the wireless data network they want you to pay $45/month for (or possibly even much more if you connect to their data network and you don't have a data plan). There is simply no option to use WIFI with Outlook. In fact, there was no option period. The Verizon Wireless Network is the only "option". It does not allow configuration of WIFI as a source for email.
It also does not allow WIFI as a source for internet connectivity. Thus, the WIFI connection is useless. There is no option for WIFI. And when I tried some other option, it always tried to dial the Verizon Network anyway.
These are good things to know if you are planning to use WIFI and WIFI is a major part of your purchase decision as it was mine. In that case I suggest you research this aspect thoroughly! I should have done that rather than buy the phone and then have to return it.
I suggest going to a Verizon store and have them SHOW you how WIFI works and that it works. Advertising WIFI connectivity certainly implies that you can do the typical things WIFI provides such as internet connectivity, email connectivity (via the internet), etc. And you shouldn't have to be a rocket scientist to do it. The Apple iTouch is an example. It works. The Verizon XV6800 does not.
As a result of my findings, my XV6800 phone is being returned to Verizon and they have a very unhappy customer.
This review is based on my hands-on experience with the phone. I hope it has been helpful to you.
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