Not so long ago, email on the move meant either you carried a heavy laptop and linked it up to your mobile via a cable, or you attempted to get by with the tiny screen and fiddly keypad of your phone. Thankfully, the Blackberry changed all that. Its combination of a small but easy-to-use keyboard and superb software meant emailing on the move became very simple. Look around any business class lounge these days and at least half the people there will be intently reading or tapping away on their Blackberrys – they haven't been nicknamed "Crackberries" for nothing. This iPod-like popularity has also meant that every mobile phone-maker has now jumped on the bandwagon.
The key to Blackberry's success, and the current range of email phones, is "push email". Rather than in the old days, where you'd needed to synchronise your phone to see new mail, now when a new email arrives, it's sent straight to your phone, thanks to some clever software installed on your company email server. Of course, this does require some changes to the email servers that your company uses, but most IT departments should be able to support both the Blackberry and phones running Windows Mobile software. However, it's imperative to check before choosing a phone that your IT department will support it – otherwise you'll be reduced to typing text messages on your expensive new handset.
Consider also how often you think you'll need the email functions. If it's only occasionally, you might be able to get away with a phone keypad rather than a keyboard, so the smaller Orange SPV C600 or the Nokia N73 reviewed here (see overleaf) are worth a look. They still pack a punch, but also mean you don't have to ruin your suit pockets, or fall into the common trap of carrying two phones – one for voice, and one for email.
For serious emailing, however, keyboards are king. The keyboards here may at first look tiny, but after a few hours' use, you'll be typing like a demon – the knack is to use both thumbs.
If you've decided an email phone is worthwhile, there are an awful lot to choose from. Here are a few general areas you need to look at before making your purchase.
Operating system
By far the biggest decision you face is which operating system (OS) to use. The OS is the software that runs on the phone, and there are three main versions out there – Blackberry's own proprietary software, Microsoft's Windows Mobile software, Nokia's Symbian software and Palm's OS. Your IT department will probably have a preference, and it's a good idea to listen to them – after all, if something goes wrong, they will be the ones fixing it.
In recent years, Windows has really taken off on phones, and Windows Mobile 5.0, the current version, is a fast, slick, easy-to-use OS. However, some people do find it clunky, and for technophobes the relative simplicity of Nokia or even Palm may serve you better with their icon and touchscreen-driven interfaces. Remember also that you can customise many of these phones – adding your most-used features to the first screen you see when switching it on can make life so much easier.
The Palm Treo 750v – reviewed here – is particularly good at this, giving you access to almost everything you need from a single, well-thought-out opening screen.
Nokia's software, based on the open-source Symbian platform, has been designed as a phone OS from the ground up, and it shows. In terms of icons, it's quick and easy to navigate around, and there's also a thriving developer market writing software. The Blackberry OS is also icon-based, and extremely colourful – some would say almost garish. However, it's very easy to get to grips with. The outsider here is Palm. The Treo, the first smartphone to run the Palm OS, is still an absolute cult item among serious nerds, and, surprisingly for such a product, is incredibly user-friendly. But the key here is to find out what you're comfortable with – there is no point buying the latest Windows Mobile 5.0 device if you simply don't find it easy to use.
Applications
Once you've chosen an OS, the next step is to look at applications. Most will come bundled with the handset but you can also buy your own. Every email phone worth its salt will let you open and view Microsoft Office documents, but the different operating systems do this in very different ways.
At the top of the tree is, unsurprisingly, Windows Mobile, as you actually get cut-down versions of Office applications on the device. However, the alternatives from Nokia are very good, although if you do use a lot of Word and Powerpoint documents with complex formatting, then Windows Mobile is probably best for you. If you can't find an application that fits your criteria, have a look online.
Sites such as handango.com have huge catalogues of smartphone software that you can download, and chances are that if you have a need for it, it's already out there.
Keyboards
One of the biggest problems with email phones is the keyboards. While some, such as the Palm Treo, the HTC TyTN and the Blackberry 8700g, get it right, others, such as the Sony Ericsson M600i, get it badly wrong. The trick is to try before you buy, and spend a few minutes with the keyboard seeing how quickly you adapt to it. Also ask yourself if you need a keyboard at all. Phones such as Nokia's N73 do a relatively good job of getting by with just a standard phone keypad – but you really wouldn't want to type a long email on them. The other alternative is to buy an external keyboard. There are a huge number of tiny fold-up Bluetooth keyboards out there. For smaller emails, you could use the phone's keypad, but if you needed to work on a large document or message, you can always keep a keyboard in your briefcase.
Memory
As phones become more like computers, memory is all-important. After all, if you're editing an imminent PowerPoint presentation, you don't want to suddenly run out of space. There's a plethora of choice out there, but Mini SD and Micro SD seem to be emerging as the winners. A good tip is to buy extra memory at the same time as buying your phone, as most retailers will discount it heavily for you.
Communications
This is a whole world of acronyms, but is well worth wading through. Every phone here supports GPRS, the high-speed mobile data system, but for emailing try and get a device that supports the much faster 3G as well. Because you'll be getting all your corporate email, and will no doubt want to download the odd Powerpoint or Word document, the extra speed will make all the difference. Several handsets here also have wifi built in, which can be a godsend for web surfing – and with handsets like the Nokia E61's big screen, going online can actually be a pretty decent experience. There's also Bluetooth, of course, and if you plan on using the phone to listen to music, it's a good idea to check if wireless Bluetooth headsets are supported – they can make life a lot easier.
Synchronisation
The key to the usability of a good email phone is its companion software, both on your corporate email server and on your desktop PC. Depending on your IT department, you may well be able to do all of this synchronisation over the mobile phone network, particularly if you use Windows Mobile, which can save a lot of headaches. This also means, for instance, that if you make an appointment when you're out and about, it's automatically updated on your office PC. For synchronising with your desktop PC via a cable, all of the Windows Mobile devices reviewed here use software called ActiveSync, which, once you've set it up, should sync automatically every time you plug in the phone.
However, if you're a Mac user, stay away from Windows Mobile – you can get the devices to sync, but it involves a lot of fiddling around with third-party software. For die-hard Mac fans, either Nokia's OS or Palm's offers a far better experience, with Palm in particular synching directly with the Mac's address book and calendar. Nokia and Sony Ericsson both come with their own decent enough software, but again check to see if your IT department will support it, or even let you load it on to your office machine.
The Phones
Sony Ericsson M600i
This large 2.6in touchscreen display is impressive, and the Qwerty keyboard is split over 20 keys, supposedly to make messaging easier. However, it's a fiddly solution, and because you need to hit the right side of the key to get the character you want, you're never wholly confident you're going to get the right one – a fairly fundamental problem in an email phone. The interface is adequate but, rather like the keyboard, a bit too fiddly. However, it does offer 3G connectivity, so getting online is a breeze, and getting hold of those email attachments is easy. There's also stereo Bluetooth for use with Bluetooth music headphones, and an expandable Memory Stick Micro (M2) slot so you can get files on to the unit easily.
The phone's 3G connectivity, with the inclusion of a fully fledged HTML browser (in this case Opera 8), and having the speed and large touch-screen, certainly makes web browsing easy, more so than almost any other handset here, in fact. Other software as standard on the phone includes an RssReader, VPN support for business users (so that you can access a corporate intranet, for instance), and an Adobe PDF viewer.Overall, it's a great phone for web browsing, but for email, there are better phones about – the M600i just doesn't quite have the class of some of its competitors.
CONTACT sonyericsson.com.
COST From free, depending on tariff.
BlackBerry 8700g
This is the latest of RIM's "big" wireless email devices, adding a higher resolution screen and a new, slightly smaller keyboard layout. The device is also more responsive than earlier Blackberrys, although the keyboard has been made slightly smaller. It's easy to use, and the Intel XScale processor powering it really works hard – there's none of the lag found on some phones. A thumbwheel and escape/back button on the side of the device let users speedily navigate and select functions, while the 320 x 240 pixel colour screen is bright and clear, and is one of the best we have seen on any handheld. RIM has made some changes to the user interface to speed up the most common functions, such as email composition. There is now an "autocomplete" feature that fills in as you type an address, and users can search the address book directly from an email via a click of the thumbwheel. Because of its reduced size, the keys of the 8700g are spaced closer together and are more calculator-like than earlier models. Also its keyboard feels a bit cheap and slippery at times. While no more difficult to type on than many other handhelds, current Blackberry users are likely to prefer the keyboard on existing models. The built-in viewers for email attachments, such as Office documents, could be improved as well. Up to 10 email accounts are supported, and, as with the Pearl, you can sync with Microsoft Exchange, Novell GroupWise, IBM Lotus Domino, and Blackberry's server.
The Blackberry 8700g is chunkier than most handsets, but is small enough to be comfortably held to your ear while calling. There's no memory card expansion (although there is 64MB of RAM), camera or 3G, and battery life is quoted as up to four hours of talk time and 16 days on standby. That seems to pan out – we managed a week without charging – whereas the Windows Mobile devices typically need recharging every day or two. Overall, the 8700g is probably the best email gadget you'll find. However, call quality seemed a little patchy. Most users get around this by carrying a separate phone, so if it's only email you want, this is probably the best there is.
CONTACT o2.co.uk.
COST From free, depending on tariff.
Blackberry Pearl 8100
The Blackberry Pearl combines a great little phone, complete with a decent camera, with the easy-to-use Blackberry software. The scroll wheel has been abandoned for a tiny trackball in the middle of the keypad, which works brilliantly once you get used to it. The phone also sports a crisp large (240 x 260 pixel) display, and makers RIM have included its SureType Qwerty keypad that has two Qwerty keys to every numerical key, so you can still type without having to revert to text speak. There's no 3G, sadly: Blackberry has kept this for its bigger devices. However, in keeping with the phone-like approach, there's a 1.3MP camera on the rear of the phone, with a built-in flash and 5x digital zoom. There's also a pretty decent media player and stereo headset for music and videos on-the-go, and the sound quality is good. MP3 and AAC music files and MPEG4 and H.263 video files are supported and users can either opt to store the files on the camera's internal memory or on a Micro SD card hidden inside. It has a sleek exterior, and measures 4.2in x 1.97in x 0.57in and weighs 88g. For those looking for more messaging, but not prepared to go for the full Qwerty keyboard already offered by RIM, the Blackberry Pearl is a great all-rounder. It's the email phone that looks good enough for the more style-conscious reader.
CONTACT o2.co.uk.
COST From free, depending on tariff.
Nokia E61
Nokia's Blackberry killer is a pretty large, blocky device, but don't let that put you off. This is a very well-rounded email device, and a lot of thought has gone into it. The 3in, full-colour, high-quality screen makes use of Nokia's Series 60 Third Edition user interface, based on the Symbian OS. The design of the E61 is reminiscent of the Blackberry, with a mini Qwerty keyboard underneath the screen. The keyboard is somewhat calculator-like, but well laid-out, and it's easy to type with your thumbs when editing emails, documents and text messages. The screen is easy to read and uncluttered, with the home screen displaying links to messaging, calendar, web browser, Bluetooth, a clock and calculator functions. Two keys beneath the screen also link to notes and contacts, the latter enabling users to call a contact by selecting their name. A key feature for most users is the E61's ability to create and edit documents in Microsoft Office format, and read such documents sent as email attachments. The E61 supports a wide number of email systems, including Microsoft's ActiveSync protocol to link with Exchange servers. The handset also had an executable to install a Blackberry Connect client to link to Blackberry mail systems. There's support for 3G networks, wifi links, Bluetooth for wireless headsets and a satellite navigation kit. Overall, the E61 is a great all-round mobile email device. It does everything you could possibly want, and there are also some great little add-ons (such as a London A-Z). It's a bit on the big side to take everywhere with you, so rather like the Blackberry, it may become a second device for many people.
CONTACT nokia.co.uk.
COST £299.
Nokia N73
The N73 is a sign of the way push email has come to dominate the phone market. On the face of it, it's not an email phone at all. In fact, Nokia markets it as a multimedia phone, thanks to its 3.2MP camera and tight integration with online blogging services such as Flickr. But as it's based on the Symbian platform, operators such as Vodafone are now bundling the handset with push email software. The handset measures a pocket-friendly 49mm wide, 110mm tall and 19mm thick, and weighs 116g. There's also 3G connectivity, a VGA camera on the front for video calls, Bluetooth, infrared, an FM radio, WAP browser and an expandable Mini SD slot. The N73 is, by a long shot, the best day-to-day phone here. Call quality is superb, features are incredibly easy to use, and everything you need is found through the NMenus. However, its email capabilities are what's on test here, so how does it compare? Well, pretty well, actually. It's never going to replace the Blackberry or its bigger (in every sense) brother the E61 as a dedicated email phone. But as an everyday phone that can do email when you need it, this is a winner. Nokia's software will synchronise with Outlook, and for real push email you'll need to use the Visto software supplied by Vodafone. Again, check with your IT department to see if they support this, although the company is becoming more popular all the time.
CONTACT vodafone.co.uk.
COST From free, depending on tariff.
Palm Treo 680
Palm's Treo has been a cult device for many years, but with the recent addition of a Windows Mobile version (the 750v, reviewed below), it seemed its future was largely Microsoft-based. The 680 proves this wrong, and the superb Palm interface really shows Windows a thing or two in terms of usability. Getting around the applications is a dream, and the touch-sensitive screen, and large, almost comic, icons make this by far the best user interface we've ever seen on a smartphone. Finding contacts is simple, and the touch screen makes editing diary entries and emails a breeze. However, Palm has decided to leave out many of the high-end features of the Windows Mobile version – there's only a VGA camera, and no 3G, which is a real shame. There is still a full Qwerty keyboard, however, a 320 x 320 screen, and a number of new innovations to improve communication applications. The interface allows users to respond to calls with preset text messages, add new numbers easily to contacts, and carry out three-way conference calls. Text messages are displayed more like IM conversations in a threaded chat, which works brilliantly. The quad-band phone can be taken anywhere in the world and used. It includes 64MB of memory, expandable to up to 2GB with memory cards.
For getting your email, Exchange ActiveSync synchronises calendar, email, and contacts with the office, and there's also the option of Blackberry Connect software if your IT department has the Blackberry server installed. Crucially, there's also support for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files using software from Documents To Go.
CONTACT palm.com/uk, available November.
COST TBC.
Orange SPV C600
Orange's Windows Mobile handset is a decidedly tiny offering compared with the others here, and has a traditional phone keypad rather than a Qwerty one. The 2.2in screen resolution has been increased to 320 x 240 pixels, and it's a big, sharp display that really stands out, given the phone's relatively small dimensions. It uses Windows Mobile 5.0, and was one of the first devices to do so. The talk time is rated at four hours, with a stand-by time of seven days. There's a Micro SD slot for expansion, with a 32MB card supplied. The push email capabilities are pretty decent, as long as your company is running Microsoft's Exchange Server. Email and Outlook Mobile data, including calendar, contacts and tasks, can be updated automatically over the air, and, in practice, the service works very well once it's up and running. Call quality is excellent, and when you've got used to Windows Mobile, the addition of two soft keys above the keypad let you navigate around the phone relatively easily. However, try replying to emails, and the lack of a keyboard does become a problem. It's fine for small replies, and for reading your email, but for long, involved correspondence, it might not fit the bill. But that's not to say it should be written off – there are a whole host of tiny fold-up Qwerty keyboards on the market that would make the perfect companion to this.
CONTACT orange.co.uk.
COST From free, depending on tariff.
HP iPAQ 6915
At first glance, the HP iPAQ is not the most stylish-looking phone. It's fairly chunky and rectangular in appearance, and the hinged plastic screen cover looks cheap, detaches too easily and is annoying if you're a fan of using the stylus – I removed it permanently. Get past this though, and the beauty of being on a Windows Mobile platform is that the functions feel instantly familiar to PC users. The Start and Programs menus are there, and Word and Excel are mini versions of the PC software. Once I had overcome the security certificate issues, the synching process was also straightforward, and adding files to the device couldn't be simpler – you just add a specified folder on to your PC desktop, drop documents into this, and when the device syncs with the PC the files will be added. The iPAQ has a full Qwerty keyboard, and the 7.5cm screen is large enough to view and edit documents comfortably. The Today page (the default screen) can be customised to show shortcuts to your favourite functions, such as tasks, appointments and email, although if you add too many you'll end up having to scroll down the list, which defeats the point.
Talk time is quoted at up to four hours, with standby time up to seven days, and the device comes with 45MB of internal memory, with a mini SD slot to increase this. There is no 3G, but the device includes Quad band GSM/GPRS/Edge technology, wifi, and Bluetooth. Add to this a 1.3MP camera and a GPS receiver, and the iPAQ has an impressive list of features, although its size will probably mean users will opt for a second mobile to make phone calls.
CONTACT hp.com/uk.
COST £188.
HTC TyTN
Smaller – 112.5mm tall x 58mm wide x 21.95mm thick – and lighter (176g) than it looks here, the 2.8in display is nevertheless good for viewing files, and you can input data either using the keypad or by sliding out the larger Qwerty keyboard from under the phone (which automatically switches the screen from a portrait to landscape view). You type with your thumbs, but a major omission is that there are no dedicated number keys, which makes things unnecessarily fiddly. The TyTN operates on the Windows Mobile platform, and includes 3G, wifi and Bluetooth and is a quad band. Other features include an impressive 2MP camera, and a secondary camera for video-conferencing. Memory comes in the form of 64MB internal capacity, with a micro SD slot for expansion. Overall, this is a stylish device that will appeal to those looking for a large keyboard but want their phone to look like just that – a phone rather than a PDA.
CONTACT europe.htc.com.
COST From £112.
Palm Treo 750v
The 750v (this last letter signifying Vodafone, which has an early exclusive deal on the phone) has a rubberised exterior that makes it easier to hold and use one-handed, and the antenna from the 600 has vanished. In appearance, it is not unlike a new-style Blackberry, though more attractive. The one we tested was on Vodafone's 3G/UMTS network and runs Microsoft's Windows Mobile 5.0 (see above), including push email, which is compatible with Vodafone Business Email, giving remote access to enterprise and Internet-based email accounts. This being a Microsoft system, the suite of Powerpoint, Word and Excel comes as standard. The documents of which can be easily opened and altered if necessary – known as "round-tripping" to allow them to be viewed back on desktop computers. Other features include the ability to "dial by name" with a few keystrokes (or taps) on the keyboard, though I found this difficult at first, as when dialling the number to retrieve my messages, I inadvertently called the same contact who happened to have the same initials as they appear on the phone's dialpad. Also the phone is organised in such a way that you use the stick far less often than with, say, the HP Ipaq. The phone allows you to ignore a call and yet quickly compose a text message, such as "In a meeting" or "Can't talk"; though you'd have to be a lot cleverer and ambidextrous than I am to manage this one. I liked the dedicated messaging application for SMS/MMS that is organised in a "chat thread" so users can reference prior messages and use emoticons for a personal touch. Once I'd inserted a Mini SD card, I could also download five or six albums of music and listen to them courtesy of the Windows MediaPlayer 10 Mobile for music and video. The phone has a full Qwerty keyboard and a 320 x 320 colour screen for viewing web pages, photos, media and more. This was the fourth smartphone I tested in six weeks, and by far my favourite – though in order for it to be perfect it would need a larger memory (I bought a Mini SD). And in addition to Bluetooth, wifi would be nice.
CONTACT palm.com/uk.
COST From free, depending on tariff.
Technology review - Premiere Anywhere
Most of the smartphones reviewed here will allow you to view and edit email attachments, but printing off the document straight from a PDA is trickier. Premiere Anywhere has solved this problem by enabling subscribers to print email attachments to any fax machine worldwide, directly from their phone. Users simply forward the attachment to a designated email address, and a couple of minutes later a fax will arrive consisting of the body of the email, and the attachment itself. The company claims its service is compatible with any fax machine, any mobile device and over 130 types of attachments, including Word, Excel and PDFs. Particularly useful for documents requiring signatures, the service costs around 10p per page for faxes sent in Europe or the US, and 20p for the rest of the world. Visit premiereanywhere.com for more information.
Mark Prigg is science and technology correspondent at The Evening Standard
