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General discussion

HP iPaq 6315 users out here??

Apr 18, 2005 2:50PM PDT

i've been trying to get this pda/phone but i would like some feedback from it..i've read the reviews and saw that the calls get droped or whatsoever, but i'd like to talk to someone who owns one

Discussion is locked

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Just bought one; to keep or not to keep?
May 2, 2005 5:45AM PDT

As you may know, T-mobile took it out of circulation (officially April 15) while they & HP fix the software on it. After many calls to TM and stores, I found a pre-fix phone at a local store three days ago, bought it and immediately applied the downloadable ROM upgrade.
As a very happy user of the original T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone (if you install Microsoft Voice Command, it is *so* cool), I thought the addition of wireless networking would make it the perfect converged device. Increased memory wouldn't hurt, either. So the 6315 appeared to be nirvana.
I'm afraid this post will focus on what's disappointing about the 6315, with my bottom line being that I may very well exercise my privilege to return it within 14 days if I haven't established a more satisfying relationship with it before then.
My biggest disappointment is its speakers. The original PPC Phone has one speaker, the volume of which simply increases when "speakerphone" is turned on. The 6315, on the other hand, has separate speakers, one for normal phone use and one for speakerphone. Regrettably, both suck. As a normal phone, I'm shocked by the terrible quality of what I hear. MUCH worse than the PPC Phone. And in speakerphone mode, well, the significant point here is that HP placed the speaker on the BACK of the phone. So immediately--as most humans will use and hold the phone face-forward so that they can see and use its display and controls--the perceived speakerphone volume is some 20-40% lower than it would be if the speaker weren't facing away from the user! This impairs the effectiveness of Voice Command, too, because it uses the speakerphone speaker. On the PPC Phone, when VC would confirm my command ("Calling Nicole Kidman on mobile phone"), I wished it wouldn't shout it. On the 6315, I can barely here it well enough to confirm that it got my command right. I certainly anticipated trying the Bluetooth functionality and, hopefully, enjoying the freedom from headset cords...but now I feel like I'm being FORCED to buy a Bluetooth headset in order to get decent sound quality in phone calls. I haven't done so yet, but only time will tell.
One last thing (for now): wireless works pretty well, but I'm discovering that it may be almost useless for my needs. Fist, I've found that when I connect to a customer's router, Pocket IE doesn't show the router's settings at all--just empty fields. Presumably that's some limitation inherent in Pocket IE. Second, I haven't found a Pocket VPN client (certainly not the one included in Windows Mobile 2003) capable of using security proposals (I guess everything is going to certificates now), so forget about connecting in to my customers' networks through the IPsec VPNs I've set up at all of them.
Like I said, I'm going to work with the 6315 for a week or so, but on the whole, as much as I hoped it would be the PPC Phone on steriods, right now I'm feeling like it's a prototype, an experiment in extreme convergence in the smallest possible form factor, and in the unfortunate respects noted above, actually inferior in performance to the original PPC Phone. I'll report back again later.

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I bought the iPaq h6325 (Canadian version) - love it or hate
May 2, 2005 12:18PM PDT

In theory, it has everything you could ask for except a reliable operating system. Unfortunately, the ROM upgrade is not available yet in Canada and there are inherent problems as a result with the unit.
1/ Bluetooth headset has major conflicting problems
2/ Phone will soft reset and hard reset itself
3/ Phone will freeze occasionally and lock up
4/ Sound quality is poor

I have spoken to HP several times and they suggest returning to them for service. They acknowledge the patch is not available and they will not escalate the issue until it is returned and they flash the phone. I know it will come back in the same condition and I will probably sell it afterwards as I have been too frustrated. Hopefully they will resolve the issues soon!

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Contacted HP. Still no ETA.
Jun 13, 2005 10:46AM PDT

I contacted HP for the ROM update to our 6325s. When I try applying the 6315 ROM files I get "Invalid SKU". HP tells me that the 6325 (sold in Canada) is identical to 6315 (sold in the US) except for the SKU. So why is the 1.10.08 ROM not made available to the Canadian market? Are we supposed to live with a problematic 1.00.36 ROM when an update is available to the US market? Go Figure!

JustAnotherJoe