First Look: Voq Cell Phone Needs Work
Sierra Wireless promises easy corporate syncing, but we hit some snags.Grace Aquino, PC World
A few keyboard-enabled cell phones advertise the ability to sync to corporate e-mail apps such as Lotus Notes and Microsoft Outlook, but few do it well (and without adding a separate corporate server). Sierra Wireless recently began shipping its $499 Voq Professional Phone--with voice and data service from AT&T Wireless--which promises to make this essential task easier. Unfortunately, my informal tests of a shipping unit proved it's still no walk in the park.
Based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphones platform, the Voq offers numerous ways to sync with your personal and corporate e-mail accounts including via ActiveSync desktop software, compatibility with IMAP4 and POP3 protocols, and its own proprietary VoqMail software.
Like most cell phones, the Voq sends and receives text messages via SMS (Short Messaging Service) and MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service). All messages--e-mail and SMS--reside in a single inbox, but the Voq does offer separate folders for each type of account you've linked.
Sierra Wireless claims VoqMail uses less battery power, memory, and wireless data bandwidth than other wireless methods. And if you want to access your corporate network via Virtual Private Networking, you can upgrade to the $99 Pro version of the program. Both VoqMail and VoqMail Pro work with Microsoft Exchange 5.5, 2000, and 2003; Lotus Notes 4.6, 5, and 6; and Novell GroupWise.
Setting up my personal e-mail accounts via IMAP4 and POP3 proved relatively easy. The Voq gives you the option to download subject headers, parts of messages, or full messages. If your inbox has tons of e-mail, consider retrieving just the headers or parts of messages so you're not using up precious airtime. Unfortunately, if you go this route, you'll only be able to read your e-mail--you won't be able to reply to messages or compose new ones.
To fully manipulate your e-mail account, you must use VoqMail. But setting up my Notes account proved problematic. Setup is overly complicated, and despite repeated attempts--and the patient help of my IS manager--I was unable to sync my Notes inbox with the phone. Although the Voq eventually connected to my office VPN, the phone still could not sync with my Notes e-mail. As this review posts, the exact reason for this problem is unknown, but Sierra Wireless is still looking into the situation.
Unsophisticated Design
The Voq's hardware design is a bit rough around the edges. Its plastic body feels cheap, and the flip-open keyboard snaps too rigidly. The keys on the Voq are tiny and a little slippery (although that's a trait nearly all keyboard-enabled phones share). Still, I have small fingers, and I was able to type relatively comfortably on the Voq.
As a phone, the Voq works pretty well. Though slightly bigger than today's average cell phone, it has a contoured middle that provides a solid grip. It comes with a volume control, a mode button (for accessing Flight mode, Key Lock, and Meeting features), a navigational joystick, and a Back button. My main quibble: The Voq phone's End button doesn't function as an End key for all programs like other cell phones' do; it only ends calls.
The Voq's 2.5-inch, 176-by-220-pixel color display is bright enough for most settings, and the menus are easy to navigate. The home screen always displays the last five applications you accessed. The phone comes with 32MB of memory that's shared with the installed apps. You can expand storage through the unit's SecureDigital/MultiMediaCard slot.
The phone runs on a rechargeable lithium ion battery that Sierra Wireless says lasts for up to 6 hours of talk time and up to 100 hours of standby time.
Extra Apps
The Voq's use of the Windows Mobile 2003 for Smartphone platform gives you access to a few Microsoft apps including Outlook Contacts and Calendar, Internet Explorer, and MSN Messenger. You can access AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo Messenger through the browser, but when I tried connecting to my Yahoo account, the browser kept hanging.
If you'd rather pass time than stay productive, you can play a game (such as Solitaire or Jawbreaker) or listen to your favorite tunes through Windows Media Player. You can also access music you've saved on an SD/MMC card. Sierra Wireless supplies a mono headset.
The Voq is available only through select resellers, including Insight, MobilePlanet, and RCS Computer Experience. Users must buy a SIM card separately, and a monthly voice and data plan through AT&T Wireless. Oddly, AT&T is not selling the phone directly.
The Voq's business-minded features sound promising, but it just didn't deliver the right results for me. It's also expensive for what you get. Before shelling out nearly $500 on an unproven VoqMail app, I'd first consider PalmOne's Treo 600 or RIM's Blackberry 7100t.