Anthony Newman got the chance to play with an early version of the new handset during Sierra Wireless' press briefing in London. Read on to find out more.
Hot on the heels of this afternoon's announcement, infoSync got the chance to play with an early version of the new handset in London.
 | The Voq sports a rather unique flip-open QWERTY thumbboard
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The Voq, we are told, sprang from a realization that the only thing people really take with them reliably is their phone. The challenge, therefore, was to create a device that, while still being a great (and portable) phone, is also a reliable data device with the features needed in business: a truly converged device. This meant proper email access, a decent data-entry method and quick access to that data, all in a small package. So, did they achieve this?
Our reaction was overwhelmingly positive. The Voq sits well in the hand in both its closed and open configurations, and in both size and weight is comparable to the SPV. The screen is not quite up to the standard of the Tanager, but is a pleasantly vivid transflective affair that will more than suffice.
In terms of performance, the Voq is certainly fast: on the 200MHz processor, Smartphone 2003 really flew, and we experienced none of the sluggishness that can plague the SPV and its brethren. This extra speed shouldn't impact the battery life any: we were pleased to discover that the Voq will ship with an 1100mAh battery, which, when combined with a range of power-consumption tweaks for this business-targeted handset, should result in a pretty decent duration. In any case, it can't be worse than the SPV's measly one-day per charge.
Of course, the 'killer app' of this handset is its unique thumboard design, and we were thrilled to discover that it's great. The keys are well-designed, with positive feedback and good arrangement. The phone even has a kind of 'active flip' feature, which activates a special program upon opening the pad while on the Home screen, although it can also be activated by a dedicated button. This program, called myVoq, allows quick data entry into a holding box, from which it can be saved as a note, sent as a message or email, and so on. This is great for jotting important info down, and really enhances the utility of the keyboard. Incidentally, using this system means that a text message can be sent in as few as three key presses, which is rather impressive.
Audio has become a focal point, too, with the speakerphone apparently dramatically improved. Furthermore, speaker output generally is now much more balanced, and Sierra Wireless even claim the presence of bass - certainly a first for a phone. The company has adopted tried-and-true business phones such as the Nokia 6310 as its benchmarks, aiming at audio quality and phone functionality above all else.
When we raised the issue of Bluetooth, Sierra Wireless explained that its omission was largely on grounds of space, and that the priority lay with the thumboard. A similar answer explains the absence of a camera, but this is further accounted for by the intended market of the Voq: the enterprise environment, in which camera phones are sometimes unwelcome.
As an enterprise tool, the Voq sells itself upon its integration with corporate email systems. Although we didn't get a chance to test this today, we are assured that push email can be achieved not only without extra hardware expense, but also at a negligible battery and bandwidth cost. If Sierra have achieved such a feat, then the corporate market is certain to respond well.
On a final technical note, the Voq does not sport SDIO in its current state - although Sierra Wireless assure us that this could be added later through a firmware patch.
We also managed to confirm that the Voq will be out early next year at a competitive price point for its market, although Sierra Wireless wouldn't give any details regarding chosen carriers for the device.
An additional hi-res picture of the Voq Professional Phone is available on the following page.
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