Cellphones tooled for road warriors

Telecom has struggled to get decent phones on the market to compete with "cooler" brands supported by Vodafone. These two phones now form the frontguard for Telecom Mobile and Telecom's 027 network.

The big question, however, stays the same - do you want a phone in a computer or a computer in a phone?

Kyocera 7135 Smartphone
Reviewed by Chris Barton

The Kyocera 7135 is definitely a bloke's phone. You know this from the comments: "My, that's big ... your phone I mean."

The downside is that it is a bit bulky and heavy - meaning you really have to wear the included belt holster to conveniently carry it.

But the nice thing about the 7135 is that it is a phone first and handheld computer second. The ample keypad with OK button in the centre and up/down rocker is easy to use.

And the device is packed with all the usual phonebook and message features, plus a speakerphone. An external strip of screen at the top displays the name of the caller, and shows battery and signal strength and the time.

There are also voice-activated dialling and voice memos.

Hooked up to Telecom's 027 network, the Kyocera is also a useful handheld computer.

Using Palm's 4.1 operating system and a Motorola Dragonball 33MHz processor, 16MB of on-board memory and a good-sized (2.5in on the diagonal) bright and clear, 65,000-colour screen, the device works really well for cruising the web and sending and getting email.

Mostly, I used the "hunt 'n' prod" method of input with the touch screen keyboard and stylus.

Or you can opt for the handwriting scratch pad if you're expert in Palm's Graffiti handwriting recognition software.

The Kyocera also synchronises via its recharge cradle with your computer, meaning you can hook up to your Outlook email and download MP3 audio files and the wealth of applications available to any Palm user. Software already on the device includes Eudora for email, Open Wave's browser and PhotoSuite.

For serious handheld computing, you'll probably want a detachable keyboard.

The 7135 also works as an MP3 player, which you can listen to through the speakerphone speaker. A stereo headphone is extra.

Two standout features are the expandable Secure Digital (SD) card memory - a must for handheld computers, although it is another extra cost - and the swappable battery, meaning you don't lose all your data when you swap.

Battery life of about three hours in constant use and 120 in standby is reasonable for a combination device like this.

It's also worth noting the Kyocera is a tri-band phone - meaning it will roam in most countries where there is cdma network like Telecom's.

The hefty $1500 price on a prepaid plan will shock some - especially when you notice these are selling abroad for around US$500.

But overall the 7135 is a nice combination of phone and handheld features. Plus, it is global positioning system (GPS) ready so should be able to take advantage of future location-based services.

$1500 on prepaid plan.

Pros: solid combination of phone and handheld computer features.

Cons: Heavy, bulky, expensive.

Rating: 7.5/10


Audiovox Thera
Reviewed by Peter Griffin

Most Kiwis will associate Audiovox with car radios, but the American company moved into mobile phones in the 80s, hence the Audiovox Thera.

In many ways it's no different from the Pocket PC-based handheld computers from the likes of Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba.

But the Thera's drawcard is inbuilt mobile phone hardware which operates on Telecom's cdma network. That means you can access all your Windows favourites - email in Outlook Express, listen to MP3 files in Windows Media Player or browse the web in Internet Explorer - wherever there is Telecom mobile coverage, and generally at better access speeds than you'll get from your dial-up internet service.

The device is powered by Intel's 206MHz StrongARM processor and has 32MB of built-in memory.

A Secure Digital (SD) slot allows you to boost memory capacity.

All that gives it respectable performance, but where the Thera falls down is when the handheld serves as
a phone. You have to switch to a new Sierra Wireless software interface to make a voice call, software that has a distinct "add-on" feel. Once there, however, you have all you need - three-way calling, SMS and dialling from the Contact book.

The rival Qtek, based on the Vodafone gprs network, has much better integration of the telephony software. It's puzzling why Audiovox didn't work harder with Microsoft to come up with a better mix here.

The other caveat is battery power. The Thera will give you 4.5 hours in computer mode with the phone turned off. In phone mode you'll get 90 minutes of talk time and eight hours on standby. This is the sort of device you really want to sync with your computer daily and recharge daily, because otherwise you're likely to be left drained.

For the roving salesman, Thera is great. You can receive and open Excel spreadsheets, compose quotes in Word, and schedule all your meetings in Calendar.

For the rest of us? You'd have to be a heavy e-mail user, web surfer or be addicted to MSN Messenger to find much use here.

$2495.

Pros: works on Telecom's high-speed network, good integration with PC, lightweight.

Cons: Clunky phone software, battery staying power average.

Rating - 6.5/10