Orange has always been very keen on Windows Mobile Smartphones, and it doesn't come as any surprise that it is the first UK network operator to launch a Windows Mobile 6 device.

Windows Mobile 6 is the latest version of Microsoft's smartphone and PDA operating system and it was only announced in February, so the wait for it to pop up in a handset from a network operator has been short indeed. In fact, the SPV E650 has been available as the almost identical HTC S710 for a little while, albeit at a much more expensive price as it is SIM-free.

The SPV E650 is very similar to other candybar phones in shape, size and weight. The dimensions are 101mm tall, 50mm wide, 17.7mm thick and 120g in weight. These dimensions mean finding pocket space for it is not a problem, and it is easy and comfortable to use for making voice calls.

The thickness is a little more than you might expect from an ordinary mobile phone, but that is entirely justified by the fact that a full QWERTY keyboard slides out of the long right-hand edge. We've seen this before in Pocket PC sized devices but never in a smartphone, and it really does make a huge difference to usability.

The QWERTY keys are large enough to prod at accurately with thumbs while you hold the SPV E650 in both hands, and as you slide the keyboard out the 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 pixel screen flips itself into wide screen mode so you can see the text you are writing more clearly.

You can use the keyboard to write text messages, make calendar changes, write short notes to yourself and compose e-mails. You can even edit Word and Excel documents. This is a new feature in Windows Mobile 6 and it could prove very handy, though it is irritating that you can't create new documents or spreadsheets from scratch, and that the editing features are very limited.

The SPV E650 is a quad-band GSM phone with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and a 2-megapixel camera. Its Windows Mobile features include the usual calendar, contacts and tasks software which will synchronise with Outlook on your main computer so that you can take your diary and other key information with you.

For all its capabilities, though, the SPV E650 has a couple of negative features. As a smartphone the screen is not touch-sensitive: we still prefer the touch-sensitive Pocket PC screens. And Orange has chosen not to include Microsoft's instant messaging tool, now reworked for Windows Mobile 6 as Windows Live, which will annoy fans of IM.

Verdict
For those who like texting or mobile e-mail, the SPV E650's keyboard is a real boon. There are many little advances offered by Windows Mobile 6, too, and - operator considerations aside - we can't see why anyone would choose an older, Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone instead of this one.

Company: Orange

Contact: 0800 079 2000

Tags: microsoft windows mobile microsoft windows htc s710 mobile phone pocket pc windows phone 7 my phone