The Guru Speaks Phone review edition #1 - Sierra Wireless Voq *UPDATED WITH PICTURES!

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The Voq is an interesting specimen as this device marks my entry into the Windows Mobile side of smartphones... and due to the fact it's incredibly rare. The only way to get a Voq was to get it through an independent, third-party retailer. I was incredibly lucky to have gotten my hands on one, and it was worth all the hype I read about it.

Modes: GSM 850/1800/1900 for the Voq A11 (the version I am reviewing), GSM 900/1800/1900 for the A10, the European version.

Battery life: I use the Voq as MP3 player, and phone (topped my old PAYG account for testing purposes), and I charge it about every three days tops.

Signal: Sierra Wireless has been a longtime hardware supplier for wireless carriers in terms of data cards, and I will say Sierra's experience REALLY shines here. The Voq absolutely laughed at my Dead Zone test... that speaks volumes. Any phone that can hold a call in there is good... any phone that laughs at this dead spot is damned good indeed, and the Voq is that damned good. Interesting that the phone actually has a Siemens GSM module.

Sound quality: I will recycle the same complaint I have every time... the maximum volume is TOO DAMN LOW. But, on the positive side of things, the Voq performs superbly on the sound quality. It's not HSPA, nor iDEN, but it's good, pretty damn good. The speakerphone is damn good too, as a matter of fact, listening to MP3s on the speakerphone is a perfectly viable option, and it sounds great.

Form factor: Clamshell, with a flip-out keyboard

Phone and keyboard feel: The Voq is not a small phone, I won't lie. Not a big deal to me, as the phone is easy to handle with a single hand. The flip-out keyboard is very nice as well, but the unfolding half of the keyboard's other side is a numeric keypad, so it's a little odd. Still, the keyboard is great, and I love it. The Blackberry 7100's keyboard and predictive entry gave me headaches, and in exchange for a marginally larger device, I get a full QWERTY keyboard. Works for me.

Screen: 176*220, 65535 colors. Looks superb, not THAT painful to read in the sun.

Others -- SD card slot, Windows Mobile 2003SE. I know there are more recent versions of WinMo but I just didn't feel like blowing like $200 bucks and get stuck in a contract with a WinMo phone when I have no idea what to expect from the platform.

Custom ringtones work right out of the box with no DRM bulldung, just pick a song on the SD card, and that's it, it works.

Final score: The Voq's performance in the RF department and flip-out keyboard alone make it a solid recommendation. If you're ever lucky enough to get a hold of one, do go ahead and grab it. The Voq is a stellar phone, and it's too bad Sierra decided to withdraw from the smartphone market. The Voq was Sierra's very first smartphone, and it kicks ass, just imagine if they released other smartphones. I give the Voq a very well deserved 10/10.

This beauty makes me curse the day I locked in two years with Telus. Had I knew I'd get my hands on a Voq, they could have shoved their i576 and two year chain right up their asses.

Some pics of the Voq:



It's not very visible, but the screensaver is an Atari logo.



Thanks to ThemeCreator for this theme. I dig black, and I also like this sort of electric blue.