Hardware reviews

Siemens SK65

essentialsoftware

Whats in the box? Here are some of the software highlights

Actual size

Dimensions Measuring 120 x 47 x 22mm the SK65 is
taller than your average phone

BlackBerry

What is it: BlackBerry email client
Weight At 144g this device is heavier than

the usual phone, too

SIEMENS

In brief

Price From free with contract from Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile and BT Mobile Verdict 86% Operating System Siemens proprietary Processor N/A Built-in RAM 20-25MB for BlackBerry email and file attachment storage; 8.25MB for user files (4.97MB free) More information www.siemens.co.uk
be surprised to learn that theres no camera built in here. Nor is there an MP3 player. Also as a phone youll not be too surprised to hear there is not oodles of memory. Most of what there is, is given over to the BlackBerry side of things, though you can install your own software. So what is it actually like to use? Well, obviously with a smaller screen than your average PDA and no touch input, things will feel a little cramped if you are used to a PDA, but we have to say that everything does work rather slickly. The screen is clear and shows off especially well when using the BlackBerry client, though 65 thousand colours is looking a bit old hat these days and you might find reading oodles of email a bit hard on the eye. The SK65 is undoubtedly both clever and well designed. But it is short on memory, and just a bit too fiddly for lots of emailing, so its not necessarily what wed choose unless we really needed email on the move in a very small device. Also, as the BlackBerry Web client gets more widespread, there will be a wider choice of devices providing the BlackBerry mobile email service.
The navigation button is large with a big central select and a smaller control ring

Battery life

The new twisty swivel phone from Siemens
Manufacturers claimed life: Up to five hours talk, up to 250 hours standby Test results: We did not run a battery rundown test on this phone, as we feel this kind of test isnt really suitable for a Smartphone like this. However we did use the SK65 as an everyday phone, managing a good couple of days between charges

Key features

Built-in keyboard Blackberry email support Easy to use builtin Bluetooth
ere at PDA Essentials we like to think we have open minds. Thats why we review phones that are smart enough to manage contacts and third-party applications as well as what you might call more traditional PDAs. The SK65, from Siemens takes the joining of PDA and phone to a rather interesting level, thanks to two important features. First, the phone is the first to offer BlackBerry built-in. It comes in different variants depending on whether you are a corporate user or a consumer. Within companies, the SK65 can work with BlackBerry Enterprise Server to let networks push email and calendar synchronisations out to the device. For those without corporate networks, there is a GPRS connection to the BlackBerry Web Client that can check up to ten POP3 or IMAP email accounts and send copies of message to the SK65, while still allowing the same emails to be retrieved by your main computer. You can synchronise the SK65 with your desktop computers Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, email and Notes thanks to software, which Siemens provides. You also get a cable that connects the SK65 to your PC in the box too.
Now to the other important SK65 feature. The handset is rather large and thick. Theres a reason for this, though. Swivel the upper and lower parts of the phone in opposite directions and you reveal a keyboard. Its tiny, but holding the SK65 in both hands and prodding at the keys with thumbs it is possible to tap out information remarkably quickly. Simple, yet very effective, wed say. Siemens has even come up with a name for the system x2type (cross-to-type). Theres more to the Siemens SK65 than just mobile email. You will already have picked up on the fact that it has a Calendar, Contacts list, Task Manager and Notes application. In addition there is stuff like Internet access, a voice recorder, calculator, unit converter, stopwatch, countdown timer, alarm clock and three games on board (chess, golf and a Battleships clone) all of which play rather well thanks to neat programming and good quality sound. The SK65 is tri-band GSM and GPRS supporting, and, of course, Bluetooth is built in. Siemens has scored another hit here as you switch Bluetooth on and off using a button on the right side of the casing. As a device aimed primarily at professionals, you may not

Use it for: Reading and sending emails

SeaBattle

What is it: A Battleships-style game
Use it for: Killing some idles hours or minutes on public transport

essentialspecs

Tap this to turn Bluetooth on and off
Dimensions 120 x 47 x 22mm Weight 144g Processor Not available Installed RAM 20-25MB Operating System Siemens proprietary Display size 2.05 diagonal inches Display resolution 132 x 176 pixels Expansion slot None

essentialverdict

The SK65 takes the joining of PDA and
The key feature of the SK65 has to be the keyboard
phone to a rather interesting level

Also consider

BlackBerry 7100v
from free plus tariff BlackBerry HandHeld Application software version 3.8 32MB installed The 7100 series variant from Vodafone, with a candybar look and feel Reviewed Issue 32

Performance

Nice performance all round

8/10 9/10 9/10 9/10

Design

essentialaccessories

Beautiful enamelled-look finish
Build quality Supplied software
The swivel mechanism feels tough and is comfortable enough
A fair software suite, with a mix of games and business stuff. BlackBerry email solutions are a plus

Value for money

The keys are bevelled, making them easy to hit

02 XDA IIs

249.99 inc VAT with O2 contract Win Mob 2003 for Pocket PC Second Edition Phone Edition 145.58MB total available A Pocket PC-sized connected mobile device, expected to have BlackBerry software in the future Reviewed Issue 33
Look for a good tariff to suit your needs and this can be cost-effective

Carkit HKW-600

Price: 155.90 Use it for: Bluetooth handsfree while driving Get it from: www.siemens.co.uk

Sync Station DSC-600

Price: 26.90 Use it for: Cradle-based docking and sync Get it from: www.siemens.co.uk
A very neat way to get email on the move, but does not offer the breadth of functions that a PDA can. It might be worth holding out till more BlackBerry devices are unveiled