Which Handhelds Get The Thumbs-Up?

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For Rob Eby, director of merchandising at D&H Distributing, which is building a handheld practice inside its computer products division, the emergence of VPN technology in the segment will provide a major leap forward.

"I think it's going to be a very big deal," said Eby, whose company has distribution agreements with vendors including Hewlett-Packard, Nokia, Samsung, Linksys (with VoIP products) and others that are gaining traction in the space.

"To be able to access all my data is key for me," Eby said. "In corporations, people want to be able to get behind the firewall and pull down everything." Vendors are delivering increasingly sophisticated technology for corporate handheld solutions, including integration of GPS satellite functions, push-to-talk and better integration between voicemail and e-mail on the go.

The functionality curve for handhelds is at a blistering pace. Consider that in 2004, Research In Motion touted a BlackBerry 7100 that could "place and receive calls," provided "push mail," had a slim form factor and supported Bluetooth headsets. Today, the BlackBerry Curve 8310 is about half the size, has built-in GPS, full support for Microsoft applications and, yes, it can place and receive calls.

"Push mail" is now a standard function on devices that compete with the BlackBerry, including the consumer-focused iPhone (although the iPhone doesn't support Lotus Notes or Microsoft Exchange natively, like other devices).

Several vendors either offer VPN support or have it in their road maps for handheld devices, a move that would eliminate barriers for many business users seeking secure access to data, whether they have access via Wi-Fi, EDGE or 3G networks.

The market isn't slowing down, either. Manufacturers ranging from Motorola to HP to Nokia are all pushing out new devices with greater frequency (HP is slated to begin shipping its new lineup of iPaqs in December) so that a new device hits the market almost every day. Add to that the hard-charging attempt by Google to spearhead the Open Handset Alliance with a raft of technology providers, and you can bet the pace will continue for the future.

What about now? CRNtech took a look at several handheld devices—smartphones, PDAs, an ultraportable PC and a stand-alone GPS device. Put into the context of delivering part of a commercial IT solution, rather than a consumer device, these handhelds bring new options to the table for connecting customers to their businesses.

Eby says Harrisburg, Pa.-based D&H is experiencing some growth, thanks to the increase in functionality, and is ready for more when issues like VPN support become more widespread.

More than perhaps any other segment of IT, the handheld arena is moving at warp speed. In addition to the new Google-backed platform, companies including Motorola and Palm have been spitting out new smartphones with regularity, and Nokia continues to move forward with a number of devices over the next several months for both the consumer and IT space.

And that's merely scratching the surface. In January at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the industry's single biggest event of the year, show organizers have set aside an entire section of the conference to deal with wireless technology, including handsets, smartphones and pen-based devices. This all comes on the heels of Apple's successful iPhone launch; even though it's a consumer device and unavailable to the channel, the iPhone has incorporated technology that its rivals may well start trying to integrate into their own products—namely multitouch screens, visual voicemail and highly efficient Web caching that makes up for the otherwise lousy EDGE connectivity offered by ATandT.

Consider, too, that only a fraction of the number of devices in the marketplace integrate Wi-Fi with basic cellular voice and data. Also, WiMax—the wide-area wireless technology—is right now available in fewer than a dozen deployments in the United States, but could start rolling out in much greater availability throughout 2008.

For the IT solution provider channel, speed bumps remain. For example, most vendors have yet to roll out widespread programs for resellers and integrators while the network carriers, including ATandT, Verizon and Sprint, have traditionally provided tepid, if any, support for the channel. But some vendors do actively engage solution providers, including RIM and HP. D&H has positioned itself on point for VARs looking for smartphones and handhelds, and the support that goes with them.

Next: The Reviews

The Reviews
We examined a variety of different devices, which are each built and sold by their manufacturers with different objectives in mind. For example, Samsung's Q1 Ultra is designed to provide full-function PC access in an ultra (and they mean "ultra") small form factor. But the iPaq 500 Series Voice Messenger provides just enough network and communications access to stay connected on the go. We looked at a stand-alone GPS device and a VoIP phone. We played with RIM's BlackBerry Curve 8310 and, just for fun, stacked them all up against the iPhone. With the exception of the BlackBerry Curve 8310 and Apple's iPhone, all of the devices we looked at are available to the channel via D&H. The BlackBerry is also available via other distributors and master resellers, such as Global Wireless Data, for example. (We'll talk more about the iPhone later.)

The units were evaluated on ease of use, functionality, channel-friendliness and enterprise-readiness. Ease of use was a subjective call. Did it take us a lot of time to do what we wanted to do, to navigate from one function to another? Functionality depended largely on how well-connected we could stay to the work world while using the device—in terms of voice and data.

RIM, for example, continues to score very high points with the BlackBerry's superior e-mail functionality. But the HP iPaq and Nokia N800 offer Wi-Fi, and both provide for VoIP capabilities, giving them extra points when it comes to voice functionality.

Enterprise-readiness was also largely subjective, but we based this rating on how, or whether, a business user could access business data from the device.

With the exception of the BlackBerry Curve 8310—where RIM provided an evaluation model for this report—the devices that we reviewed were not obtained from the vendors themselves. (D&H, for example, allowed us into their headquarters to examine several of the devices that they make available to the channel. We bought the iPhone on our own dime.)

The BlackBerry Curve 8310
If you or your customers are stalwart BlackBerry fans, this device is just fine. It's smaller, lighter and sleeker than previous BlackBerry models. We looked at a Curve 8310 with service from ATandT; that device provides access to key applications and the traditional BlackBerry push-mail (although without the dial to scroll through messages; it uses a track-point-like device instead.) It does have functional GPS capability, 10 to 12 hours of battery life—if it's used sporadically for e-mail access and phone calling—and its call quality is superior.

The HP iPaq 500 Series, iPaq Voice Messenger
Physically, this was the most diminutive of the smartphone devices we looked at for this report. It also was more like a traditional cellphone than the other units, with a few exceptions. HP's marketing material on the device—"It's small in size, but don't be fooled. It's big on functionality!"—looks good on paper, and it does provide for fairly strong e-mail capability with Exchange support, Pop Mail and IMAP functionality. It also allows for voice commands for productivity applications that work with Microsoft Mobile and, like the Nokia N800, allows for VoIP applications. Integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Quad Band connectivity make network access fairly smooth. It's not as attractive or slick as the other devices, but it gets the job done.

HP also told CRNtech that a series of devices it unveiled in September would begin to hit the market in December, but because we couldn't get a hands-on look at those devices, we did not include them in our roundup.

Samsung Q1 Ultra
This is a full-blown PC pushed into a purse-size form factor (or man-purse-size, if you're male.) Out of its suede case, the device works much better with the stylus than with the QWERTY keyboard. That's because half the keyboard is on the left side of the screen, the other half on the right side.

Because it's a full-blown PC, capable of running Windows XP or Windows Vista, it can be configured for a VPN and Windows-level security; it can also support Skype. It's also Bluetooth-capable with multiple USB ports, which means it can support a keyboard and mouse, headphones and video, and other PC tools that could provide an extra functionality boost on the road. But with other devices raising the bar in terms of ease of use, that's the one area where Samsung should have done better.

Next: Garmin nuvi 200

Garmin nuvi 200
This isn't a PDA, isn't a phone, and isn't a PC. It's a handheld GPS navigation device. It's being included in this roundup for one reason: GPS functionality is quickly becoming mainstream as pricing drops, but solution providers may want the option of offering that capability to a customer without that customer having to upgrade to a new phone, PDA or other device, or without having to retrofit an entire fleet of vehicles. The list price is $321, which applies only to GPS functionality.

The Nokia N800
The Nokia N800, which we looked at along with its sister, the N810, are described as "Internet Tablets" or "tableteers." But, like the N95, think of it as a smartphone with great Web access and a nice screen. It's got a full, slide-out QWERTY keyboard but also operates with a stylus, a pull-out stand on the back to sit the device at a 45-degree angle, and its browser supports Instant Messaging (unlike the iPhone, for example). The device has 2 Gbytes of internal storage with expansion capability, via memory cards, of up to 8 Gbytes. It does have simple, but powerful, Wi-Fi capability and supports Skype—a feature that expands its capability as a calling and communication device. At press time, VPN support was still on the way.

The Nokia N95
Nokia's Nseries is billed as a "handheld computer," but you can think of the lineup as a series of smartphones with great multimedia and a look that's consumerish. Calling an Nseries device a "gadget," though, is somewhat of a misnomer given that it does provide for Internet access, and several of the devices have built-in GPS and mapping capabilities.

The Nokia N95 provides quick and easy access to all your basic productivity applications, although VPN access isn't fully rolled out throughout the lineup yet. On the ATandT network, the EDGE network access doesn't work as quickly as with the iPhone—perhaps because the iPhone is built with a very strong caching capability that the N95 doesn't match.

Nevertheless, for combining data access with voice communication, the N95 is a snappy device with a nice feel to it and a bright, comfortable screen and user interface.

The keypad slides out, and slides back in when you need to put it back into your pocket, or carry it around as a camera.The N95 comes with 8 Gbytes of storage and can sync with a PC via Bluetooth or USB. Web access is through Nokia's browser.

The N95 doesn't sport the slick engineering of an iPhone, nor does it possess the intuitive business functionality of the BlackBerry Curve; it's a notch below others in channel-friendliness because it provides slightly less of an opportunity for value-add than the other devices.

The Apple iPhone
This is perhaps the most hyped device of the year and, for many reasons in the broader marketplace, that hype is justified.

But we're looking at the iPhone from the perspective of the IT channel, so CRNtech is going to give it a different grade than a consumer electronics publication probably would.

For business use, there are some standout aspects to the iPhone, including Visual Voicemail, which we hope other manufacturers copy because it can act as an incredible time-saver. Bluetooth connectivity is simple and gets high marks, and the one-button "silence" activation is easier than the other smart phones we looked at.

The iPhone, however, is a closed device, doesn't play well with Microsoft productivity applications (although via e-mail you can view PDFs and Word documents), and cellular service is limited to ATandT's network, which makes it off-limits to a major chunk of the country, including the entire state of Vermont. You also need iTunes to sync with a PC and, well, iTunes isn't exactly business standard. Apple only sells the product directly or through ATandT, so it's not available to the channel.

In conclusion, we love the iPhone, we never leave home without it, and it's truly a game-changer. But for solution providers, it stinks.

SIX KEY PLAYERS: HANDHELDS