| Manufacturer | UTStarcom |
|---|---|
| Media | MiniSD, 128 MB internal memory |
| Operating system | Windows Mobile 5–6.1 |
| CPU | 416 MHz PXA270 |
| Display | 64k-color TFT |
| Input | Keyboard/Touchscreen |
| Camera | 1.3 Megapixel |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, WiFi, USB, IR |
| Successor | HTC Titan |
The Pocket PC Apache is a Windows Mobile 5.0 device, sold as the PPC-6700 by Sprint, and the XV6700 by Verizon Wireless and various other US carriers. This device was one of the first CDMA Windows Mobile 5.0 devices on the market, and the first to be released in the United States. It has a unique form factor, including a slide out keyboard.
The device was originally available in the U.S. as a Sprint PCS exclusive in October 2005. It is now offered by Cellular South, Alltel, Qwest, Sprint, Embarq and Verizon Wireless.
In Canada, the PPC-6700 was originally offered by Telus in December 2005, Bell Canada in April 2006, and Sasktel in August 2006.
The upgraded generation of this model is the HTC Mogul, also known as the HTC Titan, the PPC-6800, or the XV6800 from Verizon Wireless.
Contents |
Reference: Section 5.4 of the Verizon XV6700 User Manual (expansion slot compatible with miniSD and MMC cards)
The HTC 6700's oversized keyboard was touted as the most usable keyboard of any mobile phone device. The product contained white LEDs behind a "dual-shot" plastic key set of both clear and red plastic. The white light shone through the clear keys creating white illumination for the Alpha characters. The translucent red plastic, when combined with white light created a red glow for the alternate characters and together the keyboard was brilliantly lit and quite usable in dark conditions where a backlight is intended and needed.
A few months into the US launch, HTC changed the LED color from white to blue because of visibility difficulties. In daylight, there was not enough contrast between the white illumination of the alpha keys A-Z to the silver keyboard. As a result, HTC switched to blue LEDs. Unfortunately the change to blue created another problem.
When blue light passes through dark red plastic, the resulting color is purple. In the 6700, that purple illumination is so dim that the alternate characters are barely visible in the dark, degrading the usability of the keyboard at night. The Alpha keys, being clear plastic are brilliantly illuminated by the blue light which further diminishes the very dimly lit alternate characters, effectively making them illegible. HTC has failed to correct the issue.
Regardless of its flaws, it still is highly regarded as one of the most versatile Windows Mobile devices ever manufactured. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the device there are many unofficial Operating System releases found on the Internet. Most notably, Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional.
As of July 7, 2008 UTStarcom no longer supports the HTC Apache for US customers.