Measuring 4.3 by 2.3 by 1 in. and weighing 6.07 oz., the PPC-6700 feels a little like a small bar of soap but isn't too bulky. The device's 2.8 in., 240-by-320-pixel, 64,000-color TFT display automatically switches to landscape mode when you slide the keyboard open. It serves as a nice, big viewfinder for the camera, which lives on the backside of the device and shoots still images and video.

Along the bottom edge, you'll find the mini-USB and headphone jacks; along the left edge there's an infrared transmitter, a volume-control slider, and quick-launch buttons for the voice recorder and Internet Explorer. The mini-SD card slot and power button are located along the top edge.

There's a mercifully short list of buttons on the front that turn the phone on and off, a mini-joystick for scrolling around the screen, two soft keys and an OK button. You can dial the phone either using the on-screen keypad or the slide-out keyboard, or by using your contacts list.

The PPC-6700's backlit keyboard is easy to read in darkened areas but tougher to see in sunlight. The slightly raised dome keys are a joy to operate using both thumbs. It's tough to operate this device with one hand, so be prepared to get a firm, two-handed grip.

As a phone, the PPC-6700 worked fine, but don't expect great sound from the puny speakerphone embedded on the back. It's got the usual calling features, including Caller ID, speed dial and mute, but oddly, no support for voice dialing. However, you can shell out $40 for Microsoft Voice Command, which runs on this pocket PC device.