If you want to take advantage of high-speed EV-DO, check Sprint's Web site to make sure there's coverage in the areas you frequent.

In the "nice touch" department, you can turn on both Wi-Fi and EV-DO- and the PPC-6700 will automatically select the faster of the two. (If you're thinking about going with the Verizon version of this phone, note that it's coming under fire for not including this feature, and you can't receive phone calls when you're using Wi-Fi.)

What about battery life? I got approximately five hours of normal usage, meaning voice calls, data transmission and PDA use.

Overall, the PPC-6700 is an impressive little workhorse, simple enough for the technology-challenged but packed with enough useful features for more advanced users.

Michelle Johnson is a freelance writer. Her e-mail address is mijohn@mail-me.com.