Scanning over a phone’s dimensions won’t always tell the full tale of its physical presence. The HP 614c is a case in point. Its millimetre count may not sound all that imposing but, in the flesh, it’s quite a dumpy thing, especially considering it sports a fairly pedestrian 2.8-inch screen.

In fact, it looks a little like what might pop out if a PDA was to mate with a bog-standard Nokia feature phone. The HP 614c has the curves and stature of the former, but an oversized numerical keypad that is reminiscent of the latter, albeit viewed through a ‘Honey, I blew up my mobile’ lens.

It may seem to invite the term ‘ugly’, but at least the 614c is unattractive in a sense that isn’t outlandish or embarrassing. It’s just plain looking and a little oversized, its girth is amplified by the heavily bevelled screen and chunky buttons. It’s the sort of unattractiveness that could at least soften into affection.

For a plastic-bodied phone, the 614c feels fairly sturdy too. Perhaps lacking the sexiness of some rivals, it does at least evoke some of the reassuring heartiness of comfort food. Whether you want to keep the mobile equivalent of gravy-soaked bangers and mash in your pocket is a question to ask yourself when considering the aesthetics of the HP 614.

Although it lacks a Qwerty keyboard, the combination of the 2.8-inch touchscreen, the traditional keypad, a slider switch on the side of the phone and a navigational scroll wheel make up for the lack well. The scroll wheel’s the most interesting of the bunch. Little more than a circular ridge on top of the keypad, it can be used to scroll between menus or lists, much like the click wheel on a traditional iPod.

A telescopic stylus fits snugly into the phone’s bottom. Since the 614c runs Windows Mobile 6.1, as such featuring some pretty fiddly menus, it’s best to employ a mixture of the two, thumbing the touch wheel while tapping away with the stylus. The actual select button on the keypad is a little too awkwardly placed to make it a completely comfortable counterpart a stylus jab.

The Windows skin the 614c uses matches its simple and chunky external looks. Four icons bring up different bits of information and sets off quick links. The home screen shows the time as well as flagging-up any newly received messages, emails or missed calls. The other icons bring up your most used contacts, an eight-application quick launcher and a profile select screen.

These home screens aside, Windows 6.1 is otherwise vanilla in interface terms. However, navigation in and between menus is quick, no doubt thanks to the 520 MHz CPU. The HP 614c comes with a decent array of software installed, including Microsoft’s Excel, Powerpoint and Word, although there’s no fully featured GPS software to make use of the built-in A-GPS.

The microSD slot, compatible with up to 8GB SDHC cards, gives scope for additional megabyte-hungry software. However, it is very awkwardly placed, nestled in next to the SIM card slot, underneath the battery. Of course, files can be transferred easily using the mini USB connector at the phone’s base, but those used to quickly swapping SHDC cards to move photos or music around quickly may find themselves frustrated with the relative inaccessibility of the slot.

In spite of this storage complication, and the relatively low 3-megapixel resolution, the camera is very easy to use. The autofocus is quick and the photo preview, while a little slower than the fastest in screen refresh terms, is perfectly fine.

The 614c comes with Windows Media Player pre-installed for all your video and music duties but, unfortunately, there’s no 3.5mm jack on the device itself. This’ll mean you’ll either have to get hold of some Bluetooth headphones or a Mini-USB to 3.5mm jack converter to turn the 614c into anything approaching an iPod competitor.

Turning to the more traditional feature side of the smartphone feature set, the HP 614 comes with HSDPA 7.2Mbps and Wifi connectivity. As you would imagine, it’s quad band and has Bluetooth. When using the stylus, the touchscreen is easily sensitive enough for happy internet browsing, even if the size of the screen, at 2.8 inches, isn’t ideal.

If a single word was to be used to describe the HP 614, it may as well be robust. Aside from the occasional oddball entry, like the circular touch-sensitive navigation ridge on the keypad, the 614’s feature list is decent, incorporating most of the elements you’d expect from a smartphone. However, the niggles are not insignificant, while the looks alone will be enough to put off many image-conscious buyers.

With economic doom and gloom all around us, we’re trying our best to use the glass half full approach and spread positivity. Unfortunately, as hard as we’ve tried, we’re unable to extend that to the HP iPAQ Messenger; There is very little to like about this handset unless you’ve been cryogenically frozen for the past few years and are blissfully unaware of the innovations that have occurred in the industry.

The Data Messenger makes use of Windows Mobile, which isn't necessarily the best way to win people over. On top of this, the Qewrty keyboard feels like it would be more at home on an old skool Casio calculator.

At 2.8-inch with support for 65k colours, the 320x340 pixel resolution screen is bright but still relatively small compared to some of the touchscreen handsets that are vying for business users’ attention at the moment and, no doubt, in the future.

Although, in the Data Messenger’s defence, given that it's not really a phone designed for consumer-focused media usage screen size/quality isn't of such great importance. So we’re happy to cut HP some slack here and overlook this usually mammoth shortcoming.

The handset itself is pretty heavy at 160g, which is likely to cause bulge to anything other than the baggiest of trousers. What’s more, it feels pretty plasticky and, although not cheaply made, it's not the most tactile handset. The stylus is more a 1980's telescopic car aerial than a slender tool - which does nothing to add to this already aesthetically challenged handset given that other players are pushing the cool and modern envelope.

Having turned the phone on, we were greeted with the usual uninspiring Windows interface. From a functional point of view this phone sticks to the basic stuff that Windows 6.1 offers with the usual Office suspects. Google Maps Mobile, a 30-day navigation trial, A-GPS and a camera are also present and correct. The camera itself is only 3.1-megapixels which is better than the iPhone but pretty pathetic compared to the 5-megapixel and 8-megapixel giants out there. Having said this, picture quality is OK. But is OK ever enough these days?

When looking at some of the above-mentioned lacklustre aspects of the phone, it’s important to consider that the iPAQ Data Messenger is a business tool and not a flashy iPhone or compact camera equaling the likes of the Sony Ericsson C905, LG Renoir or Samsung Pixon. The Data Messenger is clearly named so as it is aimed at the business professional who needs to stay in touch, receive emails and IM whilst on the move; while having Microsoft Office available for those work related attachments. This being the case, the straw that broke the camel’s back for us when reviewing this already unimpressive handset, was the fact that it crashed the first time we opened a basic SMS text message. Not a great first impression by any stretch of the imagination.

While this review may sound overly critical - and it's true that we couldn't really find anything to like about the HP Data Messenger - that's not to say that it's completely lacking as a phone.

Call quality is good enough and the phone can - when it doesn't crash - handle most basic Windows mobile functions adequately. Essentially, it works but does not excel in any of its functions. As such, we can only really see the Data Messenger appealing to current iPAQ users looking to upgrade. We fail to see why anyone looking for a new business phone, especially with current line of BlackBerrys, the Samsung Omnia or the new improved Palm models, would choose this current iPAQ.

The Data Messenger is way behind compared to its peers and doesn't seem to have come along way since the PDA iPAQs of old. Unfortunately for HP, the competition is just too strong for this below par offering.

They say don’t shoot the messenger. After spending time with this device and deciding to grade it with a disappointing and uninspiring 2/5, we can’t think of anything we’d rather do more.

The first thing you’ll notice about HP’s new arrival is how light it is. Indeed, we spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to work out how to take the back casing off so we could insert the battery…only to find it was already present and correct inside the svelte device.

We then felt a tad stupid as opening the battery cover is as easy as pressing down the dedicated release button at the top of the handset. Given we’ve encountered some frustratingly complex casing open/close options of late it was just a case of not being able to see the woods for the trees.

At just 107g, with vital statistic coming in at 5.0x1.36x11.4cm, this phone is the perfect pocket companion.

The rest of the Voice Messenger’s aesthetics prove equally as pleasing as its compact form factor.

The Voice Messenger’s 320x240 pixel resolution on a 2.4-inch display is pretty bright and attractive, with support of up to 64k colours and LED backlighting. 

A sleek and sexy black finish adorns the front of the handset, while around the back you’ll find classy aluminum-esque casing. Alas, while this choice of materials makes the Voice Messenger appealing to the eye, it also makes it attract sticky finger marks too. Which, truth be told, is not a very good look at all.

The alpha numeric keypad is quite nicely spaced with each key providing home to just one number and two letters, as opposed to the squashed three-letter arrangement most keypads settle for.

We aren’t fans of the circular central navigation pad – it’s not dissimilar from the one featured on Samsung’s i8510, although we found that much easier to get to grips with. It took us an age to get used to its ways and it was, at times, a tad over responsive and prone to skipping past our chosen selection.

Battling with the five-way pad to get to our chosen functions caused pain to our little grey cells, suggesting that we are either thick or that this handset is still a work in progress navigationally. We had our fingers crossed and it is indeed a case of the latter.

We are fans, however, of the dedicated silencer switch at the top of the phone which turns the ringer off and the vibrating alert on quickly and easily – great for meetings and other awkward moments where you really don’t want to be interrupted by your blower’s embarrassing ring tone.

The dedicated keylock key on the right hand side of the Voice Messenger is also a new friend – it's another small but nice touch that saves fiddling around with the keypad to get what you want.

With 128 MB SDRAM main memory for applications and 256 MB flash ROM, in addition to microSD support of up to 8GB, the handset doesn’t scrimp when it comes to storage capacity. We are, however, a bit miffed that the microSD support isn’t hot swappable as you only get access to this area by removing the back casing. Granted, casing removal is a speedy operation, but it’s an unnecessary and frustrating additional hurdle nonetheless.

Windows Mobile 6.1 is present and correct on the handset as is Outlook, Messenger and the usual Office suspects, meaning the learning curve is more of a straight line for those familiar with the world of Microsoft.

While we don’t think Windows Mobile is the best OS for consumer oriented phones with its weird half touch screen, half not strangeness, it is still a pretty slick interface on a device this size. 

HP claims that the Voice Messenger is “small in size, but big on features” and we can’t disagree. That said, we’re not sure we like – or need - all of them.

The handset comes with a 3.1 megapixel camera with 5 x digital zoom, LED flash and auto focus. While the integrated snapper won’t have David Bailey quaking in his boots, it does the job just fine with pictures coming out clear and crisp, although a tad darker than expected at times.

HP’s iPAQ Voice Messenger is one of two when it comes to new arrivals and is the phone for those who like to call alongside its equivalent number data-wise, the HP iPAQ Data Messenger. Given its ‘voice’ ethos, we’re pleased to report that call quality is good and that the 1260 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery is pretty long lasting.

While those more into data might prefer a phone with a bigger keypad, the iPAQ Voice Messenger offers something for the data-hungry too with up to 7.2Mbps HSDPA action.

All in all, the HP iPAQ Voice Messenger is a pretty slick and nice looking device that won’t result in a hernia lifting it. That said, unlike Bond, quite a few people do it better.

The iPaq 914 is finally here after a delay of almost three months. The biggest concern when a handset is delayed like this is that the market will have moved on by the time it hits the streets. As the ice hockey legend Wayne Gretsky said when asked to explain his success: "I skate to where the puck is ghoing to be, not where it is." Quite.

To avoid skating off the market place, HP has crammed every possible function possible into the BlackBerry-like shell of the iPaq 914, including quad band GSM, tri band 3G, a GPS receiver with external aerial connector, 7.2Mbit/sec HSDPA support, a good 3 megapixel camera with flash and the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, version 6.1.

The iPaq 914 is neither small nor elegant, encased in plastic that both looks and feels cheap and nasty, with the back and battery cover coated in a layer of easy grip tactile rubber. This is very much a business phone with an industrial user in mind.

While the construction looks and feels poor, it is actually put together well, and has survived a great deal of rough-housing, including being dropped several times, knocked off a desk and bounced around the inside of my car. There's still not a mark on it.

The iPaq 914 weighs in at 146g, which is average for a device with a full Qwerty keyboard, and the size (64 x 16 x 113mm) is on a par with RIM’s BlackBerry Curve, easily the closest competitor handset to this one.

The screen is a half VGA 320 x 240 pixel touch display, which is common on Windows Mobile phones, except that it has been mated to the Smartphone version of Windows Mobile 6.1 which is designed specifically for keypad control. The result is a rather clumsy user experience, and you will often find yourself frequently switching between the keypad controls and stylus when accessing various functions.

Once you get your head around the on-screen navigation, you can turn to the keyboard. Like the Blackberry Curve, the iPaq 914 has a full Qwerty keyboard. Numbers are arranged in numeric keypad format, slightly to the left of centre, making it comfortable to dial numbers with just a thumb (but only if you are right handed).

There is a volume rocker switch on the left hand side, and a thumb wheel and a second OK button on the right side, mirroring BlackBerry units of old. This is by far the 914’s best interface option. The wheel works well, and is positioned in just the right place to be both comfortable and allow easy one-thumb movement between wheel and OK button.

The actual keyboard is average. The keys, while well-sized are very close together, and the curved key tops don’t help with accuracy. There also isn’t much 'play' in the keys, so you get little feedback on whether you’ve pressed a key far enough.

Software-wise you get the basic Windows Mobile setup: a web browser, email client, text messaging support and basic Office document handling. HP has included the mobile version of Google Maps (which refused to work with the integrated GPS unit) and a GPS configuration tool, and that’s it.

On the plus side, the GPS works fine with software such as TomTom and CoPilot, making this 914 great for users who spend a lot of time in the car, where the external aerial connector will also help. There’s 128MB of built-in RAM, as well as a microSD card slot on the side under a rubber cover, so you can add and remove memory cards without having to take the battery out.

Email access and web browsing benefit hugely from the iPaq 914’s HSDPA data support, as well as built-in Wi-Fi. The phone supports up to 7.2Mbit/sec (providing your network can offer it), and has more than enough processing power to cope, as we discovered when we tested it with a Vodafone SIM in an area with 7.2Mbit/sec coverage.

As well as being one of the fastest mobile web devices out there, the iPaq 914 can double as a HSDPA modem, either as a tethered USB modem or as a wireless Bluetooth one. As with most Windows Mobile smartphones, Bluetooth modem setup was pretty easy, providing you have to hand the settings used by your mobile provider for wireless modem access. Tethered modem use requires the installation of some drivers on first connection, after which it is no different to using any other hardware modem.

Finally, the iPAQ 914 does have a removable battery, which is just as well as HSDPA data access saps the power quickly. HP claims talk time of four hours, which was about right, and standby time of 250 hours, which we found wasn't even close. Our record was 96 hours with no data use and the screen turned off. With moderate data use, you will be recharging this every one or two days.