Socket Mobile’s SoMo 650 is a semi-rugged Windows Mobile handheld designed for mobile business applications such as inventory control and salesforce automation. As such, it is closer in spirit to a traditional PDA rather than messenger-style devices with mobile phone functionality, although it boasts both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections and can thus send and receive email.

Available since September through resellers such as Expansys and Smart Devices, the SoMo 650 was created to fill the gap in the market left by more mainstream vendors withdrawing their Microsoft-based handhelds or replacing them with smartphones. It is aimed directly at enterprise customers and will be available for three to five years, unlike more consumer-oriented devices with a typical life cycle of about 12 months.

We found the SoMo 650 to be well designed for its purpose. It has a clean design and a simple set of controls, yet features customisations such as a roaming Wi-Fi client and built-in drivers for Socket peripherals such as barcode scanners. It runs the slightly older Windows Mobile 5.0 version of Microsoft’s platform, rather than version 6, introduced in 2007.

The unit has pretty much all of the standard features of the Windows Mobile platform, including the Outlook mail client and support for push email from Exchange servers, but firms looking for a straight email and messaging device would probably be better served by a smartphone.

Socket has equipped the SoMo 650 with a decent specification for mobile applications. It is based on a 624MHz Intel PXA270 processor and has 128MB RAM and 256MB of Flash memory. There are also two slots on the top of the device for expansion: an SD Card slot for Flash storage and a larger CompactFlash slot for both storage and peripherals. The two slots are shielded by a tight-fitting rubber cover to guard against damage and any dirt getting inside.

The system follows the familiar PDA design of a 3.5in 240x320 pixel touch screen with a five-way navigator control and other function keys below it. In the case of the SoMo 650, these are shortcuts to the Today screen, Contacts, Email, and Calendar functions. Two programmable buttons are located on either side of the case, plus a tiny on/off button above the screen and a hold switch on the left side.

Although the SoMo is semi-rugged, it is fairly light for its size at 179g, but still feels reassuringly solid. It has a slightly rubberised feel to the sides of the case, which ought to make it comfortable to hold for extended periods of time. The ruggedised feel is reinforced by protective rubber covers for the power and headphone sockets. It is designed to withstand multiple 1m drops to vinyl-covered concrete, according to Socket.

For connectivity, the SoMo 650 has 802.11b/g Wi-Fi for networking, and Bluetooth, which is primarily intended for connecting peripherals such as scanners. The two wireless interfaces can be turned on or off independently through the Radio Manager console, which the right hand button on the device is set to invoke by default.
We found it easy to configure the SoMo for our test wireless network, and had it connected in minutes using Socket’s Wi-Fi Companion tool.

This provides a wealth of diagnostic information that might prove useful for IT support staff, enabling the user to see the IP address of the device, details of the access point the handheld is connected to, and also statistics on throughput and the number of dropped packets. There is also a tool to perform an IP “ping” over Wi-Fi, and a Wi-Fi TraceRoute application that provides a visual display of the hops packets are making to reach their destination.

Socket also provides other useful applications that are not found on standard Windows Mobile handhelds. One is a processor monitoring tool that shows the CPU loading, like the Task Manager in desktop Windows versions. It also lets you choose whether the processor clock speed is determined automatically by workload, or fixed at one of three frequencies.

Socket supplied us with some sample peripherals to test with the SoMo: a plug-in barcode scanner that uses the CompactFlash slot, and a compact cordless scanner that uses Bluetooth. Both were simple to run, thanks to the in-built SocketScan application that provides the necessary support.

The CompactFlash scanner clicks into place at the top of the handheld, and is then ready for use. On our review unit, we could then point the device at a barcode and press the left hand button on the unit to perform a scan. With the Bluetooth scanner, we had to power on the peripheral, then use SocketScan to look for the device and pair up with it. Once it had linked up over Bluetooth, we began scanning, using a trigger on the scanner itself for activation.

SocketScan enables the operator to scan barcodes directly into applications, and can be configured to inject keystrokes such as a carriage return, if necessary. We were able to fill cells in a spreadsheet with scanned barcode data using the Excel Mobile application on the device.

The docking cradle included with the SoMo 650 is larger than most we have seen, but also has more facilities. It has a recess for a spare battery, so that the handheld and the spare can be charged at the same time.

As well as linking the handheld to a PC for synchronisation, the cradle has two USB ports that can be used for connecting peripherals. This enables a PC keyboard and mouse to be used, making for easier text and data input when the handheld is docked.

We tested this, and found the USB devices are only recognised if they are already connected to the cradle when the SoMo is docked. Users can also connect USB Flash drives to the SoMo this way, but the range of other devices supported will be limited compared with a PC.

The standard battery in the SoMo 650 is a 1200mAh rechargeable lithium ion pack that can be removed by sliding off a panel at the back of the case, and a higher capacity 2600mAh battery is available as an optional purchase.

Socket said the SoMo is designed to be used with Wi-Fi and a CompactFlash scanner for at least eight hours in a typical warehouse inventory management scenario, using standard power management settings. For the extended battery, 10 hours is a minimum. From our experience with the device, this seems to be a realistic estimate, although it will depend on how much the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios are used.