The Opticon H19 is Opticon's data collection sibling to the H16 smartphone with laser scanner. Definitely a niche product, the H19 is for you if you need an inexpensive smartphone (compared to ruggedized models) that is also a reliable data collection device. Without the sliding keyboard of the H16, the H19 is automatically more rugged than it's little sister. Featuring everything I liked about the H16, and none of the dislikes--still thinking about that sliding keyboard--this unit did very well for it's price point and target market. I'll describe this phone as being 'lightly ruggedized.' We'll get into what I mean by that in a moment. You can view the marketing materials and data sheet here. The device I tested included the following features:

• 2.8 inch Transflective QVGA Screen
• 1D laser scanner (supporting all major symbologies)
• Cell Phone (GPRS, EDGE, GSM)
• 802.11 b/g
• Bluetooth PAN
• 18 Key Numeric Keypad
• 512 MB Flash ROM
• 64 MB RAM
• Mini SD port
• Samsung 23c2440A 400Mhz Processor
• Windows Mobile 6 Professional 
• Lithium Ion Battery (4.2V 1440 mAh)

At 2.45 inches wide, by 5.54 inches long, and an inch thick--and weighing in at just under 7 ounces--the H19 is slightly bigger than it's sibling. If feels more thought out, however. As a data collection device, its small. As a cell phone, it's huge. The big attraction this unit has is that it's a smartphone with a real laser scanner that won't crack open the first time you drop it. The casing has a rubberized finish that makes it feel like it should take small hits well. With a built-in back strap, it stays in your hand. It also fits well in your hand. The full QVGA touch screen, is bright and easy to read. 

Opticon's scan engine is the major reason I wanted review the H16 and H19. Rated for 100 scans per second, it supports all major symbologies--this scanner means business. It can be operated in continuous scan mode, allowing the user to press the scan button once, and scan multiple barcodes in succession; or in single scan mode, allowing only one barcode to be read with each button press. In addition to the laser scanner, Opticon also offers a 2D area imager. The H19 eliminates the biggest drawback of the H16: the sliding keyboard. Don't get me wrong, if you need to enter a lot of text the full qwerty keyboard of the H16 will serve you well--as long as you don't drop it. If your application requires a combination of scanning and numerical data entry, then the H19 has you covered. The numeric keypad is your standard phone key pad. One note about the keypad, and I'm not sure if this is due to Windows Mobile 6, or Opticon's implementation, but text entry with this keypad is not intuitive. With your phone anytime you need to enter text, the phone knows to switch from numeric input to alpha. Not so with the H19. You have to tell it to switch modes. So, is there an alpha toggle key on the handheld? No. There is a Function key, and if you are in an application like MS Word, pressing the function key will switch to alpha mode. However, it doesn't switch back. This is annoying, since the only way I could find to return to numeric mode was to tap on the on-screen keyboard mode icon, select "keyboard," close the keyboard, and then the keypad switches back to numeric. This is true even for the phone application. I'm calling it a bug. Hopefully Opticon will fix it.

Time to talk about survivability. I said I was calling this a "lightly" ruggedized device.  Let me explain: unlike the H16, the H19 can take a fall--from 4 feet (1.2 meters). With no sliding keyboard you don't have to worry about it breaking in half. Of course, I'm not recommending you give it to your delivery drivers. That would be bad. My guess is it could survive a week, maybe two out in the cold hard world of your truck fleet. No, the H19 would much rather be collecting data for a sales person or a manager, or anyone else who works mainly in doors and on carpet. If you do happen to get caught in a downpour, Opticon has sealed things up for you. All of the ports are safely behind hatches with rubber gaskets. The battery hatch is protected by a lip that runs around the perimeter of the battery well, and fits into a slot with a tiny gasket in the bottom of it. Their precautions earned an IP54 rating, which, comparable to more industrialized handhelds, means it can survive splashing and dusty environments.

Like it's sibling, the attraction of this device is that it's a smartphone with a real laser scanner built in. So, how is the quality of the phone? Very good, with one reservation. Using it as a handset, the speaker is loud enough to hear in almost any environment. I tested it while standing on a freeway overpass. I could hear the message on my voicemail clearly. The microphone seemed to provide some background noise dampening, while allowing my voice to come through. Neither is true when using the speaker-phone function. Like other companies, Opticon has placed the large speaker on the back of the phone, so unless you are in a very quiet environment, you can't hear your caller. Also, the microphone's performance degrades by about 50%. The device has dedicated phone buttons on the face of it, making it easy to access the WM6 dialer.

And finally, the battery. Not so good news here. I ran it through the standard test day, including 2000 scans and 10 phone calls, with all the radios functioning and the final battery level was 30%. So even though it's only a 1440 mAh battery, it will probably carry you through the day, but just barely. Buy a spare battery and keep it charged. Opticon makes a holder for your car and charging adapter to keep it fresh during the day. They also make a charging cradle that communicates via USB. Oh, and one last thing. They do pack a lot of freebies into the box: AC adapter, ear buds with microphone, USB cable, leather case, neck strap, belt clip, hand strap, battery, Getting Started disc and stylus. Not bad when you consider most other companies charge you separately for each of these items.

To sum it up, the Opticon H19 is a simpler, but less delicate sibling to the H16.  It can take some rough stuff, but it's best to give it to your sales force, regional managers, or route service personnel who need a reliable scanner on their smartphone.

Brett Birdsong
Sr. Editor