FCC Leaks Information on Samsung SPH-i500 (Updated)

These devices are not going to be marketed as PDA's with cellphone capability. They are cellphones with PDA capability - and first and foremost in that equation is coverage and service (because the primary application is not surfing the web, or datebook, or bedazzled - it is making and receiving a phone call).

The killer crossover app for these devices will be the use of the gpsOne functionality. Phone, GPS, wireless web, pda, mp3, all built into a clamshell design - shove that up your PPC and smoke it :).

But let's not start comparing until they hit the street and we find out real stuff about them.

Then we'll have more facts to shout at one another, it's more fun that way!

The Samsung:
3.4 by 2.1 by .85 inches and weighs 4.5 ounces.

Samsumg A460 Cell phone:
3.40 x 2.10 x 0.90 inches and weighs 4.6 ounces.

The Samsung is MUCH smaller, and is in fact the same size as my A460! This Palm is going to be the same size as Samsung's new phone, but be a combo PDA/Phone. Thats pretty amazing.

PS: Wouldn't all soon-to-be-released PDA's be on the FCC website. I am thinking this because There's an FCC mark of approval on the back of all Palms.

BTW, Is it just me, or did Ed change the Palminfocenter logo graphic on the top left hand corner?

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Alcoholic: Person with an Alcohol problem.

Workaholic: Person with a Workahol problem.

Especially the "size wins" issue, and the question as to whether "all in one or separate"
is the way to go.

I don't offer an answer to either issue since I'm deciding myself.

I was an engineer at Motorola, and find myself still using the same Phone and PDA
combo since 1999.

What is harder to believe is that both the phone and PDA are
smaller than any of the phones or PDA's we see today.

My phone is still the 3.0 0Z Motorola 8160 Vulcan (CDMA 800 Mhz Verizon).

http://www.futurecommunications.com/CellularPhones/motorola_vulcan_v8160.htm

When closed, the clamshell housing measures
3.25 X 1.65 X 1.25 inches...yet it wasn't a huge seller.
The biggest 2 consumer complaintswere "It is so small I can see myself losing it easily"
and "the buttons are too close together."

My hands are larger than most, and could never understand that problem (NFL players excluded).
It even has Web browsing ability, and decent battery life.

Then there's my PDA. It's a Rex Xircom 6000.

http://www.edgereview.com/ataglance.cfm?category=handheld&ID=123

It is the exact hefty size, volume (and almost weight) of 3 stacked
credit cards.

It does everything a pda NEEDED to do with Adress book, memos, to-do,
tasks, calculator, alarms, USB synch with Outlook, Lotus Notes, a 120 X 240
touch-screen display, even games, and batteries lasting from 2-6 months
(heavy to light use).

If you have a laptop, it would slide into the PCMCIA slot for synchro.

To this day, with all the numbers, games, utilities, and text documents copied from the PC,
I've only filled 25% of the 2MB storage.

What is the point?

I've been waiting for a smartphone for years, and plan on purchasing either the i-500 or 7135.

Europe has enjoyed this technology for many years thanks to common GSM vs. greedy bickering
platforms in the US.

I consider most comments above as important to an informed purchase.

It is too close to speak generally, but Personally I'm leaning on the larger 7135
for it's SD, MP3, and 65k vs 256 color screen.

The removable battery was also key (eliminating most other smartphones).

PS -

Why not Motorola? Although Motorola phones are the best in reliability,
they are lagging behind the voice/data merge as they painfully were (and never recovered from)
digital from analog.

Regardless of market failure, and subsequent discontinuance of both devices,
each performed extremely well...and size?...when the Rex and Vulcan are stacked, they're still
smaller than "tomorrows" i-500 !!

Aren't we all un-predictable/fickle consumers?

It is an OS for devices that are telephones first and "PDAs" second.

Pocket PC Phone Edition is the OS for devices which are PDAs first and telephones second.

They are two distinct markets. Much as you guys live on your PDAs, many people would be happy just to be able to read some e-mail or see their schedule. They don't need to download software that directs them to the nearest Indian restaurant or provides the full US airline schedule. Stinger is for this market.

If you want to download and install your own apps and other PDA functions, look for the Pocket PC Phone edition devices.

Then again, maybe it;s time to switch to an OS which is properly supported outside the US, ie Symbian and the P800, or the 7650 which will be dropping rapidly in price once the superior P800 hits the streets.

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russ@russb.fsnet.co.uk