Samsung SCH-i730
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Average user rating from 2 users |
Combination, Not Integration
by Depeche on Nov 9th, 2005 at 8:35 AM:
I was going to replace my PDA (an iPAQ 3765) and get a new phone when my wife got this for my birthday.
I love the Bluetooth headset (an extra $79.00) but Bluetooth is available for many phones.
The phone holds virtually no surprises for the Pocket PC PDA user. A few updates from PPC 2002, but that's about it.
Some cool things about the PDA;
If you like music, the i730 has an SD slot. I carry a fistful of Ultra 2gig SD cards, and I have most of my music collection with me at all times. The i730 has SRS WoW installed and this makes music sound much improved over Windows MediaPlayer on my old iPAQ that didn't have it.
The power consumption compared to my old PDA is phenominal ! My i730 was delivered with a normal battery and an extended capacity battery, right in the box. The normal battery (slim) lasts me 18 hours under consistant use (about 15-20 minutes with backlight per hour). I haven't need the extended battery yet, but I keep it charged and in my briefcase.
The way the stylus stores into the body of the PDA is ingenious. It's the one perfect thing about the phone. It stores the stylus effortlessly.
Wi-fi at the hotel is the BOMB! No need to set anything up, just turn it on and login when you're near a hotspot! I'm seriously considering EVDO. I will now leave my laptop at home while travelling.
Some not so cool things about the PDA;
The 'Picsel Browser' has too much of an 'Apple' feel for those of us native Windows users, and I can't uninstall it to make more room. I use Acrobat Reader for Pocket PC to read .pdf files, but you can't just drag and drop them to an SD card and read them. You need to use ActiveSync so that the .pdf 'reflows' so the .pdf is more compatible with the device.
It crashes (freezes). At least once a day, during simple tasks. This requires a warm re-boot (using the tip of the stylus to press in the little recessed black button on the bottom) and this neccesitates re-setting the 'car kit settings' volume so that you can hear your bluetooth headset when there's road noise. Needing to do this while driving sucks.
The 'Voice Signal' voice recognition software absolutely sucks a$$... and there is no alternative. I need voice recognition to dial my phone while I'm driving (I drive up to 20 hours per day some days) and this feature will not cut it. I've even 'trained' it to MY voice, and yet it still sucks. It reminds my of a voice synthisizer that a handicapped person would use (the way it tries to recognize speech and then spits it back out to you in this creepy synth voice). It ends up dialing the wrong number many times because it is incapable of understanding me and makes for embarrasing situations when you have to explain to a client why you woke them up at 1am in the morning when you were really trying to call your logistics center. I have a normal voice with no appreciable accent. I've even tried imitating it's own creepy synth voice to try and make it understand me, but it just won't. This makes for great laughs while my wife is in the car with me.
The phone is really cool to use manually if you're sitting still, it's touchscreen (you can dial with your fingers instead of having to use the stylus). To do this while driving takes a stuntman, it's very dangerous.
The one thing I'm not yet sure if I like or dislike is the software integration of the phone with the PDA. Using my Windows based 'Contacts" list to dial my phone (at least for me) has got me rethinking how I communicate. On some levels that's cool, because now my communications are more streamlined. On the other hand I now must tackle the learning curve.
The retractable keyboard must be for the Blackberry or Treo users, because it's absolutely a waste of space for an iPAQ user who's used to a stylus. Samsung should SERIOUSLY consider a model without the qwerty keypad. This would make the phone slimmer and lighter (although I must say that the phone as it is, is very comfortable to grip and hold.) The keyboard DOES look impressive to friends (ooohhh... ahhhhh...LOL!)
Overall, I think I like the combination of PDA/Phone, just not the integration. If you're a Pocket PC user, upgrade your Pocket PC and leave this phone alone. If you like to try new things and don't mind spending $700 bucks, go for it. It has been a learning experience. And, who knows... maybe Samsung WILL fix the crappy 'Voice Signal' software... soon... please?
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Amazing PDA/Phone - I love it!
by DCBoston on Jan 6th, 2006 at 6:35 AM:
I have the PDA/Handheld unlimited high-speed data package (Boston area) added to my plan for $50/month, and love it. It keeps my imap email up to date effortlessly, and I can easily respond to emails, view Word or Excel attachments, etc. while away from my laptop. I've pretty much stopped bringing my laptop with me in many instances where I used to only bring it for access to email, and no longer worry about trying to find a "hotspot". Even when I'm not in an area where I have highspeed data connection, Verizon's standard data speed is not too bad. I've had worse with other providers. All in all, I'd say it's a great little unit! Not a full blown computer by any means, but compared to handhelds I've had in the past, this thing really does the basics I need it for (reviewing/editing documents and dealing with email) VERY well, and provided you use an earpiece when making calls, it's a pretty decent phone too! And again - the ability to use the apps while talking to someone is great!