Samsung SP-i600 (Sprint)
Samsung SP-i600 (Sprint)
Kent German Former senior managing editor / features
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Quick Take: For almost a year, Verizon Wireless has offered Samsung's SCH-i600 smart phone. While the handset won broad appeal--even from us--it wasn't perfect. We were disappointed that it ran on the older Windows Mobile 2002 OS and lamented the lack of Bluetooth. But now, Samsung improves things a bit with the SP-i600, currently available for Sprint PCS. Though it's not too different from its older sibling (it has the same Intel 200MHz processor), the new model operates on Windows Mobile 2003, and while there's still no Bluetooth, you get an infrared port. (Sprint's previous Samsung smart phone, the i500, ran on a Palm OS.)
Other features on the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Samsung SP-i600 will please home and business users alike. Goodies include an SDIO slot for expandable memory, 32MB of RAM, a speakerphone, a USB port, PC-syncing capability, an external monochrome display, an internal 65,000-color screen, an embedded Audible player, text messaging, and voice commands, as well as support for POP3 and IMAP 4 e-mail. Take care, though--at $649, the mobile is expensive. You might, however, be able to find it cheaper with service.
Other features on the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) Samsung SP-i600 will please home and business users alike. Goodies include an SDIO slot for expandable memory, 32MB of RAM, a speakerphone, a USB port, PC-syncing capability, an external monochrome display, an internal 65,000-color screen, an embedded Audible player, text messaging, and voice commands, as well as support for POP3 and IMAP 4 e-mail. Take care, though--at $649, the mobile is expensive. You might, however, be able to find it cheaper with service.