Several
months and a few
in the wild pics later, Verizon Wireless has gotten around to launching its latest Windows Mobile Professional device, the
Samsung i760. Weighing in just under 5.3 ounces and measuring in at 2.28 x 4.49 x 0.77 inches, it's one of the more compact
PDAs available for the carrier. The i760 is packed with features like a 2.8 inch touchscreen LCD, 128MB of RAM and 64 MB of ROM, an EV-DO radio (sorry, no Rev. A here),
Bluetooth 2.0 and
WiFi connectivity, microSD expandable memory, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and a 1.3
megapixel camera. Enough with all this chit chat, though -- how's about some pics?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PPCMan @ Oct 25th 2007 4:13PM
I thought it had a vga camera. 1.3mp? ok..........
Ari @ Oct 25th 2007 4:42PM
I've been waiting a while for Verizon to release an update to the Sammy I730 and this just isn't it. Why would you want the call button on the side of the phone? Normal people hold the phone in their right hand and dial with their thumb. You would need to reach all the way over or use your other hand to press send? Also the keyboard seems small. This thing just looks to me like something a UPS guy should carry.
Fourbin @ Oct 25th 2007 4:54PM
All 'normal' people hold their phone in their right hand? Really? I talk on my phone with my left hand - and I'm right handed.
Ari @ Oct 25th 2007 5:01PM
Bad use of language on my part. I wanted to get at one handed usage, and how the form factor doesnt work well with that. Sorry about that, that looks pretty bad.
Ken @ Oct 26th 2007 6:30PM
I agree. Unfortunately the i-760 after over a years wait, is a sore disappointment. I ordered one online for the full boat $519, since the sound on my my xv 6700 had died a month and a half ago and I decided to try a Motorola Q9m in the interim.
I got my I-760 Tuesday and apparantly Samsung has somehow disabled the ability to have the screen backlight, and hence the phone come back on after it times-out. The only way to get it back on and call, while your doing 70mph is to hopefully hit the little recessed buton on the top edge of the phone. None of the digit bttons, side buttons or toggle switch will re-start the phone and screen!! Ive had four pocketpc phones and this is the first one I have ever had that acts this way. Also you can only configure the left front button to actual programs not Start or OK, which are placed on the side in an entirely inconvenient way. I called two Verizon tech support people and they didnt know anymore than I did and I finally called Samsung and they said thats the way the phone was designed to protect the circuitry.
Needless to say I have sent my I-760 back to Verizon. Ghastly engineering and we had to wait a year for it. The "Network's not worth the electricity to keep it going if the hardware is inferior. Ill keep the Q9m until I see how the xv6800 is (asuming its ever released) or decide to switch to a AT&T Tilt.
ben walburg @ Oct 25th 2007 4:49PM
vga means 640x480 retard
1.3mp means it will do 1280x1024 or 1600x1200 scaled.
VGA is rarely ever stuck with pda's even on VZ
PPCMan @ Oct 26th 2007 9:28AM
hey retard. Im not the one who reported the phone as having a vga camera (see the other posts about this phone), i just asked a question retard. How tough can you be to call someone names on the web. Wow, im scared of you.
o rly @ Oct 25th 2007 5:06PM
How is this different from last month's unboxing?
Frappe @ Oct 25th 2007 6:03PM
So, don't take this the wrong way- I love your coverage and galleries and all- but,
why are your galleries so frequently lacking pictures of device backs, or top/bottom sides? Even if there's nothing of much interest there, it's a matter of curiousity.
Brettinsocal @ Oct 25th 2007 7:43PM
Ive had mine going for about three days couldnt wait to get off my underpowered Q phone. Although this isnt a comparison thread per say, Im best able to frame my remarks in those terms.
My feelings are mixed. It does a lot of things better but, since Im shifting to a PPC phone from a smart phone, and from WM5 to WM6, just what differences should be ascribed to what change are too much for my limited intellect to discern. I will leave that to you.
Pros:
Build quality solid! Like a lil bank vault. Its not going anywhere.
Slider keyboard awesome! Particularly when compared to the tiny, poorly lit, configuration of the Q.
Functionality impressive. For whatever the above reasons, this unit does most all the things the Q did more proficiently and FAR MORE quickly. Really like having a full-size # keypad on the front. Name search (I have over 4,500 contacts) is a thing of beauty.
Configurability excellent. Color, alerts, ring tones, button function, and start page mods are all far more customizable than the Q.
Cons:
Performance as a phone disappointing! The speaker shoots out between the sliders layers!? Distorts at all but the very lowest volume level. Earpiece only somewhat better. Neither are as good the Q. This would seem basic.. how does Samsung miss on this?
Button layout sadly not intuitive. The side placement of Red/Green keys simply is wrong. Regardless of the hand you hold it with, your fingertips want to rest naturally on these two which leads to unintended pressings. Additionally, the OK and Windows buttons are indiscrete and seem randomly laced. Q scores better on that count.
Slider keyboard Sadly, also a negative. Push the red key to hang-up and everything slides around annoying!
Functionality cumbersome. Suppose Ill get used to it, but the phone can be a bit of a 3 ring circus at times. Moving function-to-function within a call seems more complicated than on the Q. Perhaps less so the more I use it. Personally, I dont strive to be a 1-hander as some (mostly Treo) users have claimed to be, but I do sense less ease-of use on this device. After a year with the Q, pulling out a stylus to get anything done is a pain. Not sure I need a touch screen. (probably going to end-up with the HTC 5800 Libra b/c of this and the EVDO rev. A option)
In conclusion a mixed bag. Hope it helps your mileage may vary.
With discounts, I paid $150 on a 2 yr plan. (Phones switchable after 1 year.)
neil @ Nov 20th 2007 9:57AM
I too recently acquired an I760. One question I have failed to obtain any answer to is whether or not the phone will receive EVDO Rev A signals when Verizon decides to broadcast them to their cell phones. I believe the particular qualcomm chipset in the phone will tell us if the phone is Rev A compatible, (that information can be found on the Qualcomm website) but I do not know the chipset designation. Perhaps, you can find that out.
Thanks,
Neil
San Diego
Gamer90 @ Oct 25th 2007 7:49PM
The device includes an extended battery as well as a standard battery? That's fantastic. Also a note you guys switched the ROM and RAM numbers.
sixftunda @ Oct 25th 2007 9:09PM
I have had the phone for a month and have had only one accidental press of the end button during a call. I do not share Brettinsocal's experience with the phone functions. Mine is working fine.
I agree that the Start Menu button and the ok button are in a strange place. It did take some time to get used to it. It is nice having them on the side when you have the keyboard extended you can use your index fingers with those buttons.
I am a heavy phone user and I can easily go from sun-up to bed time on an extended battery also using push email.
Daren McDougal @ Oct 25th 2007 10:09PM
Only Verizon would choose something that ugly ....horrible ......Samsung should be slapped on this one to
Steve @ Oct 26th 2007 2:00AM
I've now owned the full chain of progression, starting with the i330, then the i700, then i730 i am now madely in love with i760. Personally, the I find the compactness astonishing. The screen is great and has a gel-like feel to it. I know some people have complained about the location of the call buttons, but in my view it's again unique. This is truly the first PocketPC that you can literally access each feature, from calling, to calendars to programs using one hand. The dedicated numerical keypad is one of many features that makes the i760 blow competition out of the water. Samsung has raised the bar (again).
Warpac @ Oct 26th 2007 8:05AM
I have the I760, cool phone but Good 5.0 does not work on it yet, kills the front keys, cannot answer or dial when the Phone is locked.
Hope Good Gets there act together and releases a Client for this device.
I love the full numeric keypad on front, makes it a phone, then a PDA.
Paul
Byron @ Oct 26th 2007 1:19PM
I just received the I760, and its replacing my xv6700, if you had that phone, you will love this phone. Everything runs much fastest, and the number pad on the front is excellent. I love this phone.
Brian @ Oct 26th 2007 10:54AM
I've been using this phone since it arrived on Tuesday, and although I think it's a solid phone with decent features I have a few issues with it. First, the keys are too small for someone with larger hands - just no way around it. It's a little awkward holding a landscape QWERTY slider, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it. Second, I don't like that if it goes into powersave, you have to press the wake button on the top of the phone that's flush against the case to use the phone - kind of a pain. Third, when opening the slider, there's considerable lag in the screen switching orientation. And yeah, earpiece quality is crap - you really do need a headset with this phone. Bottom line, as a new smartphone convert, I'm not sure if I'm happy enough with this phone to be stuck with it for the next two years - time will tell.
Matt @ Oct 26th 2007 10:47PM
THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE UGLIEST POCKET PC PHONE TO COME OUT IN THE PAST 5 YEARS.
SAMSUNG SHOULD BE ASHAMED!
Chrissy @ Dec 1st 2007 4:52PM
I LOVE this phone. I have had no problems with it. I had the EnV. The only thing I am not quite fond of are the call buttons on the side. Whoever though that up was a lil out there.