First Look: Samsung i730 Pocket PC Phone Edition

Samsung’s new SCH-i730 is a major improvement over their previous i700. The most visible change is the slide-down QWERTY thumb keyboard, for e-mail and other text entry duties. Less visible, but perhaps more important is the enhanced wireless power built into the device. The i730 has a built-in EVDO/1xRTT capable mobile phone as well as integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability.

Samsung was very serious about getting a form factor out that will be attractive to anyone interested in an integrated tactical keyboard yet keeping the overall size small. Verizon Wireless will be carrying the Samsung i730 product and I have heard that the availability should be around July 7.

The i730 ships with an AC charger that plugs directly into the i730 or into the USB desk cradle that folds to easily fit in your Pocket. The cradle not only recharges your i730, it simultaneously charges a second high-capacity battery that comes with the unit. The extended battery is great to bring along with you if you use the battery-draining Wi-Fi capability.

The Samsung device ships with a carrying case in the increasingly popular belt clip style, with a plastic snap holder that allows the device to be clipped to your belt in with the screen facing in toward the body for protection. The phone clip is able to be rotated around the belt clip pivot. Samsung also included a second stylus in the package.

Fig. 1: The PalmOS Treo 650 (left) next to the Samsung i730.

The PalmOS-based competitor to this is the new Treo 650. Figure 1 shows the Treo 650 and Samsung i730 side by side. Although the i730 is slightly thicker, it feels great in the hand. The screen resolution of the i730 (240 x 320 pixels) is less than the Treo (320 x 320), however the i730 displayed my webblog in better detail. The Treo is a great form factor but the hidden keyboard of the i730 really gives this a WOW factor. I love the fact that the i730 gives me choices for doing input by using the QWERTY thumb keyboard or directly writing on the touch screen using the powerful handwriting recognition capability, which isn’t available on the Treo.

You can see the i730 here stacks up very nicely to the small Smartphone and imate JAM. The imate JAM which was by far the smallest Pocket PC not to mention Pocket PC Phone Edition.

Built-in software

The device is based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition software for the Pocket PC Phone Edition. This suite includes the Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition OS and “Pocket” versions of Outlook, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and Windows Media Player 10. In addition, it includes a Phone Dialer to interface with the phone technology, a variety of configuration utilities, and a few other apps. A user-installable version of Microsoft’s desktop PC synchronization program ActiveSync is found on the Companion CD.

Fig: SRS WOW XT lets you fine tune the i730’s audio.

In addition to the standard software from Microsoft, the i730 comes with SRS WOW XT, an application that noticeably improves the audio on the device using its SRS 3D Effect, Focus, and TruBass settings. You can access the SRS feature directly from an icon at the bottom of the Today Screen. Also contributing to the enriched audio experience is the amazingly loud and clear sounding audio / phone speakers on the back of the device.

  Samsung added a number of cool applications to the i730, including a TV/VCR remote controller (left), Ringtone manager, and Launcher (right). Samsung also added Launcher (great way to use the device with one hand using the 5-way directional pad) CarKit Volume, Ringtone Manager, Today Screen Wireless plug-in, OBEX FTP, Remote Control (turns the i730 into a programmable universal infrared remote), Sprite Backup (an award winning way to backup your data and programs), VoiceSignal (use your voice to call and lookup contacts or even open a few apps) and the radically cool Picsel Browser.

Picsel Browser can easily show a full Web site screen as well as zoom in very close with superb detail by tapping the screen. I saw the early version of Picsel Browser (www.picsel.com/manufacturers/browser/) demoed a while ago, but this is the first time I have seen it incorporated into a Windows Mobile device. It is hard to describe how easy this is to use—it must be experienced to be truly appreciated. Picsel Browser allows you read most common document types and browse the Web. You can “pan” the viewed page by stroking the screen in any direction as if you were pushing around a piece of paper on your desk. You can zoom in or out by simply tapping on the screen, let go and then quickly touch the screen again with an up or down stroke. You can easily control the amount of zoom by keeping you pen on the screen as you stroke. Say “bye-bye” to those horizontal and vertical windows scroll bars when viewing with Picsel.

Under the hood

The processor is the Intel PXA272 running at 520 MHz. Combined with 64 MB of RAM (57 MB available), the unit runs applications very quickly. I can’t wait to send an i730 over to my buddies at Pocket PC Techs (www.pocketpctechs.com) to see if they can upgrade it to a full 128MB of RAM. The i730 ships with a whopping 128 MB of flash ROM, 86 MB of which is available to the user. Data stored in this “SafeStore” is non-volatile—secure even if you loose battery power.

The power/sync connector located on the bottom is the same as the i600 or i700 models, which means you should be able to use i600 or i700 accessories with the device. My SPH-i700 Series Lil Sync Pro Retractable Sync-N-Charge Cable from Pocket PC Techs worked like a charm, allowing me to sync the device and power my device from my laptop’s USB port. However, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth draw too much power and I had to turn them off to recharge the battery. I also highly recommend the screen protector for the device. I am very picky about screen protectors and I feel the WriteSHIELDS from Pocket PC Techs are the best on the market.

The well-engineered spring-loaded QWERTY keyboard slides smoothly down from the bottom half of the i730. This slide is much better designed than on the HTC membrane keyboard of the MDA3 line. The feel of the keys is very nice, and it’s easy to distinguish between them because of their raised button feel. The keyboard is backlit in blue, so you can see them in poor lighting conditions. Press any key and the back lighting comes on. You can adjust how long you want the backlight to stay on.

Wireless via Integrated WiFi, EVDO/1xRTT, Bluetooth, Infrared or CDMA

The WiFi runs just as you would expect with auto-configuration of Windows Mobile. When you are outside a Wi-Fi access point you get online with the blazing fast EVDO services. I wasn’t able to test out the high speed wireless data EVDO because my hometown of Albuquerque isn’t up yet. I have read I can expect it to check in at over 600 Kbps. I ended up connecting on using 1XRTT with speeds around 100 Kbps. I will be in Atlanta and Orlando so I will give it a go there.

I used the Bluespoon AX headset to answer calls and control the operation of the i730 via the built-in VoiceSignal software. The built-in Bluetooth worked fine for me also. I was able to pair up immediately with my Bluespoon AX headset and answer incoming calls by tapping the AX’s receive/call button. However the coolest thing was being able to use Bluespoon AX with the VoiceSignal software. I simply tapped the receive/call button and I could use my voice to directly dial any of my existing contacts or tell the i730 to dial any number. Although VoiceSignal isn’t as powerful as Microsoft’s VoiceCommand, the capability to use my Bluespoon AX is SWEET!

I had no problem getting the Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard to work with the i730. The Bluetooth Manager even includes a HID Connection Manager. It allowed me to connect to the i730 with my Think Outside Stowaway Bluetooth keyboard without the need to install additional software drivers. The built-in thumb keyboard, but it’s easier to input data quickly with this full-size mobile keyboard.

One very amazing Pocket PC

The i730 does not come with an integrated digital camera. It appears that Samsung left room on the back of the device for a camera. I hope they decide to include one in a future version of the device. The huge SafeStore size is great for secure data storage.

The keyboard was nice, but with Second Edition’s landscape viewing capability, I would love to have seen the keyboard slide out from the side of the unit, to be used with landscape mode. This would have allowed for larger keys, or for the existing ones to be slightly farther apart and easier to hit. Although I know many people who prefer thumb keyboards, I still find it easier and faster to use the touch screen interface to enter text.

Finally, Microsoft just released the latest version of its OS and application suite, Windows Mobile 5.0. Devices with integrated phone capability face a long testing period to insure that they work with the wireless networks they are designed for. Yes, it would have been great if the i730 had Windows Mobile 5.0 built into it. But if that were the case, we’d probably be waiting for this excellent device for another six months. Still, I noticed that the user interface for the VoiceSignal software has the two Smartphone-like “soft keys” at the bottom of the screen; a feature found on all Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PCs. Hopefully, this bodes well for a future upgrade.

Conclusion

Putting the minor things aside, the Samsung SCH-i730 is an amazing product. Its small size and QWERTY keyboard will attract many users, as will its fast wireless capabilities. Although I’ve been very satisfied with my i-mate JAM, I can hardly wait for the i730 to be released.

Updated since original writing;

Stuff to Love;

- Bunch of dedicated extra buttons; It has the expected Send and End phone buttons not to mention the 4 dedicated buttons on the front surrounding the 5-way Nav button. PLUS...

- The "Back" function button between the phone Send and End buttons. This makes for a greatly improved one handed operation of the device and again shows the forward seeking hardware design of the product. This hopefully bodes well for the potential upgrade to Windows Mobile 5 someday.

- The VoiceSignal button on the right side below the SD slot. This makes initiating the app very easy.

- The sliding spring loaded switch on the left side that in one position keylocks the phone int he up position. This gives you visual confirmation that the phone is locked to prevent accidental operation and it also triggers a small red KEYLOCK icon the home screen... This same switch also puts the unit in suspend mode and blanks the screen when slid in the down position. I typically slide it down to turn off the screen and then immediately up to keylock the device before I put in in my pocket.

- The earphone jack is more of the universal standard instead of the unique i700/i600 version with the wierd collar.

Stuff to wish for;

- The WirelessSync app that Verizon ncludes on the device makes it a little confusing if your intent is to directly sync to a Windows Exchange 2003 Server ExchangeSync directly using the Windows Mobile ActiveSync on the device.

- The battery life on this unit seems to drain faster than I would have liked although having the two batteries has been a super blessing and prevents me from running into any problems. I am only able to run two days before a recharge is necessary. I don't have the official released product so I don't know how this translates to the final product. 

Comments

[arebelspy]

Ooh, pretty..

[Navin]

Nice....do u have any idea when the i750 will be out? As in malaysia they dun support CDMA

********** 6/24/05
I can only tell you what I know about the VerizonWireless version of the i730. I have heard that it is out now to the B2B channel and the retail is estimated around July 7.

-Dale Coffing

[dczoom]

is it able to run skype pocketpc version and make free international call within the WiFi area??

********** 6/24/05
I haven't actually loaded Skype on it yet to give it a whirl but I don't see any reason for it not to work. I will try it when I get back in town and my WiFi network.

-Dale Coffing

[Dave Evans]

Hey Dale,.....Nice review!

You mentioned it may get a WM5.0 upgrade. To me this looks like a very good possibility when you look at the memory configuration with 64MB of RAM and 128 of ROM. This seems to be the popular config for WM5.0 devices, and those that are getting updates. With the 128MB of ROM it is definitely ready for WM5.0
Dave

********** 6/24/05
I have been running Windows Mobile 5 as a development platform on a BlueAngel device (the MDA3) so it kind of spoiling me to not have some of the advanced features on the i730.

-Dale Coffing

[Brightcell]

Treo's resolution: 480x480 ??

.....I wish ;)

*********** 6/24/05
oops! 320x320 I posted a similar comment a few weeks back and forgot to get my review corrected.
- Dale Coffing

[rmg]

Nice review, shame about the lack of a camera but hopefully a revised version will come out, being as I am in the UK this phone will not be much use but I am very much looking forward to the release of the i750. Unfortunately that only has a numerical slide down pad (why Samsung?) But it still looks great and may be a possible Jam2 beater. I think the i730 will win a lot of fans.
********** 6/25/
I think the lack of the camera isn't due to Samsung (there is a location on the back for the camera lens) but to Verizon not wanting on the version they want to market to the enterprise customer. I have heard that there are some real legal concerns from the enterprise about cameras being used where they shouldn't be which potentially opens up potential litigation.

Dale Coffing

[David Wheeler]

Does it support VzW's sweet VCast feature?

********** 6/27
Don't know the answer to that one.
Dale

[Wayne]

Dale, any chance of reviewing WM5 on the MDA3. Didn't even know there was a WM5 ROM for the Blue Angel, can you provide details of where its from and if there are plans for it to be made available. Have seen HTC universal review and heard there was a ROM for MDA2 but thats the first time I've seen a reference to WM5 & the blue angel. TIA wayne
********** 6/27
There really isn't a WM5 for the BlueAngel. I am running a developmental platform only so it isn't supported. I have it because I show it at the various events that I speak at for Microsoft as a demonstration model of the WinMob5 OS.

As far as I know there hasn't been any announcements to having a supported version as of yet but remember it is still very early in the game.
Dale

[John Halsey]

Dale,

Which Write Shield are you using?(Jam?)

Also, have you had any experience with 3rd party apps on the i730? If so, what has worked, and what has not.

Can you provide any feedback on the i730 + Pharo GPS? Any problems? Have you tried others?

I'm glad to see you back on the web. I was a big fan of your old site.

John

********** 6/27
I am using the JAM size right now but it is ever so slightly just a bit too small. It is better than not having anything so until they get a new special cut for the i730 that is the one I put on.

I have the Pharos Ostia loaded on the device right now and it is working OK. I use it in the landscape mode along with the Pharos Bluetooth GPS receiver. I took a photo of it and posted it in the article from TechEd when I was showing it off in Orlando earlier this month. http://dalecoffing.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/photo_060905_010.jpg

I haven't loaded other GPS apps on the i730 just yet but I will. I love the GPS software by CoPilot, Destinator just to name a few.
Dale

[Rob Royse]

Dale,

Is it true that in their infinite wisdom, those knuckleheads at Verizon have crippled yet another bluetooth implementation and have removed for support for DUN via Bluetooth? This phone would be PERFECT if it permitted use of EVDO speeds for your laptop through the phone.

I hope this isn't the case, but if it is, that will be the sole reason I won't buy this device...

Oh well, I guess there is always the HTC Universal to wait for... :)

Thanks,

Rob

[Hugh]

Dale, how is screen visibility in sunlight?

It's good to hear from you once again.

Thanks,
-Hugh

********* 6/27
It is readable in sunlight although certainly not as nice as being in shade or indoors.
-Dale

[Ian Argent]

As far as Bluetooth DUN on EVDO - Bluetooth is a read chokepoint for it. I've used the Harrier (XV6600) as a BT DUN modem in an EVDO area, and only got 200-300 bps at max, much less than using the same device as a USB-tethered modem.

[Kevin]

what do you mean when you say the included sync app makes it confusing when using Exchange 2003 Activesync? I am planning on getting one of these devices next week and plan to use the Always Up-to-date AUTD feature of Exchange 2003 and Activesync.. this feature, as you may know, requires sending a txt msg for every update, yet Verizon charges $$$ for txt msgs.. have they addressed this issue?? or, will I need to also pay $$$ for a txt msg package from Verizon?? Any idea. Thankfully, my current provider, Cingular, includes 1500 txt msgs with their unlimited pda internet package.

[craig nielsen]

How long does it usually take before another carrier, like Cingular, releases a new PDA like the Samsung i730?

Craig

[Shawn]

Dale,

Great review. I noticed you mentioned in the update about questionable battery life. What is your latest opinion on battery life versus the Jam for example? Thanks.

[Carlo Smith]

The I700 / I730 and any other Pocket PC device does not support VCAST. As far as I know it doesnt support EMS either.

I love this phone, but am discouraged from getting it, since i currently have the i700 and can add whatever capability via SD, and it has the camera. The version VW is releasing has removed the camera (1.3 Mega Pixels) and some WiFi functionality... It in effect should prevent you from using Skype to make calls.

again..an SD card will take care of that...

VW removed Reduced memory, a TV tuner & video capture capability from the i700 (i found then apps installed and tested). I wonder what they removed from the i730.

I love this phone, but I still want my camera ... sticking with the i700 and may later switch to a none VW modified version of the i730.

[John Blasdell]

A couple of questions on connectivity, since VZW has crippled Bluetooth:
1. How is the Wi-Fi? Can you connect to EV-DO network, then connect to a notebook in Ad-hoc mode?
2. If you try to connect this device to a notebook via cable, is the connector on the phone USB or something open, or is it a proprietary connector (may not find anything with this special connector)?

[Marc]

Hello Dale ,

Thank you for the nice review.

I was very interested with the i730 until I saw on a user reviews that you can't receive phone calls when you are browsing the internet ??!!!

I'm pasting you the user review

"I was waiting for this phone forever. It seemed to be the perfect blend of PDA, phone, fast internet browsing. -- Now that I have it, I discovered that Wi-Fi and the phone networks (voice, CDMA 1X, and EV-DO) CANNOT BE ON AT THE SAME TIME!! You have to turn one off to use the other. So if you're surfing with Wi-Fi or EV-DO, you can't receive phone calls!!!!

Is that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard??!?!?!?!?!?! My RAZR can surf the net and get calls!

What a shame "

Is that true?

Thank you for your answer...

M

[Dave McCombs]

It all depends on the radio. Most devices have a class B ( I believe, I could be wrong on the classification) radio. That means that when a call comes in, wireless is suspended as it cannot do both at the same time. I have never had to turn off the wireless however.

[Lee Walton]

The AUTD feature of Exchange 2003, will be superceded by the push technology of Exchange 2003 SP2. Watch out Blackberry!

[Adrienne Abbott]

Small is good, but how's the screen on aging Baby-Boomer eyes? Can I set the font big enough to read without my glasses?

[todd stewart]

Samsung i730

I want to use my phone to access websites, that require popup login screens. Can this be use to access them or can I connect it to a laptop in the field?

[Marty]

Dale,

I don't see the pic posted on your site but someone posted one on another site showing the I730 working with a bluetooth GPS unit (http://www.pdaphonehome.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49522&highlight=dale+i730) and said they got the picture off of your site. I was wondering what GPS software and version(TomTom??) were you running and if you had to do anything special to install the software. You can email me as well if you like. Thanks!

[Josh]

Dale,

Thanks for the review. My main concern is one-handed use. With the Treo I can check email, browse the web, and access contacts and my calender one-handed without the stylus. How easy is this to do on the i730?

I know that one-handed operability will be greatly improved in WM 5. Do you have any knowledge of a plan to bring WM 5 to the i730?

Thanks

[Kenneth H. Cho, M.D.]

Dale,
Thanks for a great review. Thanks especially for explaining the Picsel browser. I've been playing with my new i730 today, and didn't know what Picsel was. You are right, it really helps with web-browsing. Overall, this is an amazing device! The screen is sharp though small, browsing the internet over EVDO is very easy, especially with the Picsel browser, and the Voice Command is very good. A couple of issues, though. It is true that you cannot receive calls while surfing the web. Also, my Motorola HS810 bluetooth headset does not operate as smoothly as is did with my Motorola V710. I like to keep it off (boom mic closed) until the phone rings, then open the headset. On my V710, it would automatically connect to the phone and answer the call. This doesn't work with the i730, so I guess I'll have to keep my bluetooth headset on at all times. All in all, though, if I can get my workplace to approve the wireless sync software for their exchange server, I'll have a cellphone, PDA, and Blackberry all in one device, plus broadband wireless websurfing anywhere, anytime. This is by far the best integrated device on the market!
**********6/7
If your workplace uses Exchange 2003 it is all built in already. If they use an older versioin it might be a good option to have the Exchange upgraded?
Dale