Kyocera 7135, Samsung i700 Coming to Verizon

Ed Hardy · 03-19-2003, 11:08 AM

Verizon Wireless has announced plans to offer two additional smartphones: one Palm OS, one Pocket PC.

Read more at http://www.brighthand.com/article/Ky...ing_to_Verizon

Shackrat · 03-19-2003, 01:17 PM

That new i700 sounds exactly what I have been waiting for all this time. I remember a similar announcement a year ago regarding Verizon Wireless releasing the Thera but that turned out to be a major disappointment, both in price and features.

What concerns me is that when the Thera came out Verizon initially priced it at $899 which was exhorbitant no matter what its' feature set was. It was overpriced, poorly integrated, and a pathetic PocketPC with mediocre specs of 206MHz, 32MB of ram. Right now the Thera still sells for $599 despite all of it's flaws and less than favorable reviews. If Verizon could justify that price, what is the new i700 going to sell for, $1099?

This is really good news, and if it's priced competitively, I may just have to pick one up as soon as they hit the market. I didn't notice in the article any mention of a timeframe for availability in store. I've always been one for bleeding edge phones, but admit that still use my v60c which was the very first one sold in Upstate New York a couple years ago!

cecina · 03-20-2003, 02:58 AM

HP dumps Pocket PC phones
March 19, 2003

"We?ve done extensive market research and come to the conclusion that consumers prefer a two-piece solution of mobile phone and PDA communicating via Bluetooth,? said Antoine Barre, HP European vice president. ?The market isn?t ready for sophisticated devices, although businesses are crying out for them in terms of manageability.?

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/index.cfm...view&news=3163 http://www.bargainpda.com/discussion...ame=well+the+p (light green or red?)

I wonder what is going to happen with HP/iPaq PPC'S 5000 series the 1XRTT and GSM/GPRS + BT=Bluetooth!? http://microsoftmobiles.com/phones/i...dma/index.html http://www.brighthand.com/article/iPAQ_5400

Microsoft faces phone annihilation - Nomura By Andrew Orlowski in San Francisco Posted: 18/03/2003 at 10:58 GMT

(excerpt)

"Please note also that nowadays smartphones, in order to be popular, need to have good hardware, what means nothing less than: built-in (not just atttachable) camera and built-in Bluetooth," peeves the understandably annoyed "jpzr".

(We've noted here how there isn't a Bluetooth phone to be had in the US on a CDMA network, the prize goodies going to the GSM providers here).

Which means that the piece of crap that Microsoft and Intel dragged out at GSM World last month - for all its breakthroughs in integration and compact flash memory density - isn't going to appeal to anyone.

Indeed, "jpzr" has hit the nail on the head. Phones and Bluetooth are becoming as one in Europe, despite some ominous foot-dragging from Nokia, creating all kinds of new and unexpected markets. On my last but one visit to Europe, I'd say three out of four start-ups I met (and unlike Silicon Valley, the start-up business in Europe is healthy and entirely geared around a common platform, which the USA doesn't have: phones) was selling me some kind of Bluetooth-based proposition.

more http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/68/29800.html http://www.mobitopia.com/

Shackrat · 05-07-2003, 10:28 AM

I just spoke with our corporate sales rep at Verizon Wireless who informed me he was attending a training session from 11am-1pm today on a couple of new phones that were being released next week, including the Samsung i700.

He hinted that the release day was Monday but couldn't guarantee it and would call me back and let me know for sure when they'd be available.

Shackrat · 05-08-2003, 02:14 PM

I just got a follow up call from my corporate sales rep (through my employer) who informed me that the i700 was indeed instock and can be ordered.

The price is $629 with 1 year contract, $599 with 2 a year.
Overnight shipping is $9.99

I'm in the process of ordering one right now and to make the deal sweeter for me I qualify for New Every Two I get an extra $100 off! I'm just waiting for the paperwork to be faxed in to me so I can get the order in, and if that happens by 3pm EDT I will have it here tomorrow!!

Might it be time for a Samsung forum??

Shackrat · 05-09-2003, 10:27 AM

It's on my desk and charging right now. Some of the more notable features are the fact that it includes 2 batteries (standard & extended) and the cradle has a spare battery slot.

Shackrat · 05-09-2003, 04:00 PM

I have the device and have been using it for a few hours. Very nice overall. You can see what I wrote at pdaPhoneHone.

craigf · 05-09-2003, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shackrat
Some of the more notable features are the fact that it includes 2 batteries (standard & extended) ...

Is it just me or does the fact that two batteries are included in the box seem to be a bad sign?

imported_Soulstice · 05-09-2003, 11:11 PM

The unit also seems to have optional CF sleeve!

wow now that is a weird phone accessory.

PS. shakrat, you can run your entire BBS off PPC now. somebody has sucessfully port pearl and Yabb.

just a useless neat trick.

Shackrat · 05-10-2003, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by craigf
Is it just me or does the fact that two batteries are included in the box seem to be a bad sign?

I wouldn't say that, in fact Samsung is known for including two batteries with their smart phones in the past. I believe it's the i300 that also comes with 2.

On a battery useage report note, the standard battery performs pretty well I would say. I took it off the charger around 5:30 last night, used the PPC functions for a total of around 3 hours (med brightness), had about an hour of talk time on the phone, and have had the phone portion on the entire time so I can receive calls. My battery is just starting to give out now reporting about 20% left so I wouldn't say that is all too bad at all.

The amount of useage is slightly better than I was getting on my iPAQ 1910 which was good for around 3 1/2 hours of on and off use but was 100MHz slower, and lacked a phone radio that was one all the time.