Samsung i330: A better Palm-powered phone
By Shoshana Berger
Business 2.0
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Editor's note: Gizmos Weekly is produced by Business 2.0 and features gadget reviews and gift ideas
(Business 2.0) -- In early 1999 I got an assignment to interview one of Rupert Murdoch's kids. Among other things, I asked him what item topped the gadget wish list of a guy who has everything (youth, good looks, a father with a billion-dollar media empire). He looked down at his flotilla of devices and said, "Why can't my Palm (PALM) and my phone be the same thing? I just want one device to handle everything." Three years later, in 2002, we finally got a few splashy PDA phone launches; the Handspring Treo and the T-Mobile Sidekick come to mind. All had their charms and their flaws. Samsung was among the first to release a Palm-powered phone (the i300), in late 2001, but the second generation of fully integrated phones is now hitting the market, and they're much more refined than their older siblings. I took the new Samsung i330 with Palm OS 3.5.3 out for a little chat.
First impression: It's still too heavy and too big. At 4.9 by 2.4 inches and 5.8 ounces, it's nearly as big as my Palm V and heavier than other PDA phones on the market. But my complaints end there. Despite its heft, the phonelike form feels good to hold, with rubber side grips and "hot keys" that allow users to dial one-handed (key for drive-and-deal business types). The stylus is stored seamlessly in the back of the phone, and the charger doubles as a USB HotSync cradle. Unlike the Treo and Sidekick, though, this phone has no flip screen, so it's vulnerable to scratching when not stashed in a pouch.
The real sea change with this update is the high data-transfer speed and the vibrant white touchscreen. Thanks to the screen's 265 colors and crisp resolution, navigating the Web and Palm pop-up menus is no longer the pixelated, low-rent affair it once was. The i330's touchscreen reads graffiti like a champ, and though the number pad is electronic, the buttons are large and foolproof, even for clumsy dialers like me.
The Sprint PCS (PCS) Samsung comes with all kinds of other bells and whistles, like a chunky 16 megabytes of memory, the ability to record voice memos, a speakerphone function, two batteries (standard and extended-life), and a soft case. But I could've stopped writing a paragraph ago and Mr. Murdoch would still have been as pleased as punch.
Samsung i330 Palm-powered phone: $500.
