Samsung Does Palm OS and Pocket PC

Samsung's Pocket PC Phone

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it will release a version of its Pocket PC Phone Edition compatible with CDMA wireless networks later this year. A device from Samsung running this version of the Pocket PC platform is being demonstrated at CES and Brighthand Editor-in-Chief Ed Hardy brings us his first-hand observations of the new device.

"The most interesting part of the i700 is its built-in camera. Image quality seems pretty good," he reports. (See the picture at right that Ed took with the i700 at CES.)

"The Samsung design is an improvement over the current PPC Phone edition device being offered by some mobile phone companies," he adds. "You actually hold the back of this device to your head to talk, not the front. This means you don't have to rub your cheek on the screen when you talk."

He adds that he wasn't able to check out its wireless capabilities.

"It has a lot to offer but it certainly isn't small," he reports. "You aren't going to be able to put it in your pocket and forget about it."

Related Link:

• Microsoft Embraces CDMA for Pocket PC Phones and Smartphones

Samsung's Palm OS Smartphone

Ed Hardy also managed some time with the latest Palm Platform smartphone from Samsung, the i500. He reports that it has some nice features, like some additional buttons, including a Menu button, on the sides to make it easy to use.

"It also has an expanding stylus, so a full-sized one can fit in such a small device," he said. "The i500 looks like a good device but its going to suffer a bit in comparison with the Kyocera 7135, which has a similar form factor but offers additional features, like an MP3 player. The i500 will need to be significantly cheaper to attract a wide audience."

Update: Later, he added, "When I wrote that, I didn't realize that the i500 is actually much smaller. It's 3.4 by 2.1 by .85 inches when closed and weighs 4.5 ounces. The 7135 is 4.0 by 2.4 by 1.2 inches when closed. It weighs 6.6 ounces. People who want a smartphone that is close to the size of a regular phone should check out the i500."

Related Link:

• New Samsung Palm OS Smartphone Announced