Sprint Launches First Windows Mobile Smartphone

For the first time, Sprint is offering a smartphone that runs Microsoft's Windows Mobile 2003 operating system. The SP-i600 is a slight variation on a device that Verizon began offering last year.

The i600 is a clamshell device with its screen on one side and a joystick and keypad on the other. It is 3.5 by 2.1 by .9 inches when closed and weighs just 5 ounces. It has a small external screen that can display Caller ID information.

All smartphones running this OS have a 220 by 176 pixel screen and a joystick for user input, not a touch screen. The i600 has a 16-bit color screen, capable of displaying 65,000 colors.

It has 32 MB of RAM an SD slot that supports SDIO.

It uses a removable 900 mAh battery but a bulkier 1700 mAh one is also available.

The i600 runs on Sprint's CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) cellular network. As a smartphone, it functions as both a mobile phone and a handheld. It can access email and the Web, make phone calls, play games, and run other types of applications.

The Samsung SP-i600 is available nationwide in Sprint business channels and from the Sprint PCS web site. It will sell for $649.99.

This model will be available at Sprint Stores in early October.

Related Links

• Brighthand Reviews the Samsung SCH-i600