While the 2005 Consumer Electronics show wasn't the first time that Samsung was showing off its new keyboard equipped i730 Pocket PC device, it was the first time that the company was allowing the keyboard to be photographed.
This new ultra-convergence device from Samsung is running Windows Mobile
2003 SE for Pocket PC, and has so much going for it that it almost seems too good to be true. For starters, the i730 supports 3G 1xEV-DO data, such as that being offered by Verizon and planned by Sprint PCS. With connectivity like that, the full QWERTY thumbboard can really be put to good use, especially since the i730 has a reasonable 64 MB of RAM for applications and an SDIO memory card slot for expansion.
While Samsung is not talking about it at all, the i730 that they were showing at CES had Wi-Fi support built in. There's no knowing yet as to whether this feature will remain in the device when it is finally offered for sale some time this quarter. The fact that the i730 shown at CES had the Korean market "Anycall" logo on it suggests that a version of the device is headed for Samsung's home Korean market, and possibly that this is the market the Wi-Fi capability is intended for. Likewise, Samsung did not mention the 1.3 megapixel camera that was on the Anycall labeled i730.
But even potentially without the Wi-Fi support and Megapixel camera, the i730 has a lot going on. A large, 2.8" diagonal QVGA 65k color display was bright and easily viewed from an angle, and built-in stereo speakers with simulated 3D sound should add a bit of fun to what is obviously a business-oriented device. Other nice touches include Bluetooth support, a hands-free speaker phone and voice dialing. Perhaps expectedly, Samsung provided no estimates concerning battery life.
The star of the i730's show, though, has to be that slide-out keyboard. The i730's keyboard had nice, large keys that still offered enough spacing to be easily distinguished from each other by feel. The key action was good - even better than what you get from a Treo 650, in my opinion. The device is a bit top heavy when the keyboard is extended, as you might expect, but was no worse than similar offerings from HP and others.
Samsung expects to ship the i730 during the first quarter of 2005 and has yet to announce carrier availability and pricing information.
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