The Samsung SCH-i760 is a phone that leaves us wondering "why?" Why are the number keys diagonal? Why don't any of the soft keys line up with their corresponding menu options? Why not incorporate a scroll wheel, like on the just-announced BlackJack II? Why does the dialing screen show a touch screen keypad, even when the QWERTY keyboard is hidden?
And, most interestingly, what took Verizon Wireless so long to announce this phone? We had seen the phone months ago, but were never allowed to power it up, as the startup screen would reveal the secret carrier partnership. So, why wait until now, just after the Moto Q9m was released on The Network, and the same week that AT&T announced their new BlackJack II? Why announce this unique form factor, which places a 12-key pad on the face of a QWERTY slider, in the same press release as the SMT 5800, a phone which uses the exact same idea?
We weren't clamoring for this device, but it is a surprisingly powerful beast. Though it seems smaller than a BlackJack, thanks to its hidden keys, it still features a touch screen and Wi-Fi radio, advanced features even the new BlackJack II lacks. Of course, this phone will cost around $300, which makes it the most expensive Windows Mobile device on Verizon Wireless' lineup, besides the Palm Treo 700wx, though that pricing seems anachronistic.
Does the phone live up to its price tag? We spent a few moments sliding it open and closed, and the phone generally seemed like it could keep up as well as any HTC slider we've tried. Web browsing speeds were what we expected from VZW's fast EV-DO network, though it coughed on our image-intense page just like every other Internet Explorer device does.
So, in short, it’s an interesting form factor, and we're glad that Samsung didn't skimp on powerful features that make this a full-fledged smartphone, like the touch-screen and Wi-Fi. Still, we've seen QWERTY sliders before, even if they are a rarity from the Korean manufacturer. We'll reserve judgment until we've had more quality time with the device, but our instinct tells us that the breakaway device for the Windows Mobile smartphone crowd will be something more unique than a QWERTY slider with 12 extra keys on the front.
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