Preview of upcoming Samsung handsets....they managed to get their Palm clone down to 5.5oz (vs 7.3oz for Kyocera). Pictures are available on the site...also, they have a cell-phone tournament going on (readers pick the winners of different match-ups).
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Third-generation wireless, or 3G, has been a buzzword for quite some time. So the question of the hour at CTIA is when will we actually get to experience it. Sprint PCS announced its roadmap at the show, saying that by the end of 2001 or early 2002, the first phase of 3G will be implemented on its networks. For wireless data users, that means data transfer speeds of up to 144kbps. Sprint plans to follow that up in late 2002 by delivering speeds of up to 307kbps.
Speaking of Sprint PCS, the company will also introduce several phones this summer, including Samsung's Palm phone, the SPH-I300, and the SPH-N200, the follow-up to the company's popular SCH-3500.
Samsung SPH-I300
As we noted in our coverage of CES back in January, the biggest advantages the SPH-I300 has over Kyocera's just-released Palm phone (QCP-6035) are that it's lighter and has a color screen. Similar to the QCP-6035, the SPH-I300 is equipped with 8MB of onboard memory, has the Palm OS at its core, and includes an IR port for beaming. Both phones allow you to view WAP, Web-clipped, and full-blown HTML Web sites, but the Samsung Palm phone, which weighs a mere 5.5 ounces (compared to the Kyocera's 7.3 ounces), will allow you to surf in color. The Samsung foregoes a standard dial pad; instead, you can use the touch screen or voice-dialing feature. At the top of the dual-mode (CDMA/AMPS) phone is a two-line LCD that displays time, date, and caller ID information. Samsung hasn't announced a price for the phone.
Samsung SPH-N200
Meanwhile, the SPH-N200 looks similar to the SCH-3500 but is smaller--4.4 ounces--and comes in two colors (metallic blue and titanium). The SPH-N200 will be equipped with many of the same features as the 3500 but will include an updated version of Openwave's browser (formerly Phone.com) and a six-line LCD.
Samsung SCH-N150
Samsung also had a slew of other mobiles to show off, including a dual-band and tri-mode SCH-T300 and SCH-N150. Both models are flip phones (similar to the SCH-6100 and the Uproar). The T300, which measures 4.49 by 1.77 by 0.71 and weighs 3.5 ounces, has a toggle navigation tool, wireless e-mail and Web access, two-way SMS, and a large display that supports between 6 to 12 lines of text. The N150 is a little bigger, weighing 3.9 ounces and measuring 4.57 by 1.97 by 0.83 inches. Its noteworthy features include a detachable active flip, games, two-way SMS, voice-activated dialing, and rubber side grips. Both phones should be available in the next few months. |
