Samsung SCH-i760 (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: Samsung Part number: SCH-i760
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Samsung SCH-i760 goes big (literally), delivering a solid set of features and good performance to Verizon customers looking for a business-centric smartphone.
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CNET editors' review
Samsung SCH-i760 (Verizon Wireless)
price range: $299.99
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 10/18/2007
- Updated on:12/13/2007
- Released on: 10/19/2007
The good: The Samsung SCH-i760 features a slider design with a full QWERTY keyboard, external dialpad, and touch screen. The Windows Mobile 6 smartphone also offers good performance and has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and EV-DO; a 1.3-megapixel camera; and real-time e-mail delivery.
The bad: The i760 is bulky, and we wish there was a built-in scroll wheel. There's no support for Verizon's V Cast services, and it lacks Windows Live integration.
The bottom line: The Samsung SCH-i760 goes big (literally), delivering a solid set of features and good performance to Verizon customers looking for a business-centric smartphone.
Editor's note: Ratings have been adjusted with respect to newer devices that have entered the market .
It's been a long time coming, but it looks like the Samsung SCH-i760 for Verizon Wireless was worth the wait. This highly anticipated Windows Mobile 6 smartphone features a slider design that opens up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, and yes, while we've seen these type of devices before (e.g., the Sprint Mogul), how many of them had an external dialpad? Zilch. But more than design, the i760 offers business users a full-featured device with messaging capabilities, various wireless options (EV-DO, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi), and good performance. It certainly has its downfalls: the handset is bulky and Verizon has curiously omitted some cool features, like Windows Live integration and V Cast services. It's also pricey at $349.99 with a two-year contract and after rebates, but for Verizon customers looking for a corporate-centric smartphone, the Samsung SCH-i760 is a solid choice.
Design
One look at the Samsung SCH-i760 and you know it means business. Unlike its distant cousin, the Samsung BlackJack, this smartphone isn't about being thin and light. The i760 is built for utility and power. Consequently, this also means it's on the bigger side, measuring 4.4 inches by 2.2 inches by 0.7 inch and weighing 5.2 ounces. It's similar in size to the other slider Pocket PC phones like, as we mentioned, the Sprint Mogul and the AT&T Tilt. Admittedly, the i760 is bulky, especially with the extended battery, and certainly won't easily fit into a pants pocket. It's also a bit slippery (no soft-touch finish) and could get uncomfortable to hold while on a phone call after a while, but the handset is solidly built.
The Samsung SCH-i760 features a 2.8-inch touch screen that displays 65,536 colors at a 320x240 pixel resolution. It's sharp and bright for easy readability, and is viewable in most lighting conditions. Colors washed out a bit in bright sunlight but we were still able to see what was on the screen. We're also a fan of the touch-screen capabilities since it provides an easy and convenient way to launch applications, navigate the menus, input data, and more. There's a stylus included to use with the touch screen, but it's in a weird location. We had some difficulties finding it at first, but finally realized it's the little knob on the lower right side.
Below the display, you also have tactile controls for achieving the same tasks, as well as an alphanumeric dialpad. You won't find an external keypad on too many (if any) Pocket PC phones, and it's a nice option since it saves you the step of calling up the virtual dialpad. The other controls include two soft keys, a Clear button, and a four-way navigation toggle with a central select button. The latter set of buttons are clustered on the left half of the device (see image below), which offsets the position of the soft keys with the corresponding menu items onscreen so that's just something to note. Meanwhile, the Talk and End keys flank the screen but they're tiny slivers, and a bit difficult to press. Another minor complaint is that when you press the Talk button on the left side, it's easy to shift the slider screen, which got to be annoying.
To access the SCH-i760's full QWERTY keyboard, just slide the front cover to the right. This automatically switches the screen orientation from portrait to landscape mode, and unlike some of the other smartphones we've tested, the transition was fairly smooth and without too much of a delay. The keyboard itself is pretty easy to use with sizeable keys and sufficient spacing. It's also well-backlit, but the buttons tend to be a bit slippery.
There are a number of quick-launch buttons on the phone to make for easier one-handed use, but it's a bit overwhelming and will probably take some time before you're completely familiar with the layout and experience. On the left spine of the phone, you'll find a microSD expansion slot and a volume rocker, while the right side has 2.5mm headset jack, a Today/voice recorder launcher, an OK button, and a camera activation key. We do wish there was some kind of jog dial or wheel to more easily scroll through the menus. Finally, the camera lens and the flash are located on the back of the handset.
Verizon ships the Samsung SCH-i760 with a travel charger, two batteries (standard and extended), a USB cable, a desktop software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check out our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
The Samsung SCH-i760 is stocked with an arsenal of tools that should satisfy most mobile professionals. The phone runs the latest Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition so you get the full Microsoft Office Mobile Suite with the ability to create, view, and edit Word and Excel documents. You can also view PowerPoint presentations (with minor editing options) and PDFs. More functionality was also added to calendaring, contacts, e-mail, and more; all the details are outlined in our review of Windows Mobile 6. Other personal management tools include a world clock, a calculator, a notepad, and a task manager. Of course, you can customize the i760 for your lifestyle and download other applications to the device; visit Download.com for some ideas.
With Microsoft's Direct Push Technology, the i760 can synchronize with your office's Microsoft Exchange Server for real-time e-mail delivery and Outlook synchronization. There's support for a number of other e-mail solutions, as well, including Good Mobile Messaging and Verizon Wireless Sync. In addition, the device can be configured to access your POP3 and IMAP4 accounts. There's a handy e-mail wizard that walks you through the steps for setting everything up, and it's really just a simple matter of entering your e-mail address, login, and password. We used it to access our Yahoo Plus account and had no problems whatsoever. Unfortunately, like the Motorola Q9m, the i760 has been stripped of the Windows Live Messenger instant messaging client as well as Windows Live.
Phone features on the Samsung SCH-i760 include a speakerphone, voice dialing and commands, smart dialing, three-way calling, and text and multimedia messaging. The phone book is limited only by the available memory, and each entry can hold as many as 12 phone numbers, three e-mail addresses, addresses for home and work, a job title, and more. For caller-ID purposes, you can assign a contact to a category or pair it with any of 14 polyphonic ringtones or a photo.
In terms of wireless options, the i760 pretty much has it all except GPS. Bluetooth 2.0 is onboard with support for the A2DP profile, so you can connect to stereo Bluetooth headsets. You can also use Bluetooth for wireless headsets, hands-free kits, wireless file transfers, and dial-up networking. Integrated Wi-Fi lets you hop onto your home network or any available hot spots so you can surf the Web. Alternatively, the i760 is EV-DO capable so you'll be able to enjoy data speeds of as fast as 2.4Mbps, though realistically, you'll average closer to 300Kbps to 600Kbps. Bottom line, you'll have a better experience whether you're browsing the Web, listening to streaming media, or downloading games.
Given the 3G capabilities, support for Verizon's V Cast music and video services would seem like a good fit, but given that the i760 is more of a business-centric smartphone, Verizon decided not to include these services at this time. However, that doesn't mean the i760 can't have fun. As a Windows Mobile smartphone, the Samsung i760 comes with Windows Media Player 10 Mobile, supporting a number of popular audio and video formats--AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, MPEG-4, and WMV, to name a few. If you have TV shows recorded on your Windows Media Center PC, you can transfer them to your device for on-the-go viewing. Onboard memory is 64MB of RAM and 128MB of built-in flash memory with about 59MB of user-accessible storage, but you should be able to carry a nice size library of music and videos by taking advantage of the expansion slot, which can accept cards up to 2GB.
Finally, there's a 1.3-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities. There's a flash and self-timer, and you can choose from several shooting modes, quality settings, and resolutions, which range from 1,280x960 to 160x120 for still images. To enhance the picture, there are white-balance settings and various effects that you can add. These tools are also available to you in camcorder mode, though you can only choose from three quality settings. Picture quality, while not spectacular, was good. We had some difficulty steadying the device to get a clear shot, but images came out with sharpness and decent color.
Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 850/1900; EV-DO) Samsung SCH-i760 in San Francisco using Verizon service, and call quality was mixed. There was some reverberation on our end but we could still carry on conversations without problem and interact with our bank's automated voice response system. Our friends said we sounded fine, though not spectacular, as they could tell we were using a cell phone. The speakerphone also yielded a similarly mixed reaction. This time we thought the speakerphone sounded great with clear sound and plenty of volume. In fact, we were caught a bit off guard when we first activated the speakerphone and were blasted away by our friend's voice. Sadly, they didn't enjoy quite the same results, saying that we sounded soft. We had no problems pairing the i760 with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset.
Powered by a 400MHz Samsung S3C2442 processor, general performance on the Samsung i760 was snappy, though response time reduced as we used several applications simultaneously. Surfing the Web was a joy with speedy load times thanks to the EV-DO support, and the smartphone was also able to find and connect to our test access Wi-Fi point with no problem. We had no major complaints in the multimedia category either. As we saw when using the speakerphone, the i760 has plenty of volume to crank out tunes, but it could use a little more in the bass department. We also wish the smartphone was equipped with a 3.5mm jack so we could plug in a nice pair of headphones. Video playback was decent with synchronized audio and image, but as expected, there was some pixelation during actions sequences.
The i760 is rated for 3.5 hours of talk time and up to 7.5 days of standby time. In our battery drain tests, we were able to get 4 hours of talk time from the standard battery and 6 hours of talk time from the extended battery. According to FCC radiation tests, the i760 has a digital SAR rating of 0.73 watt per kilogram.
User reviews
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great phone
by drakefantastic on October 19, 2007
Pros: keyboard is comfortable and accomidates giant thumbs, quick processor, uncrippled wifi and bluetooth.
Cons: phone quality is tinny, needs an up-down scroll button, side call button is easy to hit when typing
Summary: I have had this phone for a month now (was on of "the 40") and i love it. one handed operation is a little tough--T9 would have been useful on ...
Summary: I have had this phone for a month now (was on of "the 40") and i love it. one handed operation is a little tough--T9 would have been useful on the front numeric keyboard, however, the front does feature auto complete.
The only annoying thing about the phone is that when typing on the keyboard, it is easy to hit the green call button, which brings up a different menu. i would also like to have a up and down scroll button for web browsing with one hand.
this phone is capable with media--i can watch youtube via tcpmp and flashbundle. i can listen to MP3s and even set them to be my ring tone. it has the standard 2.5 mm jack, so you need a converter for regular headphones.
WM6 could use a few updates on this phone. there is no snooze button on the alarm. mobile office does not yet open office 2007 document--though i hear an update is coming. there is no native zip support, and the close button doesn't close the applications. after downloading a few mobile apps, i am pretty satisfied.
there could be more memory on the phone. when using PIE, it can get sluggish depending on the site and my memory drops. if you want a more desktop like browsing experience, you can use the included picsel browser, however, none of these have flash support.
the phone works well, though it is not the most comfortable when holding it up to my ear...and i get ear smudges on the screen. i can hear the callers fine, though they sound tinny. with my jawbone callers sound better.
the form factor is perfect for me. some complained that the phone is too big...but if it were any smaller, the buttons would not accommodate my hands. the construction feels solid and the slider is sturdy. i have dropped it once and i held up fine.
the phone comes with two batteries. i only use the extended battery, which usually lasts a day and a half depending on use. the desktop charger on the vzw website does not seem to sync the phone, which seems a little dumb, but it only came out today and accessories may be added.
all in all, i love this phone. it is dependable, and most of my issues are desired tweaks to the OS and not the phone. so far, it is the best pda offering from Verizon, and as they only seem to come only with one PDA a year, we are fortunate this is a good one.55 out of 57 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Packed full of features, but has some interface issues
by erok210 on November 6, 2007
Pros: The Swiss Army Knife of smartphones. Power users only apply.
Cons: Heavy, poor U/I, difficult to use, proprietary cables.
Summary: Just coming off a T-Mobile Dash and I already miss it's UI. However, I'm happy to be back on the Verizon network! The i760 has everything: Touch screen, ...
Summary: Just coming off a T-Mobile Dash and I already miss it's UI. However, I'm happy to be back on the Verizon network! The i760 has everything: Touch screen, full keyboard, Wi-Fi, bill screen and more. But, they missed the mark on the UI. For example, you often get to a screen where in order to close it, you need to either use the stylus to hit the tiny "X", or use the OK key. The problem is; the OK key is only on the slider keyboard. Why didn't they just make the OK the center button on the navigation wheel or use the "CLR" key? (Note: you can use the Red END Key on the side of the phone to go back to the HOME screen, but that doesn't close the application.) Next, the keyboard doesn't have a num-lock function, so you either have to use the key pad or have to keep hitting the num function. The keyboard is also missing the apostrophe character. You can only get to it from a special symbol list and pick from the screen. Lastly, the # key defaults to a space, even when you are in a form that requires numbers.
Also, when you press a key for a short period of time on other Smartphone and the Blackberry, it gives you the shifted character, not on this phone.
I also found keyboard very tight, especially when pressing the Y or U key, which often resulted in me press the green call key on the side of the phone!
Now, this may sound like I'm being picky, but I'm a "power user" and expect these obvious UI functions on a expensive Smartphone as i760.
It also missing Profiles, which I found to be very useful on the Q and Dash.
I found the phone slippery. Because of it's weight, I'm affraid that I may drop it. I wish it had a "sticky" finish like the Dash.
Lastly, the USB cable that comes with phone, won't charge the battery! I called Samsung and they said they plan to have a USB data/charging cable in the future. Also, the audio jack is not standard.
Now, you may ask why I gave this phone a 7. The phone is powerful, fast, battery life is good and the touch screen (with a stylus) is nice, especially with cut & paste features.
Being on the Verizon network, and having WiFi moved my rating from a 5 to 7. So, being that I disliked the Q for many reasons, moved to the T-Mobile Dash because it is best Smartphone for its size and price, but couldn't get service inside my home, I'm left to with the i760 on the Verizon network. So, I'll have to get used to this un-intuitive UI. Hopefully, they read these posts.Updated
Since I first submitted my review, I found out how to perform a num-lock. Also found that one of the side buttons performs the "OK" function. without having to sliding out the keyboard by assigning one of the buttons to perform this function (I used the button camera side key). I find this useful when using Google maps while the i7650 is mounted horizontally in my car.Updated
Since I submitted my review, I found out how to perform a num-lock function by holding don't the key until I see an up-arrow with lines through it on the screen. I also found out that one of the side buttons performs the OK function.
A new function I learned is how to rotate the screen while the slider keyboard is closed. I find this useful when mounting the phone horizontally in my car when using Google maps.Updated
I learned where to find the apostrophe charater is on the main keypboard: Num + B key. It is shown as a backquote on the keyboard.
I also recommend buying the egrips.com sticky grip strips to help you hold the phone. They don't have an set for the i760 yet, but the standard set will do. I also, purchased an invisibleSHIELD screen protector from ZAGG as recommended by another reviewer - a must have!
After a week now, and I'm still having issue keyboard and the bulk of this phone, but I'm very happy with sound and reception.46 out of 46 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This phone does it all FLAWLESSLY!
by lauraruff on October 24, 2007
Pros: Slider, WiFI, Windows OS
Cons: Haven't found any yet!
Summary: I know it's a little early to review this phone since I have only been using it for 24 hours now, but this isn't my first Smartphone so ...
Summary: I know it's a little early to review this phone since I have only been using it for 24 hours now, but this isn't my first Smartphone so I am able to get a good idea as to whether or not I will like this phone and I will have to say that I LOVE it! I previously had a Verizon 6700 and a Q.
Right out of the box the phone feels well made. The sliding keyboard pops out in a snappy way. Transition from vertical to horizontal viewing is quick. The keyboard is not slippery at all. Very roomy and quick to respond. I have had no trouble with the amount of room on the top row either.
I charged it and began using it right away. So far I have been using the phone on the extended battery for 24 hours and I still have over 1/2 a charge. In the first 24 hours, I have used it tons. Synching with my PC, WiFi internet browsing, playing videos and listening to music. Heck, I was even browsing the internet WHILE I listened to tunes with absolutely no lag time!
Call quality has been excellent. Right off the bat my husband said I sounded clearer than I had on my previous 2 phones. I used the phone in a hilly area that is notorious for dropped calls and did not lose my call. The speakerphone and earphone are quite loud. My WMA ringtones are VERY loud. I have no problems hearing anyone or hearing the phone ring.
I will also say that it is the best sounding mp3 playing phone I have ever heard. I can actually use this phone to listen to music and it sounds very good. I tend to be anti-Ipod and all my devices run WMP for the convenience. I am also a Napster To Go subscriber and love the fact that I can use that service with this phone. I can synchronize with Napster and use the phone just like I would my Gigabeat. I curretly have a 1gb card but I will be getting a larger card because I can really see myself using this phone to listen to music.
Touch screen is quick to respond. I love the external keypad for phone dialing. I found on the 6700 I had issues pushing screen buttons and what not and find the external dial pad much easier to use.
The phone has a 'sleep' feature that turns the touch screen off until you press the on/off button. I will have to say I love this feature. I can throw the phone in my purse and not have to worry about who my phone is randomly calling.
I have played with the camera and video recorder and I personally find the quality very good for a cell phone camera. I am usually pretty shaky when I take a picture and I had no issues with the clarity of the picture or video. Flash is a little bright and tends to wash things out if you are too close, but I am not using this for a camera and that feature to me is just a convenience in case I'm out and feel the need to capture a moment.
I have been trying to find CONS and really cannot. I'm trying to get used to the Send/End buttons being on the side of the phone. I will have to say that I have ended a call because of the button placement but I am guessing it is just a learning curve and I will have to learn how to hold this phone.
Verizon doesn't offer Vcast and the ringtone features on their Smartphones and frankly I could care less. I make my own ringtones and download my own video content.
I would recommend getting a screen protector. I personally love the Invisible Shield protectors. I don't work for them! I had a leftover 6700 screen protector that I used on my Samsung and it fit perfectly. Their website doesn't have a protector for the i760 yet so if you are interested just order the protector for the 6700.
I would recommend this phone to anyone that is in the market for Smartphone!29 out of 29 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Yet another CNET Biased report!!!
by i0sandman0i on October 22, 2007
Pros: Excellent phone/PDA, very good looking comes fully loaded
Cons: why did we have to wait sooo long for it to come out!!
Summary: Frankly, I am sick and tired of seeing 6.5 - 7.3 ratings from CNET on pretty much all windows mobile or for that matter any non-apple product. It ...
Summary: Frankly, I am sick and tired of seeing 6.5 - 7.3 ratings from CNET on pretty much all windows mobile or for that matter any non-apple product. It is so obvious that the people at CNET have a huge bias towards apple products. The very same things that they complain about on other phones seems to have not been a problem on the iphone (for example they say the i760 has a "slippery" keyboard - its not i've used a blackberry, treo, and a Q and this is by far the best keyboard so far, yet the iphone which is completely touchscreen keyboard they dont have a problem with??)
about the i760:
this phone is great, i dont know why CNET mentions that they were "scared" of the phone and show how "big" it is next to that palm unit. i just replaced my treo with the i760 and its both smaller and thinner than the treo!!!
pros: everything seems great on this phone - although i only have it a day so far.
cons: wish it was out 6 months ago, stylus is a little wierd, and some times when pressing the talk button the keyboard will start to slide out.29 out of 35 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Samsung really put a lot of thought into this phone
by michalscheck on October 25, 2007
Pros: battery life, stability, usability, form, function, style
Cons: screen brightness must be at least 3/4 the way bright to see in direct sunlight, but with that setting it's easily viewable.
Summary: This phone has real world usability. I came from a Samsung SCH-i730 which was a good design, however this model is better in nearly every way. I wasn't sold ...
Summary: This phone has real world usability. I came from a Samsung SCH-i730 which was a good design, however this model is better in nearly every way. I wasn't sold with the horizontal slide out at first (the i730 was vertical slide), but I quickly became accustomed to it and now like it better.
I've owned a lot of phones in my time and this one proves to have that special touch of extreme, meticulous thought put into it before it was built.
Example of niceness:
I don't have to lock the phone anymore. While it's easy to do so, the buttons are arranged in a way that hasn't triggered an accidental miss-dial yet. It goes into a battery saving standby mode after about 10 seconds and no key will turn it on except for the top "wake-up" button which would be just about impossible to accidentally hit, but is easy and convenient to use regularly.
All the sounds (thanks to MS) have been tuned to be so pleasing now. I left it on the stock ring tone because it's actually really pleasant to hear, but not annoying (hard combo to find).
Samsung's design makes nice use of the WM6 software. There are no buttons on the phone that do not make sense or are "extra".
The phone is easy to hold w/out hitting a ton of buttons accidentally (a big issue with the i730).
I can't believe how good the batt life is. I easily use it hard all day on the slim battery. I use the slighly larger battery that it comes with as my back-up. I have the data plan so I'm constantly picking up large and frequent e-mails (full download, not just headers) and it doesn't miss a beat.
This thing is truly a work-horse phone for the mobile professional. If you like PDA phones (Treo, i730, ...maybe blackberry user), then you'll assuredly love this phone.
PS. Judging by CNET's weak review, they didn't give it enough time to really learn it's groove. It's not like other phones. It doesn't need a scroll wheel (there's so many other ways to access data including your voice). If they are going to write a review, they should work on being less biased towards the norm and open to change. Quite possibly the best phone currently for this market segment. A+ overall Samsung...when are you going to joing the NYSE so us loyal Americans can start investing in your company?!?!23 out of 23 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great upgrade for treo and i730 users
by sixftunda on October 18, 2007
Pros: External keypad, slim extended battery
Cons: verizon released six months too late
Summary: Interesting that CNET compares this size wise to that little palm, not quite fair imo. Verizon accidentally released about 50 of these phones in September and I got one. Those ...
Summary: Interesting that CNET compares this size wise to that little palm, not quite fair imo. Verizon accidentally released about 50 of these phones in September and I got one. Those of you who had a i730 will be pleased with how much smaller this model is. It's very pocketable. It's solidly built, I lost my temper with someone on the phone and spiked it onto a carpeted floor HARD. It didn't even need soft reset. You will need more than 48 hours to get used to the side buttons, I did and now it's second nature. I will definitely call this phone a keeper. You folks still milking a 730 or a Treo 700wx will find this to be a nice upgrade.
19 out of 24 users found this user opinion helpful.
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design flaws
by meisty on December 4, 2007
Pros: wifi, excellent screen, processor speed
Cons: call buttons on the side of the phone, touch screen sensitivity, stylus size, landscape viewing
Summary: 1. The "call" and "end call" buttons are on the sides of the phone. As you press the "call" button you also are placing pressure on the side of the ...
Summary: 1. The "call" and "end call" buttons are on the sides of the phone. As you press the "call" button you also are placing pressure on the side of the phone that opens the slider keyboard. As a result, it is not always clear whether the call has actually been answered or placed.
2. The touch screen frequently does not register stylus taps when using the pop-up keyboard. As a result, you must constantly check spelling and continually go back to enter missed letters.
3. The stylus is retractable and very small. Makes using it tedious.
4. The phone does not consistently switch from profile to landscape and back. I could not identify a consistent pattern for when this feature would activate itself.
5. The touch screen became unstable after 25 days use, a pop-up menu would appear when the sides of the phone were pressed, the "3" key would not work, and assigned number keys for short-cut dialing to friends and associates stopped working.
I just returned this phone and got a different brand.19 out of 25 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Better Than a Treo... Far From Perfect
by Luey81 on November 5, 2007
Pros: Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6
Cons: Not enough ram, signal strength, usb connection doesn't charge phone
Summary: I?ve had the i760 for about two weeks now. Let me say I was extremely excited to receive it after owning many smartphones and pocket pc?s before including ...
Summary: I?ve had the i760 for about two weeks now. Let me say I was extremely excited to receive it after owning many smartphones and pocket pc?s before including a few from Kyocera and Palm (Treo 650, 700p, and 700wx). Based on many of the reviews on CNET my expectations were high.
I can say that I am moderately impressed. The phone is sturdy and is well constructed. I?ll agree with other posts and say that the button design (ok, windows, etc.) takes some time to get used to. Windows Mobile 6 is a drastic improvement upon 5. Mobile 6 also allows the user to manually shut down programs that otherwise stay open jamming up the 64 MB of Ram. While I?m on the topic of Ram, let me say that there is not enough. The phone is slow to respond, especially when turning it on after an idle period. The change from portrait to landscape can also be quite sluggish as well. Even after shutting down all running programs the phone uses 33.77 MB. Don?t be fooled by the phone?s speed when you get it out of the box. Upload all your information onto it then start a few programs and you?ll see what I mean.
So far the Wi-Fi works great and the phone hasn?t reset on me once. The call quality has been fine (I haven?t noticed any difference from my Treo?s). However, the reception does not seem to be as good as the Treo?s I have owned (I live in a somewhat rural area) maybe due to the internal antenna
Synching data with Microsoft?s Activesync program is a breeze and is much easier than with any Palm I?ve ever owned.
The phone would have scored better with me had the ram been improved to 96 MB and the signal quality been better. It?s definitely not a 9 or 10 as many others have described but very good nonetheless.14 out of 14 users found this user opinion helpful.
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One of the very best smartphones out there today.
by leemcc on November 12, 2007
Pros: Small form factor. Great features and price.
Cons: Activesync/tethering is a little spotty.
Summary: Ok, I have reviewed a few smartphones over the years. I had a Blackberry 7750, an Audiovox XV6600, a Samsung i730, and now I recently traded up to the Samsung ...
Summary: Ok, I have reviewed a few smartphones over the years. I had a Blackberry 7750, an Audiovox XV6600, a Samsung i730, and now I recently traded up to the Samsung i760.
The Samsung i760 is right up there as one of the best smartphones available today. I highly recommend it and it is a worthy succesor to the absolutely brilliant Samsung i730 that it replaced.
First a bit of history. I owned the Samsung i730 for two years, far and away the longest time I have ever owned a device of this kind. The unit satisfied all of my needs and although many would disagree I consider the Samsung i730 the best device of its kind and still a wonderful device even after two years. It is sturdy, beautiful, with a form factor for business to get the job done. Not only does it have a portable MS Office suite, but you can play full length movies, MP3 Player, web browsing at broadband speed, and access to all your email and connectivity options. So naturally the bar was set high with the new Samsung i760 unit.
When I first saw pictures of the Samsung i760 my reaction was "that is one butt ugly phone!". I don't mind butt ugly really. In fact I kinda dig it. I'm the kinda guy who goes for function over beauty. My thought is why get a useless cat when you can get useful warthog! Why get a supermodel who can't cook when you could have an ugly girl with a nice body who cooks and cleans? (Just kidding girls)
So the i760 was to me the ugly girl with the nice body who cooks and cleans. But a funny thing happened. The more I looked at it the better it started to look to me and now I think of it as beautiful. Funny huh?
In any event lets talk about the phone.
For starters this is one of those "everything and the kitchen sink" phones. Every mobile phone feature you would expect to find in a high end windows mobile smartphone you will find here including Windows Mobile 6, bluetooth, WiFi, 3G broadband, MP3, Video Playback, MS Office and multiple email account capability.
The first thing you notice is it is very thin by smartphone standards, almost blackjack thin. It is about .77" inches. It has a 2.8 inch touchscreen and a full numeric keypad on the face which is a feature you will find on almost no other windows mobile smartphone. It also has a slide out landscape full QWERTY keyboard. The processor is 400Mhz which is slower than the i730 which had 520Mhz but the tradeoff is you get better battery life. I did think that the i730 was a little quicker to launch and use applications though. The screen is vibrant and the colors outstanding. The phone has many useful soft key buttons which allow you to navigate features and functions easily.
The unit has a very good speakerphone and call quality is excellent whether by speaker or through the receiver. Bluetooth pairing is easy and some significant improvements over the i730 were that the Wifi is MUCH better on this unit than its predecessor. It finds and recognizes many more hotspots than the crippled Wifi the i730 had. Also, it is much more stable than the i730 which requires frequent reboots when programs or things begin to malfunction.
Battery life is decent but with smartphones don't expect to go longer than a day without recharging. Thats just the general rule.
The broadband response seems better and I was able to get 980kbps regularly on this unit while the highest I ever got on the i730 was about 800kbps. The i760 has no external antenna but that is something that I could have used. Why? Just form really. With the i730 I would often grab it and stabilize it in my hand with its big nubby antenna but with the i760 I have to be more careful because handling it is like handling a slippery fish with its polished black surface.
The unit takes MicroSD and you can easily increase memory from the included 128MB to 2GB, 4GB, or even 6GB cards that recently became available. It works just the same if not significantly better than my i730 for all of my business needs including remote access to my home computers through logmein.com as well as MP3 and movie playback. The one thing this unit has that the i730 didn't have is a camera. But Samsung REALLY dropped the ball here. This is a super high end device and they gave it a puny 1.3 megapixel camera with flash. It records video too but sadly only 15 seconds worth.
What are the downsides to the device?
> The screen is squishy. The i730 had a rock solid screen that was like tapping concrete. The i760 has a squishy almost Treo-like screen. One user described is as having a "marshmallowy center". It's like pressing the LCD on your computer monitor and watching the image distort a little. On the i730 this NEVER happened but the i760 screen seems less durable. Get a screen protector trust me!
> The unit does not come with a charging cradle so you will have to buy an aftermarket one. The old i730 came with a cradle that charged the phone and an additional battery so it was better in that regard.
> The unit is much less stable on activesync. I found I would often drop connection when hooked in through the USB cable.
Well thats it in a nutshell. The i760 is one of my new toys. By the way from an aesthetic standpoint it is brand new and just came out. You are sure to get some compliments or interested inquiries about it. If you are a Verizon customer you cannot go wrong with this phone. One major difference now as opposed to when the i730 came out is that, back then there were far fewer choices and the i730 was far and away the best available at the time. Now that the i760 is out, there are comparable choices from other carriers as well such as the AT&T Tilt or the HTC 8525, Sprint Mogul, HTC TyTN just to name a couple.
Hope that helps.14 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I love this device
by bigballs1927 on October 23, 2007
Pros: Screen, Feel, Look, Functionality
Cons: Top row of keys
Summary: I'll start with the cons since there are so few of them. First off, when using the pull out keyboard, the top row of keys is very close to ...
Summary: I'll start with the cons since there are so few of them. First off, when using the pull out keyboard, the top row of keys is very close to the "bottom" of the face of the device so your thumbs really have to work to get at that top row of keys but I think it's more a things you just have to get used to. Other than that I love this phone. WM6 is a joy to use so far. Voice command is a great feature for hands free use. I like having the option of using the front keys to send off a quick message of look up a contact without having to either pull out the keyboard or smudge up a hard to use touch screen with a finger. The device is snappy and comes in a great looking package. Even the extended battery is nice and small. I have no problems with the battery life with this phone - I can get through a day of heavy use just fine. At first the send/end buttons were annoying because they are on the side of the phone but once again it's just something that takes some getting used to. I personally like the fact that when the screen goes dark from non-use you have to press the button on the top to activate anything. This prevents accidentally calling people from your pocket or accidentally turning up your ringer when you're in a quiet place. I personally did have some trouble with my handset in that I could not receive picture messages even though my plan allows for it, though that seems more like a glitch with Verizon than anything else and they are overnighting me a new handset rather than having me waste time troubleshooting so I give them a pat on the back for good customer service in this case. So I rank this phone the highest I can due to A) The great features this device packs in and B) the lack of any real substantial "cons".
12 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Samsung
- Part number: SCH-i760
Telecom
- Modem Integrated Wireless cellular modem
- Service provider Verizon Wireless
- Cellular enhancement protocol CDMA 2000 1X EV-DO
General
- Cellular technology CDMA
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 2.0 in x 0.8 in x 4.5 in
- Band / mode CDMA 800/1900
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth, WiFi
- Combined with With digital camera / digital player
Operating System / Software
- OS provided Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional
Memory
- Installed RAM 64 MB
- RAM technology SDRAM
- Installed ROM 128 MB Flash
Phone
- Additional Features Memory card slot
Processor
- Processor 400 Hz
Input Device
- Input device type Keyboard
Messaging / Data Services
- Short Messaging Service (SMS) Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
- Messaging / Data Features Text messages
Display
- Display type 2.8 in TFT active matrix
- Max resolution 240 x 320
Expansion / Connectivity
- Wireless connectivity Bluetooth 2.0
- Expansion slot(s) total (free) 1 MicroSD
Cellular
- Phone style Slider
- Caller ID Yes
Physical Characteristics
- Width 2.0 in
- Depth 0.8 in
- Height 4.5 in
Manufacturer info
- Samsung
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Samsung products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.samsungusa.com/
- Address:
105 Challenger Road, Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660 - Phone: 1-800-726-7864
- Fax: 1-973-601-6001
