Samsung SPH-i330
Average Ratings
i330 - a giant step for Samsung
The Samsung i300 was by far the best smartphone on the market when it was released one year ago, but the most important deficiencies of that model have been:
# Display, which can only be seen when
backlit in low light conditions
# Memory, limited to 8MB
# Inflexible ringers
# Inadequacies of the human interface
Samsung really did a terrible job of pre-marketing the i330, because all of these issues are completely resolved in that new model - and no one expected it!! Even Rich, of PhoneScoop, was unsure as to some of the features of this new model. Well, it's out, and the questions are answered:
The i330 includes all the G3/Vision features (whatever they are); it's a current-generation product. I've loaded about 12MB of apps, etc., on mine, and use it all the time: in three days I've had not one crash, not one lost call.
The most important single feature of the i330 is an outstanding transflective display that can be used in bright sunshine - even with the backlight turned OFF.
Memory is 16B, and both FlashPro and FlyZip work to expand it further.
A lot of thinking (or reading in the Forums) went into the new control system. A lot of the hacks we needed in the i300 are no longer necessary.
Here are some further comparisons with the i300:
Noticeably thinner and lighter - better looking, too.
Antenna is fixed-length; nothing to pull out.
Control for CONTRAST and BRIGHTNESS, permitting image tailoring.
Polyphonic ringers, vibrating alarm
Voicedial voice prompts are better thought out, and waste less time.
Signal strength ("bars") are less optimistic, but calls don't drop - more realistic?
One standard battery plus one extended battery.
Leather case is actually usable (unlike its predecessor).
Oval stylus, and tip fits into the RESET hole.
Overall, this is a phenomenal product. I bought mine the day it came to the store, and probably paid $100 more than I had to.
Worth every penny!
If you're looking for a Palm-based PDA with cell features, nothing beats the i330
I loved the i300, but after using it a while, many of its deficiencies wore on me. It was still the best convergence device on the market at the time though. Now there are many options and when I weighed them, I came to a simple conclusion: either you want a) a cellphone with pda features, b) a pda with cellphone features or c) a truly balanced device that is equally pda and cellphone.
If you want a cellphone with pda features (for the sprint pcs network), try the samsung n400. If you want a truly balanced device (again, for the sprint pcs network), I'd recommend the handspring treo. If you want a pda with cellphone features (and finally, for the sprint pcs network), I feel that there is nothing better on the market than the i330. I use my cell all the time but I when I use it, I don't really care whether or not it seems like a cell so long as its easy and intuitive to use. When I use my pda, I want it to feel like a pda, not a cell. The i330 fixes every major issue I had with the i300. The most incredible handheld device I've ever owned. Hats off to sprint for making their plans price competitive. Makes the $500 device a lot easier to love.
Forget the other phones
I recently bought a house and had to move about 12 miles and 25 minutes from where I used to live- AND work. I was 5 minutes from the office, now I am 25. So I can no longer go home for lunch, an act that sustained me as I searched the news and read my email. So when I went to buy the house other than looking for a good mortgage company I looked for an alternative source of internet as the company does not provide this for us at work ( no time for it there). The i330 gives me access to any site I want to visit as well as email access though either the Sprint PCS service or 3rd party applications such as Mailer. Even AOL. It's absolutely awesome. I was with AT&T over 2 years and LEFT THEM only because they prohibit their great phones like the T68i from using anything other than their VERY LIMITED proprietary internet pages. And I DO mean pages, not service. Cingular lets you use the T68's modem IF you pay extra for web access. With Sprint it's not problemo. I am in North Carolina and have been in the mainly urban areas and rural sections with no lapse in service. I love having everything at my fingertips. Now only if I could find that Sprint guy..... ;-)
step-up from I-300
Voice clarity is great. Signal strength (Sprint, NY) is a little low. PDA features are superb and color phone pad is a great addition. Missing Caller ID on top of handset like I-300 is a setback but the sleek look makes me forget about the Caller ID.
Okay
This was my first PDA phone I've had and also was my last. I loved the screen, but I got it after it was discontinued and it was hard to find a replacement stylus. I know at the time the technology that we have today wasn't out, but I'd never will get another PDA phone without bluetooth, camera or removable memory. Hated Palm software too.
Greatest Palm PDA Phone to date!
I've owned 3 Palm based PDA Phones but the Samsung i330 is by far the BEST. I've owned this phone for about 1.5 years, and it's been extremely reliable. I'm in sales, so this phone gets major use (and abuse). I'm on the road almost every day... I typically talk on my i330 anywhere from 3-8 hours a day. I also use the Palm features heavily and sync it to my XP based laptop at least 2 times a day with no issues.
Pros:
- Great Screen
- I love the "software based" key pad for dialing
- Good battery life (especially with extended life battery)
- Can take a beating (I've dropped it lots of time... and it's never broken... it just gets scratched)
- Palm features work very well
- Ability to program complex phone operations to a speed dial button is AWESOME..including pauses (both hard and soft). This makes dialing into a conference call and entering the passcode a "one button" operation while I am driving. I'm a MUCH safer driver as a result of this terrific feature!
- Very good reception (picks up Sprint signal when my co-workers are unable to pick up a sprint signal on their phones)
CONS:
- A little to large to keep you your pocket
- No bluetooth for wireless headset
- No SD memory card (for MP3's)
- Sometime the palm hangs, requiring me to re-load it... but it's a fast operations
I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for Samsung to come out with their new i550 Palm Phone. If the i550 works as discussed in the forums, it should address all of the issues I have with the i330 and be the BEST on the market.
Good but not perfect.
The Good Stuff
The i330 comes with a USB docking cradle, carrying case, extra battery and extra stylus. I was very surprised to see all this included in the box. Phone reception was very good I was able to send/receive a phone call in areas where signal strength is low (1-2 bars). Sound quality was very good I am able to hear everything clearly and the speaker phone works good too. The size of the phone is alot smaller than it looks in pictures, and it has a very ergonomic design. The i330 is only slightly bigger than your average candy bar style phone. The phone software is well integrated with the Palm OS, it is very easy to select a phone number from your address book and call it with out using the stylus. The browser software Blazer is much better than what you get with Sprints other vision capable phones. You are able to access a lot more web sites than you could with a regular phone. The overall speed of everything on the phone is pretty fast considering it is using a 33mhz processor.
The Bad Stuff:
Well the first thing that I noticed was the overall lacking of software features that are available on regular Sprint vision phones but not the Samsung i330. First access to Sprints ShortMail SMS, which did allow me to send text messages to my friends. Second no picture Caller ID, this is a color vision phone come on Samsung. If I can have picture caller ID on my old N400 then my brand new $400 i330 should be able to do the same thing. Third the ability to download different ringers to the phone. Fourth no built in email application allowing me to access all my email accounts at once.
Fortunately most of these bad things are solved by third party software developers but still they should have been included with the phone in the beginning. Check out http://www.pdaapps.com they have software available that allows you to have access to SMS and picture caller id. Also there are plenty of palm email applications available.
Trouble with the I330
Its true all the features the I330 has makes the phone top of the line. However, I have had serious problems with this phone. First, I have to reset this phone almost on a weekly basis. In addition to this, I have had the phone replaced three times because it has completely crashed and stop working. Currently, my I330 is dead yet again. The technology is great but something is not quite right. Now that I have made the $500 investment I'm stuck with it. When it is working, I love it. Yet, I can not have a phone that I have to replace almost on a monthly basis. Lastly, the messaging and email programs seem to be troublesome. I have downloaded both a messaging program (with the I330 does not come with), and an IMAP email client. Both of these programs seem to overwhelm my I330. When downloading messages through either program, it often crashes. I guess when it all is said and done, you really can't have it all. Sadly displeased.
Good PDA
This Phone/Palm is actually suprisingly awesome. These days the Phone search is interestingly hard to find something amazing, but with this you not only get the best phone, but the best Palm as well. Sure a Compaq ipaq might have more to it but i assure you this is the one to get. Enjoy if you do :)
Pricey though.
4 Issues With The i330
This phone is excellent. Before this phone I owned the Kyocera 6035 (a wonderful and practical 1rst generation PDA/phone). Only the i330 came close to the full practicality of the 6035.
1.)Mounting and dismounting the i330 from its sync cradle can be deceptive. Mounting the phone is obvious; just slide it down the side tracks until the prongs are secure in the PDA/phone. To dismount the i330 one cannot simply reverse the action used to mount it. It must literally be peeled forward. Peeling the phone from the sync cradle may seem destructive but it's designed to roll off that way. I found out the hard way. It took over a month to get a replacement. Don't let it happen to you.
2.)Currently the i330's software doesn't recognize java i.e. not compatible with msn's hotmail.
3.)The i330's leather case is uncomfortable The plastic belt clip may jab you in the side when you sit. Watch out for the non-retractable antenna. It can also poke you while sitting, jumping, or steping over high obstacles.
4.)No mp3 player or limitless personalization options that many of the trendier lower-end phone have now-a-days (if your into any of that).
