Three recently released Windows Mobile 5 Phone Edition Pocket PCs prove that building on a successful design has its advantages. At first glance, Sprint's Samsung IP-830w, Palm's Treo 700wx, and Cingular's HP iPAQ hw6900 look identical to their predecessors. However, the improvements to all three devices are significant and make the user experience far more rewarding.
Sprint/Samsung IP-830w
Sprint's new IP-830w is a Windows Mobile 5 Phone Edition device based on the design of the earlier Samsung i730, a Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition device that was only available through Verizon Wireless. The new Sprint device is nearly identical outwardly to the i730, but it runs the newer OS, and major changes were made to the internal hardware, plus the fact that its CDMA and GSM network capability makes it the first true world phone based on the Windows Mobile software.
The IP-830w Quad-Band phone from Sprint. Supports both CDMA and GSM networks.
It sports a slide-down QWERTY thumb keyboard, which makes e-mail and other light text entry duties easier. It has a phone that incorporates high-speed EV-DO/1xRTT data capability and can be used with CDMA or GSM/GPRS cellular networks. It also includes integrated Bluetooth capability, but lacks Wi-Fi. This is unfortunate because Wi-Fi can come in handy when a high speed EV-DO network is not available.
The device ships with a charging/sync cable, not a sync cradle. The cable lets you sync data with your PC and connect to an AC/DC power adapter that also ships with the device. The Sprint device also lacks the plastic belt clip found with the Verizon i730/i830.
The 830w incorporates a 2.8 inch diagonal QVGA color touch screen oriented in the traditional portrait viewing mode. Like other Windows Mobile 5 devices, it can be switched to landscape viewing mode by the user. I prefer this arrangement to the square screen found on the Treo 700wx and iPAQ hw6900.
Finally, there is no built-in camera. As an OBGYN, I am often asked to take baby pictures at the time of delivery. I also use a camera in the operating room to take pictures of diseased states that can be uploaded to the office's medical records system at a later time. A built-in camera would have been nice.
Enhancements to the hardware
The Sprint IP-830w is a shiny navy blue with a metallic fleck. It is powered by an Intel PXA272 processor running at 520 MHz. Combined with 64 MB of RAM, performance is reasonably quick. The device has 128 MB of flash ROM, 86 MB of which is available to the user for file storage. As with all Windows Mobile 5 devices, data stored in this flash ROM is non-volatile and remains safe if you run the battery completely down.
The power/sync connector located on the bottom of the unit is identical to those found on Samsung's i600 or i700 models, which means that you should be able to use i600 or i700 accessories with the device. For example, the Lil Sync Pro Retractable Sync-N-Charge Cable I purchased for my i700 works like a charm with the 830w. I also highly recommend a screen protector for the device. I am very picky about screen protectors and I feel that the WriteSHIELDS are the best on the market. Both of these accessories are available from http://www.PocketPCTechs.com.
The built-in Bluetooth worked flawlessly, and I was able to pair up immediately with my Bluetooth Parrot 3400 hands-free car kit and easily answer incoming calls by tapping the receive/call button on the 3400. The VoiceSignal software built into the device also worked flawlessly with my Bluetooth headsets and the 3400, allowing me use voice commands to place calls.
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