Windows Phone Thoughts: Pocketing Samsung's SPH-i700: The Ultimate Connected Pocket PC?

Gotchas
I mentioned several "gotchas" through the review. Here are some others based on my perception of the device; most are minor.

• Minimal expandability. There is only an SDIO slot, and no option for CF. The port at the bottom may have serial support, as you can buy a keyboard for the unit, but serial sync/accessory cables aren't available yet (although Pharos has one in the works for their GPS solution). There is no Bluetooth on this device, and while a SDIO Bluetooth card may work with certain devices (from what I've heard, people have used an SDIO Bluetooth card to talk to BT GPS devices), you can't use a Bluetooth headset with the i700 unless you use the Jabra FreeSpeak adapter via the 2.5mm headset jack.
  
  
• Only three remappable PDA buttons. The record, contacts, and calendar are the only ones you have. XDA users have been dealing with this for years. It's not a major hindrance for most PDA applications, but gaming might be an issue. The volume rocker on the side is also not remappable; it could have served as a decent jog-dial replacement.
  
  
• No hardware keypad. This goes almost without saying, but if I had to identify one major problem with the i700 as a phone this would be it. I've gotten pretty decent with one-handing the screen, though, except for things like SMS messages -- you need to tap the icon in the notification area, and that requires two-handed operation at the minimum. Alternatively, I wouldn't mind a thumbboard, if it were possible to integrate one without increasing the size of the device substantially.

Where to Buy
You can buy the i700 from a Verizon Wireless store or via a phone order with them, or from MobilePlanet [affiliate]. Verizon Wireless's price is $599 with two-year contract, or $649 with a one-year contract.

Conclusions
Despite my minor quibbles with various aspects of the i700, you'll notice I have no serious criticisms except for CPU performance. That's because I love this device. :mrgreen: A 1xRTT-based Pocket PC solution, with a killer display, great d-pad, and solid phone makes for an extremely handy all-in-one solution. The i700 now never leaves my pocket except when I'm using it or when I'm asleep, and it's easily the best PDA-phone combination that I've used. If you're willing to overlook the cost, speed, and some of the other limitations, and want Verizon service, you won't be disappointed with the i700.