Review of Samsung's SCH-i730 EV-DO/WiFi Phone

Samsung SCH-i730

Samsung SCH-i730

Samsung SCH-i730

We first reported on Samsung's SCH-i730 back in November of 2004, before Verizon Wireless had even rolled out their consumer based EV-DO 3G data service, and only weeks after the company rolled out their business EV-DO service for personal computers. Back then, Samsung wouldn't even let us photograph the QWERTY keyboard that is tucked away inside the i730.

But now, the EV-DO, Bluetooth, and WiFi capable i730 is on the market, seemingly ready, with its Pocket PC operating system and QWERTY keyboard, to give Palm's successful Treo line a run for its money. It seems to be configured more like a traditional phone than many of the Pocket PC Phone Edition devices I have used, but is it capable of unseating the business community's beloved Treo?

Physical aspects

Make no bones about it, the SCH-i730 is a very large device - even for a Pocket PC PDA. At 191g (6.7oz) with the slim 1100mAh battery (add 18g/.6oz for the extended 1700mAh unit), the i730 is a device that makes its presence in your pocket known. It is also relatively large in a physical sense, measuring almost exactly the same as a Sony Ericsson P910: its dimensions are 115mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1"), not including the stub antenna. Using the extended battery increases the i730's thickness 25% further. Extending the keyboard increases the length to 154mm (6.1").

Like a typical phone, the i730 has the normal red and green call control buttons. The red button can be used to quickly enable or disable the phone functionality. Between those two buttons is the back button, which will take you back to the previous screen in most applications. On top of that, like a normal PocketPC, the i730 has a nice 5-way d-pad controller and 4 hardware buttons on the front that can be assigned to whatever applications the user desires. The left side of the SCH-i730 is where you will find the stereo headset jack and its annoying, attached cover. Below that is the normal Pocket PC voice memo button, and directly below that a rocker volume control switch. Still on the left side, near the base of the phone, you will find a spring loaded slider switch that is used to power the device on and off, as well as lock the display and keys and control the back light. On the right side of the i730 you will find the SD card slot and the voice dial button.

The top of the phone houses the stub antenna, which has a built-in whip antenna that can be extended for better reception. The IR port and multi-color status LED are also on the top of the device. The bottom of the i730 houses a very clumsy power/data port that is an absolute bore to deal with. The connector is used with the included power adapter and cradle. In order to hook the SCH-i730 up to the included USB cable, the cable and phone both have to be connected to the cradle. The rear of the phone is where you will find the built-in stereo speakers that, oddly, both face the same direction, limiting audio separation. The user changeable battery is also located on the back, as is a cover where we had originally seen a camera in our first encounter with the SCH-i730. I think Verizon was catering to the concerns that many businesses have about cameraphones by leaving it out of the i730.

 

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