Samsung - SPH i700 PDA/Smartphone Cell Phone

Samsung - SPH i700 PDA/Smartphone Cell Phone Review



Overall 5.00 of 5 (by 1 user)
 




reviewer 2008 Reviewer
Hakuryustar17
Asheville, NC

Excellent old school features!

5 star rating

Every day computer user, computer literate, PC fan, long-time computer user, Budget-Conscious, Patient, always listening to music, a bargain hunter
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Pros

    MP3 Player with MS Media Player, Rotating Camera that rotates 270 degrees, Reasonably priced (based off eBay), Jawbreaker is a addictively fun game, Stable OS, Feels solid, Intel Processor, Parts and Accessories are dirt cheap, Sleek design, WOW factor, Touch screen and MS Notes, Older%2C stabler OS platform, MS Mobile OS, Pocket Versions of MS Office

Cons
    No Bluetooth, Bit bulky (can be used as a brick), Battery life isn't that great

JUL
12
2008
What I'm reviewing here today is something I wouldn't have been reviewing a couple weeks ago with my old LG from Verizon.  Instead, I'm here to give my opinion of what has truly been a nice find.  A couple weeks ago my ever faithful LG croaked on me, another way to say simply, it gave a odd noise and was no more.  After some carefull research online and on eBay I ran across the Samsung SPH i700, which after a few bad occurances in the past, I'm never one to buy a used phone, however, this phone was offered as brand new and significantly off the original retail price and with the dealer being close to where I live, I ordered it. 

I've had my doubts about this phone considering it was released back in 2002-2003 and was very tenative when it arrived about what I was getting into.  Turns out that was not necessary.  This has been flat out one of the better phones I've owned.  Call reception for a PDA/smartphone is truly impressive and a winner for me.  I live back in the Blue Ridge mountains and for any phone and service provider to get so much as a call out is a miracle in itself, however in the past with my old LG all I could do was stand in a certain spot on my front porch and get my signal that way.  Much to my pleasant surprise, I was able to sit down at a table and carry on a perfectly clear conversation from a confirmed dead spot on my old phone.

Plus whats more, is the added goodies this phone brings with it.  I'm still a student even though I work freelance photography and own a very, very, small business out of eBay, but I was very pleased to discover pocket versions of MS Office on this phone.  Sure I have to use a roll up keyboard with it and there are newer phones with integrated keyboards, however the keys on those phones are extremly tiny and the roll up keyboard works perfectly for me.  These are great features for students or professionals out in the field who either can't get to their laptop or need to type a paper without a computer in sight. This is by no means a replacement for a good laptop and I have no intention of replacing my Vostro 1500, but the pocket versions of MS Office are a nice complement to my setup and lets me do more work and study in the field.

Another thing that truly impressed me about this phone was the gorgeous touch screen this phone sports, I've recently gone from a tablet PC to my desktop replacement, and missed the ability to take handwritten notes like I did with the tablet I owned even though again I wouldn't trade my Vostro 1500 for anything, I couldn't help but giggle in sheer joy at having my MS Notes back.  Sure I'm the only person who can read my handwritting, but who wants to type on the fly?  Not many, even with newer phones with concealed full keyboards, the luxury of being able to take handwritten notes and not fear losing the post-it afterwards is truly one of the best features of this phone.

Other quick thoughts would be that I love the accessories for this phone being dirt cheap, I'm quite happy to pay $13-$15 for a extended battery vs. the $40-$50 I used to pay for my LG.  I'm also having quite the ball with the rotating camera on this, sure its a smaller resolution, but I like being able to conceal the lens and protect it from the elements, and so long as it takes photo and video when I occasionaly need it, its more than adequate.

Those are my absolute favorite features of this phone and as you can tell, I'm a first time PDA/smartphone user, and I am well aware of there being newer and faster phones on the market.  But taking into consideration that most new phones carry a high retail cost and are only cheap at a two year plan activation, its hard mid contract to find a new phone after having really bad luck with the phones you've purchased instore over a span of a few months.  I understand at the time this phone was first released it was priced at close to $600, however, this is several years later a new phone like this costs $140-$150 on eBay (new, never used) and considering its hard to get the cheapest new phone at either Verizon's website or instore, its quite the catch for the bargain hunter. 

There are alot of features on this phone that you simply never will get with a run of the mill phone that you would get for the same price.  Sure its old, it has its quirks, but heck, I'm having fun and this phone still has its wow factor to it.  I'll probably never figure out all the goodies this phone has, but what I need it for, it works perfectly.  Its a nice deal if you know where to look.




I_thumb_up Samsung - SPH i700 PDA/Smartphone Cell Phone is recommended by Hakuryustar17

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