Samsung SCH-i760 Review

Permalink: Samsung SCH-i760 Review by Franz Bicar

A lot of people have been waiting for the Samsung SCH-i760, and for them, it is worth the wait. This highly anticipated handset is a Windows Mobile 6 smartphone that features a slider design that opens up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard with a twist - an external dialpad. But more than design, the i760 offers business users a full-featured device with messaging capabilities, various wireless options (EV-DO, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi), and good performance.

The SCH-i760 does have its downfalls (one thing I can think of is its bulk), but its just a tiny speck on this otherwise excellent device.

Take a single look at the Samsung SCH-i760 and you will get hooked. Although the phone is a bit big and bulky, it is built for utility and power. It measures 4.4 inches by 2.2 inches by 0.7 inch and weighs at 5.2 ounces. Admittedly, the i760 is bulky, especially with the extended battery, and certainly won’t easily fit into a pants pocket. It’s also a bit slippery and could get uncomfortable to hold while on a phone call after a while, but the handset is solidly built.

As far as features is concern, this device has it all. First let’s start at the 2.8-inch touch screen that displays 65,536 colors at a 320×240 pixel resolution. It is sharp and bright and is very readable. It is viewable in most lighting conditions, but colors get washed out a bit when exposed in bright sunlight. Its touch screen capability is also a plus that I know a lot of users will love. It provides an easy and convenient way to launch applications, navigate the menus, input data, and more. There’s a stylus included to use with the touch screen.

Below the display, you have very usable controls as well as an alphanumeric keypad. The other controls include two soft keys, a Clear button, and a four-way navigation toggle with a central select button. The latter set of buttons are clustered on the left half of the device, which offsets the position of the soft keys with the corresponding menu items onscreen. Meanwhile, the Talk and End keys flank the screen but they’re tiny slivers, and a bit difficult to press. Another minor complaint is that when you press the Talk button on the left side, it’s easy to shift the slider screen, which got to be annoying.

Accessing the phone’s full QWERTY keyboard is easy, just slide the front cover to the right. This automatically switches the screen orientation from portrait to landscape mode, and the transition was fairly smooth and without too much of a delay. The keyboard itself is pretty easy to use with sizeable keys and sufficient spacing. It’s also well-backlit, but the buttons tend to be a bit slippery.

There are a number of quick-launch buttons on the phone to make for easier one-handed use, but it’s a bit overwhelming and will probably take some time before you’re completely familiar with the layout and experience. On the left spine of the phone, you’ll find a microSD expansion slot and a volume rocker, while the right side has 2.5mm headset jack, a Today/voice recorder launcher, an OK button, and a camera activation key. We do wish there was some kind of jog dial or wheel to more easily scroll through the menus. Finally, the camera lens and the flash are located on the back of the handset.

First and foremost, the Samsung SCH-i760 is a smartphone built for power users. So, it is no suprise that this phone is stocked with an arsenal of tools that should satisfy most mobile professionals. First thing that is worth mentioning is that the phone runs the latest Windows Mobile 6 Professional Edition. This allows users to use familiar applications such as the full Microsoft Office Mobile Suite with the ability to create, view, and edit Word and Excel documents. You can also view PowerPoint presentations and PDFs. More functionality was also added to calendaring, contacts, e-mail, and more; all the details are outlined in our review of Windows Mobile 6. Other personal management tools include a world clock, a calculator, a notepad, and a task manager.

Phone features on the Samsung SCH-i760 include a speakerphone, voice dialing and commands, smart dialing, three-way calling, and text and multimedia messaging. The phone book is limited only by the available memory, and each entry can hold as many as 12 phone numbers, three e-mail addresses, addresses for home and work, a job title, and more. For caller-ID purposes, you can assign a contact to a category or pair it with any of 14 polyphonic ringtones or a photo.

In terms of wireless options, the i760 pretty much has it all except GPS. Bluetooth 2.0 is onboard with support for the A2DP profile, so you can connect to stereo Bluetooth headsets. You can also use Bluetooth for wireless headsets, hands-free kits, wireless file transfers, and dial-up networking.

Integrated Wi-Fi lets you hop onto your home network or any available hot spots so you can surf the Web. Alternatively, the i760 is EV-DO capable so you’ll be able to enjoy data speeds of as fast as 2.4Mbps, though realistically, you’ll average closer to 300Kbps to 600Kbps. Bottom line, you’ll have a better experience whether you’re browsing the Web, listening to streaming media, or downloading games.

Finally, there’s a 1.3-megapixel camera with video recording capabilities. There’s a flash and self-timer, and you can choose from several shooting modes, quality settings, and resolutions, which range from 1,280×960 to 160×120 for still images. To enhance the picture, there are white-balance settings and various effects that you can add. These tools are also available to you in camcorder mode, though you can only choose from three quality settings. Picture quality, while not spectacular, was good.

The i760 is rated for 3.5 hours of talk time and up to 7.5 days of standby time. According to FCC radiation tests, the i760 has a digital SAR rating of 0.73 watt per kilogram.

Sources:
http://www.brighthand.com
http://www.phonearena.com
http://www.laptopmag.com