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Vendors introduced a pack of smaller than usual smartphones built on Microsoft's Pocket PC platform over the last several few months. Today, Verizon Wireless announced it would ship one of the more highly-anticipated models, the Samsung SCH-i730, shortly.

The i730 turned more than a few heads at its introduction last November during a Samsung event in New York City. As with other such devices, like the long delayed BenQ P50 Pocket PC Phone, the i730 has been perceived by the industry (if not positioned by Samsung—which, by the way, offers smartphones under every conceivable platform, including the Palm OS) as a 'Treo Killer.'

None of these handsets have come close to dethroning palmOne's acclaimed handheld as the leading smartphone in the United States.

As with the Treo 650, the i730 boasts relatively compact dimensions (5.2 x 2.8 x 0.6 inches) and weight (5.5 ounces). It has 64 MB of RAM and 128 MB of ROM with a Secure Digital slot for storage and peripheral expansion.

The i730 also integrates a QWERTY thumb-keyboard.

Samsung one-ups palmOne in this department, as the Pocket PC Phone's keyboard is built on a slider. That means it sits underneath the handset's display when unused, making the unit that much smaller and easier to use as a phone.


You would see a lot less hand with
the average Pocket PC Phone

As with Verizon's edition of the Treo 650, the i730 is compatible with the carrier's CDMA network, of course. The Samsung Pocket PC Phone, unlike the Treo, supports the operator's high-speed 3G EV-DO network as well.

So wherever Verizon offers EV-DO coverage, the i730 should be able to exchange data at a speedy 400 Kbps to 700 Kbps.

While Verizon's Treo 650 integrates a camera for still images and video, the edition of the i730 it carries doesn't. Other multimedia features include Windows Media Player 10, dual stereo speakers, and 3D sound.

The Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC Second Edition platform the i730 runs on supports portrait and landscape modes—excellent for Web browsing and viewing documents—for the smartphone's 2.8-inch, 240 x 320 pixel resolution and 65,536 color display.

Other features include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking—the Treo 650 offers Bluetooth but not Wi-Fi—which are increasingly common to high-end smartphones (e.g. Hewlett-Packard's iPAQ h6315, Motorola's MPx, Nokia's 9500 & 9300 Communicators, among others).

The i730 is shipping now to Verizon's enterprise customers with general release slated for July 7. It sells for $600 with a 2-year service contract.

Available service plans include unlimited data access with 450 anytime minutes voice for $80, 1350 minutes for $110, and 3000 minutes for $170. All these plans bundle unlimited nights and weekends.

All of Verizon's PDAs and Smartphones, including the i730, come with Wireless Sync, its VZEmail solution. The always-on offering delivers "push" e-mail and access to both their calendar and contacts. Wireless Sync Enterprise Server provides an enterprise-class, behind-the- firewall mobility platform for large customers capable of scaling to support thousands of users.