I am sitting here with a phone that I think has overtaken my Nokia E90, Apple iPhone and HTC TyTN 2 and I am really amazed with this device so far. The Samsung i780 combines all of the favored elements of the Treo 750 and the TyTN 2 into a slim and compact qwerty bar form factor that practically has the same dimensions as the iPhone. Running Windows Mobile 6 Professional with a 320 x 320 2.55inch touchscreen, this model weighs in at 120 grams and offers a full qwerty, a trackpad mouse, wifi, bluetooth, tri-band GSM with Euro 3G, built-in assisted GPS, preinstalled Opera Mobile 8.65 browser and a long lasting 1480 mAh battery! While I believe this is very well attributed to the lack of American 3G and maybe even the 850 GSM frequency band, this is the first Windows Mobile 6 Professional smartphone whose battery meter has remained INTACT after one full day of usage!!! Even though this model is only running on the 1900 GSM band I haven't noticed anything different in call quality or network reception from my TyTN 2. Volume on voice calls is adequate but the speakerphone is a bit lacking with some minor distortion. There is a sturdy feel to this phone that doesn't feel cheap in any way as I hold it comfortably in my hand, and its front face exhibits a glossy finish over the screen, trackpad keys and the qwerty. If there was a chance to be nit-picky about something I would have to mention the back of the phone. While its black, rubbery feel provides a reassuring grip it is still very prone to showing fingerprints and smudges.
This does have a 2 megapixel camera with no autofocus and no flash and I assume it is like any other Windows Mobile camera at this point: lukewarm and lackluster. Picture quality is typically average depending on the lighting and the video is not even worth addressing. After all, the main draw of this phone for me comes from its efficiency in operating as my PDA/phone with the very reliable and versatile Windows Mobile 6 Professional OS platform and I am still hooked after day one.
At first glance the Samsung i780 will immediately remind people of the famous BlackJack II (i617) from AT&T with its outward appearance, which is no surprise since they were released within a month of each other in late 2007. But the distinct difference is that the i780 adds a touchscreen with trackpad mouse/stylus navigation and wifi while taking away the 850 GSM band and American 3G. Operating the OS in daily activities has proven to be just as reliable as always, but I am finding a little more functionality from the trackpad mouse! This is definitely a first for me with any device that I have come across and I have actually grown to like it very much...definitely more so than than the scroll wheel on the BlackJack II. The slim profile of the i780 is a much welcomed departure from the bulky Nokia E90 and substantial TyTN 2 and it feels great to finally be able to carry my phone in my pocket without a beltclip holster!
Initial setup of the device took a while since this was previously geared towards the overseas market, but with the help of copying the settings from my TyTN 2 I was able to begin using email and Internet with no trouble at all. Starting the bluetooth syncing relationship with Missing Sync was equally flawless and all PIM information from my Mac successfully transferred over to the i780. Navigating the Net with Opera Mobile 8.65 has its limitations with the squared screen, but unlike the Treo 750, the i780's slim form factor and sturdy build quality makes up for that. One different aspect about this model is that there is a proprietary port instead of the ubiquitous mini USB, which makes an adapter necessary if I want to use a accessible other than the OEM.
Another day is coming around as I type this blog entry on the qwerty of this Samsung marvel in the early hours of the morning. The rounded tops of these small buttons harken back to the times I had spent with my Treos, and they do not disappoint in their performance as my fingernails tap away incessantly.
Being that I got this unit from mobileplanet.com at a reduced price of $525, I am EXTREMELY satisfied with this unit in comparison to the hugely overrated iMate 9502! At this point I am surely looking forward to getting more use from this device and would not be surprised if it replaces all of my other gadgets, but that could just be the honeymoon period talking. :-)
TRENT
Sent from my Samsung i780
5 comments:
Hi I was wondering how did you get Missing Sync to work with your i780? I too recently purchased a i780 but can't get it to sync with my Mac. Have tried Missing Sync but if I add my i780 to my Mac through Bluetooth, it will detect it as a Palm Sized PDA and only let me use it as 'device as a headset for this computer' or 'device as a network port'.
Then when I run ActiveSync from my i780, and try connecting through bluetooth, it gives me 'Cannot find an existing Bluetooth partnership with a PC that supports ActiveSync. Would you like to set up a partnership now? '. When clicking my mac in Device list, I only have the option to use my i780 as Serial Port Am running Leopard 10.5.2. on a first generation MacBook Pro, and running WM 6 on my i780. Any help greatly appreciated. Maybe you can walk me through how you set the pairing up.
What you should is make sure you have a Bluetooth relationship set up between your Mac and your phone.
1. Open the Missing Sync app on your Mac.
2. Go back to the Bluetooth partnership settings, select your computer on the device list and click on "Refresh".
3. Doing this should automatically initiate a link with Missing Sync on your Mac and show an icon on your computer screen.
In a moment the new service of ActiveSync should appear on your phone as an available service.
Place a checkmark into the box next to ActiveSync and click on "Save".
4. Open ActiveSync on your phone and click "Connect via Bluetooth". Prompts should begin to appear on your smartphone screen as
it starts the connection with Missing Sync
5. There will next be a prompt asking you to allow Missing Sync to install the "MissingSync.CAB" file onto your phone. Click OK.
6. After a moment your device should ask you where you would like to store the "MissingSync.CAB" file, choose either the Device memory or
the Storage Card memory as you wish. Once the .CAB file is downloaded, your phone should then appear on the Missing Sync
app as being connected and you can then start your syncing.
Hope this helps.
okay whats missing sync? cause i dont have it. and i have the same roblem as the other person so please help. i cant get music or photos or anything from my comp to my phone, and when i attach the usb cable, it doesnt even show up on the computer. i've got a Mac Tiger OS X. and a samsung i780.
hi trent, I have been looking for help on knowing how to sync my mac with the i780. Thanks so much for your advice. I have been searching high and low and you are only the person who has mentioned how to do this :)
How are you finding the i780? You can cool stuff you can share with us?
HI, I have have the same trouble as Victoria and have tried following the suggestions you made but it will still only detect it as a palm pda. any suggestions would really be appreciated as it is driving me crazy
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