Pocket PC rocket
WHILE CELLPHONE SALES worldwide will decline next year – for the first time in a decade – one segment of the market is still showing double-digit growth. Smartphones are no longer unwieldy bricks with zero battery life, giving super slow web access and even slower performance – with the sales to prove it.
Though there are many capable smartphones on the market, Samsung’s Windows Mobile-based i780 is probably the most complete package out there. It packs everything: GPS, office applications, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, touch screen and the i780’s particular claim to fame – a mouse track pad similar to those found on laptops. Though smaller than a thumbprint it works surprisingly well and gives you the chance to go straight to menu items or apps without scrolling or navigating long menu structures.
Combined with its touch screen, full keyboard and handwriting recognition stylus, input options on the i780 are an embarrassment of riches. As you become more familiar with the phone and make use of its many personalisation options over time, accessing its vast array of features and using office apps, such as the spreadsheet, will only become quicker and easier.
Response times, often the downfall of these sometimes over-engineered products, are good thanks to a fast processor. Battery life, another frequent gripe among smartphone users, is also on par with phones that don’t deliver half the functionality of the i780. And if you’re away from a plug point for an extended time, inside the box is a second battery with its own charger.
Windows Mobile is often criticised for being a too PC-centric operating system that’s unsuitable for cellphones. The i780 shows that with clever integration with its hardware it can be made to work. Add a mouse pointer and it’s even better.
Finweek
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