Three Cool New Smartphones from Verizon

I have always considered Verizon to be the best U.S. wireless carrier in terms of customer service, voice quality, high-speed data, and overall coverage. However, I haven't been satisfied with the variety or capabilities of the Windows Mobile devices they offered—that is, until now! In the past few months, Verizon has introduced three new Windows Mobile 6 phones: the innovative Samsung i760, the XV6800 (both touch screen devices), and the smaller SMT5800 (a non-touch screen smartphone). These cool new devices are a welcome addition to Verizon's stable of phones; they should provide mobile road warriors and high-tech professionals with the choices they need, and maybe even attract some new customers.

Innovative and sleek: The Samsung SCH-i760

I usually test devices and send them back, but before I had finished this review I changed my carrier to Verizon and purchased my own i760. I use it now for all of my mobile needs: phone, personal information management, and access to medical software at the point of care in my work as a doctor.

The backlit keyboard is the best I have ever used on a Windows Mobile device. With the great tactile feel of the "bubble membrane" keys and perfect spacing for my large thumbs, I can easily send e-mails and use PIM applications with greater ease than ever before. In addition, the 12-key keypad on the front of the device makes the i760 a useful "candy bar" style phone—very comparable to conventional non-flip phones. Lastly, being a true WM 6 Professional (touch screen) device, I am able to use the medical applications I depend on. I have found Windows Mobile Standard (non-touch smartphones) such as the Pantech Duo or Verizon's SMT5800 (see sidebar) to be less than optimal for these applications.

Very solid feel; well designed for "one-handed" use

The i760 is an extremely well-built device and has a very solid, compact, and comfortable feel. As with earlier Samsung devices, I was impressed with the sliding rail mechanism for the QWERTY keyboard. It's much smoother and feels sturdier than the sliding keyboards on other devices. (See my reviews of the Samsung i730 in the November 05 issue: smartphonemag.com/_archives/Nov05/samsungrx.aspx and my review of the Samsung IP-830w in the February 07 issue: smartphonemag.com/_archives/Feb07/newphones.aspx).

The ergonomics of the i760 make it perfect for one-handed functionality, both as a wireless phone and a data entry device. Located below the brilliant 2.8-inch touch screen, the chrome-colored 5-way navigation wheel functioned flawlessly during routine application use. Above this wheel is the center CLR (clear) button which is flanked by two buttons that activate the soft key functions displayed at the bottom of the screen. To the right of the navigation wheel is a 12-key alphanumeric keypad, which lets you dial phone numbers or enter text messages as you would on a standard cell phone. This is a big plus if you do not wish to have the QWERTY keyboard out all the time.

The Call and End Call buttons are located on the left and right edges of the i760, respectively. I find this positioning less than optimal. I would occasionally disconnect a call by inadvertently hitting the End button. I would like to see a button-lock function on this device to prevent this problem. My advice is to be careful with your fingers when you're talking on the phone.