Samsung SCH-i600 (Verizon Wireless)

Design of Samsung SCH-i600 (Verizon Wireless)

Like its Palm sibling, the i600 is fairly compact for a smart phone. With the standard battery installed, this flip-style model weighs 5.3 ounces and measures 3.54 by 2.1 by 0.92 inches, only slightly bigger than Samsung's 4.4-ounce A600 camera phone. The 176x220-pixel screen is obviously not a full-size Pocket PC display, but it supports 65,536 colors and is quite sharp and readable. As noted, it's not a touch screen; Windows Mobile OS handsets are designed to be operated with one hand, sans stylus.

The i600 is pretty slim with the standard battery.

Modeling its belt-clip holster.

The phone feels solid in hand and snaps shut with authority. Another plus: We particularly liked the stair-step approach of the backlit dial-pad keys (minimizing misdials). Additionally, the i600 has a couple of design enhancements, including an external LCD for viewing time, date, signal strength, and caller ID (when available). You also get an expansion slot for adding SD/MMC media, which you can then fill with images, music, video clips, and games. The slot is SDIO compatible, so you should be able to add a Wi-Fi card or a camera so long as there are drivers to support such accessories.

Those familiar with Pocket PC will immediately notice the similarities between the two interfaces, including the ability to customize the start or Today screen. Generally, the buttons are well positioned to promote easy navigation, with a good-size Home button next to the responsive four-way nav key. That said, the OS isn't always as intuitive as it should be, and you will have to dig into the manual to discover all the phone's features and shortcuts. Disappointingly, the 2002 version is installed on the i600, but the phone is supposedly upgradable to the 2003 OS, which has already been released in Europe. However, it's up to Verizon to provide customers with the upgrade.

Samsung includes a nice set of accessories: a dual-slot cradle with a HotSync USB cable for docking the unit with your PC (sorry, Mac users), a travel charger, an extra extended lithium-ion battery (1,700mAh), a protective carrying case that attaches to your belt, and an integrated stereo earbuds/headset. The extended cell, which nearly doubles battery life, brings the weight of the phone up to 6.1 ounces. An external flexible keyboard, which can be rolled up, is allegedly available for around $70, though we had trouble finding one in our online searches.