Samsung I300 Available... Sort Of (Updated)

Several readers have reported finding the Samsung I300 smartphone available for sale in retail stores.

Update: Sprint has announced that the I300 is available exclusively in its stores throughout the Delaware Valley. The company has not yet said when it will be available in other parts of the country. It is on sale for $500.

The list of stores includes:
* Abington * Marlton, NJ * Springfield (Delaware County) * Cherry Hill, NJ * Montgomeryville * Wilmington, DE * Exton * Northeast * Wynnewood * King of Prussia (2) * Oxford Valley * Market Street * South Street

Samsung's official webpage on the smartphone has listed it as being "Available Now" for over a week but it doesn't yet appear on the Sprint PCS webstore that Samsung lists as the place to buy it online.

The I300 is the first PalmOS smartphone to have a 256-color screen, which is 240 by 160 pixels. The Graffiti area is virtual. The body is 4.9 by 2.3 by 0.8 inches and weighs 6 oz. There will be an extended battery available that will change it to 4.3 by 2.3 by 1.1 inches and 7.5 oz.

It runs Palm OS 3.5 and has 8 MB of memory. The battery life of the SPH-I300 is approximately 4 hours talk time and 100 hours standby time in digital mode using a standard battery. It will come with a spare battery.

It is a dual band phone: CDMA PCS 1900 MHz and analog 800 MHz. It supports both voice and data. Both Web clipping and true Web browsing are supported.

If you are one of the lucky few who has seen one of these, please let us know where. -Ed

Related Information:

Article Comments

 (126 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Comments Closed Comments Closed
This article is no longer accepting new comments.

Down View Full Comment Thread

Voice at least...

mtg101 @ 10/5/2001 10:24:22 AM #
...but it's CDMA - some lovely proprietory system only used in one country... and then only sparadically... wonder how many of these will sell...

...then what's the betting Samsung then declares nobody wants integrated Palm / Phones... without askign the rest of the world...

Cheers
Russell

---
russ@russb.fsnet.co.uk
---
Diga ao Falante pelos Mortos
---

RE: Voice at least...
Token @ 10/5/2001 12:41:44 PM #
OK, I am a GSM fan, but CDMA is 43 Countries worldwide.

Everyone knows about the USA (hey Qualcomm is in San Diego), but how about Korea, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, UK (trial), Japan, Mexico, as well as other parts of the EU (sorry - no specifics), central African nations, and other parts of SE Asia.

In terms of data through put :
IS-95A : 14.4 Kbps
IS-95B : 64 Kbps
1x : 307 Kbps
1xEV : 2.4 Mbps

I don't have the equivalent figures for GSM/GPRS ... but saying CDMA is a single country solution is wrong.
Anyone got equivalent numbers for GSM/GPRS??

RE: Voice at least...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 1:11:22 PM #
Also.....Sprint and CDMA are supposed to be the first out with 3G.

RE: Voice at least...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 11:40:17 PM #
In the US, CDMA is a plus. It's the standard with by far the greatest coverage.

There are entire STATES here that don't have any GSM coverage. No Visorphone usage in Vermont, many major cities in the midwest, even in places like Oregon and Washington once you get away from the major cities.

GSM's great if you're in Europe or if you're an American who travels there, but for domestic use here in the US the coverage sucks.

CDMA is in US and KOREA... & has some superiority over GSM
martianviking @ 10/10/2001 1:16:20 AM #
While it is true that CDMA is not widely used, (outside of the US and Korea) it is true that it is used in more than one country. Also, it does have some superiority over other formats, such as GSM. I'll grant that GSM has many advantages, such as global use, (which is more of a happenstance than a technological superiority) the advantages that come with SIM cards, and a MUCH better text messaging capability. But, the "soft handoff" of CDMA is a very good technology... and there must be some reason why CDMA is used by GPS systems... and the real 3G technologies coming up (W-CDMA and CDMA2000, not that GPRS stopgap stuff).

Houston

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 11:20:27 AM #
I just purchased one from a CompUSA in Houston. It was the only one they had, I wanted to buy one for the wife as well.

RE: Houston
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 12:56:41 PM #
I saw one yesterday at a Computer City in Lewisville, TX. I played with it for a while, but at $499, I think I'm OK with my M505 for now. It looks kind of cool, but the screen is very small, and the colors didn't look very bright. It runs OS 3.5.2, and had a few Sprint-specific icons listed, but I couldn't play with the wireless web because the phone was not setup yet. Perhaps some other time...

RE: Im on the list
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 7:34:34 PM #
Hey guys,

I got one!!!

At Compusa in Irving Texas. They had two in the case but the sales guys didn't even know what it was. I just happened to spot it.

This thing kicks ass!! It is everything I had hoped it would be and maybe more. The criticisms I have read do not seem valid to me - the screen contrast is a bit low but I can still read it in direct sunlight. They make it sound like you cant see anything - not true. The phone part is the best I have had yet. It does not drop calls in the normal "dead zones".

More info at www.pdabuzz.com

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 11:42:53 AM #
"It seems Samsung is shipping the SPH-I300 phone. However, there is a catch, it seems this launch is of the trial run variety with the phone only being available in the Delaware Valley area. Availability of the $499 phone beyond this trial period is uncertain, which shouldn't sit too well with those who have been waiting for this phone for months." from www.pdabuzz.com.


pdabuzz sucks
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 1:58:48 PM #

PDABuzz really sucks. They're bunch of bozos bashing the Palm Platform.

pdabuzz dorks
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 2:22:34 PM #
Nevermind the "dude, what kewl avatar!" posts. Geeks in the worst sense of the definition.

Price

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 11:51:33 AM #
Anyone have an official retail price?

The battery makes it smaller?

Davy @ 10/5/2001 12:21:20 PM #
The body is 4.9 by 2.3 by 0.8 inches and weighs 6 oz. There will be an extended battery available that will change it to 4.3 by 2.3 by 1.1 inches and 7.5 oz.

It's thicker, but the phones gets shorter? Hmmm........

-Davy

RE: The battery makes it smaller?
Ed @ 10/5/2001 12:25:27 PM #
I don't get it either but that's definitely what the Samsung site says:

With standard battery
Dimensions: 4.9" x 2.28" x 0.82"
Weight: 6 oz.

With extended battery
Dimensions: 4.3" x 2.28" x 1.1"
Weight: 7.5 oz.

---
News Editor

Got One

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/5/2001 1:43:00 PM #
just got my I300 at Comp usa in Tacoma WA. Man its cool!

Available now from Sprint PCS
anonymous @ 10/6/2001 8:23:25 PM #
I got mine directly from Sprint. Try calling them at 888 253-1315.

Its on their web site too, but the link seems to be broken. Good luck.


RE: Got One
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 9:20:36 AM #
I placed an order for my I300 early Saturday morning and I was told I would have it in about 3 days via UPS. However, I just called to see when it was shipped and the rep told me that they are on backorder. I asked why I was told that it was in stock when I ordered it and she said she does not know. She also said there is not estimated date of arrival and it could be up to 3 months!!!!

RE: Got One
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/10/2001 5:03:07 PM #
Ok, I've gotten this same story from two Sprint reps so it may actually have a little truth to it but I would still take it with a grain of salt:

Both reps said Sprint honestly did expect to start shipping the phones on Monday but for some reason were not able to. They now expect to start shipping the phones at the end of this week or the beginning of next week and that they are expecting an email sometime on Wednesday explaining the situation and the reason for the delay. Again, I would take that with a grain of salt but I thought I'd let you guys know anyways..

Something that I would encourage everyone who has the I300 on backorder with Sprint to do would be to call 1.888.253.1315 and calmly explain how you were feel you were mislead by Sprint and that you would like to speak with a supervisor. The rep will try to resolve the situation themselves at which point you should suggest that you feel a credit of some kind is owed to you for the mistake Sprint made. The Sprint department you will be talking to is only authorized to give you a $25 service credit, which is what I got. I know its not much but at least its something. Best of luck to everyone and hopefully the phones will start shipping soon!

RE: Got One
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 3:36:03 AM #
I got MINE!!! Wooohooo!!! After about a week and a half after ordering it online at sprintpcs.com somehow they did manage to send one out to me. Had it for a day now. All I can say is that it's beautiful. Make sure you use updated PalmOS software, as you will find when you try to multitask too much while on speakerphone, you will suddenly experience a new smartphone thing: you're phone will crash in the middle of a conversation while launching a bad app. :)

Enough of that. The voice recognition works great. The SprintWeb app works off the bat though it was a lot slowerthan I expected. :( Writing email on this thing is going to be a beotch too stick to short messages only, though the apps and the dialups will probably get better and more efficient as time goes on (also the SprintWeb browser doesn't allow to switch out to other apps w/o disconnecting from the server- Blazer does allow you to do this). The Blazer 1.1r6 browser didn't work right away for me, I have to go to System->Prefs->Network and Connect to #2932 with login & password= "web" then I can use Blazer: it's truely awsome. It SEEMs to run much faster than the sprint PCS web browser, dunno why.

Another thing to consider. I believe (but am not sure) that you can receive unlimited short messages to your phone if you forward your mail to your phonenumber e.g.: 1234567890@messaging.sprintpcs.com

Hope those trick help... Have fun with it!

Liner


i300 accessories

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/6/2001 9:16:26 PM #
Picked up my i300 at CoZone at Pentagon City in Arlington, VA. Very impressed. MUCH more useable than the Kyocera in nearly every aspect. Does anyone know where I can get a car charger? I called Sprint and they don't have any accessories for this phone, or so they say. Sprint store near me doesn't have anything either.

RE: i300 accessories
Marty @ 10/7/2001 5:46:10 AM #
Hmmm...when I ordered my phone from the Sprint rep she offered me a car charger for $20 or so. I didn't purchase that it but I did buy the leather case she was selling for the phone. I ordered from 1-888-253-1315 so you might want to give that number a try.



Pentagon City
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 7:56:46 AM #
Let me guess, in the Fashion Centre, right? I go there often as well. Ok, im done, back to the topic at hand.

Sorry
ImpReza @ 10/8/2001 7:59:10 AM #
Heh, i was the one who made the previous comment. I just forgot to login...

RE: i300 accessories
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/19/2001 11:32:32 AM #
You can buy i300 accessories directly from Samsung at:
http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/nabc/prod/hhcommerce/telecommunications/prod_tel_accessory_1.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0462985949.1006187433@@@@&BV_EngineID=fadcchljhiglbedjcfcffcggm.0&category=Phones+and+Fax+Machines%2fWireless+Phones%2fAccessories&prod_id=SPH-I300

RE: i300 accessories
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/2/2002 4:10:11 AM #
I have been drooling for one of these, but AT&T does not support these phones *YET*. I see your car chargers on Ebay through reputable dealers. Good Luck!

I300 Palm OS upgrade able???

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 12:07:45 AM #
I know tha OS that comes with the phone is OS 3.5 but is the OS upgrade able when 4.0 is ready to download?

RE: I300 Palm OS upgrade able???
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/27/2001 2:09:25 AM #
<< I know tha OS that comes with the phone is OS 3.5 but is the OS upgrade able when 4.0 is ready to download?>>>

I want to upgrade it to 4.0 too cause my m505 data will not hotsync to my 3.5 samsung! man!!!

someone please email me if you know how to do this
p****man@Gometanet.com

RE: I300 Palm OS upgrade able???
gpetty @ 11/27/2001 7:38:36 PM #
Just read from what I think is a reliable source (say he got it from a Samsung Tech)
that the i300 does NOT have flash rom and is therefore NOT upgradable to Palm os4.0!!!

A typical case of corporate stupidity - saves them a few cents on each PDA/Phone.!!

CompUSA SKU and it's on SprintPCS.com

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 12:55:16 AM #
My CompUSA flyer for the Columbus Day weekend (7-9 October) has the I300 at $499. SKU is #286667.

I also now see the phone listed on www.sprintpcs.com. However, the supporting pages aren't there yet.

Samsung has a functioning demo of the phone on their website. I'm browsing through the 300+ page PDF manual now. :)

-SUO
suorangeman@hotmail.com

RE: CompUSA SKU and it's on SprintPCS.com
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 11:01:52 AM #
SprintPCS is elling the I300 over their toll free line. According to the rep I spoke to, the I300 was added to the web at midnight Saturday morning. Price is 499. Plenty in stock (at least over via the phone). I ordered mine no problem

Good luck

RE: CompUSA SKU and it's on SprintPCS.com
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 9:19:48 AM #
I placed an order for my I300 early Saturday morning and I was told I would have it in about 3 days via UPS. However, I just called to see when it was shipped and the rep told me that they are on backorder. I asked why I was told that it was in stock when I ordered it and she said she does not know. She also said there is not estimated date of arrival and it could be up to 3 months!!!!

Programation ??? I-300

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 12:54:47 AM #
Hello all i own a 6035 for the last 3 monts, now i drove 4 hours yesterday to get my new I-300, i live in Montreal with my 6035 i just hit 111-111 and option and there i was in programation. it does not work with the Samsung.does anybody know how to enter programation so i can hook it up to Bell Mobility

hank you
Marc-Andre

RE: Programation ??? I-300
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/12/2001 11:49:15 PM #
Did you have any luck finding the code?

HELP ME!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 5/22/2002 10:15:38 PM #
I've just bought a Samsung sph i-300 in Miami to use it in Brazil, but I entered a code given by Sprint Telecom for the first configuration.
Since I made a mistake while I was programming it, I had to start all over again, but the original code was not accepted anymore.
Does anybody know how I could brake the code to proceed with configuration?
Thank you very much.
I regard your answer in nelson@marcondesmachado.adv.br

Samsung I300 Available

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 12:55:20 PM #
The phone is now being sold va SprintPCS' toll free number. I purchased one yesterday. Per the rep, stock is "medium", and going gpretty quickly.

RE: Samsung I300 Available
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 9:16:29 AM #
I placed an order for my I300 early Saturday morning and I was told I would have it in about 3 days via UPS. However, I just called to see when it was shipped and the rep told me that they are on backorder. I asked why I was told that it was in stock when I ordered it and she said she does not know. She also said there is not estimated date of arrival and it could be up to 3 months!!!!

Sprint Lied!!!! Sprint Lied
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 1:38:49 PM #
****ING SPRINT!!!! I called Monday and the guy PROMISED it would ship Monday. THEY ****ING LIED! It's on backorder -- probably take a few months! I just cancelled my Sprint account (I'm not under contract). I'm buying the Verizon small phone, will hold it until Christmas then sell it on ebay when Verizon comes out with i300. I am never using Sprint again for any service, even if it was free. I am so pissed I cannot even tell you.

Latest Information on Samsung I300

Marty @ 10/7/2001 2:49:24 PM #
Ok, here is the latest information I could round up on the Samsung I300:

1.) I have called all the stores Sprint listed in their press release (PA/DE area) as having the phone available for purchase and none of them had even received their first shipment of the phones. One store said they didn't expect to have them for another two weeks.

2.) You can purchase the phone right now by calling Sprint at 1.800.253.1315 and selecting menu option 3. They have the phones in stock and ready to ship on Monday!

3.) The phone is up on Sprint's website but if you try to purchase it you get an error.

4.) The phone will be offered through Verizon around Christmas time. This was according to an email I received from a Samsung tech.

5.) Samsung will be developing their own keyboard for the I300 so those of us who can't get along w/o our Stowaways aren't totally out of luck. Whether it is a full-size or Querty keyboard remains to be seen.

Hope this information helps you guys out.

Marty

RE: Latest Information on Samsung I300
rldunn @ 10/7/2001 4:36:28 PM #
The I300 was featured in my local newspaper Sunday ad for CompUSA. Not sure if they really have it or not, but thought that was interesting since I'm in the midwest and I thought the east coast was the only place to have them.

Available at CompUSA in Chicago suburbs....
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 5:50:36 PM #
I picked one up yesterday. 2 were still available. Manager said they are going fast and they are getting lots of call about availability....

Top View Full Comment Thread
Achtung! Only the first 50 comments are displayed within the article.
    Click here for the full story discussion page...

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass: