Comments on: 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.

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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

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

RE: Latest Information on Samsung I300
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 10:56:45 AM #
I picked one up at a CompUSA store here in Columbus OH. They had one left as of Sunday afternoon. $499.

It (so far) lives up up to the hype!

I thought the screen looked really washed out for some reason they are shipping with the contrast set low. You can easily reset and the screen is awesome!

Bought one at CompUSA in San Bruno, CA

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 5:01:24 PM #
hey,

seems that the west coast finally has some too. IMO, colors are better than m505. But screen is very small... cradle is ugly like hell. no travel charger/sync cable. definetely smaller and more handsome than Kyocera palmphone.
I love my samung!

Anyway to add new ringer tones?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 7:24:00 PM #
I know there are sites where you can download ringer tones for the Kyocera. Do these files work with the Samsung too?

RE: Anyway to add new ringer tones?
I.M. Anonymous @ 2/9/2002 10:21:28 PM #
is there anyway to add new ringer tones on an Audiovox from Bell Mobility phone? if so please contact me a ebony72002@hotmail.com thank you.

Samsung's 24-Hour Street (lists I300 accessories)

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 9:52:27 PM #
http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/nabc/home/b2c_home_samsungusa.jsp

Click on the picture of the street and a Flash presentation will begin. The I300 should be the first item you see. Click on it and enjoy. (I've been eyeting that SyncMaster 240T for a while too. At $7K, I'll be eyeing it from a distance.)

The top link also has a link to Samsungs own' updated I300 pages.

-SUO
suorangeman@hotmail.com

RE: Samsung's 24-Hour Street (lists I300 accessories)
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/7/2001 10:14:34 PM #
I just got my I300, and I ordered the 240t flat panel too! $7k? more like $5300.

I got one at CompUSA today

drewan @ 10/7/2001 11:27:01 PM #
Hiya folks,

I went to CompUSA in Bloomington Minesota today around 4:30pm and they had one Samsung i300 Phone left. They told me the two were received on Friday, and they sold the other one on Saturday. I paid $499 for it.

After that I drove over to Best Buy to see if they had received any. The Cell Phone guys showed me that their computer system is saying that they won't get them until October 31st. BUT... they plan to sell them for $399.

Needless to say I decided to keep the one I had just bought. I know that if I waited a month I could save $100, but I've already been waiting four months and I don't want to wait any longer.

I did stop by the SprintPCS store in Edina Minnesota also, to see if they had gotten any. Their system says they should be receiving them this week, at the $499 price.

-Drewan

RE: I got one at CompUSA today
pjmurphy @ 10/8/2001 10:59:45 AM #
I picked one up at compUSA here in Columbus OH. Do you agree with me that it was well worth the wait? Any initial issues? I thought the screen looked wasshed out but adj. the contrast and it is awesome.

I had an Ipaq and the stylus with the 300 fits MUCH better than the Ipaq..

RE: I got one at CompUSA today
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/10/2001 5:37:14 AM #
I called a Comp USA store in Charlotte, NC yesterday (Tues. 10/9/01 at Noon EST) and they had three in stock. I had them hold one for me which they did. My wife ran over and picked it up for me a couple of hours later. They gave her a bit of a run-around (i.e., we don't know what you're talking about; WHO was holding it for you?, etc) but, nevertheless got a hold of it for $499. She charged it for me while I was still at the office and when I got home that night, I activated it online at Sprint's Web site. She wants one now also. As far as activation, there were a couple of documentation errors in Sprint's online activation instructions but I got through it and am now the proud owner of a working Samsung I300.

How much is plan + internet access?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 11:29:18 AM #
I couldn't tell from looking at the Sprint web site -- what's the cost of internet access? Can you just use your monthly allotment of minutes for either voice or data?

What kind of plans are those of you lucky enough to find a phone signing up for?

Thanks,
--Charlie

RE: How much is plan + internet access?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 12:32:54 PM #
when you access the web, you are using you plan minutes. there is no isp fees or anything. if you get a basic Sprint plan you have to pay like $10 or so. but the "total digital connections" package includes internet access.

RE: How much is plan + internet access?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 4:48:44 PM #
It is $5 for wireless web access and you can use any of your minutes for data or voice.

No SD Card Slot in the Samsung I300?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 6:38:05 PM #
Should we ASSume NO? TIA.

RE: No SD Card Slot in the Samsung I300?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/8/2001 7:16:41 PM #
I do not have the phone, but it was not in the demo or mentioned in the manual. If it did have a SD slot it would be near perfect for me.

RE: No SD Card Slot in the Samsung I300?
drewan @ 10/9/2001 10:38:46 AM #
There is no SD Card slot... or any other kind of expansion slot on the i300. It comes with 8mb of memory, and it is running Palm OS software v. 3.5.2.

I'm wondering if it is upgradable to PalmOS 4.

-Drewan

RE: No SD Card Slot in the Samsung I300?
Ed @ 10/9/2001 10:43:53 AM #
Samsung recently licenced the Memory Stick for use in future handhelds and other computer products. Maybe the next version of the I300 (the I400?) will have a Memory Stick slot.

www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=2183&MODE=FLAT

---
News Editor

Ordering bull...

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 11:15:41 AM #
You cannot buy the I300 from Sprint online or at their 800/888#. You can, however, be placed on their "back-order list". This means that when/if they get them in, they let you know ASAP. The best bet to get one right now is by calling your local CompUSA and asking for their inventory. (SKU#286667)

RE: Ordering bull...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 11:28:04 AM #
What is the CompUSA 800 phone number for ordering? thanks in advance,

RE: Ordering bull...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 11:42:30 AM #
I just called CompUSA. They stated the phone is now a special order item, and they are currently out of stock. They are not taking new orders.

RE: Ordering bull...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 11:58:58 AM #
When I ordered mine from Sprint on Sunday, they said I should expect it in 2-5 business days.

RE: Ordering bull...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 1:11:12 PM #
They told me the same thing, but when I called them to confirm shipment, that's when the "it's on backorder" line surfaced. The other annoying thing is that they charged my credit card when I placed the order (Sunday), rather than when it shipped.

At least they let me cancel the order. I'm so irritated with Sprint that I might just wait for the Verizon version of the phone.

RE: Ordering bull...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 1:41:32 PM #
Cancel your order and wait for Verizon. Sprint won't be shipping the phone to consumers for months. They lied all along.

Geez. Get a life!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 6:03:31 PM #
It's a freakin' phone. Take a chill, and be thankful you don't have anything worse to worry about right now.

RE: Ordering bull...
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 6:46:34 PM #
The problem is the credit check. If they don't have the phone but did a credit check, that's take points off my credit. Not vedry nice of them.

Sprint Lied to us!

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 1:42:53 PM #
If Sprint told you they were shipping you the phone, they lied. Call them back and they'll tell you its on backorder. Probably be a few months (though it's tough to get them to admit that). I encourage everyone to cancel their Sprint account in protest. They probably won't bill you the cancel fee (if you're under contract), and if they do just don't pay it. If you dispute the collection notice in accordance with the law (read the back), it never goes on your credit report. Little know secret. Sprint will never sue you, so you're off scot-free. I HATE SPRINT.
RE: Sprint Lied to us!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/9/2001 3:04:22 PM #
Here's what really REALLY pisses me off. I specifically did not get the phone from CompUSA on Monday because Sprint told me they were shipping it. Now every CompUSA in the entire region is sold out. I am so mad I could scream. Never using Sprint again. Never.

RE: Sprint Lied to us!
rldunn @ 10/9/2001 3:43:05 PM #
>so you're off scot-free. I HATE SPRINT. I wish Osama >had hit the Sprint building!

Guys, it's just a device. Can't we show some restraint in our comments. Sprint's business plan isn't to purposely piss off all their customers, I'm sure. We're all human, and during roll-outs, there are often mistakes. Comments like your last one are why there should be no anonymous posting allowed. It makes me sick that some stupid device could piss you off so much that you would say that; what if you lost someone in a building that a terrorist hit? Why don't you get a grip with reality!!!


RE: Sprint Lied to us!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/10/2001 12:06:54 AM #
I agree with the previous post. Although at times it can be very frustrating, making negative comments is pointless. This site, unlike many others, has provided some really great information about the I300, without a lot of bickering and arguing. Everyone, please try to help keep this site an informative point to gather information about the I300. If you are angry or frustrated with sprint focus your complaints to sprint. If enough people call, something could possibly be done. But I can assure you, complaining on this web page will only reduce the amount of quality posts.

Now dont get me wrong if sprint sucks, then explaining the situation is one appropriate, but to complain and bicker is another.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this site in my opinion the number one source of information about the I300.

RE: Sprint Lied to us!
DougFreeze @ 10/10/2001 1:44:51 AM #
A simple comment that hopefull will hit you to the core: "The size of a man can best be determined by the size of the things that make him mad." A cellular Phone Company? How small of a person are you? Get over it and move on.

Doug Freeze
dougfreeze@sprintpcs.com
RE: Sprint Lied to us!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/10/2001 5:51:09 AM #
I agree with Doug Freez's and the other previous comments. There is benefit to posting negative comments. Believe me, I too am not a big fan of Sprint's sales dept. I learned my lesson over a year ago when I bought two phones at Sprint's online PCS store. I will always buy from a retail store from now on instead of Sprint's online store or their Sales call center. Enough said.

This post has been great for information about this much desired little tool. I've benefited greatly from the knowledge (eyes and ears) of the people from across the country.

By the way, I posted this earlier today in a reply to "I found one at CompUSA"... I called a CompUSA store in Charlotte, NC yesterday (Tues. 10/9/01 at Noon EST) and they had three in stock. I had them hold one for me which they did. My wife ran over and picked it up for me a couple of hours later. They gave her a bit of a run-around (i.e., we don't know what you're talking about; WHO was holding it for you?, etc) but, nevertheless got a hold of it for $499. She charged it for me while I was still at the office and when I got home that night, I activated it online at Sprint's Web site. She wants one now also.

As far as activation, there were a couple of documentation errors in Sprint's online activation instructions but I got through it and am now the proud owner of a working Samsung I300.

RE: Sprint Lied to us!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/10/2001 9:45:33 AM #
According to the CSR at Sprint, some of the Samsung i300 phones had some problems during the test launch. There is a temporary recall on the phones and they should be shipped in the next 5 - 8 days. As for Sprint charging out credit cards, the story is that they do that if you arleady a SprintPCS customer, this way your account doesn't show that you owe sprint $549 and that would automatically suspend service, since most of us have $200 of credit in the system. So, if you're wondering. YES, I AM PISSED! I really would like to stop carrying a phone and a pda. But, considering everything that is going on, I'm not going to stress about it.



RE: Sprint Lied to us!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/10/2001 5:07:15 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: Sprint Lied to us!
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/19/2002 10:07:56 PM #
its a phone, take it easy,
I missed my verizon cancelation by one day cause I waited the extra day to get some money off the samsung,
its not that big of a deal, it really makes me laugh to see how carried away people can get of something so small as a cell phone or the service provider

Problems with I300 ?

MadMax @ 10/10/2001 8:24:01 PM #
I was one of those "Lucky" few that showed up at CompUSA (store# 777 Concord, CA) Monday morning & bought the I300. Immediately after plugging in the SERIAL cradle, my Sony Digital Studio Computer started 'acting strange'. Soon, it would 'lock up' just as windows 98's desktop appeared. I have just spent the last two days troubleshooting and reinstalling Windows!! Anybody else having similar problems? I have to call back tomorrow & talk to 'level 2 support'. It sounded as though they're aware of the problems.

Sprint Web Site Fixed

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/11/2001 1:06:14 PM #
Sprint just fixed the link to the I300 on their website. You can now see some more details on the phone as well as a list of accessories. The phone is correctly marked as out of stock.

RE: Sprint Web Site Fixed
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/11/2001 7:52:44 PM #
I saw the ad Sunday for COMPUSA...Went In Monday they had 2 in stock. Bought one and I love it!!!!!! Its so cool...Worth the wait.

Sprint Digital Link?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/12/2001 9:10:36 AM #
Does anyone know when / if Sprint's Digital Link PDA phone attachment is due out? Or if it is coming out at all? The "original" release date was supposed to be September, but hell, so was the I300! I've been looking for additional info but have been unable to find any.

RE: Sprint Digital Link?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/12/2001 6:36:34 PM #
Sprint finally confirmed the price at $250.
No idea about delivery.

Birmingham I300s!

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/12/2001 6:26:31 PM #
I just picked up my I300 from CompUSA here in Birmingham! It is WELL worth the wait! I would strongly suggest getting the phone at CompUSA b/c they will probably have the phone well in advance of SprintPCS. You can check availability in your area by asking for SKU#286667. Not only that, they have a 14-day return policy if you dont like it, and will probably be more friendly than SprintPCS :)

RE: Birmingham I300s!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/15/2001 12:42:33 PM #
you say you just got the phone in Birmingham. did you get the last one? the reason i ask is because i bought the first one on Oct. 5th and they only had two (mine and another). i was just wondering if we are the only two in the birmingham area with this phone.

I have mine....

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/12/2001 6:33:52 PM #
We got the 11 we ordered for my office Wednesday.

Have set up a new listserv for users at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/i300

Three threads started:
apps which work
apps which don't (a few oldies)
reviews list

and posted the manul from SprintPCS in FILES.

So far, so good.

John Bartley, Portland OR
http://palmwireless.cjb.net
http://celdata.cjb.net

Any reviews?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/13/2001 3:58:49 PM #
Are there any new reviews since the so called limited release of the i300?

Spint PCS Availability??

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/16/2001 10:33:15 AM #
Has anyone who ordered their phone from Sprint PCS heard anything on availability or an estimated shipping date? What have you heard from the Sprint reps? Any news on quanitities to be released in any retail stores other than CompUSA?

RE: Spint PCS Availability??
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/16/2001 11:12:58 AM #
I order mine from Sprint on 10/8 and received it 10/11. They have some, but not enough to go around.

RE: Spint PCS Availability??
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/16/2001 12:58:41 PM #
I ordered mine on 10/7 and recieved it today on 10/16. I guess more are coming in.

RE: Spint PCS Availability??
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/16/2001 1:32:09 PM #
What city and state do you live in?

RE: Spint PCS Availability??
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/16/2001 1:34:28 PM #
Do either of you have business accounts? I ordered mine on 10/6 and still have not received it as of today 10/16.

RE: Spint PCS Availability??
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/16/2001 3:35:32 PM #
Wow -- just got mine today, surprise, surprise. I ordered via the Sprint tollfree number on Saturday October 6th -- used a charge card to pay.

Don't give up -- I was about to cancel my order and start lurking at my local CompUSA receiving dock!

Peter

Got it, love it

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/17/2001 8:07:04 AM #
It is really amazing. Two major issues so far: 1) stylus doesn't fit right, it's too big; 2) lots of 3rd party apps didn't synch right, but when I reinstalled most of them they were okay. Am I supposed to use my fingers to dial, because its a pain to get the stylus. I cut a write-right sticker down to size and put it on so the screen stays scratch-free if I'm going to be using my fingers. The color screen is really great -- blows the m505 away. Wow. Just wow. It just seems fragile to have the open screen in my pocket, no protection. Oh well. By the way, mine came with 2 batteries and leather case -- very sweet deal.

RE: Got it, love it
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/17/2001 9:02:19 PM #

The stylus loosens up in a week. Don't worry.

As for dialing the coolest feature is voice dialing. You get 20 Voice Dial numbers. Just designate them in your address and record your voice. Push the voice message button on left side below earplug cover and say the name.

You also have 99 speed dials. Just type the number and hold. If 2 digits hold the second number. So far 11 days, thumbnails have done no damage.



RE: Got it, love it
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 10:06:18 AM #
The fact that it is serial only is really annoying me. Luckily, my home computer has the serial -- but my work computer (IBM Thinkpad) doesn't (its serial part is also female (like the i300's) and has more holes). Moreover, I have to wonder if it was done this way so that they can release a USB cradle in a few months and hit us early adopters up for another $50.

RE: Got it, love it
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 6:24:05 PM #
Two more issues: 1) You can adjust the ringer when the screen is off. That's a pain. 2) Earlier my battery was low, so I switched the batteries and the phone lost it. It wouldn't go back on at all. When I tapped the "Phone Off" logo and chose "turn phone on" it either ignored me or said "low battery" (the battery was brand newly charged). I tried everything, then did a soft reset and everything reloaded properly. So, there are some serious bugs to work out.

If you absolutely can not wait... here is how to get one.
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/18/2001 11:18:56 PM #
If you absolutely can not wait any longer... You have to have it now... here is how I got mine. I went into my local CompUSA (in Texas) who was out of the I-300. I pre-paid for one and then asked to speak to the store manager. I asked the store manager since I pre-paid, could he check other store inventories across the country and have one sent to his store. He checked his computer and found numerous phones around the country in CompUSA stores in smaller non-high tech cities. He had his inventory guy call the store (I think it was in Colorado) and had one Fed Ex to his store. I went into CompUSA Tues and had a phone by Thursday.

Something you may want to try...

BTW... it is worth the wait... very cool!

Problems

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/19/2001 8:21:34 AM #
Anyone else having problems with LCD thing at top? Mine won't come on, and when it does, it often has the wrong time and other jibberish.

RE: Problems
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/19/2001 11:12:43 AM #
Mine works fine... You may want to call Sprint

RE: Problems
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/19/2001 11:46:21 PM #
My Keyboard pop up button on the scribble screen does not work. The little icon on the right side of the scribble pad works for the number pad, but on the left side the alpha keyboard does not open. Any one else have this problem?

RE: Problems
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/20/2001 4:00:36 PM #
I am having the exact same problem -- only on the letter side, too. It's fairly annoying. There's like one little tiny place where it works, but 9 times out of 10 I miss and get the punctuation start or a period.

RE: Problems
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/20/2001 4:20:09 PM #
interesting... I will try to fund that "tiny spot" that works. I tried it several times... but no success.

Do you think we should try to get it fixed/replaced... or just keep it as is?

RE: Problems
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/20/2001 5:11:29 PM #
just at the very bottom of the a it work
Marc-Andre Pilon

RE: Problems
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/21/2001 10:22:43 AM #
I'm guessing that getting the unit replaced will be useless -- it appears that we all have this problem. FWIW, I am having my unit replaced by Sprint because the LCD screen is definitely broken. It rarely comes on, and when it does the time is often wrong and it displays jibberish. Does the LCD time on everyone else's unit always match the time on the main screen?

RE: Problems
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/12/2001 11:56:07 PM #
use the volume up button on the left side to turn on LCD. Should come on after holding 3 seconds

Searching for e-mail Software

DougFreeze @ 10/24/2001 5:09:51 PM #
I'm looking for some e-mail software that I can use with my i300 phone. I use e-mail all the time and got this phone with the impression that I could simply COPY and PASTE things from my Palm directly into whatever e-mail application I was using. Not the case. It seems the Phone/Palm and the Web are pretty seprate. Does anyone know how I can have a generic e-mail message saved in my Memo Pad then paste it into an e-mail application I'm using? Please let me know.

Also, How can I turn on the display light on the top of the phone on? I hate to turn the Palm on in the middle of a dark movie and be blinded by the bright color display just to check the time.

Thanks all for the postings.

Doug Freeze
dougfreeze@sprintpcs.com

RE: Searching for e-mail Software
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/22/2001 4:42:32 PM #
Has anyone found out any way to send/receive Wireless email on the i300?



RE: Searching for e-mail Software
I.M. Anonymous @ 11/27/2001 8:02:47 AM #
eudora.com

RE: Searching for e-mail Software
I.M. Anonymous @ 12/16/2001 3:48:58 PM #
Any push systems (like the Blackberry) for email available or coming for the i300?

Available YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!

ptravers @ 10/26/2001 10:51:28 AM #
I actually ordered the phone on September 15th from sprint. When the phone had not arrived on Oct 1st, I called them back "It's on back order". When the phone still had not arrived on Oct 15th, I called them back again "There must be a problem with the original order" and they cancelled the original order to re-order the phone... but oops, now they can't order the phone. Meanwhile, YESTERDAY, CompUSA had THREE of the phones for sale and sold them for $329.99!!! I was in the Sprint store at 1:30pm getting my current phone repaired (again) and decided to be an a**hole and ask when the I300 was going to be available. They tell me that three customers had been in the store with the phone in their possession just that morning to be activated!!!! I rush down to the CompUSA store only to find that the entire shipment of I300 phones consisted of those three phones... the manager was lamenting the fact that he could have gotten full retail price for them. He suggested I back order one and they would call me when it arrives... silly me, I thought that another store surely would have some left... but oh no, not a single one to be found (even checked adjacent states!). Going back to that store as soon as it opens this morning to back-order the phone. I'll re-post another message if I am successful (I don't want any of YOU getting there FIRST!).

RE: Available YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/29/2001 3:32:50 PM #
Why did the phones sell for $329? Was there a sale? What CompUSA was it?

General Availability?

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/26/2001 12:29:02 PM #
Does anyone know when this phone will be generally available? It seems like the first batch (through CompUSA and the Sprint 888-Number) are all gone.

CompUSA lists it as out of stock. The Sprint website lists it as temporarily unavailable. The four sprint stores I've called (NY Metro) don't have it.

Anyone know anything?

RE: General Availability?
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/26/2001 5:19:54 PM #
I Just Looked On Ebay They Have six Listing Check it out....I Got Mine At Compusa On 10/8/01...What A Cool Phone!!!!!!!!!!

Battery, Digital recorder and Memo pad????

I.M. Anonymous @ 10/29/2001 2:43:09 PM #
I just saw the phone at Best Buy. This must be the real deal - I did not even ask what the price was! The idea that I could combine my phone, digital recorder and pda in one small device is the ultimate.

Questions for phone owners:

1. I tried the digital recorder, a) is there a way to deactivate the beep before and after the max time for one recording is reached? b) is there a way to set a for longer recordings - seems to be limited to 30 secs or a minute? c) what's the max recording time you might get on this phone. Considering you can record 22 hours on the new Olympus digital recorder - I'd settle for 1 hour.

2. It's sure pretty all lit up and in colors. I'm kinda suspicious of Samsung offering a free second battery. Given normal use, will this thing even make through a normal day without having to plug it in. I have a casio pv-400 (thank god not running palm/os) I bought it 3 months ago, never had to swap the two double aa batteries it came with and use it every day.

3. Which takes me to this question. I hate palm os graphitti. My Casio pv-400 has a free hand quick memo, which is time stamped. It's gotta be the nicest/smallest/easiest memo pad function I've ever seen - and only $50.00!!!!!! My question, any Palm/os software out there to allow me to freehand on that entire screen of this phone?

Trying to empty my pockets of circuitry.

RE: Battery, Digital recorder and Memo pad????
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/29/2001 3:38:15 PM #
There are numerous free hand apps out there... check out:

http://palmcomputing.palmgear.com/palm/shareware.cfm

BugMe is the one I like best, but there are numerous add in apps you can get.

RE: Battery, Digital recorder and Memo pad????
I.M. Anonymous @ 8/10/2002 10:07:39 AM #
The battery life is very good under normal usage -- answering/placing occasional calls, checking your schedule, et cetera.

In an office context, you stick the phone in the charger/synch cradle while you're working, so it's always fully charged. There is a built-in nicad that "tides you over" while you change external batteries, so you don't lose data. The cradle/charger has a slot for charging the spare while the i300 is in the cradle.

It seems to take less than an hour to recharge a dead battery using a car connector, so if you plug it in while you're commuting ... anyway, don't worry about battery life.


I300 and Verizon

cynaptec @ 10/29/2001 7:04:30 PM #
I'm a little nervous going with Sprint. When will Verizon offer the I300? Also, let's say I do change my mind about Sprint, where and when can I get one a I300?

RE: I300 and Verizon
I.M. Anonymous @ 10/31/2001 3:46:14 PM #
Verizon sent me an email today indicating that Verizon will have the phone by early December. Of course, this does not mean that Verizon will offer the phone to the public at that time.

RE: I300 and Verizon
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/25/2002 1:42:15 AM #
Sadly... despite the promise of availability in December for Verizon it still isn't (apparently) available... any updated news ?

i300 Message Board

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/2/2001 2:46:39 PM #
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/sphi300

Several questions I haven't seen answered...

I.M. Anonymous @ 11/12/2001 1:06:40 PM #
Which processor/speed?

Is it 3G-ready?

Is it flash upgradeable?

They sell extra batteries, and I've heard of people being offered a
second one. Does the unit have a "battery switch battery" like the
old 3com units, so that you can change batteries without losing
data/resyncing?

Is the cradle included?

One nice feature is that unlike the visorphone, you can use the
i300 as a PCS modem for your laptop, according to what I've seen.
Does this require special (windows-only) software? Can you use
it with other OSes?

Can 3rd party apps/hacks use the extra screen area? I'd love to
have something that was a cross between tappad and the
blackberry/treo keyboard and the virtual grafitti area... that is,
an application that replaced the grafitti area with a keyboard
(looking at the manual, it looks like hitting "abc" bring up the
keybord in the upper part of the screen... I'd like to use it always
or most of the time, without losing application screen space.)

RE: Several questions I haven't seen answered...
I.M. Anonymous @ 1/29/2002 7:11:10 PM #
It is NOT 3G ready, though I have "heard" that a software upgrade may make it so...

the cradle is included

Battery life is fine... unless you play Zio Golf for 4 hours straight.

palm software for I300

I.M. Anonymous @ 12/12/2001 10:28:47 AM #
Does anyone know if you can install palm sw such as a notepad application, similar to the notepad feature in the M500?

RE: palm software for I300
Ed @ 12/12/2001 10:47:58 AM #
Yes, I300 should be able to run almost all of the many thousands of Palm applications out there.

I'd suggest you take a look at Diddlebug:
http://blevins.simplenet.com/diddlebug/

or NoteBook by Bahsoft:
http://www.bahsoftware.com/

---
News Editor

RE: palm software for I300
I.M. Anonymous @ 12/16/2001 3:51:33 PM #
Also look at Tealnotes or MemoPlus each has a different approach. MemoPlus is more like the new memopad for m500.

Cases or belt holders for the I300

I.M. Anonymous @ 12/30/2001 5:06:33 PM #
I just got my I300 and love it - BUT there is no convenient way to hold this thing on my belt! Very inconvenient, actually. The case you can get thru Sprint looks like a nerd's dream - folks will either think it's a portable eye contact kit or Foster Grants....

Does anyone know of any other holder than works for the I300?

Thanks!

RE: Cases or belt holders for the I300
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/7/2002 8:15:53 PM #
I super-glued a universal swivel click to it and it works great

i300 and Windows 2000

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/16/2002 4:46:15 PM #
Has anyone tried the sync with Windows 2000 and Outlook 2000? If so, any problems?

RE: i300 and Windows 2000
I.M. Anonymous @ 3/8/2002 8:26:16 AM #
i have a i300 with windows2000 and it works fine out of the box:)

Samsung i300 cell phone

I.M. Anonymous @ 1/23/2002 11:36:54 AM #
Ed,

I just read your comments on the Samsung i300 cell phone, and wanted to let you know that I found one in December at Circuit City here in Ann Arbor, MI, and purchased it for my husband. He loves it! Getting a travel charger for it has been another story, however. We've been waiting for one month from the Sprint PCS Accessory Hotline. I just cancelled my order this morning since I found it is now available directly from Samsung, and 1800mobiles.com. Good luck!

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