PDA Phones for the Smart and Rich

People call PDA/cell phone hybrids smartphones for a reason: You have to be smart to use them. That's certainly the case with the Palm Tungsten W and the Samsung SPH-i330.

A glance at the feature map in either device's manual reveals that these are not simple Palm PDAs: The SPH-i330 manual identifies 29 callouts for buttons and icons; and the Tungsten W, 15. If you're in the market for this type of device, however, both of these models are worth a look.

With its built-in thumb keyboard (a first for Palm) and its bright, 320-by-320-pixel color screen, the $549 Tungsten W is certainly a pleasure to use. Whether you're a Palm veteran or a neophyte, you'll need some time to find your way around, but once you do, navigating becomes routine. What distinguishes the Tungsten W from other Palms is its communications capabilities. Using AT&T's GSM/GPRS network, it can handle e-mail, wireless instant messaging, Web browsing, and a full complement of phone features (including caller ID, call waiting, and six-way conference calls). Data-only plans start at $30 per month; voice activation starts at $20 per month, depending on the number of minutes. The Tungsten W's rechargeable lithium ion/polymer battery supported a full 10 hours of talk and more than 200 hours of standby.

Unfortunately, to use the Tungsten W as a phone, you must connect an uncomfortable Palm-supplied earpiece (there is no built-in or external speaker); and on my shipping unit, this proved to be inconvenient. By the time I connected the earpiece and untangled its cord, I missed many of my incoming calls. (A Palm Audio Flip Cover, with built-in mike and speaker, should be available in June for $40 more.) As for Web browsing, unless you view one of few sites that have been enhanced for the Palm screen, pages resize awkwardly. Page refreshes were achingly slow, too. But at least the keyboard made typing dot-com addresses easier than it is on a regular nine-button phone keypad.

With its hourglass shape and natural grip, Samsung's $499 SPH-i330 is the first cell phone/PDA that you can truly hold like a regular phone. Alas, I accidentally turned on the phone every time I wanted PDA functions, inadvertently pressing the power buttons for the phone and voice-dial as I pulled the device from its leather case or from its charging station. The 160-by-240-pixel color screen is smaller than the screens of other Palm-based PDAs, but large enough for comfortable use. Its lithium ion battery proved exceptionally long-lived, too, supporting up to 2.5 hours of talk time and up to four days of standby power. Currently the Samsung is available only from Sprint, whose plans covering voice and data start at $40 a month. Both the SPH-i330 and the Tungsten W are loaded with 16MB of SDRAM.

If you're primarily looking for a phone with PDA capabilities, you can't go wrong with the 5.4-ounce Samsung. But if you want a power PDA that doubles as a cell phone and a wireless communicator, the 6.4-ounce Palm Tungsten W represents the better choice. Either way, you should be prepared to spend at least $500.

SUMMARY

Palm Tungsten W Powerful hybrid serves best as a handheld that just happens to have cell phone and Internet capabilities. Price when tested: $549 Current prices, if available.

SUMMARY

Samsung SPH-i330 Well-proportioned cell phone with Palm-based PDA capabilities is marred by poor placement of power buttons. Price when tested: $499 Current prices, if available.