Telus Offering Samsung SPH i700

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.telusmobility.com/ab/business_solutions/samsung_sph_i700.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.telusmobility.com/ab/bus..._sph_i700.shtml</a><br /><br /></div>"Introducing the Samsung i700 Pocket PC Phone Edition. Check out the first fully integrated phone, PDA and digital camera to be offered on TELUS Mobility’s 1X network. The i700 offers everything you need to stay productive when you're away from the office, plus it includes an embedded digital camera so you can easily capture special moments on the go. You can do even more on your PDA with Microsoft® Pocket PC Phone Edition software applications, like Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, Pocket Outlook®, Pocket Internet Explorer, Microsoft® Windows Media™ Player and Microsoft® Reader."<br /><br />Big Canadian carrier Telus has finally released the Samsung SPH i700. Woo. :roll: You'll have to excuse my lack of enthusiasm, but I remain deeply cynical about how slow Canadian mobile carriers are when it comes to releasing Pocket PCs and Smartphones. There's nothing new or exciting about the Pocket PC 2002-based i700, or the fact that it's $899 CND (about $750 USD) with an activation. It's a good device that will no doubt perform well on the 1xRTT network here, but it's grossly overpriced for the market. Of course, this is the company that wants <a href="http://www.telusmobility.com/ab/business_solutions/velocity_wireless_thera.shtml">$649 for the Thera</a>...

[Janak Parekh]

Let me guess: they were waiting for our review (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,20748&start=0) on the product. :lol:

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

Let me guess: they were waiting for our review (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/articles.php?action=expand,20748&start=0) on the product. :lol:

--janak

Hey, could be, could be... :roll: :lol:

Actually, this is the same carrier that refused to activate the device until it was certified on their network, which is why I sent it to you to review - so, actually, Telus is RESPONSIBLE for that massive review. Hmm. :lol:

[Thinkingmandavid]

wow, that is way to much money!!!!!!!!!!
IN canadian and U.S dollars. One of the great things about the exchange rate when going to canada is getting more for the U.S dollar, but in such a case it is a waste of time with what Telus is doing. I wonder if they are going to get many buyers for the i700?

[ventivent]

Hi there,

If you're underwhelmed by the i700, check out this new PocketPC based phone coming out from LG next year:

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/011123.php

It's got a slide out keypad and is supposed to be about the size of Treo 600. Plus, it's got a built-in 1.1 megapixel digital camera. If it really is this small, i might actually give up my IPAQ 4155 + T610 combination.

V

[Paragon]

Actually, this is the same carrier that refused to activate the device until it was certified on their network, which is why I sent it to you to review - so, actually, Telus is RESPONSIBLE for that massive review. Hmm. :lol:

In total honesty Jason you would get the same response from any CDMA carrier. They all refuse to activte a device from another carrier on their network, partly due to locking codes that are not shared. You are right about the slowness of Canadian carriers to release products like this though.

Dave

[Jason Dunn]

They all refuse to activte a device from another carrier on their network, partly due to locking codes that are not shared.

Well that's the really stupid part - I got the device directly from Samsung, contacted the head of PR for Alberta, and connected her with Samsung. Samsung send the codes, etc. - everyone was talking to everyone else, and it was moving forward...until a network engineer said "We don't activate anything unless we've fully tested it". :roll: I understand why they do that, I just don't agree with it...

[Paragon]

Ah...that's really dumb!! Too bad Jason. Obviously you weren't some guy off the street trying to circumvent their system. In the end it would be of benifit to them. I'll admit I haven't had much luck dealing with these guys either.

Dave

[Janak Parekh]

In total honesty Jason you would get the same response from any CDMA carrier. They all refuse to activte a device from another carrier on their network, partly due to locking codes that are not shared. You are right about the slowness of Canadian carriers to release products like this though.
Not necessarily. Verizon has been known to activate non-Verizon equipment -- in general, from what I've heard they don't particularly care as long as they know how to access the programming screens.

--janak

[Birdman]

I was a long time Telus user and was extremely happy with their service, coverage and even pricing plans but I was so frustrated by their lack of innovative product that I reluctantly dropped my Telus plan, gave up my cel number and hooked up with Rogers so I could use my T-Mobile branded XDA on the GSM network. (Luckily, I was able to get a cel number on Rogers with the same last 4 digits as my Telus number which is the same last 4 digits as my home number.)

Bell was not any better although it does seem as if both Telus and Bell are beginning to release at least some interesting looking phones but no where near the variety available on the GSM network (and this is not even taking into account unlocked GSM phones that can be purchased from a variety of "overseas" vendors!)

[szamot]

In a couple of months Telus will turn around and say, See no one in Canada wants the "latest" technology and we will go back to a couple of cans and a piece of string, and they will still bill us per minute! :twisted:

OH Telus!

[merk1821]

Why doesnt someone just forward this thread to someone at Telus PR or sales department to show how PO they are about their offering.?Heck why not send it to all of the Canadian carriers, even the smaller regional carriers?( Sasktel, MTS, Aliant, etc) It makes me cry to see how aggressive the US carriers in rolling out new products. Sometimes being Canadian sucks.

[Gerard]

When I moved slightly less than one block in October, Telus had 6 weeks of warning from me. On October 11th, after 5 phone calls and over 6 hours in total on hold (listening to some very nasty hold music) they finally relented and sent out a guy with some tools. After an hour of looking around with a latter, he revealed that their spanking new switching software had made an error, that it was Telus' fault, and that I'd not be billed for the visit. Ooh, ahh, I was so happy. So, this yokel was informing me that I would not be charged over $100 (which I had been told to expect) for his time, after losing 10 and a half days of use of my one and only telephone. The one I use for my business, which involves booking appointments with clients so that I might repair their instruments. When I hassled two more operators, I finally received an $8 refund, taken off my next bill. For 10 and a half days without a phone.

Telus needs a spanking. Many are giving them one. Since BCTel was taken over, and since Alberta operators started trying to figure out Vancouver customers' needs (the first 3 operators I dealt with insisted that I'd be getting a new number, after 13 years with the same number, because I was "moving to a remote area" - one block away, in the middle of the city), phone service of almost every type has become a joke.

I will be switching over to Fido, as soon as I lay my hands on a GSM/GPRS CF card. They'll give me my same number, for about $5 a month more than my land line, and their unlimited data package is great. Telus has their collective head stuck up somewhere dark and nasty, and only some severe wakeup calling is going to fix them, if anything can. This relatively trivial johnny-come-lately with this model of PPCPE is only par for the course with such a company, which like BCGas is totally out of touch with their customers.

[Bladefree21]

In a couple of months Telus will turn around and say, See no one in Canada wants the "latest" technology and we will go back to a couple of cans and a piece of string, and they will still bill us per minute! :twisted:

OH Telus!


LOL I can identify with this, a large user group with the G1000 is hard to see. A great device though price and aesthetics really put a crimper on it, in my opinion :?