[ShivShanks]

Originally Posted by Kris Kumar

While in US and Europe we are still waiting for the 1 Mega pixel camera phone wave.

Huh? Dunno about Europe but you can get a 1 megapixel camera phone in the US from Sprint PCS -

http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/Ph...printpcspm8920
http://www3.sprint.com/PR/CDA/PR_CDA...112111,00.html

So we aren't that far away. As long as Sprint is in the US you can always expect the latest whiz bang phones to be available (except BlueTooth to which CDMA folks are averse). Quite honestly nothing beats Sprint in terms of new phone introductions. Now they are even going to introduce WM Smartphones inspite of being a heavy Java (J2ME) backer and not very MS technologies friendly. Now that they are in the WM camp you can bet that they will introduce the next new CDMA Smartphone (provided some damn mfr makes one) before Verizon will ever get around to it. See how long it took for the Treo to make it to VZW. Sprint was the first off the block with the Treo and they are now on their 3rd generation of Samsung Palm smartphone with the i500, with the 4th gen already lined up. Talk about understanding the market and introducing things early. Of course they were slow on the WM part of it due to them not being MS friendly, but they eventually listened to complaining customers.

Anyone wanna take bets on who will introduce the first 3 megapixel phones in the US? Hint: Who was the first in the US to introduce color phones, camera phones, nationwide high speed 3G data services, unlimited data plans?

[ShivShanks]

Originally Posted by Kris Kumar

While in US and Europe we are still waiting for the 1 Mega pixel camera phone wave.

Huh? Dunno about Europe but you can get a 1 megapixel camera phone in the US from Sprint PCS -

http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/Ph...printpcspm8920
http://www3.sprint.com/PR/CDA/PR_CDA...112111,00.html

So we aren't that far away. As long as Sprint is in the US you can always expect the latest whiz bang phones to be available (except BlueTooth to which CDMA folks are averse). Quite honestly nothing beats Sprint in terms of new phone introductions. Now they are even going to introduce WM Smartphones inspite of being a heavy Java (J2ME) backer and not very MS technologies friendly. Now that they are in the WM camp you can bet that they will introduce the next new CDMA Smartphone (provided some damn mfr makes one) before Verizon will ever get around to it. See how long it took for the Treo to make it to VZW. Sprint was the first off the block with the Treo and they are now on their 3rd generation of Samsung Palm smartphone with the i500, with the 4th gen already lined up. Talk about understanding the market and introducing things early. Of course they were slow on the WM part of it due to them not being MS friendly, but they eventually listened to complaining customers.

Anyone wanna take bets on who will introduce the first 3 megapixel phones in the US? Hint: Who was the first in the US to introduce color phones, camera phones, nationwide high speed 3G data services, unlimited data plans?

[Kris Kumar]

Originally Posted by ShivShanks

Huh? Dunno about Europe but you can get a 1 megapixel camera phone in the US from Sprint PCS -

http://www1.sprintpcs.com/explore/Ph...printpcspm8920
http://www3.sprint.com/PR/CDA/PR_CDA...112111,00.html

Sprint PCS..I have been boycotting them for not introducing Smartphones sooner :-) Just Kidding.

Thanks for the information, I guess I missed that announcement.

I was a Sprint PCS customer couple of years ago, for almost 2-3 years. Had a nice data plan and a PC Card. I feel their Business Connection software for accessing corporate mail is the best. And would be checking out their plans once they introduce the i600 (though I want BT in my next phone).

And BTW they are getting pretty cosy with Microsoft. They are partnering with them on the MapPoint Location Services technology. I believe Sprint PCS is the only carrier offering location services in US.

Sorry going OT.

[maximus]

The samsung looks nice. But I think the size is too big. I think I can get the same volume by ducttaping a dimage Xt to an older nokia 8850. :P

[ShivShanks]

Originally Posted by Kris Kumar

And BTW they are getting pretty cosy with Microsoft. They are partnering with them on the MapPoint Location Services technology. I believe Sprint PCS is the only carrier offering location services in US.

Sorry going OT.

Yeah they do seem to be getting cozy with MS of late. I suppose the Java hype didn't really pan out and they can see how slow as molasses Java apps on Cell phones really are and want to keep other platforms with native apps or better app stacks (.Net) as an option, esp. from someone as formidable as Microsoft.

Regarding location services, I do believe that Nextel was the first off the block. They already sell a Motorola phone that can do GPS navigation! Sprint is still ramping up on location and I don't think they've introduced anything customer facing yet AFAIK. Too bad that other than the Push to Talk (PTT) feature, Nextel lags behind everyone else in the core technology. But they seem to be trialling Flash OFDM which has a chance of doing to CDMA what CDMA did to GSM. That is unless the CDMA guys keep innovating and improving (which they are to an extent with EV-DO and EV-DV). We'll see what happens since Nextel is very very successfull in their niche of PTT loving market and they easily have the money to make the next generation transition away from anything conventional these days. Anyway ... Now we are seriously off topic

[Kris Kumar]

Wow the Samsung one is truely a camera first and then a phone. Nice lens (compared to other camera phones, not talking with respect to proper cameras), and I believe it has 3x optical zoom. I hope the lens comes with a cover. I would sure mess the lens up while talking on the phone.

[yslee]

Yes it does. The lens is based on Pentax's Optio S lens.