Rating: 
Summary: Not nearly perfect....
Review: ....but really pretty good. This is my first venture into the phone-Palm marriage, as the Treos were just too big for my taste. I cannot say things went perfectly, but I am working the kinks out and I think I'll keep the i500, at least til I get my [$$$] worth out of it.The Good:
* compact enough to wear on my belt w/o discomfort.
* fully functional Palm with easy data migration for prior Palm owners.
* good integration of Palm-phone features, so that scrolling your contacts list & placing a call to one of them is a 1 tap job.
* Package includes synch cradle & 2 batteries & leather case.
* Battery life surprisingly good. The Bad:
* Mediocre phone reception; way less signal lock than my Samsung VGA1000 managed.
* Uncomfortable phone angle; not quite open enough.
* Icons not large enough for me to read w/o reading glasses.
* Backlighting too dim & not adjustable.
* Stylus too small to be comfortable.
* Limited (16 megs) & non-expandable memory (mine is full already)
* Pretty frequent lock-ups requiring total system reset (back up your data!) I'm sure there will be more to say, but after 2 weeks, that's where I stand on it.
Rating: 
Summary: The phone is da bomb...
Review: ...but I don't like the SprintPCS service all that much. Methinks T-Mobile is much better, and less expensive, too! The stuff that came with the phone (ringers and such) are a bit campy. I found a link to http://muwap.com here on amazon (with the 10% off coupon) and downloaded everything I needed. I'd buy the phone again in a heartbeat, but I'd go with T-Mobile service this time.
Rating:
Summary: Superb little device and Mac OS X compatible.
Review: After extensive research of the Kyocera 7135, Handspring Treo 600 and the Samsung i500 I decided on the Samsung. Three days so far and no complaints
I wanted phone with a pda and a small compact ergonomic design with a flip phone format. I did not want to carry a small paperback around, which is what the Treo 600 seems like. It really is amazing how small this gizmo is, smaller than many other phones but does much more than all but a few devices. Buy it if size and which phone network compatibility matters. Mac compatibility was a must and despite what Samsung's website says, this device Hotsyncs with Mac OS 10.2.8 fine. iSync 1.4 does not recognise the handheld as the iSync device list indicates, but the Palm 4.2 Desktop works fine. It is a little tricky to get this from the web as the Palm site wants a serial number from a palm device. Therefore, get the Palm Desktop using version tracker.com Now for the reasons I chose this over the other two - The i500 Tri band vs single band for the Handspring - Kyocera also is triband. This means the the Handspring only works on Sprint digital networks and you cannot roam at all off network. A big negative for a traveller unless you want two phones. - Graffiti and keyboard entry without lots of tiny keys. Graffiti is easy, and if you want, a screen keyboard is available that allows you to enter data that way. - Samsung appears to lose by having Palm OS 4.2 vs the Handspring's OS 5, but all the Palm software I found or would want operates on at least OS 3, so this is not a problem - Small and compact, much smaller than the competitors, easy to carry - Voice activation works well without paying Sprint for the option ie it is standard - The i500 does not have a camera, a card slot or Bluetooth, none of which I need. Although the Handspring does, as does the Kyocera, I have no need for a camera, and Bluetooth is just a wireless way to communicate with your desktop. - The big advantage - smaller, compact and a better phone than the Handspring. It is about the size of my old StarTac phone and has excellent sound quality. - Easy to use; the manual is not needed very much, most functions can be figured out by just exploring and tapping. Too early to say much about reliability so far.
Rating:
Summary: I love this phone/pda
Review: Although I had a few software issues, I still love this phone. I cannot live with my cell phone or my pda so having both in one is as convenient as it can get. This phone has my vote.
Rating: 
Summary: Missing a key element
Review: Best phone I've owned in terms of general funcationality.
The biggest shortcoming, though, is the lack of speakerphone. This is significant since the phone is also my PDA.
At first I did not think it was a big deal, but I keep running into the following scenario: Someone calls and asked "Are you available at [fill in the blank]". or "Do you have [fill in the blank]'s phone number?".
It is impossible to talk and use the PDA at the same time. I have tried workaround such as earjacks, but for me (who would only use the earjacks if I needed to use the PDA and talk) they take too long to plug in.
I heard that Verizon has a phone almost identical to this, but with speakerphone; I am seriously considering moving over.
Rating:
Summary: Best of breed - for now
Review: Here's what I needed and spent a year waiting/searching for. A PHONE (not a paperback book stuck to my head) that also allowed me to 1) Ditch my separate PDA, 2) access the web, 3) have reliable text messaging and e-mail. The SPH-I500 does all of these well. I am already comfortable with Graffiti, so the text input is managable for short messages. If I really want to write an essay, I'll attach a keyboard or find a PC. Stylus input works best for "sure, I'll be there in five minutes" or "here's the address" messages. Much better than SMS keypad typing, not quite as easy as thumbtyping on a Treo or Blackberry. A workable compromise. The phone is good, although it lacks some of the spiffy things you might want in a high end phone (such as speakerphone). However, after listening to a call at work where the remote side was on a Treo 600 speakerphone, I'm not certain I've missed much. Blazer web browser is decent for images, Eudora web good for text only. Yahoo and Avant Go bundle decent content, many traditional websites are clunky. SMS limitations mentioned above by others can be addressed by getting i500 SMS from www.pdaapps.com (also see their mark-n-dial utility for dialing phone numbers from webpages, and Verichat (solid AIM/MSN/Yahoo chat client). Sprint recommends Eudora for e-mail. I found it to crash reliably on "reply" messages and have switched to Snapper, although it's more expensive. Voice dialing works well - On my previous Motorola phone it was unusable, on the i500 it works 90+% of the time. I have no complaints about battery life, especially with the standard battery. Things I'd take issue with: 1) Sprint Customer Service and Technical Support via phone. (2 on a 1-5 scale, and I'm being nice). In the Sprint store, they were great. Over the phone, I wanted to commit mayhem, and I'm a pretty patient person. My favorite (?) Sprint tech support quote, "they don't actually train us on these things, so you probably know as much as I do..." 2) MacOSX support. Mac support for this device is apparently an open secret. Samsung will help some with this, but I haven't yet had time to track all the bits and pieces down. It works just fine on my XP box at home, but I'd love to connect to my iBook, and not feel like I'm living on the edge! (hint, hint if anyone's watching). I've installed the version of Palm Desktop recommended by Samsung for MacOS, but it's not working - at least not yet. In searching the web, I see varying reports of success/reliability. Sad to say, try at your own risk, and be prepared for it to be a project. 3) I'm seeing an uncomfortable number of apps produce "fatal exceptions" including Eudora, Avant Go, and some ASL tutoring apps that were rock solid on my IIIx. I'm not used to saying "Sorry, my phone just crashed." 4) Don't know how you'd make it different, but teeny phones have teeny buttons. I keep hitting the wrong ones on the side of the phone. I have very small hands for a guy, so if you're big fingered, you might want to try it out first. 5) Likewise, a bit more of a margin on the screen. If trying to not use the stylus because I'm in a hurry (which for me is most of the time), it's hard to hit icons in the corner of the screen when using a finger or non-stylus pen, pencil, chopstick, whatever's-at-hand. 6) While the PalmOS integration with the phone is about the best I've seen, there are still some glitches, "huh" moments and things that don't work quite as they should - especially when switching between apps or some of the dialing features. I'd love to know why it doesn't ship with Palm OS5. 7) The cradle/charger needs to have the travel charger plugged in to function. This is both expensive (if you need more than one setup, it'll be an additional $80.00/per) and stupid design. 8) When powering off/on, haven't found a way to make the phone quiet. This results in a lot of head-turning at the beginning/ending of meetings. May be a way to fix this, but I haven't found it. I'd love to have: 1) Expansion slot
2) Bluetooth!!
3) More memory
4) Palm OS5 I'll let other people complain about: 1) limited ringtones
2) camera (what *exactly* are you needing this for??)
3) weak vibrate mode Overall, I'm really happy with the phone, especially now that I've gotten Sprint to provision it correctly (long, annoying story) and installed the applications and utilities that allow it to function the way an (ahem!) $600 retail phone should. Overall, in the past few weeks I've probably spent another $100-120 to get the applications I needed to really make this thing sing. But, having done that, it's been great. I'm sure that in the future, there will be devices that take this further, but - for me - this is device I've been looking and waiting for.
Rating:
Summary: best PDA/phone combo
Review: I am a cell phone & PDA veteran. When I got tired of carrying around both devices, I started a search that spanned providers and phones. This is the phone that I decided on, and I LOVE it. If you are getting the phone, this seems to be the place to get it. Do not get it directly from Sprint -- you will end up spending a lot more.
Pros:
-- Form factor is extremely small. If you use the slim battery that it comes with, it's as big as the old StarTac phones.
-- Very nice screen -- bright and good resolution.
-- as a flip phone, no need to worry about key locking or damaged screens.
-- Battery life is good. Even on the slim battery, I am able to heavily use this phone for a full day without worrying about recharging it.
-- Access to Sprint's data network. In the San Francisco area, this network is very strong. Very useful too. I'm able to surf the web, use IM clients, etc. The built-in Blazer browser is surprisingly good for most sites.
Cons:
-- Screen can be hard to see in bright sunlight
-- No expansion slot
-- Uses Palm 4.1 rather than 5.0, so you're not getting the highest possible resolution.
I see the cons above as very minor, so I'm giving the phone 4 stars. For those who are simply looking for a phone that can keep track of contacts and calendar (and synch with a computer), this is a perfect phone. For those who want an "always on" internet device, it's pretty good. For those who are looking for a laptop replacement, this probably isn't the device for you. I have had no trouble with the unit (knock on wood), and I have installed a few custom applications on it. Plus, I know that if anything happens to my phone, I've got a backup of my contacts & calendar on my computer. The user interface is pretty intuitive, and for Palm veterans should not take long to get used to. Sofar I've found no major flaws with this device, which is rare for me. I would recommend this phone to anyone who's looking to combine a PDA and cell phone into a single device.
Rating:
Summary: I Love this Phone
Review: I don't where that last reviewer is coming from--this is the coolest electronic device I have ever owned! I have had a variety of Palm/Handspring PDAs including a Treo 300 which was very nice but huge by comparison to this little guy--this is only 4 and a half ounces and fits in my pocket without me noticing. I have been very pleased with Sprint; it has been much better for me than Verizon. I cannot believe anyone would call the I500 old technology. Let's get something straight: this device is a PDA, phone and web browser in one unit and is smaller and lighter than most cell phones on the market. In fact, there isn't a PDA on the market smaller than this. Wouldn't size count as a technological advance? What it lacks: a card slot, but I can live without it for now. It is fast, has a beautiful screen, and does everything I need in a gorgeous small package. I have had it for a month and no problems. It sold out immediately and has been very hard to get until recently. The price has come down and will continue to drop--check it out!
Rating: 
Summary: Horrible customer service - phone will not work with Novell
Review: I guess Novell Groupwise is a rinky-dink program that nobody in the industrialized world has ever used. At least that is the corporate line at Samsung. Beyond rude customer service told me simply that I needed to use Outlook because that was the only program that worked with the phone.
Silly me, I decided to waste $65 on Intellisync. Several days later (along with more wasted "tech support" time), the phone still has never synced with Groupwise (version 6.5). I've enlisted several IT employees in my office and nobody can find the reason.
Nice looking phone. Makes a great paperweight. Very expensive for a cellphone. Might've been nice if it actually functioned as a PDA as well.
Rating:
Summary: This phone rocks!
Review: I have been waiting my entire professional life for this device and now I have it and am completely thrilled! Not only is it a full-featured cell phone, but it is the best Palm I ever have owned. This device is tiny yet extremely robust and durable. After having it for just two weeks I can't imagine living without it -- and my colleagues are buying them like candy. The sync with Outlook is flawless. Room for improvement? I'd like the flip to open further so it would fit more comfortably against my ear and face; for some reason this phone does not flip open as wide as all my previous flip phones. Even so, the bottom line is that the i500 is completely revolutionary in its tiny size and huge functionality. Forget about those clumsy, big Treos and Blackberries.
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