Samsung's SGH-D307 QWERTY dual-hinge going to Cingular
By Ryan Block 
posted Sep 28th 2005 8:00PM
posted Sep 28th 2005 8:00PM
We're kind of over our period of mourning for the Motorola MPx by now, but if you're still wishing and hoping for some of that flip n' fold goodness and aren't too attached to the idea of getting a Windows Mobile smartphone, it might interest you to know we spotted Samsung's SGH-D307 with Cingular branding the other night here at CTIA. Just to jog your memory, it's a quad-band number with EDGE and Bluetooth (unlike its tri-band GPRS big brother, the D550). While not the thinnest or the lightest, it's still sure to turn a few heads for the upper-lower-mid-range qwerty communicator device, especially since its competition Stateside right now is probably going to be the LG9200.
When is it coming out? My next phone has only one requirement, a QWERTY keyboard so its either this or the Moto Q is that comes to Cingular.
So does it have blackberry connect? I'd love a nice simple phone that supports blackberry and a camera. I like the whole "smart" OS but could live without it if I could just use corporate email and still keep the size and camera of a traditional phone. Not big on the MP3 stuff as I can't go draining batteries playing music with my work phone.
It reminds me of the cancled MPX from mot
Smexy.
So do we only have pictures? I want some specs. If it can run j2me apps (which it should), we'll be fine.
So anyway, I look forward to this thing. if it's a decent but not smart OS, I'll be happy. if it's a smartphone, then I'll be just tickled pink. I adore my Nokia 6820 so much that I re-bought it from ebay when it broke.
Looks like it'll just be running Samsung's phone UI...
this phone will not have a camera, or BB email. but just to have a sammy with BT and a QWERTY keyboard for Cingular is a great big step for them! as far as pricing - i'd wait a couple months because this is set to be $300 in store, $250 after Mail in rebate
That kicks ass... great idea.
It's already on the new rebate forms. Along with the SE Z520, Moto v557, Nokia 9300, and iPAQ 6510/6515. Look for 'em before November 5th.
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Yeah, definately a freakin' awsome idea. How big is it though?
I think thats a style that could be mainstream. Qwerty just hasnt yet been cool, but hide it in a flip phone and then you got something. If you put the big 4 IM clients on there and email, qwerty would be as popular as camphones are now. Maybe a little smaller and more Razr'esque.
Anyone who wants a good QWERTY phone that works with Cingular (850/1800/1900) should check out the Nokia 6822. It has a fold out QWERTY keyboard, VGA camera, Bluetooth, Spkr phone, AND supports Blackberry Email! The 6820 is also a sweet phone, it differs from the 6822 in that it has a lower resolution cam and screen and doesn't support blackberry email (I think). I own both and they both work great (I also have a Siemens SX66 which is feature packed but like carrying around a friggin laptop all of the time). My $.02
it looks like a horror to use
I agree with poster #11. I can't see myself using one of these dual-hinge phones until the problem of the 'normal' hinge (the one on a typical flip phone) getting in the way of using the qwerty keyboard in 'alternative' flip mode is tackled.
How about a dual-slide slider phone? It would eliminate the above problem, and people love to slide. Mm, slide.
The hinge looks likely to be a weak point, yes it has been engineered and tested, but the fact remains that the hinge will be the failure point, out of any of the visable components.
other than that it looks dead sexy, but I dont use cellphones anymore, there's something about not having the rest of the world able to annoy you on a whim or getting telemarketers and those damn survey bastards calling you when you're camping or on vacation or just hanging out in the back yard, that just makes me gleeful.
#11 and #12 -- I agree, this will be irritating to use. Looks great, though.
I. Want. It. Now. Please. Help. Me. Must. Have. It.
So. Damn. Close.
Every month I hold my breath thinking maybe, maybe this is the month someone builds the phone I want. If anyone could get Windows Mobile 5.0 (the real thing, not the Smartphone version) into a form factor like this, I'd be in love. I could totally live with a QVGA screen that small - I don't need huge!
When, oh when...
This is so damn close to phone nirvana, like #16 said, if it were possible to put WM5.0 on the phone then we would be in heaven.
While I don't really agree with #11 and #12 is because we have aposable thumbs, meaning we can move our thumb OVER the flip phone part and still use the keyboard part....
either way... if it came in black, had wifi, SD card, and WM5.0... and was in this "dual flip style" I would be in heaven... but I hope it would come in CDMA. :)
The dual-hinge worked perfectly on the Motorola MPX. It was very easy to use.
I think that the posting title is incorrect - the correct model # is SGH-D307. Anyone know what the phone's email options are? I guess you'd have to use a J2ME app of some sort...
There are some more pics and a little review of this phone from CTIA on PhoneScoop. http://www.phonescoop.com/articles/ctia_2005_fall/index.php?p=d307 . The writer wasn't too happy about the keypad's usability. I wonder what are the chances of the SGH-D550 coming out in the US?
I think that the posting title is incorrect - the correct model # is SGH-D307. Anyone know what the phone's email options are? I guess you'd have to use a J2ME app of some sort...
http://www.yxdown.com
This phone is on display at the Samsung store in the Time Warner building at Columbus Circle in NYC if anyone wants to get up close and personal.
Anyone have any info of when this phone will be available? I really want a phone with Edge and a Qwerty keyboard. I hear that you can't access the web while using the keypad, is that true? If so, then it's a dumb phone.
I agree with #11. I have the original Nokia 6800. I love my phone so much that I have refused to upgrade. I only like QWERTY phones, so I am intrigued by this one. But I agree the hinge may prove to be more of a bother.