According to the following email received by someone at SprintUsers (link to post), the Samsung i700 will not be released with Sprint PCS.
“
Sprint no longer plans to offer the PCS Phone by Samsung SPH-i700. Since we were not able to launch the Samsung i700 using the latest Microsoft platform, Pocket PC Phone Edition 2003, we have opted to develop another converged PDA device (similar to the i700) with the latest software that will be available later this year. This new Windows Mobile device will have a 400MHz Intel XScale processor, but will not include an embedded camera. This is in response to feedback from customers who were interested in a converged device without digital imaging capabilities. We will provide further details once the product is ready to launch.
Suzanne
Suzanne Lammers
Group Manager, PCS Business Media Relations
Sprint PCS“
This falls in-line with Sprint’s refusal to sell the i700 without Pocket PC 2003 Phone Edition pre-loaded on it. Sprint did not want Samsung to offer an upgrade and demanded that Samsung release the device with 2003 on it. Sprint has also refused to allow a 2003 upgrade for the Hitachi G1000, and will not request Audiovox to make a 2003 upgrade for the 2032SP Pocket PC.
