Pocketables

What you might not know about the Samsung Mondi

While an official list of specs can tell you a lot about a device, the best way to truly get a feel for something and understand its nuances is to spend some serious quality time with it. Sure, playing with a display model at a store or checking it out at an event can often be the basis of a purchasing decision, but it's often only after you've taken a device home and used it for a considerable amount of time that you really get to know it.

It's been a few weeks since I unboxed my Samsung Mondi and shared my reasons for buying it, so I've since logged in hours upon hours of use on the Windows Mobile 6.1 slider. I doubt that I will ever know every single thing there is to know about the unit, but I definitely learned some things from my usage so far that aren't mentioned in the published specs, product manuals, or those early misinformed reviews. And if the devil is in the details and you're on the fence about spending $450 on a MID that isn't a phone and offers WiMAX and WiFi connectivity but nothing in between, then you might want to read on.

No subsidy offered for Samsung Mondi purchased with two-year contract

Although Samsung neglected to mention pricing in the press release announcing the retail availability of its Windows Mobile 6.1-running Mondi WiMAX MID, it quickly became known that the unsubsidized price was $449.99 (as evidenced by the LetsTalk.com order page and my receipt) and that committing to a two-year Clear WiMAX contract would lower the hardware cost to $349.

A $100 subsidy is already rather pathetic, but how about no subsidy at all?

After being tipped off by a reader in Las Vegas who told me that Best Buy is selling the Mondi for $500 without a contract and Clear is selling it for $450 with one, I headed over to Clear's website and pretended to live in an area with WiMAX coverage so I could get through the order process.

And as you can see from the screen capture, the Samsung Mondi I bought (and am really enjoying!) contract-free for $449.99 (reasons for the purchase here) is indeed being sold with a two-year commitment for the very same $449.99.

Thanks, Don!

Why I bought the Samsung Mondi (SWD-M100)

While I was waiting for my Samsung Mondi last week, I read a number of early-thoughts articles and reviews of the device from mainstream media sites to get a glimpse of what to expect when mine arrived. Rather than fuel my excitement for its delivery, however, they left me feeling rather frustrated, not because the device wasn't being lavished with praise but because the writers didn't seem to understand the point of the Mondi or the MID product category in general.

When it wasn't being called a phone (which it isn't), the Mondi was declared to be "dead right out of the gate" and criticized for sporting a "form factor nobody wants" because it's apparently too big to fit into your pocket. The device was also accused of being unable to replace a phone or a laptop, making it "convenient for nothing" and therefore just an "expensive novelty."

Samsung Mondi size comparisons

Size comparisons are one of my favorite kinds of gadget photos to take, so the first thing I did after the Samsung Mondi unboxing shoot was to bring in a handful of other mobile devices and have them pose with the new addition to the family. I made some obvious choices as well as a few random ones to put the compact slider into what I hope is relatable context.

Unboxing the Samsung Mondi (SWD-M100)

The Samsung Mondi mobile internet tablet that I've spent the last week obsessing over finally arrived today and was given no time to settle in before being put into my light tent for a lengthy photo shoot. I have a lot to say about the device (particularly in response to some of the early opinions/reviews), as well as a round of size comparison shots to share, but I'll save that for another time and take you through the unboxing first.

Waiting for Samsung Mondi MID delivery worsens gadget OCD

When I purchased the Samsung Mondi WiMAX MID on Tuesday, the day it became available on LetsTalk.com, my order status showed an estimated delivery date of Friday, July 24th, also known as tomorrow.

LetsTalk follows a three-step process in its shipping procedure: Picking & Packing, Ready to Ship, and Shipped. I was told by a customer representative, who I needed to call for a rather extensive ID confirmation, that an email would notify me when the warehouse fulfilled my order. So when I woke up the next day (yesterday) and found no shipment notification in my inbox, I decided to check on the order status myself.

The Mondi was in the "picking" portion of the Picking & Packing stage and was now showing an estimated delivery date of Monday, July 27th. Knowing full well what happens to my gadget lust when I have to wait longer than expected, my obsessive-compulsive tendencies kicked into gear and I began checking the order status page incessantly. Did it ship yet? How 'bout now? What about now?

Samsung Mondi WiMAX MID now available for $450

The 800MHz ARM11-powered Samsung Mondi WiMAX MID (SWD-M100) became commercially available today for those in Clearwire's mobile WiMAX service areas (currently Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Portland, OR) to put the "blazing fast internet in the palm of [their] hand." The 5.39-ounce Windows Mobile 6.1 slider can be put into the hands of those residing in other US states as well, of course, but those fingers will have to be content with using the Opera 9.5 web browser strictly over WiFi and presumably Bluetooth.

Beginning on August 1st, the 4.88" x 3.03" x 0.63" device will hit the shelves of Clearwire and Best Buy shops, where people can behold the 4.3" WVGA touchscreen in person and perhaps test out everything learned through perusing the user manual beforehand. For those who can't wait that long, LetsTalk.com already has the Mondi in stock for $450.

And guess who just ordered one!

[Samsung | Press release via Engadget]

Samsung Mondi WiMAX MID powered by ARM11 CPU

One of several unknowns surrounding the newly announced Samsung Mondi WiMAX MID was the CPU running the Windows Mobile 6.1 machine and allowing the included Opera 9.5 browser to provide users with "immediate access to the Web without having to sacrifice download speed and portability."

Neither the press release nor the company's news blog revealed the identity of the critical component, so I reached out to my PR contact at Samsung while he was mostly unavailable at CTIA last week. I heard back from him today and unfortunately, the news won't make Steve of UMPCPortal happy at all.

According to the email I received this morning, the CPU inside the Samsung Mondi is the 800MHz S3C6410 ARM11 Mobile Processor. Sorry, folks, no Cortex in this one. I hope the price is a reflection of that.

Samsung Mondi WiMAX MID gets official

Given Samsung's tendency this year to prematurely unveil its own products, the official announcement of the Mondi WiMAX MID first spotted at MWC in February and accidentally seen again just last week didn't catch anyone by surprise.

The specs are more fleshed out this time around, but key details like processor, price, and availability are still unknown. [Update: CPU revealed]

Full press release below.

Samsung keeping SWD-M100 Mondi MID details quiet

Well, considering that the new info about the Samsung SWD-M100 WiMAX MID, which is now apparently called the Mondi, discovered today was (according to an email I got from a Samsung Mobile PR rep) "a product leak that made its way to PhoneScoop," it should come as no surprise that my contact "can't confirm any details at this point."

The only tidbit gathered by PhoneScoop that wasn't already revealed at MWC last month, aside from the product name and press photo, is that the device's 4G access will come from Clearwire's Clear WiMAX network, which isn't a whole lot for Samsung Mobile to confirm or deny.

That said, it's probably safe to assume that the Mondi's previous specs (4.3-inch touch screen, Opera browser, Windows Mobile operating system, automatic screen rotation, TV out, microSD card slot, and dual cameras) still hold true.

[PhoneScoop via WMExperts]