After the release of our SPRINT PPC-6700 somewhere out there a high-end exec must be asking himself:"Why would anyone put WiFi on these pdaphones? Wouldn't that eliminate the need to pay for access to the internet through Sprint's Vision Network?" 'We didn't get where we are today by giving the customer what he wants' approach?

Everytime that i read a news-site or a forum related to SMARTPHONES in general it states that future SmartPhones will either be crippled wi-fi version (XV6700) or no wi-fi at all (TREOS)...

So in this forum opinion will the PPC-6700 be the las of the full functioningn "network/wifi(no crippled)" enabled smartphone?

What do you smartphones users think will be the future?

I think as long as the carriers (particullary CDMA) have a monopoly they will do nonsense like this.

Until you can drive down I-95 or across I-80 and have a WiFi signal the entire way, some will find a need for a cellular-based data network.

The real problem is that the carriers are selling the phones, and controlling which can be put on thier network, or crippling features in those that are allowed, which is artificially limiting the choices of consumers, and stifling inovation (look how long it took for BlueTooth to start making inroads). Would you stand for it if your electric company only allowed you to use the light bulbs they sold you, and they only sold you 35 watt incandescent bulbs? Tim Berners-Lee, in this article, calls for the separation of ISPs from content providers in how it relates to Net Neutrality, and you can apply the same concepts to cellular data providers. The sooner they realize that they're in the business of providing the service (voice and/or data connectivity), and not content (i.e., VZW's vCast) or hardware, the sooner everyone can get down to thier business.

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-Lee
Samsung i730
Ridata 1GB SD Card, Transcend 4GB SD card, PPC Tech Audio Adapter