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Verizon Wireless is the mobile operator responsible for several of the hottest smartphones demonstrated at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, including Palm, Inc.'s Treo 700w and the UTStarcom XV6700.

Another smartphone, the longtime-in-coming Samsung SCH-i830, will soon hit the streets courtesy of the CDMA giant as well. First approved by the Federal Communications Commission for release in the U.S. back in March 2005, the SCH-i830 is the follow up to another popular Samsung Pocket PC Phone carried by Verizon, the SCH-i730.

Like the SCH-i730—plus the Treo 700w and UTStarcom XV6700 for that matter—the SCH-i830 supports Verizon's high-speed Evolution Data Optimized network (EV-DO) cellular network, called BroadbandAccess. The service transfers content - video, e-mail, pictures, etc. - at rates of 400 to 700 kilobits per second in more than 1,180 major metropolitan markets across the nation.

Unlike the SCH-i730, the SCH-i830 does not support Wi-Fi. Instead, Samsung tosses a couple of GSM bands into the quad-band CDMA phone. What that does is essentially make the SCH-i830 usable anywhere; excellent for those who often travel abroad.

Otherwise, the SCH-i830 closely resembles the earlier model; with the now somewhat dated Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition operating system, a retractable QWERTY thumb-keyboard, 2.8-inch 240 x 320 pixel (QVGA) resolution display, 64 MB of RAM, 128 MB of ROM, and Bluetooth wirelessly for connecting to headsets, printers, car kits, etc.

Additional features include a Secure Digital In Out (SDIO) slot for memory and peripheral expansion, a speakerphone, and stereo speakers with RS TruSurround.

Verizon will start selling the SCH-i830 to enterprises on January 10, expanding availability to everyone else two weeks later. It'll go for $599 with a 2-year service contract.