Samsung i900-Omnia Review - At a Glance
At a GlanceWhat’s Good: Universal landscape mode and universal landscape QWERTY; optically-enhanced action button functions as a scroller or track pad; appropriate use of haptic feedback and accelerometers; excellent 5 MP camera with LED flash, auto-focus and face detection; secondary cam for video calls; embedded GPS; FM radio and overall A/V-friendliness; large, welcoming and sensitive screen; it's a generally comfortable phone that makes you feel cool even though you're obviously using a Windows product.
What’s Not Good: Windows Mobile may be a bit cumbersome and inaccessible for some users, even with Samsung's TouchWiz UI, which is a bit bland, but better than WM default; reception problems in sketchy coverage areas; no built-in stylus sheath; volume rocker sits RIGHT next to the camera button; in-call screen lock can be a hassle; proprietary headphone jack.
Bottom Line: The Omnia is at the top of everyone's list of gotta-try-it touchscreen phones. It has capable hardware and a generous screen; large and sensitive enough to compete in the iPhone-driven market. The unlocked version is pricey, but cheaper than it closest rival – The HTC Touch Diamond. And, it feels tougher than other phones in the same price range. Windows Mobile isn't everyone's favorite interface, but you really have to play with this beauty to appreciate how comfortably it rests in your hand.
Specs:
Make/Model: Samsung SGH-i900 (Omnia)
Network: HSPDA 7.2 Mbps
Data: Quad-band EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, Wi-Fi,
Carrier: Unlocked
Size: 112 X 56 X 12.5 mm
Weight: 122 g
Form Factor: Candybar with full Touchscreen
Display: 3.2” TFT WQVGA (240 X 400)
Memory: 16GB/8GB with an SDHC expansion slot that supports an additional 16GB
Notable Features: 1440mAH battery; Windows Mobile 6.1 professional, Push email, tv-output, business card recognition, Samsung's proprietary easy sharing capabilities, nice camera.
Next: Introduction »Fetch me more...Quickly jump to more information about related topics, cell phones, carriers or phone manufacturers mentioned in this In-Depth Review by using the links below. Reviews by companyApple, BenQ, BlackBerry, Eten, HTC, LG, Motorola, Nokia, o2, Palm, Pantech, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony EricssonOur fancy algorithm says this stuff is related...It's the third and final part of the battle of the beasts. This episode focuses on messaging and overall impressions. Specs? UI? Flexibility? What really does matter in a phone? Voice quality, even? Three of the heaviest heavyweights take center stage in part two of this PhoneDog Dogfight. In this corner - the iconic iPhone 3G. In that corner - the "Windows Mobile with a cherry on top" HTC Touch Diamond. And in, uh, that corner - the super-spec'd Samsung Omnia. Whose cuisine will reign supreme? Three of the heaviest heavyweights take center stage in part one of this PhoneDog Dogfight. In this corner - the iconic iPhone 3G. In that corner - the "Windows Mobile with a cherry on top" HTC Touch Diamond. And in, uh, that corner - the super-spec'd Samsung Omnia. Whose cuisine will reign supreme? Shiny new and sealed in its fancy box, it's a phone Noah can truly get geeked out about. Samsung's Omnia i900 is Windows Mobile smartphone with Sammy's TouchWiz UI. And oh yeah, it's got a full touchscreen, optical mouse, WiFi, HSDPA, 5MP Camera, GPS, and Divx certification to boot. Hands-on with Samsung's Touch-Wiz wunderkind, the Omnia. WinMo, TouchWiz, 5MP Camera, HSDPA and WiFi. Boom! I apologize now - I didn't have my usual camera for this and the video quality isn't great, especially on close-ups. This is an interesting turn of events, if it proves to be true. With all of the speculation about if and when Samsung would bring their Windows Mobile powerhouse, the Omnia, to AT&T, nobody stopped to think about a CDMA version of the device. Nobody, it seems, except Samsung and Verizon Wireless.
According to this rebate form posted on HowardForums and later found on Engadget Mobile, Big Red is prepping a VZW-branded Omnia to... Hey, guess what? Engadget Mobile's reporting that the Samsung Omnia might just show up in the States as the AT&T Samsung i907 Mirage before too long. As in available for order on October 7. 'Bout time ... I'm getting tired of answering all of those, "Hey PhoneDog! When's the Omnia coming to the US?" questions ;-D This is pretty cool. Samsung apparently reached out to Technivator to make a staged unboxing video for their new Omnia smartphone. And Technivator delivered. This is pretty sweet - even if I did just use the phrase "staged unboxing video" (what kind of world is this?). Nice work, Technivator. And tip o' the hat to you, Eric, if you were involved in this:
Q. Noah, I was extremmely close to buying the iPhone until I saw the Samsung Omnia in your video. looks tight. how cool is it and is it up to par with the beast made by Apple?
A. I've only had a little bit of hands-on time with Omnia but it definitely looks great. Omnia's a Windows Mobile device, so it should be somewhat similar to the HTC Touch Diamond in that you've got Windows Mobile 6 running underneath with a nicer layer of user... Earlier this week I got my first hands-on time with Samsung's latest high-end handsets, the Innov8 and Omnia, at a Christmas in August press event in San Francisco. I didn't get a ton of time with the devices, but it was enough to shoot a few videos (watch Omnia here and Innov8 here) and form a few impressions.
In a nutshell, I think Omnia could be a big seller here in the States while Innov8 is much more suited to our friends in... One of the most exciting phones currently not coming to the US is Samsung's i900 Omnia. Omnia is set to launch in Italy next Tuesday, July 22, and will make its way across Europe by the end of August, but Samsung hasn't released any plans for a US launch. Too bad, since this GSM Windows Mobile smartphone will feauture a WQVGA touchscreen display, 5MP camera with auto-focus and getotagging, GPS, 3G/WiFi, an optical mouse for... By analyzing gsmprofile, gsmarena, phonedog and any other websites I get information about the Samsung i900 Omnia white have every feature of advanced web browsing. But I have the confusion in this web browser. Does it works like a computer or computer internet browsing? So friends, if you have any idea then inform me.
Please, please. Please............
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