Review Samsung clearly has high hopes for its latest round of Windows Mobile-powered Omnia smartphones. The Omnia II was a significant improvement over last year’s original, due in no small part to Windows Mobile 6.5, which offers a big leap in usability over previous editions of WinMo. The Omnia Pro maintains a high level of functionality, with an eye on business customers.
Split personality: Samsung’s Omnia Pro
With a 5Mp Camera, HSDPA 3G, Wi-Fi, A-GPS and Samsung’s TouchWiz interface, the Omnia Pro also features a slide-out Qwerty keyboard and an alternative interface. At 113 x 58 x 17mm and 165g, the Omnia Pro is considerably chunkier than the Omnia II, which measured up at 118 x 60 x 12 and 129g. The Pro’s additional girth and weight is offset a little by reduced length and width, making it not seem like quite the brick it might have been.
The screen has shrunk a little from 3.7in to 3.5in and beneath it are call start and stop buttons flanking an outsize menu button that forms the shape of a smile – this is meant to be the fun face of business. Above it are a VGA Camera for video calls and a light sensor, while round the sides are screen lock and Camera shutter buttons, a volume rocker and a button labelled ‘W&L’. Read the rest of this entry »
Review Samsung’s original Omnia created a bit of a stir amid its accompanying hype when it first appeared a year or so ago. While the general consensus was that it was clever and different, it didn’t quite have the X-factor to take on the very best of the touch screen smartphone brigade, which still has the iPhone as its enduring Joe McElderry.
Great view: Samsung’s Omnia II
Undaunted, Samsung has pushed ahead with the Omnia II, which has an improved screen, Windows Mobile 6.5 and a host of other new features. The screen size has been bumped by a full half inch to 3.7in, which takes it just over the iPhone mark, though you’d be hard pressed to tell without a ruler. More importantly though, the original Omnia’s LCD has been replaced with brighter, more efficient OLED technology.
Beneath the screen are call start and stop buttons flanking a hexagonal button which takes you to the configurable menu, which you can view as a list of icons or as the Samsung TouchWiz UI’s spinning cube. A long press also opens the task manager. Around the sides are a volume rocker, plus screen lock, return and Camera shutter buttons. The micro USB power/sync slot and 3.5mm headphone jack are on top. Read the rest of this entry »
