One of the most exciting new launches from the recent IFA has been the latest touchscreen multimedia phone Samsung Omnia. Most of you by now will probably know about it’s specs, 5-mp digital camera, HSDPA and WiFi connectivity, Windows Mobile 6.1 running various Microsoft Office applications, a huge touchscreen that many have said is even better than the iPhone’s and a bundle of other functions such as handwriting recognition, etc…
So I’ve just seen a pretty good video and thought I’d share it here
I think the Omnia looks quite promising, one of the main features I always look for in a touchscreen phone like the Omnia is has it got a good enough camera just for day to day use. Obviously the iPhone 3G’s been great for me but it lacked a proper camera to the extent that I’ve needed to install an enhancement app for it just to make it more convenient for my daily use. I like the Omnia’s camera and if you saw the video, the 9-continuous shots looked pretty impressive for a phone.
Apparently the term Omnia means ‘Everything’ in Latin, and ‘Wish’ in Arabic, so the expectation associated to this new generation Samsung handset is pretty intense. Do we expect this handset to deliver on its foreign interpretation, or did somebody at Samsung get a new translator for Christmas? I’m sure we’ll find out pretty quickly.
By the time we had read through the ‘old testament’ style specification and features glossary, we were beginning to think we were on the verge of something special, an epiphany if you will. The actual first impressions of the design however were slightly different, as a second take was required to decipher whether or not I had been presented with a Samsung Tocco, on steroids.
However, the Samsung Omnia is presented in an extremely sleek black gloss finish, and actually only measures in at 12.5mm thick. Not bad considering an N96 is over 7mm thicker. Go back to the land that time forgot, namely when Motorola made nice phones, the touch screen mobile phone was little more than a fallacy and initial attempts at touch operation floated like rocks. I for one remember trying skimming an old Samsung E900 across the English Channel after giving the handset an intense jabbing , with a cattle prod. The Samsung Omnia’s touch screen though is so rich, intense, and reactive, whilst the 3.2inch screen is hugely refreshing and actually enjoyable to use.
The birth, or realisation, that main stream manufacturers can make money from smart phones started over the last couple of years, but nothing really came close to mass appeal until the I-Phone, and more recently the HTC Diamond. Both handsets have great appeal for their own ‘unique’ qualities, but the Samsung Omnia is truly a class above the rest thanks to its awesome Opera 9.5 web browser, that believe it or not, makes mobile web browsing tolerable.
The applications contained within the handset seem to also have purpose, and the ShoZu client Google packages gives great Google Search and Gmail response. The Omnia has a custom built A-GPS satellite navigation that uses wi-fi or 3G networks to give a much faster start up time, which is great when using the feature in your car. Unfortunately though, the Samsung Omnia doesn’t have a built in GPS application, so you will have to buy that, but Google Maps arrives onboard to get you started. Nothing quite like showing your friends your car is still in the drive on a night out.
Ultimately though this is a handset that screams high tech advancements, and the touch screen interaction is smooth and effortless. This might actually be the first Windows Mobile PocketPC that crosses the sunny waters to integrate as a multimedia entertainment device. Incidentally, we managed to watch a film on the Omnia on a recent train journey, using part of the phones gigantic 16GB memory, and the quality was terrific.
Just to round things up, as we do have limited space, the Samsung Omnia also has a 5 mega-pixel camera, built in radio, Pocket Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote, PDF viewer), Microsoft Windows 6.1 Professional, and up to a 16GB memory.
I know I bravely mentioned earlier that many already think that the Omnia is much more powerful than the iPhone, here’s my list to support that…
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Ability to rotate in three directions in all applications
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Ability to connect to A2DP headphones or a Bluetooth keyboard
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Ability to tether the device to a PC with a wired or wireless connection
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5 megapixel camera that captures video and has image stabilization with flash
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Download and store podcasts wirelessly
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Access the file system and connect as a flash drive or via Bluetooth to a PC
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FM radio with RDS support
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Office Mobile support (creation and editing)
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Cut, copy, and paste
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Handwriting recognition
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3rd party navigation and turn-by-turn direction support
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Advanced 3rd party support (SlingPlayer, photo/video editing, etc.)
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Advanced Exchange/Outlook synchronization capability
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Haptic feedback
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Removable battery
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Removable storage card
I highly recommend you also check out Matt’s first impressions of the Samsung Omnia from ZDNet…
Meanwhile here are some photos…
[via ZDNet, DailyMobile]
Hi guys n girls,
I just got your RSS feed on this, read it and couldn’t believe the whole “free” thing. So i just rang Orange. I’m a Premier customer and have been for a few years now. According to Orange, even on a extend 18 month contract i’d still have to pay ¬£129.99 for the phone. Just thought you’d like to know. However that might change at the end of Ocotober. Just thought you’d like to know.
Ben
Hi Ben, thanks for your comment. So let me get this clear, you just rang Orange and got told you needed to pay instead of getting it for free? That seems ridiculous, as it does state it’s free for people who aren’t already customers in other words, new customers, here:
http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_contract_details.asp?ItemKey=214832
both Orange and Vodafone…
I’ll tell ya what, i’ll ring them back up on my way home and bargin with them. See if me leaving and going to vodafone will shake it up a little. I’ll let ya know what is said.
I agree that having to pay when a new customer could get it for free is crazy. Nothing like keeping your existing customer happy is there?
Ben
Well i rang and spoke to Orange, whoever said complaining doesn’t get you anywhere has never spoken to Orange Customer Service. My free Samsung Omnia should be arriving today or tomorrow, and its the 16GB version. Also my two phone tariffs got dropped by ¬£5 each……so i’m saving money aswell!!
Ben
Wow, Ben congratulations, so glad it all worked out ok for you in the end and you got the better 16GB version too! How did you do it? Did you mention you saw it over the internet? This is quite interesting and your technique could benefit all of us! Many thanks!
Thanks,
First i told them it was ridiculous that i could cancel my contract, hang up, ring them back and get a new contract and the phone for free. They agreed with me, and reduced the cost of the phone to nothing. The drop in call plan is due to recent internet packages that orange are trying to match.
The whole thing with the 16GB version is that Orange are the only network doing that type of the phone. So anyone who is going to the phones4u site or anywhere else and asking about the samsung omnia and only getting the 8GB should ring orange direct.
Ben
Well it’s not so far from the iPhone, but then again I guess that’s the new design trend. Has great features to it I have to say, and ample memory. All in all it looks great!
Looks cool and a great alternative to Iphone 3G. I am just wondering when it will be released in Asia particularly in the Philippines. I think instead of buying the iPhone, I should settle for this. What do you think about the comparison of iPhone 3G and this Samsung Omnia?
As I said in the post, the Omnia has got a list of features that the iPhone don’t have or haven’t done so well with. Many are saying it’s much better but I’m still waiting to get hands-on with it. At the end of the day it probably matters to some people which brand they use, do you mind using a touch screen smartphone that’s not from Apple?