Monday, December 1, 2008

Samsung Omnia Review Roundup




Translated from Latin, the name of Samsung's new model means “everything” and its main purpose is to fully satisfy the needs of the modern cell phone user. But, does the latest smartphone live up to its name?
Alright, here are the specs:
  • 7.2Mbps HSDPA 2100
  • Quadband EDGE
  • 5 megapixel autofocus camera
  • 3.2-inch capacitive WQVGA touchscreen
  • GPS
  • Windows Mobile 6.1
  • WiFi
  • 8 or 16GB of flash with microSD expansion

Thumbs Up :

  • The user interface, TouchWiz, gets points for raw usability and functionality.
  • Built-in FM radio
  • Support for numerous audio and video formats, including Ogg and Xvid
  • Browser Opera 9.5 offers solid page rendering, nice zoom and tabs
  • Provides haptic feedback with a slight vibration.
  • Customized home page widgets

Thumbs Down:

  • Samsungs decision to forgo a triband 3G chipset.
  • The keys on the QWERTY were too narrow to be reliably and consistently pressed accurately, and auto-correct is frequently wrong.
  • Disappointing screen resolution, just 400x200

The basic consensus is, when it comes to WinMo devices this is one of your best options with Verizon. Samsung’s redesigned interface for Windows Mobile’s homescreen offers a much-needed refresh to the antiquating operating system and the out-of-the-box support for Opera is much appreciated. That being said, it is missing 3G, which might be a dealbreaker for quite a few people. Also, for those of you who are very message oriented, this might not be the phone for you due to the cramped keyboard. With the recent $50 drop in pricing, which was a smart move on Samsung’s part, the phone will now cost you $199 with 2-year commitment.



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