Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call Records Memory
Practically unlimited
Memory - RAM
128mb
Memory - ROM
256mb
Memory Slot
MicroSD
GPRS
Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD
No
EDGE
Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G
HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps
WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared Port
No
USB
Yes, V2.0
Messaging
SMS, EMS, MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser Type
WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Games
Yes + Java downloadable
Camera Pixels
5 MP
Camera Resolution
2592 E 1944 pixels
Battery Type
Standard battery, Li-Ion 1440 mAh
The Samsung i900 Omnia is a Quad-Band device that features 3G internet access, a touchscreen, a MicroSD expandable card slot and WiFi 802.11 b/g Certified WiFi Access.
Editor review
Samsung Omnia Review - We Like It....For The Most
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
The Samsung i900 Omnia is a very capable device, from its well built design to the 5MP camera with Flash the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional device delivers on almost every area it promises to. The user interface is well thought out for intuitive controls, the audio offerings including a 3.5mm jack are everything we've come to expect from a pocket pc, and the unit really does hold its own against today's top devices such as the HTC Touch Diamond and even the ever present iPhone.
I've included some pics at the top of the page that I recently took, be sure to check them out! In the meantime here's a look at our take on the Omnia.
DESIGN
The Omnia looks great, its a little industrial, but I guess that suits the well built industrial style design, nothing on the Omnia feels cheaply made, quite the opposite, I didn't notice any gaps or other manufacturing issues on the well put together unit.
Looking at the front of the unit users will notice that the screen takes up most of the devices realty an impressive 3.2 inches of it, i'll talk about the screen and its haptic feedback shortly.
Below the screen you'll find your basic navigation scroll and your Send and End Keys. Really this device is about the haptic feedback touchscreen with large fonts so it came as no surprise that very little was offered ALA the iPhone concept for the unit. There is an optical based mouse cursor that lets you scroll around the device with a cursor, but the touchscreen is much more accessible with a stylus or even the use of your finger.
The left side is pretty empty with just the USB 2.0 port. On the right are the volume rocker, camera key and a key that launches the Menu. On the bottom is the mouthpiece while the top houses the Power key and a reset hole.
Looking at the back of the device users will notice a good size speaker grill located next to the units very well placed 5MP camera offering along with an LED flash for even better picture taking. The camera is accented in a bright and shiney metallic finish which shows off the full scope of the lens and flash.
Finally the bottom is bare while the top features the units On/Off/Standby function and very little else.
Overall I love the screen size, its big but still manageable and easy to carry around in your pocket, the device is well built and offers great functionality thanks to the placement off all the devices buttons.
FEATURES
Its almost hard to decide where to start. The Samsung Omnia features a Windows Mobile 6.1 setup which means users can access and edit Windows Office documents while maintaining their original formatting, a definite plus for people constantly on the go. Windows Mobile 6.1 also offers full email support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 which allows users to set out of office messages from their units and it supports threaded messaging for easier to follow messaging capabilities. Throw in added security and a host of other features and its a great addition to any device.
The Optic mouse, while not necessarily needed thanks to the large touch display actually operates very well, users can choose between using the optical part as a normal touch pad, or as an optical mouse that can move a cursor around your devices screen, you can also set the speed of movement making it easier to find your own comfort level. Its a small piece of the overall puzzle, but one that fits nicely especially for added one hand navigation.
The unit also features an Accelerometer, if your unfamiliar with the term it means when you tilt your device from regular screen mode to the side it detects the movement and goes into landscape mode just like the iPhone, the accelerometer also allows for some interesting cell phone game playing on your device. The transitions are smooth with some nice graphics and it excels at the level we would expected from the relatively new technology.
The New TouchWiz User Interface is also something to write home about, the UI is extremely responsive and fast in its responses. I also liked the bright color on the menu icons and their placement, entertainment is found together, settings are placed in the right spots, and its easy to create your own shortcuts, i'm not going to get to far into the UI other than to say its intuitive and fast as I plan on writing up more on the UI in a seperate article.
Another great feature for the Samsung Omnia is the 624 MHZ Marvell PXA312 CPU Processor, the thing moves quickly with help from the onboard 128MB of ram and either a 4GB or 8GB internal memory setup that really keeps system load down. The Omnia Touch Wiz UI also supports several different widgets such as Notes, Radio, Explorer, Clock, and Calendars. It also has 3 different home screens, while running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional below them for added support and functionality. I'll admit I still prefer the HTC Touch Diamond and its TouchFlo 3D technology, but the Omnia exceeded my expectations when it came down to examining both interfaces side by side.
SCREEN
The screen on the Omnia is bigger than some newer models like the Touch Diamond, featuring a 3.2inch display, but the resolution at 240 x 400 with 65k color display was a little less than I would have hoped for. The resolution in fact will make playing some games and using certain applications hard if not impossible.
One huge screen advantage however is the units use of haptic feedback, essentially when you push an icon or number/letter button on the screen a mini vibration is felt for a split second letting you know you have touched the area, while its not perfect and can be slightly annoying until you get use to it, overall its a great feature that makes using your touchscreen slightly easier than the screens found on other Windows Mobile and various Pocket PC units.
Overall its not a bad screen for use with the device but 3rd party applications may put up a fight if they don't offer a good variety of resolution output choices so beware.
CAMERA
I love the camera on the Omnia, some 5MP cameras don't offer a true take on the technology, but with the Omnia I found pictures that didn't blur with a mixture of undertones and overtones, in fact outdoor and indoor picture taking thanks to the included LED flash made picture taking a breeze. The device also offers an impressive set of functions such as white balancing, Panorama picture taking, Geotagging of pictures and then the standard offerings of other devices. The unit will also record VGA video with a resolution of (640 x 480) at 15fps and QVGA video (320 x 240) at 30fps. The video playback was pretty smooth, although when objects were further away I did notice some instability that wasn't operator faulted. The Omnia also features
the Samsung Omnia Media Album which makes for easy access to all of your multimedia needs and the audio playback on recorded clips was on par with the iPhone or any Sony Walkman device.
MUSIC AND VIDEO
Audio on the unit is crisp and clear, I particular like that the device features such a wide range of supported music types including the following: MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA/OGG/AMR player. The Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP Stereo streaming support also played through with ease using my Motorola S9 headset, while the standard headset jack via my 3.5mm unit also played back crisp music, using the Samsung Touch Player made finding and player music by Artist, Genre, Albuma and playlists easier than ever and I liked the overall quality it offered. The unit as most cell phone devices do these days also supports FM Radio with RDS, my local stations connected easily and offered excellent playback even at higher music volumes including when I blasted the headset at full volume. I was actually able to get more stations on my device than my home radios.
For Video enthusiasts the Omnia supports the following formats: DivX/XviD/WMV/MP4 player I tried a few divx movies and they popped right up and played with no choppy feeling, however the screen resolution doesn't offer the highest quality playback which was a little bit of a let down, even with the videos you take on the 5MP camera you'll be dissapointed with the final outcome. The audio is great on Video playback which is one upside.
CONNECTIVITY
The Samsung Omnia offers a very high level of connectivity, first the device features 3G Internet access which works like a dream, a really fast dream. If you don't have 3G support where you are don't fret to much the Edge/GPRS was still suitable for most web browsing and email functions.
You can also always connect to WiFi via the units very nice 802.11 b/g internet access, thanks to Windows Mobile 6.1 support the WiFi connects with no problems to both secured and unsecured networks and offers ultra fast download and upload speeds.
You can also connect via ActiveSync via the units onboard USB 2.0 adapter.
Finally for GPS navigation the device features Assisted GPS (A-GPS) that allows for easy access to navigation at street level.
Overall the connectivity is what we've come to expect from Windows Mobile devices and they work as good as is to be expected.
CONCLUSION
Overall the Samsung i900 Omnia is a very competent device, it features an impressive set of standard connections and it surprises with its very fast and capable User interface and very well though out and high performing 5MP camera. Audio is also a favorite of mine on this unit as it really showcases the ability to playback and streaming both video and music at a high caliber. However, the device isn't perfect, there's no stylus slot and using the unit in direct sunlight makes reading the onboard screen a headache, not to mention the odd resolution of the unit can make 3rd party applications a hassle or impossible to use.
Overall I like the unit, I think its a capable device that offers alot of nice features. Its also well built, offerings a ton of added features, and thanks to the overall features the unit is great for business execs and street consumers alike.
Make sure to check out our pics of the unit to see more.
0
