Samsung Omnia smartphone review
Samsung brought out a heavyweight last year when it introduced the Omnia, which reportedly sold well throughout the year and hit the top spot on Krusell’s list of top 10 best-selling phones in November 2008. Combining high-performing business content , great design and rich multimedia experience, the Samsung Omnia is the first Windows Mobile smartphone with a 5 megapixel camera and really its best points would be its excellent design and multitude of features.
As mentioned, design has to be Omnia’s greatest strength. It has a sleek platinum front, large easy-to-press call buttons, and most of all, a large screen which is a huge plus when using GPS. The phone fits snugly in the palm of the user’s hand, so the grip feels comfortable. Additionally, the Omnia is slim and lightweight, making it very comfortable to carry without feeling like a bulky bulge in your pockets. Overall the Omnia has a very polished look and this will certainly please the style conscious consumer.
The other great strength of the Samsung Omnia is its great offer in terms of functions and features. One of the main features of the Omnia is the 5 megapixel camera. It not only has a built-in flash and autofocus, but also a “wide dynamic range” mode that makes the most of your phone’s screen. In addition, the camera has features such as face tracking, smile detection, digital image stabilization, auto panorama, and geo-tagging. The phone has an internal memory capacity of 8 GB and up to 16 GB, which can be increased via microSD cards (maximum 16 GB) for a total capacity of 32 GB.
The Omnia also has a built-in GPS receiver that supports A-GPS, and since it’s A-GPS, satellite lock is faster than regular GPS. Although there is no GPS navigation software, users can always use the Google Maps app that comes pre-installed. Another important feature is the accelerometer. Moving on, the Samsung Omnia has excellent multimedia playback capabilities; it’s the first DivX-certified Windows Mobile PDA, so you get DivX playback right out of the box. In general, multimedia playback was very satisfactory for both video and audio. Other multimedia features include FM radio and picture browser. As for connectivity, the Omnia has everything except infrared, which no one uses anymore these days.
There is a lot to talk about usability, especially in terms of responsiveness. The Omnia is a bit slow, which I think is due to the Widgets, which means removing it from the GUI will probably result in a superior phone. The Omnia also doesn’t come with a stylus, so you have to use the magnetic version between the two call buttons. This takes a bit of getting used to, but users can always use their fingers as well or better if they have their own spare stylus.
The Omnia has its shortcomings and its price can be a bit scary, reflecting the premium you have to pay, but overall the Samsung Omnia is a great phone. It oozes class and style, along with excellent features and functionality, making it suitable for both business and entertainment.
Pros: Huge screen, fast processor, huge memory, great camera
Cons: homeless stylus
Ratings:
Performance: 5/5
features: 5/5
Designer: 5/5
Rating: 4/5
Samsung Omnia Specifications:
Processor: Marvell PXA312 @ 624MHz
Memory: 8GB/16GB built-in storage
Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional with TouchWiz user interface
Frequency: HSDPA (7.2 Mbps), GSM 850/900/1800/1900, GPRS, EDGE
Display: 3.2″ WQVGA TFT LCD (240 x 400)
Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB2.0, Wi-Fi, HSDPA
Others: 5.0 megapixel CMOS, microSD card slot, GPS
Dimensions: 112 x 56.9 x 12.5mm
Weight: 122g
