The Samsung Omnia, now available from Verizon Wireless for $199, is a handsome smart phone filled with all the latest amenties—EV-DO, a 5-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, an HTML browser, push e-mail, an excellent multimedia player, mobile Microsoft Office, and 8GB of built-in memory, all operated via a bright and sensitive 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen. However, despite the best efforts of Samsung’s clever TouchWiz interface, this next-generation combination of attributes are nearly ruined by the inclusion of Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional.
Design
The Omnia measures 4.4 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches, similar to the iPhone’s 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches. It has a slick metallic border along its entire exterior, and its large 3.2-inch, 400 x 200-pixel touchscreen takes up the majority of the front, leaving room for the Send and End keys on the bottom corners. Between them is a small black pad that acts as the device’s mouse pointer.
On the left of the Omnia is a charging port that doubles as a headset input, and a power button is on the top right. On the right is a quick-launch button for the menu and switching to the media player, two volume keys, and a camera button. The back is plastic with a brushed-metal look. There’s no 3.5mm headphone jack, however. The box includes both a 2.5mm and a 3.5mm adapter, but these are extra items that will be easy to lose or forget.
Stylus and Touchscreen
Also easy to lose is the included stylus. Like on LG’s similar Incite for AT&T Wireless, the telescoping stylus is tied to the side of the phone with a lanyard instead of having a slot in the phone itself. Move the Omnia up to your face rapidly and be prepared to be smacked in the eye by the now-swinging stylus—that’s if the stylus doesn’t get snagged on something in your pocket.
The stylus aside, the Omnia is a handsome phone, its buttons neatly and nearly seamlessly integrated into a chrome-like, nearly mirrored surface. Its screen is among the brightest we’ve seen, even in direct sunlight. Behind the display is localized haptic feedback, plus an optional rear vibration response, all of which made us feel like we were manipulating physical buttons. The Omnia’s touchscreen and accelerometer were both very responsive, although finger-swipe menu and list scrolling was one constant—and slow—speed.
Hands-on video with Apple's groundbreaking tablet.
