Overview
When we first heard about the new phone soon to be released by Samsung called ‘Omnia’, I quickly used my powers of researching to find out what the word ‘Ominia’ exactly means. With a little help from my friend, ‘Google’, we were able to find out that the word had derived from Latin meaning ‘Everything’ and Arabic meaning ‘Wish’. So with that in mind we were left asking the question – does this phone provide us with everything we want in a phone, or is it a case of a wish gone bad? We set out to discover the truth so read on and find out…
Review
Style
With the ever increasing demand for phones to look and feel like the popular Apple iPhone, it is not surprising that this has not been lost on the Samsung Omina. Almost like a mirror reflection, the Samsung team have designed their new phone to resemble Apple’s popular mobile phone, and when you look at it you can almost fool yourself into believing this is an iPhone in the midst. Posing a super sleek black exterior, 12.5mm thickness and a 3.2 inch screen, you could almost place it on top of the iPhone and it would fit perfectly without a struggle.
Under the Bonnet"¦
This phone certainly get the ‘Smartphone Stamp of Approval’ because if you have a peek at the spec it would seem that Samsung have been doing their homework on this one. For example, like any self respecting smartphone it is bundled with the Opera 9.5 web browser software, which not only means it can load pages fast but it can also load them correctly. As well as this, the phone also comes with great Google search and Gmail functionalities for those times when you just need to send a quick email or do a quick search for maybe words like ‘Omina’!
The Samsung Omnia also includes a custom built A-GPS satellite navigation – which means it comes with basic mapping and uses Wi-Fi or 3G networks to give a much faster start up time. This is an absolute dream when using the feature in your car. The thing that lets the phone down is that it does not include a built in GPS application, which would mean that you would actually have to buy that separately. However with Google Maps installed on the phone, it is a fantastic feature if you need to check that the ex-wife has not stolen your car or even worse the son.
So, we’ve talked about the complicated features but you are probably wondering what about the more simpler things like the memory capacity? Well, I can tell you there is no disappointment in that department as it has a huge 16GB so there is plenty of room for your MP3s and videos.
Camera and Video
This phone has a very nice 5 mega pixel camera, which is consists of auto focus, face detection and geo-tagging making those drunken photos opportunities a more quicker and painless experience! Although details about the video quality are sketchy at best, there is however a safe bet that the video quality will be good judging by the phone’s 16 GB memory and 5 megapixel camera.
I don’t what it is but even though the Samsung Omnia has a better mega pixel camera you just can’t help comparing it to the iPhone, especially when the Ominia has decided to adopt one of the coolest features that the iPhone has to offer, which is that the screen will autorotate. With the Samsung, it rotates to three of its four sides so that you can choose the way that you want to view web pages and video content. Although the technology is different the concept is scarily very similar!
Touch Media or Touchscreen
Like any self respecting smart phone on the market, the Omnia offers the touchscreen option. Although it is very hard to tell at the moment whether it will responsive to your magic fingers, it does use the same touchscreen technology as the Apple iPhone so things could be looking up for the Omnia. As well as this it has been noted to be reactive, intense and rich which may mean that it could give Apple a run for its money in the touch screen department.
Technical Spec
- Touch screen – 3.2" wide LCD screen
- 5 Megapixel Digital Camera
- Video Capture
- Autofocus
- Polyphonic/MP3 Ringtones
- MP3/MPEG4 Playback
- FM Radio
- HSDPA/GPRS/EDGE/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Capable
- USB
- WAP
- HTML
- GPS
- Java Enabled
- E-mail Capabilities
- Instant Messaging
- MS Office Applications
- Handwriting Recognition
- SMS
- Multimedia Messaging (MMS)
- 624MHz Marvell PXA312 processor
- 128 MB of RAM
- MicroSD Expansion Slot
- Autorotation
The Gaj-It verdict
Design: 10/10
Usability: 9/10
Features: 9/10
Value: 9/10
We Say: So could the Omina give you ‘everything’ you ‘wish for? I know we won’t be expecting the Genie from Aladdin’s lamp to pop out anytime soon, but what I will say is that the Samsung Omina does possesses some special magic of its own. Packed with some fantastic features I would certainly think that it could give the popular iPhone a run for its money; but whether it will be an iPhone destroyer…..only time will tell.
Sources
Samsung Omnia i900 Review at Phones4U
Samsung Omnia i900 Review at Dial-a-Phone
Shop For It
38 thoughts on “Preview: Samsung Omnia i900: Does it Give you ‘Everything’ you ‘Wish’?”
After reading this , i had to preorder mine !
Its a 10/10 phone for me. Beats a iphone 3g hands down.
I have heard there is alot of problems with the touch screen on the phone, I am still awaiting a deffinate yes/no to the problem but I thought everyone should know
Latest update the problem I described ealier have been fixed (thats why its been a month late being released) and thats its an exclusive on Orange.
Also this phone comes with DivX/Xvid compatability so watching your favorite episode on the train to work is deffinatly a possability with this phone, plus it comes with a TV out connection so you can watch your vids on your tele at home, sweet
I’ve owned this phone for 2 days and got neck ache from looking down at it the whole time! It’s surpasses any expectation of any phone. I have the N95 for 1 yr and this blows it out of the water. I’ve not had any problems and I’ve pushed it to the limits already. Slight glich to start with low memory, but this due to downloading and adding files etc to the wrong location, so watch out for that, add to ‘ my storage’. Of course, if you’ve not had a touch phone before, it might take qa little getting used to, but tbh, it takes little time at all. It had a good feature, esp. when starting, and that is a ‘feedback’ buzz so you know you made an input correctly. It’s a little ‘psycological’ positive feedback so you just ‘know’ you’ve pressed hard enogh etc. Nice feature and can be turned off once you’re used to.
However, I will say thay the next gen. seems to be out now, called somethin g else, but has 8 meg camera. I didnt know about it till today or I’d have got that, bit having said that, I am more than happy with i900.
My verdict, don’t hesitate, it is an amazing phone.
I love the phone – it does most things pretty well. Am not so happy about the SAT NAV hype because I have been 100% unable to get any software! TomTom tell me it is not supported. T-Mobile (my provider) say they cannot help.. and Samsung themselves point me back at T-Mobile telling me that Google Maps is not installed (and cannot be installed as it “stalls” on the last button asking if you want to accept or decline!!)
If there is anyone anywhere who can help… I’d bite their arm off for some advice.
Other than that – fab phone!!
Hey Paul,
Sounds like your having a strange problem with yur phone, it must be T-Mobile as Google Maps is installed on mine and works perfectly, I tested it yesterday by using it to guide me to the local shop.
I’ll have a look into the problem you for
Right two things have you tried download teh actuall .cad file? This can be found at
http://google-maps.en.softonic.com/pocketpc
Just head to there and download then run the .CAB file, I found the actual link to google maps as well for your device if you want to try that as well, even tho you said it hangs try resetting your mobile before you go to the web address below. lets me know what happens
m.google.com/maps
the phone is so marvellous that i am very eager to buy as soon as possible. the features are excellent as you get microsoft office, 16gb memory card and also unlimited internet.in short samsung all the facilities that we want from an ordinary phone.
the only problem with this phone is that it is very expensive so in my opinion they should make it a bit very cheaper. the price range i want is between 250-350 pounds.
Are you not tempted into getting this phone on contact Saba? The offer from Orange at the moment for this phone is £35 a month.
had the phone for 8 days now this its great.. all software works well nice smooth opprations… one fault and i dont know if its just my phone but the photos dont seem to be that great very grainy blured .. can somone let me know if i have a fault with the phone or if your getting the same .. thanks..
apart from that the phone is the best…..
you can get phone free on o2 £30 a month, but with only 8gb memory then if you go to other sites the memory card is only £20 for an other 8gbs….
i already got a contact for £40 amonth and i am very happywith that and also with the phone as it got all the softwares and features that i always want from my phones. thank you for your advice. Arutha.
in my opinion everyone should have this phone as it got all the software that will get downloaded in your computer.
Can it support BBC iplayer?
It should be able to, I will find out tonight for you, there has been so much junk on the internet regarding this I have only just found a site that meantions the actual address for the mobile site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayerbeta/
As you can see it is in Beta at the moment so expect bugs to be present, once I get home and get my phone connected to wireless i’ll let you know
It looks like while you cannot steam the videos on the iPlayer as of yet, you can however download them and play them.
Seems a bit silly to have iPlayer steaming on a mobile however, as you need a WiFi connection on your phone to get it to steam correctly.
Not very helpful if your on the move
Nice article. Thanks. :) Eugene
the one thing i am struggling with is how to change your bluetooth name. does anybody know how to do this?
Simply go into your Main Menu -> Settings then on the Personal Tab select Owner Information, your Bluetooth name will be whatever you put into the Name field on this form
y..anybody now how to check lifetimer and if i can reset it?thanks…
lifetimer, what do you mean by this?
I have had my Omnia for 5 days and experiencing problems. Can anyone please help before I decide to take the phone back.
When I dial a number it wont dial out and sometimes just hangs up or says number not recognised on the screen even though it is the right number.
Last night I couldn’t ring the mobile it went straight to voicemail and text messages were taking 30 mins at least to come through. It was turned on the whole time.
I have tried to access 2 of my regular sites to check mail and it blocks me and comes up with a page of jargon.
The sat nav does not work?
help!!
Sounds like u have been unfortunate enough to get your hands on a bad phone, I have had my Omnia since it was released and have had none of the problems you describe.
My advice would be to take the phone back and ask for another one, you should have 14 days no questions return policy.
Hi can you watch tv on this, if so how easy is it? thanks
Do you mean BBC iPlayer and the such?
If you do then it looks like our in for some bad news, this is due to these features being unavalible at the moment on this Omnia, but BBC have confirmed that they are working on getting this option up and running soon on phones such as the Omnia.
Have had my Omnia for 3 days now and I am enjoying it except for the fact that I loose service after traveling a few miles from home and instead of the my provider´s name on-screen, the word ¨Emergency¨appears on screen. Can anyone help with this.
Thanks.
hhrrrmmmm it sounds like its an operator issue, my advise would be to contact your service provider, Orange for example.
Just a note to all, the Omnia now supports BBC iPlayer playback through its web-site, enjoy.
When people call me there names dont come up it only says “unknown number” how do i change this so that their names come up!?
PleASE HELP!!!
I’m having a similar problem to Louise, my phone will not connect to any calls i try to make, and my text messages can take hours to come through. When i try to call the phone from someone else’s it goes to voicemail, people are complaining they cant get through to me. They only come through when the 3G icon at the top of the screen disappears. I’m on the verge of taking the phone back but i want to know if i can sort it out myself! Its really frustrating me, can someone help please!?
I have had my phone for a couple of months now and all has gone well up until now. The phone keeps turning itself off when i exit out of messages and other programs on the phone. Anyone else having this problem??
I’ve had the Omnia since Sept08 but of late I am experiencing quite a few problems. The touchscreen has become unresponsive on the right side of the scree. Also at the timesheets when the screen locks and goes off, it would come back on. I try everything and eventually I need to switch the phone off(only way to do this is by removing the battery), leave it off for about 5mins and switch it back on again. Its also been dropping calls or goes directly to voicemail – signal is full bar and no call forwarding is enabled.
hi arutha, whenever i go on bbc iplayer, it starts up the streamplayer and then simply says “not found”. why is it doing this?
I honestly have a small obsession with this phone. As with any others I have previously owned, I do not leave the house without, however, this phone is my everything, seriously. There’s nothing it can’t do, so it seems! :) I love love love love love it. & would recommend it to any one who has had a touch screen phone before, however, I did find it quite difficult getting used to typing on it, as some of the buttons can be quite small. But after a few weeks I got pretty much used to it.
I’m a pretty clumsy person to say the least, so unfortunately my Omnia’s quite scratched – all over, front to back. I did try looking for covers for it, but could only find ‘phone socks’ and all of that. Oh well, too late now. :)
Honestly. If your looking for a phone for more computer based work then I assure this is right for you. I’m only 14 though and seem to get on with it pretty well though, and I’m not really that much of a business man.. :P :)
Yeaahh, hope I’ve been helpful. ^^ x
This phone has been nothing but problematic for me ever since the 2nd day I had it. Tried to update it, but it kept saying error. Texts take too long or don’t go through, phone will not ring or make noise when people call me, and even then I won’t get the voicemails until maybe a day later. Email feature is all messed up and I don’t want the feature, yet it’s a requirement of the plan. It freezes up on me a lot and the touch screen is horrible. I have to use the pen it comes with because using fingers does not work. This is by far the worst phone I’ve ever had, I’m actually missing my flip phone I owned previously to this one. This phone is nowheres near as good as the iPhone either, btw. My boyfriend has one and it works like a dream. This phone is crap. Horrible crap. And I cannot and was not able to take it back because they said nothing was wrong with it. Not worth the money.