First off, someone at Verizon Wireless must have been drunk or asleep at the wheel when they gave the Omnia the green light because it has Wi-Fi. Isn’t Verizon notorious for stripping that feature from every single phone in its lineup? Something tells me the other manufacturers are going to throw a fit over this bit of news.
Quick Version: The Omnia boasts just about every feature you’d want from a smartphone and Verizon, surprisingly, left it exactly the way it leaves the Samsung factory. Sure, they added their VZ Navigator app and the VZAppZone but we’re okay with that because they left the Omnia untouched. For a Windows Mobile device with a decent skin Samsung calls the TouchWiz, the Omnia is the clear choice for Verizon Wireless customers.
Features
• Access to VZAppZone – downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers and more
• Playback of MP3 files
• VZ NavigatorSM capability – get visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations, locate businesses and other points of interest, get maps of a location and share directions with others
• Text, picture and video messaging
• Mobile IM using AIM®, MSN®, Yahoo!®
• Bluetooth® profiles supported: headset – mono and stereo, hands-free (car kits), object push for vCard, basic imaging, and phonebook access profiles
• 5.0 megapixel camera and camcorder with flash and zoom
o Face Detection – centers on your face when taking a picture
o Panorama, split shot and anti-shake camera settings
o SmileShot – enables the camera to detect when a person is smiling and automatically take a picture when in the “SmileShot” mode
• Wi-Fi technology (802.11 b/g)
• Support for Divx and Xvid movie files
• Personal organizer with calculator, calendar, alarm clock, world clock, stop watch and notepad
• Dimensions: 4.41” (l) x 2.24” (w) x 0.52” (d) with standard battery
• Weight: approximately 4.34 ounces
• Display: 3.2” display
• Usage time: up to 346 minutes with standard battery or
Standby time: up to 464 hours with standard battery (subject to environmental and other factors)
Hardware
Samsung devices are inherently lightweight and rather stylish, but the thin plastic screens will always irritate me to no end. I simply cannot stand them and after seeing the damage inflicted on John’s Instinct some time ago I feel weary about sticking this in my pocket. Because of its weight I wonder whether or not the Omnia will hold up to the rigors of daily use.
The 5-megapixel AF camera is on par with that of Nokia devices and comes with a bevy of editing apps, various scene modes and a wonky panorama mode that works fairly well. Like any other mobile phone camera, you won’t be capturing any action shots, but it works well for still subjects.
Have I mentioned that the Omnia for Verizon Wireless has Wi-Fi? That’s out of left field and one of the best things about this device.
The optical mouse on the Omnia is superb and doesn’t hinder your flow when navigating the device. You can choose between a traditional 4-way D-pad-like setup or use it as if it were a computer mouse. A stylus is included but you’ll have to attach it as a charm on the left hand side of the Omnia. I think Samsung’s market research hasn’t shown that we, Americans, aren’t very big on cell phone charms.
The 3.2-inch touch-screen is relatively bright and crisp but the 240×400 resolution leaves much to be desired. Again, I can’t help but harp on Samsung about these retched plastic screens. Please, please switch to glass screens or a harder plastic and bump up the resolution. A main menu hard button is located on the side of the top right corner saving you from having to tap the lower right corner of the screen.
I’ve never been a fan of the Windows Mobile touch-screen keyboards and the same goes for Samsung’s TouchWiz keyboards. You’re either going to sit and peck or use the stylus. Both are annoyances.
Software
Snazzy features aside, the Omnia is still just a Windows Mobile device so that in and of itself is major red flag for a number of folks, myself included. The TouchWiz UI immediately draws comparisons to HTC’s TouchFLO 3D UI, which has, in the past, made me forget that I’m fumbling with a WinMo device.
So how doth the Samsung’s TouchWiz compare to HTC’s TouchFLO 3D?
Well, it’s not as pretty and flashy, but it gets the job done. I’d say Samsung and HTC make the best Windows Mobile devices with the latter making the best ‘skin’. However, Samsung has a few tricks up its sleeve to make up for the not so flashy façade.
The reorientation of the screen from portrait to landscape is silky smooth and the sidebar of widgets is super convenient. You can drag widgets from the sidebar to the main screen for a quicker launch. The widgets include a world clock, games, media player, etc.
You can bring up the task manager by swiping up from the bottom, which lowers the aggravation of having to dig down into the Windows Mobile menu system.
The Omnia’s web browser is Opera 9.5 and is much better than the browser the Instinct has, but it’s still a so-so browser compared to the iPhone’s Safari.
If I had to choose between HTC’s TouchFLO 3D interface and Samsung’s TouchWiz, I’d have to go with HTC’s Windows Mobile variant.
Application Store
Verizon’s app store doesn’t contain anything worth noting, but I did come across the IM+ client and it’s ridiculously priced at $40. The overall interface of the app store is pretty archaic.
Overall
If you’re in the market for a Windows Mobile device on Verizon then I’d highly suggest the Omnia from Verizon because of the Wi-Fi feature. The HTC Touch Pro is also a superb device on the network, but it lacks Wi-Fi and given the option it’s sort of a no-brainer. The Omnia will be available online starting tomorrow for $250 after a $70 MIR (debit card rebate) and in stores on December 8th.
I’m no Verizon fanboy, but check your facts. The Touch Pro on Verizon (at least according to their website) includes WiFi.
OK. It has VZNavigator. Does that mean the GPS is locked to VZNavigator, or did they leave it alone?
Why do people say verizon strips WIFI the SAGA,TOUCH PRO and OMnia all have WIFI
Those are all phones that came out AFTER Verizon started requiring a $30 data plan with any smartphone. Prior, Verizon stripped WIFI from all smartphones to try and force you into a data plan.
Um no the audiovox xv6800 or the 6700 had wifi as well. i had that phone and connected with wifi without a dataplan…
The Samsung sph-i730 and 760 both had WiFi and did not require a data plan on them. I used the i730 for years with just WiFi. I had a friend buy the i760 with no data plan on it after he saw mine. Samsung pda phones have almost always had that option on them and it is not something new.
Those are all phones that came out AFTER Verizon started requiring a $30 data plan with any smartphone. Prior, Verizon stripped WIFI from all smartphones to try and force you into a data plan.
They didn’t leave it untouched, they took out the front facing camera. Ooooooo……
I have an HTC Titan (XV6800 … Not recommended). But it, too, has WiFi and I think it was released last November.
I have never used the WiFi except to see if it would work on my home network. Verizon’s data network seems to be faster than the processor can handle with most applications on the Titan. Sure, you could do Video Playback via WiFi without violating the terms of service, but you’d run into the processor or battery limitations before you’d run into bandwidth problems.
My understanding is that after mid November, Verizon is requiring a data plan for every smartphone, so that makes the feature even less useful for me.
That said, it’s not just WiFi. Verizon is famous for crippling their offerings via software or hardware modifications. They’ve reduced the RAM in the HTC Touch Pro compared to Sprint and AT&T (and, bonus, Verizon’s version costs more despite the reduced features).
There are still people out there (like me) who can’t use another carrier, yet. Short-term, I’m stuck. Long-term, they’re stuck. The other carriers are taking away a lot of the reasons I’m stuck with Verizon, and when they’re all gone, I’ll be happy to terminate my contract early and jump ship to a competitor, that ETF will be the last of my money they’ll see.
The RAM has not been reduced in the Touch Pro. The device has not been crippled.
It appears I was wrong. I was basing my remark on early reports that the RAM issue was merely a misprint. It appears the reports of a misprint were the inaccurate.
But, it appears you’re right. They did chop the RAM on the Verizon Touch Pro. It looks like the Verizon TP has 192MB vs. 288MB for Sprint’s. So you were right. They cut the freakin’ memory.
Coincidentally, the Verizon Pro also costs less (retail). So, it appears the cut in RAM was a cost cutting measure. For the record, I think that’s a pretty lame way, or excuse, to cut costs on such a high end device.
I have no love for Verizon, but my Verizon HTC 6800 has Bluetooth and WiFi. The Bluetooth even has A2DP.
Yeah, I have a 6700 from way back when, it has wifi and A2DP as well. It did have its tethering crippled, but heh, that was pretty easy to fix.
Hi,
Don’t know much about the data plan vs. wifi. Would you mind explaining? I am with Verizon and I would like to have a data plan, but don’t want to pay for one. Would I be able to access the internet and send and receive emails through my laptop without a data plan if I bought the Omnia?
Thanks for your help!
i just upgrade to the Omnia. I love the phone, still learning how to use many of the features. Verizon forces you to upgrade to a data plan the lowest plan starts for about $30 and up.
U DONT NEED TO PAY FOR A DATA PLAN WITH THE VERIZON PHONE
U CAN USE ANY APPLIUCATIONS JUST WITH THE WIFI EXCEPT FOR THE GPS
THE OMNIA IS AN AMAZING PHONE
According to Verizon you DO need to get a $30 minimum data plan with the Omnia. Unless you know a way around that?
Loved the phone but had to return it was not the phone for me. Unless you have small fingers there isn’t a virtual keyboard out there for anyone no matter how “smart” the phone is, it was hard for me to touch several buttons, especially on the sides. The volume was low even on the highest level, but the speakerphone was very good volume. The touch screen should have a lock for your settingss. unless you touch the top button, the screen wont go blank for over a minute. The keychain stylus is a big pain, it should of had a slot in the phone for it. I would probably lose 10 of these a year, and is very inconvenient if keep your phone in your pocket. And my biggest complaint is that if you are outside on a sunny day (even in the shade) it is next to impossible to see anything on the screen (really, really bad). When I returned it, the person said that was the most common reason for people returning the phone.
There are too many problems with smart phones. I have had a normal, standard, LG flip phone, with the verizon network for about two years and i think Verizon has great service for texting and calling. I have never had a dropped call, and i’ve never had any problems with texting. But now i really want a touch screen phone that has WiFi, and verizons data plan is messed up. Where i live At&t has really bad service. The only phone i can find that doesn’t have some problem is the iphone, and they won’t have that on verizon for a really long time…. All the other phones have issues. I think i’m going to get the Omnia. I don’t really care if the touch screen is hard to type with.
I wish Verizon could make a deal with apple where iphones could use verizon, but they wouldn’t let verizon ruin their Wifi and apps………
Cell phones are just too complicated…
As of today 02/10/09, Verizon appears to be back pedaling on unlocking this phone. I would have to suggest that those who have the Omnia, bombard Tech Support for a better answer then I got and future customers hold off till GPS is unlocked. Till then it is sadly a dumbed down smartphone with much of it’s potential blocked. this is the response I got from a request on a update on the Dec 08 news release that Verizon would be unlocking their Smart Phone GPS (I understand the poorly performing Storm as been already) “We will provide you with information about the GPS capability on our devices. The information you received is not correct. Your handset’s GPS chip is used to provide the handset’s location to emergency responders when placing 911 calls. It does not provide any user accessible functionality such as location information for directions, mapping or any other application. At this time, we are unable to state if/when GPS will become unlocked as no information has been given.”
I bought the omnia about a month ago and was not forced to buy a data plan. I’m not sure if I just slipped through or what, the sales rep seemed pretty confused about it, but I’m happy with the way it worked out. I would like a data plan eventually, but as of now, I live in a college town and there are plenty of unprotected wifi networks to play with.
I have owned about 8 cells phones, the sound of the caller on this one is the worst. Then, if you try to buy any apps from Verizon, you get to find out NONE of them work on the Omnia. It’s a great multimedia device, you can take very clear pics (5Mega pixels) and vids and send them easily via bluetooth or email BUT it is not very good to converse on. At first I thought it was just me not positioning the phone correctly but the sound is inferior to every phone I’ve had, most recently a Sony-Ericsson z50a. Ready for the kicker? The battery lasts about 1 day if you use it to talk and text. AND if you use WiFi it lasts even less. Don’t believe their figures for talk time and standby. I have to charge it every night. If you leave in the morning with 1/2 a charge, the phone will run out before the day is over. Obviously it means you’ll have to buy a new battery sooner than with most phones. Now in addition, you may not be able to use the USB connector to charge from a PC unless you install the connection software on every PC you plan to charge it on. Some people don’t seem to have this issue but some do (I checked the forums on this). I would not recommend this phone if you don’t like frequent charging and subpar voice quality. If you will use it mostly for texting or internet browsing, it is a good choice.
Yeah, I have the Omnia and at times my phone has had problems with web-related installs and ive had to do a hard reset which is a pain, (cause you lose your contacts, files, etc.) and you can’t play on-line music such as Pandora and last.fm (yet), but hopefully Flash Lite 3.x from Adobe or even the recent mentioned Opera 9.6 update will hopefully update this cause this phone would kick some serious tail (at least internet browser-wise) if these annoyances were ironed out. Other than that, the camera works surprisingly good, and the speaker on the phone is excellent, although it can be a little loud when sound is maxed out on the phone. Wi-Fi is good and browsing on it is much better than the cellular line from Verizon I use, mainly because I live in a rural area. Need to have an app zone like BlackBerry does tho, Microsoft you hearing me? Other than the minor annoyances, great smartphone. Can’t wait for those updates though!!
I am on my second Omnia from Verizon. The first one the screen would not orient and caused severe problems even with a stylus. The rep did not even agrue after trying a master reset it still did not work. I have had this one for a week and now the screen refuses to turn after about 15 minutes. You have to do a soft reset or plug in the power cord. It goes back tomorow and if the third one does not work then Verizon can kick in a Blackberry as I use these for work and do not have the time to fool with the unit every week and have my IT guys reset the company e-mail server settings on the phone. Two bad ones in a row is poor quality control or a bad system. Samsung is not on my hot list to purchurse from.
for the data plan, do you have to pay $30 every month or is it just $30 and you don’t have to pay anymore?
This phone started out great… for the first two weeks. Then, the screen started becoming unresponsive to my stylus taps. Eventually the “ok” “next” and “answer” buttons completely stopped working. Even after re-calibrating the phone by tapping on the “X’s” it was still way off. When I would hit a “q” button, the phone would select a “Z”. This happened with all letter/ numbers, so I could no longer use the phone. Verizon is doing a warranty replacement, so I’ll see if the next one works any better.
if i was getting ready to update a phone, i have a lg voyager, would you guys go with an omnia or the env touch or any other suggestions, ive heard a tone of mixed reveiws on the omnia