The Samsung Omnia II i8000 has been one of the most hotly-anticipated releases of the year. Fortunately, the wait isn't in vain - this is a terrific smartphone that's easily one of the best Windows Mobile devices in the market.
Physically, it sits on the bulkier side of the spectrum (0.52-inch thick). The extra size is understandable, though, with a gorgeous 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen (800x480 pixels) highlighting the front panel. Like all resistive panels, the touchscreen isn't as tap-friendly as capacitive displays. With that said, Samsung has really gone a long way, allowing for the Omnia II to be easily used even without the precision of a stylus pen. It sports a familiar candybar factor, with admirable build quality and a good (if slightly hefty) feel in hand.
It runs Samsung's TouchWiz 2.0, which is much-improved from previous iterations. The new landscape QWERTY keyboard, which comes with the new Swype predictive technology (which guesses words based on how you move through the keyboard), works beautifully. While there is a learning curve, I can see it being very helpful in the long run. Suffice to say, the UI and controls are so well done you can barely tell it's a Windows handset - and that's a good thing.
As a phone, the Omnia II managed excellent calls, with clear and natural-sounding voices. The speakerphone was also up to the task, adding minimal distortion during conversations. It runs relatively fast (considering it's Windows Mobile 6.5 at the helm), with little delay, save for the most processor-intensive applications. The 3G connection is especially fast, making for extremely satisfying browsing, streaming and downloading speeds. Battery life is rated at a 10-hour talk time. Given that this is a full-on entertainment handset though (designed for heavy use), you will likely plow through that in two days or so.
The phone's biggest strength lies in its rich multimedia capabilities, including possibly the best movie viewing experience on a smartphone (seriously), wide media support (including DivX), robust media players (with CoverFlow-style UI), an FM radio, excellent playback of streaming content (both over 3G and Wi-Fi) and a TV out. If you want the best media player you can find in a phone, this should arguably be at the top of your list.
Like all Windows Mobile phones, the Omnia II comes with excellent business features, including MS Office Mobile, PIM tools, a business card scanner and a host of other bundled apps (e.g. Communities for social networking, Digital Frame, etc). Messaging, of course, remains a strength, as with the original Omnia (and other WinMo devices). Suffice to say that for both business and personal messaging needs, you aren't likely to be left wanting.
The onboard 5.0 megapixel camera comes with plenty of editing options, along with slightly above average photo quality and highly-impressive videos. There's even a photo editor onboard, so you can throw a bunch of enhancements to your shots. Other features include aGPS, 8GB of onboard storage and microSD expansion.
While we're no big fans of Windows Mobile smartphones, it's tough not to like this handset, especially at the $199.99 price (on contract). It's easily one of the most complete multimedia devices around, apart from being a solid overall performer.
Samsung Omnia II i8000: Easily One Of The Best Multimedia Phones, Solid Overall Performer unratednoel2009-12-08 11:19:00
Phone ReviewsSamsung Omnia II i8000: Easily One Of The Best Multimedia Phones, Solid Overall Performer
Availability of the HTC HD2 (formerly known as the Leo) has already been confirmed for France. Today, sources have announced that the handset will be released in unlocked form in the UK beginning November 11 for £469, excluding VAT.
As HTC's most well-featured release to date, it's actually pretty surprising that carriers aren't angling for exclusive rights to the phone. Instead, it will hit Blighty streets with no carrier attachment, although both O2 and Orange are expected to offer it later in their roster as well.
If you're late to the news about the HD2, it's a feature-heavy smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.5 and HTC's Sense UI. That's right - the same eye-popping interface found on the Android-powered HTC Hero is now on their Windows devices, too. Even better, this version of the Sense features built-in integration with both Facebook and Twitter right out of the box.
Hardware details of the follow-up to 2008's HTC HD include a 4.3-inch WVGA touchscreen display, a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, 448MB of RAM, 512MB of ROM, a 5.0 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, stereo Bluetooth and a 1,230mAh battery. It also boasts quad-band GSM and dual-band HSDPA/HSUPA connectivity.
Europe appears to be the planned destination for the HTC HD2, at least, for the last quarter of the year. No word on release schedule for other markets.
[via Unwired View]
HTC HD2 Coming To The UK, Rest Of Europe During The Fourth Quarterunratednoel2009-10-13 11:51:06
NewsHTC HD2 Coming To The UK, Rest Of Europe During The Fourth Quarter
Released by Verizon Wireless in the US, the HTC Imagio is the company's first Windows Mobile 6.5 device. While designed as a business-friendly smartphone, it also comes with a slew of multimedia capabilities, including support for the carrier's range of streaming V Cast services.
Armed with a range of productivity tools (including Office Mobile, Adobe Reader LE and more) and a very good onscreen keyboard, the Imagio is an incredibly robust business device. If that wasn't enough, users also get the benefits of Microsoft's Direct Push technology for your email, calendar, tasks and contacts, along with POP3 and IMAP support.
For multimedia, it comes with both Verizon's music player as well as WMP 10 Mobile. It plays a nice range of files, including AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA, MPEG-4, and WMV. There's a YouTube app for streaming video, V Cast Mobile TV and the rest of Verizon's streaming lineup, all of which worked gorgeously.
Physically, the Imagio isn't as flashy as other smartphones (most likely, because it's being marketed for its business features), with its industrial appearance and hefty feel. Regardless, there's no way you can ignore the gorgeous 3.6-inch WVGA touchscreen display, along with the smooth edges and dimpled bezel.
As a phone, it managed excellent and clear voice calls, with natural sounding conversations. Same with the speakerphone, which offered plenty of volume and clarity. Overall phone speed, which uses HTC's TouchFlo 3D UI, was very good, almost surprising for a Windows Mobile machine. Battery is rated at five hours.
Intended as a world phone, the Imagio supports both CDMA and GSM networks, allowing you to get both voice and 3G coverage in most places internationally. Both Opera and IE (with Flash Lite) are preinstalled on the unit, managing excellent full HTML renderings on the large display. It comes with the usual set of modern smartphone features, including standard messaging, GPS and stereo Bluetooth.
The 5.0 megapixel camera module takes above average quality pictures, with a huge lot of editing options and very sharp shots in lighted scenes. It includes an easy-to-use touch focus mode and a video recording mode (with better-than-average movie quality). There's very little default storage, though, so you'll have to use a microSDHC card to maximize the use of the phone.
Overall, the HTC Imagio continues the company's tradition of putting out the best Windows Mobile handsets around. The roaming capabilities, coupled with the business functions and multimedia talents, make it an excellent all-around smartphone.
HTC Imagio Brings Excellent Business And Multimedia Features Together In One Handsetunratednoel2009-10-09 08:54:41
Phone ReviewsHTC Imagio Brings Excellent Business And Multimedia Features Together In One Handset
I've never known about Gigabyte's GSmart brand of handsets before. Apparently, they have some amount of presence around HongKong, Taiwan and a few other Southeast Asian countries. The company's latest effort is a full-fledged Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone called the GSmart S1200 and it's not half-bad.
Sporting slim 11.4 mm lines, the S1200 features a compact and attractive design. I like the polished front, non-slippery smooth back panel and the overall sturdy build. Physically, this is a well-made, properly-designed device. I'm very impressed.
Core hardware set is impressive too. It touts a 520MHz Qualcomm 7200A processor, 288MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM. The 3.1-inch resistive touchscreen is pretty good, touting a 480 x 800 resolution, with excellent display quality.
It runs a custom UI over Windows Mobile that Gigabyte is billing the Smart Pack. Set includes four custom themes, a variety of wallpapers, a widget interface and up to nine different 3 x 3 home screens. While it's generally good (albeit, a little too slow), the whole UI is not as well-integrated as some of the more prominent Windows Mobile skinning as of late, such as TouchFlo or TouchWiz, spanning only a couple of menu options before reverting back to standard Windows screens.
As a phone, the S1200 manages average quality voice calls. Onboard speakers are particularly loud, although there's a certain sharpness to the sound. Battery is only rated at four hours of talk time, so you'll likely end up having to recharge every day or two.
Features include a 3.0 megapixel camera (great interface; below average image quality, with no flash), a GPS tuner (no mapping software), high-speed broadband (HSPA and Wi-Fi), stereo Bluetooth and a full messaging suite, including SMS, MMS, email and IM. Text input is, unfortunately, not very good. Layout is non-standard and you'll need a stylus, as the keys don't respond so well to finger taps. The QWERTY keys are also particularly small, making the whole ordeal of typing a chore.
Overall, there are way better Windows Mobile handsets around than the Gigabyte GSmart S1200, especially at the $550 price point. While it features good looks and a powerful hardware set, the inadequate camera, slow UI and the lack of a 3.5 mm jack offsets the advantages.
Gigabyte GSmart S1200: Great Looks, Fast Hardware, Ultimately Flawedunratednoel2009-09-19 13:03:02
Phone ReviewsGigabyte GSmart S1200: Great Looks, Fast Hardware, Ultimately Flawed
We all know that the line between computers and cell phones are only bound to get blurred even further. A new phone from a Chinese manufacturer will not only be running a full-fledged smartphone OS, but come fitted with two of them by default.
Called the Sunno S880, the new handset can dual boot into both Windows Mobile and Google's Android OS, allowing you the benefits of two smartphone systems (Win Mo for its software selection and Android for the better UI) in just one device. Of course, being from a largely unknown Chinese manufacturer, I wouldn't put much stock in seeing well-done customizations that leverages the features of both systems. Who knows, though? I'm hoping to be surprised.
Powering the phone will be an 806Mhz CPU and 256MB of RAM, which they claim is similar to what the Omnia 2 is currently using. It will sport a large 3.6-inch touchscreen display (WVGA resolution), 8.0 megapixel optics, Wi-Fi and GPS. The understated looks and matte finish don't seem too bad either. If there ever was high-end smartphone release from a Chinese brand, this would probably qualify.
The Sunno S880 is tentatively slated for an official launch on October 15. Let's hope this works better than expected - I'd love to get my hands on a more affordable Android handset.
Upcoming Sunno S880 Smartphone Will Dual Boot Into Android And Windows Mobileunratednoel2009-08-29 19:24:42
NewsUpcoming Sunno S880 Smartphone Will Dual Boot Into Android And Windows Mobile
