Samsung Omnia II now official: AMOLED touchscreen with TouchWiz 2.0 destined for Verizon

Although not exactly the best kept secret (we first caught wind last week), Samsung's Verizon-bound Omnia II / I8000 is now one hundred percent official, along with even more official US confirmations for the Omnia Pro B760 (Louvre) slider, Omnia Pro B7320 candybar, and the Omnia Lite B7300. Specs for the Omnia II are just a little different than what we previously heard: 3.7-inch AMOLED resistive touchscreen with WVGA (480 x 800) resolution, 7.2Mbps HSPA (or EV-DO Rev. A for Verizon's version), 5 megapixel camera, 720 x 480 at 30fps video recording, 2GB to 16GB internal storage with microSD expansion slot, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, AGPS, and TouchWiz 2.0 UI. As for the Lite, we're looking at HSDPA, WiFi, 3 megapixel camera, AGPS, and just as the name suggests, a good likelihood it'll be overshadowed by its more feature-rich brother.

Update: We can't say it's unexpected, but just to be clear, Omnia II buyers shouldn't worry about living in the past. Yahoo! Tech reports its WinMo 6.1 underbelly will be later upgradeable to 6.5.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 15th 2009 12:08PM]

I see a cube.

[AlDeezy @ Jun 15th 2009 12:09PM]

You, sir are a genuis.......

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 15th 2009 12:14PM]

An isometric cube.

[sacapuntas @ Jun 15th 2009 12:14PM]

Transformers2phone?

Just a thought....

[shaunisadirty @ Jun 15th 2009 2:24PM]

I see a phone that specwise is better than the iPhone 3Gs. I see a phone that judging by that picture contains every single useful app from Apple's App store, minus the fart apps of course.

[Dillinger @ Jun 15th 2009 3:50PM]

Really? Cause i see a piece of shit UI thrown on top of a piece of shit OS, mixed in with some good hardware. You know what we all need on our tiny phone screens 234917245982745983475 clock widgets.

[Scott @ Jun 17th 2009 10:37AM]

I see a top-of-the-line OLED screen saddled with a bottom-of-the-barrel resistive screen interface. Does it come with a stylus too?

[inteller @ Jun 15th 2009 12:10PM]

I'll take my zune HD software on this pls thx..

[Brian @ Jun 15th 2009 12:35PM]

No joke. This is the first phone I've seen that slaughters the iPhone's hardware in every aspect.

Screen, camera, processor, and storage... wow. And they aren't just little improvements. AND it's by Samsung (heart)

Too bad Zune for WinMo isn't coming for another year.

[bob @ Jun 15th 2009 12:36PM]

why? do you not want to use it for anything useful?

[Temple @ Jun 15th 2009 1:14PM]

Too bad its Windows Mobile, which is awful. Hardware-wise, Brian has it right that it may be supeior to the iPhone, but being somebody who currently owns a Windows Mobile phone I can't wait till my stupid contract expires so I can get a new one. Its worse then the black plague.

[m3tric @ Jun 15th 2009 7:57PM]

Moar Springboard? Lulz springboard is a joke

[Scott @ Jun 17th 2009 10:37AM]

The lack of a capacitive screen is a HUGE negative over the iPhone, Pre, Android, etc.

[Phawx @ Jun 15th 2009 12:13PM]

I wish you could combine resistive and capacitive screens.

[Shyam D @ Jun 15th 2009 12:16PM]

You can. You just have to use a projected capacitive screen which is way too expensive right now. Capacitive screens have only recently become cheap enough to compete with resistive screens.

This + touchFlo just sounds awesome.

[nbarry @ Jun 15th 2009 12:16PM]

Why companies continue to manufacture inferior resistive touchscreens (besides the obviously lower cost) is beyond me. Apple now sells a capacitive touchscreen device for a hundred bucks. You know what they say: "Once you go cap, you never go back."

...or is it just me that says that?

[Sarig @ Jun 15th 2009 12:25PM]

Because iPhone is primarily made for the american market, where nobody gives a shit about being able to use a stylus.

Samsung however...

[Andrew @ Jun 15th 2009 12:27PM]

@ nbarry

Many people prefer using traditional resistive touch screens. Just ask anybody who lives in colder areas how hard it is to use your phone when you're wearing gloves to keep your fingers from freezing. Not to mention if you get any steam on your capacitive touch screen it barely works, and top if off with women who have long finger nails having a tough time using their devices.

Engadget had an article on a new form of resistive touch screens that were super sensitive and accurate, I think that is the way to go for future devices.

[Andrew @ Jun 15th 2009 12:30PM]

Found the link:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/19/stantums-mind-blowing-multitouch-interface-on-video/

[nbarry @ Jun 15th 2009 12:35PM]

@ Andrew:

Fair enough, though I'd imagine that's a small percentage of the population that wears gloves all day...still, if there's a market...

[psjl29 @ Aug 9th 2009 5:20AM]

good call i think you will find that girls with nails can't use capacitive screens so its a trade off somehow, I did read that the pixon 12 has capasitive screen 12 mp cam oled screen and not wm but series 60/90 ui.
its probably the 1 ppl leaving iphone should get instead of omnia 2

[Josh @ Jun 15th 2009 12:15PM]

heh touchwiz ::tries to stifle laughter::

[aj121489 @ Jun 15th 2009 12:52PM]

Hahahaahahahaa I didn't pick up on that until I read your comment. +1 for being quicker with the immature comment than me :)

[Matt @ Jun 15th 2009 12:16PM]

Ahh, another resistive touch screen on Verizon. I guess they want me to switch to AT&T.

[The Heretic @ Jun 15th 2009 12:37PM]

Isn't touchwiz the same type from the original omnia? It wasn't very resistant, in fact Id say it was on par with the iphone (maybe a few notches under). Now the storm, it had so much resistance that I didn't even want to use it.

[Jason @ Jun 15th 2009 3:15PM]

Unfortunately that's a current limitation of WinMo. The next version will support capacitive. Dunno why it took that long to support it but...

[xconan @ Jun 21st 2009 2:10PM]

there's nothing wrong with resistive screens, it's just that programmers haven't designed controls inputs to reroute functions when presented with multitouch points on the resistive screens. that explains why when you have two fingers on the touchpad sometimes windows goes crazy and doesn't know what to do...

[digitallysick @ Jun 15th 2009 12:21PM]

Where is the samsung omina HD? Im in the usa and still havent seen it for sale yet

[Lucasz @ Jun 15th 2009 1:22PM]

Yeah, the HD is better than this phone. Are they only releasing the good one in the rest of the world and giving us stupid U.S. Americans a dumbed down version?

[Ekauq @ Jun 15th 2009 1:39PM]

GSMArena has a few places listed that are selling the 8GB version of the Omnia HD starting at $800+, Dynamism has it (8GB version on pre order, no price, no date), and MobileCityOnline has it (8GB version as well) listed as being available through them on June 23 (with as accurate as release dates are) for $600.

As for the 16GB version, MCO has it listed with no ETA yet for $700 and the other sites didn't give any extra info.

[MarioSpitza @ Jun 16th 2009 10:12AM]

@Ekauq

I wouldn't trust the release date on MobileCity. I've actually been watching that website and the supposed date when it would be available changed three times already. The last listed date was June 15 before it changed to June 23.

[t1da1 @ Jun 15th 2009 12:22PM]

I'm not too impressed with this. I've got the current Verizon Omnia and these specs aren't much different. Besides the new screen which is a much needed improvement, the craptastic resistive touch screen makes me want to vomit. Why can't they put an 8 or 12 mp camera into it? We know they've got the technology to do it.

[bifikus @ Jun 15th 2009 12:31PM]

Vomit? lol

Your moms gonna be pist if she has to clean up another mess in the basement...

[Paul @ Jun 15th 2009 2:44PM]

Not much difference to the Omnia I900??? The camera looks like it is a lot better just look at the video resolution 720x480 30fps instead of the i900’s 640x480 15fps (& is rubbish it stutters all the time)

[t1da1 @ Jun 15th 2009 3:39PM]

After seeing the responsiveness of the iPhone/iPod touch screen, and trying to use the somewhat clunky Opera browser I think it's unacceptable that manufacturers continue to use an inferior technology.

[Art @ Jun 15th 2009 12:25PM]

nice! VZW should bundle it with a 8GB SD card out of teh box, so its seen as more of a level competitor to the iPhone 16GB

[Cory S @ Jun 15th 2009 12:29PM]

the Engadget article says that this phone will have up to 16GB of internal storage. However, the Samsung press release says "Up to 48GB lets users store more of their favorite content."

[Phoenix @ Jun 15th 2009 12:36PM]

16GB + 32GB microSD I guess...

[Brian @ Jun 15th 2009 12:37PM]

16GB internal PLUS 32GB microSD = 48GB

[Phineas J. Whoopie @ Jun 15th 2009 12:31PM]

Looks great. Awesome specs.

Wasted on WM and a proprietary UI...

[Quikboy @ Jun 15th 2009 12:57PM]

WinMo is actually a good thing!

[darkmax @ Jun 15th 2009 12:31PM]

Doh!... only 5 mpx camera?

[Dillinger @ Jun 15th 2009 3:53PM]

I know, no 200 MPX camera? I mean that’s all that matters right, it’s the MPX? I love to print 12' x 16' posters from my phone's shitty ass high MP camera.

[darkmax @ Jun 15th 2009 5:03PM]

Gosh, another one. 8mpx and 5mpx does make a lot of difference to me. It may not be a lot to you but I can see the difference.

Secondly, Samsung has always been upgrading their functions, features and hardwares. After one year, we get nothing from Omnia II when one of the biggest feature in the original Omnia was the camera.

[theefman @ Jun 15th 2009 12:32PM]

Where is the information coming from that this is coming to any US carrier?

[Jim @ Jun 15th 2009 12:36PM]

Nice...website is offline.

[kevin @ Jun 15th 2009 12:42PM]

Anybody know if Samsung phones (ATT) that currently have TouchWiz (ex: Samsung Eternity) will be able to upgrade to TouchWiz 2.0?

Many thanks.

[anonymous j @ Jun 15th 2009 12:43PM]

TouchWiz sucks hard, what a waste.

[raging_hamsterx @ Jun 15th 2009 12:56PM]

who cares if it isn't 8 mp camera? 5 is plenty for me... better than apple's "innovative" 3 mp "upgrade"

[r0gue6 @ Jun 15th 2009 1:06PM]

looks pretty good.

Can't wait til there are more OLED displays.