With the
Imagio having just launched and the
Omnia II coming down the pike, it's easy to be lulled into the false sense of security that Verizon subscribers will soon have their pick of several high-end smartphones running Windows Mobile 6.5 this month. Sure, the
Touch Pro2 runs 6.1 for the time being, but the
Omnia II must be hitting with 6.5 at launch -- right? Not so fast;
WMExperts alleges that when Samsung's latest US-bound smartphone hits later this month, it'll have 6.1 loaded, and although a 6.5 update is eventually planned, it won't come "for a while." That's a huge disappointment if true, and it'll be a tough situation to explain if they've got the Imagio launching on the 6th with 6.5 and the Omnia II comes, say, two weeks later with an operating system nearly two years older (not to say we expect the jump from 6.1 to 6.5 feel like two years' worth of improvement, but still). Heck, we can't believe we're saying this, but we think it might even be worth their while to delay the phone by a few weeks if it meant they'd be able to be on shelves with 6.5 from day one -- but maybe that's why we're writers and not Verizon marketing strategists.
[Via
pocketnow.com]
posted Oct 1st 2009 9:08AM
akkkkk!! say it ain't so...
Verizon Marketing Strategy:
If phone comes with useful features that can be locked, lock them to pay services.
If phone comes with sufficient amount of memory, cut it in half.
If phone could come with some sort of updated OS, sell with last gen OS instead.
Charge unreasonable amount per month for service that's not really usable since all features are locked and phone is crippled.
Keep repeating "The Network" over and over and people will come to believe it's true for no good reason.
Profit!
i know, worst_news_ever! i was hoping the hold-up was because they would release it with 6.5 like at&t is doing with the tp2. i'm still leaving at&t for this phone though, i might ogle and fondle the imagio a little first though ;)
how come verizon got so many good winmo phones recently?
Am I the only one who remembers that WeatherBug is shitty shitty spyware? Why would I want it in my phone?
weatherbug is even crappy on a PC.....tried it 2 years ago, never again
No trust me you're not. Every time I see the name I get an impulse to scan my computer.
Oh brother! The phone for sales goes down the toilet when someone mentions winmo.
So is that why more phones have it than almost all of the others?
@Look_Around_You
No idea. Windows Mobile only got 9.3% of smartphone sales for last quarter. My guess is that everyone is hedging their bets with both Android and Windows Mobile offerings.
Honestly, with the custom Omnia home screen and related apps, they do a pretty decent job covering up WinMO running behind the scenes. Most common users will probably never have to leave the Omnia eco-system, and so wouldn't be exposed to the underlying OS.
Not sure about this but i think the word you want is: "TouchWiz".
Also, unlike low end Samsung phones there is a 'start' bar at the top so users will immediately notice the windows aspect (not that this is at all a bad thing)
I have to hand it to Verizon, they have been getting some pretty decent phones lately (albeit, I have no idea if they've crippled them or not). This is an area they've always lagged in, especially compared to AT&T, who, on the other hand, has had relatively little going on in the way of new and interesting devices. Probably the price they're paying for making the iPhone exclusive.
I think Verizon has a good collection of B- to B+ plus. Nothing A+ like the Pre or iPhone yet, but a decent collection of "pretty good" phones. I think the Omnia II with its awesome screen and video recording is going to be a big hit.
You're wrong. The exclusive agreement doesn't prevent AT&T from selling other phones,
it means Apple can't sell iPhone to other carriers in the US. AT&T does sell BB phones.
They just don't sell many WinMo phones for obvious reason. People don't want them!
@GregE117
When you say A+ you mean spending millions and millions on marketing to shove it down everyone's throat?
"They just don't sell many WinMo phones for obvious reason. People don't want them!"
Nah, no one wants one....Except all of the people that have it.
And with the dozens of models that are going to be sold next year you have all the evidence you need that no one wants them.
I wonder if it's because the Imagio has V-Cast and they want that phone/service to to be the more desirable or the two.
Verizon having marketing strategists. You're funny Chris.
there is little in my life i regret as much as my omnia 1 + 2 year contract renewal with vzw
what a POS
nothing better than having to use fingernails or a stylus to use my sh_t phone while everyone else actually enjoys using their you know what phones...
touchwiz my as_
go here: http://www.modaco.com/category/405/i910-specific-omnia-rom-discussion/ register and read up on how to flash your ROM first. Make sure you register so you can see the screen shots. Find a ROM you like, (I prefer the Manila 2D from Bgill55) flash a 6.5 ROM and throw your stylus away because you'll never need it again.
Yup, Verizon is dead.
Is that why they have the largest number of subscribers? Just because they have shit phones doesn't mean they don't get business. Supreme coverage is still important to most people.
The demo models floating around have 6.1.. that's probably a good sign the release will. Even more lame is that it is not an international phone.
Hey moron it's not fake because it came from Samsung's Website and they already have a website dedicated to it. http://omnia.samsungmobile.com/omnia2/ You just got owned NOOB!!!
Easy there. You don't want to hurt his feelings now do you?
Yup that sounds about right. 6.1 untils they validate the 6.5 release.
"Heck, we can't believe we're saying this, but we think it might even be worth their while to delay the phone by a few weeks if it meant they'd be able to be on shelves with 6.5 from day one -- but maybe that's why we're writers and not Verizon marketing strategists."
Not me. I want this phone NOW!
Also, it's rumored that there have been some issues with putting WinMo 6.5 on this phone (on the verizon side of things). The word is it could take until around January 2010 for that to happen. That's too long for me to wait. I can live with 6.1 for a few months, but I can't live without this phone at all for a few months.
hopefully this has better specs than the touch pro 2.
better specs? This thing utterly rapes the touch pro 2 with 800mhz processor, 3.7 inch battery-saving AMOLED screen and at least 8GB of built in memory.
Gahhhh so much moaning around here.
The Omnia II is a decent handset, I hope that O2 UK get it also so I can choose between the Leo, Omnia II and Galaxy when my upgrade comes net month.
Does anyone know what size memory Verizon will be offering on its Omnia II, I believe there are 4,8 and 16gb variants.
The Omnia also has a SDHC slot, so you could in theory get up to 80gb of storage on this thing, that along with the AMOLED screen and upto 4 days battery life are all pulses on this handset.
Wait for the Omnia 2 with or without 6.5. Who cares. Put SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 on it and you'll never see WinMo anyway. Check out the latest iteration of SPB. Holy Sh*t!!! Bad to the bone baby!!!!
sorry, but no one should have to resort to SPB. at some point you still have to create a calendar item or change a setting...and then, there it is again - winblows
i am running SPB and it's better, but that's like saying you have uncontrolled diarrhea but at least you have a toilet nearby
who cares how versatile winmo is. they had over a decade head start and it reeks.
running stock VZ rom, and earlier this week had to do 4 soft resets between 7 am and 11:30 am. did i say pos?
Well someone help me, I have a the first Omnia, and it's terrible. Using TouchWiz is my preference, but it's so jittery and it lags so bad, I have to restart the phone like a PC on the regular. I wanted to hold out for a early October update to 6.5 but if it's not coming out "for a while" should I keep this phone, or try to bug Verizon for another phone?
If you want a state of the art display that will pawn other phones and even LCD TVs, then get Samsung Amoled Technology. None of you guys appreciate exactly what technology Samsung is putting into their phones.
YOu have a 800 Mhz processor with open GL 2.0. As well, an Amoled 800 by 480 HD display that will blow the Icrap and the palm out of the water. And yet idiots here are calling the Omnia II a B phone? Compared to the rated a to A+ iphone and palm pre?? Are you freaking kidding me?
Samsung is even coming with a 12MP 3X optical zoom AMOLED HD RECORDING phone next year. iphone sucks mighty balls compared to that. If, the iphone came up with their own techology, like using Samsung processors and RAM and LG displays, that come up with 1ghz processor, 512 MB RAM, 10 X OPtical Zoom DSLR cameras, yeah I would give the crown and bow down to the APPLE gods. But, that isn't reality and yet people here are sucking on APples titties if what the next best thing to Sliced Bread. Give me a break.
Yes, Verizon isn't the best carrier out there. They got good connections but is waaay too pricy. But Samsung phones are worth the price of admission.
Enjoy your museum quality video and your Cray-scale processing.
If I can't use my phone in the car, or when I'm walking, or if I have to keep a stylus nearby, who gives a rats as_ how good the hardware OR the network is.
There is still no official Pandora support, NONE of the websites that I frequent have released WM apps, it crashes like mad, can't find a game for the life of me...
For years people beat on Apples because there was no software to run on them, or it was incompatible. So, when they launched their product, they made sure no one would ever say there is no software. And if you ask me, that is the nail in the coffin for MS.
I was hating on the iPhone for about 3 mos, until I held one. And now after six mos on the Omnia 1, I feel I know enough about WM to know dung when I hold it. And when I reboot it.
JOe,
I agree with to an extent. Apple's software is really the killer blow though. The Apple team have some of the best software geniuses on the planet that makes navigating a touch screen phone a breeze. If Samsung traded their hardware techology for Apple's software know how, I think that would have been a fair trade for both sides. Unfortunately, I think other forces were in work and Samsung got the worse end of the iphone deal, for sure. I think apple pays them very little for their terrific processors and RAM. Samsung then gets owned software wise with slightly lackdaisacal software. What, Samsung needs to do is to hire more software engineers, or establish a software team that can pre-eminently provide a needed presense in their software architecture. The end result of Samsung's investement in Software will be muti-faceted. TV's, Computers, Phones, PDA's, Cameras all can benefit or be affected by Samsung's heavy Software technology. That would be if I was the CEO of Samsung.
It's a little premature to bash the phone based on OS version. Getting 6.5 on the phones will likely be a high priority, either way TouchWiz goes deep enough to where you almost have to go out of your way to get into native OS screens. Overall it's quite snappy save for a slight hiccup here and there.