It's been a bit of a unicorn since making a
quick appearance at MIX, but we just got the chance to go hands-on with Samsung's
Omnia i8910-based Windows Phone 7 prototype phone. Interestingly, we were told that this hardware will never be released to market -- it's just for testing purposes right now. That testing is going quite well, as far as we can see -- Microsoft's people are starting to carry WP7 devices as their personal phones now, and while the software is still quite buggy, the build we saw in action was noticeably faster than before. We were also told that the hardware in the pipeline -- particularly from Samsung -- is apparently quite spectacular, and that this particular device doesn't represent the launch set of devices. We'll have to see -- we actually thought this prototype was quite handsome in person, although it's a little thicker than you might expect. Hit up the gallery for some more pics!
posted June 22nd 2010 8:31PM
This is MY phone. Or next one, at least.
@HowardtheDuck Got That Right!!!
@HowardtheDuck
Long Live Windows Phone!
@HowardtheDuck
Holy camera...
@HowardtheDuck
this is coming out at the right time wen my contract appears.
the only question i have to ask myself is WMP or ANDROID!
only time will tell...
@HowardtheDuck
Oh yeah. WP7 deliciousness.
@coolkams03
contract expires i mean **
@HowardtheDuck wow didn't think there were this many WP7 fans already. I'm a total cellphone nerd but I don't see the benefit. I do like windows 7, so I had high hopes.
WP7 I think is the best looking UI on all of the OS's out there.
@HowardtheDuck me too!! yay
@mikmik111
i agree and i purchased an EVO for my personal line which i love the phone best overall out here right now i think HOWEVER ive been waiting for WP7 for my business line and I truly believe the OS is better than ANDROID AND IPHONE 4....
@HowardtheDuck
Why would most people get this phone? The iPhone will be the same price and with a higher resolution crisper looking display for web browsing or ebooks. It's well known that Windows Phones with 350+ dpi won't be out for at least 4 years because Microsoft has already locked down its roadmap.
@HowardtheDuck - and the sheep line up for the slaughter...
@HowardtheDuck you havent seen Nokia N8, have you?
@prabs
Yes I have, and not a big fan of Symbian. I have an Android phone for that. Meego, on the other hand...
@jubby2000
They are using the i8910 as a reference design, which has one of the best cameras ever on a mobile device -- even beats the new iphones camera imho.
@HowardtheDuck
the phone is called Omnia HD
@HowardtheDuck
Adding my voice to the choir. I want to ditch iTunes so bad that I almost bought a ZuneHD last weekend. It says a lot when I'm considering a completely redundant device (I already have an iPhone) just so I can use the Zune software instead of iTunes.
@JS Hold on. So my HTC Touch Diamond, which has VGA screen and just 2.8'' , look better than the iPhone 3GS, 320×480 and 3.5'' ?
@HowardtheDuck
no vids. blasphemy
@Jollybee Yeah! Video or it didn't happen!
@HowardtheDuck hello there My name if Diego and windows phone 7 was my idea
Engadget get a WinPho7 and all they say is it's a nice prototype. put some videos indepth talk about the apps etc...
@kid300 Just admit androids ugly
It's actually NOT the omniaHD -- if you did some more research, it's just using the same reference design, but they replaced the internals...the cpu is a snapdragon, since windows phone 7 does not support the OMAP (omniaHD uses Omap3430).
@HowardtheDuck While I have high hopes for WP7 - I'm not thrilled with the prototype hardware. I'd definitely want something with a bigger screen, slimmer case and more refined design than that thing.
@loseover4
Welcome to the future. iPhone 4 != iPhone 3GS. Way to try and skew the argument.
That being said. I like how Windows Phone 7 is looking but I wanna see how it looks when the phones actually launch. Though my contract doesn't end for another year so I've got plenty of time.
Android and the iPhone is far far ahead. Even Symbian has more apps
@Apple Rocks HTC Sucks > i really don't see your point. What are your arguments ?
Windows Phone 7 *is* the next generation OS. iOS/Android/Symbian/WebOS are good in their latest versions, but they are all about old school concepts. The upgradable hubs of Windows Phone 7 is a brillant idea, and the "revolutionnary" ...folders... (sic) of iOS4 is just a bad joke aside it.
Anyway, fanboys will still stay blind to stuff like this. The only real question about WP7 is the devices quality : the iPhone 4 is on its own there, way beyond HTC and others in terms of look and use of premium materials. I hope the Dell won't be too bad but it seems closer to a 3GS... We'll see what's coming very soon anyway...
Is that a WP7 device sexing an iPhone in the last picture? What beautiful babies they'd have!
@geoken
Are you thinking about Zune Pass too? You will love the Zune HD if you get Zune Pass too. I'm sure you'll still be happy without Zune Pass, but seriously, the subscription is what makes Zune great.
@mikmik111 really? To me the UI looks horrible, I guess I'm not a fan of the tials.
@HowardtheDuck You aren't going to hold out for an HTC? I'm waiting for news on the HTC Gold_W for Sprint. I'm hoping it has a TP2 like Keybopard but witha 4.3inch screen. That's my dream device.
@Jollybee Madness!
@TheOtherJames
Agreed. I love streaming whatever music I want, wherever I want. I'd suggest the Zune HD base station (HDMI and toslink output). Plug it into your TV, watch movies, stream music, then pick it up and bring it with you. Best experience I've ever had with any PMP device.
If the Dell Lightning comes out for T-Mobile, I'm all over it. ^_^
@Evster88, I really hope some of these get CDMA versions.
@Evster88
My thoughts exactly.
@Evster88
Please oh please oh please.....
@Evster88
Ditto!
Already that flag on the front scares me.
BOOM goes the dynamite! Go WinMo..errr....WP7S....err...WP7!
All these windows phone 7a are crap gadget ready. Let's face it, windows 7 is the "Kia" of the mobile phone OS space; it's ok but no one takes notice of "ok."
@rmorgens28
Dude... it's a prototype... browsing these parts of the internets requires one ability: *Reading Comprehension*
@Plazmic Flame prototype shmototype. in regards to WP7 OS. A famous man once said, if you're not 1st, you're last. Microsoft, of all firms, should know this. IP4, 600k units in the 1st day. Let me take my last comment back. All of these WP7s are thepontiac aztec of the mobile phone market...
@rmorgens28
who was the first to create and implement OS for computers? was it Apple? or someone else? and who is dominating that field now? is it Microsoft?
@rmorgens28
Let me guess, everyone was ignoring your whining in the iP4 thread, so you figured you'd come troll here?
Wow. You have no idea what you're taking about.
@Mamacita
Wow, that has to be probably the most uninformed comment I've ever seen on a website full of gadget geeks.
@Mamacita
Pretty rare to have a much dumber reply to an already downranked-into-oblivion original comment.
@Mamacita
Macs had GUI OS before Microsoft. Reason why Win dominates Mac today is price and most people learned windows at work.
Which one is better?