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Samsung's Omnia "Millionaire Pack" is ironically only ???699
If you're going to equip yourself with a phone as luxurious and feature-packed as Samsung's Omnia to line your pocket, you may as well go for broke, right? The so-called "Millionaire Pack" bundles the high-end WinMo set with a matching Bluetooth headset -- a WEP350, if you're curious -- and a leather travel case to keep your beloved handset safe and secure on the road. There's also an issue of "Millionaire" magazine in there and an entry to win a three-day trip to Moscow for November's Millionaire Fair, where flashing your non-diamond-studded Omnia is sure to impress essentially no one. The whole package runs a stout €699 (about $1,021), which realistically, plenty of hundredaires and thousandaires should be able to swing.[Thanks, David]
Samsung A867, Sangria, and Mirage all coming to AT&T?
phoneArena has cobbled together all the details it could dig up on a trio of Samsungs apparently destined for AT&T, and needless to say, we're not looking at your average anonymous midrange flips here (and kudos to that, by the way). First up is the A767 "Sangria," which apparently borrows the i620 and i640's style but drops Windows Mobile to turn it into a strictly consumer device that's targeted for launch in late October. Next up, the A867 (cutesy name unknown) sorta looks like the mighty Omnia from its FCC filing, but it probably isn't for a couple very good reason: first, the FCC filing makes no mention of WiFi, and second, Samsung's smartphones start with "i." Finally, that i907 Mirage -- you know, the one everyone thought (hoped) might actually be the Omnia -- is said to actually be AT&T's version of the i780, featuring Windows Mobile Professional, triband HSDPA, a 2-megapixel cam, and that optical mouse Samsung has been featuring on its higher-end devices as of late. Pretty exciting stuff, eh?
AT&T's version of the Samsung Omnia actually the "Mirage," coming next month?
We're hearing that AT&T dealers are now being briefed on the upcoming Samsung i907 -- a phone that we'd like to believe will approximate the appearance and power of the i900 Omnia released overseas, though details are still slim on exactly what form its American cousin's going to take or what capabilities it'll offer. Whatever it is, though, current estimates have it available for order on October 7 as the "Mirage." In other words, yes, go ahead and kiss that Omnia name goodbye -- and really, "Mirage" seems like a perfectly fine name, as long as AT&T isn't trying to imply that it disappears as you get close to the launch date. More details on this one just as soon as we get 'em.[Thanks, Bill] Update: As we mentioned above, we're not sure exactly what the Mirage is -- so we wouldn't necessarily bet the farm on an Omnia clone here.
Is ASUS prepping a 5-megapixel Omnia challenger?
It looks like ASUS has more in store when it comes to touchscreen phones than that P552w we saw the other day. According to pictures leaked to the Mobile01 forums, the company is planning an Omnia-esque device that will feature a large (WQVGA or WVGA) touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, a trackball for non-touch navigation, and the predictable 3G radios / WiFi. Not much is known about the device at this point, though speculation is running rampant on the forum as to CPU specs and on-board memory. It's likely this will be at least competitive in comparison to recent Window Mobile devices we've seen of this variety, though nothing's certain till we get word from ASUS... which we're waiting patiently for, fellas.[Via wmpoweruser]
Video: Samsung's extraordinary i900 Omnia unboxing -- go ahead, press the red button
Yeah, we know that the video posted after the break is a corporate promotion loosed onto the Internets in hopes of going viral. But damn if this Samsung Omnia (i900) unboxing doesn't match our vision of how these oft tiresome rituals should be. What started a few years back as a cultural goof to poke fun at eager fanboy fanaticism has now become an integral part of a product's launch identity. But this, this is the future.[Thanks, Saad R.]
Samsung Omnia review
No longer does Windows Mobile alone a capable smartphone make. The platform's core is as relevant, powerful, and well-supported as ever, but that's not the problem -- the real issue is that it's just plain hard to look at. The days of WinMo looking even remotely modern in its stock form are long gone, and top-tier manufacturers clearly recognize that; everyone from ASUS to HTC has taken matters into their own hands to craft custom skins that kill off as many of the ancient visuals as possible while still holding onto everything that makes Windows Mobile great. Enter the Samsung i900 Omnia, a phone that submits to design direction forced upon the industry largely by the iPhone -- full touchscreen, no keyboard, you know the drill by now -- and does pretty much everything in its power to overcome WinMo's limitations to make it competitive in the year 2008. Did Sammy succeed? Read on. Thanks to the good folks at Wireless Imports for the hookup! %Gallery-29844%
Samsung i900 Omnia turning up in UK
The Windows Mobilicious i900 Omnia from Samsung definitely qualifies for the upper echelon of 2008's crop of smartphones, thanks in no small part to a 5 megapixel cam, capacitive touchscreen, and a UI that seems to do a bang-up job of concealing WinMo's ancient visuals. That's all well and good, but most of us don't live in a locale where the Omnia has launched on a carrier -- which is precisely why we should all be nice and jealous of our British friends righ about now. It seems the 16GB handset is now available through O2 over in those parts, and what's more, it's straight-up free if you sign up for a £35 (about $65) plan. Hey, American carriers, you guys paying attention here?
Samsung's i900 Omnia spotted with white battery cover
We can't really vituperate the i900 Omnia's standard looks, but we must say, this thing looks striking in white. Yeah, it's only the back panel (read: battery cover) getting the makeover, but word on the street has it that this thing will actually be offered in white (with the obligatory wavy pattern) in at least some regions of the world. So, what say you? Is this the model that now has your eye? Or does the original still do it for you?
Samsung Omnia gets previewed in final form
Arne over at the::unwired has his hands all up on the production version of Samsung's touchtastic Omnia i900, and yeah, it's pretty much official: the Touch Diamond has a solid competitor on its hands. The skinning Sammy's managed to perform here atop Windows Mobile's ancient UI might not be quite on part with the magic that is TouchFLO 3D, but it looks pretty close -- it's still better by leaps and bounds by the default, the transitions are kinda cool, and you're certainly going to want to use it if you're using this phone. Like the GSM version of the Touch Diamond, the Omnia sadly lacks any whiff of North American 3G (for the moment, anyhow), so this video is the closest many otherwise-interested yanks and canucks are going to get.
Samsung's i900 Omnia launching next week in Italy
If you've had your eye on Samsung's forthcoming Omnia, you've known good and well it was coming to Europe sometime this month. Thankfully, Sammy has removed the mystery by announcing that Italy will get first dibs when it launches in said country on July 22nd. We aren't told who will be second, third or last, but most major European locales should have it before September dawns. Obviously, prices will vary depending on operator and contract terms, but the 8GB edition (along with an Xbox 360 Arcade, as part of some random promotion) will reportedly be €499 ($789) without subsidy. Glean from that what you will.[Via phoneArena]
Samsung i900 Omnia vs. HTC Touch Diamond... fight!
At this point, neither the HTC Touch Diamond nor the Samsung i900 Omnia need any introduction, but we're happy to announce that these two have stepped into the squared circle and faced off in an epic nine-page battle. Reviewers manhandled both phones for an extended time and broke down the UI, hardware, features and overall usability, so if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, cover your face and head on down to the read link. We're warning you though, it gets ugly.[Thanks, Chavdar]
AT&T-branded Samsung Omnia in the works?
LG and Samsung just love throwing down the touchscreen gauntlet on American carriers lately -- one only need look at the Dare, Instinct, Vu, Voyager, and Glyde to figure that much out. Thing is, none of those devices really fall into the smartphone bucket, much less the coveted "superphone" one. That might just be where the recently-announced Samsung Omnia comes into play, though, which is now rumored to be destined for AT&T with a gaggle of features in tow: Windows Mobile 6.1, 5 megapixel camera, HSDPA, at least 8GB of internal storage, and support for AT&T Mobile TV. If it turns out to be true, that's got to steam LG, who's presently sitting atop the AT&T Mobile TV food chain with the Vu -- but hey, if that means they're going to set to work with another range-topper above this one, we're all for it.
Samsung's i900 Omnia surfs web on video
A full fortnight is way too long to go without seeing a little more of Samsung's Windows Mobile 6.1-powered i900 Omnia, so we were just tickled pink to find a new video showcasing the mobile's user interface. More specifically, the web browsing function gets most of the attention, and while it doesn't exactly look like a refined experience from here, why don't you head on past the break and judge for yourself?[Thanks, TUcow]
Samsung's i900 Omnia gets official, hands-on treatment
One of Samsung's worst kept secrets (if we can even call it that) has finally been "announced" by the company, and we're guessing the timing here isn't coincidental. Nevertheless, the Windows Mobile 6.1-powered i900 Omnia features quad-band GSM / GPRS / EDGE support, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, a built-in accelerometer, WiFi module, USB port, FM tuner, Bluetooth, 3.2-inch 400 x 240 resolution display and a 5-megapixel camera (with smile detection and geotagging). An 8GB and 16GB version will soon be available, and prospective buyers can expect to see Sammy's own TouchWiz user interface loaded on. Reportedly, the handset will be available later this month in undisclosed areas of the globe (probably after being showcased at CommunicAsia), while Europe is expected to see it in July. Hands-on photos await you in the read link.
