Back in late September 2008, we reviewed the unlocked version of the Samsung Omnia and at the time, we didn't know if it would make it to the United States even with all the demand for the touch-screen smartphone. Well, it looks as if someone heard your cries because the Omnia has arrived at Verizon Wireless. We've got your hands-on look at the touch-screen smartphone and a full review, so check it out.
Previously only available as an unlocked phone, Verizon Wireless is making some people's holiday wishes come true as the carrier has picked up the Samsung Omnia (SCH-i910).
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Feature packed
Verizon's Omnia offers a lot of the same great features as the unlocked GSM version, including a large touch screen with Samsung's customizable TouchWiz user interface, a 5-megapixel camera, and integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. In addition, it adds support for the carrier's EV-DO Rev. A network.
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Attractive and solid
The Samsung Omnia is an eye-catching smartphone but in an understated way. It's simultaneously simple and elegant, with an attractive black-and-slate silver chassis. While light and compact, it has a nice solid construction and feels comfortable to hold and use as a phone.
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Slim and sleek
The Omnia features a slim candy bar design that measures 4.4 inches tall by 2.2 inches wide by 0.4 inch deep and weighs 4.4 ounces.
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Built-in accelerometer
There is a built-in accelerometer so the screen orientation will rotate from portrait to landscape mode when you turn the phone left or right. You get vibrating feedback when you rotate the phone, and it's also one of the most responsive accelerometer-equipped smartphones we've tested.
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Samsung Omnia versus BlackBerry Storm
Like the RIM BlackBerry Storm, the Omnia is not the best smartphone for those who need a messaging-centric device, since the onscreen keyboard is a bit cramped. That said, Omnia provided a better user experience and performance than the BlackBerry Storm.
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Optical mouse
While the Omnia is all about touch, you do get a couple of tactile buttons. Below the display, there are Talk and End keys, and a four-way directional pad/optical mouse. Unfortunately, we thought the trackpad was too small to really take advantage of the optical mouse capabilities.
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Advanced camera
The Omnia comes equipped with a 5-megapixel camera with a slew of advanced features, including auto focus, panorama mode, antishake, face detection, and SmileShot. It also took some high-quality photos.
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Expandable memory
While the unlocked version of the Omnia were offered in 16GB and 8GB capacities, Verizon will only offer the 8GB model. Still, that's a lot of memory plus you have the microSD/SDHC slot for expansion capabilities (accepts up to 16GB cards).
