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Reviews icon Samsung Omnia CDMA Review

Samsung Omnia CDMA Review

Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless

Published on: 05 December, 2008 by PhoneArena Team

Click to see a large image.
Performance:

Due to the speed of the processor, the Omnia is one of the best performing Smartphones available from Verizon.

The call quality is good, with voices on both ends sounding clear and natural.  Unfortunately, the reception is somewhat disappointing, with only 1-2 bars showing in high coverage areas.  When traveling into fringe areas, several calls were dropped.  There was even times when using the browser we would get a message saying that there was low signal strength.

The 1440mAh battery is rated by Samsung to provide almost 6 hours of talk time or 19 days of standby time on a full charge.  We were able to achieve 7 hours of talk time by fully charging the battery, calling a landline, and keeping the phone connected until the battery was depleted.

We compared our SPB Benchmark results with the ones of the Samsung OMNIA and HTC Touch Pro CDMA for Verizon Wireless.

Conclusion:

We are pleased that the Omnia sold by Verizon is almost identical its GSM cousin, where often times the CDMA version ends up losing features.  It is truly one powerful device, combining a fast processor, Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system, 3.2” display, 5MP autofocus camera, EVDO Rev A, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, VZ Navigator, and 8GB of internal storage.  All of this combines to make one of the best Smartphones currently available from Verizon, even beating out the overly hyped BlackBerry Storm.




Pros

  • All-in-one Windows Mobile Smartphone
  • 5MP autofocus camera with flash
  • Large 3.2” display
  • DivX/XviD video support
  • Music player with FM radio
  • Good sound quality

Cons

  • Reception is lacking
  • Display is difficult to see in direct sunlight

PA rating

  • Design 8.5
  • Display 8.5
  • Camera 9
  • Sound Quality 7
  • Battery 9
  • Connectivity 9
  • Multimedia 9
  • Organizer 10
Excellent
9
out of 10

How do we rate?

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Comments icon User comments

User comments

Show only comments with rating Display mode
0
1.
i'm glad this is going so well for VZW and that it's so similiar to the GSM version. props to the boys in red for delivering a stellar phone with great features
0
36.
too bad they couldn't do the same with the Touch Pro.
hopefully the Diamond will be the same..
Reply to this comment
0
37.
What absolutely kills me is this phone got a 9 and the storm a 5.5. No offense to you guys as phonearena but the omnia is a disappointment to me so far. I sell both products and play with them in my down time. The Omnia hides it slow lag by flipping the screen when you move it from portrait to landscape. About half the time the Omnia doesnt feel me press it so i have to do it again. The plastic touch screen really feels cheap. Im just not impressed with it at all. It wont just scroll like you can with either the Iphone or storm. The just kinda flicking your finger thing. I find the side scroll bar very difficult to use just like the Dare. To give it some props i do enjoy how certain programs can be pulled out of the side and moved around the screen. When it does read the touch the feed back is nice. Keyboard wasnt bad although i still prefer the storms because my fingers mistype things all the time. But to give it a 9 is an over statement. I would give it a 7. I have been selling customers on the Saga like crazy. It has a touch screen, a keyboard, a stylis, and you can you use the middle sensor as a mouse. Four different ways to input data for literally any situation and its global. I talk business people out of the omnia all day. I wish Phonearena had a review for us who sell the device. I could post on customers but since i dont actually use the device it would be misleading.
Reply to this comment
0
46.
I must say it's sad to see you in a sales position pushing people away from this to the Saga. I'm all for World connect access, but everything I've read about the Saga says it's impossible to keep a charge on one battery for a full day. I don't care what positives there may be for the Saga, if it's dead by the time you get off work, it's no good at all. If Samsung solved the battery issue, you'd have a good case. Otherwise, your poor customers will be upset in no time and next time they'll go for AT&T or another provider.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #37 ( Show )
Reply to anonymous Hide 3 replies to this comment
0
2.
you didnt review the FM transmitter. after playing with it, this is where it falls flat. it barely works, and only works when you use earbuds!!..
the rest of the phone is fantastic thought.
0
3.
Yes, they did. Read page 5.
Reply to this comment
0
40.
You have to use the earbuds b/c that is where the antenna is. There is no FM receiver in the phone.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #3 ( Show )
Reply to anonymous Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
4.
I've seen the pictures done by the omnia and touch pro. How did you come up with the the results you got? http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=679747&highlight=omnia+touch+pro+pictures are taken by you I think since the pictures are the same on here as they are on there. I scored it a 8 out of 10 for the touch pro in that. Is anybody else with me on that? There seems to be heavy bias in this review
0
6.
iphonearena.com is biased towards a verizon phone? doubtful the phone is great i just found out today that i won one through my employer which i dont think i need be said. And im freakin stoked. ive been playing with the demo just TRYING to freeze, lock, screw it up some how and it just doesnt. great phone
This should have been where vzw put the bulk of the advertising.
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Reply to anonymous Hide 1 replies to this comment
0
7.
After using this Omnia and Verizon Touch Pro both for a few days, each of their own have their pro and con. On the Omnia, the biggest CON and noticable differences you will see compared with HTC series is the screen. Omnia has lower resolution, less bright, and less crisp screen compared with Diamond and Touch Pro. Verizon lock GPS and you can only use it with their VZNavigation. They remove and disable Internet Connection Sharing that comes with WM6.1. Touch Pro has 3D capability. Touch screen looks better design. TouchFlo UI is much more mature and design thatn Touch Wiz UI. Touch Wiz UI look like it was design for teenager with pretty colors.

The plus side, larger screen (3.2"). Slim and lighter than Touch Pro. The optical mouse feature is pretty neat and unique. Allows you to use the stylus less often (once you get the phone setup to your liking). The TouchWiz UI is pretty tailor to touch and as long as you are in it, you are fine with the touch feature. Some what responsive, faster than Touch Pro and accerator works better than Touch Pro. It has FM radio and Video Out connector. The business card scanner works okay. Interesting concept, not practical in everyday usage. 5MP camera, blah, a Sony 3MP real camera does better job.

Overall, I say the Omnia is a 7/10. It is a good phone for the average users. Ok phone for the power user if they could live with some issues or wait for Custom ROM to take care of. Super power user will absolutely hate this phone.
0
41.
Again, this is all up to personal preference. The VZW touch pro is nothing exciting in my opinion, but that's me. But I do love the TF3D on the Pro. SO here is how you compromise. XDA-developers have written a cab file taht does TF2D which is almost exactly like TF3d minus the 3d graphics chipset in the touchpro. I use it on my vx6900 and it is fantasitc. Load it on the omnia, and BAM! Best WM phone ever!
Reply to this comment
0
48.
I agree with Kilt...I loaded and tried SPB Shell, liked it and was about to keep it. Then I tried Manila 2D (TF2D interface system) and love it. It gives me quick access to everything I use frequently, looks good (Thanks to themes at samsung-omnia.org ) and works great. Only exception: it doesn't work well in landscape. But all I care is that my programs do, not the menu system.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #41 ( Show )
Reply to Smilepak Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
8.
"We wish it would of come with XM satalite radio instead."
Seriously? What cell phone has EVER come with satalite radio?
0
9.
If you're going to quote, do it right..."While having a built-in FM radio player is nice, we would have been more impressed if it offered XM Satellite radio instead." I think they mean that if it had XM, they would have been more impressed than the FM. Just because no phone has XM yet...desn't mean they aren't going to come out with it.
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Reply to anonymous Hide 1 replies to this comment
0
11.
This is a copy and paste from the review section...

I work as a tech manager in a VZW store in the NE area. I have had cellphones since 1992, and smartphones since 2004. I have had a Palm Treo 600, 650, 700p on Sprint, a Treo 650 on Verizon, a Moto Q and Q9m, a Blackberry 8830, an XV6800 (briefly), and most recently, an i760 from Samsung.

That being said, it's obvious that I like a physical keyboard, and this is my first touchscreen phone, let alone touchscreen/PDA phone. I use this type of phone as it is intended; I use the calendar, send email, edit Office documents (granted, simple ones), and surf the web. The camera is nice to have in a pinch, but I do have a regular camera as well.

So, here is my review of this phone. I am going through a learning curve not having a physical keyboard, but since I have used the Dare at work, and have been playing with the Storm, it is not totally unfamiliar territory to me. I am getting better at using it.

I like the feature set of the Omnia. Touchwiz is a very handy way to get to the most common options without going to the start button. The stylus not being attached to the phone is a bit of a negative for me. Since I carry my phone in a case, I'm afraid I'll lose the stylus; for now, I just use a closed pen when I need more accuracy than my finger permits.

I like the handwriting recognition; far better than the Palm Pilots I used to use before they integrated into phones.

This display is beautiful, very bright. The accelerometer works very well and the animation is eye pleasing without being laggy.

Another poster indicated the inability to initiate a call using a bluetooth headset. I am using the Jawbone2 and have no problems making/receiving calls.

I like the optical mouse; I find it very handy when surfing.

Like other posters, I find the battery life less than satisfying, but consider that this is really a small computer with a phone attached. All in all, not too bad.

I bought this phone without the benefit of playing with it first. I ordered it the day it came out online; and would buy it again blind.

If you need a PDA that is sleek, smart, and works as hard as you do, I recommend this phone to you. Data plan? Fact of life; everyone has a data plan requirement nowadays, even that fruit-based phone everyone talks about.

0
21.
how about the phone reception? It still has to work good as a phone. My blackeberry on att works awesome for reception, but I need a WM smartphone for work now. Does it hold a signal in better/average/worse in know good/bad areas?
Reply to this comment
0
33.
Phone reception is great. I live in the CT/RI corridor, and do very well with both reception and quality. Even in a shopping mall, I can hear and be heard with or without bluetooth. I use a Jawbone2 and am very happy with it paired with the phone.

I have only one beef after a little over a week with the phone, and that is the battery life. I am used to my i760 where I could easily swap out a spare battery if needed. I think I have a bad battery, and instead of dumping it, as other customers might do, I am giving it an honest try, and am going to get a replacement phone since I am in my 30 day period. I LOVE this phone, just need to get the battery level up. More on this as the situation develops. I still recommend this phone to WM users, and touchscreen lovers alike.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #21 ( Show )
Reply to BigRedNE Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
12.
I ordered this phone directly from Verizon. After using it, and it DOES take some getting used to, i would rate it an 8.5/10. Reasons being are few, but there. The touch screen is O.K.. It takes a little harder push then u would think. The windows mobile 6.1 is pretty complicated for guys like me who this is their first time using it. Would be much better if some of the windows mobile options were more oriented for your finger to touch, instead of the stylus (which i dont carry around to use). The camera is pretty nice, that is finger oriented, and takes great pictures. Texting and messaging is O.K.. Somtimes can be a pain to send messages using the QWERTY keyboard. Overall not too bad an experience with texting. Calling someone takes a little. There are a few different types of phonebooks i saw. One that was not related to windows mobile (finger friendly) and the other that was smaller and harder to use with your finger. Because this is a verizon phone, we are stuck with VZNavigator, and VZAppStore, which both are crap either way you try to get around it. Apps are WAYY overpriced, and VZNavigator is 10$ a month. This of course is verizon, not the phone itself. Overall, in my opinion, this phone would be much better, and easier to use, without windows mobile, but perhaps an iphone OS? lol Windows mobile has its perks, like using Microsoft office and stuff, but really and truly it is far more complicated than it could be. I do like the phone, enough to keep it. Oh, and i almost forgot, the Internet on opera 9.5 is beautiful. With verizons 3G network, it is BLAZING fast. I had 1 bar of signal and STILL loaded google quicker then my friend next to me on his iphone. So For all you people who say AT&T has a better network.. i disagree. If i have full bars, it loads even the biggest webpages so fast. That is one thing I am very pleased with. Overall, from what i can gather, this is the best new touch screen phone for verizon and I would recommend for someone who wants an iPhone like phone, but with a better network.
0
38.
Just to let you know. CDMA is not based on how much signal strength you have is how fast the network work/runs. ATT's broadband network with FULL signal strength will perform faster. 3G on a GSM network is different than CDMA. 3G on a GSM network will get slower and diminish with signal strength because of the way the packet data is sent over the network. CDMA is the same if it's 1bar of coverage or 4/5(Depending on phone). If both services had full signal strength and the same network congestion. The ATT 3G would be slightly faster. Overall performance the CDMA EVDO revA network will outperform with more average speeds probably more consistently. But then in return, GSM 3G allows you to use the data network and make phone calls at the same time. Not that all do this, but to each have there advantages. So to answer part of your statement. Yes, ATT has a quicker 3G network. As stable and as large? No. But it's what works for you in the end.
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Reply to x3no Hide 1 replies to this comment
0
13.
I find the inconsistencies in your reviews to be rather humerous. Take for example these two excerpts about VZ Navigator

From the Omnia Review:
It (VZ Navigator) is an excellent program and worth the price, but we whish the (free) Google Maps were also included.

From the Storm review:
VZ Navigator is still the worst carrier branded GPS solution, but it gets the job done. We’ll use it because it’s our only option.

so in one review its the worst carrier branded GPS and is only used because its the only option, and in the other its an excellent program and worth the 10$ price? you guys need to make changes in how you review.
0
15.
Agreed.
Reply to this comment
0
29.
they take shots at the storm and promote the omnia.

"Due to the speed of the processor, the Omnia is one of the best performing Smartphones available from Verizon."

The Storm has the speed for the processor. Highly biased review and web site. I played with the phone and hated the touch screen, it just isn't responsive, just like every other touch screen phone samsung comes out with for verizon.
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Reply to Midnight Hide 2 replies to this comment
0
14.
I just got this phone today and have been playing with many of its most-used features since. I was considering this, the touch pro, and storm, but from my experience with all of them, this one blows the others away. The touch screen is fantastic everything is do-able with fingers. it is very easy to use. for anyone on the fence between this or some other smartphone, the omnia doesn't disappoint
Reply to this comment
0
16.
Are you kidding a 9 maybe for features as far as battery goes it sucks wont even last half a day.Try reviewing battery life!!!!???use the goddam thing and check it out for yourself.A 9 yea but buy 4 extra batteries what a joke.
-1
17.
You are the first person I have seen complain about the battery life. Maybe you have a defective battery or phone? or maybe you use it alot more then most.. I would try an extended battery or take it to a store to see if they can replace the battery or phone for you.
Reply to this comment
-1
18.
the reason your battery life sucks is because you arent using task manager to shut down your applications after you're done using them
Reply to this comment
0
19.
http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1467857 http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1468513 I am not the only one my friend. Yes i did use task manager.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #18 ( Show )
0
20.
Go to phone scoop check out the review from joey301. Btw went through 2 omnias same problem thanks for the advise anyway.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #17 ( Show )
0
22.
"The 1440mAh battery is rated by Samsung to provide almost 6 hours of talk time or 19 days of standby time on a full charge. We were able to achieve 7 hours of talk time by fully charging the battery, calling a landline, and keeping the phone connected until the battery was depleted."

7 HOURS of talk time is not a bad battery. you have problems with your unit(s) or you are on the phone all day long in which case its not suprise you have to charge it up.
Reply to this comment
0
24.
Some of us cant read.
We get all ancy and have to reply asap.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #22 ( Show )
0
34.
There is no sanctioned extended battery yet. They are available on the web for the GSM flavor, but i'll wait for the blessed version. I don't want a $200 brick. Replacing the unit or the battry is a good option. I'm doing that myself right now.
Reply to this comment This comment is posted in response to #17 ( Show )
Reply to dennismc Hide 7 replies to this comment
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