Samsung Omnia W Preview
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Our Samsung Omnia W Review is now published - click here to read it.
Samsung Omnia W is part of the second batch of Windows Phones that are about to hit the market in time for the holidays, and judging by the “W” in the title, it is supposed to fit in the midrange spectrum of Samsung's WP portfolio.
The handset might actually be the Europe/Asia version of the Samsung Focus Flash for AT&T, as it sports the same 3.7” Super AMOLED display, 1.4GHz processor, 8GB of storage and 5MP camera with LED flash.
These specs, however, place it in the upper mid-range category, plus the handset runs the latest version of Windows Phone and sports a brushed metallic back cover. Are these features enticing enough to jump on the Mango gravy train? Read our preview to find out...
Design:
The Samsung Omnia W is a compact little handset save for the 0.43” (10.9 mm) profile, which is still decent. It is also very light at 4.07 oz (115 g), despite the metal element in the back cover, and pretty comfortable to hold and operate with one hand thanks to the tapered edges and the reasonably-sized screen.
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The Samsung Omnia W is a compact little handset | ||
The 3.7” Super AMOLED (not Plus) display is a good differentiator among the other new Windows Phone handsets that are about to flood the market soon. Its nice, saturated colors are quite appealing. The 480x800 pixels resolution should result in 252ppi pixel density, which is quite good, but due to the Pentile matrix, it is way less.
The display sports the usual for AMOLEDs pitch blacks, high contrast and very good viewing angles, but the colors displayed are on the colder side, again something that seems inherent to Super AMOLEDs, making white appear blueish.
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Front facing camera | Buttons below the display |
Overall the design of the Samsung Omnia W doesn't stray away from the Windows Phone guidelines, offering the obligatory three navigational keys below the screen, with a physical Home button, and a dedicated camera key plus LED flash to accompany the 5MP shooter on the back. The chassis is a tad bland but pleasant to hold and look at, and if the phone was offered in other colors than black it would even be a looker.
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Volume key on the left | 3.5mm jack on top | Power and camera keys on the right | microUSB port on the bottom |
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Back | Camera | Battery compartment |
Drag the picture or use the keyboard arrows to rotate the phone. Double click or press keyboard Space to zoom in/out
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11 Comments
2. fleanote posted on 13 Oct 2011, 09:43 0 0
If anyone who works for MS reads this, just know I am a huge fan of WinMo, but I really don't like teh 10% loss in home screen space to put the ARROW movement in. Make a capacitive button, or a swiping gesture to get there, but dont give me a 3.5/4" screen and then rob me of 10% of the usable space when I look down at it. Its a major detractor in a new world of big bold screens from other makers.
3. Axial (unregistered) posted on 13 Oct 2011, 10:24 1 0
You can swipe to get to apps already...
4. Shohid (unregistered) posted on 13 Oct 2011, 11:44 1 0
Great phone for first dabble in wp7. Seems better specked than the htc radar
5. Hi (unregistered) posted on 13 Oct 2011, 19:01 0 0
Am i the only person that dislike Windows Phone 'retro' style ?
6. gragonHDfones (unregistered) posted on 13 Oct 2011, 21:32 0 0
RETRO STYLE??? wtf? i don't think so. samsung is the one that designed the phone
9. Zeroadhesion (unregistered) posted on 14 Oct 2011, 16:49 0 0
Пич, от къде докопа телефона? :D Това Варна ли е?
10. rayjones09 posted on 14 Oct 2011, 23:12 0 0
PhoneArena! I keep checking your website everyday for a HTC Titan review! Please review it soon, thanks!
11. Axial (unregistered) posted on 15 Oct 2011, 20:28 1 0
I prefer the square-bodied, mostly aluminum with some polycarbonate construction on the Omnia 7. Very business-like. Honestly, I think sometimes they should save a little on R&D by just refreshing old phones. All they need to do is upgrade the SoC (for 1.4GHz and HSDPA 14.4+) and slap a front-facing camera on the Omnia 7 and I'd buy it again. Oh, and give me a 10% grey tile colour option.
In my unprofessional opinion, the Omnia 7 was in a league apart from the other first generation WP7 devices, and I've messed with them all before making my purchase. The closest phone to doing so was the HTC Trophy, because 3.8" to 4.0" is the perfect size for WP7, because it had a superbly sturdy build, because it wasn't overly huge (like the Surround), and because of the SRS sound enhancements. Camera was a let-down, however. You might call me an Omnia 7 fanboy, but I am for good reason. I want all of the WP7 devices to have the fit and finish of the Omnia 7. Nokia is looking like it will able to top it.
Oh, and the Omnia W is not tri-band like its predecessor. That means it is no-go for 3G in the USA on any network.
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