Samsung Omnia CDMA Review

Introduction:

The Samsung Omnia i910 for Verizon Wireless is almost an exact clone of the GSM variant we reviewed earlier this summer.  It is an impressive device, combining a large 3.2” touch-sensitive display and 5MP autofocus camera with the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional operating system.  But it also comes with a few additional extras, such as the Opera 9.5 mobile browser, VZ Navigator, 8GB of internal storage, and the ability to playback DivX and XviD videos.  It is positioned to those individuals who prefer Windows Mobile instead of the BlackBerry OS, but are looking for an equivalent to the Storm, in terms of price and features.

The retail package includes the Omnia phone, 1440mAh battery with cover, wall charger, stylus, 3.5mm headset adapter with FM antenna, 2.5mm 3-way adapter, USB data cable, software CDs, and user manual.  Missing are the set of earbuds that comes included with the GSM model.  Our only complaint is that Samsung is still using their own proprietary port and cables, instead of adopting the more common microUSB standard.

Design:

The overall size of the Omnia is pleasing to hold, as it doesn’t feel too big or heavy, and since it’s not as thick as the Touch Pro, it can be placed indiscriminately in your pants' pocket.  It has a very simplistic appearance, where less is more, with only black plastic and shiny chrome used on the exterior.



You can compare the Samsung Omnia CDMA with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The impressive 3.2” display dominates the front, with a resolution of 240x400 pixels and 65K color support.  Despite its large size, we would like to see a higher-resolution WVGA display utilized, similar to the one on the Touch Pro or the Xperia X1.  Regardless, the screen offers good color representation with automatic and manual backlight adjustments, but it still can be difficult to view while in direct sunlight, just like the GSM model.  It also is pressure sensitive, like most Windows Mobile smartphones, where you can use your finger or a stylus to navigate through the OS.  It doesn’t require a hard press, but it is not as sensitive as the capacitive screens used on the iPhone and Motorola Krave.  Despite this, we had no issue using our finger for navigating through the phone’s software.

The only buttons occupying front are the rectangular Send and End keys, and an optical mouse that can be used as a virtual cursor or like a d-pad with 5-way navigation.  However, we didn’t have any use for it, since inputting directly with the touchscreen works best.  The only button on the top is for the Power, with the remainder located on the right side: Main Menu, Volume Rocker, and Camera.  Most of them have multiple functions when held down, activating the Voice Commands, Zoom, Flashlight, and Photo Slides.  On the opposite side is a protruding hook for attaching the stylus, which we didn’t  use, and the power/data port.  Located on the back is the 5MP camera with flash and the microSDHC slot, which supports 16GB cards, but requires the battery to be completely removed, thus eliminating the ability to hot-swap memory cards.