Samsung Omnia I910: Product Review

I always look forward to my Verizon Wireless "New every two" upgrade. A few months prior to my eligibility date I start browsing the new phones, looking for a suitable replacement. In today's hi tech market the choices are plentiful, and choosing the right device can be a challenge. There are so many different manufacturers and models to choose from! This time around I wanted my upgrade to be more than just a phone, and I set my sights on something in the smart phone category. "Smart phone" is a term that hardly does these devices justice, as I learned when comparing different possibilities for my upgrade. What I discovered is that these devices are more micro computers than they are phones. Many have all the capabilities of a pc, and the phone function is just a perk. After much browsing and comparing, I finally decided on the Samsung Omnia i910. I had considered a Blackberry but was turned off by the cluttered appearance. The iphone was also a possibility, but the price tag was unreasonable. It also lacks the Windows operating system, which I am very comfortable with.

I am pleased to say that the Omnia is all that I had hoped it would be. Of course it is my first experience with a smart phone, and I can't make an informed comparison with other devices in the same class. With that being said, I would recommend the Omnia to anyone looking for a smart phone for the first time. The pros greatly outnumber the cons.

As you would expect from a cell phone, the basic phone functions very well. It has enormous contact capacity, and all the convenience features you would expect in a high end device. Caller id, voice dialing, and a variety of messaging options. For phone calls and basic texting the Omnia works as well if not better than any stand alone cell phone I have used in the past.

Opting for something with more bells and whistles with this upgrade, I think I made the best possible choice.

The Omnia is truly a fully loaded mobile device. Features include a Windows Mobile 6.1 and two full html browsers. Internet explorer, which functions in much the same way as the pc version, and Opera Mobile. I am new to Opera, but find no fault in its ability to take me where I want to go. Connecting to the web is easily accomplished on the Verizon network as well as wifi and broad band. So far, I have found very few places where I was unable to connect to the internet with one of the available options.

Office Mobile is another feature offered on the Omnia. I didn't really need this one, but to demonstrate its functionality, this review is being brought to you, courtesy of Word Mobile and my two thumbs. Initially I was concerned that because I have fat thumbs, typing would be difficult. After just a little practice and learning the touch screen keyboard, I am having no trouble at all. Office Mobile also allows viewing of Powerpoint presentations, as well as a fully functional Excel Mobile.

My favorite feature, and probably the one that sold me on the Omnia over the rest, is the 5 megapixel camera with zoom and flash. It has replaced my stand alone camera entirely and also captures high quality video. I could write an entire review about the camera feature alone. A variety of picture modes allow the user to take clear and crisp pictures in any light and the photo editor is more than adequate. Sending pics and videos is easily accomplished in camera mode with just a few finger taps.

If you are in the market for a smart phone with apps in mind, the iphone is probably high up on your list. Omnia is an app monster with more choices than you will know what to do with. And if the 8 gigabytes of memory isn't enough for all of your add ons, Omnia is expendable to 16 gigabytes.

Maybe its just the newness of the idea, but I am really impressed with the touch screen technology. So far it has functioned flawlessly and I have hardly stopped playing with it for a month.

With any product there will be some room for improvement. The Omnia is no exception. There are a few things about this phone I would like to see fixed.

Problem #1. Samsung made no room to store the stylus inside rhetorical phone. Of is attached by a small lanyard and frequently gets in the way when talking. Hopefully this will be an improvement with the next generation Omnia.

Problem #2. When using a bluetooth headset the in call volume is awful. If there is any background noise at all, I can't hear the person on the other end. I am hoping for a software upgrade that will solve this one, as using a hands free device is almost a requirement in my line of work.

Problem #3. Ringer and alert tone volume is pretty poor. Although the Omnia is capable of doing so much, it is still a phone and I shouldn't have to strain my ears to hear it ringing.

I have read other reviews of the Omnia, in which other issues were mentioned. Most were things I would consider personal dislikes, not necessarily product fault. Like the saying goes, "You can't please everyone."

In conclusion, I find the Samsung Omnia i910 to be an excellent product and recommend it highly to anyone shopping for a first smart phone. Its features, functionality, and ease of use make it a good choice for smart phone novices. The smooth, uncluttered design makes it a pleasure to use. I am hopeful that my Omnia will continue to perform as well for the remainder of my contract as it has for the first month. That withstanding, it is a safe assumption that when my next upgrade rolls around I will be getting a future version of the Omnia or a similar smart phone by Samsung.

In the United States, the Samsung Omnia is available exclusively through Verizon Wireles.