Samsung Omnia – New iPhone 3G Killer?

Thursday, 26 Jun 2008 at 3:23 pm 143 Comments
Categories: Gadgets, Mobile Internet Devices
Tags: i900, iPhone, Omnia, Samsung, Smartphone

The Samsung Omnia has become the No.1 in my must-get list instead of the new iPhone 3G. Here, I’ll tell you why…

First you must go read the Seven iPhone Disappointments – quite a nasty review – It doesn’t sound like a usable phone. Also, a couple of iPhone users advised me against getting it. Instead, they recommended the new Samsung i900 Omnia.

Here’s a Samsung Omnia review – actually it’s a comparison:

iPhone 3G vs Samsung i900 vs HTC Touch Diamond

and the Samsung Omnia seems to be the obvious winner here.

Youtube Video: Samsung Omnia Review

I always wanted to get a Samsung. I am sick of Nokia! However, I am stuck with my existing phone because I still have more than 12 months contract on my current plan. The price of Samsumg Omnia without contract is pretty steep.

The Samsung Omnia looks good, isn’t it? In fact, it looks as cool as the iPhone. Here’s the Omnia specifications.

Samsung Omnia Specifications

**I particular like the idea of the 5MP auto-focus camera with flash, Divx/H.264 video and embedded GPS. Also the Samsung Omnia OS is Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, meaning a wide range of application software can be installed.

Update 28 Jul 2008: This blog is currently ranked Number 1 when you searched for omnia review at Google.com.sg. I really wish I could get hold of this phone and do a proper review. For more information on Omnia blogs, visit SamsungMobileBlog.com.sg

Update 9 October 2008: Thank you for all the comments. Please keep them coming. And for those who prefer to discuss using a forum, please visit Samsung Omnia Forum at http://www.zest.sg/forum/latest-gadgets-f17/samsung-omnia-t36.html

Samsung Omnia HD

Update 1 March 2009: Just got to know that Samsung launched a sequel to the Omnia. After some research on Google, I believe the new Samsung Omnia HD will be a winner. I will definitely like to lay my hand on it and test out the high-definition video recording and watching HD movie on-the-go.

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Comments

29 Jun 2008 @ 12:26 pm

Confidant says

1. Samsung i900 Omnia, sold without user manual to hide fault with phone. No user manual was found on any of samsung website.

2. The NavFone is place on the 1GB expended memory because the expended memory cannot support 8GB as it claim. I try putting 2GB and it start to stall.
30 Jun 2008 @ 3:19 pm

PotentialOmniaSwitcher says

While this is probably not the complete user manual, this user manual may be helpful to some folks!
30 Jul 2008 @ 6:28 pm

Samsung i900 Omnia Review | myhphone.com says

[...] see Samsung i900 Omnia has everything packed in one single smart device. Someone has even said that Omnia going to be the killer for iphone. Well, I don’t think that will happened, since Omnia is lot more expensive then iphone 3G ( [...]
3 Aug 2008 @ 5:41 pm

bluelights says

nice blog… thanks for the video link too!
3 Aug 2008 @ 11:26 pm

MR W says

try http://samsung-resource.blogspot.com for more tip and tricks, as well as how to configure Omnia to read Mandarin. =)
3 Aug 2008 @ 11:27 pm

MR W says

and btw, you can download the user manual free at http://www.lostmymanual.org
12 Aug 2008 @ 10:11 pm

PSP Hacks says

Its a iphone 3g killer alright, real gps (can use tomtom, garmin xt etc) mircosd slot up to 16gb. The iphone is no longer king.
14 Aug 2008 @ 10:15 am

Jusper says

My Omnia is HOT!

I’m a current Omnia user (EX-Nokia fan). The functionality takes some getting use to as there is just so much great stuff on the phone. My only peeve is the battery life. I understand that large display phones (N95 and the like) will always draw a large amount of battery life however, I cannot understand why my phone is always hot. Yes hot. Even when I’m not using any applications or any of the connectivity functions my phone heats up in my pocket and automatically connects to the HSDPA or 3G and drains the batt life… that’s my only real grievance.
14 Aug 2008 @ 6:29 pm

wassup says

I heard the price of Omnia is S$880 without contract at Little India. How much did you pay for your Omnia without contract?
20 Aug 2008 @ 9:33 am

daniel says

omnia phone look cool but the touch screen not as good as F480 samsung if omnia touch screen can improve that will be great
22 Aug 2008 @ 12:21 pm

wassup says

Hi daniel,

Thanks for the feedback. Any idea how the touch screen compared with iPhone 3G?
22 Aug 2008 @ 10:25 pm

airasiana says

No iphone in malaysia yet,so i bought samsung OMNIA even though i am a mac lover..It cost me about RM2799. It works great and i am happy with this new gadget. I can forget about buying unlocked iphone now ..
23 Aug 2008 @ 3:16 pm

iPhone Killer will not be a phone « Technology, Mobility, Usability and other Musings says

[...] Killer, there’ve been plenty of Top 10 iPhone Killers lists. Every time a flagship product is launched or announced from leading handset manufacturers it’s touted to be the iPhone [...]
23 Aug 2008 @ 3:22 pm

Mark R says

Hi Jusper, I noticed it getting hot too. And would like to know why?
29 Aug 2008 @ 10:13 am

jimmysam says

hi mark n jusper~~~~
my Omnia also encounter this problem,
after watching a 10 min video clip, the phone
start to warm……….

quite worry about this issue.. : (
3 Sep 2008 @ 3:03 am

Angelina Jolie says

Hi, why Omnia can only read 1 Telephone/Handphone number in Sim Contacts? Usually we stored 2 number “Mobile” & “Home” but the displaying only listed 1 number only then where’s another numbers goes?? This phone is complicated while setting ringtones & update new no. to sim contact…zzz..
5 Sep 2008 @ 12:38 am

matwala says

I juz bought a Omnia.. what i dun like abt the phone is the side slot of the USB. If you want to hear music, the side slot door needs to be opened (located at bottom left) for you to slot the USB headset jack. this leaves the slot door at a very fragile edge and with the side door in this location, I dun dare put the phone in the pants pocket for fear of breaking the side slot door. This is poor design as compared with iphone where its very conveniently located at the top and no door for the headset jack.
5 Sep 2008 @ 12:41 am

matwala says

Omnia has come up with a lot of things in the phone… but its very messy and not user friendly as the iphone. But then again iphone has got its own problems. looks like you can’t get a perfect phone.
5 Sep 2008 @ 7:05 pm

adel says

does it work with mac computers?
8 Sep 2008 @ 10:59 am

DL says

Hi, I’m a new Omnia owner (and still using my N95 8GB, previously N93, SX1). As a seasoned Symbian user (and an Ex-PPC user) the Omnia with it’s Windows Mobile interface took a while to get used to, but after that, it BLEW ME AWAY.

Besides being a great phone, it came with even more cool things than my Symbian phones could ever do.

Pros:
1. Plays back almost any media I could throw at it, even HD video
2. Radio is very clear
3. User Interface is highly customisable (I recommend getting the spb that makes it feel like the htc touch).
4. PIM is highly usable and the Smart Reader scans business cards with 99% accuracy (the odd spelling error)
5. Loads of fun software to put inside it’s massive 16GB storage.
6. 8GB MicroSDHC works perfectly well.
7. mini mouse pad works well too
8. Opera (nuff said)
9. Lots of Camera options, … even slow-motion video.
9a. Smile detection is brilliant, as is the multi-face tracking.
10. Photo slideshow (Digital Frame) is brilliant! Even has ken burns effect like in the iPhoto.
11. Office Mobile!
12. GPS!
13. Able to shut down all running programs…. I’m used to this since PPC days, however, having a dedicated hw button is useful.
14. Auto Screen Rotate works (sometimes too well)
15. Auto backlight adjustment is spot on

Cons.
1. Screen should have been VGA
1a. Screen should have better visibility to handle sunlight
2. Should have a mini audio jack
3. Video Recording has major artifacting issues and jerky at VGA resolution.
4. Should come with more games.
5. Podcast handling is subpar (The N95 did it brilliantly).
6. It hangs….. sometimes (as did my N95).
7. GPS is less accurate than in the N95 8GB, and bundled software isn’t very good.

Having said all that, it would be hard to go back to anything without a touch screen…

And as an iphone killer…. maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but I’m loving my phone…. every moment of it!
8 Sep 2008 @ 11:55 am

wassup says

Wow!

Thanks DL, for the very detailed review on the Samsung Omnia.

And what a positive review. I am still trying to save money to own one of these touch-screen phones.
9 Sep 2008 @ 5:46 pm

DL says

Glad to add my 2c worth to this highly googled page

Fortunately the phone only cost me S$198 with a corporate plan that is covered by my company…

btw, I’m actually writing this reply on my Omnia
11 Sep 2008 @ 6:09 am

mel says

hey guys!

samsung omnia takes quite awhile to get the hang of it.

and yes! it always gets hot. does anyone has an answer to it? i was so afraid that it would overheat.

and the key-lock function is not as good as it seems. once there’s a new msg or call, it would auto-unlock and ended up msging and calling ppl unknowingly!

not forgetting the always unable to functino camera.
mine always tells me “video memory not enough, pls close all other applications”. even after i ended the other applications, it still cant work!

lol.

however, it is still better than iphone. the camera comes with multiple functions and flash, and the media player is very user-friendly! =)
11 Sep 2008 @ 7:12 am

ray says

good review i900 needs ear jack, mini usb, a good firmware update, stero speakers like n95, steel back plate, samsung this was so easy to do
11 Sep 2008 @ 7:49 am

BGL says

Hey DL, do u have any heat problems with ur omnia?
Some people also said that the phone actually feels cheap and plasticky, what do u think?
Also, how is the touchscreen? Is that as responsive as expected?
I’m so excited to get my omnia in couple days….
13 Sep 2008 @ 9:33 am

DL says

It gets hot in the following instances:
Downloading stuff (WIFI and 3G+)
Watching Videos
Just plain old surfing
Recording Videos

I think that the parts that heat up the most are the storage card and the Comms (antennae area).

And if you’re not doing anything, don’t forget to end all tasks or the phone will continue to run it in the background (especially with podcasts). You should also switch off WIFI when you’re not using it.
13 Sep 2008 @ 9:36 am

DL says

Forgot to mention, the touchscreen is pretty good…. and the Samsung Widgets do make it feel kinda like a mini-Vista.

But the trick is to install SPB’s interface which adds the HTC Touch’s GUI…. and that to me makes the phone complete.
15 Sep 2008 @ 1:48 am

Rama says

Can any one tell me the price of samsung i900 in india
15 Sep 2008 @ 3:05 pm

BGL says

Great..
I think I’m gonna love this phone. Yeaah!
Also, do u experience the error message (memory n others)?
thanks DL!
15 Sep 2008 @ 9:28 pm

jay says

I’m an experienced Windows Mobile user so I’m not complaining about the lack of a detailed manual. In fact the Omnia has already gone a long way in improving Windows Mobile usability and I commend Samsung for that.

Got rid of the widgets after a week. I like the other multifunction today screen.

My biggest gripe is the internal memory for programs (RAM). The 16GB (Actually 14GB) “My Storage” is not a problem but programs need RAM to run. And the RAM is not enough. I just installed Japanese font which takes up 8MB to the main memory (shared with RAM) because it’s the only place that it will work and now I’m left with so little memory to work with. Memory bottleneck makes the phone hang already.

But all-in-all, it’s a good phone function-wise.
16 Sep 2008 @ 1:58 am

Pete says

Samsung i900 Omnia – New iPhone 3G Killer? heh I doubt so, How can describe the i900 Omnia -> Jack of all trades, Master at NONE…. hideous interface and design. Seems all the phone mfg wants a iPhone, all playing catchup.
16 Sep 2008 @ 8:13 am

QVN says

I’m going to buy Omnia but quite worry abt the heat problem. Is it really serious?
17 Sep 2008 @ 11:29 pm

liyan says

the touchscreen sensitivity is BAD… nothing compared to the iphone… seriously…

yes and the RAM is horrible… you need to end all tasks to run the camera…

the interface is so unfriendly you gotta go for an “omnia workshop” to get round it.. and samsung’s service is HORRID…
18 Sep 2008 @ 3:28 am

andreas says

liyan: FUD
18 Sep 2008 @ 8:38 pm

Samsung Omnia Contest - Scam? says

[...] course not lah! I would be telling the whole world about winning a Samsung Omnia – at this [...]
19 Sep 2008 @ 11:02 am

meL says

my girlfriend has this phone and when we bluetooth files over to it we can’t seem to find it. can anyone help? i’ve been using windows mobile for the past 5 years but for omnia it does not auto save the file in My Documents folder. plase help
19 Sep 2008 @ 2:23 pm

DL says

hi meL, I am afraid you are mistaken.
The sent files will be in the My Documents folder.

Unless you are looking at the My Documents Folder in the “My Storage” portion, the received files will all be in the My Documents Folder when you view “My Device” in the File Explorer.

Hope that helps
20 Sep 2008 @ 10:51 pm

rishi says

hey dl i had the same problem as meL.. but what do i do?? when ever i try taking pictures it says “video memory not enough, pls close all other applications”. even after i ended the other applications, it still cant work!.. how do i change my memory..
22 Sep 2008 @ 9:33 pm

Keith says

Just had that exact same problem, any ideas what I do?
23 Sep 2008 @ 2:53 am

H says

i 2 have the same problam meL and rishi about thw bluetouth problam.what i fugered out is if its a pic or something then we find it in my docs but if is more then 5 mb then they get lost magically and the hardest part is that the memory is also used and we cant find the file
23 Sep 2008 @ 3:00 pm

T.C. says

This is a dream phone. If you’re a “techie”!!! Hands on, it’s user friendly. There is a manual on the website too… It’s fast as you switch on from one app. to another. If you’re having problems with it’s touch screen you must not have set it properly to your preference. If you’ve been a smart phone user all this while using this phone is a breeze. If you’re the sort who just bought it for show..and don’t know how to optimize it’s use then don’t get one. But,it is a definite IPHONE killer… IPHONE 2 still didn’t provide a lot of things from their 1st version the only new thing “INTERNET SPEED”… so much for 2nd versions… one thing for sure… their marketing is damn good… I’m an avid MAC USER , but OMNIA fulfilled a lot of what I needed… phone wise.
24 Sep 2008 @ 8:50 am

Wassup says

I wonder why iPhone users not giving their comments here. It is because iPhone is so perfect that nothing need to be said. Or people buy iPhone not to be used as a mobile phone?!
25 Sep 2008 @ 9:26 am

Alan says

Anyone have this problem of opening the camera function? Its always says not enough video memory and thus I cannot use the camera. I have to do a reset in order to start the camera function again. Anyone has a solution to this problem?
25 Sep 2008 @ 9:38 am

Alan says

Oh, I realized i’m the third or fourth person voicing out this problem. Why is there no answer to this question about the camera?? Is nobody else experiencing this camera video memory not enough problem??
25 Sep 2008 @ 10:04 pm

Angel says

I recently got an Omnia, i did have trouble starting up the camera at first, i think i did a master reset, and restarted the phone,it now works when i go into the program from the windows menu, but it still wont open by pressing the top button next to the volume keys, also, i dont know if anyone else is having this problem, but my mum and i both got the omnia at the same time, and for some reason if the phone is left on the side, locked or unlocked, sometimes it will just answer itself without ringing or any warning, and people will be shouting down the phone for ages until i eventually hear it, my mum has the same problem, this could be quite embarrasing if it is not sorted, i have turned the auto answer off, and searched the phone and manual for hours for a solution. Please help!
26 Sep 2008 @ 3:42 am

tap says

i dont know if you’ve already mentioned it, but I found going into task manager and turning off all running apps lets the camera work again. prior to doing this, it said there wasnt enough video memory
26 Sep 2008 @ 11:17 am

felix says

Omnia does have many pluses i agree!
But it still lies on the backbone of windows mobile devices.
Im currently a newbie for the iphone 3g and all i can say it blows my not so geeky friends away! ;p
Iphone 3g is not some supermulti function phone compared to omnia. But its the interface and the redesigning of the phone which creates a brand new Interface for the middle class people.
U can easily download legal and free apps created by many people (about 6 aday to keep you occupied) juz by logging on wifi.
One key feature is the sms function whereby it works like a chat log that you guys might find it cool!
Get the iphone if you are a music lover, thrill seeker and a apple wannabe.
Get omnia if you juz wan to conform to the windows mobile standard> HTC,DOpod,Samsung and many others use the same Windows Framework
26 Sep 2008 @ 1:05 pm

eunice says

jus a question here, does this omnia have internet or wifi abilities?

thank you!
26 Sep 2008 @ 7:54 pm

Audrey says

Im considering to get an Omnia or HTC Diamond. Am reallie in a dilema. Anyone can suggest as i can see Omnia has got quite a big of problem here.
27 Sep 2008 @ 12:14 am

Why People Buy « Storagedumpasia’s Weblog says

[...] Samsung Omnia i900 CNETAsia: Samsung Omnia SGH-i900 (8GB) Wassup: Samsung Omnia – New 3G iPhone Killer? Pocketnow: Review – Samsung Omnia [...]
27 Sep 2008 @ 3:26 pm

AdrianLee says

This post alone has many positive reviews of the Samsung Omnia. This confirms my decision to get myself one.
27 Sep 2008 @ 4:52 pm

T.C. says

There’s a small white switch on the side,with a small icon like a box..it’s along side the camera buttons and volume buttons on the topmost part of the right side..press it long the phone will prompt you to end tasks…that would be faster than tapping the task manager…upon pressing this button if you want to use the camera and it says for you to close all apps…that’s all you have to do press again that button to end all tasks and the camera should function already.. It works for me,I hope this could help..
27 Sep 2008 @ 4:53 pm

T.C. says

And yes it is WI-FI.
28 Sep 2008 @ 4:06 am

T.C. says

But before you do this , check your button assignments first..that button (the small one topmost on the left) should have task switcher assigned to it…
28 Sep 2008 @ 4:07 am

T.C. says

Sorry , right if the phone is facing you…
29 Sep 2008 @ 6:52 am

mimi says

could anyone help me out? ive changed my omnia twice, but it has this thing where anytime i get a call it answers itself within seconds without me even realising. ive checked the auto answer several times and have even got to the point where im trying to divert all my calls to voicemail to avoid any embarrassing situations. any ideas?
29 Sep 2008 @ 6:12 pm

T.C. says

Go to settings ,tap PHONE. Look at the tabs below,move arrow til you rech the TAB that says MORE. Then HIGHLIGHT, AUTO ANSWER then tap GET SETTINGS then choose OFF .
30 Sep 2008 @ 3:11 pm

Jeremy says

“NOT ENOUGH VIDEO MEMORY. PLEASE CLOSE OTHER APPLICATIONS AND TRY AGAIN”

This errors keep haunting me ! Is there any other way beside switching on & off again ? though all the task has been killed . . . sigh
2 Oct 2008 @ 5:10 am

Mike says

Why can i not access my phones 16gb memory???? I JUST got the Omnia, bluetoothed some tracks to it (about and about 30 photos, now it wont let me add any more saying the memory is full. Then when i look, it says theres almost 16gb of memory left. How is this happening???? Why am i not able to use any of the phones memory??
2 Oct 2008 @ 9:07 am

ALI,Pakistani says

Currently I would prefer to buy OMNIA since i m WM user for last 2 years. But i wonder if Samsung can provide 16/8GB to Phone memory, why the can’t increase the Ram which is backbone to use this large memory. I’m afraid of the heating problem too which many of the users r mentioning here. But currently it is seem better than the rest so no choice!
3 Oct 2008 @ 1:23 am

Ben says

Does the omnia have full internet browser like the iphone or is it just wifi and wap???
4 Oct 2008 @ 10:37 am

zXioNGz says

Seriously speaking, i love this phone only after i d/l the SPB interface lol, previous icon is so CRAP!! haha Great phone 8/10 (2 for lagness)
4 Oct 2008 @ 10:39 am

zXioNGz says

Anyone tried the Video playback after Converting some files to put into?

I tried playing Mp4 with 400×240 converted, seems to get out of the Actual Video screen, some parts missing at the top and bottom lol, anyone have good converter? Currently using WinAVI
6 Oct 2008 @ 4:12 pm

Angel says

My phone still answers itself!! its nothing to do with turning auto answer off because ive done this several times and it never says it was on in the first place! im really not liking the new omnia, purely for the fact that it keeps answering itself!!
6 Oct 2008 @ 11:51 pm

enzo says

just ONe advice guys….. whats should i buy, the iphone 3G or the samsung i900?????
8 Oct 2008 @ 12:57 am

Ashleigh says

I have been having the same problem with the camera with “Not enough video memory. Please close other applications and try again” popping up all the time.

Pressing the ‘reset’ button makes the camera work for a while but then it does it again.

I asked at the shop where i bought it from and the assistant put ‘task manager’ in my start menu and if u go into that and ‘End all tasks’ like on your computer this makes it work too……..well most of the time. However this didnt work the other night when I went to see my favourite band and couldnt take any photos!! Very annoying!!

I dont know if there is anything else u can do?? I know if I go ask at the shop again, the day I go in it will probably be working and they will think im wrong! aargh! xxx
9 Oct 2008 @ 8:36 am

Richard says

Still waiting for o2 to get this phone??? It looks wicked. Are they any plans to get some in, or am I going to have to change over to another phone company or even worst will I have to get nokia n96/ iphone which I think are boring lol
9 Oct 2008 @ 10:59 am

Samsung Omnia Forum says

[...] earlier post on Samsung Omnia Review is getting good response from Omnia users and potential owners of the touch-screen mobile phone [...]
13 Oct 2008 @ 12:58 pm

enzo says

hey guys, i got myself the WITU ( thats what it’s called in moscow)…. I am so loving it…. i havent had any of the problems u guys complained about yet, i end all task before taking a picture and it responds very good…. i keep pretty few apps running and it practically doesnt heat up except it runs for a really long time…..it’s quite finger friendly than i expected….

But i can’t seem to play movies in it yet….all the movies i uploaded didnt play… say’s invalid format!
do i need a special kind of codec or do i have to change the format??? please advice.
13 Oct 2008 @ 6:19 pm

Mark says

Hey guys, I’ve been an Omnia user for about 4 weeks. Some things are great. Some things are far from great. Overall, I would not recommend this phone.
1. I have not worked out how to default savings files to “My Storage” rather then “My Device” for apps such as Media Centre, Camera etc. It means every time I launch the app, I need to always navigate from MyDevice to MyStorage..and its taking up precious memory on MyDevice.
2. ..and this is a big one. I too am having major issues with the ““NOT ENOUGH VIDEO MEMORY. PLEASE CLOSE OTHER APPLICATIONS AND TRY AGAIN” Ending all tasks makes no difference. I have also made about 15MB of free space on “MyDevice” hoping that would resolve it but no luck.
Does anyone know a solution to these?
13 Oct 2008 @ 6:22 pm

Mark says

Movies must be in wmv or mp4 format. Some others too but they’re the main ones.
14 Oct 2008 @ 1:44 pm

Marvin says

You can set default storage for camera in the camera settings menu. Go to page 4 and there is a setting for default storage there.
14 Oct 2008 @ 1:45 pm

Marvin says

Correction should be page 2 and not page 4.
17 Oct 2008 @ 1:53 pm

enzo says

haven’t had any problems with camera or any other thing…. getting to like the phone by the day…. but the only thing i hate is that it runs out or battery life pretty quick….
17 Oct 2008 @ 8:42 pm

Chris says

I’m using iPhone now, but have used WM PDA Phones for years. WM Phones with handwriting recognition entry is far better & faster than the keyboard entry of iPhone. Phonebook function is very helpful.
The iPhone hangs at times (with all the screen icons shaking and no response) and has No Phonebook “search by Number or Name” function, only allow search by scrolling or select First Alphabet. iPhone Battery would not last more than your 8 hours, if you perform 2 hour of texting & emailing combined.
17 Oct 2008 @ 8:49 pm

Chris says

I’m looking around for a WM PDA Phone and giving away my iPhone. Heard the Samsung i8510 is faster. Anyone have experience with the i8510?
18 Oct 2008 @ 12:40 pm

Chris says

You can resolve short Battery Life with a spare battery. With the iphone, this is impossible. iPhone Battery is not removable, so spare battery is impossible. If you are mostly outdoors, it is definitely not sufficient to last pass 6 hours and no way to charge unless you are in office. If you need to use wireless bluetooth earphones, no way to last your office hours without 2 charge a day.
18 Oct 2008 @ 1:16 pm

Chris says

BTW the i8510 works on Symbian OS, more comparable to a Nokia Phone than a WM PDA.
27 Oct 2008 @ 7:20 pm

ZA says

The HTCs ( P3600 / Touch ) feel better in hand but look at this:

The South African box contains the following:

a quick start guide
the handset
the battery
a 8GB memory card with card reader
getting started CD
Garmen Navigator software for life CD
stylis
normal charger
car charger
headset
spare in-ear pieces
3.5mm adapter
USB cable
Car Cradle with suction cups

8GB card works like a dream
My only complaint is the feel in hand which is on par with Sony Ericssons’ and Nokias’ and the shape of the touch screen which takes getting used to. Other than that my phone does everything possible.
29 Oct 2008 @ 2:57 am

Karan says

guys, can you please put the price of omnia in your markets? it will be useful for all
29 Oct 2008 @ 1:26 pm

MyBlog.SG Exceeded 10,000 Uniques says

[...] Samsung Omnia [...]
30 Oct 2008 @ 5:34 am

enzo says

its about 750US$ for the 8GB omnia in Moscow….
1 Nov 2008 @ 2:49 am

Dave says

It seems to me that there are a LOT of negative msgs here…and I am not at all surprised. I have an Omnia, and was very excited to get it on 1st day of release in uk. After much consideration about getting iPhone, I made the biggest mistake and got the omnia. It’s rubbish!! I can see a lot of people here are blinded by technical gadgetry, but lets face it, its a phone, and it doesnt function very well as one. Also,texting is awkward, the camera doesnt always work, and the touchscreen is crap. No handbook? GPS designed by children? Batt charge not what they spec. Goes online without touching it. Oh, and that stylus thing they provide! What is THAT all about?? This phone is not ready for the market. Samsung….try again.
6 Nov 2008 @ 11:43 pm

enzo says

i don’t know what they sold to u guys over there but since i bought my samsung WITU i haven’t had any complains…. it works perfectly… I mean everything works just FINE!!!! i have an iphone too, but i prefer the WITU…. apart from the fact that ofcos the iphone screen resolution is better….
hey Dave,whats wrong with the stylus?? that stylus is the bomb…. show me a better stylus than that….
the GPS is great!!
7 Nov 2008 @ 12:52 am

Dave says

ok here’s a few things that i found disappointing. firstly the stylus…why couldnt they incorporate it into the phone itself, a little parking pocket like all pda’s have. it would have added 5mm to the width maybe but so what. I got so fed up of it dangling around my face when on a call, i took it off. problem is you actually need it for the touchscreen, unlike the iphone, where finger pressure is ideal. secondly, scrolling through contacts or programs by stroking the screen. every time i try this the first contact/program i touch opens. this doesnt happen with iphone. third…texting. you get a window of TWO lines to see what you have written. the rest of screen is filled with old message.
and finally (for now) the camera. well just look at other comments above to see a common problem we all suffer. as for GPS, I think I might be missing the software for that. is it not a pre-loaded program??
7 Nov 2008 @ 5:10 am

enzo says

well, i hardly use the stylus except when i’m surfing the web… so i didnt attach it to the phone.
if u want to scroll tru programs and names, its best u flip the right end of the screen, it moves smoothly, it took me a while to get a perfect angle, but i’m used to it now..but do not apply much pressure while touching….
about texting, yea d window is quite small, but i don’t see dat as a problem…i enjoy the vibration from the keys)))

I’m shocked people are having problems with their camera’s this is common with guys who bought their device in the US n UK…. my camera works perfect even with over 5 programs running on the background…. the smile detector is d bomb, it won’t snap except the person smiles….and pic quality is great!
the GPS is a pre loaded sofware….. the google maps in it works pretty well too, just like the iphone 3G….
7 Nov 2008 @ 9:06 pm

Dave says

about the GPS. please someone tell me what the program is called, how it is accessed etc. I have google maps which gives a birds eye view, but i have nothing that looks anything like what they advertise as GPS on this phone.
7 Nov 2008 @ 11:04 pm

enzo says

well, i’m not in the UK so our phones might differ… i advice u just buy a gps software….
15 Nov 2008 @ 6:25 am

Rachael says

With regards to the camera problem, I had the same thing so I sent my phone back thinking it was the phone. I have my phone back again now and have been looking at the memory probs that I have and have found comments on other websites that suggest clearing the cache created when using opera. To do this just connect the phone to your PC and go into the phones memory, not the storage card, then opera folder and cache, and delete. This supposdly clears up a few MB of memory, enabling you to use the camera again.
19 Nov 2008 @ 9:57 pm

Robin says

can anyone enlighten me what this SPB interface is? And how can I go about getting it for my mobile? Thanks.
22 Nov 2008 @ 4:26 am

enzo says

hey guys, check out the SPB interface…. i just installed it and the skins…..its the BOMB!!!! i’m so loving it…
u can download it from this link: http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/mobileshell/?en

if u have any problems holla at me….
24 Nov 2008 @ 7:02 am

dangerous says

I’m getting one of these tomorrow, I’m so excited about getting it. Thanks for the review, helped me decide. ohhh. I can’t wait.
25 Nov 2008 @ 2:28 am

enzo says

believe me man, when u get it, u’ll begin to love ur phone even more….
remember to install the spb mobile shell which is about 3.3MB in your RAM (97MB) memory…. then skins which is 17MB in your phone (8GB or 16GB) memory…
if u have a problem downloading or installing, holla…
i can email u mine, which is free ofcos ))
3 Dec 2008 @ 1:11 am

stonx says

How do i use the spb mobile shell..i’ve already install it…but nothing happens…as Robin says…pls enlighten me.. thanx
5 Dec 2008 @ 1:16 pm

Wync says

Might have gud or bad comments running around, but i think that User-friendly is something so subjective, some ppl they might get use to the function easily, but some not.

easy thing, if u love the Samsung Omnia self, buy it, no need to compare…like me…

I love Omnia far more than Iphone though…
When ppl telling how gud is Iphone, how bad is Omnia…well, i’m wondering that Iphone got no problem at all on it’s self?

Maybe…..maybe not

Omnia user, dun get frustrate when u c the negative comment

Master it!
7 Dec 2008 @ 3:29 pm

Adnaz says

hi enzo… i would like to try the spb stuff.. can u help me what it the good about this ‘spb’.? and if u don’t mind can u email me your spb? if its ok.. and i like very much my omnia..
10 Dec 2008 @ 5:44 am

enzo says

hi guys… sorry for not replying on time… i’ve been quite busy…
to stonx: do this, go to your “today” setting – elements and remove the samsung widgets…
w download the spb mobile shell, u need to install it in your RAM (97MB) memory, it will only take 3.3MB of space, so its ok… install it from your desktop computer…. when u finish installing it runs automatically on your device…
but to really enjoy it, u need to install the skins available too… copy the skin into the program file in your phone (8GB or 16GB) memory… run the files and install in you PHONE 8GB memory cos its about 17MB….

to Adnaz: the spb mobile shell is just an interface that gives style to your omnia…. check out more on http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com/products/mobileshell/?en

the files are quite big so i cant be able to email them…. we need to chat on yahoo or preferable ICQ so i can transfer them to u instantly…
but anyway, give me an email address and i will try and see if it will upload on gmail.

stonx, if u have problems installing holla!!!
10 Dec 2008 @ 5:57 am

enzo says

I dont hate the Iphone but truely guys, i PREFER the omnia…..
it doesn’t limit u in anyway….. the iphone does……..
u cant even transfer files tru bluethooth to say d least!!
12 Dec 2008 @ 1:47 am

ninja says

hye enzo! your so informative..you really explore that omnia huh..great…well i got a question for u…do u know how to install the slider bar to unlock the phone?..juz like the iphone..i saw some clips on youtube, it has it on their omnia…where does those guys get it..? thanx..
13 Dec 2008 @ 1:54 am

enzo says

wassup ninja, yea d omnia is a good companion:))) i didn’t install d slider, but i tried it in a friends omnia, its not as effective and doesnt slide as smooth as d iphone, u need to apply a bit of pressure….but for some people it works pretty well so try it…. u can download it from this site : http://www.1800pocketpc.com/2008/08/31/s2u2-v121-iphone-like-slide-to-lock-for-windows-mobile.html

u have to scroll down to see the file to be downloaded… i advice u read comments of guys who installed it before u install.
have fun
13 Dec 2008 @ 8:53 pm

enzo says

hi guys, does anyone have the updated IM + v. 5.43 with yahoo messenger?? please share if u do!
14 Dec 2008 @ 6:15 pm

asikskar harmony says

does anyone in singapore knows where to get a good price for omnia without contract? i can’t wait to have one!! but i’m still searching for a good price!!
14 Dec 2008 @ 6:17 pm

asikskar harmony says

i asked at M1 yesterday and they said $888 for a 8GB without contract but what i saw online just now is like around $890 for 16GB without contract! i’m pretty puzzled so i wanna know what’s the actual retail price now before i lay my hands on the lovable Omnia!!! please advise! thanks!!
17 Dec 2008 @ 5:08 pm

eenshira says

heyya, i tink u can find one in way below dat price.. thk ard $700+ instead of $800+!
30 Dec 2008 @ 7:36 am

kike says

Hello

Have you heard about Xpango, it’s a great site that give you free gifts for only registering to their offers and refferind friends, here you can get for free and a little work the Samsung omnia.

All you have to do is

1. Register (is free)
2. Chose your free gift (they have the best mobiles, game consoles, HDTV, etc)
3. According to your gift selected you have to get the credits to win it, for example an xbox 360 for 13 credits or an unblocked Iphone 3G for 32 credits.
You can earn the credits by 3 ways
a) Completing Offers (Some are for free and some you should buy something at great prices from the advertirsers), each completed offer gives you between 1 and 4 credits.
b) Referring people. For each person that register using your referral id and activates it’s account (by completing one offer or buying xclix) you get one credit.
c) Buying Xclix, it’s a way to refer people to Xpango using your referral Id.

As you see is very easy to win great prices here, you can see the testimonials to be sure that they really are honest, here I leave the link:

http://www.xpango.com?ref=91567284

Regards and good luck
1 Jan 2009 @ 5:56 pm

ninja says

hey enzo…do u noe how to change the skin for windows media player…thanx///////////
4 Jan 2009 @ 2:31 am

ninja says

hey i tot i leave a comment here?is it being deleted? hmm…nvm..i was juz wondering whether omnia could change its windows media player skins..
7 Jan 2009 @ 12:49 pm

yvonne says

hi guys, with regards to the camera problems, i think just need to restart the hp again after we done the file transfer thru USB port & internet browsing,thats what i’ve encountered. hope can be help.
7 Jan 2009 @ 4:06 pm

yvonne says

hi enzo,i wish to install the spb mobile shell, can u email to me? my email : ykss_79@hotmail.com..
13 Jan 2009 @ 7:00 am

enzo says

hi guyz… i know ya’ll missed me…))))) sorry i was kinda busy doing stuffs… anyway to NINJa, i never tried changing the skin of the WMP i dont even use… i use a different player… for you to be able to change d skins u need to download new skins…. i just tried to change mine now and it says no skins r available in the file.
to Yvonne: i cant email u the file cos kits too big… it wont upload… do u have an ICQ account?? i can transfer it to u by chat. let me know!
24 Jan 2009 @ 12:24 am

ninja says

hello enzo,

Its not working ..the skin for WMP…hm anyway is there a way to change the sms ringtone..
29 Jan 2009 @ 5:22 pm

FallenKnight says

hi all.. just got my Omnia, hmmm the bluetooth thingy is kinda sucky.. anyone using 3rd party bluetooth program/manager?
4 Feb 2009 @ 2:46 pm

Yvonne says

hi enzo..sorry i do not have any ICQ account..;( is there any other way? btw, how can i copy movies or videos into my omnia?? really sickening….=(
4 Feb 2009 @ 8:35 pm

Christine says

Hello everybody,
I very fond of omnia but i also interest on Pixon too, don’t know which to buy. Any comments for this two phone?
4 Feb 2009 @ 10:00 pm

enzo says

hello everyone, still enjoying your Omnia’s??? Yvonne, i dont have any other way to send the file to u…. get an ICQ account then i can send it to u in seconds… i convert my moveis to DivX before transfering to my omnia…. u should do d same…
go to this website http://www.divx.com and download the divx converter…
always save movies in ur phone memory (8GB)
4 Feb 2009 @ 10:05 pm

enzo says

to ninja, yea u can change ur sms ringtone by saving the desired ringtone in the folder named “windows” then go to ur sound setting, choose incoming SMS and search for the file u saved in the “windows” folder…. but bear in mind that if d file is big it will take up alot of space in ur RAM memory.
4 Feb 2009 @ 10:49 pm

Yvonne says

hi enzo, i’ve just signed up for the ICQ A/C & my user is ykss_79..what abt urs?
5 Feb 2009 @ 3:44 pm

Yvonne says

sorry enzo,just realised that it’s actually ICQ number, pls add me at 495948065.
13 Feb 2009 @ 5:50 pm

Leon says

still no people can solve the problem of “video memory not enough, pls close all other applications”. even after i ended the other applications, it still cant work!
i thought can go in camera setting for some changes,but cant even go in also.
SOS~!!~
15 Feb 2009 @ 10:40 pm

enzo says

damn people….. u are saving files in in d wrong folder…..
go to ur video folder and delete all the files there so u can enter ur camera, when ur camera works, go to the camera settings and chnage the folder u save ur files!!
its as easy as that….
16 Feb 2009 @ 3:31 pm

nikeair26 says

i have my omnia in my pocket and i have a site with pros and cons the thing with the touchscreen is, that f480 and iphone have a screen that reacts on electric fields (like every living creature has) that will say that you cant use gloves or stylus, but if you have times where you touch the screen without your will i will recommend the omnia cause you have to press a bit.
22 Feb 2009 @ 8:04 pm

ravi says

Hi…can someone help me please. I am not able to do the following: on my samsung Omnia phone
open and read messages recieved…I have to use the forward option by tapping on the message listed.
cannot archive messages.
cannot save numbers to contacts directly from messages.
Thanks for the help.
23 Feb 2009 @ 7:21 pm

mma says

I just got an omnia and its simply amazing. I have never got a smart phone with broadband and now I feel as though I am living in the future.
23 Feb 2009 @ 8:05 pm

ninja says

hye enzo its been ah while since im here, how are things..just wanna ask have you found out how to change the skin for windows media player.
24 Feb 2009 @ 11:58 am

Samsung Omnia - a Google Trends Case Study says

[...] has been about 9 months since I wrote an article on Samsung Omnia at my Wassup blog. It was selected and showcased in the Samsung Omnia contest. However, it was not [...]
24 Feb 2009 @ 4:30 pm

Yvonne says

hi enzo, it’s me yvonne..still waiting for u to send me the spb software, can meet online tonite?
6 Apr 2009 @ 5:04 pm

Lily says

Hi All,

After I read the review here,I went to get a omnia for myself. Than the sad thing is I do not know how to use. Can someone guide me?

cheers,
Lily
15 Apr 2009 @ 8:06 pm

enzo says

hahhaa (laughs @ Lily) ….. just use it…
what do u want to know about the phone?
24 Apr 2009 @ 1:42 am

Matt says

I purchased my first Pocket PC in 2002, the Toshiba E330, my second in 2004, the Dell Axim v51, however my first WM Phone was the Palm Treo 700wx, which I still have and use. People knock the WM system, yet I was watching movies on my Dell Axim 4 years ago, something that everyone raves the iphone can do. The amount of applications for the WM OS was staggering as well and helped me in many ways and I had a lot of money invested in these software programs and so I was highly considering the Samsung Omnia, by far, from a hardware perspective, it kicks butt over the iphone, however that being said the one thing that has stopped in my tracks is the lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Samsung really dropped the ball here. You see, I’ve had a Palm Treo 700wx for the last 2.5 years and have had to carry around an annoying adapter to listen to my music or plug into my car stereo. This has been annoying and I’ve lost it twice. I’m not sure why the phone manufacturers are coming out with there “own” connections, perhaps to make more money on the accessory? Samsung should have taken a lesson from Apple and placed a 3.5 mm jack in the phone as this is one of the reasons that Apple has such a large market share in the Mobile phone industry. Hence, I won’t be purchasing the Omnia, but will wait for something better, and perhaps migrate to the rumored new iphone this June.
28 Apr 2009 @ 3:59 am

enzo says

thats such a cheap excuse not to buy the omnia!
6 May 2009 @ 10:25 pm

jan says

hey, can anybody send me the spb mobile shell through msn? and does omnia lags seriously?
11 May 2009 @ 9:27 am

christine says

I would like to know when new samsung omnia hd arrive in singapore. How much price?
13 May 2009 @ 9:25 am

Better Wait for HTC Magic, Forget HTC Dream says

[...] The i7500 has a 8G memory, the 3.5mmm ear jack and other better specs; and I always wanted to get a Samsung. [...]
29 May 2009 @ 2:39 pm

mark says

hello enzo wer can i have the spb mobile shell for free? tnx
29 May 2009 @ 3:18 pm

mark says

or anyone here knows wer to get the spb mobile shell for free? i mean not the trial version, tnx
7 Jun 2009 @ 10:50 pm

yiwen says

i have a question here. the alarm wont ring once omnia is switched off. is there anyway to get around this problem?
29 Jun 2009 @ 12:14 pm

s271008 says

anyone can direct me how to do bluetooth settings in omnia? got problem in transferring files from PC to omnia
27 Jul 2009 @ 8:18 am

Hennie says

I have been using Omnia for the past 9 months and it has worked very well for me. It did not start well initially with poor touch screen response, battery won’t charge but after I got it service, the whole unit works wonderfully. Samsung changed the touch screen for me.

My complaint is ring tone. Despite loading in all the louder mp3 music, I cannot get it to be as loud as the normal phone ring tone. Any advice out there?
27 Jul 2009 @ 11:48 am

yvonne says

can anyone tell me where can i get the free movie converter? tried to download the Divx converter but not really work..pls help…
15 Aug 2009 @ 11:23 am

Jonathan says

Can anyone tell me ? Is the sensitivity of the samsung omnia changeable ?
3 Mar 2010 @ 8:27 pm

willy says

where do I find my receiving files in my Omnia I-900
28 Jul 2010 @ 8:56 am

logan says

great review. love my new omnia. great unlocked world phones. camera and recorder is great for my wife and kids. very clear. much better than our unlocked blackberry phones. email and browser are great for my clients and keeping in touch. very practical phone, touch screen is great and the keys on bottom are easy to push. processor is fast and the battery life is really long. great unlocked mobile phones. facebook is great for my daughter and the apps keep me busy on my down days. it’s easy to text and email as well, got our last couple unlocked phones at gsmallover.com 2 thumbs way up
30 Jul 2010 @ 12:05 pm

Munna Yadav says

Hi, i have an samsung omnia-i900,phone. Problem is that i am not getting network in my handset i received messages, my phone book and phone keypad is not opening,

Pls assist is there any changes need to do in settings.

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