I was recently handed a review unit of the Samsung Omnia 2, Samsung’s flagship Windows Mobile phone. When it was released in Malaysia, the unit came with Windows Mobile 6.1, and since then, owners of the Omnia 2 can upgrade their devices for free to Windows Mobile 6.5 at an authorised Samsung service centre, or they can elect to download Samsung’s desktop connectivity software called New PC Studio, and use this software to “flash” their Omnia 2s to Windows Mobile 6.5, which is what I did when I received the review unit. Upgrading was a painless affair, but bear in mind that user data is not preserved, so make sure you do a backup if you send it in for updating, or choose to do it yourself.
Click here for the Omnia 2′s official specifications. Amongst the most notable hardware features of this phone are its 3.7 inch resistive touchscreen, its use of Samsung’s TouchWiz 2.0 user interface which “hides” the complexities and pains of using the plain old Windows Mobile interface from the end user, and the AMOLED technology used in the touchscreen, which gives off much more vibrant and “deep” colours. In addition, the touchscreen’s resolution is a large 800 x 480 pixels, allowing “more of everything” to be displayed on screen, generally speaking.
In terms of ports, all the usual industry standard suspects are represented – the 3.5mm headset jack, and a microUSB jack for charging and data transfer. Buttons are aplenty on the Omnia 2 – below the touchscreen, Samsung has decided to take a minimalist approach – just three buttons – make/receive call, menu/task switcher and the end/reject call buttons. At the top, there is the earpiece, to the right of the earpiece is the front camera for 3G video calls, and there is also an ambient light (for automatic screen brightness adjustment if necessary) and proximity sensors (to turn off the screen while making a call to conserve battery power).
As you can imagine, the screen is very glossy in keeping with the trend nowadays from the major brand name manufacturers; indeed, this is a trend in the notebook/netbook industry as well. We won’t go into the pros/cons of using glossy screens here as the opinion is rather mixed as to their attractiveness (or otherwise!).
On the left, there is the volume up/down rocker switch, and a small hole to attach a lanyard.
On the right, there is the lock/unlock phone button, a back/”Cube UI” launcher key (more on this in the software review post), and a dedicated camera button.
At the top is the microUSB port and 3.5mm headset jack.
At the bottom is the microphone port.
The entire back of the phone is the battery cover which is easily removed. There is the 5 megapixel autofocus camera, and next to it, dual LED flash. Next to the camera lens is also a microphone port for speakerphone mode, according to Samsung. The speaker is located at the bottom left of the back.
Here are some shots of the Omnia 2 next to other smartphones – the first picture shows it next to its Symbian flagship sibling, the i8910 HD. The second shows it being flanked by the iPhone3GS and the i8910 HD; note that the iPhone3GS’ screen wasn’t turned up to its maximum. The third picture shows the Omnia 2 and iPhone3GS side by side, both with screen brightness turned up to the maximum – the quality of the photo is not great because this was snapped under flourescent lighting at night.
Next up we have the Omnia 2 next to the 4.3 inch monster superphone from HTC – the HD2. Both phones have had their ambient light sensor turned off, and screen brightness set to maximum.
Conclusion
The Omnia 2 feels like a sturdy smartphone despite its exclusive use of plastic for its entire casing. Although at first glance one knows it is plastic, upon picking it up, it does not feel “cheap” or plasticky due to its weight and good build quality. There were no loose or ill fitting parts and the phone did not rattle upon being shaken. The screen is large and the AMOLED technology used ensures lively, vibrant and deep colours, although I have heard criticisms from “purists” that the colour looks artificial on AMOLED screens.
Although the screen is larger than the one on the iPhone, the Omnia 2 is actually very pocketable – it is about the same length, and slightly narrower than the iPhone3GS. Samsung has packed virtually every hardware feature into the Omnia 2, and we will see in the software review whether it is married to an equally impressive software to “drive” its performance. The only criticism I have of the Omnia 2 is that it looks “boring” – its design is virtually identical to the Samsung Jet that I reviewed earlier on this blog. I would have expected that for a flagship Windows Mobile phone, Samsung would actually have invested more money to design a more visually attractive smartphone!
i heard that the omnia 2 lags its widgets when each time opening a new desktop(area) in the phone. does it hang sometimes when doing normal applications?
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JJ Reply:
December 4th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
if u disable the samsung touchwiz 2.0 UI, i can say that all the noticeable lag in winmo 6.1 is gone (am using 6.5 now). currently using SPB MShell v3.5, it just matches perfectly and enhance user experience..even rotating sms orientation, it takes less than 1 second for me to continue typing (winmo 6.1 takes me 3 seconds)..
it’s really satisfying.i just love this phone..proud user of omnia ii =)
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
@JJ, it would be a pity to disable TouchWiz when it is supposed to be one of the main selling points of the phone!
The next thing you should try is to flash your Omnia 2 with the HTC HD2 firmware!
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shyeong Reply:
December 6th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
u mean i can actually be done? HTC HD2 firmware in Omnia 2? wooow!must try.
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 6th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
@shyeong, yes! Look here > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27ZCfcIqeIM&feature=player_embedded
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 5th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
@mookies11, lag, yes. Hang, no, I’ve not experienced any “hangs” or “freezes” yet…
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skeelee Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
After trying TouchWiz, TouchFlo and spb Mobile Shell, I have settled down on spb. The lag in the other two is quite annoying.
So far, I find spb MS to be the most responsive and the layout very convenient to use. Only problem I have is the g-sensor works but not completely. The carousel view works with both reflection and tilt, but you can’t do any view selection. Similarly with the animated emails.
It’s like arriving at a party in a fancy car, but can’t get down from the car because the doors are jammed.
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
@skeelee, hahahah, then what’s the point in arriving at the party in a fancy car?
Does SPB Mobile Shell provide all that HTC Sense does? Isn’t it sad when you buy a phone, paid for the “enhancements”, decide not to use it, and pay extra for commercial software that purportedly can do a better job? Anyway, in my opinion, HTC Sense is miles better than TouchWiz.
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skeelee Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
@DaAlphaDog, spb Mobile Shell is designed with the HTC sensor in mind, and therefore is not working perfectly on the Omnia2 yet. Given time, someone or Samsung will fix the problem. At least for now, the fix is working for apps like Diamond Beer and –drum roll– hdWobble.
As for choice of spb MS over HTC Sense, it is more personal than anything else. I tried HTC Sense for one day only and decided that it is not for me because after configuring it, I still find it hard or not convenient to access what I need to use.
Of course the HTC Sense on the HD2 has more new features, and I may give it a try later. The weather widget looks cool, turnig on the screen wiper when it is raining according to the weather data, at the PC Fair on Sunday when I visited the HTC booth. The problem is, it was hot and sunny outside.
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
@skeelee, I’m not even aware of the apps you mentioned! And shouldn’t support be worked on by SPB rather than Samsung?
Yes, as with any user interface, it’s really a matter of personal preference and needs.
Sadly, I will not be testing third party applications during reviews. I only test what comes with the phone, and if one has to spend extra disabling what comes with the phone and install a paid commercial product, then they should be aware of the additional costs…and many are not aware of this…
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espskeelee Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 9:27 am
@DAD, Where have you been? Heard of iBeer and iWobble for iphone? Diamond Beer and hdWobble their “imitations”.
Do try out iWobble or hdWobble, great fun app especially during a party with chicks who are sporting enough to be your victima. In case you are game, the following is the methods I have come up with:
1) Take a portrait shot of the “victim”, preferably just the upper half of the body.
2) Resize the picture to 640×480 if it is in higer resolution.
3) Although the picture may appear in portrait in the picture viewer or editor, it would still be displayed in landscape in hdWobble. Edit it by rotating it to landscape and then back to portrait mode so that it will be permanently in portrait mode.
4) Copy or move the picture to the hdWobble background folder.
5) Start hdWobble, select the picture and apply the effects on desired locations in the picture.
6) Have fun.
7) Get ready for whatever consequence that may follow.
Try this at your own risk.
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 10th, 2009 at 10:35 am
@espskeelee, I’m afraid I’ve been out of the loop on these things, too busy playing with gadgets until I can’t spend time on one platform to explore it to its fullest!
If I have the time, I will try out the apps you mentioned but it could be a bit hard when I have to return all the WinMo phones under review!
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skeelee Reply:
December 9th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Sorry, extra alphabets got into my name in my previous post. I do not possess ESP, in case you make that deduction.
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 10th, 2009 at 10:36 am
@espskeelee/skeelee,
I guessed as much. Consumed a bit of alcohol before writing that comment? 
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skeelee Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
@DaAlphaDog, something for you to note when you do the review on the software part. This is regarding the lock screen in WinMo6.5.
While using the Omnia in Winmo 6.1, I tested the S2U2 lock screen, liked it, but still settled on the 6.1 lock screen because it displays the status of FM Radio and Media Player together with the album arts. The background of the lock screen can also be changed.
Now under WinMo 6.5, there is slide2unlock feature, but the status of the players is not displayed.
There is also no setting for its own background image in Lock Screen under WinMo 6.5.
The position of the clock is moved from the top of the screen to the bottom, so my habit of sliding the phone out slightly from the pouch and press the unlock key to take a peek at the clock is now not workable.
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
@skeelee, since I don’t have WinMo 6.1 for comparison, it’s going to be hard writing a review about it! Also a bit hard to imagine what you’re trying to say with the comparisons, since I no longer have any WinMo 6.1 device and it’s been a long long time since I last used one! So sorry!
I believe one can change the lockscreen wallpaper in the HTC HD2, but I can’t be sure. Strange that one can’t do it on the Omnia 2.
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skeelee Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
The following lock screen features in WinMo 6.1 had been disabled in 6.5:
1) Display owner’s information.
2) Turn on the back light.
3) Set wallpaper for lockscreen separately from the Today wallpaper. (In WinMo 6.5, Today wallpaper is used for lockscreen, but I don’t really miss this feature because in the end I set all my wall papers including for spb MS to the same dark picture from the Dark Knight.)
4) Display FM Radio status, including RDS.
5) Display WMP and Touch Player (now called Media Player in 6.5) info including track name and album art which I really miss because I took great pain to search for and attach pictures of album covers or the artists in full opera costumes for all the Cantonese opera songs that I have.
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
@skeelee, thanks for pointing this out! I will link back to this post and point people to the comments when I write the post on the Omnia 2′s software review
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One more thing to test for your next instalment of the review DAD, the lag of the unlock screen appearing. When you press the “unlock” button to wake the phone up, about half the time there is a lag from the blank screen to the unlock screen. Lag can be between 1 to 3 seconds long (depending on your luck)!
I configured the settings so that I may also press the call end button to wake the phone. The lag is not as bad but still not good. Its still roughly about 1 second or slightly more.
However, don’t test this repeatedly without pause i.e. put the phone into sleep mode, make sure it was put to sleep mode from the Homescreen and there are no other application running in the background and wait for a period of about an hour or more before testing again. See what you get?
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Jack Lee Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Oh yeah, one more thing, if you press and hold the unlock key, it is supposed to bypass the slide to unlock procedure and take you to the homescreen. This sometimes takes ages!
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
@Jack, yes, this is one major pain in the @rse…
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
@Jack, on the Omnia 2, there are two ways to unlock right? Press unlock button a bit shorter and you get to the swipe to unlock screen. Press it longer and you get to a totally unlocked state bypassing the swipe to unlock screen, and yes the latter option does take some time, which really annoys me. Don’t worry, I’ve got all these annoyances jotted down for my software review, which isn’t going to be that long for two reasons – this phone is already “old” and not many people will be interested to read a review of it, and also on the software side there really isn’t very much to review apart from the standard WinMo applications!
What do you mean don’t test it repeatedly without pause? If I do that, will it freeze or hang the phone ka?
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Jack Lee Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
If you test it repeatedly without pause, you won’t notice the lag then…. thats what I meant lah….
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
@Jack, oh, I see. But based on my not-very-extensive usage so far, it’s proving to be a pain, so I already know what you mean…
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Damn, I keep forgetting things… sorry. Can you also please test what is the free RAM remaining after a fresh reboot? When it was under Winmo 6.1, it was about 72mb. Now with 6.5 installed, its about 62mb only. A whopping 10mb gone….
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 11:17 pm
@Jack, isn’t this what is called “new features”?
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Jack Lee Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
But i tot 6.5 supposed to be less bloated…. maybe I was wrong…
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
December 8th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
@Jack, same old base, so I think it’s going to be difficult to trim the fat, and when they add support for touch, etc, it’s bound to be even fatter eh?
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There are being few times where I press on the unlock button, suppose it should swipe to unlock screen right? but the screen doesnt display anything n it seems to be unresponding…any1 know wat is my problem for my omnia?
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Da Alpha Dog Reply:
March 5th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
@Jeff, happens to WinMo phones a lot. Try taking out the battery? Also, if this problem started happening after you installed a new piece of software, uninstall that software and test again.
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