Gadget Review
Samsung Omnia i900 review
Rating 
Omnia is the Latin for 'all' but does this touch screen smart phone really do it all? It certainly make Windows Mobile shine.
I've always considered Windows Mobile devices to be aimed more at the business market but one look at the Samsung Omnia, with its slick shiny metallic finish, touch screen interface and 'widgetised' homescreen (much like the Tocco) and I changed my mind.
The Omnia is aiming to be all things to all people - it can revert to the traditional Windows Mobile interface for those who prefer this or indeed are used to that 'businessy' look but it also has the same kind of drag and drop mini-Vista looking interface as the Tocco but with more applications and functionality.
I know it is an iPhone competitor but it doesn't remotely look, feel or handle like an iPhone and I am not saying that this is a bad or good thing - it is just different. But be in no doubt that it looks very, very slick and impressive.
It has the widescreen, the touch interface, the built-in accelerometer and lets you drap and drop things around on screen but because it runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 it is a different animal albeit with a great emphasis on a rich multimedia experience.
Watching movies on its 3.2 -inch TFT screen is a pure pleasure, just tilt to widescreen and enjoy - colours are pretty bright and the screen has an almost ungodly shiny finish.
Where does it stand apart from the iPhone? Well it has a removable battery for starters and the 5-megapixel camera trounces the iPhone's puny 2-megapixel which doesn't have any of the zoom, lighting, red-eye reduction or other bits and bobs that make you ditch the camera and rely on your phone for snapping friends the night out.
One thing I didn't like was the fact that you can't add your own widgets to the Touch Wiz drag and drop interface so it felt more limiting than the iPhone and less like a 'computer in your pocket' than I would have wanted.
Other than this it is a good choice for those who want an all-in-one for music, web, phone, video etc but don't like the iPhone or want something hat syncs perfectly with their PC.
Functionality: Pretty easy to use - the reverb on touch is oddly reassuring that you have made contact.
Design: Quite nice, very modern looking
Verdict: If I wasn't already an iPhone owner I might go for this.
Price: From €299 post-pay RRP
Network: Vodafone, O2, Meteor, Carphone Warehouse and 3G stores nationwide
By Marie Boran
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