The almighty Omnia

In 1983, the world’s first commercial handheld cellular phone was made available for purchase in the US. Everyone wanted to be the first to get their hands on this portable phone, which was over 12 inches in length, took 10 hours to charge, featured a red LED display and memory to store 30 numbers.

The price for this gadget back then was almost $4,000.

Twenty-five years and a billion ringtones later, the mobile phone has elevated itself from being a device that can simply make calls and remember a mere 30 numbers to becoming one of the most powerful communication tools of the new generation.

A few weeks ago Samsung, recognized globally as a maker of premium electronic products, showed off the great advancement the company has achieved in the field of mobile phone technology. 

At this year’s CommunicAsia, the region’s premier telecommunications tech event held in Singapore, Samsung launched its latest phone model which combines the best of mobile technology and design.

The Omnia, also known by the model name SGH-i900, is a touch-screen phone that brings together high-performance business content, top-of-the-line style and a fun, dynamic multimedia experience. Omnia, which means “everything” in Latin and “wish” in Arabic, goes beyond the current top-of-the-line features available in today’s mobile phones. Samsung has billed it as an all-in-one handset to track every byte, image and tune a user will ever desire,.

The Omnia was developed following Samsung Mobile’s introduction of its new segmentation strategy. “Essentially what we’ve done is to divide consumers into six broad categories — style, infotainment, business, multimedia, connected  and essential,” says Josh Delgado, director of telecommunications at Samsung Australia.

The Omnia, he points out, is the hero of the infotainment segment, which caters to the highest rung on the social ladder as opposed to the essential users. Simply put, infotainment consumers are the ones willing to shell out cash for the latest gadgets.

“They like to be updated on the latest information, they like to be entertained and get connected to the Web,” says Josh. “They like big LCD screens on a small compact device, and of course they don’t want to compromise on features.”

Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface makes entering text and data quite easy and simple. With unique widgets, users can customize and personalize the way they use their phone. Samsung Omnia’s high-resolution, touch-sensitive screen uses intuitive tap, sweep, drag and drop operations as well as an onscreen, oversized QWERTY keyboard while surfing the Web via the phone’s 3G connectivity or Wi-Fi capabilities.

The interface is based on the most up-to-date Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, which is a much improved operating system, enhanced for finger use rather than a stylus. The Omnia still comes with a stylus for users with stubby fingers or those who simply don’t want their screens smudged.

“Windows Mobile 6.1also means a whole slew of  business tools. The Omnia comes fully loaded with Microsoft Office suite, giving users a mobile extension of their PC experience, with access to Office documents such as PowerPoint, Excel and Word,” says Josh. “Users can also send and receive e-mail and manage their appointments in Outlook while on the go.”

The operating system allows users to download additional programs as they would on their PC and customize their phones for their individual needs. For ease of navigation an optical mouse similar to those on laptop computers offers improved usability and one-handed control while surfing the Web.

Samsung’s latest phone can act as your secret secretary one minute and your prefect Friday-night sidekick the next.

The Omnia delivers the ultimate in digital entertainment thanks to a wide 3.2-inch LCD screen for crystal-clear viewing of videos and movies. Multi-Codec support for DivX, Xvid and other video formats eliminates the hassle of file format conversions. Completing the package is an FM radio and a Bluetooth stereo headset.The phone also boasts superior storage — 16GB of internal storage and up to 32GB if you include the external storage through the microSDHC slot. This translates to roughly 8,000 MP3 songs or 12,000 five-megapixel photos or 23 DVD-quality movies.

Design DNA

Younghee Lee, Samsung VP for global marketing, believes that design is the DNA of mobiles and the essence of the business. “Samsung has been bringing various stylish innovations to the mobile industry, initiating trends through stylish phones,” she says, citing as examples the radical T-100 and the Black trend phones.In 2002, Samsung launched the SGH-T100, the first GSM mobile phone with a TFT LCD display. This particular model broke away from typical chunky designs, rounding every corner dramatically, thereby improving your grip on the phone.

Last year, Samsung let loose several mobile phones for the fashion-conscious, including the world’s slimmest Ultra Edition II at the Communicasia expo and the Armani touch-screen phone during the Milan Fashion Week.

Lee says the launching of the Omnia was a historic moment for Samsung Mobile, calling the new phone a testament to the company’s leadership in design. “The Omnia elevates our product lineup in the infotainment category,” she says. “The maxi-phone capability of the Omnia is complemented by a slender, chic form so users can step out in style.”

The Omnia features an ultra-slim 12.5-mm profile and a platinum-look finish with elegant hairline patterns on the back of the phone, which fits snugly in the palm of the user’s hand. 

Joining the Omnia at the Communicasia launch were the Samsung Soul B and L700 — two premium bar type phones. A follow-up to the first Soul, Soul B has a sleek silhouette and metallic body that comes in five colors — soul gray, platinum silver, metallic black, soul pink, amethyst violet and red.

The L700 is another metal-body phone embellished with Samsung’s signature hairline pattern and ergonomic keypad, which allows users to navigate and dial with ease.

IPHONE Killer?

The sleek design and touch-screen features of the Omnia means it will be competing directly with Apple’s new iPhone 3G. Is the Omnia the answer to iPhone mania?

Lee says it is unfair to compare the two phones since each will have its own set of consumers, although she admits that the Apple handset has opened a whole new category for mobile phones.

It’s worth mentioning that the announcement for the launching of the Omnia was made on the same day Apple execs unveiled the latest version of the iPhone.

I’ve been using a non-3G iPhone for almost two months now and have been pleased so far since it replaces most of the gadgets I usually carry around. It does have its shortcomings, which Samsung has conveniently addressed with the Omnia. While writing text messages can be frustrating with the iPhone, the Omnia’s QWERTY keyboard is larger and can be used in both portrait and landscape mode. The option to use a stylus and the optical mouse also eliminates the problem of mis-taps while browsing web pages.

At the heart of the new Omnia interface is the touch-responsive feedback technology, which allows users to experience vibrations when typing. Instead of giving you the usual clicking sound, this phone touches you back!

Another plus for the Omnia is the assurance of extended playback from its detachable battery, a feature iPhone users had begged for Apple to include in the 3G version.

The killing blow is delivered when comparing cameras. The Omnia comes with a five-megapixel camera with auto focus, flash, image stabilizer, face and smile recognition and a secondary camera for video calls. The iPhone 3G comes in two megapixels, lacks video calling and doesn’t have a flash.

So, take your pick.