Samsung Omnia (SGH-i900) Announced

[Darius Wey]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i900_omnia_announced_live_pics_inside-news-519.php' target='_blank'>http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i90...de-news-519.php</a><br /><br /></div><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/spt/auto/1212983177.usr2.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />One of Samsung's worst kept secrets is now official. The Omnia, which many of you previously knew as the i900, runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and packs quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 7.2Mbps HSDPA connectivity, a 3.2&quot; WQVGA (240 x 400) touch screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, an FM radio, TV-out, 8GB or 16GB of internal memory, a microSD slot, and a stunning 5.0-megapixel auto-focus camera with support for geotagging, panorama shots, and face and smile detection (whatever that is).<br /><br />The company certainly picked one heck of a day to announce it. Why? WWDC is half a day away and the world is expecting Apple to unveil the 3G iPhone. So, just who will upstage who? You decide... in 13 hours time.

[alese]

Just one question, 240x400?? Who was the genius that came up with that nonstandard (incompatible - at least for some programs) resolution?

As for upstaging, I don't think anyone in Hi-tech can upstage Steve today...

[deanhatescoffee]

It's practically everything I want the iPhone to be (except that the Omnia lacks the Safari browser). Hopefully it's as quick and smooth as the iPhone in terms of the rotating screen and whatnot.

The GSMarena article says that it'll be available June 2008... but will it be sold by a specific carrier or only from Samsung directly? I doubt AT&T would want to put this out at the same time as the new iPhone considering how similar they are, but I don't think T-Mo would pick it up as they're just not as into the smartphones as AT&T.

[Phillip Dyson]

This is pretty exciting. I like the looks of this phone. And its US availability is in the near future. I'm not really even considering waiting for the Diamond or Raphael at this point. I'm not even sure how I feel about the Xperia.

I don't see any mention of the CPU in the spec (http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i900_omnia-2422.php). I wonder if its the Qualcomm. And if so, is it using the correct drivers.

Of course price is a big question too.

[Darius Wey]

The GSMarena article says that it'll be available June 2008... but will it be sold by a specific carrier or only from Samsung directly?

Both.

Samsung will sell it as the i900. There will also be an Anycall version sold as the i908. O2 Germany has just announced that they'll be selling it in August. I'm expecting announcements from other carriers to trickle out over the coming weeks.

[Frankie1]

Just one question, 240x400?? Who was the genius that came up with that nonstandard (incompatible - at least for some programs) resolution?

As for upstaging, I don't think anyone in Hi-tech can upstage Steve today...

lol,
you read my mind.

[efjay]

Its already been announced for O2 Germany:
http://www.theunwired.net/?item=unveiled-o2-germany-announces-the-samsung-sgh-i900-omnia-windows-mobile-smartphone

Availability is expected in June after its unveiling at CommunicAsia starting Jun 17 and hopefully will be appearing elsewhere soon after.