Customer Reviews

Samsung Omnia i910 Phone, Silver (Verizon Wireless)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

Pros: The haptic feedback is very responsive, the business card reader works fantastic (take a picture of a business card and it stores it as a new contact), the etiquette mode (face down the phone doesn't ring) is really nice too. Easy sync with e-mail.

Cons: I really didn't like the widget interface, but thankfully it is easy to change and aftermarket options like SPB are great alternatives. It is pretty crucial to remap the task switcher to a key so you can kill programs, otherwise windows slows down.


Summary: I have been a long time Treo user, and my last one ran windows mobile instead of the palm system. Windows mobile is really very functional but it tends to leave programs running in the background regardless of what phone you use. Dell addressed this in their PDAs with a task switcher, and I'm very glad to see a similar program employed on the Omnia. Remapping the keys on the side is very simple and makes pulling up the task switcher very easy and keeps windows running smoothly.

Before I go into details on some of the various qualities of this phone I want to emphasize a couple of things. First, while this phone is advertised as having GPS abilities, these are strictly tied to Verizon's Navigator Service, if you're looking to replace your stand alone GPS with a phone and don't want to pay $9.95 a month this phone currently locks you from using any other navigation service. Accordingly the "GeoTagging" feature for photos that is available on the unlocked version of this phone isn't currently available on the Verizon version. I say right now because it is always possible that Verizon will release a firmware update down the road that allows some of these features, but you should know before you buy just what you're getting. That said, still a pretty awesome phone!

The size and weight of the phone is great, it isn't heavy, doesn't weigh down your pockets, but it has some heft to it so you don't feel like you're playing with a toy or something easily broken (that said, I don't think this phone would do well being dropped much). It fits comfortably in my pocket, no bulge. There is an available holster case for it, but personally I've never liked having my phone on my waist.

Typing --
This was where I really expected the most trouble with the phone. I'm used to real keys and so the touch screen keyboard worried me. It's not as effective or quick as my Treo, but I think speed will improve with some practice. That said, typing in portrait mode is very difficult and it is almost a requirement to turn the phone to landscape to type any message. You can change the type method from keyboard to a T9 style number pad which does help vertical typing considerably.

Call Quality --
After all, this is a phone. Calls came through very clearly, and the people on the other end had no trouble hearing me. The speaker phone is loud enough to be heard over ambient noise and does a good job of picking up voice too. The listener on the other end did say they could hear a lot of background noise when on speaker phone so it might be better used in an office setting or someplace where you can limit the amount of noise around you. Still, for as often as anyone uses speakerphone it is more than adequate.

The interface --
I have to give credit to Samsung for their widget interface. I personally don't like it, but I am a creature of habit and know where stuff is on my old phone and just wanted to recreate that. My girlfriend loved the widgets, they were simple enough to her to be able to be comfortable navigating the phone in about half an hour. They might not be the first choice for more serious users, but they do a good job making windows mobile a bit more finger friendly.

Battery Life --
Well this depends... I've enjoyed playing with my phone pretty much nonstop since I got it, and that screen does seem to kill the battery pretty quick. I haven't made it all the way through the day without needing to plug it in, but I've found that if I plug it into my computer while at my desk, or into my car while I'm driving it will do very well staying fully charged. Wouldn't wander off without a power source for more than a day though.

The stylus--
I seriously doubt anyone will use this thing, it might have been a nice addition had they been able to build it into the body of the phone instead but putting it on a little leash just makes it impractical.

The Camera--
I haven't fully explored all of the built in options as far as editing goes, but so far it seems pretty good. The flash isn't a flash in the traditional sense you might be used to. It is a very bright LED that does a good job for subjects that aren't more than maybe 4 or 5 feet away, but you're not going to light up a room with it or anything, keep your expectation reasonable and you'll be pleasantly surprised with it's effectiveness. (The flash also doubles as a flashlight which is an interesting feature). The downside to the LED flash is that I'm having trouble with Red Eye, but that is so easy to edit these days that it's hardly worth mentioning.

All in all... If you're looking for a multimedia phone with smart phone abilities this is a great phone. If you're looking primarily for a phone to handle e-mails then you might find the touch keyboard on this a little aggravating. If you're a seasoned windows mobile user the phone is exactly what you're used to but better, if you're a cross over from Blackberry, or this is your first foray into the smart phone world the widget interface is simple enough you should be comfortable within half an hour or so. The phone has put an emphasis on media playback, and if you're looking for a phone that can handle e-mail but really serves as an mp3 player, decent camera, web-browsing, and occasional video watching, this is about as good as they come.

I would absolutely recommend this phone to anyone looking for a good all in one sort of phone, with the caveat that long e-mails aren't as easy as they might be on other devices. It's still windows, it still slows down some, and it is almost impossible to respond to messages one handed (which I suppose you shouldn't be doing anyway) and I kind of wish they had built in a stylus (could have even made it the FM's ant. since to use that feature you have to plug something else in). All those things in mind I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Hope my review helps. Happy Holidays!

I am only reviewing Verizon's variant of the Samsung Omnia (i910) because the cost of the data plan is a separate issue from the build quality, usability, and performance of their device offering. If anything, EVDO-Rev A connectivity has allowed me to be more productive and provides hours of entertainment where wifi is not available.

Pros:
-Typical WinMo software (MS Mobile Office Suite, Remote Desktop, Outlook, ability to "cut and paste")
-ActiveSync (Synchronizes Outlook e-mail, calendar, contacts, etc.)
-Highly customizable interface (SPB, S2U2, Winterface, etc.)
-Haptic-feedback keyboard (landscape and portrait)
-5 megapixel camera w/ very good features & settings (timer, continuous, mosaic, smile detect, panoramic, etc.)
-Video capture
-Plays multiple commonly used video formats (including DivX)
-Call Quality (excellent speakerphone)
-Wifi
-EVDO Rev A
-Useful bundled software (Smart Reader, RSS Reader, FM Radio, Podcast, Video Editor, Smart Converter, Opera...)
-8gb onboard storage w/ MicroSDHC expansion slot
-Removable battery
-Solid Feel and Build Quality
-Healthy Dev community for WinMo Apps

Cons:
-WinMo (in general) and the TouchWiz interface are clunky (PointUI, Winterface, or SPB Shell are a must)
-Battery life out of the box (Modifying power settings with a 3rd party app has drastically changed this)
-Must remove the back plate and battery to install and remove the micro sd card
-Awkward screen resolution (240x400 pixels)
-CDMA (Unable to use this phone in Europe and most of Asia)
-GPS is only usable with Verizon's proprietary software (This will either change when the hack is ready or Verizon gives in with a firmware update)
-Multiple vibrate profiles, but I can't feel the phone vibrate in my pocket with any of them
-Volume and availability of good apps are nowhere near what's out there for iPhone

Wow...I'm appalled at the child-like behaviour being thrown around here. If you don't like the policy, don't get a phone that is under said policy.

As for the Phone itself, it is awesome. Not quite so out of the box, but with a few relatively easy to find apps, it becomes a powerhouse real quick. Details below.

Phone:
Signal...good, not great
Call Quality...excellent

Interface:
TouchWiz is take or leave. I recommend a replacement, such as SPB Shell or Manila 2D
Screen is responsive, sometimes with a little lag
Screen resolution and color depth could be more, but it's still nothing to complain about
Optical mouse input makes the optional (And annoying) dangling stylus an option, instead of a necessity. Works great.

Browsers:
Opera is GREAT
IE is horrible
Testing out Bolt and it looks to be a fast, smooth setup, so far I am impressed with this soon to be released browser.

Camera and Media
5.0 MP and it works well. Better than the Dare, which I was also impressed with
Touch Player works pretty well. Indexes all media for fast viewing

Overall, I would have to say I am very impressed with the phone, and look forward to what else the community of smartphone gurus and users come up with next.

As for the whiners...yes, it requires a data plan. Yes it is more expensive. But I hope if you want to send a message to VZW, and AT&T (Who has the same policy on their favorite kid, the iPhone), you do so in a mature, consumer-like manner and petition either the regulators and/or the companies to change their policies. If you aren't going to do more than whine and complain, just go away. If you are going to DO SOMETHING...go right ahead. But Samsung developed a great phone, and deserves respect for it, not getting bashed for who sells it.

I love candy bar phones, and this is the best yet. It feels very sturdy and is just a fun, feature-packed phone. In general it functions very well, looks great, is easy to use, and has lots of fun and useful features (especially the full qwerty keyboard). Read on for more detail.

PROS
* excellent call quality. haven't dropped a call yet (in orange county, california).
* very good screen resolution. bright colors.
* have to fully open slider to release keyguard (unlike Rumor, where you nudge it and the keyguard is deactivated...really annoying)
* can make folders and playlists with music player - not just a shuffler like many simple music phones
* loud ringer and speaker
* feels sturdy and slider is nice and smooth
* qwerty keyboard has rubberized keys, so they aren't slippery
* awesome scroll-style menu on main screen that's fully customizable (called One Click)
* depending on how you arrange One Click, it can be as little as 2 clicks to text messaging with no scrolling though menus
* easy, smooth transitioning interface (in general, i like Samsung interfaces best)
* AWESOME camera quality for a cell phone. no flash, but if there is good lighting you can take some great pictures. up to 2MP resolution
* even the camcorder is pretty darn good
* you can review your other music while listening to a song. in fact, you can do anything while listening to a song, except make a call. song pauses when a call comes in
* overall, it just seems like a refined, polished version of the Rumor
* it has a charm loop!!! this is the first Sprint phone I've ever had (out of 5) that has had a loop to add a pretty little charm. yay! now i can be cool like all my friends.
* the back has a rubberized texture so the phone isn't that slippery. this makes up a little for the slick/slippery face.
* has Sprint TV and GPS capabilities, but i don't subscribe to those services so i can't review them for ya


CONS
* qwerty keyboard keys are a little smaller and flatter than Rumor's so it's a little more difficult to type
* on the qwerty keyboard the letters light up, but without adequate light you can't see the outline of the actual keys themselves. i think this makes it difficult to know what key you're pressing, but i'm getting used it. more preference than a bad feature.
* you can't change the menu colors - stuck with black and yellow (though I think it looks very nice)
* requires two-button sequence to release keyguard - i would prefer one button, like holding the back button for a few seconds as on Rumor
* can't dedicate a single button to access the calculator, so have to use main menu, or One Click. a little annoying if you use your calculator as regularly as i do
* have to remove back cover to access mini SD card. at least you don't have to remove the battery as on some phones. the back does come off very easily.
* have to go through Sprint music store to access music player, which is slow and annoying
* number keys on the front are a little too smooth and slick
* the keyguard only automatically activates itself if you're at the main menu. that is, if you are looking at anything else other than the main screen when you stick it in your pocket, you run the risk of dialing friends and strangers on accident.


NOTE: You'll see advertisements that it comes with two back plates, a plain one and a tattooed one. Yes, it does. But the tattooed one is black, even on the red phone. So for your funky chicks that got the red phone and want the tattooed back, just know that the result is only the face of your red phone will actually be red.


I had the Rumor for a year and think this phone fixes many of it's flaws, such as low screen resolution, an over-sensitive slider that would turn off the keyguard at the slightest touch, a shuffler-only music player, low external volume and slippery qwerty keys.

SUMMARY
It's a great phone. The cons are more of a heads up. None are a deal breaker for me. There is so much I like about his phone, I'm willing to deal with a few quirks. Nothing's perfect! I'll be enjoying this phone for at least the next two years without any regrets.

The Rant is a good, affordable phone that does everything (email, web, video, etc) and will probably fit the needs of most users. It's a little thicker and slightly heavier than my previous phone, (a thin flip-phone also by Samsung) but it's got the full keyboard in addition to the numbers pad, which also functions as a keyboard if you're too lazy to slide the phone open. I for one despise texting with just the numeric keypad, and LOVE having a full keyboard.

The cameras on cell phones in general are mostly useless unless you're in some kind of emergency, or you just don't care about image quality. It's fine if you're in an accident and want to take pictures of the damage, and it's worth having for that, but I just don't run around taking pictures on my phone... especially to the extent that I need an image editor on it as well as the camera. For throwaway images it's fine, but for anything else, forget it. I didn't try any of the image editing (that's what Photoshop and my Wacom tablet are for!), so I can't comment on that. I had no problems sending and receiving pictures.

With the TV, movies and web, you'll never be bored again. The speaker is loud enough for most people, but you may want to keep a set of headphones on hand if hearing or privacy are an issue. I think the screen is kind of small, but in a pinch you probably won't care about that. It's definitely not going to replace my iPod. The applications can be slow when first launching. Calls are loud and clear. The phone automatically locks itself when you're done, so no calling someone when you hit the buttons by accident. Just hit * and back to unlock it.

The battery lasts a long time, and it's very easy to figure out most of the functions without having to consult the manual. Probably the most useful part is page 8, where it clearly diagrams where every key is and what it does. Once you've found that, you'll probably be able to do just about anything manual-free.

While I love the slide-out keyboard, it slides out a little too easily. It's spring-loaded, so it pops right back in. However, when I'm talking on it, unless I watch what I'm doing, it'll start to slide depending on how I hold it. It doesn't affect the call, but it is distracting. I wish there was some way to lock it into place.

As for Sprint service? We had T-Mobile before, and while it was OK, they didn't wow us or really give us any incentive to stay with them. We also experienced a lot of dead zones with them, and high bills when business ate up our minutes. Every service is going to have someone with horror stories, but I'm not one of them. The Sprint Everything plan is really the best thing for us with our high volume and length of calls. Their staff at the local store is always top-notch, and they know how to treat their customers.

I went into this wanting a Blackberry, but because of finances, we opted for this one instead. (Hubby got the Blackberry... sniffle!) I was disappointed at first, being one of those people who loves to have the coolest, newest thing out there. However, this little phone has grown on me. Whether you're in a money pinch, or you want a good phone that does everything, or you just don't want to pay for the bells and whistles that techno-geeks like me love, I think it will grow on you as well.

I purchased the Blackberry storm -had it for two weeks. Just traded it in for Omnia! I love this phone. Keyboard much easier to use! ActiveSync blows blackberry away! Push email works better!

Thanks fellow Omnia users for taking the other reviewers to task for trashing Verizon instead of commenting on the phone itself. I just got the Omnia yesterday and am still figuring everything out. What I am noticing is that it has probably more features than I'll likely use. However, it's better to have too much than not enough. For me:

The Pros:
Love the touch screen...no need for silly stylus which doesn't attach anyway. Tried the FM radio using adapter and my iPod phones and the reception was unbelievably good. Web-browser, good. Great camera and video! Has full suite of Microsoft office including Word, Powerpoint, Excell. Active sync allows you to sync up data from your phone to computer and vice versa. I'm addicted to "Bubbles", what can I say?

The Cons:
For me the battery just doesn't last. Perhaps it's because of the features. Also, I'm still working out the phone aspect. It's a bit more complicated than it needs to be. For example, I call my office to check for messages. I have to punch in a code to retrieve them, but to access a phone pad requires "unlocking" that feature while making the call. Retrieving messages left on the phone is a bit roundabout. Downloading VZ Apps is laborious since you keep having to go back and update content. What's up with that? It also doesn't have enough games you can download directly. I'm a Yatzee Queen and I can't get the app. directly. I guess I'll have to go to the website to download it.

Anyway, overall a good phone for the money. I got it for $100 before add-ons and the $70 rebate, so my final cost with 2 year contract will be $80. No bad for a phone with all this. And yes I have the upgrade data package which is required. So what.

Sadly, I was really hoping for a monster WinMo phone when I held the Omnia. What I did find, what a pleasant handset, but somehow a letdown compared to the performance of my Storm.

PROS:

The Omnia's build is 100% solid. Great feel in the hand, wonderful touch response and good performance.

The video/camera quality is nice and has some great adjustability. Saturation, contrast and sharpness controls are all there to dial in your images.

The email interface and messaging system is pretty easy to use once you understand Mobile Outlook.

Mobile Office - the total best way to take your work with you on the road. Email and share your docs from anywhere.

TV-Out with optional cables (OEM cables run about $10) allows you to display your Omnia photos or documents on any RCA TV connection.


CONS:

The battery life when using Wireless Sync (the $44.99 data plan) is about 3-4 hours on a full charge. Pretty underpowered for such a big screen phone.

The screen is very vibrant, but very low resolution compared to other $550 handsets on the market today.

Yes, it is WinMo so all you 'Dare/Voyager' users that are stepping in to smartphones looking for the same interface - look elsewhere, cause this ain't the same.


Now as far as the 'required plans' go...

Not everyone remembers, but when the Iphone was released, people were running up bills with $1000's in charges on them from their data plans. When you use the Dare or Voyager, you are probably subscribing to Vcast which is $15 a month - if not, don't get a smartphone cause it's going to do way more than that.

Verizon used to offer only 1 data plan with their non-Blackberry devices and that plan was $44.99 a month. To combat this and the $1.99 per MB charge they used to run with SmartPhones (and non-Vcast subscribing dumbphone users) they created the $29.99 'device only' web and email.

It's sad that so many people think that this is charge is too high. For $80 a month you can really do everything from the palm of your hand - and that's what this phone is designed for - someone that needs to do everything from the palm of their had. The traveller, the salesperson, the doctor, lawyer or anyone like that.

The Omnia will allow you to send your Word, Excel or Powerpoint presentations in seconds to anyone in the world and will do it very effectively.

I guess my only serious complaint on the device is that the screen's resolution was too low compared to the Storm and the fact that the WinMo interface required a 3rd party program to 'look good and function'...

The Rant is a good, affordable phone that does everything (email, web, video, etc) and will probably fit the needs of most users. It's a little thicker and slightly heavier than my previous phone, (a thin flip-phone also by Samsung) but it's got the full keyboard in addition to the numbers pad, which also functions as a keyboard if you're too lazy to slide the phone open. I for one despise texting with just the numeric keypad, and LOVE having a full keyboard.

The cameras on cell phones in general are mostly useless unless you're in some kind of emergency, or you just don't care about image quality. It's fine if you're in an accident and want to take pictures of the damage, and it's worth having for that, but I just don't run around taking pictures on my phone... especially to the extent that I need an image editor on it as well as the camera. For throwaway images it's fine, but for anything else, forget it. I didn't try any of the image editing (that's what Photoshop and my Wacom tablet are for!), so I can't comment on that. I had no problems sending and receiving pictures.

With the TV, movies and web, you'll never be bored again. The speaker is loud enough for most people, but you may want to keep a set of headphones on hand if hearing or privacy are an issue. I think the screen is kind of small, but in a pinch you probably won't care about that. It's definitely not going to replace my iPod. The applications can be slow when first launching. Calls are loud and clear. The phone automatically locks itself when you're done, so no calling someone when you hit the buttons by accident. Just hit * and back to unlock it.

The battery lasts a long time, and it's very easy to figure out most of the functions without having to consult the manual. Probably the most useful part is page 8, where it clearly diagrams where every key is and what it does. Once you've found that, you'll probably be able to do just about anything manual-free.

While I love the slide-out keyboard, it slides out a little too easily. It's spring-loaded, so it pops right back in. However, when I'm talking on it, unless I watch what I'm doing, it'll start to slide depending on how I hold it. It doesn't affect the call, but it is distracting. I wish there was some way to lock it into place.

As for Sprint service? We had T-Mobile before, and while it was OK, they didn't wow us or really give us any incentive to stay with them. We also experienced a lot of dead zones with them, and high bills when business ate up our minutes. Every service is going to have someone with horror stories, but I'm not one of them. The Sprint Everything plan is really the best thing for us with our high volume and length of calls. Their staff at the local store is always top-notch, and they know how to treat their customers.

I went into this wanting a Blackberry, but because of finances, we opted for this one instead. (Hubby got the Blackberry... sniffle!) I was disappointed at first, being one of those people who loves to have the coolest, newest thing out there. However, this little phone has grown on me. Whether you're in a money pinch, or you want a good phone that does everything, or you just don't want to pay for the bells and whistles that techno-geeks like me love, I think it will grow on you as well.

This is the first multifunction phone I have ever purchased, but hands down, there is no competition for it on the market in my eyes. The perks for me are the windows office mobile, 2 web browsers, on board 5mp camera for unexpected photo moments, 8gb on board memory with 16mb additional for tons of storage, video playback, and touch screen that is relatively responsive. The only major con for me is the voice dialing feature. I did not realize how often I use this with my older Motorola's, but this Samsung can not master my names. Barely an issue with other phones, this one has major issues separating 2 syllable names from each other. When I call my wife, anyone from a co-worker, my wife, to my wife's aunt are dialed insead of her. Also, the initial transfer of my phone book took many of my past names and made them last name first, first name last, completely messing up my speed dials and contact list, likely just an interface connection flaw at Verizon, not the phone's fault. Overall, this I see as an I-Phone Slayer. The other thing to boot, this is Verizon, not ATT (or Cingular), which I have had both, and Verizon clearly is superior in coverage in small town areas and customer service. If you have the Cash, get this phone.