Verizon Wireless' next big Windows Mobile touchscreen might sport the coolest screen around. Want more? Check out our hands-on look at the Samsung Omnia 2.
We dropped by Samsung Mobile headquarters this week for a sneak peak at some of the new TouchWIZ phones that will be coming to market in the next few months. While Europeans might be drooling over the new Samsung Jet, Americans might be getting the better deal in the new Samsung Omnia 2. Verizon Wireless has been officially quiet on the new phone, but Samsung reps tell us we can expect to see the Samsung Omnia 2 available on The Network in the future. Like the original Samsung Omnia, the Samsung Omnia 2 will be a Windows Mobile phone running Samsung's own TouchWIZ interface, this time TouchWIZ version 2.0.
What a giant screen you have
When the Samsung Omnia 2 finally reaches the market, its massive, 3.7-inch, active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display will be the largest OLED screen available on a mobile device. In person, we enjoyed the large display, especially with Samsung's TouchWIZ interface, which needs a lot of room for its widgets and toolbars. We tried out the Samsung Omnia 2 side-by-side next to a new Samsung Jet, and it was easy to tell the difference between the much-larger American phone and the smaller international model. That AMOLED technology doesn't disappoint, either. The high-resolution, 800 by 480 pixel display was bright and crisp, with sharp colors and deep blacks providing a nice contrast.
During our hands-on time, we didn't see much in the new TouchWIZ 2.0 interface on the Samsung Omnia 2 to give us a good impression of how deep the new changes will go. We did see the improved, live-action icons on the TouchWIZ tool bar, and the few icons we dragged from the tray fit nicely on the Omnia 2's large display. The Samsung Omnia 2 can handle multiple home screens, and you can place widgets on separate screens in custom arrangements, just like on the T-Mobile G1 Google Android phone. The Samsung Omnia 2 seemed plenty responsive, and the interface is built almost entirely with large, finger-friendly buttons. Even the Windows Mobile features have been mostly retooled for touch.
Press the button
The key to the new interface will be the center menu cube. Press the giant cube button and you can back out to a 3D, cube-shaped menu system. The first time we tried it, we found the cube had been set for motion gestures. We flicked the phone to one side and the cube rotated that way, selecting the choice on that side of the 3D figure. You can also set the cube to rotate by touch.
In our time with the Samsung Omnia 2 and this cube interface element, we found the phone to be plenty responsive, but we didn't love the cube design. It required a level of precision that we don't want to deal with on our menu screens. We want menus to be quick and intuitive, while the cube seems to add an extra layer of gimmick to the phone.
Supersize the entire order?
In addition to the impressive new screen and the enhanced TouchWIZ 2.0 interface, the Samsung Omnia 2 will also get some other feature enhancements. The phone will get a camera boost to an 8-megapixel sensor, and the phone will now be able to record video up to WVGA resolution, to match the built-in 800 by 480 pixel screen.
Samsung has been bragging quite a bit about the high-end processor in the Samsung Jet, but has kept fairly mum on what's inside the Samsung Omnia 2. The original Verizon Wireless version came loaded with 8GB of internal storage, but there's been no word of whether the new Omnia 2 will get a capacity increase.
Price and release date
The Samsung Omnia 2 will be available abroad in September 2009, while Verizon Wireless customers should expect their own model to arrive in U.S. stores shortly after. Pricing for any market has yet to be announced.
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