06/09/2008, 12:35am, EDT
Monday, June 9thSamsung i900 launches ahead of iPhone
Samsung on Monday hoped to preempt Apple's announcements with the launch of the i900 Omnia. The Korean firm's latest touchscreen phone is also its first to use Windows Mobile 6.1 but includes a custom TouchWiz front-end more friendly to home users; like the HTC Touch Pro and Touch Diamond, it uses Opera Mobile in place of Internet Explorer for web browsing. A relatively unique miniature trackpad serves as a fallback for when on-screen buttons are too small to control, while an accelerometer (still rare in Windows Mobile devices) auto-rotates the display when the phone is tilted on its side.
The phone is targeted squarely at the media-centric nature of Apple's device and comes with either 8GB or 16GB of internal flash memory depending on the model, with a microSD slot providing 8GB or more of extra space. A 5-megapixel camera is onboard with software for both face and smile detection using digital autofocusing. Internet access is fast with up to 7.2Mbps HSDPA on supporting 3G networks and Wi-Fi for other areas. An FM tuner and basic GPS reception are equally standard.
Samsung vows a quick launch for the Omnia and plans to make it available in in June, potentially coinciding with an iPhone release. A Europe-specific launch takes place between July and August. The phone is also suited to North America courtesy quad-band GSM and tri-band HSDPA support that will allow it full access to networks from AT&T and Rogers, although neither has announced plans to carry the handset.
Filed under: iPhone, gadgets
Other story tags: Samsung, Windows Mobile, Omnia
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yay
finally a manufacturer using Windows Mobile that realizes that not providing an alternative to Microsoft's lame Pocket Internet Explorer is the best way to doom your shiny new toy to also-ran status next to the Mobile-Safari-toting iPhone. Samsung has included the next-best Opera Mobile, for which we say 'Yay!'.
If it walks like a duck..
...and talks like a duck...?
Wow.
Nice, uncluttered interface.*cough
Rip off!
Can these people not create something original? What a rip off!
Apple-fanboys … Sigh!
"Can these people not create something original? What a rip off!"
You realise the iPhone is feature wise a piss poor rip-off of a true smart phone, right?
re: tosser boy
Why so bitter? You're really grasping for air to claim the iPhone is a rip of of other smart phones. that's like saying Ferrari is a rip-off of Ford because it has 4 tires and a steering wheel.
Get over your Apple hatred - if you don't like the iPhone, that's fine, but you're really pretty dumb here.
Dumb Marketing Move
What idiot would announce a new product right before WWDC? Samsung thats who. I'm surprise MS didn't announce the new M2 Zune today with a new color and whatever drawings on the back. LOL
Ahhhh but ...
Still, I have to wonder what they are doing with Windows mobile software.......
How well laid out will it be?? Will it run Zune software and music???
"Zune".......... sounds Zurrrr-iffic.
Its Crack-a-laking!! :-)