The new Samsung Omnia Pro does what any other smartphone in the market can, although it fails to deliver on some aspects.
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The Omnia Pro runs on Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard, with Samsung putting its proprietary user interface on top of the WinMo Interface. Users can find six icons on the left side of the screen: Home that displays the time, missed calls, and messages; Contacts that displays eight of your contacts; My Place that displays 12 shortcuts by Telstra; Music; Photos; and Shortcuts.
It may be easy for users to access various programs, but the interface was slow and cumbersome. For example, we always had to press the Home button in order to go back to the menu instead of just pressing the left scroll button. There were also times when we had to wait for a couple of seconds just to re-assign the shortcuts. It could have been better if Samsung used a faster processor to prevent it from slowing down.
The Samsung Omnia Pro has a QWERTY keypad with raised keys, which made it easy for us to type e-mails and SMS. Four dedicated keys at the bottom row will allow users to take a photo, read an e-mail, browse the web, or check their calendar instantly.
The five-way navigation pad, select buttons, Home and back keys, as well as the answer and end keys are located below the 2.4-inch QVGA screen. The screen was bright, although it isn’t as sharp as other smartphones in the market.
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Pressing the Start button brings up the menu that provides instant access to other programs including a Bing search widget, Internet Sharing, Media Streaming Player, as well as the Windows Marketplace. Users can instantly set the unit up to send and receive e-mails via Microsoft Exchange, view saved documents, spreadsheets, and presentations using Office Mobile, and even look at PDFs on the Adobe Reader LE program. Instant messaging programs are also available in case you want to keep in touch with your contacts while on the go.
Surfing the Internet or downloading files were quick, thanks to its Telstra Next G connection. The unit also has Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth for added connectivity as well as a built-in FM tuner for listening to music while on the go. Unfortunately, there is no 3.5mm jack present on the device, preventing users from using their headphones.
The Omnia Pro’s 3.2-megapixel camera takes mediocre photos and is just good for sending it to friends via MMS. Battery life was superb, with the Omnia Pro lasting for two days.
While the Samsung Omnia Pro offers a lot of features that would simplify office tasks, it is slow and does not offer anything unique. Look elsewhere if you want a more feature-packed smartphone that delivers. The Omnia Pro is available now for $529.
