Samsung i900 Omnia The Ultimate Specs & Review Guide

Overview of Samsung i900 Omnia

The Samsung i900 Omnia was announced in June 2008 and released in July of the same year. As a part of Samsung's line of smartphones, it showcased a variety of features that appealed to users at the time. Its sleek design and advanced capabilities, compared to other devices available during its release, positioned it as a competitive option in the market, even though it is now discontinued.

Design and Build

The build quality of the Samsung i900 Omnia was commendable, featuring dimensions of 112 x 56.9 x 12.5 mm, and a light weight of 122 grams. It was designed with a Mini-SIM card slot, typical of devices back in the day. Its overall form factor was both compact and solid, making it easy for users to handle and operate with one hand.

Display

The Omnia was equipped with a 3.2-inch TFT resistive touchscreen offering 256K colors (65K effective), with a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels. This equates to a pixel density of approximately 146 pixels per inch, which, while not high by today's standards, was quite adequate during its release period. The touchscreen's resistive technology required a stylus or a firmer touch compared to modern capacitive touchscreens.

Performance and Operating System

The Samsung i900 Omnia was powered by a Marvell PXA312 624 MHz processor and provided with 128MB RAM. It ran on the Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS, which was prevalent for many business-class smartphones of that time. Although 128MB RAM may seem insufficient now, it was optimized well for the Windows Mobile platform, ensuring smooth user experiences for standard mobile operations and apps available then.

Storage Options

One of the attractive features of the Omnia was its storage capacity. It was available in two variants, offering either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage. Furthermore, users had the flexibility to expand storage via a dedicated microSDHC card slot, which allowed for more extensive capacity based on individual needs.

Camera Features

The device housed a 5 MP rear camera with autofocus and an LED flash. It supported video recording, enabling users to capture both photos and videos with reasonable quality for the time. Additionally, the Omnia included a front-facing videocall camera for basic video calling, a feature that was emerging as a standard.

Connectivity and Communication

Connectivity options were robust, with support for both GSM and HSPA networks. This featured technology bands of GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and 3G HSDPA 2100, allowing for high-speed internet connectivity with HSPA speeds up to 7.2 Mbps. In terms of wireless communication, it included Wi-Fi 802.11b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, ensuring users could easily connect to the internet or pair with other devices. Additional features included GPS with A-GPS support for navigation, stereo FM radio with RDS, and USB 2.0 for data transfer and charging.

Battery Life

The removable Li-Ion 1440 mAh battery provided sufficient power for the Omnia's operations. It offered a standby time of up to 500 hours on 2G networks and up to 450 hours on 3G. The talk time performance was competitive, allowing up to 5 hours and 50 minutes on 2G and up to 6 hours and 30 minutes on 3G, enabling a full day of moderate use.

Audio and Sound Quality

The sound system on the Samsung i900 Omnia included a loudspeaker for audio playback and traditional alert types such as vibration and downloadable polyphonic and MP3 ringtones. However, it lacked a 3.5mm audio jack, which was a minor limitation for users wishing to use standard wired earphones without an adapter.

Additional Features

Additional functionality came from a built-in accelerometer, enabling the device to switch between portrait and landscape modes based on orientation. Internet browsing was supported via a WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML browser with RSS feeds, facilitating access to web content and news.

Aesthetic and Variants

The Samsung i900 Omnia was available in a single color, Modern Black, which complemented its sophisticated design. Its SAR ratings were measured at 0.39 W/kg (head) and 0.52 W/kg (body), positioning it within safe exposure limits.

Market Impact and Legacy

Upon its release, the Omnia was priced approximately at 160 EUR, which catered to the mid-to-high-end market segment. It stood out for its blend of smartphone functionalities with a focus on multimedia capabilities, appealing to both business professionals and general users. Despite being discontinued, the Omnia represents a significant step in Samsung's journey in the smartphone evolution, contributing to subsequent innovations and advancements in their lineup.