Samsung i8910 Omnia HD review: Going to the movies

Gsmaena have posted their review of the Samsung i8910. Here are the phone's key features, main disadvantages and final impression.

Key features:
3.7-inch 16M-color capacitive AMOLED touchscreen, 640 x 360 pixels
Symbian S60 5th edition with TouchWiz 3D UI
ARM Cortex-A8 600 MHz processor; HW Graphic Accelerator
256MB RAM
8 megapixel auto focus camera with LED flash, geotagging, face detection, smile shot, image stabilizer, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR), ISO 1600
HD 720p@24fps, 720x480@30fps, QVGA time-lapse and slow-mo video recording
Dual-band 3G with HSDPA (7.2Mbps) and HSUPA (5.76 Mbps) support
Quad-band GSM support
Wi-Fi with DLNA technology
Built-in GPS with A-GPS functionality
8/16GB internal memory
Hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 32GB)
TV out (Standard Definition content only)
FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth and USB v2.0
3.5mm standard audio jack
DNSe audio technology
DivX/XviD video support with subtitles (HD video playback)
Virtual 5.1 channel Dolby surround (in headphones)
Proximity sensor for screen auto turn-off
Accelerometer sensor for automatic UI rotation, turn-to-mute and motion-based gaming
Magnetometer for digital compass
Office document viewer
Full Flash support in the web browser

Main disadvantages:
No xenon flash
No camera lens cover
Sluggish browsing in the image gallery
HD video recording sometimes drops below 24fps or duplicates frames to equal 24
Samsung Mobile Navigator doesn't come with any maps or voice-guided navigation license
No smart dialing
Touch web browser zooming needs tweaking
Somewhat limited 3rd party software availability
No office document editing (without a paid upgrade)

When first revealed, the Samsung i8910 Omnia HD seemed almost too good to be true. Even the few bumps on its way to the mass market didn't spoil its appeal. The Omnia HD AMOLED display has neither the biggest screen estate, nor the highest resolution around but it still remains one of the top units in the touchscreen realm. And behind the welcoming gates, immense multimedia power awaits.

Certainly, imaging is the main focus and it can hardly be otherwise when video outdoes the market's second best by a whopping margin. We are pretty pleased with the camcorder output, especially now that the audio is on the level HD videos deserve. We still believe though the framerate has room for improvement.

But probably the biggest compliment to the video recording is that it leaves a capable 8 megapixel still camera in its shadow, not to mention the other cool extras that simply fade into the background.

Indeed, the Symbian-powered Omnia HD is one of the best equipped handsets we've ever had the chance to review. A brief look at the competition should help to see how far ahead it actually is.

If we had to pick one alternative to the Samsung i8910 Omnia HD, we would probably go for the Sony Ericsson Satio (previously known as Idou). It matches most of the features on the Omnia HD, but misses out on two of the most important ones - HD video recording (it's not that any other handset has that anyway) and the AMOLED screen. It does make up for those with a 12 megapixel shooter, but we still feel an extra-competitive price will be the only way for it to trade blows with the Samsung Omnia HD.

Then of course comes Samsung's very own Pixon12. However, with no smartphone platform to back it up and much smaller display it's targeting a different audience really. More fun-to-use than a workhorse device, the Samsung Pixon12 is a welcome substitute for your point-and-shoot on quite a lot of occasions. For cameraphone buffs, the choice between the Pixon12 and Omnia HD could be quite a tough one.

Another in-house competitor we thought of is the Windows Mobile-powered Omnia II. Samsung were smart enough to make the devices different enough, but this shapes up more like a friendly meeting than a deathmatch. But then, if a large AMOLED screen and all-in-one smartphone capability is your weapon of choice, then it will boil down to WinMo vs. Symbian.

We cannot help but mention the other handset that boasts the letters HD in its name. What seems an absurd claim in terms of video is quite a well-argued statement about screen resolution. The HTC Touch HD is no match for the Omnia HD when it comes to imaging, but elsewhere it's a pretty tough call between these heavyweights. And here ends another chapter in the WinMo versus Symbian clash, or as it has now become, TouchFLO against TouchWiz.