Samsung Innov8: The ultimate mobile entertainer
Proving their renowned leadership in the camera-phone industry, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. recently launched Samsung Innov8 — the first eight-megapixel camera phone for the GSM market — designed for powerful mobile photography, unlimited access to information and an exciting entertainment experience.
Samsung Innov8 offers users top-of-the-line camera technologies, a surround-sound cinematic video experience, the best mobile Internet browsing experience and mobile gaming capabilities.
Shutterbugs will love the phone for its ability to capture and store precious memories in style. It has the latest in imaging applications such as smile shot, blink shot and face recognition features. The camera phone also lets you personalize photos, videos and music with cool applications such as Movie Maker and Story Board. If that’s not enough, the handset also acts as a digital photo frame, which lets you display your favorite images.
The phone has an impressive 2.8-inch 16M color LCD, which is crystal clear so you can view your pictures really well.
You can choose between 8GB and 16GB internal memory. Those who are click-crazy will be happy to hear that the phone has an external memory slot of up to 16GB micro SDHC so you will never run out of storage space. Best of all, the phone’s 1200mAh battery provides a long-enough battery life for nonstop multimedia fun.
Samsung Innov8 supports a wide range of video player formats such as DivX, Xvid, WMV, Real Player and MPEG4. You can even have an extra enjoyable and realistic pocket cinema experience with the phone’s external dual speakers and 3D surround sound supported by DNSe 2.0.
Gamers will fall in love with the Samsung Innov8, which is ideal for video games. Apart from having two of the world’s most famous games — Asphalt and FIFA 08 — the handset also has been chosen as the official phone for the World Cyber Games 2008.
For those who always want to be online, Samsung Innov8 is the perfect partner for web browsing with its optical touch pad and a four-way navigation key so users can enjoy PC-like browsing. Of course, both HSDPA 7.2 mbps high-speed Internet and WiFi connection offer a convenient and seamless Internet experience wherever users are.
With all these features plus GPS technology, NavFone navigation, geo-tagging service, the Symbian OS V9.3 and S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 2, Document Viewer, Shozu, Yahoo Go, GyPSii, CNN, Google Search and Gmail, Samsung Innov8 is sure one impressive phone.
When we reviewed Sprint's Samsung Instinct earlier this year, there were several things we liked about the device. Naturally, we had a few complaints as well, not the least of which was the lack of corporate calendar syncing. The Instinct could get some Outlook e-mail, but without calendar syncing it had a limited appeal as a business handset.
Yet, starting Thursday, Instinct owners can get calendar syncing through a software update to the device's Mobile E-mail application. The new feature will be free of charge (provided you have a Sprint "Simply Everything" plan) and will work with Microsoft Exchange Server 2000, 2003, and 2007 accounts and IBM Lotus Notes. People will be able to see daily, weekly, and monthly views of their calendar and details of specific appointments and meetings. You'll also get meeting reminders, the ability to accept or decline new appointments, and the ability to edit or delete current meetings. All changes will be synced automatically with the user's desktop calendar. What's more, Sprint says it plans extended calendar syncing to other non-smartphones in the near future.
Verizon has already cut the price of its version of the Samsung Omnia, even though it just launched this touchscreen-oriented Windows Mobile smartphone last week.
The Omnia debuted on this carrier's website on Nov. 26 for $250 after a $70 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Just a few days later, it is now selling for $200 under those same conditions.
No reason for this change was given, but as the Omnia is often compared to the iPhone, Verizon decided that this model should sell for the same price as Apple's smartphone.
This Samsung device will hit Verizon Stores on Dec. 8.
An Overview of the Samsung Omnia
The Omnia has a design that focuses on its 3.2-inch, 240-by-400 pixel touchscreen. As mentioned earlier, it's one of several smartphones that strongly invites comparison to the iPhone 3G.
It runs Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, but Samsung has added its TouchWiz user interface, which has been designed to make some of the features of the device easier to use with a fingertip.
This model depends on its on-screen keyboard, and haptic feedback on the touchscreen provides subtle vibrations to confirm selections. It also includes an optical mouse.
This device's 5-megapixel camera includes a flash, face detection, panorama, split shot, and anti-shake capabilities.
It also has a microSD card slot and a GPS receiver.
Verizon's version of the Omnia supports this carrier's EV-DO network. It will also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth,
The 1440 mAh battery will, according to Verizon, provide 346 minutes of talk time or 464 hours of stand-by time.
The Samsung Omnia comes with the Opera 9.5 web browser, as well as the standard Windows Mobile suite of productivity and entertainment software.
Overall, it is 4.4 inches tall, 2.2 inches wide, and 0.5 inches thick. It weighs 4.3 ounces with battery.
Download – Samsung PC Studio 3.20
If you have a Samsung multimedia phone then Samsung PC Studio 3.20 is just the application you need. It lets you convert all types of multimedia material in Windows to your Samsung mobile phone, with perfect synchronization between PC and phone.
Thus from the PC you can manage and administer all the multimedia content you have, you can access your SMS, transfer videos, photos, music, etc, create new contacts, write multimedia SMS/MMS, convert between different video and audio formats, etc.
In other words, you can control, from your PC, all your Samsung phone options more comfortably and effectively, at the same time as synchronizing multimedia material between the two.
To work correctly the program needs you to previously install DirectX 9.0 or later. If you don´t have it you can download it for free here: este enlace.
Download – Omnia Screen Theme
Summary: Samsung Omnia inspired today screen theme
Download Omnia theme free for Windows Mobile Pocket PC
Samsung Pixon Engages Sony Ericsson C905 and LG Renoir in Battle
November 25, 2008, 09:37 PM —
The mobile phone manufacturers are now firmly concentrated on the latest camera technology and launching some of the highest specification camera phones including the latest Samsung Pixon along with rival offerings from LG and Sony Ericsson.
As micro technology starts to play a major part in mobile phones manufacturing the number of features and applications available in a standard sized device has started to expand at a rate of knots, this technology is allowing for features that easily compare to standalone gadgets.
With the way that mobile technology is currently going consumers will no longer be leaving their homes with a number of assorted gadgets but instead the latest mobile phone will take care of most if not all of their daily entertainment, communication and multimedia needs.
A typical example of this latest technology is the introduction of 8 megapixel camera lenses in mobile phones, it was only months ago that standalone digital cameras were able to offer consumers this quality of picture capture but now it can be found alongside the communication needs of a consumer in the form of a mobile phone.
As with the latest offering from Samsung, we can even take advantage of features such as face detection and image stabilisation which has always been the realm of digital cameras, the new Samsung Pixon offers this same technology and other surprising camera features.
Autofocus is present making image capturing easy for any ametuer photographer, advanced shake reduction and wide dynamic range also feature in the Samsung Pixon camera options, also can be said for this phones rivals in the form of the LG Renoir and Sony Ericsson C905.
The LG Renoir takes this camera technology a step further by offering a Schneider Kreuznach lens, autofocus, manual focus, Face Tracking, smile and blink detection and a xenon flash. The Samsung Pixon has an older style LED flash which is fine for poor light conditions but will not produce the results of a Xenon flash in dark environments.
The Sony Ericsson C905 also offers face detection technology and the Xenon flash of the LG Renoir but this is a Cybershot phone, renowned as a photographic focussed phone (excuse the pun) the Cybershot range has always taken mobile phone photography one step further than its competitors, the same can be said for this latest model which has an 8.1 megapixel camera with 'real' camera flash and a massive 16 x zoom for close up photo capture.
Deciding between these models is difficult and many consumers will be lead by what they know, that is to say that most mobile phone users have grown accustomed to a particular manufacturer and find it hard wavering to competitors, in general once a consumer has had a good experience with a certain phone model they will stick with the manufacturer in the future.
As the technology becomes available the mobile manufacturers are jumping on it fast and releasing it to the general public, 8 megapixel phones are a huge leap from the previous 5 megapixels offered by what were the top of the range models only weeks ago.
The Samsung Pixon, Sony Ericsson C905 and LG Renoir have been joined by some new 8.0 megapixel phones, the manufacturers are not resting on their laurels and Samsung have already released the i8510 whilst LG the KC780, this brings the current total to five high specification camera phones on the UK markets.
Consumers can expect more of the same moving into next year with the eventual onset of 10 megapixel devices in the near future, they are already available in the Japanese markets and it is only a matter of time before they make their way into the pockets of UK consumers - The death of the digital camera?
Pixon 'tops the eight-megapixel monsters'
The latest eight-megapixel cameraphone may be one of the best around, according to one expert.
In an article posted on the Trusted Reviews website, Sandra Vogel looks at the new Samsung Pixon and states that hot on the heels of the Tocco, the phone has a lot to contend with.
She states the Pixon, which also goes by the name of the M8800, also follows similarly photography-focused handsets including the Samsung i8510 Innov8 and LG KC910 Renoir, both of which have previously been recommended by the site.
The Samsung Pixon is similar in its design to the Omnia i900 and Tocco F480, Ms Vogel notes, adding that in addition to its camera facilities, it offers microSD support, a 3.5mm jack, FM radio and 3.2-incjh touchscreen.
"In terms of general usability this is my favourite eight-megapixel handset to date. The Tocco was a super mobile phone, and the Pixon brings it to new heights," she concludes.
Sony Ericsson fans looking for an eight-megapixel cameraphone may be interested in the manufacturer's latest flagship model the C905.
Samsung Pixon M8800 Ultimate Review
Who is Nick Turpin and what are his adventures? Well, if you have been following the release of the latest mega-megapixel camera phone, the Samsung Pixon, you will probably know! Nick Turpin is a street photographer and he has been let loose with the Pixon to photograph his life in detail for a month. Is there a much higher recommendation than a professional photographer agreeing to use a cameraphone to showcase his work?
The Pixon was initially thought to be known as the Bresson, an equally ridiculous name but perhaps less ‘photo’ than Pixon, when it was spotted in picture form on the Internet and joined the ranks of the other 8 megapixel camera phones expected before the end of the year. Currently a war between Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG – Nokia have remained neutral so far – the Pixon will be up against the Sony Ericsson C905, the Samsung INNOV8, the LG KC780 and the Renoir KC910.
But to standout these days, a massive megapixel shooter is only the start, your new phone has to have a few other top-end features and one or two super-special ones to attract the buying public’s interest. So, has Samsung achieved this with the Pixon? Find out in our comprehensive review.
First Impression of the Samsung Pixon M8800
It’s All About the Megapixels.
But is it? Well, the Samsung Pixon’s 8 megapixel camera is certainly impressive, but it’s by no means a one trick phone, as there’s plenty more to experience inside. However, Samsung have really gone to town with the camera features and software to make this a true camera/phone hybrid.
Samsung Pixon - Eight Megapixel Equipped.
The 8 megapixel lens is mounted inside a raised section on the top rear of the Pixon M8800. It’s designed to look and feel like a regular point and shoot camera and indeed can be held on the exact same way, making it a very comfortable companion. There is autofocus and a powerful flash for taking the best pictures possible and a secondary lens for video calling on the front panel.
Software Enhancements.
The Pixon’s similarity to a regular point-and-shoot camera continues with the ample selection of software tweaks for the camera. First we have face detection, blink detection and smile detection, then an auto-panorama mode along with an advanced shake reduction system. There is also a 16x zoom option, but since this is a digital zoom, you probably won’t worry about it too much.
Fun Additions.
Face Link is a clever way to make your photos interact with your phonebook! In a similar way to Facebook, you can link the faces of your friends in picture form to their entries in your phonebook, making it easy to send an SMS or make a call to them as you browse your saved snaps. Live Pix is a doodling program with a difference. First you can scribble amusing mustaches or black eyes over a picture of your friend, then save the file as a Flash animation and watch the transformation from before to after. Then send it to them!
Innovative Photo Album.
The Samsung Pixon has a built-in accelerometer which does something a little more than simply auto-rotate the screen when you change the orientation of the handset. When you’re looking through your pictures in the album, instead of pressing a button to advance, just tip the Pixon M8800 in the direction you want to go and the next picture will scroll smoothly into view!
Geo-Tagging GPS.
GPS is featured inside the Samsung Pixon M8800 and as well as being Assisted-GPS, it also supports geo-tagging, so you can tag your pictures with the exact location where you took them.
Samsung Pixon M8800 - Outstanding Features.
The camera may be the Samsung Pixon’s headline feature, but they haven’t left it at that as there are a few other very interesting features hidden inside its sleek, touchscreen casing.
The Sound of Music.
As usual, Samsung have included their excellent MP3 player with support for the majority of common file formats. Unfortunately there is no 3.5mm jack plug for your own headphones, but there is an FM RDS radio.
Versatile Video.
What the Samsung Pixon M8800 lacks in musical features, it makes up for in video. The large screen is perfect for a movie and since the phone supports DivX and XviD file formats, there should be plenty of compatible files to enjoy. Videos and pictures can be viewed on the big screen thanks to the addition of a TV-Out socket.
Incredible Sound.
The LG KC910 will feature Dolby Mobile, but for the Pixon M8800, Samsung have decided to include their own sound enhancement tweaks in the form of their SRS sound system. This gives a virtual surround sound from the Pixon’s stereo speakers and is often found in Samsung’s TV’s.
Fast Data Connections.
Samsung have omitted to include Wi-Fi on the Samsung Pixon M8800, preferring to leave such things to the more business-like Omnia, but have made the phone 3G with full 7.2Mbps HSDPA support. You also have EDGE and GPRS just in case, plus A2DP Bluetooth and a USB connection for data transfer.
Samsung’s Minimalist Style.
Since the Samsung Pixon M8800 is a touchscreen mobile phone, there is little to break up the simple-looking case aside from three buttons under the screen. But Samsung have still managed to make an attractive phone and have kept the dimensions to a very good level – the best on the market in some areas.
Touchscreen Operating System.
The Samsung Pixon M8800 employs a similar operating system to that found on the F480 Tocco, the TouchWIZ. In addition to the full touchscreen experience, the home screen is fully customisable with the addition of widgets scrolling down the side of the screen ready to be dragged into use. These widgets can be added to by downloading more from the Samsung website.
Impressive Battery Life.
There are plenty of power-hungry applications inside the Pixon, yet Samsung still quote a 300 hours standby and a talktime of around 4 hours.
Market Leading Dimensions.
Samsung claim the Pixon M8800 to be the slimmest 8 megapixel cameraphone on the market, beating the LG KC910’s 14mm thickness by .2mm. The remaining dimensions are good, with the screen taking up a huge 3.2” of the flush front panel and displaying a resolution of 240×400. Weight has also been kept in check, with a final total of 121 grams.
Masses of Memory.
With an 8 megapixel camera, the pictures you take are going to swallow up your available memory, so even though an internal 200MB sounds generous, it will disappear after a few snaps have been taken! Luckily, there is a MicroSD card slot ready to take your storage cards up to 8GB in size.
The battle of the megapixels has only just begun, with all the contenders yet to make it on to the market. However, Samsung have taken an early lead with their two impressive shooters, with only LG challenging them at the moment. No doubt Sony Ericsson’s C905 will be impressive, and the upcoming Blackberry Storm will also be hot, but for now, the Pixon is the cameraphone to watch.
Samsung INNOV8 - A Pictorial Review
The Lucky Number
Camera phones have always been something of an oddity. It is a vastly popular device amongst many, utilized as a device of convenience to snap and go, and heavily utilized as a blogging tool. Yet, you won't be seeing them as dedicated devices for serious photography. But the divide between a camera phone and a compact digital camera is slowly and surely shrinking, and Samsung's foray into the megapixel race has just gotten on track when they announced their first 8-megapixel camera, the Samsung SGH-i8510 or more commonly known as the Samsung INNOV8.
For those of you who are still sitting on the fence and considering the INNOV8, here's a little gift from us to you: the full review of this 8-megapixel camera phone. We'll start off as usual with a first glance of the INNOV8 followed by its specifications.
Hardware Delight
The INNOV8's form factor won't surprise many, keeping to the slider model that's quite popular amongst consumers recently. On the surface, the INNOV8 comes with a 2.8-inch TFT LCD screen, with a resolution of 240 x 320 and 16M colors. Focusing just below the screen, we have the standard softkey buttons, Call and End buttons and the Menu and Gallery keys. What got us quite interested though, was the five-way navigation pad at the centre, which doubles up as an optical mouse too.
Previously, we applauded Samsung for the addition of the optical mouse for its earlier Windows Mobile devices, the Samsung SGH-i780 and the Samsung SGH-i900 or more commonly known as the Samsung Omnia. Imagine holding the device in both hands, with the right finger navigating the cursor via the optical mouse and the left finger clicking on the selected application icon. This was an example of how both the optical mouse and the touch screen interface worked seamlessly and in tandem with one another.
However, on the Symbian S60 platform, the situation's slightly different. With the optical mouse active, moving left, right, up or down as you would with the normal five-way navigation pad would be akin to swiping the optical mouse in the appropriate direction, Herein lies the issue, for when we tried to hit the enter button, there were times when our fingers would swipe the optical mouse just before the device registers the enter action, and thus it actually moves away from the intended icon and enter a different application altogether.
he left profile of the INNOV8 houses the standard volume button, a 3.5mm audio jack and the microUSB connection port. As always, we are always pleased with the presence of a 3.5mm audio jack, and we'll delve deeper into the audio performance of the INNOV8 in the upcoming pages. Moving on, we come to the shortcut keys that give you access to the INNOV8's key selling points: a slider button that switches between camera, video and playback mode, the microSD slot that supports SDHC of up to 16GB and finally, the camera button that links you to the 8-megapixel camera lens with auto-focus and a dual LED flash located at the back profile. Unlike the Samsung SGH-G810's sliding lens cover, the INNOV8 is protected by a shutter that opens up once you press the camera button to either take an image or a video.
In all honesty, if one were to take a look at the INNOV8 just from the back without sliding the device up or even checking out the 2.8-inch screen, you might see the familiarity of the INNOV8's aesthetic design to Samsung's compact digital camera lineup.
The INNOV8's camera is jam-packed with features that's akin to what one gets on a standard compact digital camera. Practical features such as its Blink Detection was definitely useful for the singular purpose of preventing any closed eyes in portrait shots. Switching on the Blink Detection feature, we took a few shots and out of 10 images, the INNOV8 did manage to return at least 9 good images with the subject image's eyes fully opened. The single shot that didn't pass the test showed the subject image squinting, but a 90% accuracy is definitely commendable.
Furthermore, the INNOV8 also comes with a Panaroma shot that allows you to take up to 8 images linked together. Interestingly, you can link all 8 images in either the horizontal or vertical axis, with the only downside that you'll only be taking shots at either 640 x 320 or 320 x 240 resolutions. Another novelty featured on the INNOV8 is its Smile Detection, but this is a feature that might pose some difficulty for users who can't get the hang of it.
Now that you know all its major features, we'll move on to the camera performance. Auto-focus took a little less than 2 seconds and once we hit the camera button, the INNOV8 took approximately 4 seconds to capture and process the image. Though we did mention that the INNOV8 is trying to bridge the divide between dedicated compact digital cameras and camera phones, there's still quite a bit of work left based on the image processing time. Nonetheless, let's focus more on its imaging quality, with a few stand alone test shots from its 8-megapixel CMOS sensor.
The Full Package
With the INNOV8 being placed under its Infotainment category, Samsung did well to fulfill the entertainment part with the inclusion of a myriad of multimedia file format support. On the audio aspect, the list includes MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, AMR and RealAudio, which are quite the standard affair for most Symbian S60 devices nowadays. The real deal came from the its DNSe 2.0 sound quality which scored very well with ours ears.
In essence, the bass levels were strong and clear on each track, with no discernible crackling at loud volumes. However, our main gripe came from the INNOV8's speakers, which were unable to project its audio delivery as clear as what we've heard with the bundled 3.5mm audio jack. Of course, being Bluetooth 2.0 compliant with A2DP, there's also the Bluetooth stereo route to go, but our suggestion is to stick with the 3.5mm audio jack for optimum audio quality.
Video, on the other hand, was a mixed affair. The INNOV8 supports the usual suspects such as H.263, H.264, WMV and MP4 like Nokia's high-end series, the Nokia N96 that was just recently launched. But what gave it a slight edge (and probably its downfall too) was the inclusion of the DivX standard on the INNOV8. With the DivX (and Xvid) format appearing on its recent devices such as the Omnia, it did open up more avenues for consumers to double up their mobile phones as suitable portable media players too.
Not surprisingly, Samsung has included the DivX format within the INNOV8, but not the Xvid format though. Whilst many might applaud the inclusion of an additional video format playback within a S60 device, the deal breaker came when we tried to do a quick test of the video frame rates. More often than not, you'll have to utilize the DivX Convertor Mobile to tweak your videos to the suitable DivX format before you can transfer and view your videos on the go with the INNOV8.
Hiccups aside with the DivX format, we utilized our standard video tests with a video clip optimized for the S60 platform. The INNOV8 was able to handle high speed chases with minimal frame losses and lag during its video playback.
To fulfill its positioning as a high-end device, the INNOV8 also comes with a slew of wireless connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, USB 2.0 and of course the now commonly found GPS with A-GPS. Each INNOV8 comes bundled with a 1GB microSD card that contains the NavFone GPS software by Agis, and comes with Singapore, West and East Malaysia maps. More importantly, there's also a one-year voice guided navigation license provided within the box. We brought the INNOV8 out for a road test, and with A-GPS active, a satellite lock was achieved in no more than 1 minute, which in our books, was an above average result.
Applications are also aplenty on the INNOV8, with bundled software such as Fring that allows you to access multiple instant messaging services such as MSN Messenger, Google Talk and even allows you to utilize Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for internet calls. For the gamers, there's a full version of Asphalt 4 and FIFA 08 to keep you glued to your device on the road too
Yet with all the features laid out, the real question is how the INNOV8 is able to handle the load with its 1200mAH battery. Unfortunately, due to its positioning as an 8-megapixel camera phone, we foresee that users might be more trigger happy with its camera function than otherwise, and this would definitely compromise on its battery life. True enough, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, after around 2 hours of music playback and around 50 shots on the highest resolution, the INNOV8 faltered at slightly more than a day.
Closing Shutters
Being the first commercially available 8-megapixel camera phone, the Samsung INNOV8 has gotten a few things right, not only on the imaging front, but also its multimedia and productivity delivery. For many, convergence is of utmost importance, and the INNOV8 manages to return high quality images with vivid colors together with ample features to enhance your images such as Blink Detection and Image Stabilizer. Nonetheless, there is still the question of whether such convergent devices are able to match up to dedicated compact digital cameras. Our take on this? It probably won't be too soon, as technology is always evolving at an exponential rate such that when one ups the ante, the other party goes a step further.
Oh the hardware front, the INNOV8 does have its hits (and misses). For one, its optical mouse was the oddball that made navigation a slightly confounding affair. Truth be told, you might be better off using the standard navigation keypad to make things easier on your fingers. The numeric keypad, on the other hand, came with excellent tactile feedback, and was quick and accurate, to say the least. This is a stark contrast to the recently launched Nokia N96 that came with an awkward and cramped keypad.
It is undeniable that the INNOV8 is able to perform its duties well, and even more so with its multimedia enhancements within. We did appreciate its audio clarity as enhanced by its DNSe 2.0 standard, but as mentioned, this can only be fully enjoyed with earphones and not via the INNOV8's integrated stereo speakers. Video playback, on the other hand, came with a few kinks. True, there's an added incentive for users with the inclusion of the DivX format into the S60 device, but the prerequisite, i.e. a long conversion process via the DivX Mobile Converter, should dampen the INNOV8's appeal in the visual department.
What we will say is this: Samsung hasn't been stingy with the features on the INNOV8 with its slew of wireless connectivity and bundled applications such as Fring, full versions of Asphalt 4 and FIFA 08. With battery longevity rated at slightly more than a day with its 1200mAH battery, the Samsung INNOV8 is as good as it gets for a high-end Symbian S60 device, and what makes the deal even sweeter, is its recommended retail price of S$1098.
Best iPhone alternatives
Have you resisted the lure of Apple's iPhone 3G thus far? Perhaps the massive Apple marketing machine has had no effect on you whatsoever, but this doesn't mean you don't want an awesome mobile phone, right?
Apple's iPhone 3G was released in Australia earlier this year to fanfare unheard of for a mobile phone. When the device hit stores in July it seemed like the iPhone was the only handset people spoke about. There are, of course, alternatives.
Identifying iPhone alternatives is more than just listing other touchscreen smartphones. There are three main ways in which the iPhone excels. Firstly it's as a media player — the iPhone 3G with its 3.5-inch display and excellent iPod component is a media monster, though if you're in the market for a phone that plays video files and music and sports huge internal storage then Samsung's Omnia or Nokia's N96 are also worth checking out.
Secondly, the iPhone performs well as a business device. Apple went to great pains before the release of the iPhone 3G to include important business software, like VPN support and Microsoft Exchange compatibility. It's still our opinion, though, that if you're in the market for a 
business handset you need a full QWERTY keyboard. Two of this year's best keyboards were found on Nokia's E71 and the BlackBerry Bold.
Lastly, perhaps the iPhone's most compelling appeal is as a techno fashion accessory. It's pointless denying the sheer sex appeal of Apple's sleek smartphone and, depending on personal taste, the iPhone is still ahead of the field for having that intangible X-Factor. LG's Viewty and Renoir, and Motorola's ROKR E8 are all gorgeous phones, but maybe not enough to lure the fashionistas away from Apple's gem.
Samsung Omnia
In terms of features the Omnia stands out as one of the best smartphones to date. It's a shame this doesn't translate into a phone we'd enjoy using from day to day.
Nokia N96
It's a little slimmer and it has loads of storage, but Nokia's latest flagship model has little to justify its top-shelf price tag.
Nokia E71
With its combination of excellent features and performance, matched with sleek design and its affordable price tag, Nokia's E71 manages to outshine recently released smartphones as our business phone of choice.
BlackBerry Bold 9000
The Bold is what BlackBerry fans have been waiting for. It's feature-rich and sharply designed, let down in small measure by some cumbersome software.
LG Viewty (KU990)
The touchscreen interface and sexier design will be enough to make knees tremble, however, the Viewty's 5-megapixel camera falls short of our expectations.
LG Renoir KC910
With an excellent 8-megapixel camera and a finger-friendly touchscreen, the Renoir is exactly what it sets out to be: one of the best camera phones of the year.
Download your OMNIA Manual
A lot of folks have been asking me on where to to download the OMNIA user manual, so for the sake of everyone again, here is the link. =+)
Korea-only T*Omnia is Omnia on steroids
The Samsung Omnia has been sold in Asia and Europe for a couple of months now, but hasn't seen the light of day in its home country, Korea. Well, in case you thought that the chaebol forgot about its fellow countrymen, think again--it was merely taking its time to prepare an enhanced version. Today, Samsung launched the T*Omnia in Korea, and if you are a current Omnia user, prepare to go green with jealousy.
Like the Omnia SGH-i900, the T*Omnia SCH-M495 is also an HSDPA device with 16GB internal storage and runs Windows Mobile 6.1. The big difference is this: It comes with a 3.3-inch WVGA (800 x 480) display--four times the resolution of the original's 400 x 240 screen. Aside from that, the T*Omnia is also equipped with satellite DMB for viewing digital TV in Korea. Even with those additions, the T*Omnia weighs 131g, just 9g heavier than the original, and is only marginally larger. This makes it a prime alternative to HTC's upcoming Touch HD which also has a WVGA display and a no-keypad form factor.
Given its UMTS and GSM capabilities, our immediate thought was that it should have no problems working outside of Korea. Unfortunately, Samsung told us that this is a Korea-only product and that there are no current plans to launch it elsewhere. Perhaps the screams of a million Omnia fans on message boards will change that--but for now, we can only look and drool.
