Philippine Cell Phones

The Samsung i8000 Omnia II with Windows Mobile 6.1 architecture and TouchWiz 2.0 UI -  A mobile smartphone encased in a 3.7 inch Display packing a 64K-color AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) WQVGA touchscreen at 480 x 800 pixels. On top of that the Omnia II also sports 3G, HSDPA/HSUPA 7.2/5.76 Mbps, WiFi and a 5 megapixel camera with video capture and comes in 2GB, 8GB and 16GB Internal storage versions.

From initial feedback obtained thus far, its been suggested the Samsung has not only improved features and technology, moreover it appears that the manufacturer has gone one step further by redeveloping many of the original Omnia features that made the handset so appealing to commence with. The usual smorgasbord of connectivity options have been included such as WiFI, HSDPA/HSUPA, Bluetooth with A2DP, microUSB and a GPS reciever with A-GPS support, but the real winner and surprise lays within the WinMO operating system that doesn’t even feel like such.

Samsung I8000 Omnia II Specifications:
General
2G Network     GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network     HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100
Announced     2009, June
Status             Coming soon. Exp. release 2009, Q3

Size
Dimensions     118 x 59.6 x 11.9 mm
Weight           117 g

Display
Type     AMOLED resistive touchscreen, 16M colors (65K effective)
Size      480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches
- TouchWiz 2.0 UI
- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate and Motion UI
- Handwriting recognition

Sound
Alert types        Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones
Speakerphone   Yes
- 3.5 mm audio jack

Memory
Phonebook      Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records    Practically unlimited
Internal           2/8/16 GB storage
Card slot         microSD (TransFlash), up to 32 GB

Data
GPRS     Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 - 48 kbps
HSCSD   Yes
EDGE     Class 10, 236.8 kbps
3G          HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
WLAN    Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth   Yes, v2.0
Infrared port    No
USB     Yes,
microUSB   v2.0

Camera
Primary     5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, Dual Power LED flash
Features    Geo-tagging, face and smile detection, mobile blogging
Video         Yes, 720×480@30fps
Secondary  VGA videocall camera

Features
OS     Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
CPU   800MHz
Messaging   SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, IM
Browser     HTML, Opera Browser v9.5
Radio     No
Games   Yes, 3D interactive games
Colors    Black
GPS        Yes, with A-GPS support, 3D map
Java       Yes, MIDP 2.0
- Photo editor, video editor
- DixX / XviD / MPEG4/ H.263/ H.264/ WMV player
- MP3/ e-AAC+/ WMA / WMDRM / OMA DRM 2.1 player
- Find Music service
- Media Gate 3D

Gadget geeks and tech enthusiasts alike will love all the little new and existing goodies that come with the Omnia 2. For example, take the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS (upgradeable to 6.5 when released) and new TouchWiz 2.0 interface. The UI includes a 3D Cube multimedia feature which allows for auto rotation and motion via the accelerometer sensor.

The Samsung i8000 Omnia II is obviously equipped with a lot more features than we can cover today, but one things for sure, on the surface it’s got the making of a PocketPC that we’re dying to get our hands on!

Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and other leading providers have expressed their interest to stock the WinMO smartphone. At this stage there is no indication of a release date except to say that it’s expected in Q3 2009 at some stage.

Introduction:
When the LG Voyager was introduced for the 2007 Holiday Season, it was the “must have” device from Verizon, as it was the first non-smartphone to incorporate a full touch-sensitive display with internal QWERTY keyboard.  Since then, there have been other phones introduced with touchscreen displays, such as the Dare, Versa, and Krave.  Then the beginning of this year, rumors started that a “Voyager 2” was coming to Verizon, but the Voyager name was retired, and the device was dubbed the LG enV Touch VX11000.  The most notable improvements include two large 3” WVGA displays, better user interface, call quality, and a 3MP autofocus camera.

Quick Glance Specs:

Data                EVDO,1xEVDO
Keyboard/Buttons        Standard 12 button,Full QWERTY
Phone Type            Messaging
Talk Time            4.3 hours (260 minutes)
Touch Screen            Yes
Features            Video capture, auto focus, image editor, panorama, smile detection,
self-timer, white balance functions
Bluetooth            Yes v2.1 + EDR, supports FTP-client, OPP for vCal and vCard only.
Supported Profiles: HSP, HFP 1.5, DUN, OPP, FTP, PBA, A2DP, AVRC, HID, BPP 1.2, BIP

Design:

When looking at the enV Touch for the first time, you can easily tell it is an upgrade from the Voyager, since both share many design characteristics.  The clamshell form-factor remains intact with the familiar 2-stop hinge.  Most of the front real estate is taken up by the display, with pewter chrome accents surrounding it.  We like this choice since it’s not as shiny and reflective as the mirror chrome used on the Voyager.  The back still uses the soft-touch coating, but has geometric indentions to it, which is also found on the enV3.  The device’s overall height and depth is now slightly less, but it is also a little wider (due to the size of the display).  Because of this, it less “brick like” than the Voyager, but it is still not as compact as the Alias 2, enV3, or Versa, and is noticeable while in your pant’s pocket.  The overall construction feels solid for the most part, but we did notice some plastic creaking sounds when pressing on the chrome edging around the display.  The Voyager and enV3 also exhibit this, but to a lesser extent.

As previously mentioned, the external 3” resistive touchscreen display is quite impressive, as it features WVGA 800×480 pixel resolution and supports up to 1.6 million colors.  The internal display is the exact same size and specifications, except that it is not touch-sensitive.  When looking at the displays on the LG enV Touch VX11000 next to the Voyager, you can easily see the difference it’s size and quality of images it produces.  The enV Touch also has a light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the external display based on surround light levels, as well as a proximity sensor that turns off the display when the phone is next to your face and you’re on a call.  Our only complaint here is that there is no way to manually adjust the brightness of the displays.

Since the touchscreen is resistive (pressure) sensitive, you can use your finger or a stylus for input, but we found a stylus really isn’t necessary.  It provides a haptic (vibration) feedback when pressed, but you can change level of the vibration or even turn it off.  The overall responsiveness of the touchscreen is good, but it does require a slightly more pressure than the Versa to get a response; about the same amount as the Dare.

Just like with the other LG touchscreen phones, the only physical buttons located on the front are for Send, Clear/VoiceCommand, and End/Power.  They have a metallic look to them, but are in fact plastic.  Along the left side is the camera button, volume rocker and lock button, with the 3.5mm headset jack and microSD card slot on the right side, microUSB data port on the bottom, and 3MP camera with flash on the back.  We are glad to see the proprietary data port and 2.5mm headset jack used on the Voyager was replaced with the more standardized microUSB and 3.5mm formats.

When opening the phone up, you have the familiar 2-stop hinge that is found on the Voyager and other enV models.  Below the internal display is the QWERTY keyboard, which has undergone some changes.  The buttons are still about the same size, but have more rounded edges to them.  There is now a single space key in the center, instead having two on either side, which to us feels easier to use.  The d-pad is larger, and there are buttons for Favorites and New Text Message located on the left side.  We found typing messages on the QWERTY keyboard to be slightly quicker than the Voyager, due to the center space key.  When compared to the Versa (with keyboard attachment) the backlit buttons on the enV Touch were easier to see and are not a cramped together as on the Samsung Alias 2.  Big hands will also like the larger keyboard on the LG enV Touch VX11000 than the enV3.

Via phonearena

The Samsung SCH-u750 Alias 2 from Verizon is a dual-mode clamshell cell phone, built of sturdy plastic with a professional-looking grey and silver exterior. The phone feels solid in your hand, though unfortunately the hinge has quite a bit of give, and does not inspire much confidence in its ability to last through excessive use. The Alias 2 is quite a large handset, measuring a full 102mm x 51mm x 18mm (4in x 2in x 0.7in), but weighs only 122g (4.3 ounces). The phone can be opened top to bottom in portrait mode, like a normal clamshell phone, or side to side in landscape mode, more like a miniature laptop.
vibrant media

On the outer panel of the Samsung SCH-u750 Alias 2, there is a 2 megapixel camera for taking snapshots or video clips. Below this is the external display, a small square 1.3-inch unit with 128 x 128 pixel resolution. Immediately below this display are three touch-sensitive music playback buttons that are also used to navigate through the crude menu that’s available on the external display. On the left hinge of the phone you’ll find a 2.5mm audio port that is protected by an attached door to keep debris out. Further down along the left edge of the phone you’ll find the proprietary Samsung power port, also protected by a door, as well as the volume rocker and a dedicated voice control button. A covered microSD card slot is on the right edge, as is a Hold button for the music player and a dedicated power button below. Noticeably missing is a dedicated camera button.

Features
The Alias 2 has a 1,000-contact phone book with room in each entry for five phone numbers, two e-mail addresses, a street address, and notes. You also can save a dedicated emergency number. For further personalization, you can save callers to groups, pair them with a photo and assign one of 20 polyphonic ringtones.

Other essentials include a vibrate mode, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, a world clock, a unit and currency converter, and a tip calculator. Though the Alias 2 isn’t a true smartphone, you’ll find a few higher-end options, as well. It offers stereo Bluetooth, speaker independent voice dialing and commands, USB mass storage, and a file manager. Wi-Fi, which would be useful on a messaging phone, is not an option.

As an EV-DO phone, the Alias 2 supports the full range of Verizon’s 3G services, including V Cast streaming video content, and the V Cast Music with Rhapsody. Both the V Cast menu and music store interface are pretty much unchanged from other Verizon phones. Player options include the usual limited shuffle and repeat modes, but V Cast Music also will recommend other songs based on your playlist. The Alias 2 includes an airplane mode for listening to your tunes while aloft.

The Alias 2 has a 2-megapixel camera. You can take pictures in five resolutions from 1,600×1,200 pixels down to 160×120, and you can choose from three quality settings. Other options are plentiful and include a self-timer, a multishot mode, five color tones, four white-balance effects, an adjustable ISO, spot metering, a brightness control, and three shutter sounds (plus a silent option). There’s also a 10x digital zoom, though it’s unusable at the highest resolution. The Alias 2 doesn’t offer a flash, which we expect on a 2-megapixel phone. Camera quality was quite good, however, with bright colors and little image noise.

Specifications:
* The 2.6-inch display features a 240 x 320 pixel resolution with 262k colors.
* External: 1.3-inch 128 x 128 pixel LCD display.
* Measures 102 x 52 x 17mm and weighs 123g.
* 2 megapixel camera with 15fps QCIF video.
* Internal memory of 80MB and expandable via microSD card slot.
* Battery life: Up to 5 hours talk time and 336 hours stand-by.
* Bluetooth: version 2.0.

Performance
As mentioned, the Alias 2 also supports EV-DO, though it is not a Rev. A device. Call quality was quite good on the whole. Conversations were clear, the volume was loud, and the consistently strong signal didn’t suffer from interference or static. What’s more, we were able to talk in most environments without any problems. On the downside, the sound tended to be somewhat harsh and even robotic at times. It was a minor issue, though, and it didn’t distract from our experience.

On their end, callers were mostly positive. In fact, a few couldn’t tell that we were using a cell phone. We made calls in noisy environments and in a quiet room. Callers noticed few changes between the two areas. However, some reported that background noise increased when we were outside; it wasn’t significant, they said, and it’s hardly an unusual occurrence on a cell phone. Automated calling systems could understand us, but it was best if we were in a quiet room. Speakerphone calls were fine for the most part. The sound quality diminished somewhat, but the volume was loud. Also, we could speak a few feet away from the phone and still be heard.

Streaming video quality was fine, though we’ve seen better on other Verizon phones. Videos downloaded quickly thanks to the strong EV-DO connection and only one clip paused to buffer midway through playing. There was some visible pixelation, but most onscreen action was pretty smooth. Also, the sound was in sync with the action on the display. It’s most comfortable to watch the videos in landscape mode, even though the frame takes up only half of the screen.

Its music quality was satisfying. The audio isn’t especially rich, and like many music phones there was an audible tinny effect, but it is fine for short stints of listening. Headphones will provide a better experience, though we wouldn’t use the Alias 2 as our sole music device. Songs downloaded quickly from V Cast Music, and we added a 3.7MB song in about a minute. The Alias 2 has a rated battery life of 5 hours talk time and 16 days standby time. According to the FCC, the Alias 2 has a digital SAR of 0.541 watts per kilogram.