Samsung Omnia Debuting Next Week

One of this summer's most highly-anticipated smartphones is set to launch in a few days. The Samsung Omnia is attracting attention because it will be a Windows mobile-based device with a design and featureset that invites comparison with Apple's iPhone 3G.

An Overview of the Samsung Omnia

This smartphone will be based on Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, but Samsung is adding its new TouchWiz user interface, which has been designed to make the device easier to use with a fingertip.

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It will have a tablet shape with a 3.2-inch WQVGA (240 by 400 pixel) touchscreen. Below this will be a tiny touchpad, similar to what's on a laptop but much smaller.

Another consumer-friendly feature will be the Omnia's 5-megapixel camera with both face and smile detection and an image stabilizer.

It will be able to play video in a wide variety of formats, including DivX, and also record and edit video. To make it easier to share these with friends, this device will have a TV-out port.

To allow for the storage of lots of multimedia files, this smartphone will come in either 8 GB or 16 GB versions. In addition, it will have a microSD card slot.

This will be a quad-band GSM phone with HSDPA (7.2 Mbps). It will also have Bluetooth,

Other features of the Omnia will be a GPS receiver, an FM radio, and a 1440 mAh battery.

Overall, this device will be 4.4 inches by 2.25 inches by 0.5 inches (112mm x 57mm x 12.5mm).

The name Omnia means "everything" in Latin and "wish" in Arabic.

Coming Next Week

The Omnia is going to debut on July 22 in Italy, and it will be available in most European countries during July and August.

An unconfirmed report says that AT&T will introduce this smartphone some time in the third quarter of this year, and will be adding many of its services, like AT&T TV. There was no word on what this carrier will charge for it, though.

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