Samsung Omnia HD Will Be a Multimedia Powerhouse

Samsung has officially unveiled the Omnia^HD, a smartphone that will have a strong emphasis on recording and playing video.

It will offer the world's first 720p HD video recording and decoding on a mobile phone, as well as the world's largest active-matrix OLED screen. Still, with a resolution of 640 by 360 pixels, the 3.7-inch screen won't be able to play HD video at its full resolution, even if it can record it.

To handle the recording job, the Omnia^HD will have an 8 MPx camera, while the AMOLED display will offer strong colors even in direct sunlight, while using less power.

Symbian S60 Inside
Samsung runs the risk of confusing some of its customers, because the Omnia^HD doesn't run the same operating system as its predecessor. While the original Samsung Omnia is based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile, the upcoming version will run Nokia's Symbian S60 5th Edition.

Still, some may not even be aware of what OS they are using, as this model will have Samsung's finger-friendly TouchWiz as its user interface. This company puts this same UI on a wide variety of its models.

Symbian S60 5th Edition is the version of this operating system for smartphones with touchscreens, like the Omnia^HD, and it includes a suite of software for both work and play.

Other High-End Features
The Omnia^HD will be a quad-band GSM phone. and it will offer some of the fastest mobile broadband available. HSUPA 5.76 Mbps and HSDPA 7.2 Mbps will allow users, under ideal conditions, to download or upload a 4 MB MP3 song in less than 10 seconds or a 40 MB movie in a minute.

There will be two versions, one with 16 GB of internal storage, a second with 8 GB. In addition, this model will have a microSD slot, giving users the option of adding up to 32 GB more  -- 48 GB of storage is enough for 35 DVD-quality movies or 18,000 8MP photographs.

In addition, the Omnia^HD will have a GPS receiver, external stereo speakers, G-sensor, a 1500 mAh battery, and an FM radio.

This device's outer casing will be 123 mm by 58 mm by 12.9 mm.

Coming...?
Exactly when the Samsung Omnia^HD will be released is not yet known, but the company says it will happen during the second quarter of this year.

There's no word yet on pricing, other than the fact that it will sell for more than the current Omnia.

Source: Samsung