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For the past 6 years I have always had HTC phones.
But it was time for change I decided to go for the Samsung Omnia 7 as I'm little disappointed with HTC's offering of Mozart and HD7, it seems lately HTC is offering better android devices than wp7!
IMHO Omnia 7 is the best Samsung have produced in a long while usually there handsets feel very plastic and cheap i.e. Galaxy S etc...
The Omnia 7 has a nice solid feel due to the aluminium wrap and battery cover, with only polycarbonate plastic for top and bottom. The Super AMOLED screen is awesome it just really shows off the wp7 metro UI!
I could be wrong but I think Omnia 7 has Gorilla Glass because I've already had the device for the last 2 weeks and have dropped it few times and there are no scratches and if you look close the screen is not that thick compared to htc devices again a strong indicator for it being gorilla glass (Gorilla glass tend be thinner yet be strong like normal thick glass and be scratch resistant)
Design wise I think Samsung got it right, I like the square look which really goes well with the wp7 OS granted the back part could have been designed better as it does look boring and rather dated!
Overall I'm very happy with the handset and really surprised by the battery life it's impressive I get a full day and half and thats with Wi-Fi on, BT on, 40 min web browsing and about 20-30 min of calls!
My only gripe with Omnia 7 is the 8GB storage with no room to expand i.e. no MicroSD slot
I think will upgrade to the 16GB version if and when it's available in the UK.
gfreek said:
IMHO Omnia 7 is the best Samsung have produced in a long while usually there handsets feel very plastic and cheap i.e. Galaxy S etc...
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Actually, the Galaxy S is one of the few handsets from Samsung that feel cheap.
I had some Samsung handsets during my life, the last I recall are the Wave and the Ultratouch and they had excellent quality -as did the other ones I had before.
I also used some HTC phones (Diamond, Touch Pro2, HD2) and, although they were good ones, they always felt cheap overall or in details.
...but to get to the point:
Yeah, I understand your feelings about the Omnia7. I have it for a week now and it is -designwise as qualitywise- the only handset here in Austria that is good enough to be a proper WindowsPhone7 device.
LG and HTC are missing the design for their phones, and additionally, HTC has big problems with slow memory and hardware/software failures.
I am glad I got the Omnia7, even if it's 8GB only.
Hi skycamefalling !
I've personally never used a samsung device and since I discovered xda I've played a lot with my first real smart phone ! I have been all in all happy with the quality of htc but since WP7 is coming and after reading a lot of reviews/comparisons I wasn't so sure any more about htc, at least related to the few WP7 handheld releases.
My company decided to take a look at all new mobile operating systems and so I got the chance to take one WP7 device for business and personal use. I neither wanted an iPhone 4 nor an Android and since I'm using android for personal stuff my choice went clearly for WP7 because I'm curious about microsoft's new mobile os even if it's version 1.0.
I got today a chance to look at htc hd7, trophy and omnia 7 and after playing a little bit with all devices my decision went for the omnia. I was surprised how much quality samsung put in their WP7 flagship and due to Microsoft's OEM restrictions Samsung could not really fail with the software compared to the android section.
Marvelous display, perfect size, nice build quality and I couldn't resist to take the omnia 7
I can't wait to play more with the device, my first impressions are very positive.
Regards
m8tix said:
due to Microsoft's OEM restrictions Samsung could not really fail with the software compared to the android section.
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That's a very good point. Samsung UIs always failed big time. The main reasons for me to buy HTC phones the last years have been the wonderful TouchFlo3D/Sense-UI and the great community with lots of custom ROMs.
Now the UI is made by Microsoft and Samsung can focus on the hardware.
In my opinion, WP7 shalt have a mature shell -edges, black metal and an AMOLED-screen (and a bigger battery than the competition, of course ).
I wish us both the fewest problems possible with the Omnia
That's a very good point. Samsung UIs always failed big time. The main reasons for me to buy HTC phones the last years have been the wonderful TouchFlo3D/Sense-UI and the great community with lots of custom ROMs.
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I know exactly what you're talking about, a friend of mine is using the galaxy s and he always complains about a lot of bugs in samsung's os customizations and not to mention how long it took to release the 2.2 android os. And the best thing is, he was not able to install the 2.2 update with the crappy kies software.
That was my only concern but as I said, one (fair) point for microsoft because of their restrictions and I think it's not a bad decision (i.e. faster updates, so we don't have to wait for a oem/provider specific update which in most cases takes ages)
In my opinion, WP7 shalt have a mature shell -edges, black metal and an AMOLED-screen (and a bigger battery than the competition, of course ).
I wish us both the fewest problems possible with the Omnia
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Good points, thanks, I'm definitely with you
---
Finally arrived home, now it's time for some extensive testing !
Regards
Hello. Sorry for asking this question again in forums. I saw a similar topic about 3 months ago but my question is rather different than just the design of the product.
In Brazil there's not too many choices for wp7 since it wasn't released here so my only option is to buy from ebay-like sites.
Omnia7 seems to be a nice device, i was looking for something smaller and lighter than hd2 (hd7 does not seem to be an option). Focus was my primary but its kinda hard to find it here and its more expensive than omnia7.
My question is should i wait for a good offer and get focus or omnia7 is good enough or even better than focus?
technically they are pretty much the same. I read that focus camera is really good, i was wondering if omnia has a good camera as well (this is important for me).
Some points:
- microsd is not a problem...im fine with 8gb
- camera is important
- weight/size is important
- known problems of both???
- some other choice i should consider?
thanks in advance
Few people will be able to answer you with true knowledge because the Omnia 7 in just in Europe and the Focus is just in the US. Not many people will have tried both. Engadget reviewed both, you could start there.
I just switched from a HD7 to an Omnia 7 (broke my HD7 switching the SD Card, decided to buy a phone where I wont be tempted to do that again and get a zune HD). I can't compare it to the focus but I can comment on your points.
- Camera:
The camera is actually pretty awesome, takes some nice decent shots and is miles better than the camera that came with the HD7.
- Weight:
Much lighter than my HD7, I think this is the lightest phone I've had in a while.
- Problems:
No problems so far, it performs quite good and games load up really quickly.
If you don't care about MicroSD Card slot then just go for the omnia, from what I can tell the focus is pretty much the same phone anyway but just a different shape and with a SD Card slot.
This is going to be a really weird thing to say, but one small annoyance is that it's made from metal. The phone back is literally freezing to touch in cold weather
As I know these two phones are nearly the same (foucs US only, omnia 7 worldwide), though it seems to me that omnia have far better build quality as almost whole body is made from aluminium (only top and bottom is plastic-wich is better because of scratching). And I'm actually impressed with the quality, 2 months of use and still no scratches without any protection, I also drop it once. It also feels extremly solid in hand. Far better than my old iPhone 2G (got scratched everywhere)
I have Omnia 7, build quality is top notch. Focus looks plasticy to me :] Camera is good as Samsung can make good cam phones :] Well, no problems on Omnia7
thank you all. we have a winner. Omnia7
I originally I started out with the Att 8525, then moved on to the HTC Fuze, which was a great phone but I had some issues with it, after years of hardwork and abuse, so I needed to get a new phone. I eneded up getting the HTC Aria but I wasnt happy with the Android OS, so I just bought a Samsung Focus.
Now AT&T is releasing the HTC HD7s in a few weeks, so im thinking should I return the focus and just wait for the HTC HD7s instead?
The only complaint I have about the focus is the bluetooth dips in and out when I use it in my car.
Just want some thoughts and input on this, Thanks
I had the Hd7 on tmob and have a focus now. I prefer the focus for its screen and size. Both run about the same other than that. I would go in and put the focus up next to the Inspire ( Inspires screen is a little better than the tmob hd7 imho) but will give you an idea of size difference. All the rest will be the same with the exception of nodo lol. Not sure if we will ever get it and the hd7s comes with it
I love my Focus, but the S-LCD on the HD7 should give comparible performance. However, I think AT&T should start carrying more models with a hardware keyboard as well. The LG Quantum isn't bad, but it's not for me. I'm waiting on something similar to the HD 7 Pro.
HD 7 Pro, S-LCD screen, HSPA+ or LTE = perfection (or close to it).
I have to agree. The only thing you pick HD7s over Focus is the better chance to get updates. S-LCD makes it better than T-Mo HD7 screen but still not up to par with S AMOLED. Otherwise, both phones are about equal with the exception of storage (8GB on Focus vs 16 GB on HD7s). Given the multitude of problems with SD cards on Focus, you should just forget the expandability of storage on Focus.
TestTest69 said:
The only complaint I have about the focus is the bluetooth dips in and out when I use it in my car.
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My bluetooth goes in and out as well. Is this a known Samsung problem, I thought it was my headset but $50 later and I still have the problem.
I bought the samsung and haven't been happy with it, can find a working MicroSD for it. The Gorilla Glass is very scratchable (what gives). And now stories of the phone catching on fire. Let alone Samsung single handed derailing the whole phone update process.
I don't think I would recommend Samsung, go with the HTC you will get alot more dev resources over there as well.
Super LCD screens are comparable to AMOLED screens. The Super AMOLED technology is still superior to the S-LCD. You get deeper blacks and a much better contrast ratio on the Super AMOLED, but then again, the colors aren't as much over saturated on the S-LCD screen.
Windows Phone 7 (and the Metro UI) was clearly designed with Super AMOLED tech in mind, so I'd still favor that.
With that said, I must admit that my Samsung Focus did die on me, and now I'm just stuck with a brick because there isn't any community development going on the Focus (hence no ROMs) like there is for the HTC devicse.
I really loved my Focus, but I think I've had enough with Samsung devices for a while and HTC seems to be the better choice now.
I and eagerly looking forward to see how good the screen looks on HD7s. While I was happy with WP7 even though I miss Swype and GoogleTalk (multi-tasking) I just couldn't hold on to Focus for more than 2-3 weeks mainly because of the missing LED notification. I am so used to it on my X10.
It's strange that Samsung doesn't have LED notification on most of their phones. Also, Focus was my first Samsung phone and I couldn't stand that UGLY huge SAMSUNG label on the front of the phone.
Well this bluetooth issue with my phone going in and out, is really annoying and its unbearable to have a conversation on.
I believe it to be an issue with the phone, as all the other phones I had paired with my car, worked flawlessly.
I made up my mind to return the phone and exchange it for the Htc Hd7s, if its available in the next 30 days, if not then I will purchase it when it becomes available.
I also agree with there not being alot of support for this phone. There are soo many users and developers for HTC.
Thanks for the help guys
The bluetooth issue is a known issue for the phone, not your BT headset, although I'm not sure if it is Samsung specific or WP7 in general.
BTW, according to the spec sheet I found from AT&T site, HD7s only supports 850 and 1900 3G bands while Focus supports additional 2100 Mhz 3G band. This means you will not get 3G in Europe and most other countries and no signal what so ever in Jappen using HD7S. This is a bummer but not supprising beause the last HTC phone I owned (HTC Pure) also lacks 2100 band.
I have a Focus and a T9193 HD2 running WP7. I far prefer using the HD2, and I will be selling the Focus and getting the HD7S.
The build quality of the Focus is atrocious. It's a cheap piece of plastic, and I'm afraid it's going to break every time I need to swap SIMs. The HD2 is a far better built phone. The screen brightness of the Focus is nice, but it is noticeably smaller.
I hope the HD7S is at least close to the HD2 in build quality. I'm actually tempted to get a HD7 from Telstra to avoid whatever shenanigans AT&T is going to do with updates for the HD7S.
I also have a lot more faith in HTC hackers than Samsung hackers for getting things on the phone.
Tempest790 said:
I love my Focus, but the S-LCD on the HD7 should give comparible performance. However, I think AT&T should start carrying more models with a hardware keyboard as well. The LG Quantum isn't bad, but it's not for me. I'm waiting on something similar to the HD 7 Pro.
HD 7 Pro, S-LCD screen, HSPA+ or LTE = perfection (or close to it).
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Has to also include a 4" screen or no thank you.
Which WP7 is the best?
Hi guys, I want to ask for opinions which WP7 is the best. I was considering as the best the Focus model of Samsung mostly because of the S-AMOLED display, the MicroSD expansion slot, and the 1500mAh battery. But we dont have that phone in Europe, so if I want to get one I should buy it from USA. Here, in my country, on the market we have HTC Mozart, HTC HD7, and LG Optimus 7, so if someone can tell me which of these models is the "best" (I know that the word "best" is relative, but still ), or maybe it is worth to purchase Samsung Omnia 7 or Samsung Focus from abroad.
Tnx in advance .
worker_x said:
Hi guys, I want to ask for opinions which WP7 is the best. I was considering as the best the Focus model of Samsung mostly because of the S-AMOLED display, the MicroSD expansion slot, and the 1500mAh battery. But we dont have that phone in Europe, so if I want to get one I should buy it from USA. Here, in my country, on the market we have HTC Mozart, HTC HD7, and LG Optimus 7, so if someone can tell me which of these models is the "best" (I know that the word "best" is relative, but still ), or maybe it is worth to purchase Samsung Omnia 7 or Samsung Focus from abroad.
Tnx in advance .
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The advantage of Focus is just a microSD slot. Given that it doesn work for majority of microSD cards out there, do you still think it is an advantage?
Otherwise, Omnia 7 is quite similar to Focus. They both share the same screen and fast NAND storage. Unfortunately also the same crappy Samsung firmware that gave Mircosoft so much trouble to push the updates out (Samsung almost single handedly stop all MS WP7 updates).
So, if you like the screen and speed of Samsung phones, just pick up a Omnia 7 with 16GB of storage. Getting a Focus from US has following issues as well:
1. It is locked to AT&T and only a few places have unlock code for it.
2. Even if you get it unlocked, you still need to manually switch/re-configure the internet connections and MMS is a big headache to change.
3. It only supports one band of 3G for Europe (2100MHz). If your carrier of choice is not using 2100Mhz for 3G, your phone will only be running at much slower EDGE speed.
Any idea about the battery life of...
Thank you very much foxbat121.Do you have any idea about the battery life of the Mozart and the HD7? I want to know how is the battery life of Mozart compared to HD7, whether the difference is big? If the difference is not so big, I will rather buy HD7 because of the larger screen (the camera is not so important to me ).
TestTest69 said:
I originally I started out with the Att 8525, then moved on to the HTC Fuze, which was a great phone but I had some issues with it, after years of hardwork and abuse, so I needed to get a new phone. I eneded up getting the HTC Aria but I wasnt happy with the Android OS, so I just bought a Samsung Focus.
Now AT&T is releasing the HTC HD7s in a few weeks, so im thinking should I return the focus and just wait for the HTC HD7s instead?
The only complaint I have about the focus is the bluetooth dips in and out when I use it in my car.
Just want some thoughts and input on this, Thanks
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Click to collapse
I had the T-Mobile HD7 and loved it....hardware-wise, I mean. The AT&T HD7 will be even better with the S-LCD. My Inspire has that S_LCD and it's gorgeous. But I now have a Focus and really am appreciated the style of it. I'm a bit concerned about the SD card and camera, but am hoping, when the NoDo update gets here, they will be resolved.
50/50 on which ever way to go. I don't see any harm in either decision. The Focus screen is plenty large enough to be just as usable as the HD7 screen.
worker_x said:
Thank you very much foxbat121.Do you have any idea about the battery life of the Mozart and the HD7? I want to know how is the battery life of Mozart compared to HD7, whether the difference is big? If the difference is not so big, I will rather buy HD7 because of the larger screen (the camera is not so important to me ).
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Sorry I have no experience with those two. Currently, Samsung WP7 phones (Focus and Ominia 7) are top notch compared to HTC and LGs in following areas:
1. Speed. Samsung uses high speed NAND chip on the mother board for storage while others use cheap class 2 microSD cards (not user accessible without break the seal). As a result benchmarks consistently show two Samsung phones are faster than others when loading games and apps. Not sure what's the impact of NoDo on this.
2. AMOLED screen. Simply the best screen out there. The original HD7 comes with cheap low quality LCD and LG is similar. The new HD7s with SLCD is better but still not up to par with AMOLED screen, IMO.
3. Size, I've tried phones with different size screens. 4.3" is simply too big. 4" AMOLED screen is a perfect size balancing between screen size and portability.
The downside of Samsung is poor quality control and buggy firmware.
foxbat121 said:
Sorry I have no experience with those two. Currently, Samsung WP7 phones (Focus and Ominia 7) are top notch compared to HTC and LGs in following areas:
1. Speed. Samsung uses high speed NAND chip on the mother board for storage while others use cheap class 2 microSD cards (not user accessible without break the seal). As a result benchmarks consistently show two Samsung phones are faster than others when loading games and apps. Not sure what's the impact of NoDo on this.
2. AMOLED screen. Simply the best screen out there. The original HD7 comes with cheap low quality LCD and LG is similar. The new HD7s with SLCD is better but still not up to par with AMOLED screen, IMO.
3. Size, I've tried phones with different size screens. 4.3" is simply too big. 4" AMOLED screen is a perfect size balancing between screen size and portability.
The downside of Samsung is poor quality control and buggy firmware.
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You have any idea what class sd card would equal the Sammy NAND speed?
I have not done any speed test on the Focus NAND storage because there is no easy to do so. However, if my Samsung Captivate's built-in 16GB NAND storage is any indication of Focus' speed, it is easily class 6 or better. I've reached 8 to 9 MBps real world file writing speed when using it as a USB mass storage on a PC, on par with most class 6 SD cards. My class 2 16GB Micro Center branded microSD card is around 3 to 4 MBps.
foxbat121 said:
I have not done any speed test on the Focus NAND storage because there is no easy to do so. However, if my Samsung Captivate's built-in 16GB NAND storage is any indication of Focus' speed, it is easily class 6 or better. I've reached 8 to 9 MBps real world file writing speed when using it as a USB mass storage on a PC, on par with most class 6 SD cards. My class 2 16GB Micro Center branded microSD card is around 3 to 4 MBps.
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I never saw a class 6 Sandisk card in that compatible list. I might try one some time in the future but for now, the class 4 should be much better than the HD7's class 2 card. It should allow the Focus to run at least faster than the HD7.
If I were you, I won't use any microSD card in Focus for now. Those with NoDo updated didn't seem to improve this much. So, it remains to be seen that the microSD card issue can be fixed by a firmware update or not.
On my son's launch day Focus, my 16GB microSD card lasted about two months without problem. Then one day he reboots the phone and lost access to entire storage system. It's really a pain to re-configure your phone after two months of usage.
Just got a Focus a few days ago for my wife. It comes with newer firmware but I decided not to take the risk with microSD card again.
Dear users,
Im doubting between an Omnia 7 and an HTC HD7.
Today I visited the Omnia 7 forum for the first time, but I can see that there are a lot of complaints. So now it made me doubt between the omnia 7 and the hd7.
What is your advice, should I buy the Omnia 7(it is much cheaper) or the hd7?
Thanks!
BTW: I'm currently using an AT&T Samsung Captivate, which is being repaired at the moment. I'm done with Android, that is why I want a Windows Phone.
Hi,
A few months ago I loved this phone and would have reccomended it. I've now had it a year, my sister has one too. However as you can see by a post I started the other day over time it's developing more and more problems.
These are not WP7 problems... i'd say they are related to the Samsung firmware aspect.
I love the WP7 platform, my next phone will definitely be WP7. However I will more than likely go for a Nokia. Is the Lumia not an option for you?
My personal opinion is that i could not reccomend this model to anyone. If I was offered a replacement for a HD7 now i'd take it.
Sorry to sound negative, there are many people here who are pefectly happy with theirs. I may just be unlucky with mine.
Well, I own an Android phone right now and I want to test windows 7 myself before buying a more expensive phone. I want to use a 'cheaper' wp7 phone for like a year and then buy a phone like the HTC Titan.
The Lumia looks good,but is now way too expensive plus I want a 4.0 inch or bigger screen.
JigsterNL said:
Well, I own an Android phone right now and I want to test windows 7 myself before buying a more expensive phone. I want to use a 'cheaper' wp7 phone for like a year and then buy a phone like the HTC Titan.
The Lumia looks good,but is now way too expensive plus I want a 4.0 inch or bigger screen.
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Click to collapse
...sorry for my poor english
I recommend you a samsung omnia 7.
previosly I had a HD7 for few months- but the omnia 7 are much better, faster, with best super AMOLED, good battery time and my was 200,00 €. The screen from HD7 is more grey as black. I'm very happy with my omnia7 ... Is also very good with finctions and jailbreak ...
and if 3,7" the htc mozart are a good and cheap
I just don't want to flash or do anything with the phone, just install the updates through Zune. So no modding at all
For starters, this is my opinion.
The Omnia 7 has a far better screen (AMOLED) and the battery life is better. The looks and feels of the Omnia 7 is also better than the HD7.
But if you want to spend some more bucks I would also advice to buy the Lumnia 800.
Hey there,
I can recommend you the Omnia 7. I (we) got 3 of them.
One for myself, one for my father and recently bought one for my brother.
I did not expirience any troubles till now. Samsung Omnia 7 was the best of all Windows Phones, before Nokia Lumia, HTC Titan and the rest began to appear. There have been hundrets of reviews saying the same.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Omnia_7
The phone its worth its price, its even too cheap for it. 16 Gigs, a cripst Super Amoled screen, pretty good battery life, and a neat design.
When looking on the phone, it simply looks like something unique when you see the tiles flowing through your screen with the black background and the black design.
Amoled screens offer the best black color, its the darkest of them all. Also the contrast, viewing angles and the brightness is better compared to S-LCD's like of the HD7.
I didn't like the HD7, it kind of feels a bit too "massive" and "cheap" I would say. In my opinion it looks like a brick.
I felt for the Omnia 7 design which is like a chocolate bar. It also fits pretty well into your hands, its not too big, not too small. Because of the curved back it is easy to hold. Also it doesn't make you think its some cheap hardware you paid a bunch of money for.
The aluminium back feels some kind of soft, if the phone was used for a while and got warm. You can warm it with your hands pretty easily within a short time.
The camera is pretty good for a phone I would say, it takes awesome pictures at daylight. In night its still well, but you can notice some edges that are not as sharp as in daylight. Still a lot better than the HD7's capabilities of recording.
In video mode, you can take videos up to 720p. It looks vivid and fast on VGA recording, but you will notice some performance loss when recording 720p. (Its also normal, same stuff on any other wp7, except 2nd generation like lumia)
The video playback (1080p movies and the recorded ones) are damn smooth.
No pixel errors, natural colors and it doesnt get stuck at all. You wont notice anything slowing down, also not at web playback like youtube videos on 1080p or megavideo ones.
I have had before a Samsung Galaxy S I9000, before I switched to HTC Mozart and then to Omnia 7.
If I it was necessary, I would buy another one of this one.
When you buy the phone, you are supplied an older version of the OS running on it. It is laggy and simply said sucks. Later you receive the NoDo update providing a huge boost in performance. The last update you receive will be the Mango one as you know, it changes the whole phone and it cannot be compared anymore to the ones running older versions of WP. It will get very fast.
I compared mine with carried supplied OS (older than NoDo), with the NoDo one of my father, and my own one with 7720 (now 7740). You can notice big differences.
I spent a bunch of time writing this, so others can also read this.
I cant complain about this phone after 1 year of usage and recommend it to everyone. You wont find another phone this good for 200 bucks.
Hardware is fine, Quality is fine, Screen is fine. Doesnt feel cheap and comes with pretty good Headphones.
If you want an experiment, sure go for it. If not go for one of the new models, Nokia Lumia 800 would be my best advise. It has superior build quality and a good screen. Nokia is also known for good support and quick updates and fixes.
Thank you guys (and thanks for the long review) I'm going to overthink this now more serious.
I'll will also recommend to buy Nokia, if you can.
Samsung Omnia 7 is very good device.
I have mine for nearly a month and already two accident drops - one from nearly 1 m on it's screen, no scratch or anything problem after that
If I buy a new phone I would rather buy an HTC Titan than a lumia
Well it depends what you want.
If you want to save some money and still get the best of the first generation, pick the Omnia 7.
Else if you got a big bank next to you, take as stated before either the Lumia or the Titan.
Titan offers a bigger screen, while Nokia has a smaller and better one.
The Lumia looks better and has exclusive apps. Later also Nokia exclusive games will follow. You do even get a 50 bucks gift card to buy apps.
So yeah its up to you.
Are you guys all some kind of Nokia supporters
I'd say Windows Phone 7 in general and Samsung Omnia 7 specially is not where you can play a lot ... so if you want to get a phone that calls and runs only few apps and that's it, then go for it, otherwise if you want to experience with it, then this is not the right choice.
as I understood from what you earlier wrote, I guess you already made your choice and you'll go for Omnia 7.
enjoy it bro
JigsterNL said:
Well, I own an Android phone right now and I want to test windows 7 myself before buying a more expensive phone. I want to use a 'cheaper' wp7 phone for like a year and then buy a phone like the HTC Titan.
The Lumia looks good,but is now way too expensive plus I want a 4.0 inch or bigger screen.
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Click to collapse
lol you sound just like me! I have an HTC Desire HD and it's currently off for repairs too. I've been curious about WinPho 7 for a while and the Microsoft demo site for it, despite being really limited, impressed me. I've got an Omnia 7 coming to me on Wednesday. I'll post my thoughts as an Android user when I get it up and running. This will also be my first Samsung phone so that's another first for me to experience but I am looking forward to it, especially that gorgeous screen!
I've had a few days to play with the phone now and overall it's pretty solid. The screen on the Samsung is gorgeous with black areas looking like there's no screen on at all instead of the muddy, dark grey on my Desire HD.
The UI is simple to use, transitions are quick and apps load quickly enough like the DHD. Unfortunately there are still limited amounts of apps with it looking like there are far more paid than free apps in comparison to Android. Sadly I'm also noticing a lack of apps that I would normally use with a few exceptions. A few apps I have like Shazam Encore is being charged at £3.99 on the WinPho 7 Marketplace but far less on the Android Market. I can't say what it normally costs currently as it's on sale for 10p. The main apps you might use like Twitter, Facebore ... sorry Facebook and YouTube are available and the UI is the same throughout each so you always know how to find items. A bonus that seems to be applicable to all apps is that they have a "Try" option. They might be limited in some way or have ads displayed. If you like it you can "Buy" it, and it'll unlock or remove ads. Similar to Android offering refunds but with this I don't think there are limits on trials unless they're displayed in the description.
You can sync photos to SkyDrive when they're taken or choose to upload them manually but there's no Dropbox app available currently. The easiest way I found to get images on the phone for use as wallpapers (lockscreen and photo hub background) was to create a folder on my PC, drop the images in and sync it.
Auto-rotate..... oh boy do I hate this. Auto-rotate is always on and there's no toggle option to turn it off. Why is it an issue? I use my phone in bed to check a few things like Twitter or if I get a text message and after unlocking it and loading the app it'll flip to landscape unless I sit up. Small annoyance but one Android lets you toggle. It's quick enough to rotate and it might not annoy others but that's my thought on it.
Background updates are something I was curious about since it wasn't allowed outside a few apps at launch but has supposedly been allowed more widely in Mango / 7.5 and that may be true but finding apps that take advantage of it isn't easy. Mango apps can use live tiles that update in the background but unless you know an app can do it you'd normally end up looking through each one to find it mentioned. There is an app that will help you do it called AppFlow but if you didn't know that you'd be stuck. I'd like to say that the apps I have with live tiles enabled work flawlessly but they don't. I have a Twitter app (not the official app, that sucks just like on Android) that supposedly updates every 30 minutes or so (no option to choose) and I have not yet seen a live tile update from it even with the option selected. I may be doing something wrong, I don't know, I'm still getting used to things. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing though and if so then background updating needs work or apps need more work to make it happen.
Final thoughts are really that it seems very much like Android when I got my G1 way back when it was new which was before even Cupcake / Android 1.5 was around. It has a lot of potential, there are some great touches (keeping the UI consistent throughout and with apps is good) and even with carriers customising all they can do is add apps and maybe a theme. You can uninstall the apps (I did, take THAT Orange!) and change theme with no issues. It's similar to Android back then but with more polish overall. With updates I can only see it getting better. Basically I can see it improving and being a competitor but how long that takes I can't guess. I wouldn't give up Android for it but I'm definitely keeping an eye on it to see where it goes.
Any questions? Let me know and I'll try to answer them but otherwise those are my thoughts on Windows Phone 7.5 after using Android exclusively from release.
I am using the Omnia 7 now for one year. I am using it mainly for work (exchange, phone, look at email attachments like powerpoint, etc.) I am synching 3 mail accounts and play from time to time.
Within that year I had not only one "strange situation" with the phone like reboots or not available via phone or Bluetooth disconnects. It is very reliable.
I owned also the Mozart which was far away from the Omnia 7 (battery, display, reliability, etc.). The HD7 has a poor Display. If you are using black background and scroll through your apps you can hardly see the white writing.
I would buy it again - especially for the current price.
Omnia has a much more impressive screen. The HD7 however can use custom roms and allows for greater degree of customisation
mebula999 said:
Omnia has a much more impressive screen. The HD7 however can use custom roms and allows for greater degree of customisation
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The Omnia's screen is the most impresive I've ever seen and among the things I noticed first about the phone. I hear a lot of bad things about Samsung build quality but honestly I feel that the phone is very solidly built and this is the first Samsung phone that I've owned.
I considered the HD7 and the size appealed to me at 4.3" because that's the same as my Desire HD but the 4" Omnia isn't that bad to use. I've got 3.7", 4" and 4.3" display phones and I thought that the Omnia was going to be similar to the Milestone / Droid but that extra little size just pushes it into the right size for my hands. That's a bonus to me because I can now consider 4" and up phones in the future but it'll also make me seriously consider Samsung AND Windows Phone 7 handsets and that's not something I thought I'd say with Android 4.0 / ICS impressing me a lot.
The single biggest factor against WinPho for me is still the lack of apps for things I'd consider popular. I couldn't think of real examples before but after getting my Desire HD back I can list a few.
Dropbox
Google products (GMail integrated but no app) such as Google+, GTalk, Maps
Amazon apps (MP3, shopping)
There are more but they're more personal use items that won't apply to most people. These, however, I've missed quite a lot. It won't matter to others and there are bound to be apps I don't miss that others do. It's just a matter of time really and that makes it difficult to pick one OS over the other.
HI!
Trying to decide which phone to get, narrowed between the optimus 7 and the motorola defy. The motorola has earpiece problems, and the one I was leaning to the optimus 7 has shut off problems. I'm a phone in the pocket kind of guy and don't want problems, how many of you are having no problems vs those that have them? Would you buy this phone again? Any other issues I should be aware of? I mainly want it for a phone 1st, though I would be interested in mp3 comments. All comments appreciated, thanks for your time. Dave
I personally would go for some other WP7 device. The only problem I have with the Optimus 7 is that it randomly shuts down.
Sanzo0 said:
I personally would go for some other WP7 device. The only problem I have with the Optimus 7 is that it randomly shuts down.
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Just for the record, I have never seen my optimus 7 randomly shutdown. So it may be an isolated issue.
Edit: I wanted to add that I would choose a WP7 device over just about any Android device 100% of the time.
i love my optimus 7. great phone. and never shuts down randomly. only when batery is 0%.
Absolutly,
I have a nook color that I put CM7 on, and while I enjoy it and use it every and have had it for a lot longer than my phone, I find myself trying to do things that I can do on my phone that just don't .... I don't know how to say it other than just doesn't work right.
Even in the browser, I still like the stock IE over the Dolphin HD on my nook.
The only thing I might change in my next phone is to get the Titan, I would like a bigger screen (personal preferance), but the LG has been great so far. Really like the fact that it has gorillia glass and I don't need a screen protector and that it holds together and looks brand new even though I drop it all the darn time.
Sanzo0 said:
I personally would go for some other WP7 device. The only problem I have with the Optimus 7 is that it randomly shuts down.
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Never happened to me. My phone rebooted itself some time, but thats gone with mango
optimus 7 is average phone. its heavy, non standard-size (you won't find any cover that fits), those analogic buttons I don't like, and no standard internal-SD.
on the good side it has gorilla glass, 16GB.
I think, its faster than an HTC trophy and the metro interface runs much smoother.
I won't buy a WP7 any more, I only bought it because it was very cheap, 200€ instead of 450€
Yip, never had any problems with mine. I bought 2 for my parents for christmas presents!
XxAndrexX said:
optimus 7 is average phone. its heavy, non standard-size (you won't find any cover that fits), those analogic buttons I don't like, and no standard internal-SD.
on the good side it has gorilla glass, 16GB.
I think, its faster than an HTC trophy and the metro interface runs much smoother.
I won't buy a WP7 any more, I only bought it because it was very cheap, 200€ instead of 450€
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I agree that the phone is average, by smartphone spec standards, but like you said its faster than many comparable devices, and WP7 makes it just about faster than any Android device. Heavy - yes. As to the SD storage, swamping cards is not truly supported by WP7. I understand the analog buttons are a personal preference, but I like not having to worry about accidental key touches and swipes taking me out of an application with sensitive capacitive buttons.
I forgot to say that the Optimus 7 speaker has one of the worst speakers I ever faced in a mobile phone...
For the price I paid (£120) I guess I would.
Only real negatives are the visual quality of the screen, camera isn't up to much and speaker is kinda crap.
Windows Phone yes, LG no.
In Italy is sold for 149€... I paid 250 but i have no regrets. The only cons for me is the battery, a little bit under the others wp7.
In a year i have saw only three or four random resets. Not a huge problem if you know the boot time: 20 secs.
16GB memory, very nice physical buttons, with the possiblity that there is a Wolfson inside it (Wolfson has a deal with LG to supply audio codec processors for the Optimus phones, not sure if the Optimus 7 has it). Plenty to like about it.
Thanks to everyone who replied, the feedback is much appreciated. I am now leaning towards the defy, mainly 'cause I think it's size and weight will make it a better pocket phone. Thanks again, Dave
If this discussion is still open, I would like to add my voice.
Personally I would never buy this phone again.
WP7 is good looking OS, but has many disadvantages now. It is very new and does not have many functions as typical smartphone have, like full bluetooth support.
LG phone has nice design, but have also some issues, like battery life time.
Only Windows Mobile, MAMEMO and maybe Symbian have full Bluetooth stacks unfortunately. It seems full Bluetooth never really made it into the modern smartphone OS's. That being said I am sure that the flexibility of Android allows for additions to the stack, but they still don't support all the protocols that smartphones of the past had.
Sent from my LG-E900h using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I quite like the LG as it holds its own against many of the v1 WP7 phones, and has better storage and battery life than many. I prefer the real buttons too, and no probably with the screen apart from it being too bright to read in bed. You can get Gel covers for it which make it a nice sturdy phone for taking out and about thats capable of taking a knock or two. And the low 2nd hand price because it isn't shiny-shiny enough for the fashionistas or phone thieves means its great value for money. The Jil Sanders version with a slightly tweaked case (more plastic but less weight, USB flap easier to open, less garish camera surround) is currently being sold off half price at Expansys so continues that value theme.
Just wanted to add in, i'm a long time windows 6/6.1 user, and i'd buy another of these in a heartbeat.
infact I was tempted to buy that Jill Sanders version for my g/f, was on offer for £149 delivered but i forget what site.
I don't get the negative issues, Initially I wasn't too impressed but after 2 weeks i'd never go back to winmo 6.1, I personally dislike andriod, to slow and clumsy feeling for me. iOS just doesn't make sense to me either.
For those who say the camera is bad, its a phone, the outdoor shots i've taken are pretty amazing, the inside not so great, which is true of all digital cameras i've ever used, and the fact its got a flash that can be used like a torch as its not a xeon is a big plus for me.
Compared to a friends HTC Mozart (which cost twice the price) to me the Pro's of the the LG phone, longer battery life, nicer physical size, physical buttons (I know its user preference, but after 3 months his buttons have stopped responding, personally i've always had trouble at some point with touch buttons, but thats me being picky!) 16gb, seriously, do you need more than 16gb on a phone? this was the real seller for me, I have 10gb free space with quite a few apps including the 2gb+ navigon satnav.
Sure you can't upgrade the storage, but compared to most which have 8gb i'd say its pretty fair.
I'm also loving the wifi internet sharing, coming from previous winmo devices i've always found the connection just drops out randomly, but with this stays rock solid for hours. (not internet in work other than phone!)
My biggest issue with the phone is the battery, it seems no matter what features you turn off it seems to last the same with the features turned on, i'm not sure if this is a wp7 issue or a handset issue
WP7 for Sure
I would stick with WP7 for sure... I would even buy the LG E900h again compared to the options here in Canada. Samsung Focus, LG Optimus 7, HTC Surround