Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO preview: First look

Samsung are not quite the standard-setter in communicator devices but are obviously keen to have their say. Playing catch up seems well in order for a debut but we guess someone here is set to play for keeps. The Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO is a generously spec'd device that's poised to tackle the best in the class and even raise the bet. While sheer size and scope confine it to a niche, the Samsung communicator might be just the right option for those served by that niche.
Samsung B7610 Omnia Pro official photos
Having acquired a pre-release sample of the side-slider PocketPC we are squeezing in a short preview, introducing its most important features. The chunky bloke does give a decent first impression, but handling will be the ultimate test. For starters, let's look at the key items on the Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO's balance sheet.
Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO at a glance:
General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 3.6Mbps
Form factor: Full QWERTY side-slider
Dimensions: 112.6 x 57.8 x 16.2 mm, 159g
Display: 3.5" 16M color (65K effective) resistive AMOLED touchscreen of WVGA resolution
OS: Windows Mobile 6.1 (upgradable to 6.5), TouchWiz 2.0 UI
Memory: 1GB built-in storage, 256 MB RAM, hot-swappable microSD (up to 16GB)
CPU: 800 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
Camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus, with dual LED flash and VGA video at 30 fps
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, TV out, 3.5mm standard audio jack
Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate and turn-to-mute, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support, work and leisure modes
Battery: 1500mAh Li-Ion battery
Samsung are obviously eyeing market penetration at all levels. The B7610 OmniaPRO is their scout in a long colonized territory. HTC.are clearly the key target, though the communicator game is competitive enough with XPERIA, Nseries and Eseries all keen to take the lead.
Samung B7610 OmniaPRO at ours
A heavyweight fight it sure is but let's focus on this one contender here. The OmniaPRO will hit the scales and warm up with a hardware inspection


Reviews
Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO preview: First look
GSMArena team, 20 July 2009
1. Introduction2. 360-degree spin, design and construction3. Design and construction (continued)4. User interface5. Touch player, gallery6. Camera, conclusionSamsung B7610 OmniaPRO specificationUser opinions and review

Samsung, Windows Mobile, Touch UI
Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO 360-degree spin
The Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO's dimensions of 112.6 x 57.8 x 16.2 mm are just a tad easier to swallow than the heft of the HTC Touch Pro2. The Samsung is also almost 20 grams lighter, but frankly, both are massive handsets indeed so the differences aren't that obvious.
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Design and construction
Massive body and all, the B7610 OmniaPRO is not much of a charmer. Even the coolest finish wouldn't hide the beer belly though we've seen some do better. XPERIA ring a bell? Samsung have tried to get more creative on the rear with the red battery cover. Decent though it is, it doesn't quite match the rest of the handset's exterior and appears a bit out of place.
The large 3.5" AMOLED touchscreen of WVGA resolution dominates the front panel. The high resolution and the AMOLED technology guarantee excellent image quality, though the 65K-color limitation of the WinMo OS results in occasional banding.
The screen is pretty good actually
It's mostly visible in single color gradients and the large high-res screen makes it more prominent.
Sensitivity is decent for a resistive screen but nowhere near the experience of the capacitive-like units in Samsung S8000 Jet and the Samsung M8910 Pixon12. Samsung claim the OmniaPRO display is advanced R-type but our pre-release sample doesn't really feel superior to the company's multimedia flagships. We will wait for a final unit before we pass our judgment on this one though.
The main issue of the display is sunlight legibility. On a bright sunny day the Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO is quite difficult to work with.
Below the screen there are three hardware controls - the Call and End buttons, and the menu key (Start menu if you prefer). They're prominent enough for comfortable handling and have solid press.
The three large keys below the display
On top of the front panel are the ambient light sensor, the proximity sensor and the video-call camera. There's another sensor up there but we haven't quite figured out what exactly it does.
There's a bunvh of sensors and a video-call camera up here
The left side features the volume rocker and the mode switch. The latter is a handy control that lets you to toggle work and leisure mode on your B7610 OmniaPRO. You can assign different user interface settings each and alternate them with a single click.

T-Mobile G2 Touch

General
2G Network
GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G Network
HSDPA 900 / 2100
Announced
2009, July
Status
Available. Released 2009, July
Size
Dimensions
112 x 56.2 x 14.4 mm
Weight
135 g
Display
Type
TFT capacitive touchscreen, 65K colors
Size
320 x 480 pixels, 3.2 inches

- Sense UI- Multi-touch input method- Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate- Trackball
Sound
Alert types
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3, WAV ringtones
Speakerphone
Yes

- 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook
Practically unlimited entries and fields, Photocall
Call records
Practically unlimited
Internal
288 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM
Card slot
microSD (TransFlash), buy memory
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, 2.0 Mbps
WLAN
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth
Yes v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port
No
USB
Yes, miniUSB
Camera
Primary
5 MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus
Video
Yes
Secondary
No
Features
OS
Android OS, v1.5
CPU
Qualcomm MSM 7200A 528 MHz processor
Messaging
SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Instant Messaging
Browser
HTML
Radio
No
Games
Yes
Colors
Black
GPS
Yes, with A-GPS support
Java
Via third party application

- Digital compass- Dedicated search key- Scenes quick profile switcher- MP3/AAC+/WAV/WMA9 player- MPEG-4/H.263/H.264/WMV9 player- Voice memo
Battery

Standard battery, Li-Ion 1350 mAh
Stand-by
Up to 440 h (2G) / Up to 750 h (3G)
Talk time
Up to 8 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G)

Microsoft and Nokia announce close cooperation, Office Mobile comes to Nokia smartphones

This rumor has been circulating around for a while but now it is as official as it gets: Microsoft Office Mobile is coming to Nokia smartphones. This and other mobile productivity and connectivity solutions are the direct result of the global alliance between the two giants, which was announced today.
No, Nokia don't have any plans of making a Windows Mobile device any time soon. As of today the two companies will start working together on the design, development and marketing of diverse productivity solutions. Target users of the new products will be the corporate users who will appreciate them most. So, it's not a surprise that the first products to incorporate them will be the members of the renowned E-series.
This might sound strange at first to some but a second look at the written above reveals that this alliance does not only plan to bring the Microsoft Office Mobile to the Symbian powered smartphones (in fact, Quickoffice already does it quite successfully), but also to add new and useful mobile professional solutions.
As of next year Nokia should start shipping the Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile on its smartphones with plans to widen the range of apps in the future.
So, what can we actually expect from that alliance? Here is a clue:
The ability to view, edit, create and share Office documents on more devices in more places with mobile-optimized versions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft OneNote
Enterprise instant messaging and presence, and optimized conferencing and collaboration experience with Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile
Mobile access to intranet and extranet portals built on Microsoft SharePoint Server
Enterprise device management with Microsoft System Center
With the over 200 million Nokia smartphones sold worldwide it's not a surprise that Microsoft decided to start this alliance namely with the Finns. And as far as Nokia is concerned, its still young service Ovi will now have a strong reinforcement with Microsoft by its side

Nokia 6208c

General
2G Network
GSM 900 / 1800 / 1900
Announced
2008, December
Status
Available. Released 2009, March
Size
Dimensions
109.8 x 49.3 x 13.3-14.7 mm
Weight
120.1 g
Display
Type
TFT resistive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size
240 x 320 pixels, 2.4 inches

- Handwriting recognition
Sound
Alert types
Vibration; Downloadable polyphonic, MP3 ringtones
Speakerphone
Yes

- 3.5 mm audio jack
Memory
Phonebook
1000 entries, Photocall
Call records
20 dialed, 20 received, 20 missed calls
Internal
13 MB
Card slot
microSD (TransFlash), up to 8GB, 1GB card included, buy memory
Data
GPRS
Class 32
HSCSD
Yes
EDGE
Class 32
3G
No
WLAN
No
Bluetooth
Yes, v2.0 with A2DP
Infrared port
No
USB
Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Camera
Primary
3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, LED flash
Video
Yes, VGA@15fps
Secondary
No
Features
Messaging
SMS, MMS, Email, IM
Browser
WAP 2.0/xHTML
Radio
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Games
3 + Downloadable
Colors
Titanium Gray
GPS
No
Java
Yes, MIDP 2.1

- Flash Lite 3- MP3/AAC/eAAC player- Voice memo- T9
Battery

Standard battery, Li-Ion 860 mAh (BL-4S)
Stand-by
Up to 300 h
Talk time
Up to 3 h 30 min
Music play
Up to 11 h

HTC Magic review: Practical magic

A cool looking touchscreen carrying a new mobile OS was enough to get the attention of even the most hardened of them techies last time we checked. Fair enough, the HTC Magic isn't groundbreaking but the Cupcake-ful of changes it brings, promise a whole new experience.
HTC Magic official photos
Well, for starters the Android sure looks more human. The formidable and weapon-like G1/ HTC Dream needed every ounce of weight to stand its ground. With an honestly lighthearted and disarming approach, the HTC Magic is willing to play by the conventional touchscreen rules. And may as well be eyeing massive sales. Compact dimensions and distinct styling, decent all round functionality and system expandability, the HTC Magic seems to have what it takes to keep both smart and feature phone touchscreens on edge. The second edition of the OS should have dealt with the issues of the forerunner and given the Magic that extra bit of pace. So, what do you call a good platform getting better and a gadget looking more mainstream but still creative enough? We call it good sense but who knows, it may be Magic.
Key features
Android OS v1.5 Cupcake
3.2" capacitive touchscreen of HVGA resolution
Qualcomm MSM 7201A 528 MHz CPU, 192/288 MB RAM
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
3G with HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 2Mbps
3.15 megapixel autofocus camera
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
GPS
Trackball navigation
Accelerometer sensor
Digital compass
Compact and stylish body

Main disadvantages
No video-call camera
No Flash support in the web browser
No file transfers over Bluetooth
No FM radio
In the beginning there was the unforgiving vastness of G1. Come to think of it, mobile phone evolution has always moved from huge to small. Android for one is quite aware and unafraid to press the fast-forward on evolution. Anyway, Google and their HTC counterparts feel confident enough to concentrate on style. Size mattered when they were about to take their first dip in the shark pond. Size matters even more when they're gearing up to beat a legion of seasoned touchscreens at their own game.
HTC Magic live shots
Full-touch handsets have been all the rage, and every manufacturer is putting their best effort to not merely stay in the game but influence it. Google DNA and HTC craftsmanship, the Magic almost has the impact guaranteed but how it translates into actual sales is perhaps the first thing on everyone's mind.
The HTC Magic is in for a real challenge and we are keen to see what it's got. We're back after the jump and ready to judge the game plan by the kit.
Travel light but well-equipped
The retail package of the HTC Magic is pretty decently stuffed with all the essentials covered and a few bonuses to spice things up.
There's the mandatory charger and a miniUSB cable for pairing you handset with a computer. You also get a nicely looking wired stereo handsfree, which unfortunately is one-piece. That means that replacing the supplied headphones is not an option unless you purchase a miniUSB adapter separately.
There's some nice stuff in the box
A 2GB microSD card is also supplied in the retail package of the Magic, plus a microSD to SD adapter in case you don't have a compatible card-reader. A stylish white leather carrying case is our favorite item in the box. We just hope the snow-white color won't turn to grimy-gray too quickly.
The leather case is quite a treat
A quick-start guide, a warranty statement and a list of HTC care centers are also in the box. For those keen to accessorize their Magic there's a list of available original HTC accessories, which include some pretty cool stuff.
HTC Magic 360-degree spin
The HTC Magic measures 113 x 55 x 13.7mm, which makes it a decently compact device. There are of course several full-touch handsets that are even smaller but the differences aren't really make or break. You can rest assured that the HTC Magic can easily slip in most pockets, without making much of bulge.
The weight of 118.5 g is about what you'd expect in a handset with these dimensions and features. A few extra grams (and perhaps some metal on the chassis) would have given it a more solid feel, but it isn't too bad now either.
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Design and construction
We are pretty fond of the HTC Magic. Its slick curvy shapes and pearl white gloss were quite appreciated across the whole team. Of course, the HTC Magic is available in black too but if you want your gadget to get noticed you know which way to go. We've been on and on about the lack of distinction between touchscreens, so what simpler way to stand out than a fresh paintjob.
White is still rare, though not unheard of, in touchscreens and the HTC Magic makes quite a bold statement for a newbie. The plastic is nicely fingerprint-resistant and you can hardly ruin the phone's looks even if you tried very hard. Some metal on the body would've probably made the entire package near perfect.
Magic and sorcery: HTC next to Apple iPhone 3G
Most of the front panel of the phone is taken by the 3.2" 65K-color capacitive touchscreen of HVGA resolution (320 x 480 pixels).
The image quality is commendable with sharp contrast and good brightness levels on the TFT display. The 65K-color count turns a weakness on the very rare occasions when single color gradients are noticeable. In all other aspects the Magic screen performs greatly.
Not the biggest, nor the highest-res but still an excellent 3.2" display
Sunlight legibility is also remarkable with the colors retained almost perfectly even when the handset is awash in sunlight. The only thing that makes it worse than the Apple iPhone's display is the fact that it reflects more light, resulting in an occasional rainbow appearing on the screen.
The response of the touchscreen is also brilliant. A well-known advantage of capacitive touchscreens is their sensitivity, as they don't actually need a push to register a click. Even the lightest of touches does the trick which is probably a large part of the reason why would one buy a touchscreen phone in the first place.
On top of the display is the earpiece, flanked by an ambient light sensor and the status LED

Nokia 6720 classic review: Up a notch

Introduction

Nokia 6720 classic ventures to send the 6220 classic into retirement. There's a year's gap between the two gadgets and a casual observer may as well conclude that a year is a mere eye-blink for midrange Symbian smartphones. Well, we guess it's part of what defines a classic too.
We just need to take due note of the fact that Symbian comes in different Nokia flavors. Nseries, Eseries, classics and touchscreens (as of late) are jostling for the user's favor and securing the platform's market lead. Handsets like the 6720 classic are bottom of this in-house smartphone ladder, so jaw-dropping upgrades are probably not to be expected. Dressing up an old concept without breaking the bank feels quite right in the midrange.
Indeed, only a few changes have been made since the Nokia 6220 classic. Some of them (faster processor, increased battery capacity, 3.5 mm jack and the free lifetime global pedestrian navigation) are duly noticed and appreciated. And the facelift (apologies, 6220 classic) is more than welcome.
Nokia 6720 classic official photos
So, Nokia 6720 classic is good at the smartphone basics and looks quite the realistic and affordable handset it is. A dream gadget it sure isn't but a handy tool for mature budget-conscious users. 6720 classic is pleasingly compact and - thanks to the 600 MHz processor - very snappy. And the curve design makes it sufficiently distinct from the predecessor.

Key features

ARM 11 600 MHz processor
Symbian OS, S60 rel. 3.2
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
Tri-band 3G with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA
2.2" 16M-color QVGA display
5 megapixel camera, autofocus and LED flash, Carl Zeiss optics
Nice image quality
VGA video recording at 15fps
Built-in GPS receiver
Free lifetime global pedestrian navigation
Built-in accelerometer sensor
Turn-to-mute and turn-to-snooze
Stereo FM radio with RDS
Bluetooth (with A2DP), TV-out, 3.5mm audio jack
microSD card slot (16 GB supported, 1GB included)
Ovi Maps and Ovi Share
N-gage support
Steel battery cover

Main disadvantages:

No Wi-Fi support
Display is small, poor in image quality and brightness
Questionable build quality
Unprotected camera lens, LED instead of xenon are downgrades from the 6220 classic
Video maxes out at VGA@15 fps
No TV-out cable in the retail box
The feature list above implies enough skill to make those contemplating an upgrade to stop thinking and start acting. In all honesty though, the 6720 classic is not to be construed as an upgrade of the 6220 classic. The xenon flash has turned LED, the screen estate hasn't grown a bit, video-recording framerate has dropped. So in the end, this entry-level Symbian smartphone feels more proper choice for those upgrading from S40.
The Nokia 6720 classic isn't the coolest piece of equipment to ever cross our threshold but will never frown at hard work. It claims to have the speed and power and probably enough identity for a basic smartphone package.
Nokia 6720 classic live shots
We don't mean to sound condescending, it only feels fair to have the right expectations of a mid-range device. Users always have the final word but this entry-level Symbian looks quite focused on serving its target audience. No promise made is no promise broken. So, the Nokia 6720 classic is about to prove itself in action. As usual, we'll start by taking a close look at what's on the outside

Economy class retail package
The Nokia 6720 classic carries quite little luggage, even in this price range. Other than the handset itself, there's a 1GB SD card and a ridiculously short microUSB cable.
Of course you also get a charger and a stereo headset (the same unit as the E63 has). It looks just fine, but the sound is rather disappointing. The 6720 classic has a 3.5mm audio jack anyway, so you can use your favorite headphones no problem.
The retail package contents
Nokia have also enclosed a booklet reminding you to activate your Ovi Maps device lifetime global walk navigation, which is completely free. You also get a 10-day drive navigation license.
Nokia 6720 classic 360-degree spin
Perhaps one of the best things about the Nokia 6720 classic is its compact size. The dimensions of 110 x 45 x 14 mm add up to volume of the mere 64 cc, which is even more compact than its 6220 classic predecessor (66 cc). The handset will fit in every pocket or purse just like that.
What seems quite an advantage to us, the small Nokia 6720 classic weighs the quite respectable 110 grams. The solid hand feel is definitely an asset for the 6720 classic.
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Design and construction
Dressed to the nines is perhaps the last thing to say about the Nokia 6720 classic. But the handset's subdued styling is quite in line with its rank actually. While the Iron grey variety of the device is more mainstream, the Chestnut brown just isn't everyone's cup of tea. The very subtle bend at the bottom is supposed to improve handling and it kinda manages to. It also gives the phone a distinct outline, Androidish in a way, though a lot less prominent.
The 2.2" display of the Nokia 6720 classic supports QVGA resolution and up to 16 million colors.
The screen estate is among the first things to be held against the 6720 classic. Not only is it the same size as the year-old 6220 classic, the screen does look below par in terms of image quality.
Above the display there is an ambient light sensor but brightness can be set manually too. In either case the maximum brightness setting feels inadequate (especially for a company with such a track record in displays).
Color rendering is also quite inaccurate and though the user interface themes look quite alright, viewing any images is quite a disappointing experience with a distinct bluish hues and overall washed colors.
Sunlight legibility is perfect though as usual - Nokia transflective displays don't rely on backlighting to ensure performance in direct sunlight.
The 2.2" 16M-color QVGA display could have been brighter
Below the display we find the standard set of Symbian controls - three knobs on either side of a traditional D-pad. Those include the two context-dependent keys, Menu and Clear buttons, along with the Call and End keys. They are decently sized and tactile.
The controls below the display are quite friendly
Below the navigation deck is the standard 12-key numpad. The alphanumeric buttons are large enough to guarantee trouble-free typing. The keypad styling is quite reminiscent of the Nokia 6233, only even more comfortable now. Anyways, visually it's quite an improvement over the cheapo looking Nokia 6220 classic keypad.
The curve in the lower part of handset's body is supposed to enhance handling (especially the use of the bottom row of keys), but the improvement is less than marginal.
A very comfortable keypad
The other things to note up front are the ambient light sensor, the secondary QVGA video-call camera (capable of taking QVGA still-shots and QCIF videos) and the earpiece grill at the top.
The ambient light sensor is next to the earpiece
The sides of the Nokia 6720 classic are slightly curved at the bottom and feature the standard controls.
You get a shutter key and a volume rocker on the right. The camera button has glossy finish, while the volume rocker uses the same matt plastic that covers the phone's edge. Both controls are quite comfortable and there isn't a thing to complain about. Just above the volume rocker is one of the two inbuilt speakers.
The camera and volume controls are large and solid to press * one of the two inbuilt speakers
The left side hosts the microUSB port and the microSD card slot, hidden under a shared protective lid. Lifting the lid sometimes can cause the whole side panel to wobble which feels terrible really.
The other speaker along with the microUSB port and the microSD card slot
The bottom of the Nokia 6720 classic hosts the standard 3.5mm audio jack and the mouthpiece, as well as the proprietary charger plug. The latter has a status LED that glows when charging.
Mouthpiece, charger plug and 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom
The top of Nokia 6720 is completely bereft of controls. As smooth as it gets, this certainly is the better looking side of the device.
There's nothing going on at the top
The back cover of the handset features the 5 megapixel camera lens with its LED flash. Around the lens and the flash, there is a fake gemstone patterned surface, which is quite a questionable ornament for a conservative handset such as the 6270c.
The 5 megapixel camera lens and that thing around it
Xenon is not the only difference from the preceding 6220 classic. The camera lens has virtually no protection against scratches. You'll need to be extra careful handling your phone if you don't want to compromise the image quality with a damaged lens.
The better part of the Nokia 6720 classic rear is the actual battery cover, which is made of steel. Removing it reveals the SIM card compartment and of course the Li-Ion battery. The 900 mAh unit in Nokia 6220 classic has been promoted to 1050 mAh. You can easily count on three (even up to four) days of light-to-moderate use.
The battery has grown compared to the 6220 classic
The overall build quality of the Nokia 6720 classic is quite adequate but just keep in mind that the phone side is quite wobbly once you've removed the battery cover - that was the only unpleasant surprise. Otherwise, the phone is well put together and a lot classier than the Nokia 6220 classic

Great telephony

Reception is great on the Nokia 6720 classic. The phone has commendable speaker quality and the sound during calls is clear and free of any interference. Vibration is also strong enough to make sure you never miss an incoming call or message.
Calling Dexter on the Nokia 6720 classic
The 6720 classic passed our loudspeaker test with quite decent scores. Check out the table to see how it stacks up against some of the handsets we've measured. In case you want to find out more about the test itself or a complete list of tested devices, hit the link.
Speakerphone test
Voice, dB
Pink noise/ Music, dB
Ringing phone, dB
Overall score
Nokia N82
70.2
61.2
65.9
Below average
Nokia 6220 classic
70.7
65.8
69.8
Average
Nokia 5630 XpressMusic
68.6
65.7
76.0
Good
Nokia 6720 classic
70.8
66.3
80.5
Good
Nokia 5320 XpressMusic
74.3
66.6
78.3
Very Good
Nokia N96
77.3
76.0
78.1
Excellent

AT&T launched HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian Smartphone

AT&T launched HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian Smartphone AT&T has announced its latest smartphone from HP with the model HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian.HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian smartphone works on a triband HSDPA as well as a quadband EDGE.HP iPAQ K3 Obsidian has an operating system of Windows Mobile 6.5, and features Global voice and data connectivity.Other features include a 2.8-inch QVGA display, a 2 Megapixel camera, 256MB of RAM, a 512MB ROM, Bluetooth 2.0, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot, GPS and Wi-Fi.