5 Reasons the Samsung Omnia 7 kicks ass

Windows Phone 7 devices have only been around for a short while but already some are earning themselves plaudits, showing the world what the new mobile OS is capable of and setting the bar for other smartphones. Samsung’s Omnia 7 i8700 is one of those devices.

If you’re mulling over a move to Windows Phone 7 and you’re overwhelmed by the amount of information available allow us to give you five firm reasons why you won’t go far wrong with the Omnia 7.

Display
The Omnia 7 boasts one of Samsung’s revered Super AMOLED displays, which provides the device with exceptional picture quality. Media playback on the 4-inch screen is rich and vibrant and the quality of the screen also provides the Omnia 7 with amazing legibility in sunlight, which is an area that many LCD displays have been known to flounder. The sharpness of the display really has to be seen to be believed.

Internals
With the Omnia 7 you get the benefit of a powerful hardware base with which to run Microsoft’s new operating system. It comes equipped with a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, 576MB RAM and 512MB ROM, which means the device should never run out of steam, even when it’s undertaking the most arduous of tasks. There’s also the inclusion of either 8 or 16GB of onboard storage, allowing you to store all of your important files, photos and other media.

Camera
The Omnia 7’s 5-megapixel camera is the real standout feature of the device. It comes with an LED flash and includes autofocus and image stabilisation, which combine excellently to produce sharp, colour rich images. The camera can also take macro shots which, in our view, were amazingly well detailed for a phone camera. The device can also capture video at 720P, though the results were less impressive than other Windows Phone 7 devices.

Build Quality
As you’d expect from Samsung, the build quality of the Omnia 7 is second to none.  The device is slender but feels sturdy in the hand and there are no tell-tale squeaks or cracks when you grip the device. The form factor isn’t anything out of the ordinary, though the lines are pleasantly curved. Key placement is intuitive and key presses are solid and responsive. We’d also like to give a thumbs-up to the camera key, which is able to bring the device out of sleep and straight into camera mode with only a single press (the proximity sensor prevents this from happening if the device is in the pocket) allowing you to be Johnny on the spot if you need to snap a picture in a hurry!

Operating System
Windows Phone 7 has rightly received a lot of positive press since its introduction. The tile system that organises the home screen is an inspired piece of design and allows the user to stay up-to-date with the latest goings on without having to dip into convoluted context menus. Social networking integration is amply covered too, with support for Twitter and Facebook as well as other services. Windows Phone 7 also integrates with Xbox Live and boasts a number of unique game titles that should keep you occupied for hours.

There is already some strong competition in the Windows Phone 7 range but we feel that the Samsung Omnia 7 has more than enough quality and personality to hold its own. The camera experience is pivotal to its success but you won’t find much to be disappointed about.

Video capture was a little shaky and there are still some foibles to be ironed out of Windows Phone 7, such as copy and paste and multi-tasking, but overall there’s plenty to enjoy. So if you’re looking for a fitting upgrade, look no further.

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