Samsung B7610 OmniaPRO review: Pro toolbox

Introduction

Now that we have the B7610 OmniaPRO running on the much-awaited Windows Mobile 6.5, we're finally up to speed. Omnia smartphones have a pretty wide reach already and they are known for their WinMo customizations and feature-rich specs sheets. The B7610 OmniaPRO however was the first family member to sport a full hardware keyboard and by the looks of it, Samsung have done a great job.

Side-sliding or not, the B7610 OmniaPRO is definitely a capable device in both hardware and software equipment. The QWERTY keyboard however is a convenience tool usually reserved for the competition's high-end offerings, so you can bet the OmniaPRO will have to tackle some really capable contenders. But you can easily tell, it a tough nut to crack as well.

Samsung B7610 Omnia Pro official photos

Key features:

• Quad-band GSM support and 3G with HSDPA
• 3.5" 16M-color (65K effective) AMOLED display of 800 x 480 pixel resolution
• Work & Life mode switch key
• Full side sliding QWERTY keyboard
• 800 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
• 5 megapixel auto-focus camera with dual-LED flash and D1 video recording at 30 fps
• Windows Mobile 6.5 fully skinned with TouchWiz UI
• Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP, standard microUSB port
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• 2GB built-in storage, 256 MB RAM, microSD (up to 32GB), 8GB card included
• Wi-Fi with DLNA
• GPS receiver with A-GPS
• Built-in accelerometer for UI auto-rotate and turn-to-mute
• TV out functionality
• Nice audio output quality
• Large capacity Li-Ion 1500 mAh battery

Main disadvantages:

• Bulky and heavy
• 65K color limitation of display has color gradients banding
• Poor sunlight legibility
• Comes with OmniaLITE-grade HSDPA speed, and no HSUPA support
• microSD card slot under the battery cover
• The display and back pannel are finger print magnets
• Performance under WinMo 6.5 not a good as it was under 6.1
• No preinstalled SatNav software
• No voice dialing
• No web Flash support
• No stereo speakers

Samung B7610 OmniaPRO at ours

Who is the OmniaPRO is a multiple choice question. And there is more than one correct answer. The original Omnia has produced such an offspring choosing names became a problem. They even had to name one of the kids after the uncle. If you've been keeping track, you'd know the OmniaPRO has an Armani-branded alter-ego - the B7620. But well, Giorgio was lucky. The B7610 OmniaPRO less so.

Now, there's nothing wrong with the name except that there are another couple of Pros in the family. And perhaps too many of them in other houses.

We've never had a doubt about the quality of the Omnia genes but such a strong and versatile lineup perhaps exceeds the most optimistic scenarios. Samsung are obviously not only trying to update their portfolio but confront their key market rivals by matching competing devices spec for spec.

The B7610 OmniaPRO will be engaging the enemy on the high end of the performance and pricing scale. And that's where even the smallest details count. The B7610 doesn't have a unique defining feature like the Omnia HD to give it an edge against some unforgiving rivals. So, it will have to squeeze every bit of performance out of its system. It can count though on Samsung's solid record in multimedia and interface customization.

Speaking of which, the custom-made TouchWiz looks and feels better than ever. So much that it's worth the spoiler. And the mode switch for toggling Work and Leisure is keen to make a point that this here Pro knows good fun too.

So, the B7610 OmniaPRO will be trying to make its mark. And so will be Windows Mobile yet again. Because the OmniaPRO is certainly not running against PocketPCs only - the competition's finest will stand on its way. That's Symbian, and Android, and Maemo.