Reviews - Reader comments

HTC Touch Diamond vs. Samsung i900 Omnia: Head-to-Head

02 July 2008 | Read the review | Post your comment
HTC Touch Diamond vs. Samsung i900 Omnia: Head-to-Head - read the full textIt’s PocketPC playoffs and HTC are giving Samsung a match at the GSM Arena. With two of the stars of the season arriving in our office all at once, we thought it’s a heck of an opportunity for some Diamond-Omnia-Diamond-Omnia-Diamond-Omnia game-set-match. We got two aces up to the challenge, so sit back and stretch out. Ah well, get that six-pack too and join us for the kick-off...

 

Pages: 12345 6 78

about that touch flo thing ...mmmhh who said samsung can't have that? i saw a video on youtube. A GUY INSTALLED TOUCH FLO IN OMNIA!!!!
yessss
kick some ass there sammy:D

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 11:12
  • niVm

I don't think it will be appropriate to compare the Htc Diamond or Samsung i900 to the iphone 2G. Actually, they are in different classes. How can you compare with a cell phone that has a very classic camera to something that is 3.2 mp and 5mp? To me, the iphone is a cell phone for younger generation that cannot afford to spend money for a high end business/media phone that has everything. The Htc and i900 are higher in class comparing to the iphone. They both have shortcomings but certainly they are way better than the iphone in terms of specifications. With all the features, I personally am in favor with the i900 as it has way better battery life and bigger screen for video, pictures and office files.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 09:54
  • C54Q

GSMArena are you crazy ?

OMNIA so much better than Diamond .

NO COMPRE TO Diamond .

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 07:29
  • 0vTI

Alright people, why are we constantly upgrade to, keep thiniking of or wanted to change to a new WM phone?

Simple, we all wanted an ALL-IN-ONE WM phone!
AND THATS'S IT, OMNIA THE WAY TO GO !!! well... at least for now and the near future.

Why OMNIA way to go? Simple again as below facts,

1. In the oldies, a 3.5" screen PDA phone too big size for an easy hold or everyone taste.

2. For the present, a 2.8" screen is way too common nowaday and getting old fashion already after O2 818 showed the way how a new small and handy PDA phone some 4years ago.

3. VGA on 2.8" screen? You're must be kidding.
I know it is good for picture viewing but nothing else, and we don't do this often.
It will not be good for video even quality is fine but 2.8" screen too small.

Internet browsing or Office tasking? Words on 2.8" VGA screen too small for any comfort viewing or editing, and the needed to frequent to zoom in-and-out was another trouble-some action to do.

4. And the weak, 1 day or less battery life, no photo light 3.2MP camera, the cut-off bass low sound quality (which cannot be solve y by 3rd party software equalizer enchance) was few others bad points that killing the Diamond.


So the REAL all-in-one OMNIA win them all in today life with,

1. Bigger and better 3.2" screen for better picture/video taking and viewing, office file editing, especially in landscape mode.

2. Excellent 5MP with photo light camera for picture/video taking.

3. Better bass sound quality, even better with 3rd party software like Pocket Music equalizer enchancement.

4. Excellent 3 days battery life for less worried mind for usage outside home or office.

5. And many more user friendly UI operation than the normal and old fashion WM phone UI.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 06:06
  • TIE7

seems like both have many drawbacks. I rather wait for n96 , symbian that i prefer.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 05:39
  • TIEh

> In reply to Anonymous @ 2008-07-05 04:11 from TIEhJes... like you're doing these for the whole 7*24*365?

C'mon man get real, OMNIA is the only way to go for the 2 ! OK?

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 05:18
  • TIE7

> In reply to The Diamound @ 2008-07-02 21:19 from 04WvSound like you're doing nothing the whole 7*24*365 but just staring on the diamonD, VGA on the WRONG SIZE screen?

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 05:12
  • TIE7

Before this excellent review I wanted the Omnia.
If the Omnia cost too much (rumored at $800 - $1200)then i would get the 3G iPhone for $300.

After reading this review I am even more convinced.
--Diamond drawbacks--
1.How anyone would want a phone with a "pretty" screen that dies so fast is beyond me.

2.Explain how video playback is a plus for this phone when it holds less han 4GBs worth of video and AGAIN dies in about 1 movies time.

3. HTC dropped the ball on sceen size. Cutting the screen size for the unneeded hard controls at the bottom is horrid. If you need hard buttons to control your device then don't get a touch screen phone

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 04:18
  • 4bYG

I really appreciate the effort made in writing this VERY detailed review. But I do not like how the phones are often compared to the iPhone, like stating the similarities of both phone's contact lists to the new iPhone. The search bar at the top, and looking for contacts by choosing from the alphabet list at the right, is implemented by HTC far before iPhone.

The onscreen keyboards, all phones that want you to use the stylus less or even does not have a stylus have to make the onscreen keyboards bigger for the users to use it with ease! So iPhone is the really popular phone that does that, but it doesn't make the Diamond or Ominia resemble it! That's like saying you resemble me because you use legs to walk.

Audio quality tests, so many data from other PDA phones and music phones, but only one mediocore PMP (in terms of quality, and we don't even get to know what its generation is), and no dedicated portable audio players? What?

And I fail to realize how Opera 9.5 resembles or fails to provide the usability of the Mobile Safari browser. In fact Opera 9.5 provides true tabbed browsing, while Mobile Safari needs to use a Javascript hack and still take a few clicks just to get a link to open in a new tab.

Why-are-you-inserting-Apple-comparions-everywher­e rant aside, I must state that, again, the review might be biased but it did provide a lot of information about both devices. It definitely helped me choose one between the two.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 04:13
  • PDVN

Guess alot of Diamond users don't know including the reviewer that you can pan in zoomed mode while viewing the photo.

You just need to press and hold on to the screen, a small window will appear on the top left showing your current position. Then WITHOUT lifting your finger, drag the photo... that's how you pan. ;-)

Of cse it is well-know that you can zoom in to any area of the photo by drawing clock-wise circle on the selected area and zoom out using anti-clockwise.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 04:11
  • TIEh

> In reply to albertocab @ 2008-07-04 21:29 from kR1hThe prices for "early upgraders" (i.e. those that don't qualify for the $199/$299 pricing) are $400 for the 8gb and $500 for the 16gb. I should've specified. See the second bullet point note under the video.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/0...icing-plans/

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 04:10
  • js$S

> In reply to albertocab @ 2008-07-04 21:29 from kR1hWhen I buy Omnia after CommunicAsia, the price for without contract are US$820(16Gb) and US$580(8Gb). The price for Omnia 16Gb are similar with HTC Diamond. But now, some retailer in Singapore start sale US$650(16Gb) without contract. AT&T was planning sale iPhone 3G in price US$699(16Gb) without contract. For Nokia N96 I think in range US$800 for 1st release according my experience with N95 & E90.

It will better if u comparing Omnia with Nokia 5800 XpressMusic(the 1st Nokia s60 touchphone), not N96.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 01:19
  • M@T2

The pictures taken by cameras are not compareable because they have taken in different hour !

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-05 00:50
  • TuJV

> In reply to miro @ 2008-07-04 19:53 from js$S$500.00 for which iphone. The 16gb 3G is only $300.00. Before you start pointing fingers please do your google. The Samsung i900 Omnia goes for $500 - $600. An unlock version for the US (well for any GSM carrier) goes over $1000.00. Now mind you,the Samsung has a 5mp camera and most would say its worth it...but I would stick with the Nokia N96. A bit cheaper and better lens.

Other then that, I like the Samsung for what it is...a windows version of an iphone. It does not pretend to be an iphone and it does not hide the fact it's running WM6. In fact that's good news for Mac users. Finally a full screen phone the Mac can hack and custom. Just next time if you going to throw blows...make sure the hit. Cause I hate read people that just blurb out info and they got no idea what they talking about.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-04 21:29
  • kR1h

Network - Samsung i900, quad band - 1-0
Diamond dimensions - 1-1
Diamond weight - 1-2
i900 screen size - 2-2
Diamond screen resolution - 2-3
Color - draw - 2-3
Diamond Touch Flo - 2-4
Diamond Stylus - 2-5
i900 card slot - 3-5
i900 cpu 624mhz - 4-5
i900 internal memory - 5-5
Diamond touch scroll - 5-6
i900 Landscape Qwerty keyboard - 6-6
Diamond graphic chip - 6-7
i900 5mp camera - 7-7
i900 flash - 8-7
i900 divx/xvid player - 9-7
i900 video editor - 10-7
i900 TV out - 11-7
i900 Battery - 12-7

Samsung i900 wins 12-7 overall
Samaung i900 is definitely my choice.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-04 20:32
  • C54Q

Excellent head-to-head, though I was already leaning towards the Omnia since I refuse to pay $500 for a 16gb 3G iPhone.

But a couple of things regarding the Omnia:

1) Memory card slot is not hot swappable? Meaning you can just pull the memory card out, stick it in an adapter, plug it into a pc and copy data to/from it and then put it back in the phone? Does this mean you have to turn the phone off to pull out the memory card?

2) The screen during web browsing. Browsing it definitely near the top of the list for me, but I suppose if it's just as good as the Tytn II (AT&T Tilt), then I'll be happy.

3) Video and music aren't that important since I have an iPod Touch.

Thanks for putting this together! It sounds like both phones have great features. Too bad these two companies can't do a join phone with the best of both worlds!

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-04 19:53
  • js$S

Dear GSMArena team,

Very well done! A lot of persons have waited for a review like this. Still I'm very curious which one you would choose if you had to (must)choose???
Personally I think I will choose the Samsung i900. I have tested the HTC, but I'm not impressed.

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-04 18:46
  • nimf

OMNIA has bigger screen, faster CPU, longer battery life, more memory & supports micro SD, better camera, landscape typing, and is better built... NO CONTEST FOR ME

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-04 13:20
  • nJIi

Most probably I would go with Omnia or wait some more time for samsung to come up with few more in the same line, but Diamond and it's UI looks so irresistible..mmmmm. Touch choice. Kudos to both. cheers!!

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-04 12:10
  • vwdn

I used Omnia in 1 week & Diamond in 2 week :

- In first take, diamond has better in glossy black casing. But after 1 week and next, Omnia look more elegance because fingerprint magnet in Diamond(give it look dirty everytime like Viewty).
- If u compare about screen, I will go for Omnia. It's way a reason why Nokia always have a bigger screen. That screen size also important point for full touchphone. The Diamond like "Great resolution in wrong place". U also pleased with Omnia when viewing movie, thanks to 16:9 resolution(Diamond 4:3) & DivX Certified.
- Omnia sound more better, thanks to 3.5mm audio adapter(comparing with my N95 8Gb, Omnia has more clear & surround but Nokia more powerfull in bass)
- 3D TouchFLO more better looking, TouchWIZZ more faster. But accelerometer & haptic feedback give Omnia better in this side.
- The only 4Gb memory in Diamond give me always look the free space.
- U can compare Omnia camera with SE CyberShot or Nokia with CarlZeiss.
- Omnia & Diamond comes with almost the same price in Singapore(without contract)

  • Reply
  • 2008-07-04 03:07
  • M@T2
Pages: 12345 6 78

Note: Sponsored advertising links are in green.