Omio

The Mobile Phone Keyboard Olympics

By Robin LandycloseAuthor: Robin Landy Name: Robin Landy
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (17)

Apparently there’s something going on in London in 2012 that’s costing a whole bunch of money and has got a lot of people all excited.

Alas, the Omio budget doesn’t stretch to Olympic sponsorship, let-alone building our own velodrome. Anyhow, who wants to watch a bunch of men chase each other round-and-round on bicycles, when you could stay in and watch our own Ernest Doku go thumb-to-button with greatest phones on the planet?

We lined up 6 of the best smartphones: the Apple iphone; the Samsung Omnia; the T-Mobile G1; the HTC Touch HD; the HTC Touch Pro (win this in our Touch Pro give-away) and the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. We gave Ernest a set text to type - twice on each handset - so that we could take an average time.

Want to see what happened when Ernest got typing? Check out the video…

More details of the contest after the jump

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Samsung Omnia Video Review

By Robin LandycloseAuthor: Robin Landy Name: Robin Landy
Email: talk@omio.com
Site: http://www.omio.com
About: See Authors Posts (17)

Everyone seems to be gunning for the iPhone by launching rival touchscreen handsets. So far, they’ve all fallen short of the mark. Can Samsung do any better?

Find out in our in-depth video review of the Samsung Omnia.

Samsung i7110 Announced, Is It A Nokia N96 Slayer?

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”

Shakespeare put it best, when you’re number one, there is always some whippersnapper at your heels, eager to snatch the glory away from you.

The Nokia N96 has barely gotten comfy in the multimedia smartphone throne when Samsung comes out with a lithe new handset ready to claim dominance!

The i7110 is a sleek little handset (literally, it looks the spitting image of the U800 Sleek!), boasting a 5 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, a massive 2.6″ QVGA screen, and wi-fi connectivity. It also runs those videos you downloaded legitimately purchased from the internet without any trouble, as it runs DivX and XviD format material with ease.

It even has GPS and 3G support, making the i7110 an embarrassment of riches on the specs front! The real question is, will the user experience be a nice enough one to drag the Nokia N96 from clutches of Symbian lovers everywhere?

Probably not, but you have to hand it to Samsung, they are not putting a foot wrong at the moment. With a line up of handsets to suit all pockets this Xmas, it will be interesting to see whether Nokia’s Comes With Music and a promise of the 5800 touchphone in 2009 can stave off the Samsung onslaught of the high end i8510, the higher end M8800 Pixon, and the touchy feely Omnia.

That’s not to mention the barrage of phones on the way from LG, BlackBerry, even T-Mobile’s own puppy.

The crown is certainly slipping…

T-Mobile G1 vs. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 Review : Battle of the Text Machines!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

We at Omio are more likely to get raw footage of a unicorn fighting a dragon, but lucky Dutch folks at Jouw Mobiel have managed to get their hands on the new Sony Ericsson Xperia X1! It’s a pretty detailed Xperia review (translated via Google), frequently comparing it to the similarly specced HTC Touch Pro.

They came away fairly impressed with the head-turning form factor and sturdy construction, but think that the keyboard hasn’t enough give on it, and that the panel interface is underwhelming after the sexy TouchFLO offered on the HTC device. Could the delays to the Xperia’s release date make it seem dated when compared to the LG Renoir and Windows Mobile brother-in-arms Samsung Omnia?

Thankfully not, as the phone is far more luxurious, more like a fancy PC than merely a mobile. It does have a lot of flashing lights and gimmicks to distract…but underneath is a very powerful machine, more than capable for either business or pleasure.

As if that wasn’t enough, they decide to chuck in a quick T-Mobile G1 and Xperia X1 comparison! Hardly a fair fight, but they focus on the internet and e-mail capabilities to see the best phone for surfing on the go. Our favourite translation? “The Xperia X1 is a true piece of art in comparison to the dusty look of the T-Mobile G1.” Dusty? That’s a bit harsh, but we know what you mean!

Just seeing two awesome forthcoming handsets occupying the same space is enough to excite us immensely!

Source: CoolSmartPhone

Apple iPhone: Over 10 Million Served…Three Months Early

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

At an Apple conference early last year, when Steve Jobs announced their new entry into the mobile phone market and a lofty goal of 10 million sales in 2008, many were very sceptical.

This was an industry with established titans like Nokia and Samsung, dedicated sellers who would not let such an unconventional device go unchallenged for long.

Despite the legions of iPhone killers, the flood of touch-based challengers that have been released or announced like the Samsung Tocco, the Samsung Omnia, the HTC Touch Diamond, the LG Viewty, the LG Renoir, the Samsung Pixon…none have had close to the same impact.

Even Nokia and BlackBerry have reluctantly entered the touchscreen domain, and whilst the 5800 and Storm 9500 seem like the most well equipped to dethrone the champ, is it too late to stop the charge?

With help from the revamped iPhone 3G, Apple have managed the unthinkable and reached their goal…three months early.

Looking at individual IMEI codes (a unique 15-digit handset identifier given to every single mobile phone made), the Apple Finance Board have tracked and logged 8 million handsets manufactured by early September, and all of those and many more have since been sold through. Wow.

The double whammy of the iPhone 3G and the new firmware and App Store (which I correctly predicted to be a game changer, thank you!) has worked wonders for the iPhone, breathing new life into what was considered a fad and technologically underwhelming device.

Apple performed what can now be officically coined as “doing a Nintendo,” perplexing the industry and consumers alike whilst selling lots of units through innovative ideas and application, despite what many would consider to be an inferior product. Wii Golf, anyone?

Champagne and cigars all round for Apple, methinks! As impressed as we all are with their success the big question, as ever, is “What next?”

LG KP500 Brings Touchscreen Joy To The Masses

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

Apple may have innovated as far as touch screen phones are concerned, but with us at Omio drowning in our free phones often forget that they are all pretty expensive! The Samsung Omnia, iPhone 3G and M8800 Pixon are all targeting the gadgetophile, leaving the market without a mid-range handset to sway the casual consumers.

Well, LG are about to fix all that with the KP500, a full touchscreen phone which is affordable, but not at the expense of technology or style. Weighing only 89g and at a thickness just shy of 12mm, the phone is certainly a nice looker, with the 3 inch screen making it look like a facsimile of the recently announced LG Renoir.

Focusing on what it has got as opposed to what it lacks, the KP500 has a 3 megapixel camera, accelerometer based gaming, an FM radio with RDS and a microSD slot to expand the memory to 8GB.

Features getting the chop to keep costs down are all around connectivity. It unfortunately lost a G in a freak boating accident to make it a 2G quad-band phone, also ‘missing’ are GPS and Wi-Fi support, with it does have 2.1 Bluetooth support, which is nice.

If you still think that cheap equates to not being good, this brief promo video might change your mind about the KP500…

Coming out in an increasingly crowded October, the phone has not been given a concrete price, but we can guarantee that it will be affordable, or so their press release is so eager to reiterate…

Check out Omio’s LG KP500 features page to get a look under the hood of this wallet friendly winner!

8 Megapixel Samsung M8800 Appears, Has Identity Crisis

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

Okay, this whole naming and renaming phones thing has gotten a little out of hand. Won’t someone think of the children bloggers!

So soon after the story breaks about the Samsung M8800, an 8 megapixel cameraphone complete with convincing backstory as to the origins of the name “Bresson”, we are now being told that it’ll be called the ‘Pixon’ and not even be a smartphone!

Smape have managed to get some great shots of the handset, showing off the 3.2″ touchscreen beauty with Omnia-style looks (although without Windows Mobile), RDS FM radio and 100MB of expandable memory.

Despite stiff competition from the LG KC910 Renoir, and even though it lacks what is fast becoming standard features of GPS and Wi-Fi, the Pixon seems to have the looks and the marketing might to push it ahead in the crowded 8 megapixel market.

Industry experts are already doubtful the market can sustain the Samsung i8510, the Sony Ericsson C905, the LG KC910 Renoir and the M8800 Pixon, according to Mobile Today, all cameraphones sporting the same ‘unique’ selling point.

As this megapixel Cold War rages on there are bound to be some casualties, let’s hope the Pixon is not one of them…pics follow!

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The T-Mobile G1, The Good And The Bad

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

Okay, the dust has barely settled, let’s analyse the good and bad things that came out of the T-Mobile G1 launch in an easy to digest supplement. Come on, it’s one of your five a day!

GOOD

- Out in 2008 in the US and UK. They told you so!
- Looks a bit less ugly than we’d been led to believe.
- $179. Cheap as chips. Using the patented $=£ exchange rate for electronics, we still may get off light in the UK!
- 3G and Wi-Fi. A bit of a given, but to make the most of the web-based stuff, we need lickedy split internet connectivity.
- Amazon MP3 Browser. Cheap music? No DRM? Connects to the web/Youtube for related content? Yes.
- Android. It’s an open platform for people to make new apps every day, manufacturers can shape the interface of a handset as they see fit, the App Store Marketplace will be bustling, and it could be the birthplace of really impressive stuff!
- The Small Stuff. Coming out post-iPhone has helped them fix some stuff. Nicer interfaces with all the widgets, pull down menus, more robust Google Maps and search mode for the entire phone.

The bad side of the G1 after the clicky!

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Samsung M8800 ‘Bresson’ Camera Phone Leaks, 8 Megapixel Touchscreen Masterpiece

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

Samsung are definitely going for the jugular in the mobile phone scene if these latest rumours are true…

Seems like Phones4U were a little overzealous in announcing a new 8 megapixel touchscreen handset, which stands to absolutely dominate the touchscreen and cameraphone domains by taking on both the Sony Ericsson C905 and the LG Renoir at the same time!

With the Samsung Tocco capturing fans for an entry level device and the Omnia dealing with high end (well, now mid-range…) desires, this M8800 Bresson would become the new flagship phone, boasting an 8 megapixel camera, 3.2 inch 16 million colour display, and a depth of only 15.5mm, slimmer than the i8510 Innov8!

This popped up without fanfare on the Phones4U site, obviously generating a whole load of chatter, and as such was popped down again soon after. The address now brings up a big ‘404,’ but proves there was once something in it’s place…

The name also rings true for a high-calibre snapper like the M8800, presumably named after Henri Cartier-Bresson who was an amazing french photographer who pioneered documentary-style candid photography.

With the handset rumoured to be out as soon as late October, the Nokia strategy of flooding the streets with lovely touchscreen phones has already been accomplished by Samsung before the 5800 Tube is even out. Samsung won’t have to settle for number two much longer if this success continues…

Source: Trusted Reviews

HTC Touch HD vs. iPhone vs. Samsung Omnia : Video Du High Tech Mobile!

By Ernest DokucloseAuthor: Ernest Doku Name: Ernest Doku
Email: ernest.doku@omio.com
Site: http://blog.omio.com
About: I like gadgets, loads! I like talking about them, writing about them, using them, watching other people use them though binoculars... Some would say it was an unhealthy fascination, but then I'd be all like, "Shh...," and go back to doing gadget-related things. Hit me up on Xbox Live or PSN, I'm EJStyleS. I promise to give you a good match as well as talk about things that aren't gadgets. A bit.See Authors Posts (461)

Okay…this time our jealousy is so great that it may soon take a physical form and demolish buildings, Godzilla-style.

French website Generation Phone House have used their super retailer powers to have a super in-depth fiddle with the new HTC Touch HD! They compare it to the iPhone, because they must, and the Omnia because it is slick.

The high-resolution screen is amazing, the compact size is tidy, the 5 megapixel camera is gorgeous, but I’ll let the guys over the pond do the honours…mostly because they have it and we quite literally do not.

Pictures of the dynamic duo from their site follow…

Source: Generation PhoneHouse

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