Omnia mania

By Hedirman Supian, TODAY | Posted: 18 July 2008 1228 hrs

SINGAPORE: The latest smartphone from Samsung is a hit in Singapore, with the 3.5G handset selling out within a month of its launch at CommunicAsia 2008.

The Samsung Omnia made its global debut at the annual trade event onJune 17 and Singaporeans were the first in the world to lay their hands on the device. According to the Korean electronics company, initial stocks were “completely sold out” in its first weekend of sales.

“Singapore’s response to our flagship smartphone has far surpassed our expectations. With all units consistently sold out within the first three weeks of availability, the Omnia is well on track to become the top-selling smartphone in Singapore in its launch month,” said Mr Yoon Ki Heung, Samsung Asia’s managing director.

The smartphone runs Windows Mobile as its operating system and sports a customised user interface to make it more user-friendly for touch-based input. Notable features include a touchscreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a 5-megapixel camera and a storage capacity of 16GB.

The device also features haptic feedback, a feature that mimics the tactility of physical buttons by providing slight vibrations as users interact with the phone’s onscreen buttons.

Demand and competition for smartphones here has been heating up in recent months but Samsung fans are charmed by the Omnia’s combination of looks and features.

“Things I like about the Samsung Omnia include its solid build, the WQVGA screen, the sound quality and its form factor — I personally prefer slim and thin phones,” said Mr Edwin Li, a senior vice-president in a financial institution.

“The operating system is very stable and its power management is better than that of its peers. The 16GB internal storage is definitely a big treat.”

Assistant engineer Wee Kong agrees. “What I really like about the Omnia is the 16:9 screen, which is good for movies, as well as the huge storage (16GB) and the option for expansion on the microSD card slot.”

Another satisfied Samsung Omnia owner is Mr Peter Yap, a software engineer. “I feel that the Omnia is a device with many well-integrated functions and it has anattractive industrial design,” he said.

“It is the combination and integration of everything in the Omnia, hardware and software, that makes it a good phone.”

StarHub is selling the $1,098 Omnia at the subsidised price of $298, along with a two-year subscription plan. All three mobile operators here are offering the smartphone. -