Samsung Omnia W Windows Phone announced, due in October

By Tom Warren, on 26th Sep 11 9:21 am with 49 Comments

Samsung announced its latest Windows Phone handset on Monday.

The Samsung Omnia W will be available at the end of October, with initial shipments starting in Italy. The Omnia W runs Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” software and packs a 3.7″ display with a 1.4GHz processor. The device also includes a forward facing camera that will support new video calling applications to be made available for Windows Phone 7.5 over the coming months.

The Omnia W appears to be the European equivalent to the recently announced Samsung Focus Flash. AT&T will stock the Focus Flash in the U.S. which is designed to target a lower price point market. Samsung is also releasing a Samsung Focus S in the U.S. which includes a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 1.4GHz processor, 4G network support and a 1.3MP front facing camera. The rear of the device is equipped with an 8MP camera. Samsung has not yet announced an Omnia equivalent for European markets.

Samsung Omnia W specifications:

  • 1.4GHz Processor
  • 3.7″ WVGA (800×480) Super AMOLED
  • Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
  • 5MP AF with LED Flash rear camera
  • VGA front facing camera for video calls
  • 512MB RAM
  • 8GB internal storage
  • Accelerometer, Ambient Light, Proximity, Magnetometer, Gyroscope

Samsung Omnia W

  • http://twitter.com/Nero3000 Neerav Patel

    8GB internal storage.

    Pass.

    • http://twitter.com/alexwilks88 Alex Wilks

      Yup. Hardly gonna replace my Zune HD at that rate.

      The search for a suitable Windows Phone in the UK continues…

    • http://twitter.com/Nero3000 Neerav Patel

      But there is a market for value handsets like this.

      If priced right <£300 unlocked/PAYG, or free on 12 month contracts I can see this being an attractive handset.

    • http://twitter.com/alexwilks88 Alex Wilks

      Totally, and to be honest I’m happier with a 3.7″ screen than a 4″+ one, but there seems to be a consensus that higher end phones must have larger screens which means that seemingly ideal form factors are always packed with mid-range components.

    • http://twitter.com/OldCongress Gamer

      Totally fail…

    • OMG55

      Please pay attention to details. The article specifically states that the device was created to target the lower price point market. You are a consumer who wants a larger screen and more internal storage, therefore you’re not the type of customer this device is aimed at. Again please don’t comment on this device if you consider it below your standards. If they didn’t state, ” aimed an lower price point market”, then you could say fail.

    • OMG55

      I saw something interesting over at wpcentral.com the may interest you since you need more memory on you mobile phone. ZTE Tania has a device listed there that boasts 4GB of storage. Go have a look.

    • ZipZapRap

      + eleventy.

    • Anonymous

      I agree that the 8GB is pretty weak.  At least 16GB, but I guess they are lining up to complete with the HTC Radar with this, and the Focus S will be their Titan device.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Roque/100000194503830 Pedro Roque

    Not impressed…

    • OMG55

      No disrespect, but if you’re not impressed, then you don’t fall into, “Lower Price Point” category which is specifically stated in the article. MS also released a statement informing us that WP7 devices would have various price points. I’ll wait patiently because I know this is the device for me.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Roque/100000194503830 Pedro Roque

      I would get the l”ower pice pont” if they had annouced the “premium device”. Since they didn’t, this is just a an unimpressing phone.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_KTAHVKS2RNDWTQPHQEJALLRNEQ Adam Paris

    We must not forget this is not high-end but mid-end. We can expect prices around 300 euro.

    These will sell like hot cakes, cause the majority cant afford a high-end device.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Roque/100000194503830 Pedro Roque

      I don’t buy the price argument. Almost no one buys unlocked devices, they buy them on contract. On my cell operator, I can get a 16Gb iPhone4 for 0€ (that’s ZERO). My 8Gb Omnia 7 is priced at 169.90, with the same contrat and data plan.

    • Anonymous

      Pedro, where the heck are you?! Here in Paris France, I just walked past an Orange (France Telecome) boutique and they were advertising an iPhone 3G for 50 euro on a two year plan!!  What country is giving away iPhone 4s??!!
      And Bouygues Telecome is offering your Omnia 7 for 1 euro on a two year plan.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Roque/100000194503830 Pedro Roque

      I’m in Portugal. TMN has the iPhone 4 for zero euros, subject to a 100€/month, 2 year contract. (Gazillion minutes / SMS included, 1Gb data pla).The Omnia 7, with exactly the same plan is 169.9€.
      You can get the iPhone 3Gs for free with a 45€ plan.On that plan, the Omnia 7 costs 334€

    • Anonymous

      Wow, for 100 euro, ANY phone should be free!  Is it the carrier or the manufacturer who decides on the subsidies?

  • ChaCha

    however i am waiting for nokia to release their WP7 Mango!

  • http://twitter.com/ThomasMaurer Thomas Maurer

    Hmmm I hope there will be a version of the Samsung Focus S in europe :-/

    • Chris Richner

      Waiting for Sammy to announce the Focus S for Europre too.. otherwise I’m really going to scratch my head..

  • alterSchwede

    If i but a smartphone with WP7 it should at least have dual core, 3.7 – 4″ display, 1 GB RAM and 16 GB flash… 
    Just do be sure every update will run absolutely smoothly and not like iOS4 on 3GS… works but not fine… 

    • http://twitter.com/OldCongress Gamer

      Dual core = shorter battery life.
      If single core can get things done already, why get dual core? Look at the pathetic battery life on Android dual core phone.

    • alterSchwede

      Well it’s less about the specific dual core but more about architecture. The current used Snapdragon only uses a “slow” Adreno 205 gpu which isn’t able to compete with any processor used in higher mid range phones(like Tegra, Exynos…)

      And if a dual cores power handling is good there is no reason why it should use more energy while in idle mode.

    • Seth_p

      You should take a course in Design Architecture (I’m not being sardonic) – there’s such a subjective notion that hardware has to be equal or comparable to their competition that rests on completely different systems architecture. This phone is targeted more of a budget smartphone anyway

    • alterSchwede

      Well that might be the case, but my last smartphone was one of the ARMv6 ones which now are ultimately useless when you want to use something like Android ROMs… The HTC HD2 instead is still useful because it had the best processor available when released.

      If i pay above 350€ for a smartphone i don’t like to be on a dead end again. 

    • Anonymous

      Afaik WP7.5 doesn’t support dual-core nor over 512mb ram.

  • Anonymous

    WP7 phones have very unimpressive specs, much like WP7 itself.

    • Grannyville7989

      Because hardware specs are everything?

    • https://profiles.google.com/christopher.gull/ CG

      WP7 is the perfect example of how specs don’t play the major difference in speed

    • http://twitter.com/Wheezle211 Wheezle

      Spoken like a true fandroid.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pedro-Roque/100000194503830 Pedro Roque

      I looks more like an ifandroidtrollwhodoesntgetaclue.

    • Tuxplorer

      WP7 phones run better on 1 GHz single core processors than the crappy Android phones would run on Core i7 processors. LOL! Android sucks donkey ball.

  • Cloud

    Wheres the all anticipated Windows Phone Galaxy S II version?

    • Chris Richner

      a.k.a Samsung Focus S?

    • http://twitter.com/Pieter_Kroon Pieter Kroon

      a.k.a. Samsung Omnia 7s or Samsung Omnia S or Samsung Omnia Ws, but then I am just out of options. The Samsung Focus S is just for the U.S., so no interest in that device for me… :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/cokezeed CokeZiiz Cpe

    I want 1 GB RAM !!!

  • Seth_p

    This isn’t a fail, more WP7 hardware pushed into the market is a good thing; whether it’s low-end or high-end smartphones.

  • Flying Madden

    they should introduce the high end devices first, not these “ordinary” spec’d phones…wp os is great but until now people havent been able to name a “complete” package that rocks the market…

    • Anonymous

      Disagree.  They should introduce all price points.  Windows Phone, at the moment, does not have a huge market penetration, thus why sales are not outstanding.  WP has to be assessible to ALL price points, and to more markets than those when it was first launched - hence, Nokia, ZTE and Acer devices, etc.

    • Flying Madden

      agree, product portfolios have to be rich yes. What i am saying is about the timeline of the portfolio. 
      Android penetrated the market from top to bottom and it has succeeded. Nokia has always done a high end product launch and built on that reputation (first Symbians).
      Apple has always been on the top end (Ballmer joking with iPhone being the most expensive phone ever).This is the way to go but up to now Samsung and HTC are failing pretty bad on that.
      I hope experienced Nokia wont fail on this. 1 Ghz MSMxxxx chipset is not a good starting point to show off your new product…

  • Rigouh

    8GB internal storage = fail :-(

  • Aa

    512mb ram is very good. 8G main memory is a litle short, but is also good 4 some users and maybe the price will be good

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000678662470 Vincent Haakmat

    I’m not too sure I’ll get another Omnia. I have the Omnia 7 and the phone part was giving problems. I had to reboot my phone at least 2x a day to be sure that I could make/receive calls. A month ao it just stopped. Nothing that i did could bring it back up. All the other functionality is there, so I practically have a Samsung version of an iPod Touch. Living in the Caribbean, you’re stuck with whatever you bought. I am using my wife’s HD7 now, but I am tired of it already since I used to own  (still does) a HD2, that is running Android Froyo now.  My next phone for sure will be a (high end) Nokia.

  • http://www.mainstreetchatham.com/ JimmyFal

    Yaaaaaaawwwwwnnnnnnnn….. I’ll buy it for $25, IF it has a nice camera.

  • Anonymous

    Here’s a list of the top 5 reasons why I don’t have a Windows Phone:
    - I
    - Need
    - 32GB
    - internal
    - memory

    • Anonymous

      I have a Windows Phone, but I agree.

  • Anonymous

    This cute little kitten is….

    UGLY AS HELL from Uncle Sammy…what happened to their design team.,..they seems to be focused on Android…and designnig Galaxy S2 for Android…and craps like this for WPM, they seem to only have a fantastic design of the Samsung Focus S, I hope they do know what they are doing…or they might have to regret their decision at some later stage…

    Gud Luck Sam…

  • Anonymous

    For those complaining about cpu or ram, shut up.
    For those complaining about storage, especially at 8GB on a 2011 phone. I can understand.

    But I can also understand this part…skydrive ;)

  • Anonymous

    Great….But…I just got a $827.89 iPad2 for only $103.37 and my mom got a $1499.99 HTV for only $251.92, they are both coming tomorrow. I would be an idiot to ever pay full retail prîces at places like Walmart or Bestbuy. I sold a 37″ HTV to my boss for $600 that I only paid $78.24 for. I use http://alturl.com/xh3yy