Introduction

The Omnia W has shed weight and lost some of its predecessor’s screen estate. What you get in return is an upgraded processor and double the data speeds. The display technology, camera sensor and the general feel haven’t changed much.
Samsung Omnia W official pictures

Well, yes, some would call it a half-hearted effort. Or maybe, Samsung are simply waiting for the dust to settle from Nokia’s grand entry into Windows Phone. Obviously, they didn’t want – or need – a European flagship along the lines of their US-based Focus S with AT&T. With a single Windows-phone handset on the Old Continent, it may’ve made sense to focus on the midrange instead of making another flagship without a fleet. Bottom line, as long as we remember that it’s not an upgrade of the original Omnia 7, the Omnia W is an easy phone to live with, for all its strengths and shortcomings.

Key features:

• 3.7″ 16M-color capacitive Super AMOLED touchscreen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels)
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G with HSDPA 14.4 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76Mbps
• Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
• 1.4GHzQualcomm MSM8255Snapdragon CPU, Adreno 205 GPU, 512MB of RAM
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
• 720p video recording @30fps
• 8GB of built-in storage
• Standard 3.5mm audio jack
• Standard microUSB port (charging)
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Stereo Bluetooth 2.1
• Mobile Office document viewer/editor
• Social network integration and cloud services
• Built-in GPS receiver, A-GPS
• Stereo FM Radio with RDS
• Comes with a Video call app and other custom Samsung apps
• Non-expandable storage
• No mass storage
• Zune-only file management and sync
• No Bluetooth file transfers
• No Flash (nor Silverlight) support in the browser
• No DivX/XviD video support (automatic transcoding provided by Zune software)

Main disadvantages:

The Omnia W should ring a bell to those of you who keep an eye on the US phone market. We recently reviewed the Samsung Focus Flash, which is virtually the same package, exclusive to AT&T. We liked the well-built, properly powered and reasonably priced Focus Flash and we guess the Omnia W can count on a warm welcome too by users who don’t want to spend over the odds on a decent smartphone.

People who are willing to consider Windows Phone should be well familiar by now with the platform’s limitations. The Omnia W shares the same disadvantages as its main competitors but tries to at least partially make up for them with premium build and some custom additions to what’s otherwise a standard package.
Samsung Omnia W official shots

Some may be quick to slam the Samsung Omnia W over its seeming lack of innovation. There’s little really to set it apart from the year-old Omnia 7. The smaller display looks puzzling perhaps against Android’s march towards bigger and bigger screens – for which Samsung are in no small part responsible.

We’ll say it again though – the Omnia W is not for upgraders to consider. It’s called upon to carve a new niche for Samsung in the midrange. How successful it will be depends on the competition too. For the time being, it’s the HTC Radar and the Nokia Lumia 800 that the Omnia W will have to face. The midrange is a relatively new territory for Windows Phone and it’s getting busier as we speak.
Stay with us as we try to find out if the Omnia W has what it takes to make it.

Introduction

when every other droid tablet out there has zagged. It doesn’t feature the stock Honeycomb for tablets and goes with Gingerbread instead. It’s topped with the HTC Sense UI 2.1 for tablets , which looks equally good upscaled to the bigger 7” screen, and has the brand new lockscreen from Sense 3.0.

There’s a 1.5 GHz single-core processor instead of a dual-core Tegra-or-something chip. The Flyer boasts HTC’s Scribe technology giving you drawing powers on any screen on the tablet. The aluminum unibody has the trademark HTC feel all over it. Oh yes… It’s a cool gadget by any standards.

And here’s what the Flyer will bring along.

Key features

• 7.0″ 16M-color LCD capacitive touchscreen of WSVGA (600 x 1024 pixels) resolution
• Single-core ARMv71500MHz CPU, 1GB RAM, 16/32GB of user-available storage
• Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) with HTC Sense 2.1 UI
• Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and tri-band 3G 900/1700/2100 support
• 14.4 Mbps HSDPA, 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot functionality
• GPS with A-GPS support; digital compass
• 5 MP 2592×1944 pixels resolution autofocus camera
• 1.3 MP front-facing camera
• 720p HD video recording @30fps
• microUSB port and stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• microSD slot (up to 32GB)
• Flash 10.1 support
• DivX/Xvid support
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Document viewing and editing out of the box
• HTC Scribe technology with Magic pen (separate purchase for the Wi-Fi only model)
• Aluminum unibody design
• Two sets of touch-sensitive controls for landscape and portrait use
• 4000 mAh Li-Ion rechargeable battery

Main disadvantages

• Weighs almost as much as an 8.9″ tablet
• Charges only with the supplied HTC charger
• Non-replaceable battery
• Lower resolution than current crop of droid slates
• Lack of dual-core processor
• Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread instead of 3.0 Honeycomb
• 5 MP camera has obvious lens issues
• No telephony

This 7-incher makes you feel HTC didn’t want to shout out loud about their first tablet. At least, they tried to cover almost of the major features users look for in a tablet. When you hold it in your hands you immediately feel the HTC touch; like a steroid-enhanced HTC Sensation. And you can bet that Angry Birds looks good on that lovely big screen.

Choosing Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread instead of Honeycomb gives the Flyer the advantage of using a custom user interface and full support for the majority of apps out there. (Some regular Android apps have compatibility issues with Honeycomb slates).The downside is absolutely no support for Honeycomb apps, which are the ones meant for tablet use to begin with.

With the Flyer, you choose between a 3G-enabled and Wi-Fi-only version. Either way, phone calls are not available.

So much for raw specs and expectations. What we’re here for is the actual performance. We’re back after the break and eager to see how the Flyer handles pressure.

HTC Vivid official photos

Hardware wise, the HTC Vivid is a familiar sight. The smartphone is essentially put together from the parts’ bin of the HTC Sensation 4G and HTC EVO 3D, save for its 4.5“ screen and beefed up built-in memory – it packs a well familiar dual-core CPU, clocked at 1.2GHz and a Snapdragon S3 chipset.

We do suspect that HTC has intentionally omitted features such as an HD screen and a beefed up CPU in order to maintain the flagship status of the Beats Audio sporting, HTC Rezound for Verizon Wireless. Thankfully, the Vivid is priced accordingly as well.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support
• 21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• LTE network compatibility
• 4.5″ capacitive LCD touchscreen with qHD resolution (540 x 960 pixels); Gorilla glass
• Android OS v2.3.4 Gingerbread with HTC Sense 3.0
• 1.2 GHz dual Scorpion CPUs, Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 chipset
• 1GB RAM and 16 GB built-in storage; microSD slot up to 32GB
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash; 1.3MP front-facing unit
• 1080p and 720p video recording
• Wi-Fi b/g/n and DLNA
• GPS with A-GPS
• Stereo FM radio with RDS
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor and an auto-brightness sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack (SRS enhancement)
• microUSB port (charging) and stereo Bluetooth v3.0
• MHL TV-out (requires MHL-to-HDMI adapter)
• Smart dialing, voice dialing
• DivX/XviD video support
• HTCSense.com integration
• HTC Portable Hotspot
• Office document editor

Main Disadvantages

• Screen performance is not on par with the best offerings
• At 177 grams, the device is downright heavy
• The glossy finish plastic is fingerprint and dust magnet; especially on the black version
• No dedicated camera button

As you can notice above, the spec sheet of the HTC Vivid is mostly a familiar sight. HTC have grown the screen to put it in line with the rest of the LTE offerings from AT&T.

We are not sure however, how the feeling of familiarity will bode for the smartphone – it simply does not feel like a brand new product. It is the end of 2011 now – a good eight months since HTC took the wraps off the similarly equipped Sensation 4G.

HTC Vivid live shots

We are now going to try and find out whether the HTC has what it takes to sway potential consumers away from the impressive Samsung and LG offerings. We are going to continue with unboxing, followed by design and build quality inspection on the next page.

Editorial: You might notice that this review is shorter than usual and doesn’t include all of our proprietary tests. The reason is it has been prepared and written far away from our office and test lab. The HTC Vivid is a US-only phone, so it will probably never get to the shores of the Old Continent. Still, we think we’ve captured the essence of the phone in the same precise, informative and detailed way that’s become our trademark. Enjoy the good read!

The retail package is modest to say the least

While we are willing to overlook the memory card omission (the HTC Vivid packs plenty of built-in storage), we can’t help but wonder for the reason why the headphones were omitted.

Design and build quality

The HTC Vivid surely isn’t a design statement. The smartphone is certainly not the best looking offering we’ve seen from the Taiwanese company. It does however, look unmistakably like an HTC and we believe that this fact will appeal to plenty of people.

The build quality of the smartphone is solid. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about the choice of materials. The HTC Vivid is predominantly dressed in glossy plastic. While we didn’t find any flaws in its quality, it proved to be a massive dust and fingerprint magnet – that was especially the case with our black review unit.

This is highly unusual showing for HTC. We were always impressed by the materials and their implementation on the actual devices. Sadly, this is not the case with the HTC Vivid.

The measures of the HTC Vivid are 128.8 x 67.1 x 11.2 mm, while its weight is the whopping 177 grams. The smartphone is certainly not the most pocket-friendly offering you will encounter – even among the 4.5” Android devices. Once again however, this has never been an issue for the HTC loving crowd.

HTC Vivid measured against Samsung Galaxy Nexus

The smartphone is available in black and white color schemes – a fact, which should help it appeal to a seriously wide audience.

The 4.5” LCD screen of the HTC Vivid has the familiar qHD resolution. The display has the flaws of all its predecessors to date. Its viewing angles and outdoor legibility simply do not cut it in this price range. The unit is no match for the Galaxy S II’s Super AMOLED Plus unit or the award winning AH-IPS screen of the LG Nitro HD.

The screen of the HTC Vivid leaves a lot to be desired • next to Galaxy Nexus’s Super AMOLED unit

Below the screen are the typical four touch-sensitive buttons. Above the display is where the earpiece, ambient light and proximity sensors, the LED notification light, and front-facing camera unit can be found.

The view below and above the display of the HTC Vivid

There is nothing but the microUSB port on the left side of the smartphone. On the right is where the volume rocker resides.

The microUSB port on the left • the volume rocker on the right

The power/lock key and the 3.5mm audio jack keep each other company on top of the HTC Vivid. There is nothing but a mouthpiece on the bottom of the device.

No surprises on the top of the device • the mouthpiece on the bottom

The back of the HTC Vivid is covered by a great looking, matte black metal cover, which has tiny dots etched to it to give it texture. There, you will find the 8MP shooter with its LED flash, as well as the speaker grille.

The back of the device looks great

There are no surprises under the battery cover of the HTC Vivid. The SIM card and microSD card slots are not hot-swappable.

Typical sight under the battery cover

The 1620mAh battery of the HTC Vivid, despite appearing modest in capacity, achieved impressive overall score in our battery test. It needed a recharge every 42 hours when used for an hour each of phone calls, web browsing, and video playback.

The smartphone handled well for its size. It is narrower than a Galaxy S II Skyrocket for example, so even single-handed operation is possible.

The phone handles well for its size

Overall, we came out fairly disappointed from both the design and the build quality of the HTC Vivid. We do not recall when the last time we had such feelings for an HTC made handset was – they have always been among the benchmarks for high quality materials and solid feel. The glossy plastic of the Vivid however, is too much to handle. It collects dust and fingerprints, while looking seriously cheap – a really annoying combination.

Following next is a look at the software department of the HTC Vivid. There are less unpleasant surprises to be had here, as we’ve seen it on previous HTC smartphones.