Nokia N82 or Samsung Omnia

LancelotSA said:
I hope for an honest answer here :) but how readily accessible are third party applications and additional applications for WM on the Omnia? For Symbian they are all over and I use IPMart, NoemanGSM and GSMHacks forums extensively to get what I want. Will this be the case with WM? They do not show anything for these phones on those forums...
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Aham!!!
Are you sure about IPmart?

Look closely....
 
The n95-8 is actually faster than the n82, and has more ram. Problem is the rickety slider, slow storage (usb 1.0 interface) and no flash.

WinMo applications are actually much more numerous and freely available. This is the result of the SymbianSigned debacle which started with 3rd edition, and which seriously stunted app development on S60 platform.
 
Yep, my N82 only manages to squeez 6480 SPMark points out, whilst I think I've seen a mention of a N95 getting round abouts 6800.

Though with my A-data 8GB Turbo Class 6 (10/22 MBps [write/read]) card my storage is really snappy and just a joy to use.
 
Vlad_M said:
The n95-8 is actually faster than the n82, and has more ram. Problem is the rickety slider, slow storage (usb 1.0 interface) and no flash.

WinMo applications are actually much more numerous and freely available. This is the result of the SymbianSigned debacle which started with 3rd edition, and which seriously stunted app development on S60 platform.
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May I ask that you point me in the direction of these so I can have a look. As stated above I have found numerous forums where Symbian apps are freely available. I have the N95, so an N82 would be very familiar to me. But in saying that it is only a few months old so perhaps experimenting with another platform may be worthwhile as long as I am not going to be terribly dissapointed?

I know what the Symbian platform is capable of. WM I am not but have read about it being slow etc etc etc.... someone with both, preferably latest editions, please comment
 
I think you misunderstand me, LancelotSA. I have never used a WM device in my life, hell, I've only used one non s60 phone in the last 6 years. What I am trying to say, is that it is a fact that there are more apps in the WM library than s60, and that it is easier to develop for WM due to the lack of the draconian signing process, and certificate purchasing.

I really have no clue where you can find them, since I have no intention of ever using a WM phone.
 
Still deciding... and have been thinking I should give the WM phones a fair chance. After all I have an N95 and switching to the N82 will mean more of the same. Now this can be a good thing as i will know what I am getting but will also not know what I am missing out on.

So anyway I have read reviews but thought I'd watch a GUI video review and see what it looks like. Now I watched this review...

http://www.theunwired.net/index.php?item=videoview-samsung-sgh-i900-omnia-gui-and-software-hands-on

...and although it definitely did look pretty I could not help but notice how many times the guy had to press a button multiple times before it registered. The scrolling also seemed to be unresponsive sometimes. Now I know that at first being able to touch a screen will be fun but once this novelty wears off and this multiple presses continues over time it will get real annoying. I also noted that when typing the web address with the phone in portrait mode he battled and he had to switch it to landscape to be able to press the keys properly... all these things are worrying over the longer term and could get annoying.

Just my observations.... so again thinking maybe better the devil you know...


EDIT : Just read that the review was of a beta version so going to watch the final review now : http://www.theunwired.net/index.php...-final-samsung-sgh-i900-omnia-open-market-rom

A further edit, I watched the latest review and things do look a little smoother but still the user made multiple presses. Especially when trying to press the small tabs on the settings menu.

I then also found this video from Symbian Freak testing the RAM on the N82. Check it out, absolutely amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o3d0Y8loHo

I tested the nokia n82 to see if i could use up all the executable RAM, i failed lol.

after opening every single ROM application in the device, i started to open the 3rd party softwares i had installed also.. and after aprox 74 applications open and running in the background, i ran out of applications to open, and still 23MB of executable RAM memory was still free..

quite the impressive result i think. enjoy the movie, and read my full n82 review here:
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LancelotSA said:
EDIT : Just read that the review was of a beta version so going to watch the final review now : http://www.theunwired.net/index.php...-final-samsung-sgh-i900-omnia-open-market-rom

A further edit, I watched the latest review and things do look a little smoother but still the user made multiple presses. Especially when trying to press the small tabs on the settings menu.
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OK, i just managed to watch this video review now (after 3 attempts and 200MB later :() The only disturbing thing i noticed was that the audio jack/port is on the side and doesn't look very pocket friendly with earphones plugged in :eek:

If the smaller menu items are a bit of pain to activate, I think i can live with that. Still undecided here, think i might go read an E71 review now :)
 
ryan411 said:
OK, i just managed to watch this video review now (after 3 attempts and 200MB later :() The only disturbing thing i noticed was that the audio jack/port is on the side and doesn't look very pocket friendly with earphones plugged in :eek:

If the smaller menu items are a bit of pain to activate, I think i can live with that. Still undecided here, think i might go read an E71 review now :)
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Yeah, I spotted that too... and also the fact that it is the Samsung propriety connector which is a bitch to work out which way is up or down in the dark or without looking! A round connector is just so much easier!

PS Sorry about the 2009MBs but it was a decent review to get an idea of the workings of the interface.
 
Sorry LancelotSA.

But I think you looking too in depth into cellphones...

:)

Sure it's good looking well into a product, but I don't think astronauts worry about the washing soap they use for their suits...

:D

Dunno, but whichever one you choose, I don't think the experience is going to make you sue either company...

:)
 
Well iDenTiTy, each to their own....

You will find that I b_tch a lot less than most people. Do you not think this may have to do with the fact that I do the research before rather than after? If you have the resources why not use them? I could waste time posting in TK or I could browse cellophone websites checking my options. I know which one I choose.
 
LancelotSA said:
Well iDenTiTy, each to their own....

You will find that I b_tch a lot less than most people. Do you not think this may have to do with the fact that I do the research before rather than after? If you have the resources why not use them? I could waste time posting in TK or I could browse cellophone websites checking my options. I know which one I choose.
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:eek:

I wasn't criticizing...

I was trying to give a predicament a light-hearted spin...

:)
 
LancelotSA said:
Yeah, I spotted that too... and also the fact that it is the Samsung propriety connector which is a bitch to work out which way is up or down in the dark or without looking! A round connector is just so much easier!
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Fo shizzle my nizzle :p The way it sticks out the side like that is starting to bug me now. Really dumb. Hope it doesn't break off or snap out easily...

LancelotSA said:
PS Sorry about the 2009MBs but it was a decent review to get an idea of the workings of the interface.
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Yeah, I'm gonna watch it again. He/Arte is very .... clinical :D Reminds me of Johan Krauss from Hellboy 2 :p

Have watched a few video reviews of the Omnia now, but this was probably the most detailed I've seen so far. The .flv file is 86mb big, so it was the failed attempts (power cut and failed attempt to save the flv file) that took a big chunk of my cap.

I read an E71 review by Steve Litchfield (of The Smartphones Show) and don't see myself going for that just to get a qwerty keyboard.

EDIT: Am leaning heavily towards the Omnia now after watching Arte's unwired.net video review again.
 
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Does anyone know:

What a screen protector for the Omnia costs, and is it necessary?

What the TV-out cable costs (as it doesn't come standard with the Omnia AFAIK)?
 
ryan411 said:
EDIT: Am leaning heavily towards the Omnia now after watching Arte's unwired.net video review again.
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Ha ha funny how two people can watch the same review and lean in opposite directions. It just goes to show that everyone has something different they are looking for.

Another thing that was swaying it towards the N82 for me was the inability to customise that applications screen on the Omnia (the one with the "programs" button). My Symbian is fully customisable and you can create new folders and move any application into any folder. I suppose for some people this non standardisation is seen as a negative as if another Symbian user picked up my phone they'd battle to navigate around.

It is a pity unwired does not have an N82, or any Nokia, reviews to compare the same reviewers views on each.
 
LancelotSA said:
Ha ha funny how two people can watch the same review and lean in opposite directions. It just goes to show that everyone has something different they are looking for.
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True. Many things in Arte's Omnia review remind me of how i might prefer it over my N70's version of Symbian. And when i think of the N82 and lack of non-qwerty keyboard and possibly irritating hard keys, it puts me off.

Either way, as iDenTiTy says, I probably won't sue either cellco for things that might not be perfect with the handset i end up acquiring.

What I like about the Omnia or touch screens in general, is that you see something that you want to activate, and then all u do is touch it. What I find myself doing with my Nokia's of the past, is that I count how many times I have to tap a key (directional or keypad) to get to a certain menu item or character/number. I start to feel like an OCD freak and then that just irritates me :p
Another thing that was swaying it towards the N82 for me was the inability to customise that applications screen on the Omnia (the one with the "programs" button). My Symbian is fully customisable and you can create new folders and move any application into any folder. I suppose for some people this non standardisation is seen as a negative as if another Symbian user picked up my phone they'd battle to navigate around.
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Was this in the final ROM review or the beta ROM review (which i havent watched)? Doesnt look like he went into the 'programs' group in the final ROM review. Is the beta review worth watching too? I can understand why u might have more doubts if u saw some disturbing things in there.
It is a pity unwired does not have an N82, or any Nokia, reviews to compare the same reviewers views on each.
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Yeah. The Smartphones Show is gonna review the Omnia in their next show. Am guessing in 2 to 3 weeks time. They reviewed the N82, but Steve Litchfield said it wasn't for him with it's hard tiny keys and that he preferred his N95. So we have to be mindful of personal bias or preference of the people reviewing the product. Would be nice if they would state their bias at the beginning of reviews so one always knows where they are coming from. :)
 
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OK, I saw an N82 in real life and it did not look that bad. I have to admit that it was a lot lighter than I thought it would be which is as a result of it being all plastic. This does worry me as to it's durability over time. You can see it is chrome (colour) coated over black plastic (the one I saw was 6 months old and had a scratch on the top right corner), so scratches to it will really show up. Other than this though I am still sold on it.... I have asked about a black one, so I will see what comes of that.
 
Cool. Certainly since u have been happy with your N95, the N82 should be an upgrade in every respect barring the screen size and questionable keypad design. It's a major plus to stay with a brand if u r happy with it since the learning curve to get to grips with the new handset can be sometimes be quite minimal.

I played around for a couple of minutes on an real E71 tonight. That qwerty keyboard is very sweet. Nice phone, though the screen size seemed on the small side.
 
Meh. I posted here yesterday via my N82, got a message saying it needed to be moderated, and then it was never posted.

@Lancelot: If you spend a lot of time watching movies and such, then perhaps the "upgrade" won't be much of an upgrade. I've read a few blogs (not the best place for objective opinion, but then preference is subjective regardless) of people who said that the extra fraction of an inch of screen size on the N95 made a world of difference.

With regard to Symbian vs WM, it's largely up to how much you enjoy customising your phone. Symbian has a crapload of 3rd party applications available to you, but the default apps are left... wanting. There are all these little niggles, like pressing back on the Web browser reloading the previous page, rather than saving/caching it somewhere, having settings that are nested many layers deep (changing your screen auto-rotation settings makes you go 7 layers deep), a thoughtless interface (no numeric shortcuts on the camera interface; sure the N82 camera takes nice pictures, but you have to scroll through everything with the D-pad), and an email app that's pretty buggy and doesn't have default settings to popular email providers.

Most of the above problems can be somewhat resolved by installing 3rd party software to make up for the default softwares' shortcomings, but it's a little crappy that things don't work well out of the box.

Compare this to WM which is not easily customisable and has a smaller range of available 3rd party apps, but has default apps that work nicely, particularly with regard to email and business-like applications. Obviously aimed at the more business-like people who just want something to work, and don't want to have to spend hours (days) tweaking everything to get it just right.
 
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