Pocketnow Throwback: Samsung Omnia II

Recently we did a throwback with the HTC Touch Diamond. Continuing with the theme of smartphones that helped to define the wave of touch-friendly user interfaces, we wanted to take a look at the Samsung Omnia II, successor to the original Omnia. Released in Europe around June 2009[/url], the Omnia II also made an appearance on Verizon, about six months later.
In terms of specs, the Omnia II rocked a Samsung S3C6410 processor running at 800MHz with 256MB of RAM. The 3.7" AMOLED display was one of the first non-LCD displays back in 2009, and so we were impressed by the contrast and color reproduction of the screen. The Omnia II was also one of the first device to come with a microUSB jack instead of miniUSB.
Samsung extensively customized the interface of the Omnia II. They brought an Android-like homescreen design that allowed the user to customize three sliding screens with widgets. The responsiveness of this interface wasn't great, and the widgets were limited. Then, from the home screen, you could access the Cube, a somewhat useless 3D rotating box that let you launch certain programs and websites.
The program menu was also like Android (or, like TouchWiz from Samsung today) where you could swipe side to side to see your programs. From there, you could also access the Task Manager, plus settings for the device.
All in all the Omnia II was a beacon of innovation at a time when OEMs were trying to move away from the stylus. While the interface was often slow and clunky, it heavily disguised Windows Mobile and helped to bridge the gap from the legacy operating system to Windows Phone 7.
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Pocketnow has been a key source of mobile technology news and reviews since its establishment in 2000. With offices on three continents, Pocketnow offers round-the-clock coverage of the mobile technology landscape, from smartphones to tablets to wearables. We aim to be your number-one source for mobile tech news, reviews, comparisons, and commentary. If you love mobile as much as we do, be sure to subscribe!
Pocketnow Throwback: Samsung Omnia II
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[@known3617]

what a difference 6 years can make... I can't hardly imagine what kind of phones we will have in 2022.

[@arushh42]

yup

[@Marinho965]

Well it was a revolution back then, like a new product, nowadays things are evolving so slowly

[@darshan5726]

Foldable

[@mawtymawty9010]

They're expensive.

[@ruminatingenigma4649]

I can imagine though

[@FrankSandqvist]

I used to hate the early touchscreen phones. Thank god they've improved to what they are today!

[@antonydecosta6262]

Now it's a throwback of a throwback

[@garrettcooper8183]

My friend told me these Exact Words " I dont mean to be a square, But i still use this phone today."

[@leatherrocket25-76]

watching this in 2016 ._.

[@ThangPham-ol8fy]

Random internet person 2020 yo. Still alive?

[@mugsy201]

Omg I remember watching this video years ago! And I had the Omnia lol

[@marosige]

The Samsung Omnia (i900) doesn't have mini USB. It had Samsung own port. I had an Omnia one and I switched from it 2 month ago (To a Desire HD) and it's funny that you show this phone like an old phone while I still have my omnia one :)

[@msfabxda]

@jameslove888 yes you are right the TG01 with the 1GHz Snapdragon was out Summer 2009

[@Marinho965]

2018

[@aram442]

I remember this phone was all about the camera

[@yourilohuis]

My friend still uses this phone.

[@ceterafan123]

And I was the one who thought that cars grew obsolete too fast... ;)

[@-viralia]

il love these throwbacks, go on please, also on what has changed mobile phones history

[@nathancox2234]

now the captivate is really thick

[@thecoolguy010]

Wow, I remember this. Good times, back when physical qwerty keyboards were in.

[@mbg369]

lol 2 years is not a long time ago, but in the world of smart phones it IS a long time. the smartphone world has been developing so insanely fast in the past 3 years that phones like the omnia seem so ancient.

[@DukeNuggets69]

It was the start of the smartphones :D I remember !

[@WilliamJKim_]

actually its not emulating android. Samsung had that os design ever since the first touchscreen phone era like at 2005 in korea

[@irigel]

lol what a lie. wheres your receipt with that claim? one of their first touchscreen was Samsung F700 and i remember it was announce at either CeBit or MWC 2007. and the UI was called croix UI. do you even know what OS mean?

[@ThungStudios]

My friend had this for years, but then upgraded to a Samsung Galaxy s3. Haha

[@LJImutan]

Referring to my last comment: both devices running their OS at their first version.

[@WesSeid]

This phone is even cooler than you think -- the stylus is built right into the case.

[@TheChimchariscool]

the touch diamond looks cool, they should rehash that design for an ipod clone

[@florin521]

I'm watching this in 2018, it's just weird seeing this after the S9 review

[@ninian1234]

@FifteeeCal When the total history for smart phones is 3 years old yes, it is.

[@sethvange9536]

Used to have this phone! Neat

[@migan95]

I got the Latinamerican Version and i still using it :D

[@skitzthegemini]

@Thetis101 Are you sure about that? The first phone I remember with Touch Wiz was the Omnia I, which came out AFTER the G1. Android would've been in development LONG before any Touch Wiz devices came out.

[@jskwk2424]

I used Samsung S5230 which had very similar homescreen and widgets.

[@JerrySnyder96]

Pocketnow Throwback: Samsung blackjack II

[@arcangel1994]

@FifteeeCal the way technology is evolving anything with in 5 or more months is "back in the day" lol !!

[@nikolais5913]

still better than iphone 6

[@suminthar]

Good taste

[@skitzthegemini]

@FifteeeCal It is when you're talking about technology. A 2 year old device is ancient!

[@elitesadventures6984]

I look at the captivate. Holy crap that was 2011?

[@mattdixon6947]

nope, mid 2009

[@coldmetal94]

Samsung Instinct

[@Fhlaejin]

I come back to this video and watch it every now and then when I need a good laugh 😂😂 my grandma had this phone And i remember using it when I was younger and thinking..... Wtf

[@casperas2]

samsung jet, first evewr smartphone and i loved ittt

[@torreonethel]

is that sponsored by verizon? or verizon and samsung worked together making the phone

[@thefinder808]

Now that's S-Lag.

[@nickles90]

DOES THIS CELLPHONE COMES WITH A SIMCARD, OR CDMA? CAN IT BE UNLOCKED TO USE ANOTHER SIMCARD?

[@applefanatic414]

Dude, 2009 is not worthy of a 'back in the day'.

[@sillyslayer_]

#SoOld

[@angel2901]

LOL! This phone came out what? 15 months ago? And you talk about it like it was 10 years ago. But then again, 15 months is huge when it comes to tech!

[@Mouthmusician]

lol during the loading page.

[@Aomicplane]

Excuse me i forgot ofc the Omnia W, the successor to Omnia 7 which is even better then the omnia 7

[@TheYoungblood46]

I agree. I know people who buy new phones every year. What's the point?

[@Tubleros]

@FifteeeCal Yes, in the mobile world...

[@jackkraken3888]

I'm sorry is laggy UI a feature of of these phones? I can't tell how many times I see non iPhone phones in the early days of the iPhone lag so heavily and yet they think they can compete with the iPhone. And this even includes the super expensive Prada phone that had a capacitive touchscreen before the iPhone was released. Even as an Android user i keep seeing this pattern in older phones and in some cases even Android phones without any extra software and it really makes me sad since they were never going to succeed.

[@7Djole7]

Samsung released quite a few updated roms that made it a little faster, but overall this phone was pretty terrible. I cant believe i spent 480€ when phones like HD 2 were out at around the same time. Only good thing was the amazing dev support it had for some weird reason. But even with that, the lagginess and other big issues like memory, never really went away.

[@JorgeJuniorr]

Samsung: Making ugly phones and destroying user interfaces since always.

[@johnnyjohnson8928]

Then, flash forward to 2015-2016

[@johnnyjohnson8928]

James Roy you are not smart if you think that. 1st of all, they have made some of the best phones lately, and 2nd of all, they are much larger than Apple as a company.

[@trionic5]

S8 is not ugly - 2 years after comment

[@ChimeraeBF]

plz do HTC Touch HD next time!

[@simply1lloyd]

ball scratching @8:24 lol

[@aidanbedggod]

hey guys brandon immmonnniim

[@supravbasu1458]

But the big question, does gear VR work with it?

[@anthonysnyder3474]

Weren't they competing with Apple as well?

[@gagatai]

i would love to see a throwback video on iPhone 2G, original iOS1 version XD

[@jordycel]

HTC HD2;)

[@bfield2280]

lol that he mistaken 480 for 420 XD

[@redcowcat8705]

was this a throwback in 2011?

[@Wonderouz]

RedCowCat i just said the same thing to myself

[@separatejoe]

do a g1 throwback

[@tiger7892]

@ 5:24, too bad iOS hasnt caught up with a 2 year old phone and let u have widgets...

[@tellsy1997]

The middle is not hectagon shape ?!!!

[@jkmorbo]

@Thetis101 exactly what i wanted to point out..

[@Dr1661]

the cube xD

[@Smallie07]

i think you need to do the nokia 3315! :)

[@LJImutan]

Samsung Instinct! Lol JK. G1 or iPhone would be cool :)

[@Seryosin]

@skitzthegemini Indeed, sir.

[@ceterafan123]

This isn't an old phone.

[@memorod2134]

My dad owns one

[@YYBLT]

i thing that x1 is way more better and i thing its more important device in the windows mobile history BEST PHONE EVER beat the iphone

[@hanro50]

Hi

[@ManuelDr]

DASH 3G PLEASE!!!! THE BEST WINDOWS MOBILE FULL QWERTY CANDY BAR PHONE!!!!! :O

[@radoo4772]

I had a phone with a simmilar interface, but it didn't have Windows.Samsung corby.

[@BrickwallBob]

@FifteeeCal Depends what you are talking about`?

[@Aomicplane]

The original omnia wasn't as bad with it's original firmware but definately not as fast and responsive for the price you paid for it, the omnia 2 was the most horrible out of it's series with pretty much lag and unresponsivness with everything you tried to do, finally the omnia 7 made it all good, the first good and responsive device out of its series, unfortunately since omnia was given a bad name not a lot of omnia 7 devices were sold.. I have 1 right here tho :)

[@victorinoxs]

The cube is the stupidest idea ever.

[@AndreaBettati]

That's why a bought a Nokia at that time!:D

[@tsy1992]

How bout iphone 4?

[@RBG9000]

i had a corby pro, which had a similar widget thingy, and it was super cheap, and is much more responsive even today, cuz it runs java lol

[@Tsparkdriver]

Why is he talking like it's 2051 not 2011. When he said : remember the omnia? Yes I remember, people are still using them. What is wrong with this guy. I have the Omnia2 and I have android on it and running 1Ghz.

[@qdog1342]

I liked the original omnia better

[@ShiehShieh01]

how about in 2013 :)

[@irigel]

i own this and samsung omnia hd. and between the 2 the HD stayed consistence with the speed over time. windows phone were really shit back then. horrible frustrating phone imo. oh and i still have the omnia hd.

[@Uberlight2]

Sony ericsson X1!

[@mackysobrevega1780]

Thin? Compare it to the Galaxy S6

[@tonyhong20]

This video was posted 2011 after all

[@JetpacksWasYes2]

Do you not see when it was posted? You dumb fuck.

[@tonyhong20]

I'm starting to think it's a troll

[@TheCwalker29]

is it me or do he seem drunk while doing this video

[@LorenzoDeprado]

this isnt old...so a palm treo

[@SuperiorityQomplex]

Of all the phones I've had, this was the one I regretted. This was SO slow and would crash SO easily. I couldn't wait to ditch this POS.

[@zennycraft631]

It's not that thick

[@SamKessler11]

@xclusifparty why get something bettter sony fails at android

[@yasseralfox8896]

Hey English people ....

[@justinhu8]

And we complain about the lag of pathetic GS5!

[@shpresimmuja467]

I hate this os

[@Vezhinov]

This phone was bad even in 2009

[@dsan45]

Go back to your old review 2yrs ago. It worked 5times better then this crap u r reviewing.

[@cadenchurchill4296]

Wow that interface is bad! Honestly looks kind of like a really awful version of Android even though it isn’t 😂

[@HYITHO]

LOL samsung is still crap even on androids.

[@technologyproductions-ye3px]

***** yep

[@bibiet94]

spoken by an isheep

[@technologyproductions-ye3px]

***** 14

[@Amantravelbite]

2018