Frequent readers of this space may recall I frequently dislike PDA cellular phones, especially ones with terrible battery life. I have tested a dozen phones over the years and carried a half-dozen and really liked none of them much.
Now, I am in love.
No, really. The Samsung Omnia from Verizon Wireless is just breathtakingly good. It has everything I want in a Smartphone (actually, more than I expect) and at about half of the price I expect to pay. It’s really the first touch-screen phone I can see myself using for a long time. After an hour with one, I shelled out the money and bought it.
The big question you are expecting: Is it better than the iPhone? For me, it’s just as good. I need a Windows Mobile device (which Apple is never going to be) and something that works seamlessly with Exchange corporate mail. The Omnia is the phone I have been waiting for.
First, the good news. It includes Wi-Fi connectivity, something Verizon is rather famous for disabling when it launches a new device. This gives you the best of both worlds when it comes to browsing the Web or using other data features.
Secondly, it has a glorious touch-screen interface with tactile feedback. You can use the device in portrait mode as a phone or landscape mode when reading mail or sending text. I was a confirmed user of a real QWERTY keyboard on my Motorola Q and my Blackberry before that, and I wondered if a touch-screen would be my thing, but honestly, in an hour or two, I was hooked. Because it has no slideout keyboard, the Omnia is sleek and thin.
The battery life is just great. Even with my Exchange sync set to 15 minutes, I get more than two days between charges.
In terms of features,…