Samsung Omnia for Sprint?

Hi all. I've been following what I can about the Omnia, but I never knew
for sure if it would actually be available for Sprint. I figured it
would be since the Instinct is, but I just read a website that said the
Omnia was confirmed for the US, but for AT&T!

So my question is, will Sprint get this phone? Why the %#$! does AT&T
need this phone when they already have the iPhone? In fact, why would
Samsung even want to put this on AT&T? Don't they want to market to
everyone else who can't get the iPhone and doesn't want to switch? And
why should we have to settle for the Instinct when the Omnia is even better?

This is really disappointing. I was so looking forward to that phone...

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› See More: Samsung Omnia for Sprint?

John Salerno wrote:
> Hi all. I've been following what I can about the Omnia, but I never knew
> for sure if it would actually be available for Sprint. I figured it
> would be since the Instinct is, but I just read a website that said the
> Omnia was confirmed for the US, but for AT&T!
>
> So my question is, will Sprint get this phone? Why the %#$! does AT&T
> need this phone when they already have the iPhone? In fact, why would
> Samsung even want to put this on AT&T? Don't they want to market to
> everyone else who can't get the iPhone and doesn't want to switch? And
> why should we have to settle for the Instinct when the Omnia is even
> better?
>
> This is really disappointing. I was so looking forward to that phone...

Just want to confirm, is it possible for the Omnia to be available on
Sprint, or is it a different type of phone altogether? I'm guessing
since it's going to be on either AT&T or Verizon, it's probably GPS and
therefore not compatible with Sprint?

So is the Instinct the only option for this kind of phone right now?

"John Salerno" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Hi all. I've been following what I can about the Omnia, but I never knew
> for sure if it would actually be available for Sprint. I figured it would
> be since the Instinct is, but I just read a website that said the Omnia
> was confirmed for the US, but for AT&T!

The Omnia is a GSM phone, and therefore incompatible with Sprint. That's
not to say that Samsung couldn't create a CDMA version, but it'd likely lag
behind a GSM version for awhile.


> So my question is, will Sprint get this phone? Why the %#$! does AT&T need
> this phone when they already have the iPhone? In fact, why would Samsung
> even want to put this on AT&T? Don't they want to market to everyone else
> who can't get the iPhone and doesn't want to switch?


Think globally, not locally. There are hundreds of countries this phone can
be sold, not just the USA. As far as selling it through AT&T, there are
only two national GSM carriers in the US- AT&T and T-Mobile. T-Mobile is
rolling out their high-speed data network on an odd-ball frequency, so
upcoming smartphones will have to be specially manufactured to use T-Mo's
1700MHz AWS frequencies- the Omnia would be a 2G on T-Mo. AT&T is the only
realistic target in the US unless Samsung creates a T-Mo specific version.

>And why should we have to settle for the Instinct when the Omnia is even
>better?

Carriers choose products to sell to target markets- perhaps Sprint thinks
the (much cheaper) Instinct is "good enough" for the iPhone target market-
the Omnia is a very high-dollar phone, probably $200 higher wholesale than
the Instinct. The marketing of these new higher-end Windows Mobile devices
like the Omnia, HTC Diamond, etc. confuses me slightly- who are they for?
Enterprise customers don't need the expense of 16GB of on-board memory or FM
radios, and certainly don't want cameras at all, (never mind 5MP cameras
with zoom lenses and autofocus!) and media-toting iPhony-boppers don't need
Office Suites, corporate e-mail, etc. These new devices seem to be "second
best" devices for both markets, which might make their success elusive-
they'll be niche products.

Say it lands at AT&T at a subsidized price of maybe $400. (Realistic, given
the unlocked, unsubsidized price.) The iPhone is half that- what
prospective iPhone buyer will pay double for the "brand X imitator," and the
Windows-based Tilt is also half that- what company is going to pay double
for better media features?

That leaves a very small market of prospective buyers...

....having said that, I want one! ;-) It's thinner/lighter than my Tilt and
has TV-output- the main feature I wish my Tilt had and doesn't.


> This is really disappointing. I was so looking forward to that phone...
>
> Just want to confirm, is it possible for the Omnia to be available on
> Sprint, or is it a different type of phone altogether? I'm guessing since
> it's going to be on either AT&T or Verizon, it's probably GPS and
> therefore not compatible with Sprint?

It's GSM. Sprint and Verizon are CDMA

> So is the Instinct the only option for this kind of phone right now?

What, in your opinion, is "this type of phone"? I don't see the Instinct
and Omnia as very similar, other than they're both Samsungs and have
touchscreens- the Omnia is a very customizable Windows Mobile handset with
"generic" internet features and capabilities, and the Instinct is a very
pre-customized handset with relatively powerful media features designed to
leverage Sprint-specific services like Sprint's navigation and TV/music
services, and any useful features designed to use the Instinct "off-network"
crippled or missing. (No WiFi, no off-network GPS, limited bluetooth
support for headsets and beaming "business cards" only, etc.)

Todd Allcock wrote:

>> Just want to confirm, is it possible for the Omnia to be available on
>> Sprint, or is it a different type of phone altogether? I'm guessing
>> since it's going to be on either AT&T or Verizon, it's probably GPS
>> and therefore not compatible with Sprint?
>
> It's GSM. Sprint and Verizon are CDMA

Oops, I meant GSM, not GPS!

>> So is the Instinct the only option for this kind of phone right now?
>
> What, in your opinion, is "this type of phone"? I don't see the
> Instinct and Omnia as very similar, other than they're both Samsungs and
> have touchscreens- the Omnia is a very customizable Windows Mobile
> handset with "generic" internet features and capabilities, and the
> Instinct is a very pre-customized handset with relatively powerful media
> features designed to leverage Sprint-specific services like Sprint's
> navigation and TV/music services, and any useful features designed to
> use the Instinct "off-network" crippled or missing. (No WiFi, no
> off-network GPS, limited bluetooth support for headsets and beaming
> "business cards" only, etc.)

Interesting comparison. I had assumed the Omnia was basically the same
as, but better than, the Instinct (better camera, wi-fi, IM, etc.). But
yeah, I guess the fact that it's a Windows Mobile phone makes it very
different than a simple "cell phone". Perhaps the Instinct is more what
I'm interested in after all. Basically a phone, music player, nice
menu/software, stuff like that. Definitely don't need the business
features of the Omnia, but I just figured those were extras that the
Instinct doesn't have, not that the phone was actually very different.
(And of course the price is probably ridiculous too, like you suggest.)

Thanks for the breakdown. I'm feeling a little better about the Instinct
now. I don't feel like I'm "settling" for it as much anymore. I was just
a little disappointed with the lack of wi-fi and IM, but perhaps wi-fi
is not necessary anyway.

Todd Allcock wrote:

> limited bluetooth support for headsets and beaming
> "business cards" only, etc.)

Does this mean I can or can't use bluetooth to upload phone book entries
to the Instinct?

"Todd Allcock" <[email protected]> wrote in news:g50bn8$q1l$1
@aioe.org:

> The Omnia is a GSM phone

What a piece of CRAP! It has a low res touchscreen AND A BUTTON MOUSE?!

What the hell were they THINKING?!!

Didn't they learn anything from that stupid red button between the keys?!

"John Salerno" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

>> limited bluetooth support for headsets and beaming "business cards" only,
>> etc.)
>
> Does this mean I can or can't use bluetooth to upload phone book entries
> to the Instinct?

You probably can- it supports "vcard object push" which means beaming
contacts. VCard is a "generic" contacts format designed to move contacts
among otherwise incompatible devices. I've beamed contacts between PCs,
Windows Mobile phones/PDAs, Palm Pilots and Nokia phones via IR and BT
without issue for years.

"Larry" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Todd Allcock" <[email protected]> wrote in news:g50bn8$q1l$1
> @aioe.org:
>
>> The Omnia is a GSM phone
>
> What a piece of CRAP! It has a low res touchscreen AND A BUTTON MOUSE?!

It's thin, has a ton of memory, it's NOT made by HTC, and has TV-out. I'm
already fantasizing about it, and my current WinMo phone is only two-weeks
old!

> What the hell were they THINKING?!!

The button mouse is an alternative to arrow keys, designed to make the
device easy to use one-handed- a concept you might not be familiar with
owning the N800! ;-) You can always use the the touchscreen, but that
means device in one hand, finger or stylus in the other. Some devices have
scroll wheels, joysticks, or mini-trackballs in addition to the arrow keys
and/or touchscreen to aid one-handed use.

> Didn't they learn anything from that stupid red button between the keys?!

A laptop input method I STILL prefer to the stupid space-wasting,
always-hit-it-by-accident-when-resting-my-hand touchpad situated below the
keyboard on modern laptops. You never used to hit that red pencil eraser by
accident! ;-)

Todd Allcock wrote:
>
> "John Salerno" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>> limited bluetooth support for headsets and beaming "business cards"
>>> only, etc.)
>>
>> Does this mean I can or can't use bluetooth to upload phone book
>> entries to the Instinct?
>
> You probably can- it supports "vcard object push" which means beaming
> contacts. VCard is a "generic" contacts format designed to move
> contacts among otherwise incompatible devices. I've beamed contacts
> between PCs, Windows Mobile phones/PDAs, Palm Pilots and Nokia phones
> via IR and BT without issue for years.
>
>

Thanks. I assume that there is also a way to just plug the Instinct into
the PC and upload contacts that way, correct? That's all I'd need anyway.

John Salerno wrote:
> Hi all. I've been following what I can about the Omnia, but I never knew
> for sure if it would actually be available for Sprint. I figured it
> would be since the Instinct is, but I just read a website that said the
> Omnia was confirmed for the US, but for AT&T!
>
> So my question is, will Sprint get this phone? Why the %#$! does AT&T
> need this phone when they already have the iPhone? In fact, why would
> Samsung even want to put this on AT&T? Don't they want to market to
> everyone else who can't get the iPhone and doesn't want to switch? And
> why should we have to settle for the Instinct when the Omnia is even
> better?
>
> This is really disappointing. I was so looking forward to that phone...

I wonder, is there a place I can read more about the features of the
Instinct, moreso than what's listed on the Sprint website? I don't
really have a chance to test one out right now, nor do I trust Sprint
reps in the store!

For example, I'm wondering:

- Does it sync with iTunes?
- Does email (gmail) have to be checked through a browser, or is there
an "email" program?

Just a bunch of random things like that.

Thanks.

At 10 Jul 2008 20:43:43 -0400 John Salerno wrote:

> Thanks. I assume that there is also a way to just plug the Instinct
> into the PC and upload contacts that way, correct? That's all I'd
> need anyway.

That I couldn't tell you- you'd think any medium to high-end phone could do
that these days, but you never know! Does Spint have online owners'
manuals for their phones you could check out?

At 10 Jul 2008 20:46:28 -0400 John Salerno wrote:

> I wonder, is there a place I can read more about the features of the
> Instinct, moreso than what's listed on the Sprint website? I don't really
> have a chance to test one out right now, nor do I trust Sprint reps
> in the store!


Phonescoop.com and howardforums.com are two good resources for user
opinions and to ask questions, though both sites' readers skew a little
young (expect a bit of the "this phone RULEZ!" kind of "reviews.")

Todd Allcock wrote:
> At 10 Jul 2008 20:46:28 -0400 John Salerno wrote:
>
>> I wonder, is there a place I can read more about the features of the
>> Instinct, moreso than what's listed on the Sprint website? I don't really
>> have a chance to test one out right now, nor do I trust Sprint reps
>> in the store!
>
>
> Phonescoop.com and howardforums.com are two good resources for user
> opinions and to ask questions, though both sites' readers skew a little
> young (expect a bit of the "this phone RULEZ!" kind of "reviews.")
>
>

Thanks, I'll check it out. I'll also see if there's a manual online.

John Salerno wrote:
> Todd Allcock wrote:
>> At 10 Jul 2008 20:46:28 -0400 John Salerno wrote:
>>
>>> I wonder, is there a place I can read more about the features of the
>>> Instinct, moreso than what's listed on the Sprint website? I don't
>>> really
>>> have a chance to test one out right now, nor do I trust Sprint reps
>>> in the store!
>>
>>
>> Phonescoop.com and howardforums.com are two good resources for user
>> opinions and to ask questions, though both sites' readers skew a little
>> young (expect a bit of the "this phone RULEZ!" kind of "reviews.")
>>
>>
>
> Thanks, I'll check it out. I'll also see if there's a manual online.

half-duplex speaker phone
no to-do list
no voice memo

::sigh::