Samsung Omnia II getting some mixed reviews?

The Samsung Omnia II launched earlier this week and I've been seeing some mixed reviews about this smartphone. Some feel that the Swype technology works well while others don't seem to care for it. Most like the AMOLED display (but you can expect poor visibility when you're outside). The software running the user interface seems to be associated with a love/hate relationship. The widgets drain your memory and may slow things down. I think I prefer the HTC interface called TouchFLO. The lack of a built-in stylus? Well, my HTC Touch Pro2 has a stylus, but I rarely use it since I'm almost always using my finger to navigate on this device. However, if you're planning on running Epocrates, plan to use a stylus (note that Epocrates does not currently run on Windows Mobile 6.5, so you'll have to wait before you can get it to run on the Samsung Omnia II).

Let's see what happens as more reviews get published over the next week.

Samsung Omnia II is now available

The Samsung Omnia II is now on Verizon Wireless. This smartphone features a unique touch-screen typing experience called Swype technology. No need to lift your finger off the screen as you type. The AMOLED display should improve battery life as well. Now if you're looking for a smartphone that has a nice digital camera, how does 5 MP sound? You'll get a flash as well! (I really miss having an LED flash on my phone because it becomes a great flashlight when you're in the dark).

This phone is not a slider, so you won't see any type of hardware QWERTY keyboard. However, maybe the hardware QWERTY keyboard will become obsolete as smartphones rely on touch-screen input.

Samsung Omnia Pro or B7610 Louvre

If you're a Windows Mobile user on the Verizon Wireless network and you happen to like sliders, then you're probably going to love the new Samsung Omnia Pro (aka, B7610 Louvre). This phone runs Windows Mobile 6.1 and will be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5. You'll also get a slide-out full QWERTY thumbboard, a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen with WVGA resolution (800 by 480 pixels), a 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi connectivity, and 1GB of internal memory. I think this is going to beat out the HTC Touch Pro, but I don't know how it compares to the newer HTC Touch Pro2.

AMOLED = active-matrix organic light-emitting diode
We don't see many phones using OLED screens, but maybe this trend will change with the next generation of smartphones.