The Samsung Omnia Pro has launched itself into a market that is not going to be easy to conquer. In this case the ‘Pro’ tag is being used to indicate that this is a business-centred mobile that will be competing directly with RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones and Nokia’s Eseries. These are two incumbent brands, with BlackBerry in particular associated with business use and big corporate clients more so than any other manufacturer to date. Looking at the Omnia Pro, it is clear that Samsung has sized up the competition and decided that in this case, attempting to reinvent the wheel would be a little pointless. The Omnia Pro takes on the same form factor as most of the popular BlackBerry models, with a large, square screen and a full physical QWERTY keypad below. However, Samsung has decided that rather than aping its rivals, it will attempt to better them in any way that it can and throw in a couple of jibes about the other brands whilst it is about it. Hopefully this will be enough to create a cult following and build the Omnia Pro into something that people will form a monogamous relationship with, rather than simply having a brief affair before returning to the familiar arms of RIM or Nokia.

If you are thinking about picking up a Samsung Omnia Pro, then it is worth visiting Samsung’s dedicated website for the Omnia Range. Obviously the site puts an incredibly positive spin on the Omnia Pro, but it is also, you may notice, something moderately interesting. Samsung adorns the main page for the Omnia Pro with mention of the phrase ‘Play in Reach’. This seems to be a little bit of an esoteric homage to the full title of RIM, which is Research in Motion. This is of course a fitting title for the manufacturer behind BlackBerry, with its diverting business-like language that evokes feelings without actually containing any meaning. This kind of mild but effective gibberish is playfully used by Samsung to promote its own line of business phones and it makes the Omnia Pro all the more endearing.

One area in which Samsung has the definite advantage over RIM is that they have no need to remind customers that the Omnia Pro is not just a capable business handset, but is just as useful for time spent out of work when you are looking for entertainment. Samsung’s portfolio of mobiles is wide enough to include phones of all types, so good multimedia support is to be expected of the Omnia Pro. Meanwhile RIM is currently in the process of trying to shake off the slightly stuffy image of the BlackBerry Range and open up its customer base to include youngsters who prefer gigging to playing the markets.

The Samsung Omnia Pro uses Windows Mobile 6.5 and whilst this is a slightly cumbersome operating system to get to grips with on certain touch screen mobiles, it is right at home when used in conjunction with the QWERTY keypad and navigation buttons found here. Windows Mobile is also extensively supported by third party developers and modding communities, so if you are not satisfied with the healthy array of applications that come preinstalled on the Samsung Omnia Pro, you can always head to the online resources provided to all users of Windows Mobile for some extras. You can either use your home PC to do this, or better yet use the built-in browser included with the phone. Whilst some phones use proprietary browsing software that is a little underpowered and cut down, the Omnia Pro has Internet Explorer available and viewing sites in full is a breeze, as is downloading content using the Wi-Fi or 3G connection. It is worth noting that some of the community sites are a little decrepit and underpopulated, whilst others are buzzing with news and opinions about all things related to Windows Mobile. It should be fairly obvious which ones are the best and Microsoft provides links from its websites to those with the more impressive reputations.

Samsung has proved that it is dedicated to supporting the Omnia Pro. There are now three handsets in total which share this name, though they differ in physical form and price. In this day and age seeing continued support from a manufacturer can ensure that a mobile phone remains useful throughout its lifespan and since both Samsung and Microsoft have had a hand in creating the Omnia Pro, there is considerable corporate clout behind it.

Ultimately, whether you end up picking a BlackBerry or a Samsung Omnia Pro will come down to personal taste. It is easy to stick with the same brand that you have been used to for many years and switching can prove to be difficult. It is well worth checking out the Omnia Pro in person. Everything about it makes it a worthy alternative to the current kings of the business phone market. It is also a smaller part of a wider community thanks to its operating system, whilst BlackBerry handsets are only supported by a single manufacturer with an in-house OS and a fairly rigid structure that curbs modification and moderates creativity. Samsung seems intent on continuing to create business phones and touch screens have yet to overthrow the reassuring physical QWERTY interface for those looking to make messaging a central part of their mobile use.

Tags: samsung, samsung b7610 omnia pro, samsung omnia pro

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on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 8:18 am and is filed under Mobile Phones.
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