As listeners to the TDL Mobile show will probably be aware I have recently been looking to upgrade my HD2 for a newer model and have been pondering which route to go down, iPhone? Windows Phone? Android? They are all good choices and have pro’s and con’s however in the end of I decided I would put my trust in Microsoft and went for a Windows Phone 7!
The phone arrived on Monday, I went for the Samsung Omnia 7, (which I know some of you will be wondering why after the update fiasco), however I felt the Samsung was the best WP7 device available on Orange UK for my needs. My other choice was going to be the HTC Mozart and although I love HTC as a manufacturer I didn’t want to compromise that much on screen size give that I have been used to running a HD2 for the last 15 months!
Now I am not going to go into detail on the Samsung Omnia 7, or Windows Phone 7 for that matter as they are not new to the market and thus everybody who wants to know will know about them by now, what I want to do is give you some of my own personal first impressions after using the device and OS for 24 hours.
Over the last 3 years I have had an iPhone 3G which I absolutely loved, (and was the reason why I was thinking about getting an iPhone 4) and a HD2 which I also loved hardware wise but despised Windows Phone 6.5! The only reason I have managed to live so long with the HD2 is due to its hack-tastic nature, on which basis I have been running various Android ROMs for the past 9 months.
Anyhow I digress…. I received the phone yesterday and my first impression was “wow, Samsung’s packaging sucks compared to Apple and HTC”! It really was flimsy and reminded me of when I got my old Nokia N95 years ago before mobile manufacturers cared about packaging. Seriously Samsung, sort it out, I know its only packaging but its the little things that make a big difference to the user experience.
Once I got into the packaging and got to handle the phone my mood changed however, the Samsung feels really well built and solid. In the box you get the phone (obviously), a set of pretty decent headphones with spare ear bits, the charger, separate USB lead and various instruction manuals. Alongside this I was lucky enough to have a 3 month Zune pass courtesy of Orange included which cheered me up even more!
Once I got the phone booted up and setup in Zune I was away enjoying Windows Phone 7 and it is a very nice experience for sure. Sadly still no NoDo for me yet, but I knew what I was getting into when I bought the Samsung so I’m not complaining as I am expecting it any day now.
One of my other concerns was for the Marketplace, the Android and iOS stores are so full of apps I was worried the Windows Phone 7 one wouldn’t match up as it didn’t on Windows Phone 6.5, however I am yet to not find a decent app I need, (apart from GetGlue, not vital but I do love to check in to things), and the experience of shopping for those apps was an enjoyable one as I remember it being on my iPhone.
The last point I wanted to touch on is the AMOLED screen, it really is a beautiful thing! I have just been out in the bright sunshine and could see it clearly without having to shade it, seriously all phones should have AMOLED screens!
I am sure I will think of more good and bad points as I become more familiar with the device and the OS however currently I am really enjoying the experience and I am really excited to see what today’s Mango announcement brings. If all else fails I get 7 days to send it back! 😉
One last point, I have heard quite a few people having issues with the headphone socket on their Omnia 7’s, as I found out yesterday you have to make sure the jack is pushed in all the way, it doesn’t feel like it should go that extra click in but it does and you shouldn’t see any of the metal on the jack exposed. Just something to keep in mind that may help others.
3 thoughts on “First Impressions: My new Samsung Windows Phone 7”
It’s a shame we didn’t get the Omnia 7 here in the states. I got a Focus off contract for about 200, but was close to importing to Omnia 7 for close to 600 just because it seems to be better built. The Focus is good with the same AMOLED screen, but it does have a little bit too much of the plasticy feel that I’m not used to coming from the iPhone. Also I’m hating the capacative buttons. Can’t play Fruit Ninja on the phone without it jumping to the home screen or bing search, from the accidental swiping across them. Also would be nice to have a stronger vibration mechanism in it, and better placement of the speaker. The speaker is fine for listening to music, but if using the phone as an alarm clock it just doesn’t have enough oomph to wake me up. And can Mango please include a separate volume control for the ringer (like iOS). It’s kind of a pain when you turn down the volume while playing a game and then miss a call later because the vibration mechanism is too weak to feel, and the volume of the phone is too low.
I haven’t been able to figure out why yet, but I spend much less time using WP7 than I did on iOS. I’m not sure if it’s that things are just easier and quicker to do, or that I just have less apps (would be nice to have native official Mint.com and Dropbox apps).
I’m hoping the next round of Devices can compete with the iPhone on a hardware level, or I might be going back to Apple, which would be a shame since despite all of the drawbacks I really like using WP7.
A few very good points there, I’m not sure on how the Omnia 7 compares with most of them yet as I have only had it till Monday, time will tell I guess as to if I hit the same stumbling blocks.
Some great features in Mango coming though which is really going to improve the OS, cant wait for those.
You make a valid point on the soft touch buttons though, a friend of mine who has the HTC Mozart has said the same thing about accidental presses. The Omnia 7 has a hard press windows key but soft press back and search, I haven’t accidentally pressed any yet but there is time. My HD2 had all hard press buttons and never had any issues, the trend seems to be to move to soft press these days, wonder why?
BTW, I am not 100% on this but I keep reading that MS have fixed the accidentally hitting back/search during games or browsing issue in NoDo, (or one of the updates).
{"id":null,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"GBP","currency_symbol":"\u00a3","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
As listeners to the TDL Mobile show will probably be aware I have recently been looking to upgrade my HD2 for a newer model and have been pondering which route to go down, iPhone? Windows Phone? Android? They are all good choices and have pro’s and con’s however in the end of I decided I would put my trust in Microsoft and went for a Windows Phone 7!
It’s a shame we didn’t get the Omnia 7 here in the states. I got a Focus off contract for about 200, but was close to importing to Omnia 7 for close to 600 just because it seems to be better built. The Focus is good with the same AMOLED screen, but it does have a little bit too much of the plasticy feel that I’m not used to coming from the iPhone. Also I’m hating the capacative buttons. Can’t play Fruit Ninja on the phone without it jumping to the home screen or bing search, from the accidental swiping across them. Also would be nice to have a stronger vibration mechanism in it, and better placement of the speaker. The speaker is fine for listening to music, but if using the phone as an alarm clock it just doesn’t have enough oomph to wake me up. And can Mango please include a separate volume control for the ringer (like iOS). It’s kind of a pain when you turn down the volume while playing a game and then miss a call later because the vibration mechanism is too weak to feel, and the volume of the phone is too low.
I haven’t been able to figure out why yet, but I spend much less time using WP7 than I did on iOS. I’m not sure if it’s that things are just easier and quicker to do, or that I just have less apps (would be nice to have native official Mint.com and Dropbox apps).
I’m hoping the next round of Devices can compete with the iPhone on a hardware level, or I might be going back to Apple, which would be a shame since despite all of the drawbacks I really like using WP7.
A few very good points there, I’m not sure on how the Omnia 7 compares with most of them yet as I have only had it till Monday, time will tell I guess as to if I hit the same stumbling blocks.
Some great features in Mango coming though which is really going to improve the OS, cant wait for those.
You make a valid point on the soft touch buttons though, a friend of mine who has the HTC Mozart has said the same thing about accidental presses. The Omnia 7 has a hard press windows key but soft press back and search, I haven’t accidentally pressed any yet but there is time. My HD2 had all hard press buttons and never had any issues, the trend seems to be to move to soft press these days, wonder why?
BTW, I am not 100% on this but I keep reading that MS have fixed the accidentally hitting back/search during games or browsing issue in NoDo, (or one of the updates).