New Samsung Handsets Bring Back Windows Mobile
If you think that the mobile phone industry has no love for Windows Mobile, think again. Despite the many complaints of users regarding the layout of the OS (which made it restricted to using resistive touch screens as the buttons could only be reach by a stylus), and the fact that it lacked many of the media and social networking features that people have come to expect of smart phones, the WinMo OS still provided plenty of useful and practical business solutions that made it a second choice of many businesses (the first choice being RIM’s BlackBerry smart phones).
With the launch of Windows Phone 7 coming by the last quarter of the year. It is expected that the casual and general smart phone market will finally get a Microsoft mobile platform that caters to their needs and wants. The highly dynamic user interface, social networking and gaming features of WP7 all scream general user fulfillment. At the same time, many experts have agreed that WP7’s weakest factor is Microsoft’s main feature: business functions.
This is why it was not surprising for many when Microsoft announced that they would continue to develop and support the Windows Mobile series even after WP7 launches –this OS keeps their hold of the business market.
Samsung has just announced the Omnia Pro 4 and the Omnia Pro 5, and despite earlier rumors that these devices might be new WP7 handsets, Samsung has made the official statement that the devices would be running WinMo 6.5.
Both handsets are traditional business models –candy bar phones with physical QWERTY keyboards. It may seem cramped for some, but anyone who has been using BlackBerry and Palm smart phones would instantly feel at home.
The Omnia Pro 5 is slightly smaller and slimmer than the Omnia Pro 4 –at the cost of some specs, both devices share very similar software features as the devices use the same OS and comes with MS Office Mobile 2010 and the Office Communicator for Mobile.