Samung’s Omnia arrives to tune of mobile addiction

published 5 September 2008

Mobile phone users wanting one device for both work or play are being failed by the industry, with around 70 per cent of devices used for business purposes not having full multimedia capabilities.

As a result, almost a third (30 per cent) of UK business users now own two or more mobile phones, according to the research commissioned by Samsung and released on the eve of the launch of its new Omnia handset.

"It's packed with a full list of lifestyle and entertainment features. But it's more than just a lifestyle and entertainment devices, it's also a powerful business tool," Derek Williamson, general manager of Samsung Mobile UK, told the audience at the launch.

The new handset whose moniker means everything' in Latin and wish' in Arabic is a fully-touch screen, Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, multimedia device, aimed at both business users and consumers alike.

The 3.2inch WQVGA LCD screen-featuring device comes bundled with Opera's mobile browser and Microsoft Office document access. An accelerometer, multi-codec support and TV out aid viewing and built-in GPS and Wi-Fi boost connectivity.

The Omnia (also known by its model number of SGH-i900) will be available in 8GB and 16GB flavours, with the latter being an exclusive, Orange-only deal in the UK. The addition of microSD means memory could be expanded to a capacity of up to 32GB in total.

Unsurprisingly, the British are so dependent on mobile technology that nearly half of us (41 per cent) won't leave home without it, according to Samsung's European Mobile Life survey, which was carried out by researcher Vanson Bourne.

Younghee Lee, the company's head of marketing, echoed the survey findings by talking about how integral mobiles had become to our everyday lives, reflecting our individuality and personality.

"[The Omnia] is a major milestone in Samsung's long history of innovative, stylish mobile devices," she said. "Samsung's mobile vision is to make our customers say wow'."

In the UK, the new launch is being backed by a 5.8 million (4.7 million) advertising campaign.

Maggie has been a journalist since 1999, starting her career as an editorial assistant on then-weekly magazine Computing, before working her way up to senior reporter level. In 2006, just weeks before ITPro was launched, Maggie joined Dennis Publishing as a reporter. Having worked her way up to editor of ITPro, she was appointed group editor of CloudPro and ITPro in April 2012. She became the editorial director and took responsibility for ChannelPro, in 2016.

Her areas of particular interest, aside from cloud, include management and C-level issues, the business value of technology, green and environmental issues and careers to name but a few.