Diamond and i900 face off at GSMArena

[Guest Paul (MVP)]

They're the two hottest devices at the moment... the HTC Diamond and the Samsung i900... and the chaps over at GSMArena have managed to get their hands on one of each and put them head to head!

As they say...

"It's PocketPC playoffs and HTC are giving Samsung a match at the GSM Arena. With two of the stars of the season arriving in our office all at once, we thought it's a heck of an opportunity for some Diamond-Omnia-Diamond-Omnia-Diamond-Omnia game-set-match with a pinch of iPhone flavor. We got two aces up to the challenge, so sit back and stretch out. Ah well, get that six-pack too and join us for the kick-off. ".

Heck, it's Friday, bring on the beer :D

The article is well worth a read and is exceptionally thorough, running to 9 pages! I'm gonna post the conclusion here, because reading it doesn't negate the value of reading the full article.

Well, it's the final whistle in our head-to-head. Tempted as we are to not leave it a tie and send it to a penalty shootout, we just have to pay due respect to both contenders. After all it's not the score that makes the game exciting. Sometimes a draw can be as interesting to watch, and this one here sure ain't goalless.

Anyway, it's nearly impossible to give a conclusive judgment as to which of these two fine PocketPCs deserves your money better. The Samsung i900 Omnia and the HTC Touch Diamond are both excellent choices with their own set of advantages and shortcomings. The good thing is they hardly overlap, so getting your priorities right is all you need to make the right choice.

You can certainly get the short version of their virtues at the beginning of this review, we won't be repeating all of those here.

The main point to make here is that there isn't a perfect device that's got it all for all consumer groups even in this high-end segment. Instead, when you go after one of these extra sweet devices you should carefully weigh your priorities and pick the one that covers most of them.

iPhone 3G is still to see a reality check, but it's almost sure that these two can give the latest Apple device a good fight. Maybe they still can't challenge the iPhone interface, but they are finally getting closer.

With HTC Touch Diamond and Samsung i900 Omnia, Windows Mobile handsets no longer seem chubby and nerdy. The next generation of PocketPCs match style with the best performance in their class.

Thought this head to head was going to make your choice easier? Perhaps not! :(

P

Link: HTC Touch Diamond vs. Samsung i900 Omnia: Head-to-Head

[Guest rzanology]

hurts my heart they didnt outfit the i900 with vga!!!! why!!!!! i reeeally hope att is picking up the xperia instead of this! other than the missing vga it looks like a great device.

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

Better CPU performance, decent camera and double battery life on the i900 gets my vote.

[Guest Ypocaramel]

I don't think it'll be that hard for most. 5MP camera, better battery life and more than 4GB of memory? Omnia. Flashy interface, snazzy looks and small size? Diamond.

[Guest amd7000]

Diamond plus an ultra mobile pc for me. This combo beats the omnia and probably cheaper? :D

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

Don't think so, Omnia is being shown on the net as around the £500 mark for the 8GB version.

That is the initial release price so when it finally hits the shelves we will see.

[Guest Dr Who]

Shame about the screen res, otherwise the i900 would be the winner. Don't suppose it will appear on TMobile anyway, though.

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

If there is no stylus slot then where do you store it?

The Samsung site states it comes with one.

http://omnia.samsungmobile.com/

[Guest tasman]

http://omnia.samsungmobile.com/

Having to spin the phone around in the air like that to change from portrait to lanscape seems a bit much :D

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

Not seen the spin the phone but on the video in the facebook link on the site it shows it just being tilted from portrait to landscape and back again (about 1min 30sec into the link)

Click HERE for facebook clip

[Guest Syphon Filter]

Diamond plus an ultra mobile pc for me. This combo beats the omnia and probably cheaper? :D

Which UMPC do you have?

For my money, the higher screen res of the Diamond would win.

[Guest amd7000]

awarner (MVP)Posted Today, 11:48 Don't think so, Omnia is being shown on the net as around the £500 mark for the 8GB version.

That is the initial release price so when it finally hits the shelves we will see.

Arhhhh, why did you have to say that! Now I don't know what to do again. :D

[Guest amd7000]

Which UMPC do you have?

For my money, the higher screen res of the Diamond would win.

Not got one yet. Was thinking the new acer aspire one. Its not got amazing reviews but very tempted for the price.

[Guest Monolithix]

Of all the new wash of UMPC's i'd have an Acer One, looks shiny!

As for the Diamond/Omnia phone-off, i don't think i could move away from the VGA gloriousness of the Diamonds screen now :D

[Guest efjay]

That screenshot doesnt show any advantage to the VGA screen on the Diamond, you can actually see more icons on the supposed "inferior" WQVGA screen on the Omnia. Screen size wins for me, plus 16GB storage, card slot, 5MP camera, haptic feedback and bigger battery.

[Guest capt_janeway]

Any idea which UK carrier, if any, will get the i900?

[Guest Syphon Filter]

That screenshot doesnt show any advantage to the VGA screen on the Diamond, you can actually see more icons on the supposed "inferior" WQVGA screen on the Omnia. Screen size wins for me, plus 16GB storage, card slot, 5MP camera, haptic feedback and bigger battery.

Think outside the box dude! What about web browsing etc. The screen will also be a lot crisper due to the increased DPI.

[Guest efjay]

Think outside the box dude! What about web browsing etc. The screen will also be a lot crisper due to the increased DPI.

Yes, but if it doesnt display more information on the screen and only gives you advantages in certain apps I dont see it as such an advantage. I browse a lot as well but also use A2DP, have multiple GPS programs and read emails. The bigger screen space, battery and external slot are more important to me than VGA.

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

Agree there, in the past I've seen qvga devices physically looking better than vga screens.

It's not always the resolution that makes the device.

[Guest Syphon Filter]

Yes, but if it doesnt display more information on the screen and only gives you advantages in certain apps I dont see it as such an advantage. I browse a lot as well but also use A2DP, have multiple GPS programs and read emails. The bigger screen space, battery and external slot are more important to me than VGA.

Agree there, in the past I've seen qvga devices physically looking better than vga screens.

It's not always the resolution that makes the device.

I would say it depends heavily on the DPI of the screen and how the OS has been configured.

[Guest Monolithix]

I did try to take a photo of opera on a Kaiser and a Diamond next to each other however it didn't turn out too well! Rest assured it looked far better in VGA.

Each to their own though, if you require the larger screen real estate then the i900 will be for you...

[Guest nigzsingh]

According to the guy at Samsung, all 4 major UK networks will carry this device. Availability was around mid-Aug. So if you want it on T-mobile, maybe end of Sept :S