If you’ve been waiting for the arrival of Samsung’s Omnia HD, then wait no more. It is here, under the new, and rather less exciting name of the i8910HD. That HD part of the naming is the important bit. It refers in part to the fact that this particular handset has a screen with a resolution of 360 x 640 pixels. Yes, we know that’s not HD resolution, but it does have 16:9 ratio and for a mobile phone it is really pretty good, its AMOLED technology ensuring it is sharp and bright.

Specs & info
Price: contract
Operating system: Symbian S60
Processor: n/a
Memory: 16GB
Dimensions: 123mm x 58mm x 12.9mm
Weight: 144g
Display size: 3.7 diagonal inches
Display resolution: 360 x 640 pixels
Expansion slot: 1 x microSD

It also refers to the fact that the handset can record video at HD resolution, 720 x 480 pixels, at 30 frames a second, resulting in some of the best quality footage from a mobile phone that we’ve seen.

The 8MP stills camera is pretty good too, with LED flash, face detection, smile detection, blink detection, and a macro mode thrown into the pot. You won’t get shots of a quality that can rival a dedicated digital camera, but what you do get is pretty competent stuff.

There’s something else the camera can do too. Geotag images thanks to the built in GPS. And there is Wi-Fi here too. This complements nicely the 7.2Mbps HSDPA and quad band GSM.

The i8910HD runs the Symbian operating system, which means it is capable of the kinds of PIM functions that you’d expect from a PDA. You get the PC Synch software you need to exchange information with your computer.

When it comes to data entry on the device itself there are choices between a mobile phone type keyboard, a QWERTY keyboard in wide screen mode, and handwriting recognition. The QWERTY option was our favourite though the absence of predictive text on this option rankled a little.

This is, of course, a touchscreen handset. The capacitive display (seen most famously on the iPhone) means it is very responsive to finger taps, although is not quite as usable in sunny conditions as we would like. Samsung has employed its now famous widgets system for the main screen. You tap a sidebar and can then drag a range of shortcuts onto the main screen.

There are plenty to chose from, but their icons tend to be quite large, so there is only room for three or four at once, which we think is a pity. Stroke one way on the main screen and you are taken to photo contacts, the other way takes you to the main applications menu.

Sitting underneath Samsung’s graphically rich user interface is nothing less than Symbian S60. That means you have access to quite a wide range of applications and features including a superb Web browser which really takes advantage of the larger screen.

Being a Samsung device you don’t get the benefit of the extra apps that are commonplace on Nokia’s S60 devices, such as Nokia Maps or the new Ovi Store.

There is an FM radio to complement the excellent music player, and there is even a 3.5mm headphones jack on the top edge of the device. This is the ideal location for a headset connector as it means the handset does not snag your pocket.

The one-piece headset provided is a slight disappointment, though. We’d have preferred two-piece if only to use our favourite earpieces and still have access to handsfree calling.

With all this multimedia capability going on you’ll need plenty of storage. There is 8GB on the version being sold by Orange and there is a 16GB version too. You can augment this further with microSD cards, and the slot is very accessible on the left edge of the casing.

The i8910 HD is probably the most feature-packed smartphone currently available, and in terms of hardware at least is what the new iPhone could, or should, have been. Samsung’s UI enhancements add a welcome layer of usability on top of the slightly antiquated S60 interface, while the hardware is outstandingly made. In the world of multimedia smartphones, the i8910 HD sets a new standard.

Essential Verdict
Performance: 8/10
Design: 8/10
Features: 9/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Overall score: 8/10

Review written by Sandra Vogel. Originally published in Smartphone Essentials.

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