Just realise there are some hidden features added to the HJ1 firmware as compared to the previous versions. Din't notice it until i hard reset my Omnia today

• The Windows Media Player supports playback of rmvb! Tried playing back a few real movies, the new added codec works pretty well, there's no drop in frame rate. However, you cant forward or rewind the video, neither is there any sound coming out. Not sure if its my videos or the codec issue.
  
• There's a PDF reader!!! The included reader is a Boratech File Viewer v3.00 SGH-I900. That's the splash screen when a pdf is loaded. Runs smoothly on my Omnia, the problem is that there is no way that you could launch the program directly without opening a pdf file! Neither is there an option to open a new pdf file within the program. On top of that, having checked the task manager, it seems that it is the same program that do tv-out viewer?

Enough for the surprise find, there's really alot to discover about the Omnia

Since this digicam has been out for long, i shall not go into the details as most would have been covered by other reviewers.

Straight to the photos...

http://www.4shared.com/file/72654498/856bfad8/dice__GSensor_.html



http://www.4shared.com/file/72654434/76325e79/Dice2__GSensor_.html

More apps to come

A new firmware has been posted on the web, latest version standing at i900DZHJ1.

On top of that, Samsung now do away with the modem driver thingy. Therefore, one would just need to install activesync to update the their firmware now.

http://www.samsungmobile.com/promotion/omnia/index.jsp

Common settings
Wide Dynamic Range: Off, On, Auto
Recording Sound: On/Off
Shutter sound: Off, Shutter 1, Shutter 2, Shutter 3
Contrast: -100, -50, 0, 50, 100
Saturation: -100, -50, 0, 50, 100
Sharpness: -100, -50, 0, 50, 100
Default filename: Text, Date
Memory in use: Phone memory, Mass memory, Memory card
GPS tagging: On/off
Quality: High, Normal Economy
ISO: Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Exposure metering: Matrix, Spot, Center-weighted
Single shot mode: Take and save, Automatic save
Blink detection: on/off

Indicators and Guidelines Display


Types of Mosaic and Frames

I shall not comment much on the quality, let the photos speak for themselves. Are you sure that's a cameraphone, and not a digital camera?!



Really impressed by how Innov8 handles this shot.
The lightings and colours turn out very nice.

Sunset

To show the Time, Date, both or Battery on top bar at Today screen, you will need a registry editor and go to the following values, create the new keys if they does not exist.

Note 1: If you are switching to the Analog clock display, the date will remain visible through the Analog clock.
Note 2: Setting the clock to invisible (show ‘nothing’) will not release the reserved space, so taskbar background is shown, and obscure any icons that will shift to the right.
Note 3: The date may get overlapped by the space reserved for the OK/Close button in the top-right corner. The fix is to add spaces at the end of your ‘Short Date Format’.

Beside, it’s also possible to display and attach AM or PM to the clock. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\nls\overrides to add a few new registry value:

1. Create a new String value with name = S1159 & data = Am
2. Create a new String value with name = S2359 & data = Pm
3. Create a new String value with name = STFmt & data = h:mm tM

Note: Please follow the capital letters and small letters used exactly or it may cause hard resets to your WM5 devices, and AM or PM (in capital letters) will be shown on the taskbar eventhough the registry data value was entered as Am and Pm.

First up, the phone comes preinstalled with 3 themes, the first 2 look pretty much the same to me, while the 3rd one is more cheerful in colours.

Besides the theme, you could also customise the standby screen. There are 3 types to choose from, namely the full page, basic idle and vertical icon bar. I prefer the vertical icon bar. Its a very neat tool, besides being able to access calendar, radio, media player, settings, there is also a shortcut menu where you could customised with your own favourite links! Very handy, as i do not need to access the menu most of the time to complete the task.

 

 
The vertical icon bar standby.

Not sure if its the same as other Symbian phone, on the Innov8, the message composer has been combined into one. So you will be brought to the same screen when you try to send sms or mms. In order to send a mms, you have to bring up the toolbar to add multimedia contents, and voila! Your message will now be sent as MMS.

Last but not least, look at the wealth of keys there! The 2 chrome keys could not be customised, one will launch the menu, while the other will launch the gallery. There are options to customise both soft keys and the 2 M keys flanking the clear button. This is a nice touch as it gives you 2 additional shortcuts key to launch application on top the usual ones, not to say the shortcuts available on the standby screen. On top of that, as there is an extra row, the first row of numeric keys are now much further away on the usual slider phone, this do away the issue where people with fat thumbs having trouble to press numbers.

A unique touch on the direction pad is the addition of the optical sensor in the middle. Definately would prefer this configuration over the Omnia's only optical sensor. You have a choice of using the usual way, where the optical sensor could be depress to fire the action key as per normal D-pad, or you could also use the optical sensor soley to navigate around the phone. Sharks, they should have done this for Omnia too. Navigation becomes much faster with this hybrid of optical sensor and normal direction pad.

More onto the preloaded application next time...

Newsflash! Newsflash! 'A new phone on the block'! Its the latest 8Megapixel camera phone from Samsung, the Samsung Innov8.

Basically, You will be overwhelmed by the features of the phone. It has a 8Megapixel camera phone with auto focus, auto macro, face detection, smile detection, blink detection, auto panarama shooting, auto white balance, auto flash, VGA video recording, slow motion video recording anti shake detection, WDR, GPS tagging, ISO settings, and exposure metering. Not satisfied? The phone is also preinstalled with Symbian OS 9, realplayer, music player, divx decorder, recorder, radio, video editor, digital frame, smart reader, units converter, zip manager, quickoffice, PDF reader, fring, DLNA, ShoZu, Yahoo Go, CNN, FIFA 08, Asphalt4, google apps, landmarks, dictionary, samsung widgets, bluetooth, wifi, 8GB storage, optical mouse, 3.5mm headset jack. That should be enough of the rattling.

First impression of the phone is great. When i first saw the photos on the web, the phone looks huge and heavy. But the real set feels nice on hand and the weight does not appear to be as heavy as it seems on the web. 

On to the unboxing photos;

 
Small box for a feature laden phone

 
All the accessories that comes with my test set.

A closer look at the headset, both the normal earpiece and the headset uses 3.5mm....
hmm, wondering how they did it...

A lot of shortcut keys on the face, besides the usual left and right softkeys, there are 2 more shortcut keys (the ones in chrome), 5-direction pad, optical mouse. On the right side of the phone is the camera mode, shutter key and micro sd slot.

On the left, there's the volume rocker, the headset jack, and charger jack. At the back is the camera lens, LED flash and stereo speakers.

After plugging in the phone to the windows, a few interesting icons showed up. There's a I8510 on Local under Scanners and Cameras, the I8510 (PMP style icon) and the Samsung Phone Browser. Not sure what is the I8510 for, as it doesn't show anything when i open it.

Finally the startup sequence of the phone,

One of the major update is the kinetic scroll that has been implemented across all list! Finally they have added this much wanted feature. If my eyes are not playing trick on me, the vertical scroll bar seems to be slightly thicker than usual. But who cares anyway, especially since the kinetic scroll is already in placed. 

On top of that, there are alot of minor changes in the Settings.

1. A feedback option for using the 4-way navigation finger mouse. 
   Wonder why they din add the option to change the cursor since all the curors are in the device.
   
2. Additional tab under Motion Sensor for the rotate animation
3. Under Power setting, there is an option to enable/disable the Wi-Fi saving mode, i.e the phone will not switch off the Wi-Fi if you hav disabled it! 
4. Now you have the option to change settings for the End Key, either to lock the device or disconnect data calls.
5. Additional SIP, the Samsung Panel and PlumSIP. These have been added in earlier firmware or so i heard.
6. Previously there are 20 type of rhythmic vibration, but now they have cut it to only 5. Hmmm, i wonder why....
7. Under Phone, Video Call, there is an additional option "When video call connection is not successful, alternative methods can be chosen from options." 
   Errr, dun get it...
8. Under Today screen, there is additional Samsung Today 1, and Idle Mode Text. I couldn't get the Idle Mode Text to show anything. Anyone knows what is it for?

Other changes in the phone.

1. Additional 3 widgets, Profile, Phonebook, and Wireless Manager. These widgets have been added for firmware after F8.
2. Now there are 2 pages in Samsung menu, there is a scroller at the side for the programs listing.
3. New clock application, with Alarms, Memorial Day, World Clock and Stop watch.
   There seems to be a very high limit to the number of alarms you can add. I have added 30+ alarms, and the application still allows me to add more.
   
4. New Connected Home application
5. New calculator
6. Smart Reader. Its a business card reader and text reader.
7. Slow Motion Video Recording!!!
8. In the mail box, there is a new option under Menu > Select Messages. You could select All, All Below or Several

Following are the screenshot of the new settings..