Samsung Omnia review

No longer does Windows Mobile alone a capable smartphone make. The platform's core is as relevant, powerful, and well-supported as ever, but that's not the problem -- the real issue is that it's just plain hard to look at. The days of WinMo looking even remotely modern in its stock form are long gone, and top-tier manufacturers clearly recognize that; everyone from ASUS to HTC has taken matters into their own hands to craft custom skins that kill off as many of the ancient visuals as possible while still holding onto everything that makes Windows Mobile great.

Enter the Samsung i900 Omnia, a phone that submits to design direction forced upon the industry largely by the iPhone -- full touchscreen, no keyboard, you know the drill by now -- and does pretty much everything in its power to overcome WinMo's limitations to make it competitive in the year 2008. Did Sammy succeed? Read on.

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Video: Android SDK v0.9 hits the internet looking almost ready for primetime

It's an interesting day for the folks at Google. Not only do we see the supposed GPhone (AKA, the HTC Dream) get trotted out to the FCC, and hear new rumors about the device's release date, but now there's a brand-spanking-new release of the Android SDK available. The version? 0.9 -- a number which puts this dangerously close to a number that most would consider non-beta. Meanwhile, the new version of the mobile OS has been significantly changed, adding a new widgetified (big old clock: present!) and flickable homescreen, a handy (and speedy) tab to pull up your apps, plus a media player, camera, and handful of other noticeable design tweaks. Don't believe us? Check out the video after the break showing it all in action.

Update: We've included a gallery of screenshots as well. Check out the sync contacts option. Sweet! Also, you may note that it asks you to "open keyboard to compose message" in the SMS screen -- almost like it's made for a device with a slide-out keyboard.

The Treo Pro makes its video debut, inches towards launch

Now that the Treo Pro's been uncovered, the sleek black handset just can't stay out of the spotlight -- it's popped up today in several more high-res shots, a quick hands-on video, and even what looks like official press photography. Specs are still up in the air -- we're hearing there's a 400MHz processor and 128MB of RAM behind that 320 x 320 screen and original Xbox-looking exterior, but we won't know for sure until this thing gets official, which we're guessing will happen within the week. Video after the break.

HTC gunning for top-five worldwide phone marketshare

HTC's already done a terrific job of going from anonymous Asian ODM to a major name player in the cellphone game, and it sounds like the company's aiming for the next level -- in an interview with the Commercial Times, CEO Peter Chou said the goal is to become one of the top three to five handset makers in the global market. That's a pretty aggressive target for a smartphone manufacturer -- competitors like Nokia and Samsung crank out millions of low-end dumbphones every quarter, and while there's no denying the appeal of devices like the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, it's going to be hard to match those numbers. Still, with Android and the Dream on the horizon, anything's possible -- and HTC's definitely got the chops to pull it off.

Palm's Treo Pro gets official

Well you can't say you didn't see this one coming -- between the leaked shots, more leaked shots, and those -- yes -- leaked press materials, this was only a matter of time. That's right: Palm has gone and gotten all official with its latest and greatest smartphone, the now-familiar Treo Pro. The new Windows Mobile device is being sold unlocked (!), and features an HSDPA cell radio (tri-band UMTS, quad-band GSM), GPS, 802.11b/g, a 320 x 320 touchscreen display, 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, a 2-megapixel camera, support for microSDHC cards up to 32GB... and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack! No word on price or actual street date, but we can't imagine that's too far off. Hit the read link and take a tour of the new device, or watch the totally radical -- and long, and detailed -- video after the break.