It took an awfully long time for it to come to market, but today Verizon Wireless has begun selling the Samsung Omnia II in time for the busy Christmas shopping season. Verizon’s second Windows Mobile 6.5 device after the HTC Imagio, the Omnia II sports a 5 megapixel camera, 8GB of internal memory expandable via microSD plus standard smartphone features like Wi-Fi, stereo Bluetooth and EV-DO Rev. A. connectivity. Of course the Omnia II lacks the Imagio’s global roaming functionality, but honestly, after taking a look at that 3.7″ WVGA AMOLED display, it’s pretty hard to think about anything else. That is unless you can’t afford the $199.99 2-year contract price.

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All of you Verizon Windows Mobile fanatics who are suffering from Android envy can cheer up. Verizon Wireless has just announced that it will be releasing the Samsung Omnia II, on December 2nd for $200 on contract (after $100 mail-in-rebate). Let’s review some of the specs, shall we? The Omnia Deuce II has a snazzy 3.7″ WVGA AMOLED touch-screen and will be running Windows 6.5; add to that Wi-Fi, EV-DO Rev. A, a 5.0 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Xvid and Divx video support, microSD card slot, and Samsung’s TouchWiz UI — a pretty nice package. How about it? Is this the handset you’ll be hoping to get for Chrismakwanzakah?

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We don’t think we need to go over what an insanely huge day today is for Canada, but in case anyone is feeling particularly thick, we’re going to spell it out plan and simple — Rogers is no longer the only HSPA game in Canada. Bell’s 21Mbps HSPA network has at long last gone live. As with any network launch, a few awesome handsets, data cards and a few Canadian-style rip-off plans have come along for the ride. So hit the jump and check out what’s new.

Smartphones

• Apple iPhone 3G – $99.95 / 599.95 (3-year contract / no strings attached)
• Apple iPhone 3GS (16GB) – $199.95 / $699.95
• Apple iPhone 3GS (32GB) – $299.95 / $799.95
• BlackBerry Bold 9700 – $229.95 / $599.95
• BlackBerry Bold 9000 – $249.95 / $599.95
• Samsung Omnia II – $199.95 / $549.95

Non-Smartphones

• LG Xenon – $89.95 / $289.95
• Nokia 2730 – $27.95 / $119.95
• Nokia 6350 – $49.95 / $249.95
• Samsung Impact – $79.95 / $279.95

Data Sticks

• Novatel Wireless U950 – $24.95 / $174.95
• Novatel Wireless U998 – $74.95 / $174.95
• Novatel Wireless X950 – $24.95 / $174.95

SIM Cards

• $0 / $5

As for price plans, not all that much has changed (the $6.95 SAF is staying for now), but Bell did introduce some iPhone specific plans which are as follows:

Combo 45 for iPhone

• 100 anytime local minutes plus 50 bonus local minutes
• Local Fab Five: Unlimited calling & text to and from five local numbers of your choice
• 500 MB of data for personal email, Internet browsing
• Unlimited local nights & weekends (9 p.m. – 7 a.m.)

Combo 55 for iPhone

• 300 anytime local minutes
• Local Fab Five
• 1 GB of data for personal email, Internet browsing
• Unlimited local nights & weekends (9 p.m. – 7 a.m.)

Combo 75 for iPhone

• 400 anytime local minutes
• Nationwide Fab Five: Unlimited calling & text to and from five local numbers of your choice nationwide
• 2 GB of data for personal email, Internet browsing
• Unlimited local nights & weekends (9 p.m. – 7 a.m.)

Combo 95 for iPhone

• 500 anytime local minutes
• Nationwide Fab Five
• 2 GB of data for personal email, Internet browsing
• Unlimited local nights & weekends (9 p.m. – 7 a.m.)

Now to sit and wait for TELUS’ day in the sun to see what, if any, surprises it has in store beyond what we already know.

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As Bell and TELUS put the finishing touches on their Canada-wide 21Mbps HSPA network that is set to launch next week, press releases announcing their HSPA handsets are coming across the wire at a feverish pace. The latest to be announced is the Windows Mobile 6.5-powered Omnia II which is to be exclusive to Bell. Featuring a 3.7″ AMOLED WVGA display, 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS and 7.2Mbps UMTS/HSPA connectivity, the Omnia II is definitely a nice device that will make many a Canadian happy. And so it should, as Canadian’s patriotism will be tested when they see it in shops as it has been designated the “Official Mobile Device of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.” Why? Because Bell sure earned that right after it spent an insane $200mm for the right to be the official communications sponsor of the games. Pricing and a specific release date have not yet been announced, but the Omnia II will be available starting next month. Oh, and just for the record, no, we did not edit in the photo of the curling rock. Bell actually seems to be under the delusion that people in Canada enjoy curling. Tsk, tsk.Read

As if there weren’t already enough reasons to get excited for the arrival of Bell’s HSPA network and the amazing handsets that it will bring with it, one of our Bell connects stepped up to the mound and delivered us this slider of a tip. It seems that Bell is really serious about having its customers love them, because it is going to issue unlock codes for its branded devices. Of course caveats apply, but they’re not all that out of the ordinary: your account must be active for at least one month, only phones purchased from Bell need apply, you won’t be able to ditch your contract, and you will be charged a fee. We’re not exactly clear on what the feel will be, but we’ve heard it might be as high as $250 dollars per handset. Obviously the cost of the official unlock doesn’t even begin to compete with third-party unlockers, but at least it will keep your warranty in tact. And no, we’re awfully sorry, but we’re not 100% sure Bell will unlock your iPhone. Hit the jump for a larger pic.

P.S. Yes, we did notice that it looks like Bell will be carrying an HSPA-flavored Omnia II.

Is looks as though Samsung is brimming with excitement where the upcoming Omnia II and its preliminary carrier of choice, Verizon Wireless, are concerned. Way back in August, the Korean manufacturer popped up a preview page on its Samsung Mobile USA site and now we have a new, slightly less secretive preview of the handset that was just dug up by one of our eagle-eyed readers. The only listed specs for the time being are a hefty 1500mAh battery, an included stylus and a mic adapter of some kind, but we also get our first official marketing render of the sleek handset complete with its bizarre d-pad. The sleek handset is allegedly already listed in Verizon’s inventory system however, so all this info popping up on Samsung’s site might lead some to believe an official announcement from Sammy and Verizon is imminent. Fingers crossed, WinMo fans.

Thanks, Alan!

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In the run up to the launch of Windows Mobile 6.5, manufacturers and carriers are trying to tantalize fan bases with new and exciting products. Unfortunately there really hasn’t been anything we would deem “wow worthy” up to this point (announced officially, that is), though Samsung seems to think its short-term strategy is all that. First off, Sammy finally got around to announcing the OmniaPRO B7330, a low-end full-QWERTY number with a 320×320 display, 3 megapixel camera, FM tuner and 7.2Mbps HSDPA/2Mbps HSUPA connectivity. Second, it announced that the OmniaLITE B7300 will ship with WinMo 6.5 as with all Omnia models shipped after 6.5 goes live. Third and lastly, Samsung announced that later on in the year at a time not specified, Samsung will release WinMo 6.5 upgrades for the Omnia II i800, OmniaPRO B7320, and OmniaPRO B7610 alongside “a set of customized strategies to differentiate and expand sales of each model by appealing to a broad spectrum of user groups.” We haven’t a clue what Samsung has in mind in terms of customization, but we do have this nagging feeling that it won’t exactly knock anyone’s socks off.

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As the title might suggest, a flurry of screenshots hit the Web this morning, allegedly depicting Verizon’s inventory system and the bevy of unreleased smartphones found within. While we definitely can’t vouch for the authenticity of these screenshots, they could certainly be the real deal as we know that each of the handsets mentioned is due to hit Big Red in the near future. The source also claims these screen shots come from a “most loyal tipster” so we’ll assume that means he or she has provided good info before. Covered below are the Palm Pre (P101), Palm Eos (P121), BlackBerry Storm 2, HTC Touch Pro2 (XV6875), Samsung Omnia II, and the Samsung Convoy U640. Sheesh, when did VZW become the king of smartphones? Hit the jump for the shots, including a larger version of the cap above.

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There was a bit of confusion surrounding one of our scoops from earlier this month regarding a screenshot of a Best Buy inventory sheet. For those who were unclear, yes, the dates listed there are in-stock dates and not launch dates. From what we can gather so far, most (but not all) of the shipments were indeed received, but that is not confirmed. In any event, the most anticipated handset on that list was likely the Samsung Omnia II, and those who are still skeptical will be happy to learn Samsung has indeed confirmed that the handset is coming soon to Verizon. A new dedicated page on the Samsung Mobile USA site was just spied by an eagle-eyed reader and it also confirms that the Omnia II will be a Verizon exclusive, at least initially. There’s a link for those interested to sign up for an email once the handset is announced, but you can be sure you’ll read about it here long before any such email is delivered. Excited, WinMo fans?

Thanks, Pandabarr!

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While the US is still waiting on official word from Samsung, a carrier or anyone else in terms of when the Omnia II might touch down in the US, ai.rs blog has managed to score a whole host of screenshots from the sexy new handset. Why are we so interested in screenshots — how does TouchWiz 2.0 sitting on top of Windows Mobile 6.5 Pro sound? It appears as though Samsung has done a bang up job in covering much of the UI with touchy wizzy goodness, and ai.rs reveals a whole slew of screens — 37 in total. Truth be told, it doesn’t look bad at all. Hit the jump for a giant version of the image above along with a few more caps, and hit the read link for the rest. Mmm, UI band aids.

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This morning, Samsung announced the list of countries that are slated to get the Omnia II in August. Missing from the list is the United States and other major markets including the UK, France and Germany. Pretty odd, considering we know Best Buy is (or was) slated to score it later this month. We’re guessing: 1) Something was delayed. 2) BBYM will get shipments on the 23rd but the handset won’t be available for sale until early September. 3) Samsung just can’t mention the US yet as there has been no official announcement with AT&T. The lucky 14 that will officially see the Omnia sequel hit the shelves this month are the Philippines, Thailand, Netherlands, Turkey, UAE, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Chile, Colombia and Australia. These countries will join Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, which have already seen the launch of Samsung’s latest Windows Mobile offering. Those folks still limping along with their original Ominas will just have to wait for the next round of launch locations to be released to see if their countries will be among those mentioned.

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Well what have we here? Our ninjas know better than to think they can take weekends off and one of our more diligent and trusted Best Best Mobile moles just hit us with a very interesting screen cap. Sunday, August 23rd is shaping up to be a hell of a day for the mobile mega-retailer and in turn, it’s going to be a hell of a day for phone fans in general. Let’s have a look at what’s in store:

• Samsung Gravity 2 (berry) — T-Mobile
• Samsung Solstice — AT&T
• LG Xenon (red) — AT&T
• Global AirCard (G2) — Verizon
• Samsung Rogue — Verizon
• LG Chocolate Touch — Verizon
• Samsung u450 Intensity — Verizon
• Samsung Omnia 2 — Verizon
• BlackBerry Tour — (new shipment, Sprint)

We can also see an “M330″ at the top of the screen listed as coming on September 8th and we’re guessing it’s not the clunky Samsung beast from 2002 or the Mitsubishi phone from 2003. All we know for the time being is that it’s a Samsung handset headed for Sprint, along with the Samsung Reclaim can be seen just off screen at the very top. We can’t make the date out but we know it’ll be sometime in August. Whatever… We’re to busy thinking about the possible BL40-like Chocolate Touch and Sammy’s Omnia sequel to worry about the Reclaim.

UPDATE: Hit the jump for a better shot of the list along with Best Buy location details.

While Samsung fans on this side of the world ogle the Omnia 2, our Asian brothers and sisters across the globe are already eying bigger and better things. Ahhh, the Omnia Pro B7610. GSMArena managed to get its mitts on a Pro and the site most definitely took it for a spin. The form is solid, the AMOLED display is nuts and the TouchWiz UI continues to get sexier and sexier — though you’re still left high and dry in areas beyond TouchWiz’s reach. Since it’s all about the extensive six-page ride, we’ll go ahead and spoil the ending for you: The reviewer says the phone rocks but won’t sell as well as the HTC Touch Pro2. Hmm. Ok, specs time:

• General: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 3.6Mbps
• Form factor: Full QWERTY side-slider
• Dimensions: 112.6 x 57.8 x 16.2 mm, 159g
• Display: 3.5″ 65K-color resistive AMOLED touchscreen of WVGA resolution
• OS: Windows Mobile 6.1 (upgradable to 6.5), TouchWiz 2.0 UI
• Memory: 1GB built-in storage, 256 MB RAM, hot-swappable microSD (up to 16GB)
• CPU: 800 MHz processor with dedicated graphics accelerator
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto-focus, with dual LED flash and VGA video at 30 fps
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, standard microUSB port, GPS receiver with A-GPS, TV out, 3.5mm standard audio jack
• Misc: Accelerometer for screen auto rotate and turn-to-mute, FM radio with RDS, DivX/XviD video support, work and leisure modes
• Battery: 1500mAh Li-Ion battery

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Sammy fans in the US (and perhaps Canada) have cause for celebration as the FCC has just given the upcoming Omnia2 its coveted nod of approval. Preliminary documentation is limited but at least one tasty tidbit can be gleaned — this little guy is packing UMTS 850/1900. That’s right people, AT&T and Rogers’ 3G frequencies are confirmed to be on board, though it remains to be seen whether either carrier will offer the handset. A quick refresher:

• GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/1900 MHz, HSDPA 7.2Mbps, HSUPA5.76 Mbps
• 3.7-inch WVGA (480×800) AMOLED touchscreen, Advanced R touch (Resistive)
• Memory: 8/16GB storage memory, hot-swappable microSD card slot (up to 32GB total)
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, TouchWiz 2.0 UI with 3D effects
• 800 MHz processor
• 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, dual LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection, image stabilization, Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) and D1 video recording at 15 fps
• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth with A2DP, standard microUSB port, standard 3.5mm audio jack, GPS receiver with A-GPS
• Accelerometer
• DivX/XviD video support
• FM radio with RDS
• DNSe
• Dimensions: 118 x 59.6 x 11.9 mm
• 1500 mAh battery

Anyone excited, or enough with the full touchscreen Windows Mobile phones already? Hit the jump for a nice little video showing this little guy off.

Thanks, William!

[Via CellPassion & Nowhere Else]

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Samsung is just unstoppable today, having announced more new phones in just the past few hours than some companies announce in a year. Two Omnia Pros, a Jet for good measure and now we’re introduced to the Omnia II (I8000) and Omnia LITE (B7300). Starting with the more exciting of the two handsets, the Omnia II will be Sammy’s successor to the popular to the Omnia as we’re sure you guessed. Specs are as follows:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional (upgradable to 6.5)
• Massive 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen display
• TouchWiz 2.0 UI
• Advanced R Touch (Resistive Touch) that “enables faster, more accurate touch response”
• 480p video recording and playback
• HSUPA 5.76Mbps, HSDPA 7.2Mbps
• Wi-Fi
• Up to 48GB of storage

Wow. Ok, now let’s have a look at the scaled down Omnia LITE:

• Full touchscreen form factor
• TouchWiz 2.0
• 3 megapixel camera
• Push email support
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Full HTML Opera Web browser
• HSDPA
• Wi-Fi
• A-GPS

Samsung obviously wanted to focus on the more capable Omnia II so as you can see, not much substance was offered as far as the Omnia LITE is concerned. Both handsets appear to be very solid offerings however, and will certainly likely be well received be their respective target demographics. Release timing and pricing are not yet available, though the Omnia II will be offered by Verizon Wireless some time this year.

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