"John Salerno" <johnjsal@gmailNOSPAM.com> wrote in message
news:487357e3$0$7330$607ed4bc@cv.net...
> Hi all. I've been following what I can about the Omnia, but I never knew
> for sure if it would actually be available for Sprint. I figured it would
> be since the Instinct is, but I just read a website that said the Omnia
> was confirmed for the US, but for AT&T! 
The Omnia is a GSM phone, and therefore incompatible with Sprint. That's
not to say that Samsung couldn't create a CDMA version, but it'd likely lag
behind a GSM version for awhile.
> So my question is, will Sprint get this phone? Why the %#$! does AT&T need
> this phone when they already have the iPhone? In fact, why would Samsung
> even want to put this on AT&T? Don't they want to market to everyone else
> who can't get the iPhone and doesn't want to switch?
Think globally, not locally. There are hundreds of countries this phone can
be sold, not just the USA. As far as selling it through AT&T, there are
only two national GSM carriers in the US- AT&T and T-Mobile. T-Mobile is
rolling out their high-speed data network on an odd-ball frequency, so
upcoming smartphones will have to be specially manufactured to use T-Mo's
1700MHz AWS frequencies- the Omnia would be a 2G on T-Mo. AT&T is the only
realistic target in the US unless Samsung creates a T-Mo specific version.
>And why should we have to settle for the Instinct when the Omnia is even
>better?
Carriers choose products to sell to target markets- perhaps Sprint thinks
the (much cheaper) Instinct is "good enough" for the iPhone target market-
the Omnia is a very high-dollar phone, probably $200 higher wholesale than
the Instinct. The marketing of these new higher-end Windows Mobile devices
like the Omnia, HTC Diamond, etc. confuses me slightly- who are they for?
Enterprise customers don't need the expense of 16GB of on-board memory or FM
radios, and certainly don't want cameras at all, (never mind 5MP cameras
with zoom lenses and autofocus!) and media-toting iPhony-boppers don't need
Office Suites, corporate e-mail, etc. These new devices seem to be "second
best" devices for both markets, which might make their success elusive-
they'll be niche products.
Say it lands at AT&T at a subsidized price of maybe $400. (Realistic, given
the unlocked, unsubsidized price.) The iPhone is half that- what
prospective iPhone buyer will pay double for the "brand X imitator," and the
Windows-based Tilt is also half that- what company is going to pay double
for better media features?
That leaves a very small market of prospective buyers...
....having said that, I want one! ;-) It's thinner/lighter than my Tilt and
has TV-output- the main feature I wish my Tilt had and doesn't.
> This is really disappointing. I was so looking forward to that phone...
>
> Just want to confirm, is it possible for the Omnia to be available on
> Sprint, or is it a different type of phone altogether? I'm guessing since
> it's going to be on either AT&T or Verizon, it's probably GPS and
> therefore not compatible with Sprint?
It's GSM. Sprint and Verizon are CDMA
> So is the Instinct the only option for this kind of phone right now?
What, in your opinion, is "this type of phone"? I don't see the Instinct
and Omnia as very similar, other than they're both Samsungs and have
touchscreens- the Omnia is a very customizable Windows Mobile handset with
"generic" internet features and capabilities, and the Instinct is a very
pre-customized handset with relatively powerful media features designed to
leverage Sprint-specific services like Sprint's navigation and TV/music
services, and any useful features designed to use the Instinct "off-network"
crippled or missing. (No WiFi, no off-network GPS, limited bluetooth
support for headsets and beaming "business cards" only, etc.)
Samsung Omnia for Sprint? 
Linear Mode
