It's not all software at MIX10, as Samsung has slipped a slate Windows Phone into the mix. It's the second actual device we've seen Windows Phone 7 Series on (we're not counting the ASUS prototype device), following the LG slider.

We don't really know what's inside this Sammy phone -- it's said to have a great camera and screen. But the exact specs of either (is it a Super AMOLED screen, perhaps?) aren't known. Check out the video after the break. [via Neowin]

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In case you haven’t heard, there is a huge event happening this month; an event that people around the world will be watching. No, I’m not talking about Mobile World Congress; though we (Dieter and Phil) will be there. I’m referring of course to the Winter Olympics.

Several Windows Mobile heavyweights are listed as sponsors of Vancouver 2010; one of them, Samsung, has a free application available to allow you to follow the games easily from your Windows Phone. Weather Updates, Medal Tracker, Schedule, and News are just some of the features that Samsung puts at your fingertips.

Head on over to the Samsung Vancouver 2010 site for the application (you’re looking for the “Download Wow” button in the bottom right corner).

[via Tilt Mobility]

Quietly, amidst the multiple HTC Touch Pro 2 releases, Samsung refreshed its Omnia line with a slew of new Windows Mobile devices. The Samsung Omnia II is a black-slab, touchscreen device hone that sports a 5-megapixel camera and a hefty 8 gigabytes of storage memory. Verizon picked it up late last year.

Our initial impression has been positive. Our main concern was the customization that Samsung has installed on the Omnia II. Not only does the Omnia II have Samsung's TouchWiz user interface, Samsung also also tweaked the interior Windows Mobile screens and menus.

Follow the break to see if this customization makes or breaks the Omnia II.

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Well, it's not a mighty re-flash of the whole ROM, nor does it bring any new features to the table and in fact, it actually looks kind of dangerous to apply (see below), but Samsung has released a radio firmware update to help with dropped calls on the Verizon Omnia II (see hands on video).

Yeah, not exactly thrilling, though we suppose if you have been experiencing poor call performance, you may want to look into this lil' patch.

Now the caveat: its a finicky update, meaning it official doesn't work on Windows 7, only XP. Going further, a few users have reported problems with "bricking" their phone during the update.  We don't want to be alarmist, but make sure you follow the directions exactly as described.  Oh, and if you run the update in compatibility mode in Win7, evidently that can work too.

Get the patch right here...if you dare!

[via CareAce.net]

Lost amongst the flood of HTC releases, Samsung quietly released the Omnia II last year in the United States with Verizon Wireless. (See Phil's hands-on at CES with the European version.) The Omnia II sports a 3.7inch, 480x800 AMOLED screen, 800MHz processor, 5-megapixel auto-focus camera, Windows Mobile 6.5, and 8 gigabytes of on-board storage (plus a MicroSD expansion slot).

Samsung has done a good bit of customization with the Omnia II, including adding its TouchWiz user interface, customizing the Start Menu, as well as a few design features you don't see every day.

The Omnia II feels solidly built and slightly wider than the HTC Touch Diamond II.  My first impressions of the Omnia II are good.  The screen has a bit of "pop" to it, and the 800MHz processor moves along nicely. But, like Phil, I have my reservations many of the software customizations.

We'll put the Omnia II through the ropes over the next few days..

This thing look familiar? It's the Samsung Mondi MID (aka the SWD-M100), exactly how we saw it last year at CTIA. Only now there's actually 4G service for that WiMAX radio to take advantage of. More redundant pics after the break.

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Swung by the Samsung booth at CES (follow all of our coverage here). Once you're able to navigate the dizzying maze of television screens -- and we're talking hundreds here -- you can finally find some Windows phones. Tucked in the back and a little to the left.

And it was there that we found the European version of the Omnia II, the Omnia Pro, with its Touchwiz interface. While it's hardly fair to judge the quickness of any phone after it's been handled at the likes of CES, the Omnia II seemed a bit sluggish considering it has an 800MHz processor. And I'm still not crazy about the user interface, though it does look gorgeous on that 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen. Anyhoo, find pics of the Omnia II at CES after the break.

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Looks like the Samsung Epix (see full review), a phone that is now well over a year old, is slated to get its official Windows Mobile 6.5 bump sometime in February, at least according to Microsoft's updated list. (Though all the cool kids have been running it since September)

We suppose one convenient aspect of that list is the ability to keep shifting dates around and we have to admit, we're getting quite far out now from that October Windows Mobile 6.5 announcement.

Still, better late than never, and it sure beats the Ozone/Snap duo, which are still listed as "Date Not Available" -- luckily both of those have custom ROMs too. Guess we know where WM Standard is sitting on the priority list.

[thanks Akshay!]

In the ultimate comparison of apples, oranges and kiwi; PCWorld has released its list of Top 10 Cell Phones. Not coincidentally, all of its selections are smartphones of some flavor. One thing that is interesting is that the top two devices on the list are probably the two most heavily marketed mobile devices in recent years, but Apple’s iPhone was ranked second, not first. The Motorola Droid came in at the top of the list, which is void of any explanation on what the rating criteria was.

The only Windows Phone that garnered a top 10 ranking was the Samsung Omnia II. Without knowing the criteria for this rating it is hard to determine why solid devices like HTC’s HD2 and Touch Pro2 were left off of the list.

Google’s Android platform placed the most entries on the list, taking 5 of the available slots (1 - Motorola Droid, 3 - Motorola Cliq, 5 – T-Mobile myTouch 3G, 7 – Samsung Behold, 10 – HTC Droid Eris). Research In Motion has 2 BlackBerrys (Bold 9700 and Tour 9630) in the top 10 as well. Palm came in at number 6 with the Pre.

From a hardware standpoint, Windows Phone heavyweights HTC, Motorola, and Samsung each placed 2 devices; though the majority of these feature Android.

Ever care to see how an expensive smartphone is made less valuable?  Well, look no further as this video from TechBlog shows how it's done on the popular and feature-packed Samsung Omnia II.

To what end?  We're not sure, but dang, them there phone guts are sure getting teeny, aren't they?

Oh and if at work, we suggest turning down the volumne before you play the video. ;-)

[via Engadget Mobile]