Just say 18910

MANILA, Philippines - One of the most interesting things about a sequel is that you have to read it if it is a book or watch it if it is a movie. Moreso if you liked Part 1.

But, as we all know, many times Part 2 isn’t as good as the first one — or worse, Part 2 wasn’t worth the money we spent for it.

Yet there are times when Part 2 is made better than Part 1. And these are the times when we must make sure that we get hold of Part 2.

Let’s see.

I read Christopher Paolini’s “Eragon” (because of my great fascination for dragons). I have to say that I loved Book 1. If you have followed Paolini then you are well aware that he wrote a trilogy (“Eldest” and “Brisingr”). I have read all three books, and, if there is one thing I liked about Paolini it’s that his books got better and better. I am still waiting for the conclusion of his trilogy.

Sure, there are lots of other authors (JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer and JRR Tolkien, to name a real few) who have written books with parts 2, 3, and then some.

Technology and cellphones are no different. For every new gadget introduced, techies all over are sure that a second, normally better, version will soon be on its way.

Name the gadget, and chances are it has been modified to meet the growing demands of its users.

Take the Samsung 18910, which the Korean electronics company recently launched.

A little history. 

Last year, Samsung launched its Omnia I900. It was a cellphone that caught handset users’ fancy because of the way it worked and because it was a techies’ gadget, which was perfect, at the time.

Not one to sit on its successes, Samsung recently launched its augmented version — Samsung 18910 Omnia HD. For me, this is the Part 2 — a better and more techie version of Omnia 1. But, dear techie-readers don’t get me wrong. The “real” Omnia 2 — Part 3 of the whole Samsung trilogy — was recently launched and will soon hit our shores. So, for this review let’s call the Samsung 18910 a sequel to the Omnia series.

A looker

The Samsung 18910 is a joy to look at. One of the most important things about a cellphone, as far as I am concerned, is that it has to first appeal to my eyes. And this baby does not disappoint. 

And then there is the feel of the 18910 in the hand. Solid is the first word that comes to mind. Sure it’s a monoblock cellphone and it’s color black, but the feel of the materials, combined with the weight and balance of the device, makes it sturdy to the touch.

This handset has Samsung’s 3.7-inch OLED touch screen with a 360 x 640 resolution that offers bright and vivid images.

And then more than looks, the 18910 has extra connectivity features, which allowed me to connect to the Net wherever and whenever I needed. The newest connectivity features are the GPRS, DLNA-certified Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 version and 3G technology. Another salient connectivity feature is GPS technology. I loved the voice navigator, which helped me walk through the phone in a jiffy.

There’s more. The Samsung 18910 Omnia HD has anything and everything that people who love multimedia phones salivate over. There is a primary camera that has functions like face detection, autofocus, smile detection, geo-tagging and flash. The camera lets users record videos with HD quality.

Let’s connect

The 18910HD is equipped with a quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900) and tri-band UMTS radios (900/1900/2100).

Texters have another reason to fall in love with the 18910HD as it features three different virtual methods for text input: a traditional keypad for T9 and traditional tap input, a large landscape QWERTY keyboard, and handwriting recognition using a finger instead of a stylus.

The virtual keypad is a favorite input method. Combined with the extra sensitivity of the capacitive screen, typing comes very natural.

With the vibration feedback turned up to 5, I was able to get better results by making the screen look like a cellphone with buttons instead of just tapping on a screen.

But it is the camera that makes the Samsung 18910 a clear winner. One of the first things that I noticed was how insanely fast the cameras shoot. Perfect for those once in a lifetime photos that make for good stories. It took less than two seconds to launch and about a second to switch between image and video recording modes.

I did try to use the video recording, too. And I was not to be disappointed. I took a few shots of our turtle Pong as he walked around his pond. OK, so turtles don’t move fast. But it was fun watching the playback and even more fun getting a good take on just how much movement go into a turtle’s seemingly motionless activities.

I just loved it that it was so easy to become familiar with the video functions of the 18910. Not being a great videographer, I did quite well, I must say, for the amateur that is me. There were several functions, which allowed me to drag and drop unconverted video clips directly onto the internal storage or memory card and play them instantly.

I must say that Pong looked great on video. And when watching the video on the 3.7-inch screen seemed a little tedious I used the DLNA application, which allowed me to stream my videos, over a WLAN connection to a compatible DLNA device. And guess what, I was able to stream the content to my nephew’s HDTV through his PS3.

Amazing.

There are as many reasons as there are users as to why anyone gets a cellphone. I have often been told that many users still get cellphones because all they really want to do is call and text.

Sure, that may be so. But I am also reminded about what JK Shin, EVP and head of Samsung’s mobile communication division, said, “Samsung 18910 is an incredibly exciting product for users on the move.”

Indeed.

In recent weeks, with disasters that have hit so close to home, for many, the cellphone was that one device that kept people in touch with their loved ones. It was also the device that many used to capture the photos and footages that show just how much devastation Monody and Pepping have caused.

“Samsung 18910 demonstrates the vision of Samsung for the mobile business,” added Shin. “We want to provide premium phones for users who want functionality and usability in one device. I believe with the 18910 Samsung users can stay at the forefront and be connected anytime, anywhere.”

In this digital and techie age — staying connected, anytime, anywhere, 24/7 is the only way of life.