A high powered imaging device, the Samsung M8910 Pixon 12 offers a quality, high resolution 12.0 Megapixel camera, complete with wide angle lens and variable aperture. The Pixon’s camera has a Xenon flash for excellent results in low level light conditions, plus offers an LED light for video recording. A capable multimedia device, thePixon 12 has multiple format support for video playback, including DivX and XviD , plus offers a TV Out function to view the media gallery on a large TV screen. High speed data connectivity is covered with support forHSDPA and HSUPA, as well as WiFi, and the M8910 comes with a built in GPS receiver, with AGPS support included.

The Samsung M8910 Pixon12 is a top of the line cameraphone but some may find it guilty of not being a smartphone. It’s got the ultimate in still photography but not the best video a handset can offer. It’s a dream-come-true upgrade but can the mishaps of the original Pixon spell trouble? Awaiting its official launch, the Pixon12 is standing tall against the odds.

When it comes to capturing your moments and sharing them with the world though, the Pixon12 will hardly let you down. On top of the industry leading camera, the phone has all the connectivity options you may need.

Taking the 12 megapixel camera out for a spin

If you checked out our previews last week you’ve probably already seen the Pixon12 camera in action. It’s a worthy piece of equipment and the first of its kind to hit the shelves. Now that we had some more time to play with it, we managed to put it through a series of tests that showed its performance in more detail. We also completed a little shootout between it and the Nokia N86 8MP, which at this point some people find as the Pixon12 toughest rival (at least before the Sony Ericsson Satio gets released).

Samsung marketed the M8910 Pixon12 as sporting 28mm (in 35mm terms) wide-angle lens just as the Nokia N86 8MP. For those of you unfamiliar with the material, the 28mm lens gives you roughly 20 percent wider angle of view when looking in the viewfinder. As it turned out, the Pixon12 camera is actually using a 30mm, rather than 28mm lens, which is still wider than the 35mm competition but not what Samsung promised (and less than what Nokia N86 delivers). This was confirmed by both our field tests and the EXIF data recorded by the Pixon12 itself.

Another interesting discovery we made reviewing the Pixon12 is that it comes with a variable aperture like the Nokia N86. The Pixon12 however only offers two aperture values compared to the three available on the Nokia N86.

The Pixon12 shoots at F/2.64 to let a standard amount of light in and stops down to F/3.61 when light conditions allow it. Technically the photos at smaller apertures (indicated by a larger F-stop value) should be sharper and with greater depth of field than those at larger ones.

Just as on the Nokia N86 8MP though, Samsung didn’t provide any kind of manual control over the aperture value. The handset decides which of the two values to use automatically. That is as good as it gets for almost every user out there, but why not give the few enthusiasts the choice.

The Korean manufacturer Samsung is frequently one that takes design and innovation to new heights, and the Omnia 16GB – while not revolutionary – is a worthwhile addition to their range. In terms of competition this is a high end phone that will face much in the way of rivalry, but with the features it packs into a neat little design it will come close to the top of anyone’s list.

The i900 Omnia works on a quad band network which allows the user to enjoy worldwide roaming with their new 3G Smartphone but the network connectivity full depends on the network provider. The 3G Smartphone covers four GSM bands & HSDPA which provides the user with flexibility when roaming.

What is the current trend is for large touch screens, it comes as little surprise that the Omnia 16GB bear such a device, a 256K-color screen that is there with the best, and with excellent color definition and visibility packs a punch in any quantity. At 122g this is a very light handset in its class, and it is a beautifully designed piece of kit as Samsung strives to deliver in this area.

The selling point of this handset is the magic 16GB; this mammoth memory allows the Omnia to present an almost unbeatable capability as a media player, and it does not disappoint. Furthermore, a five mega-pixel camera is more than enough for any needs, and much better than a number of similarly priced phones aimed at the same market. Let’s have a look in a little more detail.

Starting with the screen, it’s a 3.2 inch affair and, as such, up there with the biggest on the market. The display is clear and bright and the featured icons look great; there is an indication of email presence and the usual two buttons beneath the screen. This is a good looking phone, a neat and tidy candy bar style, and with many impressive features.

The handset comes with 8 i900b.jpg picture by cellswsgigabytes of internal memory plus the user can expand the memory capabilities further by adding a MicroSDTM memory card up to a further 8 gigabytes in size. The Samsung i900 Omnia comes with built in 128 megabytes of RAM capacity & 256 megabytes of ROM capacity. The user can enjoy connecting to the Internet using a Wi-Fi connection which allows the user to connect their handset to either a local WLAN or nearby hot spot to connect the Internet without using a cabled connection.

On to the camera, and with five mega-pixels, auto focus, face detection and digital zoom, plus the option to take landscape photos, this device is simply at the top of the class in the market sector.

This is a 3G phone, with high speed internet browsing thanks to HSDPA, full Bluetooth, GPS and – importantly – Wi-Fi technology, and the navigation system is simple and well designed leading to comfortable and enjoyable browsing.

Those familiar with Windows Mobile will be more than happy with this handset, and the full virtual QWERTY keyboard is a bonus and a joy to use. Many users have commented on the sheer usability of the Omnia, and several sources have cited it as a fully functioning office-on-the-move, a great accolade for such a device.

The media player is of the highest quality, with MP3 and all popular formats supported in the world of music during the recording in MP4 and TV playback are added bonuses to be considered. Despite the 16 GB of memory with expandable memory of the Omnia is available, so this phone quite a matchless capacity on the market.

In a market where the iPhone is the clear benchmark, the Omnia has to do to comply with the numerous competitors, as well as an estimate of the device, it’s good enough for the iPhone, then, or – like many – it just does not match ?

Users who prefer pulled Windows Mobile for the Samsung Omnia, because this very versatile operating system – used something, of course, it lacks the iPhone. In relation to the functions of the Omnia’s right up there with the best – excellent media player and camera, great usability and feel beautiful – but there will always be compared to the Apple device.