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HTC HD7 vs Samsung Omnia 7

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Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 is finally here, complete with a selection of handsets to choose from. HTC’s flagship phone is the HD7 which is similar to the Android-based HTC Desire and is being widely tipped as the one to watch. However, Samsung’s Omnia 7 is sure be a serious contender as well with a similarly featured spec list.  One, thing is certain – the two flagship handsets from the big players will have to battle it out to see who comes out as top dog. But which one wins the spec-off? There’s only one way to find out. Fight! Or you could just read our head-to-head…
Dimensions

Omnia 7 : 122.4x 64.2 x 10.99 mm; 138g
HTC HD 7 : 122 x 68 x 11.2 mm; 162g

Although Samsung’s Omnia 7 is very slightly longer than the HTC HD7, it’s also narrower and slimmer, making it slightly less bulky are more likely to fit into your pocket. Weighing in at 138g, it’s also a fair bit lighter than the HTC, which is a bit of a beast at a seam-busting 162g. We make that 1-0 to Samsung.

Display

HTC HD 7 : 4.3-inch, 800 X 480px, LCD
Loser: omnia 7
4.0-inch, 800 X 480px, Super AMOLED

There’s isn’t much separating the two handsets in this category, with both sporting screens measuring at least 4 inches, along with an identical resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. But where smartphones are concerned, particularly those that designed for watching videos and playing games, screen size is of the utmost importance. And the that extra 0.3 inch on the HD7 gives the HTC phone a definite advantage. Although the AMOLED offers sharp pictures and reduced power consumption, we think that the HD7’s LCD panel is better equipped for viewing in bright sunshine, which is why the HTC takes this round.

Engine Room

HTC HD 7 :1GHz Snapdragon, 576MB RAM
Samsung Omnia 7 : 1GHz Snapdragon, RAM TBC

Both handsets are powered by a 1GHz processor, with the HTC using a Snapdragon chip. We’re very surprised that the Omnia 7 doesn’t use Samsung’s Hummingbird S5PC110 chipset, which offers far better graphics processing than Snapdragon can muster. Instead, the the Omnia 7 is equipped with a Qualcomm QSD8250 (also a Snapdragon chip), making the two handsets even on this score. As all of the phones that were announced today are using the same CPU, we would guess that this is something that has been dictated by Microsoft. We don’t have a confirmed RAM value for the Samsung phone, but we’re willing to guess that that it’ll be the standard 576MB, which would make this round a tie.

Storage

HTC HD 7 : 16GB
Samsung Omnia 7 : 8GB

The HTC wins outright when we move on to storage capacity. While the Omnia 7 is only able to muster 8GB of built-in memory, the HD7 has double that with a far more reasonable 16 memory. If you’re intending to use the phone for memory-guzzling games, then this could be one of the most important factors for you to consider.

Imaging

HTC HD 7 : 5MP, flash, 720p video capture
Samsung Omnia 7 : 5MP, flash, 720p video capture

No self-respecting smartphone would be seen dead these days without a camera flash and the HD 7 and Omnia 7 are no different. Both equipped with an LED flash, the two phone also both have 5-megapixel cameras on board as well as the ability to capture 720p high-def video. With identical specs like these, we have no choice but to declare this round a draw.

Connectivity

HTC HD 7 : Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0, 3.5mm jack
Samsung Omnia 7 : Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 2.1, USB 2.0, 3.5mm jack

Once again, the two phones are neck and neck in this round, with both sporting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability, along with USB 2.0 ports and 3.5mm jacks. Although we might have expected to see Bluetooth 3.0, particularly on the Samsung (as on the Galaxy S), both models here are only equipped with version 2.1. But as there are hardly any devices that are compatible yet, it doesn’t really make much difference right now. We make this round another draw.

Features

HTC HD 7 : Xbox Live Arcade, Zune, kickstand
Samsung Omnia 7 : Xbox Live Arcade, Zune, FM radio

The HTC includes a handy kickstand that will make it easier to watch videos, while games will be pleased to see the inclusion of Xbox Live Arcade. It’s also got Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound. The Omnia 7 has also got a few tricks up its sleeve, along with the standard Xbox and Zune capability, such as an FM radio with RDS, along with Bing Maps and Bing Search. However, on balance we think that HTC takes the win on this round, thanks to it’s simple but effective kick stand.

Price/availability

Pricing is possibly the most important factor when it comes to choosing a smartphone as even if the phone is fantastic, if the price isn’t right then many people simply won’t be able to afford it. Prices for the HTC HD7 have yet to be confirmed but we can tell you that it will be exclusive to O2 in the UK, and will only be available with T-Mobile in the US.

The Samsung Omnia 7 will be available on Orange, T-Mobile and Three in the UK with the latter confirming that it will be available on the the One Plan for £40, the Internet Texter 900 for £38 and the Internet Texter 50 for £35 per month.

We expect to see both handsets available on or close to 21 October 2010.

Conclusions

This is a very close-run battle, with neither of the two Windows 7 phone handsets taking any prisoners. Although the Samsung Omnia 7 puts up an admirable fight, we think that the HTC HD7 just edges the win thanks to its larger screen, higher storage capacity and Xbox Live Arcade capability. Having said that, don’t give up on the Samsung just yet – despite taking a knock in our head-to-head skirmish, the Omnia 7 looks set to be a splendid smartphone nonetheless.

We’ve made our decision based on the basic spec-off, but we’ll be able to give you a more detailed run-down as soon as we get the HTC HD7 and the Samsung Omnia 7 in for in-depth reviews.

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