Samsung Rolls Out Omnia Pro B7330

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Samsung Omnia Pro B7330

Samsung introduced the latest smartphone in its Omnia lineup, and the Omnia Pro B7330 is packed with features to keep mobile professionals connected on-the-go.

The handset has a BlackBerry-like form factor with a full QWERTY keyboard on the face, and it sports a 2.6-inch screen that can display a 320 by 320 resolution. The handset will be capable of receiving push e-mail from corporate or personal accounts, and can hook into various instant messaging services.

Samsung's smartphone will also come preloaded with Pocket Office, which enables consumers to view Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files on the go.

To stay connected, the Omnia Pro will have Wi-Fi, EDGE, and 3G that can get up to 7.2 Mbps downlink speed. The handset also comes with Bluetooth 2.0, and a GPS chip that can be combined with cellular data for assisted-GPS services like location-based searches and navigation.

The Omnia Pro will be powered by Windows Mobile 6.5 Standard, which is the latest version of Microsoft's mobile operating system to be launched Oct. 6. The latest version of the software features various user interface improvements, and adds the My Phone backup feature to sync and store a user's contact information, photos, and more. Additionally, Windows Mobile 6.5 will offer customers a virtual store where they can browse, buy, download, and install applications over the air.

Samsung also said its other Omnia smartphones would also be upgradable to Windows Mobile 6.5 after it's released, but it did not say when this would be available. The new OS has been reworked to be more finger-friendly, which may be particularly useful for devices like the touchscreen Omnia II.

The latest Omnia Pro also has a multimedia player capable of using various audio and video codecs, an FM tuner, and expandable memory via the microSD slot. Samsung said the handset would be available in October for an unspecified price.

Most companies are just starting the hard work of mobilizing workforces by bringing the software they use to smartphones. InformationWeek analyzed this issue in an independent report, and it can be downloaded here (registration required).