Like the Samsung Jet, the Samsung Omnia II is featuring Samsung's brand new TouchWiz 2.0 graphical user interface but unlike the Jet, which is running a Samsung propriety OS, the Omnia II is running Windows Mobile Professional 6.1 (and later 6.5). This means, Samsung had to overlay TouchWiz 2.0 on Windows Mobile and Samsung did a pretty good job. As of today, I haven't seen a GUI which hides Windows Mobile that much as Samsung's TouchWiz 2.0 interface.
While the original Omnia already ran on TouchWiz, version 1.0 was basically a Today screen replacement with some added applications. Now, with v2.0 Samsung went even further and replaced Microsoft's original but aged Windows Mobile user interface as much as possible. The result? A fresh UI on one of the most powerful operating systems.

The new Samsung Omnia II follows Samsung's latest touchscreen smartphone design-language and it looks quite similar to the Samsung Jet or even the Samsung Galaxy. All three devices feature a black glossy housing while the first two, the Omnia II and the Jet, don't sport a D-Pad anymore. The center button or cube is an action button only, it's even not an optical D-Pad as known from the first Omnia. Left and right to the action button are the call buttons and that's it with the main buttons on the front. On the left side, you will find the mobile phone typical volume rocker (which again acts as the zoom rocker for the camera) and on the right side the Omnia II sports the camera shutter, a kind of back and ok key and the display lock/unlock key.

The recently announced Samsung Omnia II GT-I8000 is Samsung's Windows Mobile successor to the original Samsung Omnia smartphone, one of the best selling Windows Mobile touchscreen phones ever. With the Omnia II, Samsung overhauled the original Omnia by adding the latest technology. While the initial release will run on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, Samsung will offer a free Windows Mobile 6.5 upgrade later. Running on an Samsung ARM 1176 based S3C6410 mobile application processor at 800 MHz (or 667 MHz, yet not 100 % confirmed), the Samsung Omnia II features quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE as well as triband UMTS/HSPA at 900/1900/2100 MHz with HSDPA up to 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA up to 5.76 Mbps. Furthermore the smartphone features Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi b/g, aGPS and an FM radio with RDS.

While the idea of UMTS routers isn't that new anymore (O2 launched its Surf@home router back in 2005), Novatel Wireless' MiFi is slightly different by providing broadband connectivity and giving the ultimate personal freedom. While essentially a mobile phone can do the same, acting as a modem for a PC, the MiFi goes a step further. Novatel Wireless' MiFi creates a personal cloud of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be easily shared between multiple users and WiFi-enabled devices. Featuring an internal battery providing over forty hours standby and up to four hours of active use on a single charge, the MiFi enables users to access high-speed Internet from anywhere there is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSPA connection, including moving vehicles where multiple passengers may need Internet access.

Following the previous two videoviews of Samsung's first Android smartphone, this videoview features the unboxing of the final Samsung Galaxy GT-I7500 which is available since this week from O2 Germany. While the previous two videoviews featured an early marketing sample with a pre-release firmware only, the Samsung Galaxy is now done and available; at least in Germany. The Galaxy isn't a "Google Experience Phone", like the T-Mobile G1 or the Vodafone HTC Magic, but you will not find any differences in terms of the Android user interface. The only real difference is, that neither Samsung nor O2 Germany will push firmware updates over the air but it has to be done by flashing the device through USB.