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Omnia 7 or not?

At the moment I'm balancing between Omnia 7 and Optimus 7. I haven't been able to feel Omnia live yet (today's the day I hope), and I've only had a quick touch with Optimus 7. I have to test them thoroughly myself, buying either one blindfolded is not an option.
So far I'm attracted by Optimus 7's physical buttons and smaller size; Omnia just sounds so huge compared to several other phones (not really comparable with non-smartphones, I know) but then again Galaxy S didn't feel that big when I got hold of one. Remembering LG's display, it wasn't that poor either but then again, I have yet to see Omnia's and compare them properly (maybe not exactly next to each other, otherwise the choice could end up too obvious)
What worries me the most is LG's lock key, which has a really bad placement and poor ease-of-use compared to Omnia's equivalent. Other thing I'm worried about is LG's buttons' build quality, having read here how they make clicky noises and such. One other thing that's confusing me is that can you really unlock Omnia using the Windows key exactly the same way the actual lock key would function (as long as the proximity and/or light sensors are not blocked)? And is it so that the LG has no similiar function? Software wise, how much (if any) software there is - official or less official (by that I mean the file system explorers, registry editors, etc) - for the other model but maybe not for the other? I haven't had the time to familiarize myself with all the custom software available yet.
Please share your thoughts of these two models if you've had the experience of using both, aspects I may have overlooked and so on. The only thing I give close to zero value is the camera. As I said, I hope to have some "quality time" trying them both later today in a store and end up with the other one, but any tips what I should be mindful of or especially sceptical with are most welcome!

Regarding size, according to this infographic the Optimus 7 is both taller and thicker than the Omnia7 (although not as wide) http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/files/2010/12/windows-phone-7-comparison-spec.jpg

Well I haven't tried LG, but I had a Galaxy S before. And about the size, they are actually almost 100% same size, except Omnia7 is just 1mm thicker and it has a sharper edges. It fits very well in my pockets. Build quality is also great in Omnia7.
And SuperAMOLED just looks awesome, especially with this UI. So far I have been very happy with this.

I have used both the Optimus 7 and Omnia 7, and I'd go for the Omnia 7 without ANY doubt.
What you say about build quality is true: The LG feels cheap, and not very sturdy or solid. The omnia 7 feels strong and 'premium', especially because of the metal back. It's large, but definitely not too big. The size comparison with Galaxy S is pretty similar, which shouldn't be surprising because they use exactly the same screen.
Talking about screens: the difference between the LG and Samsung is like day and night. The S-AMOLED on the Omnia is a lot brighter, with much nicer colors. Also, blacks are really BLACK on the Omnia. It's just great to see the black background 'blend' with the black surround the screen. It's as if its a single surface, if you get what I mean.
In the end it has to be your decision, but I would definitely suggest the Omnia 7.

Omnia 7 looks really good and classy. Personally, I did not like the look of the LG phone. I am first-time smartphone user and find Omnia7 a bit big to handle. Perhaps the HTC trophy is another you could consider (except if you are an avid gamer -- any many reports about its slow loading, owing to SD card storage).
Another thing to consider: Omnia has touch-sensitive back and find buttons, which maybe an annoyance for some people -- I have no problems (mostly).
Good luck with getting a shiny new WP7 phone! WP7 rocks!!!

Thanks for all the replies! I managed to get a good hour trying both (not at the same time, the models were security-locked on the opposite sides of one, huge, display stand and couldn't be taken next to each other so I kept going round the stand, hah!) yesterday.
I was already mentally prepared to grab myself the Omnia, but the more I played around with Optimus, the more I became convinced it would be the choice for me. The wideness isn't that big of a difference between the two, but the 5mm is just enough for my palm not to be able to grab and handle the Omnia properly (one handed, that is). I ended up going through every button and corner of the Optimus' screen properly with one hand, which I couldn't do with Omnia (buttons I could do, reaching the 'Back' with my thumb with only a little trouble, but not the entire screen). To be honest, this was an ability I wasn't expecting any bigger smartphone to have.
Omnia's screen was way superior compared to Optimus, but Optimus still wasn't bad at all. After a while, I also noticed that the responsivity of Optimus was somehow more natural and swift, even though Omnia's wasn't bad in any way. I remember Engadget comparing Optimus with HTC phones' "glancing blow" -like capacitive responsiveness I'm a friend with physical buttons as well, so that way Optimus still felt better, though I could live with Omnia's one physical and two touch buttons, but not with any HTC device.
LG's lock button is the biggest issue for me and that's the only thing still holding me back; it's just so f***ing tiny and poorly placed compared to Omnia's perfect solution (including the opening with Start-button which of course LG is missing). At the moment I'm looking though a selection of rubber and silicone casings for Omnia (surprisingly many available, not so many for LG) which could help with the firm grip - which is now crippled by the wideness. Only other things I couldn't get a feeling at all were call quality and the display visibility in sunlight (Omnia would own that one, but how bad would LG be), hopefully I have to make the choice on monday and still have a weekend ahead to continue to play with both. I hope the store won't kick me out for hanging around before that
Now that I think of the Engadget article again, they were quite right saying "It's hard to quite crown it the finest WP7 launch device -- after all, Samsung's Omnia 7 has a bigger and significantly better display -- but the LG Optimus 7 might just be the one we most enjoyed using."

After a long, long, long weekend of thinking, I'm now a proud owner of Omnia 7 The lock key on LG was eventually the final deal breaker for me, let's see how I get comfortable with extra the 0.5cm of wideness, heh!

haha, also got an Omnia because I can turn it on by pressing the Windows key (seems to be the only WP7 device to offer that) because I find that to be 100% more convenient.
Too bad it has an AMOLED screen, I really don't like the readability of small text on these...

Love my Omnia 7, best buy since HD2 from HTC
Sent from my OMNIA7 using Board Express

lapingultah said:
After a long, long, long weekend of thinking, I'm now a proud owner of Omnia 7 The lock key on LG was eventually the final deal breaker for me, let's see how I get comfortable with extra the 0.5cm of wideness, heh!
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Haha
I'm sure you won't regret it too much!
WP7 is nothing like WM6.5 where you really needed to hit those corners so accurately etc.
I find that WP7 is very well designed and most options and buttons are quite central rather than being on the edges of the screen so hopefully you won't have a problem with the extra width!
Look forward to interacting with you more on this board!
I'd recommend you get a case and a screen protector.
The case is really essential as the phone is randomly very very slippery...also it keeps the battery cover on when you do accidentally drop it!
and the screen is rather easy to scratch... I never put my phone with anything else in my pocket but still somehow managed to get 3 separate long scratches on the screen

Thinking of trading for an HD2, have questions....

I'm thinking of trading my Vibrant to someone for a HD2. I was wondering if there are any specific questions or areas of interest i should know about.

Dan_Brutal? You are leaving the Vibrant as well?
But back on topic, the only major issue with the HD2 is probably the dead digitizer issue where repreated use of the power button will break the ribbon connecting the touchscreen (power button sits directly above it). It is probably a good idea to get one with HTC warranty still intact.
As for speed, the Vibrant and HD2 on Android are about the same. The GPU on the Vibrant is much better so the Gingerbread launcher will be much much smoother. The HD2 has a glitch with multitouch while gaming where the screen will go crazy when detecting two points on the same horizontal axis (driver issues).
The screen quality on the Vibrant is definitely better, but for web browsing the larger screen on the HD2 wins. Keep in mind that blacks will resemble more of a dark gray and that viewing angles are fairly poor on the HD2. I personally did not notice a difference between the Pentile on the Vibrant and the RGB stripe matrix on the HD2.
The Vibrant's camera is better, no comparison.
And as you know, the HD2 can dual boot (select from WM, Android, and/or WP7).
Unless you are getting a good deal of cash with the trade, then it probably isn't worth it right now. You may as well keep the Vibrant and wait for the Nexus 3.

I have to say I know absolutely nothing about the Vibrant but I noticed shortly after it was released a huge number showed up on Craig's List in my area, not usually a good sign.
I have a HD2, it's an OK phone as is, better with an Android NAND IMHO.
As always, YMMV.

HD2 is an great device if you like to tinker.. Not the best hardware available for a phone right now but probably the most flexible (as in running various platforms) device ever made by HTC.

HTC Amaze or Samsung GSII

just trying to see where you guys (Hd2) owners will go next. Please let us know where will you go and why?
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA Premium App

Sensation if and when my carrier stock it cos Samsung software is worse than HTC's

HTC Sensation XE most likely.

Saw both in store today.
The GS2 is significantly lighter than the Amaze. In that department, it's definitely easier to hold and use for longer periods.
The Amaze has the better camera hands down. It's not just the software, the optics is larger than the GS2.
I played with both in the store for about 20 minutes. I was literally torn.
I noticed with the GS2, that there would still be the occasional stutter. Do the "zoom out" function in the homescreen by using two finger pinch. When the cards are being displayed, you'll see the stutter. The GS2 screen is definitely very colorful, but I noticed some banding on the wallpaper. I'm not sure if this is due to the image, or due to the drivers, or due to the limitations of Android's color system. I didn't see this with the Amaze 4G. It might be the case that LCD hides these bandings better whereas the Super Amoled Plus screens just makes it more prominent.
The GS2 is not usable with a single hand. It is unlikely that the majority of users in the population will be able to reach the corner farthest away from their thumb comfortably without the phone slipping at some point or the other. This is something to keep in mind.
Lastly, know that the GS2's screen technology might have some issues. A family member of mine had the european GS2. Within 2 months there was a "burn-in" (Or rather, fading of a single LED color) due to always leaving a static image of the same color on the screen for prolonged periods. I don't know if they've resolved this in the T-Mobile version. I was just surprised that something like that happened on the European version within 2 months of use. Maybe in this regard, it might be wiser to go with the tried-and-true tested LCD tech.
Just my thoughts. I'm personally very impressed with the Amaze's camera (the Amaze's version of the panaromic shot vs the GS2's panaromic shot is not even a contest as the Amaze wins hands down) and the machined design of the phone. However, the lightness and color pop of the GS2 was also very appealing.
Right now, I can't make up a choice between the two so I'm probably just going to pass on them and wait on the Nexus Prime. I hate to pick a phone when I have two almost identical competing choices as I would have buyer's remorse. Lawl.
Good luck to all of you who pick one or the other. I just can't see anyone going too wrong with either.

[Q] Do you believe that Samsung is panicking?

http://androidcommunity.com/galaxy-...is-at-samsung-according-to-employee-20130709/
I ran across this earlier today and it seems like something Samsung would never think about doing. Do you think they would consider doing this? Wouldn't it make it harder for Samsung to achieve a good brand recognition and send Samsung back to where they were before the Galaxy S3 came out (when no one really knew what a Samsung phone looked like)? Would you buy a Samsung phone if they did this?

It's the carriers. I see almost no advertisements by them. Best example was when the phone first came out, I saw nothing by AT&T. I walked in and it seemed like it wasn't even launch day.
Selling a bunch of other models would be a bad choice in my opinion. Improving the build of their one flagship device might make a difference. I for one would like a strong mid-body that wont flex (lets make the phone a bit thicker, please). Perhaps a metal band around the phone (or at least nearby the glass, I already scuffed up the front plastic ring).
What I don't want is something like the GS4 Active, great concept that will work for some, but ugly and not simple.
If they can make their devices even more physically appealing and have the carriers push them more, they'll sell more. This phone is too much like the GS3 that is running for zero down.... or so it seems to most of the population, one that doesn't know what a Full HD Super AMOLED versus an HD Super AMOLED. One that sees the two and find the slightly smaller and lesser as a better buy.
Just my 2 cents.

my GF and i were discussing this earlier. from a marketing standpoint, we can see 3 variants working best (psychology and marketing background on her part), like the S4 active, S4 zoom, and S4 mini. i would actually roll the S4 into the Active, and make that the standard model. Turn the S4 mini into a 4.3" 720P with less sensors and detuned processor with 1.5GB of RAM and 8/16GB storage, apply the S4 mini specs to the S4 zoom, and then I would can the 'active' label, and make the IP67 rating standard on the 'flagship' model, throw in the missing sensors from the S4 proper, and there you have a more ideal lineup.
So basically...
S5 mini 720P with lower proc, ram, and storage aimed at women and sell it for $50 less
S5 Zoom with above stated specs for same as 'S5' price
S5 with max stats and IP67 rating.
AMOLED screens CAN be secured against water damage to IP67 specs.

One Plus 5 dropped the bezel ball

Good grief. It's got Pixel sized bezels!
The good old Galaxy Note 3 was so far ahead of its time when it came to minimal bezels.
Galaxy finally has small bezels again but no root for US phones. Or LOS/AOSP ROM's.
OnePlus 5 had a chance to swoop in but dammit if the bezels and phone with its 5.5" screen are still bigger than the old Note 3 with it's 5.7" screen.

I really don't like this bezelless trend. I've played with the G6, S8 and owned the note 2-5.
Screens are delicate enough, and good tempered glass has only become harder to find since this curved screen craze has shown up. We don't need any help with making our phones any more delicate, thanks.
Not trying to flame you in anyway, I just honestly think we do not need bezelless displays.

Bezel-less is a gimmick. Looks good from a design aspect but the functionality isn't 100% there since black bars when watching Videos/VR Apps/OS have to be made to work
Also 1+ tries to keep the cost of their devices to a minimum and in a video they did mention they'd use a bezelless display but currently wasn't in a position to do it

In future we will all have them folding phones, but till then phones should retain a minimum amount of bezel, because its more functional that way, phones like S8 are a disaster. Those who actually use it know it. At the same time the size of bezel on the Pixel is an abomination.
I don't know why OP created the OnePlus topic though, liked their first attempt, second one was cooler, third one was the best from them and now this one is simply pathetic. Not that I buy these sort of phones (brand I mean here) but still, not everyone is gonna, or should land a U11 or a Pixel anyway.

ithehappy said:
In future we will all have them folding phones, but till then phones should retain a minimum amount of bezel, because its more functional that way, phones like S8 are a disaster. Those who actually use it know it. At the same time the size of bezel on the Pixel is an abomination.
I don't know why OP created the OnePlus topic though, liked their first attempt, second one was cooler, third one was the best from them and now this one is simply pathetic. Not that I buy these sort of phones (brand I mean here) but still, not everyone is gonna, or should land a U11 or a Pixel anyway.
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I use the S8+ and it is far from a disaster for my usage. That's just my opinion though.

MrWilsonxD said:
I really don't like this bezelless trend. I've played with the G6, S8 and owned the note 2-5.
Screens are delicate enough, and good tempered glass has only become harder to find since this curved screen craze has shown up. We don't need any help with making our phones any more delicate, thanks.
Not trying to flame you in anyway, I just honestly think we do not need bezelless displays.
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I completely agree.
I have larger hands than most and need some surface area other than the screen to hold on to.

parakleet said:
I completely agree.
I have larger hands than most and need some surface area other than the screen to hold on to.
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Same, I'm 2 meters tall with hands just as freakishly large, while I am no advocate for Xperia size bezels *Twitches* or pixel xl sized bezels *Shudders* I would much rather see some front firing speakers than this bezeless craze continue.
I just generally upset with where phones are going right now... I felt like last year we got so many awesome upgrades,
The Moto Z play keeping it conssitent with amazing battery life and a success at modularity.
The Honor 8 bringing dual cams in. (Even though this was not the first android phone to do this, I think the honr 8 was the first one that picked up a lot of steam.)
The S7 (I can't believe I said this, I dislike samsung, but I have to get them their credit) but water resistance, wireless charging, good camera, micro sd all in one package!
The Axon 7 filling in the gap for htc with their identity crisis, bringing the best front firing speakers with the same processor and screen resolution as flagships of that year..
The Pixel (Price way too high, I know..) but it's Google's Foray to inject their product to more people.
LG, with... Hah, wait, no they still ate it in 2016.
Then processors for 2016, I felt there was such a huge jump from the 810 to the 820. With performance and heat.. To me it seemed like manufacturers were trying to improve the usability of their phones, with this year, we are killing headphone jacks and trying to get bezelless phones that are wafer thin. I would much rather have a phone with a larger battery or more room for heat dispersion than a phone that would break if I accidentally sat on it wrong.
I'm not trying to discredit anyone's desires here, I just feel like focusing on bezels is so... Secondary.. It's aesthetics, I thought we should just leave that for Samsung and Apple to chase, (And LG to pretend they can catch up)

Smaller bezels = smaller phone. I want the smallest phone possible with a LARGE screen.
That Note 3 was just damned perfect.

CZ Eddie said:
Smaller bezels = smaller phone. I want the smallest phone possible with a LARGE screen.
That Note 3 was just damned perfect.
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I agree. Not sure Samsung's goal was specifically for a bezeless phone, but more likely to put the biggest screen possible on the smallest chassis they could build. In that respect, I love the trend. I'm not fond of cutting the screen a la the essential phone to decrease phone size

I'd be happy with a phone the same size as the Pixel with the same bezels. Better battery, SD card slot, waterproof, good camera, and unlockable bootloader.

aholeinthewor1d said:
I'd be happy with a phone the same size as the Pixel with the same bezels. Better battery, SD card slot, waterproof, good camera, and unlockable bootloader.
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I know it's probably a lost cause but i am hoping they keep the AUX jack as well.

Besides curved edges and delicate display concerns the thing that bothers me about the bezeless design trend is that the more they reduce the bottom bezel the further down on-screen keyboard becomes. This results in more stress to my hand when swipe typing which is my primary input method on my phone. On the S8 it's not too bad since the phone is narrow and I can reach the lower corners of the keyboard fine when holding one handed but on the S8+ stretch becomes more pronounced and I suspect long stints of texting will be an issue for me.