NewDawn.fi has an informative (and funny) video comparing the newly released beta of Opera Mobile 9.7 with its predecessor, Opera Mobile 9.5, and Skyfire.

Not surprisingly, there are tradeoffs. Here’s the CliffNotes version. Opera Mobile 9.7 and Skyfire do substantial processing of the web page on the server (as opposed to on the Windows Mobile client) and then send a highly compressed version of the web page to the client (less bandwidth). The result is they’re faster than Opera Mobile 9.5. Between them, Opera Mobile 9.7 if faster, and also does a better job than Skyfire of rendering the page. However, Skyfire supports flash, Opera Mobile 9.7 doesn’t.

I learned a lot from the video, as well as had a few laughs. You may too!

Source: wmpoweruser.com

This post’s title (and the picture) are taken from an wmpoweruser.com article of the same name. The article compares the just-released Omnia PRO B7610 we just discussed in Samsung Omnia II + Pro B7610 with an already available (in Europe anyway) device of the same form factor, the HTC Touch Pro 2. The article has a detailed comparison table. The verdict? Read the article! Actually, since different people give different weight to different characteristics (especially a tilt screen), the winner would depend on you. Interesting article on two impressive devices.

Son of Sam(sung) and X1 + 1 told you about  the upcoming Samsung Omnia II. It’s no longer upcoming. It’s announced. And MobileBurn already has photos and a video (including the photo on the left). The Omnia II has a 3.7” AMOLED WVGA (480×800) resistive touch screen and Samsung’s TouchWiz 2.0 user interface. The underlying OS is Windows Mobile 6.1, which will be upgradable to 6.5. The Omnia II is coming to Verizon. For more details, check out Samsung I8000 Omnia II preview: First look.

The Omnia II isn’t the only new Samsung phone. There’s also the OmniaPRO B7610. And again MobileBurn already has photos and a video (including the photo on the right). This phone’s  has a 3.5” AMOLED (resistive) touch screen is also AMOLED and only slightly smaller, 3.5”. However, unlike the Omnia II, the OmniaPRO B7610 has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Its OS also is Windows Mobile 6.1, upgradable to 6.5. I’m not sure currently which U.S. carrier will be getting this phone.

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Just as the hoopla over the Palm Pre and the 3GS refresh of the iPhone is fading, large-screen refreshes of two popular Windows Mobile phones are hitting the web.

First, the Samsung Omnia i900 is being succeeded by the Omni II aka GT-18000 (picture from Engadget Mobile). The specs (with my brief comments in parentheses):

HTC makes many of the Windows Mobile phones. HTC used to make phones which then were sold under another brand. However, in recent years HTC has been selling phones under its own name.

Coming to America – Large Screen WinMo Phones discussed two upcoming large screen HTC phones, the Touch Pro 2  and its sibling, the Touch Diamond 2. However, there are three other large screen HTC phones just a bit further back in the pipeline. Given their August- September 2009 availability, they’re almost sure to have a Windows Mobile 6.5 OS or at least be upgradeable to 6.5. This article will summarize the information in the following articles:

• HTC 2009 roadmap gets updated, now we’ve got the specs
• HTC Leak 2009 part 2 – the details! (source of the pictures)
• Analysis of HTC Leak, Part 2

Whitestone

This 3.6" WVGA display is going to Verizon, but it may be a World Edition, with dual-mode GSM/CDMA support. Under the hood: 528 MHz Qualcomm 7600 processor, 512MB of ROM and 256MB RAM.  Interestingly, this device has a kickstand to prop it up for easier viewing. 

This device is an option since, with my BlackBerry Storm, I’m now a VZW Wireless customer. However, I’m also an AT&T Wireless customer (my small contribution to stimulating the economy), so another option is the …

Firestone

This GSM only device (hence my mention of AT&T) may be the successor of the HTC Touch HD. The Firestone has the same 3.6" WVGA display and memory as the Whitestone. Another is its processor is more powerful, the 600 MHz Qualcomm 8250. The Firestone also is the first HTC device to have an 8-megapixel autofocus camera (the camera in the other two devices is 5 megapixels). Per Analysis of HTC Leak, Part 2: “… the Whitestone eschews the Firestone’s touch sensitive buttons for actually physical buttons on the bottom (notice the gap/spacing between the buttons).”

While the Whitestone and Firestone appear to be competitors, the third and final device, while it can be used as a phone, really is more of a MID, and indeed one long familiar to me …

Thoth

The Thoth (named after an ancient Egyptian god BTW) is the successor to my my HTC x7500 Advantage (aka Athena) and the x7510. Its 4.8" WVGA screen is slightly smaller but has a higher display resolution than the Athena’s 5” VGA.  Memory is 512MB ROM, 256MB RAM. But the processor is a beast — the1GHz Qualcomm 8250 Snapdragon!

Since I already have a perfectly good phone (my BlackBerry Storm), my current focus is on the Thoth to replace my still serviceable but aging Athena.

I like large screen (> 3”) phones. Until recently there have been few Windows Mobile choices in that category for those of us in the US. The HTC Touch HD was released a few months ago with a 3.8” screen. However, it lacked support for North America 3GSM frequencies, and HTC indicated there would not be a US model. I recently wrote about the Toshiba TG01 and its 4.1” screen. However, I updated that post with information that it too may not support North America 3GSM frequencies.

Where is the (North America UMTS frequency) love? Well, it is coming …

The ASUS P385 has a 3.5” WVGA (800 x 480) screen, with ASUS’ proprietary Glide interface. And yes, the P385 supports AT&T’s GSM and UMTS frequencies, as well as HSUPA (7.2Mbps download!).

The P385 has a Qualcomm 7201A 528MHz processor. That’s OK,  but isn’t the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor in the TG01.

Otherwise, the P385 is fully loaded. Memory consists of 4GB Internal Storage + 288MB SDRAM + 256MB ROM, with a MicroSD/SDHC expansion slot. The P385 also has WiFi (b+g), Bluetooth (2.0) and GPS (AGPS).

One unknown is whether ASUS, like some other manufacturers, will support an upgrade of the P385’s OS version from 6.1 to 6.5 when 6.5 becomes available. I’m not saying it won’t, and I expect it will. I just haven’t yet found any confirmation that it will.

Size and weight: 115 x 59 x 13.9 mm; 148 grams. 

The P385 has a similar form factor to the just-released HTC Touch Diamond 2, which has 3.2” WVGA 800 x 480 screen. However, I haven’t yet seen confirmation that the Touch Diamond 2 will support North America 3GSM frequencies, though I’d guess that it would, since its HTC Touch Pro 2 sibling (covered below) will.

Both the P385 and the Touch Diamond 2 lack a hardware keyboard, which is included in the next two devices, beginning with the …

… Acer M900, which has an even larger (3.8”) WVGA (800 x 480) screen, with Acer’s proprietary interface. The M900 also supports AT&T’s GSM and UMTS frequencies, as well as HSUPA.

The M900 has a Samsung S3C 6410 533 MHz processor. Again OK, but … I guess my expectations have been raised by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor in the TG01.

Memory is 128 MB RAM / 256 MB ROM, not quite as good as the P385. Otherwise, similar specs to the P385; MicroSD/SDHC, WiFi (b+g), Bluetooth (2.0) and GPS.

The OS is 6.1, but is upgradeable to 6.5!

Size and weight: 119 x 62 x 17.1 mm, 188 grams. Larger and heavier than the P385 because the M900 has a slide-out keyboard. Unknown if the screen tilts up, like the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and …

… the HTC Touch Pro 2, which has a 3.6” 800 x 480 screen. HTC confirms Touch Pro2 for the US  answers the question of US availability. Specs are otherwise similar to the other two devices; Qualcomm MSM7200A 528 Mhz processor, 256MB RAM / 512MB ROM, MicroSD/SDHC, WiFi (b+g), Bluetooth (2.0) and GPS. Apparently the 6.1 OS is upgradeable to 6.5.

Size and weight: 116 x 59.2 x 17.25 mm, 175 grams. A bit smaller and lighter than the M900, probably because of the slightly smaller screen.

One other possible differentiation with the M900 — the HTC propaganda overview touts the Touch Pro 2’s superior conference calling availability. In the picture, it does look like a real small laptop, doesn’t it?

I’m sure we’ll learn more about these devices in the days (or weeks or months) to come. But at least those of us in North America now will have access to at least some of the high-end, large screen WinMo devices as do our European cousins!

Windows Mobile has been bashed a lot lately. But one of WinMo’s major advantages is the diversity of available software. Now WinMo offers hope for us lonely nerds. New Year’s Eve Spirit Uses Female Artificial Intelligence and Wants to be Your Friend (the source of the picture) reports free software that chats with you using a female voice. A virtual GF (girlfriend) of sorts?

The article warns: “You have to be careful though, with what you say to her, since the application is based on Teksoft’s STEB Engine so it can learn new words in any language from the user. You wouldn’t like to have a friend that constantly swears, would you?”

And yes, the female face on the picture is part of the actual application!