This is the clash of the super AMOLED screened smartphones: the brand spanking new Android 2.3 powered Google Nexus S and our top pick for Windows Phone 7 devices, the Samsung Omnia 7. Click through to see how they stack up.
Screen and build
The point at which these two match up the closest is in the screen. Both have four inch super AMOLED screens, only the Google Nexus S has a slight curve to its tasty screen. You won’t be disappointed with either: both these smartphones have top notch screens, with colours that pop. Where the difference lies is in the build. The Samsung Omnia 7 has a dull black casing, and the Google Nexus S has a shiny piano black back similar to the casing on the Samsung Galaxy S but a lot less flimsy. While the metallic feel of the Samsung Omnia 7 feels good in your hand, the slight curve to the Google Nexus S makes it that little bit more appealing. This, added to its sturdiness, means the Nexus S wins.
Keyboard
One of the strongest features of Windows Phone 7 devices is the keyboard, and none more so than the Samsung Omnia 7. The Google Nexus S though, has the all new Android 2.3 keyboard. The new Android keyboard is a great improvement on existing Android keyboards, but still, even with the improvements, we found that there wasn’t quite the sense of space that there is on the Samsung Omnia 7, which has the same screen as the Google Nexus S.
Software
The Google Nexus S is running Android 2.3, the latest version of the Android operating system. Despite the hype, Android 2.3 is quite a modest upgrade, adding an imporved task manager, new keyboard, a few design tweaks and better support for games and video codecs. The Samsung Omnia 7 is running Windows Phone 7, which we’ve found is different, but isn’t quite the “glance and go” paradigm shift that it’s cracked up to be. The app displays do not add more glance and go, and are essentially glorified widgets. However, Microsoft has made a good job of pinch to zoom, the web browser, adn there’s also the added benefit of the Office hub. The real appeal of Windows Phone 7 though is how easy it is to use: in review, we said you’d be able to give it to your gran and she wouldn’t need long to work out how to use it.
Internal memory
The Google Nexus S has 16GB of internal storage, with no option to expand it via a microSD slot. The Samsung Omnia 7 comes with either 8GB or 16GB of internal storage, but doesn’t have a card slot. Even if the Samsung did have a card slot though, because of the way Windows Phone 7 locks to microSD cards, it’s hard to swap your expandable storage around.
Extras
The Google Nexus S has NFC tech which means that if the rest of the world catches up with Google, you could be paying for travel, dinner, and all sorts with your Google Nexus S. Another difference to consider between these two devices though, are the fact that Google Nexus S, by virtue of it being an Android device, has far more apps available than Windows Phone 7 too. Currently Android is pushing past the 100,000 mark, and Windows Phone 7, though making a valiant effort given the OS has only been around a couple of months, is thought to be running somewhere between the 4-10,000 mark.
Verdict
While the Samsung Omnia 7 is one of the best Windows Phone 7 devices, it can’t compete with the Google Nexus S, although it is cheaper. Both have great keyboards and brilliant screens, but the Google Nexus S wins for its extra tech, and for the enormous amount of content available through Android Market, that Windows Phone 7 just can’t compete with yet.
