The much talked about Samsung i900 smartphone will hit the shelf under the codename of Omnia and is supposed to pose competition to 3G iPhone expected to be announced on the 9th of June. As for the overall functionality the model ranks on a par with HTC Touch Diamond.

The gadget has Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional for an operating system, an excellent 3.2" WideQVGA screen (240x400 pixels), 5Mp autofocusing camera, integrated GPS unit.

The handset is only 12.5 mm thick; it goes without saying that the metallic parts make the exterior look fine. The two versions offered to the consumer will be supplied with 8 and 16GB onboard storage. One should also mention up to 16Gb microSD memory card support.

The phone is designed to operate in GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks; HSDPA 7.2 Mbps is available as well. Among the rest of the features of the new Samsung flagship are: an integrated accelerometer, WiFi, USB, FM-radio supporting RDS, stereo Bluetooth (A2DP).

Since Omnia is managed via the touchscreen, Samsung preinstalled the TouchWiz interface to be utilized on Windows Mobile.

The smartphone is going to enter the European market in June 2008, which is expected to concur with the launch of 3G iPhone.