Social Bookmark

With quad band GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 2G network and HSDPA 850 / 1900 / 2100 3G network, the device is a complete package with intuitive accessibility and swift connectivity.

Class 10 (4+1/3+2 slots), 32 – 48 kbps GPRS, Class 10, 236.8 kbps EDGE and HSUPA 2 Mbps aids speedy data recovery and access.

It also features wireless Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g WLAN and Bluetooth feature with hi-speed USB connectivity. Run on Android OS v2.1 (Eclair), this HTC mobile phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHz processor.

Apart from calling service you can also SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email, and IM with HTML browser support.

You can also be socially active through Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and Google Talk featured by the phone. Equipped with an outstanding 8MP, 3264×2448 pixels auto focus camera makes this phone even better than many other dedicated cameras.

Extreme clarity of pictures, with LED flash allowing ample lighting in even dark surroundings, makes it a good companion for those who are passionate about photography. The device also features smile detection, geo-tagging and video function.

Available in grey and black colour, the handset is 117.6 x 58.4 x 11.9 mm in its dimension. It is expected to weigh just 130.1 grams. AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display of 16M colours and awesome 480 x 800 pixels makes the screen bright sharp and colourful.

The 3.7 inch screen features Sense UI, Multi-touch input method, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off and Optical trackball.

Speakerphone facility gives handsfree talking option. The phone comes with 3.5 mm audio jack included.

MP3, WAV ringtones and vibration are the sound alerts provided. Allowing unlimited number storage in its phonebook, the device features photocall. It also records unlimited number of call records. Along with an 8 GB internal memory, the space can be further expanded up to 16GB with micro SD card slot acceptance.

Stereo FM Radio with RDS, Games, MP3/eAAC+/WAV player and MP4/H.263/H.264 player feature allows all the entertainment you ask for. GPS support is extremely handy especially when you set out on a long drive.

Other features included are Java, Dedicated search key, Document viewer, Photo viewer/editor, Organiser, Voice memo/dial and T9.

Including standard Li-Ion 1300 mAh battery, for good long stand-by time as well as talk time, the HTC Incredible 8MP Camera Mobile Phone is sure to emerge as a winner in this neck to neck competitive gadget race!

This product seems to offer much, which is why I bought one – in reality it offers very little. And what it does do, it does so poorly as to make it virtually useless.

I liked the idea of owning a slim, neat looking unit that would hug my cars sun visor unobtrusively and could demount easily for security. I also liked the idea of a flip down screen to activate the unit and adjust the angle of view.

However – much like discovering the glittering, enticing toy you longed for at Christmas as a kid is in fact a disappointing sham, so I discovered that the Pama Omega is deeply flawed.

The biggest problem is the sound level. Fully charged and at maximum volume, the sound from the small, tinny little wafer thin speaker in this item is so quiet that I found myself – dangerously – having to lean forward in my driving seat to stick my ear next to the thing so I could hear what the other person was saying. And that was at moderate speed in a quiet executive class car. On a motorway there’s no hope at all. So, unless you’re only planning on using your Omega hands free in Tescos car park or standing still in a traffic jam, don’t even bother thinking about it. There’s just no way that such a small, battery powered speaker can physically compete with the sound level inside a car at speed. Interestingly, the unit comes supplied with a free plug in earpiece, so one suspects that Pama are aware of these issues. That said, an earpiece cable dangling in the way of your steering wheel is just dangerous and completely negates the object of this device! On the other end of the Omega everyone I tried calling complained of difficulty in hearing me so I ended up yelling at my sun visor and going hoarse in the process. No points for sound quality then.

Second problem is the overall execution of the design concept. Yes, it looks attractive. But no, it is not easy to use! The menu is accessed through one “multi-function” button. This navigates you through all the menus, sub menus and allows you to answer or reject calls. Being so small and fiddly (smaller than the end of my index finger), and placed on the non locking flip down panel means you risk flipping up the panel and turning the unit off whilst trying to activate it. So you end up with fingers behind the flap to keep it open whilst trying to press the button. Doing this whilst driving is unsafe, especially if you want to get into the complicated sub menus – it diverts too much attention. And press the volume button fractionally too long in your desperate attempt to raise the pathetic volume level and it will MUTE the volume instead.

The Omega also claims to be useable on a desk which on the face of it is a great idea. Some vendors claim that the screen display can be rotated 180 degrees for this purpose which if true would allow it to be layed flat with the microphone pointed towards the user and the screen flipped up at the rear to make it easily viewable. I can catagorically state – after reading the instruction book and telephoning Pama – that the display CANNOT be rotated. For desk use then, instead of the sensible idea of laying it flat you are forced to stand it up, using the fragile flip out screen as a make-do leg. Not only is this unstable but it risks damaging the flap and makes it impossible to use the buttons without picking up and moving the whole thing every time. Yet another design flaw.

All in all this has to be one of the most annoying, badly executed and over priced gadgets that I have ever had the unpleasant experience of making the sad mistake of buying. Pama need to ditch this whole product, go away and fundamentally re-design it. The design brief was probably good. What resulted after the designers got their hands on it though is emphatically not good! I am genuinely shocked that a company could even think about releasing such a flawed product onto the market! Especially when you look at the attractive alternatives available.

For the same or less money – if you shop around – you can buy a professional, wired, hands free kit with a touch screen, car radio mute and a powerful dedicated speaker that’s powered by the car battery. I recommend you either buy one of those, or for half the price go for a good quality little Bluetooth in-ear headset which is what I now use.

And Pama – shame on you!

______________________________________

Update:

It’s interesting isn’t it – this product hangs around for ages on Amazon without a single review. Then I post a negative report based on my experience. The vendors here immediately drop their prices and suddenly my review gets slammed by several negative votes and a pair of five star glowing reports follow soon after (interesting that they gloss over the points I raised!). Interesting too that neither reviewer has ever written a review prior to their newly found desire to heap wholesome praise on this product. If I were cynical I’d almost imagine there was a connection…

The bottom line is this – my review is a genuine and detailed one, honestly and accurately relating my experience. I have absolutely no relationship with anyone selling or producing phone accessories and I have no personal grudge against anyone. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest who you choose to believe or what you decide to buy. Just be aware before you part with money that one reviewer had genuine reasons to be unsatisfied with this product.
Rating: 1 / 5