In a shocking twist last week, Engadget highlights the brand new touch-screen phone from Samsung. Oh yeah - I remember hearing about that phone - the Omnia, right? Oh, no? Then it must be the Instinct…. or maybe the Delve? But I thought the Samsung touchscreen was the Glyde?

While all of these responses would be correct - those are ALL touchscreen phones from Samsung that have debuted in 2008 - the Samsung touchscreen of the week is the Eternity. Let’s see what this one has in store for us, and while we’re at it, let’s check the others out too.

The Eternity is the newest addition to AT&T’s touchscreen line-up. The biggest pro to buying the Eternity? It’s only $149.99 with contract, and the ease of online ordering. You can also purchase this one solo (without a plan) for $379.99. Take that, iPhone. Cons? No wifi and they ditched WinMo on the Eternity.

The Instinct is designed for the Sprint network. According to Phone Arena’s review of the Instinct, this is a subpar alternative to the iPhone, with an unimpressive 240×400 screen. This one isn’t all bad, though, with a 5MP camera and a “beautiful appearance”.

Behold something… er… different with this TMobile gadget. The coolest thing about this phone would have to be the range of colors it comes in. With both Espresso and Pink options, this is for the trendy, unique consumer that wants to hop on the touchscreen wagon.

The Omnia is equipped with top-of-the-line features, like a wide QVGA screen, up to 16GB of onboard storage, an accelerometer for automatic screen rotation, and an optical joystick for easy one-handed operation. Also loaded with WinMo, this is a pretty solid touchscreen phone. My biggest complaintis the external stylus that is intended to be tethered to the outside of the phone - totally voiding the sleek exterior.

The Delve is a CDMA touchscreen phone, filling an important void for Alltel and US Cellular. Preloaded with Toneroom, Facebook, Myspace, this relative of the Instinct seems to be a solid addition to Samsung’s extended touch screen family.

Verizon Wireless’s Glyde might be the most distant relative starring in this feature, but is a sleek, smooth, recently- debuted touchscreen nonetheless. With a full slide out tactile QWERTY keyboard, this phone is for those consumers who want the best of both worlds - the large screen and cool touch-ability of the iPhone with the texting and typing capabilities of a Blackberry.

A Little Diddy for the Samsung Omnia 

As talks of the Android phone are spinning around

And the HTC Diamond is gaining ground

Sammy brought its A-game with this new phone

The Samsung Omnia is the phone to take home 

A Glance at the Samsung i900 Omnia

Thanks to Engadget Mobile, we have some new information on the brand new Samsung Omnia.  It’s jam-packed with speed (although it won’t be on the 3G network!) and its specs are amazing.  Catch this … 7.2Mbps HSDPA 2100, quadband EDGE, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, 3.2-inch capacitive WQVGA touchscreen, GPS, Windows Mobile 6.1, WiFi, and 8 or 16GB of Flash with microSD expansion, all wrapped in a tight little brushed metal case.  The Samsung marketing team really put together a package unit for this one as it comes in a carbon fiber-looking case to make it “awe” worthy.  And is it ever.

Specs and Features Galore

Engadget Mobile did a full review and exploration of the Samsung Omnia.  Overall, the consensus was great and the user interface was something that other manufacturers have not tried … no stylus pen is going to be an adjustment for many smartphone users, but Samsung wanted to be different.  And sometimes different needs to be extreme.  Be proud Sammy, because you’ve done good. 

Morgan Stanley predicts that Apple iPhone sales will hit its greatest sales mark in 2009 by doubling current sales numbers.  With AT&T releasing the iPhone for $199 with a service plan, sales are expected to soar, especially with the upcoming release of the 3G iPhone (July 11).

Because of the expected growth, Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Apple Inc. shares from $185 to $210.  In a quote taken from PC Magazine by Reuter, the Investment Bank said, “We believe the market generally expects a doubling of iPhone units with the lower price point ($199) and we believe this is realistic, if not conservative.

Any Competition for Apple? 

Since the iPhone is the “apple of many people’s eye,” other manufacturers are continually trying to create a masterpiece that will be able to compete with the best.  In just two short days, Sprint will be releasing the Samsung Instinct into the arena to have a go-around with the iPhone.  The Samsung Instinct was originally projected to go for $299, and once the news that the iPhone would be available for the reasonable price of $199, Sprint took a shot at Apple and made the Instinct available for a mere $129.  Of course, all of these prices include two-year life binding contracts, but for the most part, they are worth it.

Future Smartphone Predictions

In my opinion, I believe Apple will carry the smartphone revolution for quite some time.  The innovative and creative people behind of Apple’s amazing innovations will continue to surprise us with technology we could not dream up.  Sprint will give Apple a run for its money with the price of the Instinct being so low, but most of the time, you pay for what you get … and Apple is usually worth it.