28 September 2009

Samsung i8910 HD
Now With Kinetic Scrolling!

If you have the lustworthy Samsung i8910 HD, also known as the Omnia HD, you're one lucky duck! Everyone stares with envy at such a sexy, powerful device. But deep inside, you know its not perfect.

You see the N97 users flicking their browser screens, scrolling faster than the data on the Matrix, and you are filled with jealousy. Why can't the Sammy HD do a little flickery??

Well now it can! Our friends over in the Samsung i8910 HD Users forum are reporting a new firmware that includes kinetic scrolling. Firmware version I8910UZCII1, intended for devices for China Mobile, include the latest Nokia OSS Brower now present in the Nokia N97.

The version used is one of the fastest OEM mobile browsers available today, capable of rendering pages with Flash nearly as fast as the Flashless iPhone.

Be aware that this new firmware also changes the phone name recognized by PC Studio, the Samsung syncing suite, to GT-I8910U. This means you PC Studio support is broken until an update of the sync software is released, so keep that in mind before updating, and try it at your own risk/reward. It won't recognize backups from the device either, so its not all smooth sailing. I suggest backing up contacts to the SIM card or the cloud to be safe.

If you require any language other than English or a dialect from the Asian Pacific region, you might want to hold off on giving this a try. And unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be kinetic scrolling anywhere else other than the browser.

But guess what? The N97 doesn't either! So you can get your brag on for the time being, shine like a fresh pair of adidas shell toes, and show off for all of your friends with N97s. At least until October...