omnia 1 year on

well it has been very good.
it has however had to be replaced after the powerlead/earphone socket broke... and the replacement was one loaded with orange's awful software.

orange virtually ruined the phone by replacing the microsoft options with its own for messenger /email / maps and music.

that would be half ok, if orange messenger (based on the microsoft one) didnt actually cost money to have and use!! so you can if you know where to look find the microsoft "live" application but the orange software wont let it ever show in the program list. which means you have to set it as a toolbar on the main screen, and that messes up the look.

same with google maps. the default in the omnia software is gone, and orange preload a link to orange maps, which unless you have the latest high end plans (and not legacy high end plans even with the same name eg panther45) is a pay more to use product. luckily here the google application that brings in search, maps and email is easy to find online and download.

however orange really take the piss when you click on the installed buttons for orangemusic and orange email which you cant uninstall and have replaced the ones a normal omnia ships with... as neither actually work! they both take you to "no longer avaialble" website warnings.

this is the last orange phone i buy. i am likely to leave them too. their software and data plans are un competitive and cripple the phones they sell.