The Samsung Omnia Pro is a Windows Mobile 6.5 powered smartphone offering a wide range of features and applications, including Samsung's Widgets home screen functionality.

The Widgets feature enables users to have fast access to a selection of applications, functions and online services direct from the phone's home screen. Widgets are mini applications, represented by onscreen icons, which can be used to control certain apps directly, or as shortcuts to open particular functions. Just press a Widget on the homescreen and you can start using the associated app or feature.

As many Widgets as you like can be added to the home screen and repositioned as much as you like. Widgets can be easily changed and moved onscreen, so you can swap around your onscreen Widgets configuration whenever you like with just a few finger presses.

A few Widgets are set up on the home screen out of the box. A wider selection of Widgets available for you to add to the home screen are displayed in a pop-out Widgets toolbar, which appears on the left side of the display with a quick press of the screen. (Not all available Widgets are initially shown in the toolbar, however, and more supported by the phone can be added by using a Widget Manager app.)

The home screen is set up as three co-joined panels you can move between with a sideways finger swipe, which gives plenty of space for Widgets; if you wish, you can 'theme' these three home screen panels to certain types of feature (such as 'work',  'entertainment' and 'personal'), but what you add and how you use Widgets  is entirely up to you...

Here's how to set up and use Widgets:

Setting up Widgets on the home screen

1. From standby, press a free part of the Samsung Omnia Pro's home screen.
2. The Widgets toolbar appears on the left of the display. The icons in the toolbar represent the individual Widgets you can add to the home screen.
3. Scroll up and down the toolbar to view Widgets by pressing and slowly dragging your finger up or down; alternatively, you can scroll quickly by flicking your finger up or down and releasing it from the screen.
4. To add a Widget to the home screen, press the icon you want to use in the toolbar and drag it onto a free part of the home screen. Take your finger off the screen to drop it in place. It now appears onscreen.
5. You can add as many widgets as you like to to any part of the home screen. You can also drag back to the toolbar any Widgets you no longer want displayed on the home screen.
6. To hide the toolbar, press the screen again. Alternatively, if you wait a few seconds the toolbar will automatically close, leaving the widgets displayed on the homescreen.

Adding more Widgets to the toolbar

Not all the Widgets available on the phone are initially displayed on the toolbar. However, there is a Widget Manager function that can be used to either add more wigdets to the toolbar or remove the ones you don't wish to use.

Usefully, Samsung has included a Widget Manager shortcut at the top of the toolbar.

1. Press the display to open the Widgets toolbar.
2. Press the Widgets Manager icon - it is initially at the top of the toolbar (it resembles a list with a cog next to it).
3. In a few moments the Widget Manager opens. It comprises a list of Widgets you can select. The Widgets that are ticked are already available from the toolbar.
4. Press an unticked Widget to make it appear on the toolbar, or press a ticked Widget to untick it so it's no longer shown in the toolbar.
5. Scroll down to see the full list of Widgets available. When you've made your selection, press Done to exit the Widget Manager.
6. The next time you open the Widget toolbar, the changes you made to the displayed Widgets will be implemented and any new Widgets displayed in the toolbar.

Downloading more Widgets

You can also download new widgets directly from Samsung. A More Widgets widget is available on the toolbar which can take you to new Widgets. You can then browse and download new widgets.

1. In the same way outlined above, open up the Widget toolbar and drag the MoreWidget widget onto the main part of the display.
2. A warning about potential network charges appears. Press OK.
3. The More Widgets Widget appears onscreen. You can search by Category, Top Recommended, Most Downloaded and Latest, or do a text search.
4. Press the appropriate panel and browse using the touchscreen controls on the Widget panel until you find the Widget you'd like to download. Press to select.
5. You are taken to Samsung's Widget download site, where you can zoom in to view more details of the Widget. Press Download.
6. The new Widget will be downloaded and added to your Widget toolbar. A message appears to confirm it has been downloaded. Exit the browser when you are finished downloading.
7. The new Widget has been added to your Widget toolbar and will appear in the toolbar when you open it.
8. You can now drag the new Widget from the toolbar on to the home screen.