HTC Omega vs Nokia Sea Ray ~ GoAndroid

We take a look at a couple of Windows Phone 7 toting up-and-comers this time around, the Nokia Sea Ray and the HTC Omega

HTC is supposedly readying a next-gen Windows Phone 7 handset and if the leaked specs are to be believed, the Mango powered HTC Omega looks set for good, if not great, things.
But the Omega isn't alone as there are other Windows Phone devices on the horizon that look capable of pushing the platform to the next level, and foremost among them is Nokia's 'Sea Ray'.
So let's see which of these up and comers has the most to shout about. But before we continue lets remind ourselves that we're talking rumour here, people. Don't make your minds up quite yet - specs may well change before either of the two handsets reach the shops.

Display
Nokia's 'Sea Ray' is rumoured to feature an AMOLED display which will likely be protected by some of Corning's magic Gorilla Glass.
There's no indication yet of what screen size the device will offer, but if we were to place a bet it would be on a display of around 3.9-inches, allowing it to rival bigger screened Android's and the new iPhone 5.
The rumour mill has been kinder to us with the HTC Omega though. We're hearing that the device will feature a qHD display measuring 3.8-inches and we're pretty excited about the prospect. It's practical when you can pocket a device.
Winner - HTC Omega

Power
HTC's Omega looks to be a powerful device and the apparent offering of a 1.5GHz single-core CPU raises the bar nicely.
We aren't as convinced that the reported 512MB RAM is quite enough to push Windows Phone 7 into competition with the slew of Android devices on the market that offer twice that amount though, even though it's a more efficient operating system.
We aren't sure what power-plant Nokia has chosen for the 'Sea Ray', as no details have been leaked, but we can expect a CPU of at least 1GHz. Whether the company will make it a dual-core is anyone's guess.
If we were making a bet it would be that we'll see a 1.4GHz single-core CPU in effect in the device though.
If Microsoft is looking to maintain uniformity as it did with the first generation of WP7 devices we can also expect a paltry 512MB RAM from the 'Sea Ray' too.
Though we hope we're proved wrong in this respect.
Winner - HTC Omega

Form
As we reported a few days back, the HTC Omega looks similar to HTC's Flyer tablet, only in miniature.
The device is fairly minimalist but easy on the eye nonetheless.
Being HTC we're hoping to see some premium materials on show too. Anything but grey would be a bonus.
Nokia has chosen to do away with physical buttons for the 'Sea Ray', instead giving the device a completely clear fascia akin to the upcoming N9. It's also likely colour will be more prominent, which we'll leave to you to decide whether that's good or bad.
In addition to this similarity we're expecting the device to resemble the N9 in terms of measurements too; something along the lines of 116x 61x 12mm and 130-140g.
Winner - Draw

Software
Both the 'Sea Ray' and Omega run on Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 platform, specifically the new Mango update that's due soon.
Expect to see deeper social network integration, a unified inbox, built-in text-to-voice and voice-to-text support and a whole lot more to boot (Microsoft boasts over 500 new features).
Considering Microsoft's level of control freakery into account, don't expect a Sense UI skin from HTC.
Winner - Draw

Optics
If you're a mobile snapper then both of these device's should give you plenty to get excited about.
The Nokia 'Sea Ray' is rumoured to include an 8-megapixel primary camera, with autofocus, LED flash and 720p video capture, as well as a forward facing secondary camera too.
There's no word yet on whether Nokia will be continuing its long and bountiful partnership with Carl Zeiss for the 'Sea Ray'.
Similarly the HTC Omega is expected to offer an 8-megapixel primary camera, with LED flash and autofocus. We aren't sure whether we'll see 720p or 1080p video capture, though, we wouldn't bet against the latter.
The Omega also offers a front-facing camera for video-calling, which could tie-in nicely with Microsoft's acquisition of Skype, making it a unique handset.
How the photographic hardware is implemented will be key in this round, but judging on past victories (and defeats) we'd have to give the early nod to Nokia, as it just seems to know how to put together a smartphone camera package.

Winner - Nokia 'Sea Ray'
So it's a narrow victory for HTC's Omega.
The device looks to be a very interesting addition to the Windows Phone 7 ecosystem, and we're looking forward to seeing what the platform can do with all these great new hardware additions.
The 'Sea Ray' represents a great leap forward for Nokia, and we're eager to see what the Finnish giant do when allied with a company as large and experienced in its field as Microsoft.
Could this be the start of a beautiful friendship? Time will tell.