1844 replies to this topic

[Jason LeBlanc]

I've had an iPhone 3GS since the day it was launched in June of 2009. It's was great for a while but is shit now - always dropping calls, people call me and it won't even ring, web pages come up slow, my silence button doesn't work, all kinds of other problems.

My plan had been to tough it out till June, check out the iPhone 5 specs, and either get that if it looks amazing, or get a different phone if I felt there was one better for me than the iPhone 5. However, between the fact that my phone is dying NOW, and that the iPhone 5 has been pushed back till September, I'm very likely to be getting an Android phone sometime real soon.

I don't really consider an iPhone 4 an option because it's basically a year old phone and there have been a lot of smartphones released since then that have surpassed it in just about every way.

Basically it looks to me like the two best phones out now are:

HTC Inspire on AT&T
and
HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon

The upcoming HTC Sensation on T-Mobile looks to be even better than both of those, but I can't see myself switching to T-Mobile....I just never hear anything good about T-mobile, and half my friends have AT&T and the other half Verizon so I'd rather be on one of those. Which is a shame cause the Sensation looks, well, Sensational

I dunno. Just curious if anyone has any of those phones, or has any other good smartphones to recommend. I haven't investigated the Samsungs or LGs out there or anything, etc. I am pretty much 100% sure I want a 4.3" screen phone, whatever I get. The iPhone's screen seems tiny and pathetic after I played with the Inspires and Thunderbolts in the mall this weekend!

[Koray Savas]

The seller in me will suggest you get whatever phone you're looking at from Best Buy. You can get the Buy Back on it, so when the iPhone 5 comes out you can sell it back for 50% of what you paid.

[Jason LeBlanc]

The phones themselves are cheap (Inspire and Thunderbolt both $99.95), its the 2 year contracts they lock you into that you can't get out of, especially if I want to switch carriers (I'd never get a Verizon iPhone 5 because you can't talk and surf at the same time)

Also I read that the iPhone 5 is just going to be a small upgrade to the iPhone 4 without any massive new features anyway. Plus it's only going to have a 3.7" screen. I can't imagine I'll desire it at all

[Blumenkohl]

Samsung Galaxy S2.

I don't really consider an iPhone 4 an option because it's basically a year old phone and there have been a lot of smartphones released since then that have surpassed it in just about every way.

Mmmm...not sure about that. You're still not gonna beat the iPhone in terms of software and ecosystem.

HTC Inspire on AT&T
and
HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon

No.

[Jason LeBlanc]

What do you like about the Samsung Galaxy over the HTC options? (I haven't played with one yet)

[Blumenkohl]

Interface, interface, and interface.

Of the non-original Android interfaces, I think Samsung's is a little bit more logical and well laid out, if a bit on the colorful side. It's also closest to the Android mother interface. I still think Google's vanilla interface is the best though. The HTC Sense interface very....sharp looking, but it's very...how do I put it...it's fluid on a technical graphical level, but it lacks smooth flow...on a usability level.

I'd probably rank interface as 1) iOS, 2) Google's Android 3) Samsung 4) HTC.


I still think at this point...if you can wait it out, or get a cheap phone to carry you through it's worth it to wait for the Galaxy S2 (excellent!) or the iPhone 5.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Oh, the Galaxy S2 is not out yet? When is it due?

I haven't read anything about the iPhone 5 that excites me yet. 3.7" screen, really? I am hopeful they blow me away, but it seems like they have a lot of catching up to do and not a lot of time left to do it.

EDIT: Did my own research. Samsung Galaxy S2 is not coming out in the US till Q3, and its another T-Mobile exclusive Why are they getting all the best phones? I'd really like to stick to AT&T or VZ!

[Blumenkohl]

Q3 could mean anything from Summer to September. But yeah, you're basically sitting on the cusp of all these great phones about to come out. I would say...not the best time to upgrade.

[Jason LeBlanc]

There are always better smart phones about the come out, the technology moves too fast. At some point I have to just bite the bullet.

[Blumenkohl]

As for smaller screens, they're much more compatible with jeans in my experience, not by much, but enough to be more discrete when stuffing it in and taking it out.

One thing I do think Android (all Android phones) need to work on is multi-touch precision...and we do a lot of testing on this (because in gaming precision and accuracy on the interface is important) and for some reason the digitizers on their screens are a little on finicky side.

I think it's a software issue...because Samsung supplies iPhone screens...yet their own devices have the finicky problem.

[Quint]

I've been so completely brainwashed by the masterful excellence that is iOS, that I have developed a natural dislike of all mobile operating systems which pretend to be as good, including the 'decent' Android OS. Touchscreen technology too, pales in comparison (a biggie, for me).

This is why I use a phone which cost me a fiver, but do everything else on iOS via other far less extortionate methods.

Oh yes, I'm one shrewd mofo.

[Blumenkohl]

Apple's attention to detail is certainly unmatched as of yet. It's really incredible, and at the same time it makes it a bitch to explain why something like the iPhone is superior to everything else on the market right now.

Let's take the issue of basic security for example: you set a passcode lock on your Android phone. You want to unlock it...you have a pattern that you need to trace on the screen. Great! That's a nifty and cool way of unlocking your phone! Right?

Except that it's a touch screen phone. And it accumulates oil. So what happens when you repeatedly smudge the same pattern to unlock your phone through the oil? I come pick up your phone, hold it up to the light and trace the smudge and I have access to everything on your phone.

[Koray Savas]

That, and just in general I would never lock my phone. If if lose it, I wouldn't want the good samaritan who may find it to not be able to contact me.

[Trent Bennett]

I've had the Droid Eris and when Verizon (finally) announced the iPhone I could not wait to switch. I mean there are SOME things about the Droid Eris that I liked a bit better than the iPhone. The GPS comes to mind with this. It always seemed like the GPS on the Droid Eris was a bit more accurate than on the iPhone. Even my friend Joe who had a Droid Incredible before getting the iPhone agreed with me on this. It never quite showed the exact location and such for things on the iPhone like it did with the Droid phones.

However I will agree that the iPhone is in terms far superior. I don't need the latest model of phone like most people do so I'll be happy with the iPhone 4 until I can upgrade in 2 years.

I know some people complain the fact that you can't do voice and data at the same time with the iPhone on the Verizon network. Honestly, I only did that maybe what one or two times when I had my Droid Eris? So it does very little for me. Also if I'm by a computer or have access to one, if I need to look up anything I'll use the computer. No point in wasting my phone's battery to do something I can easily do on a computer.

Overall I'm very happy I made the switch to the iPhone. I don't think I could ever see myself switching back to another phone after finally having the iPhone.

[Blumenkohl]

You know, honestly, I can't figure out why GPS is the way it is. There are days...sitting in my house it pinpoints me to the room and if I walk around it follows me.

There are other days it's off by 20-30 yards and doesn't budge until I drive out of the neighborhood.

I think it may have to do with the positioning of the satellites at any given time and what the weather is like.

[Trent Bennett]

I think it may have to do with the positioning of the satellites at any given time and what the weather is like.

That's a good possibility.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Here are my thoughts on iOS. It was indeed very good and at the top of its game for a while, but its been surpassed.

What I dislike most about it is that it's just screen after screen of a blocky grid of icons. That's it. Your home screen is a grid of icons. Scroll to the right and you have another grid of icons. Its all just blocky grids of icons! The only thing you can change is the background image. Woopdedoo.

I absolutely love that on Android you can customize each screen exactly the way you want. I love I can have it show me the weather on one of the screens. I love that I can update my facebook status directly from another without launching a facebook app. I love that I can see a mini list of new texts and emails at the top of whatever screen I'm in. On iOS I have to scroll around, find my facebook app icon, launch that, wait for it to come up, click on profile, then finally can update my status. Then to check the weather I have to close out, scroll till I find my weather icon, wait for that to load up, then I can see the weather. Sports scores, go find the ESPN app, wait for that. Etc

I also like that I can kill all my running apps at once on Android, instead of having to double-click the home button, then hold my finger down on the screen one of the icons until it starts wiggling, then just sit there tapping the tape spot over and over again until all apps are killed. I also like that when the screen is off, I can get lights that blink to let me know if I have a new email or whatever on an Android. On an iPhone, it just sits there giving me no information whatsoever until I pick it up.

If apple doesn't introduce widgets and other screen customization options in iOS5 they are going to fall REALLY far behind REALLY quick IMHO

[Quint]

Aren't customisable backgrounds and widgets just gimmicks?

Unnecessary to this particular user, anyway.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Opening up my phone and immediately seeing the time, date, and weather in a nice large font is hardly a gimmick. That's extremely useful.

[Stefancos]

What I like about HTC is that there are lots to choose from. There is basically only one iPhone.

[Koray Savas]

Opening up my phone and immediately seeing the time, date, and weather in a nice large font is hardly a gimmick. That's extremely useful.

You can't get that on the iPhone? Doesn't make sense, since their computers have had widgets for years.

The main page on my phone has time and weather widget, and then apps to Amazon, Bank Of America, Facebook, Gmail, Internet, Market, Messages, and People.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Nope. Every single screen on the iphone is just a 5 x 4 block of icons. The time is shown on the top in a small font, for the date you have to find the icon for your calendar app. For the weather you have to launch a weather app. The phone comes with a weather app, but the icon always says 73degrees and sunny, it doesnt live-update to your local weather

Yea, I have to imagine iOS5 will include widget support, but you never know!

[Blumenkohl]

Nope. Every single screen on the iphone is just a 5 x 4 block if icons. The time is shown on the top in a small font, for the date you have to find the icon for your calendar app. For the weather you have to launch a weather app. The phone comes with a weather app, but the icon always says 73degrees and sunny, it doesnt live-update to your local weather

Yea, I have to imagine iOS5 will include widget support, but you never know!

Well it's a matter of what's important to you and your lifestyle.

To me, getting my weather is a once-a day thing. Most of this information becomes redundant during my day. I'd prefer Apple included live app icon updates to widgets...something I would never use...and still don't use on my desktop/laptop.

[Jason LeBlanc]

What about everything else I mentioned that Android OS can do that iOS can't?

[Blumenkohl]

I definitely think the multi-tasking and notifications mechanism should receive more attention with iOS 5, they're not as robust as they could be, but neither is Android's (though it is marginally better). The best notification system there ever was by Palm...

But most of the other things...like blinking lights, and being able to do ten things at once on one screen...I mean...eh I can see why some would like it, but I'm dealing with high stress work on computers and crunch time all the time every day almost 7 days a week some months.

The last thing I want is a) my phone to start waving madly at me anytime I get an e-mail with its blinking lights b) I can't handle more than one thing on one screen (this is why I have three monitors at work, and two at home ). My mental abilities are lessened when I'm not focused.

The iPhone's more minimalist approach to presenting information (access it when you need it, versus allowing me to bombard myself), keeps me from being the phone flipper, which I see my minions at work do all the time...open phone...oooh temperature went up by 1 degree! Dun dun dun! And allows me to focus on what matters when I need it.

Basically, I want my phone to be as un-intrusive as possible. A phone is a tool and resource for me. There when I need it, and hush when I don't. And the iPhone does that well and it really works. Android is still rough, and while it is customizable, when you step back and see the whole forest, it's simply not as good of a user experience, even though there's a lot of occasional great innovations. Even something as basic as the music player is a "This isn't useful..." and you end up hunting around for a better music player on the store.

To me, what a product doesn't include is just as important as what it does.

That said, that's me. I still think you should try out an Android phone. They are still very good phones, and they seem to match your needs and wants fairly well, and I think overall you will like it. But if you can wait a little longer, I would, just to see if there's a chance you can snag some of the newer hardware coming out.

[Trent Bennett]

I definitely think the multi-tasking and notifications mechanism should receive more attention with iOS 5, they're not as robust as they could be, but neither is Android's (though it is marginally better). The best notification system there ever was by Palm...

But most of the other things...like blinking lights, and being able to do ten things at once on one screen...I mean...eh I can see why some would like it, but I'm dealing with high stress work on computers and crunch time all the time every day almost 7 days a week some months.

The last thing I want is a) my phone to start waving madly at me anytime I get an e-mail with its blinking lights b) I can't handle more than one thing on one screen (this is why I have three monitors at work, and two at home ). My mental abilities are lessened when I'm not focused.

The iPhone's more minimalist approach to presenting information (access it when you need it, versus allowing me to bombard myself), keeps me from being the phone flipper, which I see my minions at work do all the time...open phone...oooh temperature went up by 1 degree! Dun dun dun! And allows me to focus on what matters when I need it.

Basically, I want my phone to be as un-intrusive as possible. A phone is a tool and resource for me. There when I need it, and hush when I don't. And the iPhone does that well and it really works. Android is still rough, and while it is customizable, when you step back and see the whole forest, it's simply not as good of a user experience, even though there's a lot of occasional great innovations. Even something as basic as the music player is a "This isn't useful..." and you end up hunting around for a better music player on the store.

To me, what a product doesn't include is just as important as what it does.

That said, that's me. I still think you should try out an Android phone. They are still very good phones, and they seem to match your needs and wants fairly well, and I think overall you will like it. But if you can wait a little longer, I would, just to see if there's a chance you can snag some of the newer hardware coming out.

I agree with that

[Jason LeBlanc]

I'll definitely wait for the summer's hot smartphones to come out, but my 3gs is really sucking wind lately, its frustrating

[Marian Schedenig]

HTC Inspire on AT&T
and
HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon

Can't comment on these, hardware wise, but I'm still perfectly happy with my one-year old Nexus One (with vanilla Android).

[Jason LeBlanc]

Well it looks like I'll be making the big jump to T-Mobile. Seems like they have pretty good 4G coverage in my area, and they also have the best phones coming out.... specifically the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation 4G. I'm not gonna buy either till I spend time playing with both in a store, but the Galaxy S2 is already the front runner. I don't like the carousel format for the HTC Sense 3.0 overlay on the Sensation you can see in this video, and holy cow the web browsing and flash experience on the Galaxy S II looks amazing as you can see in this video. T-Mobile also has an interesting looking phone by LG, the T-Mobile G2x, out now.

On the AT&T front, there's the Samsung Infuse coming with a 4.5" screen but man, I think that screen is just TOO big.

The only interesting phone I could find coming soon to Verizon was the Motorola Droid Bionic. The HDMI features in this video seem pretty neat.

[Jason LeBlanc]

Well I've done all the research I think I can do for now. I used Google Docs to compile the information I was going for. I only researched Android phones with screens 3.7" or bigger, that are capable of using 4G. Have no interest in Blackberry, Palm, or Windows phones, and I already know what the iPhone 4 has to offer. If anyone wants to see the spreadsheet here is the link

https://spreadsheets...R0E&output=html

Basically confirmed what I already knew from before: Verizon has the best network but the worst phones (they're not BAD per se, just way behind, like they take too much time approving and tweaking phones for their brand so by the time they come out they are already obsolete). T-Mobile has the most phones but a smaller network than AT&T.

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 basically blows almost every other phone out of the water. Only thing its really missing is 540x960 display but from most reviews I've read it won't even matter, the screen is so gorgeous.

There's a Samsung event in NYC on May 21st, hopefully they officially announce the Galaxy S 2 for the US then. Might now come out till Jul, Aug, or Sep. Will be interesting to see if Apple offers anything that competes with it by then.

[Joe Brausam]

In October I switched from my Blackberry on Verizon to my iPhone 4 on AT&T and I absolutely love it. Some phones may have better specs now, but they have no where near the support that Apple products have. I may not upgrade till the iPhone 6 comes around, I'm just so completely satisfied with this product.

[Koray Savas]

Apple has released a new iPhone every year since they started. It's very likely something along the lines of a "4GS" will be announced during Summer.

[Mark Olivarez]

I'm probably the only one here who's had the same cell phone for the past 5 years.

[Stefancos]

I had my previous phone for over 4 years.

[Joe Brausam]

Apple has released a new iPhone every year since they started. It's very likely something along the lines of a "4GS" will be announced during Summer.

It would have to be a really special upgrade for me to change from the 4. Based on the 3G/3GS line though this one will probably just be an incremental improvement.

[Blumenkohl]

Well I've done all the research I think I can do for now. I used Google Docs to compile the information I was going for. I only researched Android phones with screens 3.7" or bigger, that are capable of using 4G. Have no interest in Blackberry, Palm, or Windows phones, and I already know what the iPhone 4 has to offer. If anyone wants to see the spreadsheet here is the link

https://spreadsheets...R0E&output=html

Basically confirmed what I already knew from before: Verizon has the best network but the worst phones (they're not BAD per se, just way behind, like they take too much time approving and tweaking phones for their brand so by the time they come out they are already obsolete). T-Mobile has the most phones but a smaller network than AT&T.

The Samsung Galaxy S 2 basically blows almost every other phone out of the water. Only thing its really missing is 540x960 display but from most reviews I've read it won't even matter, the screen is so gorgeous.

There's a Samsung event in NYC on May 21st, hopefully they officially announce the Galaxy S 2 for the US then. Might now come out till Jul, Aug, or Sep. Will be interesting to see if Apple offers anything that competes with it by then.

Sehr gute choice!

[Jason LeBlanc]

Well I went to the mall last night and played with all the 4G phones in the T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon stores.

The only two that really impressed me were the HTC Inspire at AT&T and the T-Mobile G2x. The HTC Inspire was incredible, loading apps with ease, flicking through web pages was the best on all the phones, never saw any lag anywhere. It's lack of front camera, dual-core processor and hspa+ make it not very future-proof, but if I had to buy a phone today that'd probably be what I'd go with. The T-Mobile G2x had similar speeds and a nice interface but the small screen makes it a non-contender despite how great everything else was.

The Galaxy S surprisingly didn't impress me, considering how how I am on the S II (especially after reading this review - wowzers). Something about the interface just didn't seem right for me, it wasn't as elegant as any of the other ones I played with, though maybe they did something funky to it in the store.

The worst phone I used was easily the HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon. What a piece of shit. It was laggy, not loading things right away. And web browsing was extremely difficult. It kept thinking I was clicking on a different link than I was trying to, and constantly I would try to scroll but it would think I was just clicking. Add to all that the way-too-bulky shape and its just a real dud.


Looking forward to playing with a Samsung Infuse at AT&T sometime next week, and can't wait for the two awesome-looking T-Mobile phones - HTC Sensation and Samsung Galaxy S II - to come out later this summer. My AT&T contract is up on June 19th!

[Koray Savas]

God I want an iPhone. Really considering dropping out of the family plan and just getting my own on AT&T.

My phone's browser sucks as well, always getting network errors and such, no point in even having access if it's going to do that. It also does this thing where I will click on a text conversation. Everything will load fine, I'll type up my text and send, and then it will send it to a random person in my contacts. Makes for very awkward instances.

[Blumenkohl]

Patience is a virtue young Koray...

Mmmmmm iPhone 5 with iPad 2's A5 Dual Core 1.0 GHz? Mmmm mmmm mmmm.

[Trent Bennett]

I agree with Blume, Koray. If you can wait for the iPhone 5 to upgrade then I would do that. Personally I don't need every updated version of a phone like most people do. I'm happy with my iPhone 4 and won't upgrade for another 2 years, then at that point I'll get the latest iPhone.