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Hi everyone,
I'm in a bit of a dilemna here - my Prophet just died due to massive ice tea overdose, so I'm in the market for a new phone. And as luck would have it, my O2 contract is coming up for renewal next month.
I can get an Xperia X1 for 220 Euros and a Touch HD for 250. What should I go for?
I like the idea of a hardware QWERTY keyboard and the D-Pad, but the HD's screen is just so sexy. Are there any other reasons to go for the HD? How does the battery life compare between the two? Sound quality?
bemymonkey said:
Hi everyone,
I'm in a bit of a dilemna here - my Prophet just died due to massive ice tea overdose, so I'm in the market for a new phone. And as luck would have it, my O2 contract is coming up for renewal next month.
I can get an Xperia X1 for 220 Euros and a Touch HD for 250. What should I go for?
I like the idea of a hardware QWERTY keyboard and the D-Pad, but the HD's screen is just so sexy. Are there any other reasons to go for the HD? How does the battery life compare between the two? Sound quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you can see what people want most:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=446362
They are so different, keyboard, screen, etc
Really will depend on what you need from a device
If they were the only 2 devices in the world I would choose the Xperia just because the KB...
Might be picking up an Xperia myself tomorrow but am worried about the build quality with the massive problem of the casing cracking and coming apart.
Hopefully it won't affect the latest ones.
Thanks for the insight orb3000.
mcgra said:
Might be picking up an Xperia myself tomorrow but am worried about the build quality with the massive problem of the casing cracking and coming apart.
Hopefully it won't affect the latest ones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:O:O:O
Linky?
bemymonkey said:
:O:O:O
Linky?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=447211
I don't see any 2009 phones coming up on that at the moment so fingers crossed they have sorted it out.
Damn, that sucks. Sort of tilting me back toward the touch HD - how're the SIP options on there? Two-thumb-typing possible?
I use both thumbs to type on my Touch HD all the time, and it's pretty good. It takes a bit of getting used to - it is much easier to type the wrong letter.
Some apps have been developed to arrange an alternative keyboard (see "FingerKeyboard" in Blackstone -> Themes, Apps, Software forum), but they do end up taking about half the screen. So you Xperia gets the bigger screen when you type.
BUT! The Touch HD's video playback (once you get it working...with the help of SDTuneUp, CorePlayer) is amazing. 3.8" of screen awesomeness.
Battery-life wise...I don't use wifi that often, and I'm holiday-ing in Hong Kong at the moment, so no 3G roaming. After about a day I'm down to around 70% if I don't use it much. Use it a lot (wifi/3G on most of the time) and you'll drain it in a day, easy. But that's the story for most devices. The easiest way around that is to find some replacement batteries no eBay and the like...they are pretty cheap.
In my opinion, if you are going to do a lot of typing, the Xperia appears the way to go (you can even get TF3D for it). But if you're looking for that multimedia-kick, then the Blackstone is the only drug for you =]
Hope that helps a little.
Hmmm, that's the thing - all I really need is a PDA phone that doubles as an MP3 player and ebook reader. I would've gone with a Touch Diamond, but there's a huge thread about it having problems with audio lag - that would pretty much screw it in terms of using it as an MP3 player...
Do the HD and X1 have any problems like that? Skipping/lag/pausing during audio or video playback?
How about build quality on the HD? No problems with cracking, creaking or anything like that?
Thanks a lot for your help so far, everyone
hmm...
....if you're not going to do much typing or watching of videos..
if you don't mind waiting for a bit, then maybe the Touch Diamond 2 is the phone for you.
It's basically a 3.2" version of the Blackstone, complete with WVGA res. The processor, ram are all the same and has an improved TF3D.
As far as I can tell, Blackstone doesn't have many issues with audio playback. The music app is pretty good, and you even have an "Audio Booster" app from HTC that will give you Equaliser control plus some preset Equalisers.
Touch Diamond 2 (and Touch Pro 2) are going to come out some time in Q2 (probably late Q2)...so that's a 3 month window where these phones could come out. They might be good for you. Also cheaper....probably.
I've been doing some reading in the Diamond/Touch Pro/Xperia and HD forums, and it seems that they all have the problem with skipping.
Is there an older HTC device that's usable as an MP3 player (i.e. no skipping, good quality, low noise floor) and has HSDPA? Preferably with a 3.5mm jack, but ExtUSB is OK too...
i got an x1 and love it. had the choice of htc hd and bb storm when i bought it in november and still very happy with my choice
No cracking casing or skipping MP3s?
the silver x1's seem to crack, my black one is knocked about everyday at work and theres no cracks only a bit of paint coming off the metal battery cover edge,
bemymonkey said:
No cracking casing or skipping MP3s?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes had to send it back as it did get cracks, but sony replaced it and had no probs with this handset, which is silver.
never had and skipping in mp3's
i was hesitant on getting the touch HD because of lack of a hardware input method, since i was so used to my touch dual, orange dint carry the xperia so i dint really have much of a choice. im extremely happy with it though, because the screen is so large, the on screen inputs are actually quite comfortable to use, while i cant type as fast as my touch dual, i can type almost as fast.
my friend is having lots of issues with his xperia, cracking case, sluggish performance, poor battery life.
the HD actually has very very surpisingly good battery life. thers a good review at this site if u wanna check it out:
http://www.mobile-review.com/pda/review/htc-touch-hd-en.shtml
Recently i've been noticing a huge fuss about the HTC Diamond 2.. I mean have you people seen the Specs? Why would anyone buy this phone over the Touch HD?
The HD features says it all!! :
- HD has a bigger screen
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- more battery life (1350mAh)
- Slimmer
- Already has Diamond 2's interface updates.
Diamond 2:
- Zooming Bar? The phone would be smaller without it, or maybe increase the screen size instead.. This bar is useless!! Maybe great for Arkanoid (The Game)? ;-)
- Battery Cover isn't shaped like a diamond anymore, and there goes the name..
- No camera flash.. AGAIN!!
- No Headphone jack
- Battery is 1100mAh
- Should've came out in December or with the HD in November.
- Not a competitor with the head to head clash of phones this year.
The first Diamond was way ahead of all devices last year, It was phone of the year 2008!!.. :'(
Let me know what you guys think..
Thats true, and the reason why Im gonna keep my Omnia. But the Firestone and Thor seem to be the only phones with real updates. Cant wait till they come out.
About the specs, what is it with HTC ? Why does the video recording suck sooo much ? Hope they give recording at 720p on the Firestone or Thor (Omnia HD anyone ?). Otherwise I might have to go Symbian and I hate Symbian.
The price my freind... The price
salamt said:
The price my freind... The price
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HD's Price is dropping down now..
These are the prices where I live:
Touch HD: € 589,-
Touch Diamond2: € 457,-
That's allmost 30% more.. for only a little more screen and a little bigger battery (what is indeed something I dont like much, but it's allready a better battery then the Diamond)
My choice is made i go for the Diamond2
FRD666 said:
These are the prices where I live:
Touch HD: € 589,-
Touch Diamond2: € 457,-
That's allmost 30% more.. for only a little more screen and a little bigger battery (what is indeed something I dont like much, but it's allready a better battery then the Diamond)
My choice is made i go for the Diamond2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price tag for the diamond was € 280 before it was released.. it was then sold for € 420 - 460.
Before the HD was out it was priced € 480, and now like my friend FRD666 is saying its 589..
The point is its too early to know, and based by the price tags from previous HTC releases, Diamond 2's price will be more than what it is shown around.. And until it is out, how much would the HD be then?
Well if you're in the US like me, the HD will not work on AT&T's 3G network, which can be quite an inconvenience for people like me who are ALWAYS getting email, downloading huge files, watching online videos and just surfing the net. However, unless I am mistaken, the Diamond2 will be officially released in the US, which means AT&T's 3G network would be supported, which is a good thing. Although other than that, I understand what you're getting at.
Dave
Indeed, HTC just cased the HD in a new shiny box and started selling a new phone.
I hope to get my "diamond 2" in the next day or so...
But I can only see points in this thread that...well seem to miss the point!
OK...Battery:
Sure the HD has a bigger battery capacity but then again it has a bigger screen so the extra capacity in it is probably just to handle the screen requirements!
The backlight in a large LCD like that along with the extra touch sensors, display area, etc would warrant easily for that extra bit of battery life.
You put a 1100 in a HD and it won't last long - ok.... But a 1100 in a Diamond2 is probably letting it last just as long as the HD does with a 1350 as it uses less power!
We cannot tell until someone can test the Diamond2 in the SAME way as the HD...and I mean down the firmware, apps ...heck even the same touch points!
I can probably do this for you once I get my diamond2 as I do repairs on these units and will have access to the diamond2, HD and other units.
Onto point 2...Bigger screen.
For me...I want something portable...sure the iPhone and HD screen is lovely to look at....but for ME, the novelty wore off there. I put it in my pocket and I feel I need an extra belt just to hold my trousers up. The Diamond2 should be pocketable even in a shirt pocket as was the Diamond1... I can't do that with a HD.
For me... I want a phone that still feels like a phone and the diamond1 did it for me for almost a year (I've never kept a phone that long!)
The Diamond2 should still do this for me.
3.5mm jack... I've never needed this to be honest.
I have never found the need of using my HTC devices as a music device. At work, I have a headphone port in the laptop/desktop.
In the car, I have a 16GB USB stick with music plugged into the car.
At the gym, I would never take my phone out of its case in risk of it falling/loosing it and use a Sony MP3 player.
Slimmer: Not by much (if at all!) and is easily comparable for the height which then brings me back to the bigger screen...with the diamond2, I potentially should still be able to hold it nicely and snugly in my hand - like a phone... when I hold the HD, I don't feel comfortable with it - not over a long period of time and my calls can run into the hours!
Zoom bar - don't dis it until you use it... It might be a waste of space - to be honest, I think it looks ugly but it might prove to be very useful. I liked the zoom on the Diamond1 by turning your finger on the circle but found it to be eratic when it was loading pages...maybe this is the solution - who knows.
Battery Cover: You can't live with it, you can't live without it - it seems! There were hundreds of critics complaining about the back cover on the Diamond1 on how bad it was, couldnt lay it flat, g-sensor would not be correct etc etc etc and now you're complaining ? :- )
In all fairness to HTC... the code name is Topaz, I think the media just decided to call it the Diamond2 as it is closer to the Diamond2 in size etc
My only annoyance potentially is with the iPhone which is releasing its new OS etc... could this suddenly bring the Diamond2 even on a 6.5 firmware back in the dark ages?
These are my personal opinions but I feel the arguement between the two units is not that valid and is more like comparing a Lambo with a Aston Martin DB9 rather than a Ferrari with a Lambo
All 3 are sport cars but the DB9 and Lambo are very different cars
I like the advantages the diamond 2 has for the US users, at least that's a change..
I appreciate your opinion akash_84, I'm used to small slim phones, and my last one was the first Diamond.. But now having the HD around, i realized its a new experience.. Suddenly i like using internet surfing allot, writing notes, ms Office, watching movies and playing games.. Diamond 2's screen will be very good too, and the battery capacity is for the screen functionality like you say, it makes sense to me now..
First i thought of the HD as a big phone which would bother me having it in my pocket like you say.. But i was amazed of how comfortable it is.. To me i didn't notice any difference when i check if my phone is in my pocket or not between the diamond and the HD, I remember feeling the diamond shape edges battery cover in my pocket to check if it's there..
Even though they changed the battery cover shape, it's named Topaz as some kind of diamond shaped rock, so why make it normal now?.. I liked the touch pro cover, material was great..
Can Diamond 2 compete this year like the first did last year? HTC will release much better phones later..
This year will be the only year that i buy an HTC device by the end of the year..
Good point actually... Topaz is actually another type of stone which only just struck me!
However, looking at the pictures, the flat surfaces followed by curved edges almost imitates the "diamond2"
well tomorrow is the release date for it so lets see what happens!
akash_84 said:
Good point actually... Topaz is actually another type of stone which only just struck me!
However, looking at the pictures, the flat surfaces followed by curved edges almost imitates the "diamond2"
well tomorrow is the release date for it so lets see what happens!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope its cheap.. It'll change allot of my doubts and other HTC users..
apparently you've got the HD, because i have the Diamond 2 and i love it!
Its much better then the HD ( wich is to big!!! ) Smartphones are supposed to be smaller.
Video recording is much better with the Diamond 2 in comparison with the Diamond
Who? I have a Diamond2 ... first one to get it on here I think...or maybe second because I missed the morning delivery
Loving the diamond apart from a badly applied screen protector so just waiting for my Brando one
TheTroubleMaker said:
apparently you've got the HD, because i have the Diamond 2 and i love it!
Its much better then the HD ( wich is to big!!! ) Smartphones are supposed to be smaller.
Video recording is much better with the Diamond 2 in comparison with the Diamond
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you upload a video sample ? Sounds too good to be true.
StashCompInc said:
Could you upload a video sample ? Sounds too good to be true.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i will do it tonight.. the video resolution is 640 x 480 according to HTC
If you want an example video, Pocketnow.com (my favorite WM news site with videos, news, reviews, etc.) posted this example video online.
Just download it, and if you get a security warning like I did, it's nothing. The site is extremely trustworthy, and I scanned it a bunch and it came back clean, and played fine. The full Diamond review is here, and apparently he likes is a lot.
It also seems to get better benchmarks in performance than the Touch HD. You can also check out the Pocketnow youtube channel, which now has a couple of Diamond2 videos. I'm holding out for the Pro2, but this device is really nice looking.
Dave
Finally VGA (640x480) video ! Tough other manufactures are going for D1 (720x480) and 720p (1280x720), but still nice improvment.
[q]
- HD has a bigger screen
- more battery life (1350mAh)
Diamond 2:
- Battery is 1100mAh
[/q]
The screen takes up a huge fraction of the power, so I wouldn't be surprised to see that the Diamond has better battery life even with a smaller capacity battery because it also has a smaller screen.
I'm using the Diamond 2 ROM on the touch HD, The camera too (No VGA capture though)..
Guys, I just need to know:
- How many free ram and rom are use and free in the memory on the diamond 2?
- And regarding the benchmarks, has anyone played Divx (.avi) files yet?
I use Coreplayer 1.3 and it plays Divx smoothly on the Touch HD..
- How loud is the speaker phone on real ringtones?
- Is it easy and finger-accurate when using the Full QWERTY Keyboard?
Well it turns out i was wrong and this was the first that an HTC phone came out cheaper than expected... ;-)
Please share any interesting experience you find so far with the device..
Thank you all..
Regards....
Hey guys, first post on this forum.
Heard a lot of awesome stuff about this place and I hope some of you can help me decide between those two phones.
Basically I'm in the market for a new smartphone with a sizable screen and a qwerty keyboard.
I'd like to have a good browsing experience (flash support is a huge plus) and run some emulators too .
It will also replace my old PMP so a 3.5mm jack would be very useful.
So I really like these two phones. I was also considering a HTC TP2 but it doesn't have a headphone jack and it's kind of old and slow by now...
So I'd like to ask for some suggestions/recommendations/opinions or just your 2 cents
Welcome to forums
You should be aware that we dedicate only to HTC devices here!
Said that I would recommend Rhodium! just buy the 3.5mm adapter and that´s it!
Read, Search, Respect and Enjoy!
You can wait half a year and get the HTC Trophy, but if you can't wait, I'd say the following:
- If you go for the Droid or the Nokia, you have no support from xda-developers, which is off course a HUGE point lost
- Still, if you don't need that, I would definately go for the Droid. It is Android,
it looks good, speed's not bad.
The touch pro2 is also pretty good but... it's just a bit old... old processor, resistive screen.
That's weird, I was under the impression you guys deal with all sorts of phones
I was thinking about getting the TP2 for a while now. The only thing that keeps me from actually getting is that ancient processor...
The TP2 is a high quality device, indeed the processor is a bit old but if you use some cooked ROMs from here you will have a pretty fast device!
And the keyboard is great.
Hi folks, you know the drill, my current phone (an HTC Mogul) is getting past it's usefulness and once more I find myself on a hunt to find a phone that has the most of what I do want and the least of what I don't, in other words the best compremise between the device of my dreams and what's actually avaliable.
Further to this I am limited in funds so not only can I not go out and purchase a brand new top of the line model, the device I do end up getting will hopefully last me for a long time (or at least longer then the 1yr I got out of my Mogul).
Perhaps I should start by looking at why my current phone just doesn't do it for me anymore?
1) No wireless - Ever since I flashed it to 6.5 I have had no wifi.
2) No 3.5mm plug - The HTC proprieity adapter hardly works half the time either.
3) OS - 6.5 WiMo flashed is pretty unstable, I regularly have to reset the device because it locks up or just won't work.
4) QVGA - probably the best I can afford, but I do a lot of reading on this and a higher res would be better for my eyes.
5) CDMA - I really need a quadband simcard capable phone.
So what do I want?
1) Wifi, bluetooth, GPS
2) 2mp camera or better
3) 6.5 Wimo native, preferably with duel boot capibility
4) 3.5 or 2.5mm audio output, or HTCusb that actually works!
5) Keyboard if possible (I really like the qwerty thumboard on my Mogul)
6) WVGA or VGA would be nice, but it might be out of my price point.
7) GSM QUADBAND!
Any reccomendations of models would be nice, thankyou
Go for Rhodium!
Definitely the best hardware device out there
If want to spent less money you can try Rapahel or even less (if you find someone who want to sell) Universal
Thanks for the recc, I will check those two out
I agree with ORB you should go for a Rapahel because it has so many roms to flash and it is cheap compared to the latest devices .
DannyFenton said:
I agree with ORB you should go for a
Rapahel because it has so many roms to flash and it is cheap compared to the latest devices .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, looking at ebay, the Rhod looks like its about $100 more then the Raph
or $300 for the Touch2 and $210 for the Raph.
At those prices it seems like it would be better just to pay the difference?
Also no one will ship to New Zealand
Yes on that case better go for Rhodium
I have seen ebay sellers who ships to almost any part of the world.
Also have a look on marketplace section, you can find very good deals
Good luck,
UPDATE: I bought myself a HTC Rhodium, very happy with it.
Now, I want to buy my GF a new phone for her birthday. Currenty she is using my ****ty old Blue Angel with WiMo 6.1
She uses the phone everyday (carries it around in her bag), but the only thing she does on it is read. She sometimes sends text messages, but usually not. She hasn't really used any of its other features or installed her own programs or anything (she is a programmer, so she does have the skills to do so).
At the moment I'm tossing up between a HTC Diamond, Diamond 2, Touch HD and another Rhodium. I'm leaning more toward the Diamond1 though. We generally try to avoid spending lots and she's more then happy with the PDA2k so even the diamond is a big upgrade and isn't too expensive.
I use my Rhodium to read alot of comics, but at 480x640 the screen should be highres enough to be an improvement. The other reason I'm leaning toward the Diamond is because of it's small size, and easier for her to carry around.
So, my question: Is there anything wrong with the Diamond that I should consider, and are there any other devices with VGA or better resolution in a similar price range that I should take a look?
Also what is the difference between the Touch Pro and the Diamond (besides the keyboard)?
If you need keyboard go for Raphael, if you don´t need it go for Diamond 2, I buyed one in marketplace for 180US a few months ago.
Or take another Rhodium
Why the recommendations for Rapheal? I am ready to put mine through a wall. The keyboard has gone flaky in the last three months...(delete requires holding down, not just press, P has started to not work, space now triple spaces)
In addition the screen started to separate over the 'x' button about two months back, now I hve that leaky black spot you get when screens break. The control pad at bottom has started to have the plastic cover start to come up.
In the last month the phone has decided to start dropping calls and even losing towers completely. (I have not changed anything on phone in over 6 months) I have rebooted the phone at least 10 times in last three weeks because of screen starting lock up, non-responsive push buttons, and complete lost of tower without attempting to reaquire.
This phone is going tits-up recently and I have had it locked to Edge forever because it will not hold a 3G signal in a very large city.
Not a recommend from me.
Thanks for the reccomendatiom - and the non recccomendation ^_^;
(silly extra text because my message was too short)
Ok, at this stage I am leaning toward the HTC Touch. The touch is fatter, but it looks like it has a lot more memory which has surely got to result in a better user experiance. It's about the same price as a diamond as well - I just have to find someone on here to sell a raphael to me.
I have a moderately worn Tmo Touch Pro 2 I'm selling off on ebay later today. Only doing a 3 day auction starting at $0.99. If interested I'll post a link. Pics are great of the scratches so you can probably grab it for $125-$150.
a link sounds good
Willuknight said:
Ok, at this stage I am leaning toward the HTC Touch. The touch is fatter, but it looks like it has a lot more memory which has surely got to result in a better user experiance. It's about the same price as a diamond as well - I just have to find someone on here to sell a raphael to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh how I remember my HTC Touch days. That phone & the Mogul were a nightmare for many of us & we couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Willuknight said:
a link sounds good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200489715435&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
ScandaLeX said:
Oh how I remember my HTC Touch days. That phone & the Mogul were a nightmare for many of us & we couldn't get rid of it fast enough.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What where the main issues you had with it?
I've just upgraded from my mogul to the touch2, and the main issue I had with the mogul was the low res and slow processor compared to the touch 2, but overall it was a good phone.
NEED ANDROID PHONE WITH Qwerty keyboard
I'm looking for a new phone to replace my aging G1 but I dont want to give up the real keyboard. The mytouch slide is nice but it's hardware isn't on par with nexus one or htc incredible. The new Samsung Galaxy S Pro with sprint seems promising but not so sure about community support. I love how with my G1 I have so many options, so many great ROMs from Cyanogen and others on XDA. I'm worried that If I go with a samsung I will have better hardware but very few choices when it comes to moded roms. Is there an alternative phone out there with hardware on par with the latest HTC phones that have a slide out keyboard. Any one care to offer thier opinions??
whats your budget?
android or wimo?
edit: for the most up-to-date indecisive rambling, just jump to the most recent post, though feel free to peruse the whole thread.
I understand this is a very difficult question to answer, especially given that no two people's needs are ever quite the same but I'm just looking for some ideas/a sounding board.
I currently have a Touch HD which I have been quite happy with, I really quite like TouchFlo, but it's starting to show it's age and I'm due an upgrade in about a fortnight anyway.
At the moment, given what's available on the market, Android is the only choice IMO.
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against WinMo/WinPho but I'm not buying a phone that won't be properly upgradeable and therefore, arguably, rendered obsolete in a couple of months and I'm definitely not waiting two months plus for a new phone on the off-chance I like what I see.
As for the rest, Symbian's a joke; Blackberrys aren't my thing; Palm is not an option; and the iPhone, well unless they announce something pretty damned special on Monday, my dislike of iTunes alone is enough to put me off - before we even get onto the flaws with the handset(s)...
In terms of what I want, that's where it all gets a bit difficult.
I can't work out if I want to go for an all-out powerful handset à la the Desire or the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S or if I want something a bit less fancy, the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini being a prime example - trading off absolute power for benefits in terms of size and cost.
My worry about a high-end handset is that I get one, then a month or two, or even a week or two, later, something else comes along that makes me regret my decision - not least the impending WinPho 7 release and all the potentially 'awesome' new handsets that will accompany that.
With the X10 Mini, I'm not too worried about something better arriving in the near-future, I think it's too niche a device to end up with much competition but, having read the review of it on GSMArena, it seems that my biggest concern is the handset's Achilles Heel - the low screen res. If it was even HVGA, I would probably just go for it but QVGA is pushing usability.
Anyway, yeah, I'm just looking to bounce ideas/suggestions around, so if anyone wants to chip in, please feel free.
Nexus one is my phone of choice at the moment. I've just made the jump to Android and this device is nothing short of awesome! The 2.2 upgrade will be rolled out soon which brings several improvements too. (It is available already but this early release isn't very polished yet. I'm waiting for the OTA release).
Unusually for me i'm keeping this device stock, so no custom ROM flashing etc. It's just such an improvement over the WM phones that i'm used to that i don't feel the need to change anything. I could harp on for hours about all the features that makes this such a good device but you should have a look around instead and make your own informed decision. There are lots of good forums devoted to this device but i'd start with the dedicated xda, nexus one section.
Thanks.
If I were going for a high-end Android device, then it would be the Desire and not the Nexus One - partly because I like the Sense UI and partly because I wouldn't entertain the idea of switching to Vodafone, their tariffs aren't competitive and their coverage is poor where I stay.
I have played extensively with the Desire and it is a lovely phone but, as I said previously, I'm concerned that if I upgraded to it, I'd only want to change again when say the Galaxy S comes out or in a couple of months when WinPho 7 arrives.
Obviously, there's a chance that would be the same if I went for the X10 Mini but I would be able to get it on such a cheap deal instead, that the idea of then choosing to shell out for a new device a few months down the line isn't so bad.
I'm also starting to question whether I need all the features that the Desire/Nexus One offers as opposed to merely wanting them.
I bought myself a laptop back in January and, since then, I'm using the web a lot less on my phone, so do I really need something with a huge, high-res screen?
Thanks for the input, it's greatly appreciated (as is anyone else's opinions/ideas), I fear I've a bit of thinking ahead of me yet though...
At the moment, there are a few phones that I'm considering and I'm trying to weigh them all up, so I'd appreciate any input, suggestions or ideas anyone can offer up.
First up, the HTC Desire
Pros:
HTC Sense
Decent CPU and RAM
AMOLED screen
HTC handset - excellent build quality and 2 year warranty
Cons:
No HD video
Screen is only AMOLED, not sAMOLED
It's already sold a lot and, as sad as it is, I don't really like the idea of having the same phone as everyone else
Samsung Galaxy S
Pros:
superAMOLED screen
HD video
CPU that's potentially even more powerful than the Snapdragon in the Desire
Samsung handset - 2 year warranty
Cons:
No HTC Sense
Even worse, it uses Samsung's childish UI
No camera flash - seriously, wtf?
Not yet released
Motorola XT720
Pros:
8MP, HD video, Xenon flash - the best camera on an Android handset just now
480x854 screen resolution - more pixels are never a bad thing
[edit] HDMI out - a real boon for an HD-recording handset [/edit]
Cons:
LCD screen - not even AMOLED, let alone sAMOLED
480x854 screen resolution - non-standard resolution may cause some app compatibility issues
No LED flash for video use - a minor point but the ideal camera phone would have LED and Xenon
Question marks over CPU compared to the Desire or Galaxy S (720MHz OMAP A8 Cortex as opposed to 1GHz Snapdragon/Hummingbird on other handsets)
No HTC Sense
Motorola handset - 1 year warranty, not sure of build quality
Not available until the start of next month
Sony Ericsson X10 Mini
Pros:
Tiny size
Well thought-out UI
Cheap
Sony Ericsson handset - 2 year warranty
TINY!
Cons:
Small screen size and resolution - will have a negative effect on web browsing experience and app compatibility
Only running 1.6 'Donut' with very vague upgrade roadmap
Sony Ericsson handset - questionable build quality, possible (probable?) software issues
LCD screen - not AMOLED or sAMOLED
No HD video
I know it may not seem like it, given the large number of points in the 'Cons' category for it but I'm actually drawn the most to the Motorola handset.
The problem is, having only just been released there's a number of questions I have which I can't as of yet get answers for - for example, the build quality may not be an issue but I won't know that until I can have a play with one, the CPU may not be a downside, etc etc.
Anyway, yeah, any/all input is always welcome.
ideas
i guess your best choice can be galaxy s
but if you give up on browsing(use your laptop instead) then x10mini will be the best...feature wise and price
wish you luck
I do currently use my laptop a lot for web browsing but I'm not prepared to carry it around with me every day on the off-chance I want to go online.
If the X10 Mini had even an HVGA screen instead of QVGA, then it would probably be high enough to just to alleviate my concerns - at least in terms of app compatibility, though obviously for the likes of web browsing it would never match a WVGA (or higher) handset like the others I'm considering.
As for the Galaxy S, the power, screen and HD video do appeal but leaving out a camera flash just seems so unnecessary, almost like they're doing it deliberately.
But, between that and the Samsung UI, it's just enough to sour my feelings towards it.
As I say, against my better judgement, I can't help but like the Motorola handset.
At least, unlike the Desire, by sticking with an LCD screen it should mean it's ok to use in sunlight - obviously AMOLED has it's advantages but unless you make the jump all the way up to sAMOLED then there's still a cloud attached to that silver lining.
And regarding the CPU, while there are question marks over it, I've also heard it suggested that the TI OMAP 3430 CPUs are actually more powerful than the faster-clocked Snapdragon CPUs like the Desire uses, so it could actually be a better handset than the Desire in that respect.
Also, I should probably point out that my plan when I upgrade is to negotiate as low a tariff as I can out of T-Mobile, then if I see a phone I really like partway through the contract term, I'll just buy it.
So, the shorter warranty on the Motorola may not be an issue.
Thanks for your input, even if it doesn't seem like it, it's definitely appreciated.
Ok, so here we are a full 5 months since the last post and I'm still stuck in the same situation - want, almost need, a new phone but don't know what to go for.
Since last time, obviously things have come on a long way.
Symbian has reached the next level, meaning it's only a bit behind everyone else as opposed to significantly behind; Apple announced the iPhone4 which is a nice piece of hardware but the OS and price are too big of a stmubling block; Blackberry have moved on to OS6 but really there's nothing new about it; WinPho7 was released and looks OK but the hardware is just slightly underwhelming.
As for Maemo/Meego, Bada and WebOS, they're not even worth considering IMO.
So that leaves us with the only thing I am sure about, that my next phone will be an Android handset but beyond that I've still not been able to reach a decision.
Looking back at what I was considering before, none of them are still in the running - the Motorola XT720 turned out to be a dud, the X10 Mini was plagued with problems and the Galaxy S and Desire have both been out-done by the Desire HD.
Obviously the daddy just now is the Desire HD.
The best hardware around, the best UI around, there should be no reason to even consider anything else. And yet, I'm just not taken with it, I know I should love it, I know there should be no competition but it's not exciting me.
On the other hand, against all the odds and especially since the XT720 was so poor, I find myself quite taken with the Motorola Defy.
I know that the specs aren't so great but the idea of a ruggedised handset is pretty neat and the size is just a bit more pocketable than the Desire HD's, though that's not my biggest concern.
Going in the other direction, I'm also quite taken by the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Given how I use my phone making/receiving very few calls, mostly texting and using the internet) a larger device like the Tab is in many ways better-suited to my needs. However, it's biggest advantage is also it's biggest downfall - the larger screen makes the Tab a far less practical device than the likes of the Desire HD or the Defy (I know I said with regards to the Defy that the size difference wasn't my biggest concern but the Tab is a whole order of magnitude larger), to the point that if I decided to use the Tab as a phone, I'd need to get myself a second handset to use on occasions when the Tab's size made it impossible to take with me.
Once again, any/all help will be greatly appreciated.