Diving into the Android world
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 2:58 PM I'm in the market for a new smartphone. My Helio Ocean was killer when it first came out two years ago and I still use it all the time. I'm a Swiss-Army knife kinda mobile user so voice is secondary to my uses, which include lots of SMS, mobile web, camera/video, GPS, notes and calendar.
Helio Ocean was revolutionary when it first launched
But since Virgin Mobile bought Helio awhile back, service has been spotty and I've had to send back two malfunctioning devices. And while the Ocean was revolutionary when it first dropped (it had GPS long before Apple led you believe they invented it), the iPhone/iTouch has raised the bar when it comes to mobile devices and content expectations.
So, what to buy? I like my iTouch but can't stand the thought of signing on with AT&T, which has an iPhone exclusive. I've thought about the Palm Pre, which Walt Mossberg says is an iPhone rival, but didn't like the keyboard. And I've looked at other models, but none rock my socks.
That takes me to Google's Android mobile OS, which is now available on two three phones in the U.S., with promises of up to 10 more by year's end. It's like being a kid in a candy store, not knowing what treats are around the corner.
Sprint's HTC Hero is loaded with cool appsI really like what I hear and read about the HTC Hero, which Sprint put sale this week. It's got all the core stuff important to me, plus a big customizable screen, a 5-meg camera (!?!?), augmented reality tools, feed readers and open-source apps to come (Google has 8,000 Android apps so far). It's been getting good reviews, and again Mossberg gives it a thumb's up as an iPhone rival. And you can't beat Sprint's data pricing, which keeps mobile bills affordable.
Hero's big downside for me, though, is its virtual keyboard. I do a lot of texting, and my fingers have never gotten used to virtual keyboards like tho
Sprint's Samsung Momentse on the iTouch. So, I'll keep an eye on Sprint's Samsung Moment, an Android-powered device with slide-out hard keyboard.
In the meantime, I'll be camped out on gadget sites like Endgadget and Gizmodo looking for anything better that might come along. Ultimately, though, you just have to dive in to the fray, two-year service plans or not.
Logan Molen
Interesting MocoNews story today on how the opennesss and infancy of Google's Android platform is creating "fragmentation" in the platform:
"The problem with fragmentation is that developers will have a difficult time developing applications that could run smoothly on each platform. Besides hardware differences, like screen sizes, there will be software differences, too. Some phones will support multi-touch, and others won’t. Not to mention, each manufacturer is building their own user interface on top of the platform that offers a host of other features.
All of the problems could be solved if the older devices were upgraded to the latest software, but that’s not likely going to happen, reports IDG News Service. The Motorola Cliq runs version 1.5; the Motorola Droid runs 2.0 and most others run Android 1.6."
Hang on for a wild ride.
Mobile, Technology 
Reader Comments (5)
A friend of mine has the G1 and he likes it. It has a real keyboard. Another friend has the Palm Pre and he likes it as well. IMHO, the real genius of the iPhone is all the apps.
I really can't complain about AT&T's service. In my home office in Denver, I typically get 4 bars, with Helio/Virgin/Sprint, I would only get 1 bar and couldn't get 3G inside my house at all. Not too mention everytime I talked to my wife (on the Sprint network) the call would drop. With AT&T that hasn't been a problem.
I really do like Android and hope it gets some more apps, and you're right about Sprint's data plan. Everytime I see that $99/unlimted commerical, I get jealous. Although AT&T also has rollover, which is pretty sweet.
In the end, whatever phone you buy will be obsolete in a few months and you'll spend the next 20 months waiting for your contract to expire so you can go through this all over again!
Justinian,
So right about phones being obsolete the minute you buy them. These days you kinda just have to dive in. There's never been a better time to be a phone shopper, not only for features but also some killer incentives.
With Sprint, the only time I've had access issues was when I was way up in the Sierra. Yet I've got a good friend who detests Sprint because he spends a ton of time in the Sierra and found himself without a signal a lot of the time. I think the key is just making sure before you buy that your carrier of choice has good access in the areas you're likely to spend most of your time.
My Ocean's contract expires in a month so I'm about to jump into the next shiny-device-becomes-obsolete wagon, too. It comes down to iPhone versus Android for me, but I'm leaning towards the former because of the apps and UI I've fallen in love with on my iTouch. There are a lot of apps I find myself not using because I don't have wi-fi when they'd be most handy but not deleting because I'm kind of keeping them as a bookmark reminder to download once I have an iPhone.
That said, the iPhone is notoriously bad as a phone in NYC. I've seen posts alleging that a 30% dropped call rate is normal in the city and have friends with iPhones who agree with that stat. I also know people who say it isn't that bad, but also isn't good. Regardless, I did notice a HUGE slow-down of data loading times on the Ocean in NYC. I figure it's inevitable in such a densely packed place.
Android intrigues me because its apps are just starting to take off in terms it being trendy to code for. It still seems like there are more apps for the iPhone and most start-ups I see release an iPhone app with an occasional "Android version coming soon" sidenote, but I wonder if the tables will turn.
I understand your fascination with the Android devices, the hot new next thing, but would love to hear your criticism of the Blackberry and why (specifically) it doesn't make any of your lists. thanks
Rico,
Good question.
The Blackberry generally rocks at things like phone, email, messaging, calendaring. It's a fantastic extension to the desktop, and connectivity is a strength. That's why it has great reach in the business community, and has good market share overall. Blackberry also has made great strides in embracing the mobile web and web apps, so it's starting to develop a "fun factor" that it didn't have before.
I don't dislike Blackberries. But I'm a Swiss-army-knife kinda guy (which complements my short-attention span). I like and need all of the core Blackberry features but I'm willing to accept a little less polish and reliability with those core productivity apps in order to also have strong embedded features like a good (2-meg-plus) still and video camera, mp3 player, GPS, integration with social networks and YouTube/Flickr, text and voice memos, etc. Those other features are things that traditionally haven't been Blackberry features (and for good reason -- its audience wasn't demanding them).
I'm particularly looking at Android because I think it represents the frontier of mobile devices, and I need to understand that area professionally as mobile content becomes more ever-present in our lives.
Android is open-source software so developers are free of restrictions in stretching the platform in new directions. With Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile all rolling out Android models this fall, the development of Android features and apps is only going to pick up speed. The fact Android is based on Google code is good and bad -- there'll be some chains to Google apps but the company will ensure the platform continues to be developed and supported like nobody's business.
So, I don't see Android as necessarily better than Blackberry -- or iPhone or Nokia's Maemo for that matter -- just different. It's a fantastic time to be looking for new phones because there are all kinds of great devices for all tastes. I feel like a kid in a candy store.