Smartphones

Aazealh

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Staff member
Pretty disappointing keynote, all things considered. Not that I was going to buy an iPhone 4S or anything, but following the event was a complete waste of time.
 
Agreed. I've been pondering about my switch from my BlackBerry Bold 9700 to a touchscreen phone. I would've switched over if it wasn't for the uber cool Musashi decals I put.

From a product point of view, the iPod Touch is so lame. You can own an iPod Touch 8 GB for juuust $199.00 (the new price) but wait, the iPhone 8 GB is FREE, so why bother?

I have an iPod Classic 160 GB only because it started getting odd carrying a CD pouch with 4-5 CDs and my CD player every day. I also got mugged where the guy didn't want my backpack, he only demanded I give him my pouch. So he got my Dead Congregation, Ribspreader, and Immolation CDs that I was carrying that night. The good from that was at least the mugger got real good music off me. The iPod is practical for me only in that sense, it can be tucked away in my pocket and I don't have to worry about changing CDs while standing in the subway. I haven't synched it with iTunes, I use it like an external HD.

On an unrelated note - is it true that the iPhone user would have to sync the phone with 1 computer only? If so, what happens if that computer has to be formatted or you get a new computer?
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
IncantatioN said:
From a product point of view, the iPod Touch is so lame. You can own an iPod Touch 8 GB for juuust $199.00 (the new price) but wait, the iPhone 8 GB is FREE, so why bother?
The 3GS may be "free," but you'd be attached at the hip to a monthly data plan. Also, the newest iPod Touch is much more powerful than a 3GS. It's really not even comparable when it comes to games.
On an unrelated note - is it true that the iPhone user would have to sync the phone with 1 computer only? If so, what happens if that computer has to be formatted or you get a new computer?
I can attach my iphone to up to 5 computers at any given time.
 
Thanks for clearing that up, I only hear about things like that and I've been hesitant to buy one since then. With the iPod Touch though, it's still $199.99 for the 8 GB which's just about the same price for a new iPhone 4s with a new contract. I don't know how the iPod Touch compares to something like a PSP or something in the same class of electronics.

I'm on T-Mobile and I really don't want to switch unless it's a switch to Verizon. With the iPhone's availability going to Sprint, Verizon and AT&T, I fear T-Mobile will be hit pretty bad. A lot of customers hoped the iPhone would be available on the network and a majority will move to either one of those networks to avail the iPhone. With the Galaxy S II coming out mid October, I might bite into that as opposed to the iPhone 4s. It'll be my first touchscreen anything.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
If you're in the market for a smartphone, in my opinion the only reason not to get an iPhone is if you fundamentally don't like iOS or Apple. I can totally understand why someone wouldn't. I personally hate Apple's closed-minded design philosophy. "Oh, you don't like how we've changed our UI and/or removed existing features? Then you can fuck right off." But the sheer scope of Apple's App Store seals the deal for me. The similar stores on competing smartphones just can't compare.

Now, if you don't really care about the app store and games, then your options suddenly become much more diverse. Aaz really likes his Windows Phone, for example. I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you what makes it an awesome device.
 
Are important or frequently used popular applications available on Apple's and Android's app store? Because if they are, then I guess it's more to do with the phone or like you mentioned the OS itself. I read someplace that the new Apple OS will have provision to modify your home screen to actually move the icons that cloud the iPhone to 1 corner or somewhere below. That I think will be an improvement because I wouldn't like to see clutter on my home screen. Your post actually puts me in a tough spot because I've been trying to avoid the iPhone for 4 years.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
IncantatioN said:
With the Galaxy S II coming out mid October, I might bite into that as opposed to the iPhone 4s.

If you ask me, the Galaxy S II is a better phone by far. And it's pretty easy to see why: http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/04/iphone-4s-vs-the-smartphone-elite-galaxy-s-ii-bionic-and-tita/

See, Apple's problem here is that they were too arrogant. Samsung was their main manufacturer, main provider for a lot of parts, and by trying to bully them with patents they cut themselves into a corner. The result is that the Galaxy S II, a phone that came out 6 months ago, still has better hardware. As for iOS vs Android, it's purely a matter of taste. Except for some games, I don't think Android lacks any crucial application compared to iOS.

Like Walter said, I personally use a Samsung Omnia 7, the European version of the Samsung Focus which is itself built on the Samsung Galaxy S hardware but runs Windows Phone 7 (WP 7.5 now, actually). And yeah, I'm fully satisfied with it. I love the Metro UI (no clutter :slan:), and although the Windows Phone marketplace doesn't have nearly as many apps as the two main players, I can't think of a feature that I'm missing.
 
That's a pretty cool link showing the comparison, thanks! I went to a T-Mobile store close to my office yesterday and the new Galaxy S II comes out October 12/ 13. So I'll hop on there to check what prices I can get etc. and hope they give me a price break since I've been loyal to the network since Dec 06. If it's too expensive, I'll re-think my options.

You make a good point and it makes sense now as to why the Galaxy S II outshines the 4s. I hear Samsung's lawyers have put lawsuits and protests so the iPhone 4s won't come out mid October in Italy and France. I guess they're getting serious in their long fight with Apple on tech/ related infringements. I wonder what'll happen if they enforce the same for other countries before Apple can sink their claws there. They should've definitely done it in China.

I watched videos of Metro UI and it looks damn cool, I think it was a tablet that I watched it on.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
IncantatioN said:
I hear Samsung's lawyers have put lawsuits and protests so the iPhone 4s won't come out mid October in Italy and France. I guess they're getting serious in their long fight with Apple on tech/ related infringements. I wonder what'll happen if they enforce the same for other countries before Apple can sink their claws there. They should've definitely done it in China.

Well they're fighting fire with fire; since Apple is hindering the release of their products they're trying to do the same. Sadly the consumer isn't gaining anything from this, but what can you do...

IncantatioN said:
I watched videos of Metro UI and it looks damn cool, I think it was a tablet that I watched it on.

Yeah it'll be integrated in Windows 8, it's a big aspect of the convergence they're trying to bring about: one single system for all types of devices.
 
What time can you set your Windows phone to do a Send/ Receive of emails? Walter, for the iPhone is it true that -

- the minimum time is 15 mins, unless you do it manually
- you have to click to read every message to mark it as Read
- you cannot mass delete emails as a chunk

On the BlackBerry I'm used to having my emails pop in or go out every minute (it's set to 1 minute). I don't have to worry about reading an email and simultaneously hitting up Gmail to see it Unread. I can mark a message as Read without reading the email/ message. I can click on a date and say Delete Prior or Mark Prior Read/ Unread which's convenient. I don't care much for the BBM aspect of the phone because of WhatsApp.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
IncantatioN said:
What time can you set your Windows phone to do a Send/ Receive of emails? Walter, for the iPhone is it true that -

- the minimum time is 15 mins, unless you do it manually
You can activate what's called "Push" by which the server (for me, Gmail) will push new data/emails as soon as it receives them. I usually get notified of new emails on my phone quicker than my Gmail web browser.

- you have to click to read every message to mark it as Read
I believe that's true.

- you cannot mass delete emails as a chunk
Yes you can, though I know many people still overlook it as a feature. You click an "edit" button and then you can put a mark next to multiple emails, then delete them all.
 
Thanks for clearing it up Walter. I think I'll decide next week after I check out T-Mobile's Galaxy S II version (different from what's offered to AT&T or Verizon).
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
IncantatioN said:
What time can you set your Windows phone to do a Send/ Receive of emails?

As items arrive
Every 15 minutes
Every 30 minutes
Hourly
Manually

Personally I use "as items arrive" and like Walter I usually receive emails on the phone before receiving them in my gmail window if I have it open. You also have a choice to download emails up to a certain amount of time on your phone from the server. Meaning if you haven't used the phone in a week and want the past week's emails that you already read, replied to, etc. to be on the phone they'll be retro-downloaded to it. Not sure I'm being clear but it can be quite useful.

IncantatioN said:
I don't have to worry about reading an email and simultaneously hitting up Gmail to see it Unread. I can mark a message as Read without reading the email/ message. I can click on a date and say Delete Prior or Mark Prior Read/ Unread which's convenient.

I think most of those features are present on all smartphones in one way or another, except maybe for performing an action based on a date (I never tried it myself). On WP7 you can also choose whether your conversations are threaded or not, you can group certain email accounts together in one inbox and some others in another inbox and arrange them all however you want on your "home" screen, and of course it perfectly integrates Exchange.

IncantatioN said:
I don't care much for the BBM aspect of the phone because of WhatsApp.

I've got IM+ installed myself, which allows me to chat using virtually every major chatting service, but I hardly use it to tell the truth. I stick to emails and text messages (they're unlimited on pretty much every contract here) most of the time. If that's your thing, WP7 also highly integrates Facebook and Twitter into the system.
 
I think that helps, I have IM+ on my BB. WhatsApp is a popular app with most of my friends here and abroad, it acts like a BBM that's not exclusive to just the BB, but includes Android + iOS phones.

The Galaxy S II comes out tomorrow in stores, so I'll get a chance to have a hands-on experience hopefully unless it sells out.

I read online that the iPhone 4s broke records and hit 1 million pre-order sales in just 24 hours. I don't know if it's a global sales figure or just USA, but it's insane haha!

Looks like there could also be more problems for Apple. Cook claimed the dual antenna was an innovation the iPhone 4s is the first to have. The patent for the dual antenna was sold to Samsung in 2007 by a Danish University Professor and he himself claims it's being used in cordless phones and a few other phones. Kinda makes Apple lose credibility (for me) with their constant claim of innovation.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
IncantatioN said:
WhatsApp is a popular app with most of my friends here and abroad, it acts like a BBM that's not exclusive to just the BB, but includes Android + iOS phones.

Yeah I know what it is. It's available for Windows Phone 7.5 as well. :slan:

IncantatioN said:
I read online that the iPhone 4s broke records and hit 1 million pre-order sales in just 24 hours. I don't know if it's a global sales figure or just USA, but it's insane haha!

It's USA only. To put things in perspective a bit though, keep in mind that last time the device was only available on AT&T and this time it's AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.

IncantatioN said:
Looks like there could also be more problems for Apple. Cook claimed the dual antenna was an innovation the iPhone 4s is the first to have. The patent for the dual antenna was sold to Samsung in 2007 by a Danish University Professor and he himself claims it's being used in cordless phones and a few other phones. Kinda makes Apple lose credibility (for me) with their constant claim of innovation.

Hahaha, well if you start going down that path you're going to have a few surprises.
 
Friday last week, I made the switch to a Galaxy S II. I asked a colleague to take a picture of it a few minutes ago, she has an iPhone 4 but the focus seems weird (sharp - my palm, distorted - screen)

photo-1.jpg


I honestly love it! I was apprehensive of typing on a touchscreen keypad because I'm not used to it and the best part is that I don't even have to 'type' most of the time :iva:. Swype was pre-installed and I've been sliding my fingers all quick to do the job. I haven't tapped in the full potential of Voice Actions yet or Vlingo, but soon enough. The camera's just awesome. Here's 2 pictures from dinner on Monday night (went to Kenka at St. Marks ... I kinda prefer the Yakitori at Sake Bar Hagi though).

Yakitori platter with Calamari rings on the side - http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee500/Piraancantation/20111017_185827.jpg
Sake ... with extra sake at the bottom (I guess from spilling over) in an awesome saucer ^_^ - http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee500/Piraancantation/20111017_1937581.jpg
 
SO! I've had the phone for a little over 7 months now and it's a big step from my old Blackberry. Recently I used my old Blackberry when I was visiting home and the convenience of typing on a hard full keyboard is really something else, definite plus. Swype is a savior for my GSII. Doesn't work well when you're typing and traveling like on a bumpy train ride, etc.

Bringing the topic back because there was some cool discussions on different platforms and I found this cool new link to share called 29 Days With Android.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/13/3082261/29-days-with-android

The person basically breaks down what he found different on an Android system versus iOS and the works. I think I'm going to try out a few things he's written about.

Your thoughts on the article?

There's promising stuff for the next Win 8 phone.

What're some of your most-used Apps on your phones?

Was thinking of making another topic to discuss Android/ iOS/ Win/ Symbian/ other platforms.
 
I also got the GSII on ATT in October after all the hype from the rest of the international community. Was a little upset they released the GSII Skyrocket months later, but hey that's what happens these days. I still have the phone. I like it but it is not as reliable as my trusty Nexus One. My GSII is subject to random freezes and hangs sometimes, can get annoying. Maybe that is the TouchWiz UI. After using it I can say I like the sturdier builds of HTC phones compared to the glossy plastics of Samsung.

I can say after going from Nexus to GSII, I will always go pure Google from here on out. Sick of waiting for the latest Android OS updates. I regret not holding out for the Galaxy Nexus which is now unlocked straight from Google for use on ATT for $399.

As for apps, I really dig the Yongzh emulators on SlideME. N64oid is incredible, N64 games look so crisp on the bright Samsung screens. They are like HD remakes essentially on the GSII (Mario Kart, Banjo, etc). There's also support for bluetooth controllers, so you can control with the wiimote or a PS3 controller..
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
IncantatioN said:
Your thoughts on the article?

I think some people take their phones too seriously. :iva:

IncantatioN said:
What're some of your most-used Apps on your phones?

Mostly news apps. There's 4 that I use daily while commuting. Other than that I just check SK.net via the web browser. That's about it really; I have quite a few more apps, but I only use them occasionally.
 
WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram (recent addition), Gmail, Dolphin (as my browser, I like the tabbed browsing on it), Dictionary, Flixster, Maps, Hopstop, Seamless (to order food at work or home if I ain't cooking), New Scientist, Translate (for Spanish conversations with my janitor) and Twitter.

I use most of them on a day to day basis, except for maybe Flixster or Maps.
 
I just got an iPhone (4S) about six months ago but already it's broken. :puck: The phone acts like it's plugged into headphones (ie, sound won't come out of the speakers), even though it's not. Apparently this is a pretty common problem. I've tried a billion different ways of fixing the problem and nothing works. Major bummer. :judo:

But... to answer your question, I'm addicted to Tiny Tower and Scramble With Friends. Other apps I use every day are Qrank, New York Times, IGN, and Facebook. :guts:
 
I deleted Draw Something and Words With Friends because I had a bunch of games going on at the same time but because of work or if I had a hectic week, I wouldn't get to the game and I bet it was frustrating for other users, plus friends send reminders etc. SO it went to the trashbin.
 
IncantatioN said:
I deleted Draw Something and Words With Friends because I had a bunch of games going on at the same time but because of work or if I had a hectic week, I wouldn't get to the game and I bet it was frustrating for other users, plus friends send reminders etc. SO it went to the trashbin.

Its a good thing you did, those 2 apps are notorious for sending PII to all manner of third parties.
 
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