(Touch) Smartphone show down

[Lilleput]

I am a self diagnosed Phone addict and have had anything from a gold Nokia to a 1st gen iPhone but it's getting time to ditch the N95-1 and iPhone for something better and i thought i'd make a thread where we could yell at each other..

The three phones im looking at are: HTC Touch Diamond, iPhone 3G and Samsung Omnia (SHG-i900)



I haven't made up my mind yet but so far my mental plus / minus list looks like this:

iPhone 3G
+ Great UI
+ Looks good
+ Big Screen (3,5")
+ App Store
+ Works well as a iPod (I can sell my iTouch)
+ I know my way around it

- Everyone are going to have it
- I don't like culture Apple products have around them (iPods not included)
- Very limited and locked down software
- The Hardware is by far the worse / oldest
- No 'proper' GPS (It looks like the GPS is only good for Geotagging and Google Maps)
- Worse camera of the three by far / No Video function
- I actually send MMS

HTC Touch Diamond
+ It's the smallest of the 3
+ Highest resolution screen
+ TouchFlo 3D Looks good
+ Highest clocked CPU, most RAM and the only one with a 3D accelerator chip

- Only 4GB storage
- Smallest screen
- TouchFlo 3D is.. Sluggish
- Worse battery of the 3
- Im not so sure about the looks, HTC has even said it's marketed mostly towards women
- Camera is very weak (Has a flush plastic screen in front of the lens that get smudgy
- Windows Mobile 6.1 (Never had a WinMo phone)

Samsung Omnia (SHG-i900)
+ Comes in 8 and 16GB versions AND has a SDHC slot for an extra 16GB
+ Easily the best hardware / features
+ Best Camera, maby best camera in any non-camera phone (Face detection, smile shutter ect. )
+ I quite like the way it looks, it's understated
+ TouchWhiz (UI) Looks good, it's supposedly easy to get used to and is much faster than the Diamond
+ Comes with proper GPS software (Route 66 i think)
+ I have had Samsung phones before and they had been solid
+ Bigger screen than the Diamond (3.2")

- Windows Mobile 6.1...
- Screen is lower resolution than the two others
- No idea what it will cost yet
- UI Not as 'nice' as the two others
- The UI is new to Samsung so it may be shit to start with


Hmm.. I'll probably add to this when i remember more..


Any thoughts on the phones?

[p0w3r]

what about the sony ericsson xperia? I'm really looking into that phone because of its full keyboard and because i love sony ericsson phones...they are all very high quality.

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by p0w3r

what about the sony ericsson xperia? I'm really looking into that phone because of its full keyboard and because i love sony ericsson phones...they are all very high quality.

Yeah, that and the HTC Touch Pro are both phones i looked at, but they are more business oriented than what i need, i won't be writing e-mails on my phone so a full hardware QWERTY is pretty much useless. I still haven't really seen the X1s UI but the little i have seen looks shit..

[ahpadt]

If you want tons of freeware for your phone, WM6.1 is the only way to go.

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by ahpadt

If you want tons of freeware for your phone, WM6.1 is the only way to go.

Yeah, that's a plus but i hear a lot of negativity about WM6.1.. Like how you need a stylus and it looks shit, though the little you will see of WM on the HTC and Samsung doesn't look that bad.

[ahpadt]

Unless you want a phone right now, I'd wait for either google os or wm7.0 phones...

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by ahpadt

Unless you want a phone right now, I'd wait for either google os or wm7.0 phones...

I want a phone right now..


.. Also shouldn't Winmo 7 be able to run on what ever 6.1 phone you are using?

[ahpadt]

Originally Posted by Lilleput

I want a phone right now..


.. Also shouldn't Winmo 7 be able to run on what ever 6.1 phone you are using?

Probably. Depends whether the phone will be compatible with it or not.

[Viper007Bond]

Originally Posted by Lilleput

- Very limited and locked down software

[epp_b]

You put the "App Store" as a plus for the iPhone? How about this: the HTC touch runs Windows Mobile, which means you can run any application anyone could conceivably make (and there are many of them...many more than there are iPhone apps) without having to be sure that the developer sacrificed a goat and a couple of virgins to Apple.

As for your worries about Windows Mobile, they've improved it a lot since the original 6.0 version. I have a slightly updated version of 6.0 on my HP iPAQ (not 6.1, though). It's quite a bit more stable and has a couple of nice additional touches.

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

I have a iPhone, i know about the installer.

HACKING a device does not count towards it's functionality.

Edit: And if your talking about the App Store that is still not opening up the software as Apple can still dictate what you can and can't do.

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by epp_b

without having to be sure that the developer sacrificed a goat and a couple of virgins to Apple.

Yeah, that's the thing.. Jobs talked about how everyone could just throw their stuff in there but that's not really how it actually works, Apple has a bunch of factors, clauses and other bs.. They won't even allow people to develop for the GPS..

[Deviate]

I like the HTC for some reason.

I don't know about the current version of Windows Mobile, but they were having quite a few issues when the Treo 700 (might have been the 680) came out with a MinMo option.

[Viper007Bond]

Originally Posted by Lilleput

I have a iPhone, i know about the installer.

My point was AppStore + Installer.

Originally Posted by Lilleput

HACKING a device does not count towards it's functionality.

Says who? I couldn't disagree more. It's just a software hack -- it's not like you have to mod the thing. It's no different IMO than buying a Dell and sticking Linux on it.

Originally Posted by Lilleput

Edit: And if your talking about the App Store that is still not opening up the software as Apple can still dictate what you can and can't do.

See previous points + Apple would be foolish to block much and so far, they haven't really blocked anything unexpected. Obviously they'll block porn and stuff like that and possibly iTunes competitors, but other than that it's an advantage to them.

Originally Posted by Lilleput

They won't even allow people to develop for the GPS..

Again, says who? One of those GPS maker companies already has a working test bed in their labs. They're not sure if they're gonna release it or not though -- the GPS antenna on the iPhone is rather small.

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

Again, says who? One of those GPS maker companies already has a working test bed in their labs. They're not sure if they're gonna release it or not though -- the GPS antenna on the iPhone is rather small.

All the information is from Engadget.

I read several times that TomTom had a working solution at launch but for some reason where not allowed to release it, it's supposedly because Apple are worried it won't be able to preform turn by turn navigation as it's primarily made for geo tagging and google maps location.

I LOVE my iPhone, but you do get the feeling when your using it that Apple don't want you to do several things and there for just won't let you. I listed the App Store as a plus for the iPhone and im sure most of the stuff on the Installer will make it's way there but it's still no where near Windows Mobile..

The main reason that is keeping me from buying an iPhone is the price and carrier. If i want a 16GB phone i can take over to my carrier it's $1250 and for that kind of money i want the latest and greatest Hardware. The carrier Apple has chosen for Denmark is the one with the single worst 3G coverage and my current carrier is much better in every department anyway.

It's like JC said.. When he's in a car he wants it to be the best the company can do at that time.. And the iPhone just isn't.. It's a 1st gen iPhone with 1 chip replaced for a 3G / GPS unit.. Oh and the battery isnt soldered in anymore..

I respect the iPhone a lot! Don't get me wrong, it brought on the Touch Screen revolution just like the iPod brought on the mp3 player revolution..

I guess it just comes down to what you are looking for, if you want a easy no fuss good looking phone the iPhone is great but im just looking for a little more technological advancement..



Edit: I just wrote my longest post ever.. And it's on mobile phones

[Viper007Bond]

No I agree -- the iPhone isn't the end-all solution and it's not even close to the best performance for your money.

[The Chad]

Originally Posted by Lilleput

All the information is from Engadget.

I read several times that TomTom had a working solution at launch but for some reason where not allowed to release it, it's supposedly because Apple are worried it won't be able to preform turn by turn navigation as it's primarily made for geo tagging and google maps location.

I believe that according to the user agreement for the iPhone SDK, you agree to not develop turn-by-turn navigation software for the phone. Apple is apparently claiming what you've stated, but I don't believe them.

What is more likely is that Apple is trying to be a king maker in this space. They'll pick who they want to develop the software (or develop it themselves), and go from there. This is a hot space right now and whoever gets on the phone will be profitable from it.

Or, AT&T wants to use their own software on it for the same reasons, and it's part of the unknown agreement between Apple and AT&T. Many carriers, including Verizon, will disable use of the GPS in phones unless it's their own software controlling it, even on the Crackberries.

Note: Outside the US it's obviously not AT&T, but similar carrier agreements could exist.

[Firecat]

I used the Sprint GPS (teleNav?) on the Samsung Instinct once, and in my opinion it was better (more accurate and clearer) than using my Garmin Nuvi.

[The Chad]

Originally Posted by Viper007Bond

No I agree -- the iPhone isn't the end-all solution and it's not even close to the best performance for your money.

It isn't, but it's potential to grow as a platform far exceeds the non-Windows Mobile and Symbian phones, at this point in time.

Nokia and WM phones have larger developer platforms, but I sometimes wonder if they've hit the plateau in their life cycle?

[Alok]

I am not sure about the hardware, but I am currently doing a course called Human Computer Interaction and we have masochistically dissected the iphone/ipod touch user interface and the machine-human link. I think it will take a very long time till it starts tiring you. And as is the case with something with which you live in and live out, it makes a difference.