Database Users

Time to move on perhaps?

I've had HTC/XDA's for the past 7 years, starting with the basic XDA through to the XDA2, XDA2s, XDA Exec and currently the XDA Hermes...but they just ain't that cool anymore - I used to enjoy using them, they were original and the OS was swish but now they're slow, cumbersome and just not that funky nor impressive - its a rickety old OS with nothing to get excited about.
Until Microsoft do something interesting with PocketPC I don't think I'll returning for a while, however I'd just like some opinions on the phones to which I'm considering a move to...
My likes...
- Touchscreen ideally (Nokia loses here)
- Navigation capabilities (either built in or addon)
- Good quality camera, quick to fireup/use (unlike PocketPC!!)
- Proper Keyboard (nice but not necessary)
- Ability to use POP3 email practically without hard work
Based on the majority of the above, I am considering these phones...
- Samsung F700 (beautiful looking, nice interface)
- Apple IPhone
- Nokia N95 8Gb
Have I missed anything worth considering, if so what are you recommendations?
Currently with Vodafone and have been offered the F700/N95 for free, 500 minutes, Stop the Clock (free after 3 minutes for an hour), 250 txt's for £30 p/m.
I am put off PocketPC so with the greatest of respect, don't bother replying if its an anti-anything-else style response.
Appreciate your views/opinions, particularly from anyone actually using/with experience of any of the above phones.

I had my hands on the N95 and its awesome. The iPhone is the iPhone, awesome os and navigation, but ultimately i see a bunch of chicks with them so no. Samsung looks promising but will probably be way too expensive straight off unless carrier subsidised. N95 wins, it has GPS, a snappy os, great music player, and tons of software available. Good luck in your choice!

Thanks for your reply mate, the N95 does look appealing but what about the keyboard? Is it genuinely usable on a day-to-day basis? Heard comments that its too small?
Cheers, Ash

I know the iPhone is the rage for alot of folks........but even so...Apple will try to make it grow and advance without end.
Example is the release of the developer package.........I think the iPhone, atleast with the coming introduction of then next version, would be my next choice...........for the resale if nothing else.
My little Hermes has held it's value pretty well too!
Good Luck and stay in touch.

chipsxj said:
I know the iPhone is the rage for alot of folks........but even so...Apple will try to make it grow and advance without end.
Example is the release of the developer package.........I think the iPhone, atleast with the coming introduction of then next version, would be my next choice...........for the resale if nothing else.
My little Hermes has held it's value pretty well too!
Good Luck and stay in touch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I agree with your sentiments, the IPhone 2 I believe it worth waiting for, I don't think I'd invest my pennies in the current release, its just not heavily featured enough, although the firmware upgrades are coming out thick and fast!! Its now got a GPS like technology!! Very impressive!
...but I'm not interested in making my Hermes act like something far superior, I'm just bored of its tired, slow and clunky interface - need something refreshing that allows me to enjoy using my phone, and enabling me to use it properly without having to wait for it to wakeup from standby, wait for the camera to get its act together etc!
Thanks for your comments. Anyone any experience with the Samsung? It looks smart! Has good spec too!

ashleyhall said:
Its now got a GPS like technology!! Very impressive!
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Click to collapse
What do you consider a "GPS like technology" - the same thing GoogleMaps does?

to be honest,
You are looking for the
"Sony Ericsson p1i"
http://www.smarthome.com/96001.html
It meets all of your specifications, except it has a suretype keyboard. It has 2 letters to a key, instead of a normal keyboard, or a normal keypad with 3 letters to a key. It's actually the best keyboard to have once one gets used to it.
Key features:
Touch screen
WiFi
Smartphone capability
Not sure on GPS/location.
awesome 3.2 megapixel camera.
I think you'll like it.

vr24 said:
What do you consider a "GPS like technology" - the same thing GoogleMaps does?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, similar in the sense that it doesn't use a traditional GPS utilising Satellites, instead it uses GSM triangulation, still its an impressive addon for a firmware update. Lets face it, when did the last Hermes firmware update (from an official provider, not cooked ROMs) enhance our functionality to that extent!!
Sirgatory said:
to be honest,
You are looking for the
"Sony Ericsson p1i"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the pointer, does look nice but I'm a little put off Sony's after seeing/playing for a while with the P900 and P910 - very large, clunky and easily broken phones with a rather unimpressive slow interface - have things improved since then?

not sure if that's the case any more but many sonyE owners complain about as poor charging connectors as htc had pre extMiniUsb
also suspct sonyE only support their own odd flashCard std.
hope the iphone2 got microSd

Rudegar said:
not sure if that's the case any more but many sonyE owners complain about as poor charging connectors as htc had pre extMiniUsb
also suspct sonyE only support their own odd flashCard std.
hope the iphone2 got microSd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just watched a video showing the SonyE's interface, looks just like the old P900, slow and not very jumpy to respond.
Think I'll keep looking, what other nice phones are out there right now?
Cheers, Ash

The only one out of your list I would consider is the iPhone.
Some people are sentimental about the devices they use, they deveop a love for it and whenever something clearly better comes out they make a whole lot of excuses defending their old device. While I've loved my Hermes very much, I'm not sentimental, I'm progressive. Within financial reason, I will go with whatever the current-day best device/platform is.
The iPhone has in no way been that, not so far. Unti l I can have EVERY little excellent WM app I use, or an equally good iealternative on the iPhone platform, the iPhone is a waste of money for me. Everything else of course is brilliant, but the No. 1 thing that turns me on phones is the abilty to have multilingual dictionaries on it, an audio recorder, an advanced metronome app (yes, musician here!), access to network mapped drives, a GOOD calendar app (iPhone's is not good enough for me, try Agenda One), ebooks and pocket bible, a scientific calendar (to some people that would be VERY useful), TCPMP (enough said), and ALL the tweaking to my heart's content.
The release of the SDK is what excites (and at the same time worries) me. I'm just wondering how Mr. "closed" and "controlling my devices" Steve Jobs is going to handle the freedom with iPhone that's about to be unleashed.
I'm also interested in what Microsoft is going to do for WM7 in reaction. Are they just going to bloat it up with vista-like "wow"-ness (thereby slowing it to a grinding halt) or are they going to actually make it a powerful platform and compete with the desktop-class iPhone platform. The browser situation STILL sucks after all these years.
And how about Google's android? Will there be a following for that, enough to bring out great apps? If so, AND if it can be employed on my Hermes, I'll stick it out to try that.
So what I love about WM6, is not actually the OS itself. I hate the OS. But all these wonderful developers have made my WM phone what it is, and outweighed its anoying slowness.
Also one single feature which would stop me from going to iPhone, is input. I LOVE TouchPal, try the free edition or professional trial, it's AMAZING. FAR superior to that horrible iPhone keyboard. And the great thing is, it's NOT complicated, only took me half-an-hour to learn. They've done some incredible innovation there. So, will Apple allow third-party developers to make their own keyboards for iPhone? +, will there be a way to sync to my outlook?
I'll wait and see...
Edit: oh yeah, there's also MicroSD. 12GB just got announced, and the SDHC spec can go up to 32GB. That's value being reinvested into my Hermes. There's all these little things that are BIG things in my daily phone experience, and they must all be ticked in the checklist before considering moving.

I know what you mean about moving on. My Wizard is barely living (no SIM card most of the time, still an OK PDA), and I really miss using a touchscreen phone now. I would have bought a Kaiser, but after seeing all of the issues it has, no way. I think the iPhone still looks good, even though Jobs wants to lock everything down...but then again, that didn't stop me here, why would it stop me now?

frenchglen said:
While I've loved my Hermes very much, I'm not sentimental, I'm progressive. Within financial reason, I will go with whatever the current-day best device/platform is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very well put, I'm fully agreeing with you on that and I am pleased that the 'Anti-Anything-Other-Than-Hermes' police haven't yet bothered to respond.
The TouchPal system looks excellent but I simply can't imagine it running at the pace that it does via the video's I've watched on my own Hermes - The IPhone I'm tempted by but not until its next reincarnation, which judging by the speed at which Apple plough up new devices, I don't think I'll be waiting long.
Another phone I'm now considering is..
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/...-crowd-preps-m4650-windows-mobile-touchphone/
...although at the moment I know very little about it.
I guess I'll keep looking!

Just to update you all - went into several stores to play with various new Mobile Phones, tried the Samsung F700 - VERY disappointed, tried the Nokia N95 - HORRIBLE piece of cheap tack. Finally, got informed of the new Vodafone 1615 (KAISER) - what a GREAT bit of kit, yes its another WM machine, the natural progression from the 1605 (Hermes) but its actually nice.
Doesn't seem any faster BUT it has lots more RAM, built in GPS (YAY no more Bluetooth GPS!) and a nice tilting screen!!
Got an amazing tariff agreed and expecting delivery of the new handset tomorrow!!!!
Will keep you updated on my progress with it!
Cheers, Ash

Just a quick comment on the N95, I've read (don't have a link to hand currently, sorry) that a lot of users are having problems with the onboard GPS. aparently the chip/antenna is situated on the back/bottom of the handset which, for obvious reasons, affects the ability to get a fix on your position...

whats with the missing video call front camera

i find it a very weird (and potentially a major problem) design decision that HTC left out the front camera for 3G video call. they have had them in all 3G phones since the universal (2005). why on earth would they stop it. is it really hard to add that front camera in that small place
is there a technical limitations preventing that?
will it be possible to hack in a video call dialer that uses the back camera
i imagine that there will be no need to even enable the power hungry 3G radio most of the time. it makes sense to only temporarily enable it if you are planning to stay browsing for a while

THE GRIZZ said:
i find it a very weird (and potentially a major problem) design decision that HTC left out the front camera for 3G video call. they have had them in all 3G phones since the universal (2005). why on earth would they stop it. is it really hard to add that front camera in that small place
is there a technical limitations preventing that?
will it be possible to hack in a video call dialer that uses the back camera
i imagine that there will be no need to even enable the power hungry 3G radio most of the time. it makes sense to only temporarily enable it if you are planning to stay browsing for a while
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I for one won't miss it. I have only ever used it once and that was to test it. You can never guarentee you're going to be in a 3g area or the person you are calling is. I have used the camera on the front of the Touch Pro to take pictures of me with my kids etc, and it takes better pictures than the main one.

Never used one and probably never will. Not a great loss from my point of view

I would think it would be pretty crucial if one wanted to use it for communicating with sign language.
Other than that I never really meet people that actually use it. Would be interesting to see some statistics about this. My thought is that very few people use it but I may be wrong.

5MP camera - check
Flash - check
Accelerometer - check
Digital compass - check
aGPS - check
3.5mm jack - check
WVGA display - check
+4" display - check
Capacitive touchscreen - check
Ambient light sensor - check
microSD card support - check
WiFi - check
Bluetooth v2.1 - check
1GHz CPU - check
FM radio - check
Proximity sensor - check
448MB RAM - check
Future WM7 support - check
AMOLED display - oh no!
Front camera - oh dear!
TV out - say it's not true!
QWERTY keyboard - you gotta be kidding me!
Now no manufacturer will put every single available hardware feature in a phone. It's never happened. It'll never happen! So...which of the features that HTC have included would you be willing to sacrifice for your front camera? Or your TV out? QWERTY keyboard?
And if those features are so important to you then which of the features that are included in the HD2 are you willing to sacrifice in favour of another model?
I'm sure if we did a poll things like TV out and a front camera would be bottom of most peoples' lists of "must haves".

Ruudfood said:
I'm sure if we did a poll things like TV out and a front camera would be bottom of most peoples' lists of "must haves".
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Click to collapse
Lets do it and find out but yeh what you say is true never gonna happen
On the note i have never used to front video camera on mine atm so no loss. Also the video out cool idea but honestly the amount of times id use it i dotn really care, never had it so never gonna miss it kinda thing

I never needed TV out and a front camera. This bad boy hd2 is so loaded with great specs that I like It will be a must have for me (and many other buyers)

THE GRIZZ said:
i find it a very weird (and potentially a major problem) design decision that HTC left out the front camera for 3G video call. they have had them in all 3G phones since the universal (2005). why on earth would they stop it. is it really hard to add that front camera in that small place
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, they haven't had them in all 3G phones - their Android devices are good examples. It's just a choice they made when designing the HD2 - most of the general public (including myself) have no real use for video calling. It's a nice thing to fiddle with once or twice, but being able to see someone is not at all helpful. Of course, there will be a small minority who really miss the feature, but you must remember that HTC is mainly interested in growing fast at the moment - adding a front-facing camera would make the phone (slightly) bigger and more expensive, and it certainly would not make the HD2 sell significantly better.
I have no idea about a dialer designed to use the back-facing camera - that would be pretty nice if it was managed. It might be a bit more complicated than that though...

Must say the same as Teneka_Khan, has never use video call and will never use. For me that is completly useless

I have every month 3000min of free video calls on my contract and even though I have used the video call function only once in last years, I still want to have the video call option on my devive and dialer... I now, there must be something wrong with me...

galaxys said:
I never needed TV out and a front camera. This bad boy hd2 is so loaded with great specs that I like It will be a must have for me (and many other buyers)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I'm one of those buyers

I was VERY disappointed when i noticed that there was no videocall cam at the front. Even though i never use it The thing is that when you buy i 3G phone today for that amount of money you expect to have a front cam.
There is moments when it's very useful to have.
I almost canceled my pre order because of this

One day people will understand that if a mobile phone has got ALL the tools that everybody wants the manufacturers will be in trouble. Have you seen how much money Apple has made with the iPhone? Why didn't they start with an 8 or 10 MPX camera? They had only 2 MPX and sold like hot-cakes. They upped it to only 3 MPX and, still, sold even more! Are they capable to have a decent camera? Of course they are! So, why don't they have it? Because - and only because - people like some of you will buy a brand new, slightly tweaked, mobile every few months! And this makes them a lot of money! Keep buying them, chaps! We'll NEVER have the complete, perfect, mobile because the likes of HTC, Apple, Nokia, Sumsung, Sony Ericsson, etc, are not inclined to give us everything in one go. Can you get it? If you want a front camera go and buy a mobile with a front camera; there are dozens of them. The HD2 DOESN'T have one. BUT has lots of other stuff that you cannot find somewhere else. Probably the HD3 or 4 or 5 will have the camera some of you so much crave - even though you never, ever used it! You know what are the HD2 specs. Don't like them? Move on! HTC is not going to install one in the next incarnation of the HD range just because you are pissed off with them... If this model sells well, of course they will have something better next time - but the "bettering" will be done in their own (future financial) terms. I am not criticizing them! I would do the same if it made sense, financially, to my company...

aiwama said:
One day people will understand that if a mobile phone has got ALL the tools that everybody wants the manufacturers will be in trouble. Have you seen how much money Apple has made with the iPhone? Why didn't they start with an 8 or 10 MPX camera? They had only 2 MPX and sold like hot-cakes. They upped it to only 3 MPX and, still, sold even more! Are they capable to have a decent camera? Of course they are! So, why don't they have it? Because - and only because - people like some of you will buy a brand new, slightly tweaked, mobile every few months! And this makes them a lot of money! Keep buying them, chaps! We'll NEVER have the complete, perfect, mobile because the likes of HTC, Apple, Nokia, Sumsung, Sony Ericsson, etc, are not inclined to give us everything in one go. Can you get it? If you want a front camera go and buy a mobile with a front camera; there are dozens of them. The HD2 DOESN'T have one. BUT has lots of other stuff that you cannot find somewhere else. Probably the HD3 or 4 or 5 will have the camera some of you so much crave - even though you never, ever used it! You know what are the HD2 specs. Don't like them? Move on! HTC is not going to install one in the next incarnation of the HD range just because you are pissed off with them... If this model sells well, of course they will have something better next time - but the "bettering" will be done in their own (future financial) terms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't agree! Touch HD has everything if you were making an argument here. Why couldn't HD2 do the same, this is kinda dissapointment, but I will get HD2 whether it has or doesn't with a front camera. It was a huge dissapointment to me too and I don't think we are expecting too much. But I can compromise that. And it is not a huge problem without front camera, we just have to stay with HD2 without the fun video call that most of the users seldom use.

precsmo said:
I don't agree! Touch HD has everything if you were making an argument here. Why couldn't HD2 do the same, this is kinda dissapointment, but I will get HD2 whether it has or doesn't with a front camera. It was a huge dissapointment to me too and I don't think we are expecting too much. But I can compromise that. And it is not a huge problem without front camera, we just have to stay with HD2 without the fun video call that most of the users seldom use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the Touch HD have a 1GHz processor? No! Is it as thin as the HD2? No! Does it have the Sense UI? No! Does it have tethering? No! Is the screen as big? No! Does it have a capacitive screen? No! If the HD2 had EVERYTHING that the Touch HD has, nobody would carry on buying the latter! The (very few) lovers of front cameras will still go for it. Others, me included, will upgrade and move on to the HD2. And 99% of our time with it will be to make and receive phone calls and play and show off. How many of us really, really, use Office Mobile, or the FM Radio, or the MP3 Trimmer, or the Voice Recorder, or even the Video Camera on a regular basis? Would you kill yourselves if you had a mobile without all these things? Ten years ago (not even that longer) we all survived without them...

aiwama said:
One day people will understand that if a mobile phone has got ALL the tools that everybody wants the manufacturers will be in trouble. Have you seen how much money Apple has made with the iPhone? Why didn't they start with an 8 or 10 MPX camera? They had only 2 MPX and sold like hot-cakes. They upped it to only 3 MPX and, still, sold even more! Are they capable to have a decent camera? Of course they are! So, why don't they have it? Because - and only because - people like some of you will buy a brand new, slightly tweaked, mobile every few months! And this makes them a lot of money! Keep buying them, chaps! We'll NEVER have the complete, perfect, mobile because the likes of HTC, Apple, Nokia, Sumsung, Sony Ericsson, etc, are not inclined to give us everything in one go. Can you get it? If you want a front camera go and buy a mobile with a front camera; there are dozens of them. The HD2 DOESN'T have one. BUT has lots of other stuff that you cannot find somewhere else. Probably the HD3 or 4 or 5 will have the camera some of you so much crave - even though you never, ever used it! You know what are the HD2 specs. Don't like them? Move on! HTC is not going to install one in the next incarnation of the HD range just because you are pissed off with them... If this model sells well, of course they will have something better next time - but the "bettering" will be done in their own (future financial) terms. I am not criticizing them! I would do the same if it made sense, financially, to my company...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have it completely and utterly wrong. I don't know why there are so many paranoid people who think the phone manufacturers are out to get them, plotting their evil plans to screw you over.
That isn't how it works.
Think about it - if some mythical phone company made the "perfect" (that's a whole other discussion!) device, they would grab close to 100% of the market. Put the slightest of effort into understanding basic logic and ask yourself why HTC would setting for a fraction of the Windows Phone market, which in turn is but a fraction of the entire phone market, when you claim they could make a "perfect" device, which would give them market dominance? Oh no, just to screw you, one paranoid little customer over, they choose to make rubbish phones. Sheesh.
Why no front camera? First, look at just about every response here and everywhere else - as much as video calling has been hyped, next to nobody uses it! I was one of those who thought at first "wow what an oversight" but after a few seconds thought - not really. It's an extra cost that doesn't have to be passed on to the consumer, it's less electronics and optics that need to fit in, so we get a thinner, lighter device with more room for a bigger screen.
Percentage of people who "need" a video camera on the front? 1% maybe. Percentage of people who appreciate a cheaper, smaller, more robust device with more room for a bigger screen? 99%. Do the flippin' maths.
Apply the same for everything else. What are the costs of including feature X? What are the benefits? What percentage of people will be attracted/put off by this feature being present/absent, and how many more units will the sell if they can lower the price by not including it?
Now doesn't that make so much more sense than "bwahahaha what features can we deliberately leave out to piss people off, so we get fewer customers and make less money! Hahaha I am an illogical evil overlord who loves to lose money!"?
Logic, people... it's not a swear word.

ToddeSwe said:
I was VERY disappointed when i noticed that there was no videocall cam at the front. Even though i never use it The thing is that when you buy i 3G phone today for that amount of money you expect to have a front cam.
There is moments when it's very useful to have.
I almost canceled my pre order because of this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EXactly! Nothing to add from me so far! Why they dropped it from feature list? 640 EUR should be enough money, shouldn't it?

aiwama said:
Does the Touch HD have a 1GHz processor? No! Is it as thin as the HD2? No! Does it have the Sense UI? No! Does it have tethering? No! Is the screen as big? No! Does it have a capacitive screen? No! If the HD2 had EVERYTHING that the Touch HD has, nobody would carry on buying the latter! The (very few) lovers of front cameras will still go for it. Others, me included, will upgrade and move on to the HD2. And 99% of our time with it will be to make and receive phone calls and play and show off. How many of us really, really, use Office Mobile, or the FM Radio, or the MP3 Trimmer, or the Voice Recorder, or even the Video Camera on a regular basis? Would you kill yourselves if you had a mobile without all these things? Ten years ago (not even that longer) we all survived without them...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is entirely your own opinion. I wouldn't think that is how phone companies do like what you're trying to say here. Whatever you mentioned here about what HD2 has and Touch HD doesn't, these are not related to whether it has or not with the front camera. As I've said, we are not expecting much. It is pretty normal nowadays especially for HTC phones with these specs to have a front camera. You are only assuming how HTC do, but I don't agree this. Whether it or not with a front camera, HD2 will still sell like hot cakes. And HTC really does not need to worry if HD2 with front camera or not will affect Touch HD sales. It is obvious Touch HD is selling cheaper now, it still can sell as it is or consider as replaced by HD2.

I use my front camera every day to talk with my wife and son. I just love it. TV out is useless BUT it makes sense to have in a HD devise. In the end HD2 is not an HD. Does it have AMOLED screen? No! Does it record at least 720p video? No! So it is far away from the HD world. Omnia 2 is closer. Sure the 1GHz processor is the best!
Let's see what HTC will launch on the next GSM World in Barcelona! Today I'm happy with my Touch Pro 2.

Marcus Tavares said:
I use my front camera every day to talk with my wife and son. I just love it. TV out is useless BUT it makes sense to have in a HD devise. In the end HD2 is not an HD. Does it have AMOLED screen? No! Does it record at least 720p video? No! So it is far away from the HD world. Omnia 2 is closer. Sure the 1GHz processor is the best!
Let's see what HTC will launch on the next GSM World in Barcelona! Today I'm happy with my Touch Pro 2.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeahh..What a pity if Leo doesn't has front camera..sometimes it's very useful for some personal purpose..

nexus one = top phone in the world (read more inside)

ok, i'm tired of seeing all of these threads about how much the nexus sucks or there's blah blah blah issue with it. listen, if you own this phone, you own the top piece of tech on the globe.
the g1 forum was never like this (and apparently they're ****ed cause they will never see a 2.x officially, so they actually have a reason to ***** but they don't), so what is the issue? there are threads saying the droid incredible is the nexus killer.. yea right. if i decided to travel the world, my nexus one will support that. if i decided to make a call in a freakin lambo at 120 miles per hour with the top down, my nexus one will support that. if i wanted to have the first cell phone in the world that actually has flash, my nexus one will support that. the droid incredible wasn't even rooted yet, and the situation is looking pretty grim. the iphone, wow, i shouldn't even waste my time talking about that piece of garbage. anyone that uses that crap, i look at them in disgrace and shame. sorry, i don't want something so basic that my grandmom can even use it.
so my point is, if you want a real phone, then get a nexus one. if you already own one and like it, my respect goes to you. if not, please don't waste space on this forum and find a phone that better suit your needs.

I have a couple of theories as to why there's a lot more... scrutiny here than in other forums. Most G1 users were able to buy their phones under contract, and as such the proverbial stakes may be lower because they didn't pay as much as N1 owners who probably paid full price (like myself).
The bigger theory, though, is that Google trumped this phone up to be the first 'super phone'. There's nothing super about not being able to handle more than 2 touch inputs, making gaming a hard task. There's nothing super about the GPU, or the jittery scrolling in some websites and on the home screen.
When you say a phone has a 1ghz processor in it, and you claim it to be a superphone, you don't expect to run into performance issues. I know I sure didn't. I've since grounded myself to the realities of hype and marketing, but it still gets under my skin that I'm still playing the same 'upgrade every other day to try to get the phone to actually be what I bought it for' game I've done with past Windows Mobile devices.
All in all I like my N1 a lot. I think it's one of the best phones out right now, and will be for some time to come, but they could have saved themselves a lot of grief by coming up with a better touch screen sensor. You just don't take shortcuts with a 'superphone'.

Purchasing an amazing smartphone like the N1 and b*itching about an annoyance is like getting married and getting pissed when your wife leaves crumbs on the counter or doesn't tuck in the sheets: grow up, get over it, and start appreciating it for all the great things that it does for you.
And please... dont use the excuse "but but... I paid $500 for my phone so I expect it to be be perfect and not have anything wrong with it". This is a idiotic since nothing is perfect (even the EVO 4g will have something wrong with it). Try telling this stupid argument to your future wife and see what happens "Honey... I spent $500 on you so I want you to be perfect and not have any quirks".
The N1 is amazing for me. So much that I can see myself using it beyond 2 years. It fulfills every single one of my needs. After years of searching I have finally found my "perfect" phone. Its that good.

I appreciate the sentiment, ap. For the most part I agree, but every person has different needs. One of the big things I use my phone for is gaming when I ride the metro to work. I also work on my book with my phone when I commute to work.
Imagine my surprise when I buy SuperGNES and realize I can't use the gamepad as advertised because the betweens are 15mm within the same axis so I couldn't do a running jump in Super Mario World. Yet my girlfriend can do this fine on her 2 year old iPhone 3G. And I have the superphone.
Or picture the look on my face when try to type really fast on the Android keyboard as I work on my book but letters don't register that did on the iPhone I used to have. I could hold down one key, and press another and not have the first one register on the N1, my superphone. This isn't a HTC Touch Cruise I'm using.
If I go to www.textsfromlastnight.com, the scrolling is choppy and not aesthetically pleasing. I hate to use the iPhone again, but the scrolling on that is fine. Websites seemingly at random do not perform well on the N1, my superphone.
Don't get me wrong, though. I do like my phone. But some of its shortcomings are not ones I'd expect, given the hardware specifications. I also did not expect Google to skimp on the touchscreen sensor on its flagship device.
If your phone does everything you want it to do, then that's great, and I'm happy for you. Not everyone can say that, though, and that's criticism I feel Google exposed itself to by calling the N1 a superphone, a class that's supposed to be above everything that came before it.

halorin said:
I appreciate the sentiment, ap. For the most part I agree, but every person has different needs. One of the big things I use my phone for is gaming when I ride the metro to work. I also work on my book with my phone when I commute to work.
Imagine my surprise when I buy SuperGNES and realize I can't use the gamepad as advertised because the betweens are 15mm within the same axis so I couldn't do a running jump in Super Mario World. Yet my girlfriend can do this fine on her 2 year old iPhone 3G. And I have the superphone.
Or picture the look on my face when try to type really fast on the Android keyboard as I work on my book but letters don't register that did on the iPhone I used to have. I could hold down one key, and press another and not have the first one register on the N1, my superphone. This isn't a HTC Touch Cruise I'm using.
If I go to www.textsfromlastnight.com, the scrolling is choppy and not aesthetically pleasing. I hate to use the iPhone again, but the scrolling on that is fine. Websites seemingly at random do not perform well on the N1, my superphone.
Don't get me wrong, though. I do like my phone. But some of its shortcomings are not ones I'd expect, given the hardware specifications. I also did not expect Google to skimp on the touchscreen sensor on its flagship device.
If your phone does everything you want it to do, then that's great, and I'm happy for you. Not everyone can say that, though, and that's criticism I feel Google exposed itself to by calling the N1 a superphone, a class that's supposed to be above everything that came before it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting points made about some of the short comings of the N1. Coming from a BlackBerry Pearl 8120 to this phone is quite a step up. It is hard for me to find negatives with the phone, besides being spoiled by the BB battery life of 2-3 days with moderate use compared to the N1 ~24hrs.
I am not sure about your experience while typing. I installed Swype and find it easier and faster to type e-mails and forum posts, and SMS compared to a physical keyboard and the default keyboard on the N1.

Coming from most phones the N1 will be a HUGE step up, and rightfully so. I'd say that the N1 is about 90% of what I thought it would be, which in its own right is pretty damn goood.
The keyboard issue I'm talking about refers to the current limitation where if you press more than one spot on the same axis within about 15 mm the input will flatten to one. There's something called multitouch visualizer on the market that shows this. It's the same hinderance that makes same axis multitouch on games not work well. Using Swype will make this a non-issue, I would imagine since it's just the one touch sliding around.
Android 2.2 is rumored to fix some of this, but it's a head scratcher that Google would use such a low-end touch screen on their breakout device.

halorin said:
Coming from most phones the N1 will be a HUGE step up, and rightfully so. I'd say that the N1 is about 90% of what I thought it would be, which in its own right is pretty damn goood.
The keyboard issue I'm talking about refers to the current limitation where if you press more than one spot on the same axis within about 15 mm the input will flatten to one. There's something called multitouch visualizer on the market that shows this. It's the same hinderance that makes same axis multitouch on games not work well. Using Swype will make this a non-issue, I would imagine since it's just the one touch sliding around.
Android 2.2 is rumored to fix some of this, but it's a head scratcher that Google would use such a low-end touch screen on their breakout device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The N1 is new to me in a lot of aspects. This is my first touch screen phone, first Android phone, first phone that supports 3G/HSPDA, first with GPS support.
Hmm, I'll have to find that app regarding the sensor in the marketplace; read about it before in other threads.
2.2 should be coming out this month or next month? I'm assuming N1 would be on top of the list to get the update and I think the new myTouch 3G 3rd gen is getting it too?

It's a shame that the Nexus One got stuck with the clearpad touchscreen, but it's a relatively low volume phone and HTC probably either had enough stock or an existing contract with a supplier that lined up well with their projected sales numbers. I'm sure the designers would have loved to have used a better part, but typically the bean counters are the ones that get to make those decisions.

To my understanding, 2.2 should be out sometime next month. Keep in mind that I am no way trying to bash the Nexus One. I'm just objective about it. All in all it's an amazing phone. It's arguably pound for pound the best phone out, and it's certainly the best one I've ever owned.
It's just not a 'superphone'. Not to me, for the reasons I stated above; reasons I feel are valid.

halorin said:
To my understanding, 2.2 should be out sometime next month. Keep in mind that I am no way trying to bash the Nexus One. I'm just objective about it. All in all it's an amazing phone. It's arguably pound for pound the best phone out, and it's certainly the best one I've ever owned.
It's just not a 'superphone'. Not to me, for the reasons I stated above; reasons I feel are valid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hah, I know you're not bashing the phone Just picking out somethings that stuck out that is either a flaw or we prefer something else.
Be interesting to see what is included in 2.2 that might be derived from CM5.0.6

Well, there are a few things already in ROMs that are supposed to be in 2.2, namely the trackball color change business. I want to say some of the OpenGL upgrades are already floating around, but I may be wrong on that. I hope I am. There's always talk of JIT compiling, a concept I don't know a lot about other than it's a different way for the processor to handle stuff that's supposed to be faster. I hope/think that's in 2.2.
The biggest concern for me is (shocker) the supposed multitouch changes.

While i do love the phone and it is a sexy piece of hardware... i am still bitter about the quality of the touch screen...
the fact that i cannot really play games because the multi-touch is kind messed up is a real downer for me... i really hope this issue gets somewhat fixed in the froyo update but i do not have my hopes up... emulators and stuff was something i was really looking forward to on my phone but the touch screen sort of put the nix on that....

t0mmy said:
ok, i'm tired of seeing all of these threads about how much the nexus sucks or there's blah blah blah issue with it. listen, if you own this phone, you own the top piece of tech on the globe.
the g1 forum was never like this (and apparently they're ****ed cause they will never see a 2.x officially, so they actually have a reason to ***** but they don't), so what is the issue? there are threads saying the droid incredible is the nexus killer.. yea right. if i decided to travel the world, my nexus one will support that. if i decided to make a call in a freakin lambo at 120 miles per hour with the top down, my nexus one will support that. if i wanted to have the first cell phone in the world that actually has flash, my nexus one will support that. the droid incredible wasn't even rooted yet, and the situation is looking pretty grim. the iphone, wow, i shouldn't even waste my time talking about that piece of garbage. anyone that uses that crap, i look at them in disgrace and shame. sorry, i don't want something so basic that my grandmom can even use it.
so my point is, if you want a real phone, then get a nexus one. if you already own one and like it, my respect goes to you. if not, please don't waste space on this forum and find a phone that better suit your needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are my hero.
Agree completely. People need to slap themselves real hard and remind themselves what kind of piece of technology they own. STOP *****ing. Christ, N1 forum is becoming a collection of spoiled crybabies.
Wake up!

JHaste said:
While i do love the phone and it is a sexy piece of hardware... i am still bitter about the quality of the touch screen...
the fact that i cannot really play games because the multi-touch is kind messed up is a real downer for me... i really hope this issue gets somewhat fixed in the froyo update but i do not have my hopes up... emulators and stuff was something i was really looking forward to on my phone but the touch screen sort of put the nix on that....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can play SuperGNES in landscape with the d-pad and the buttons at diagonally opposite corners and play pretty much without issues. I'm able to do running jumps in Super Mario World. I don't know why SuperGNES and Snesoid both do not have LR button capabilities, but I'm no designer. I haven't tried other emulators.

DarkDvr said:
You are my hero.
Agree completely. People need to slap themselves real hard and remind themselves what kind of piece of technology they own. STOP *****ing. Christ, N1 forum is becoming a collection of spoiled crybabies.
Wake up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. I don't think I need to slap myself because I expect a 'superphone' to be able to handle more than two touch inputs reliably.

halorin said:
I disagree. I don't think I need to slap myself because I expect a 'superphone' to be able to handle more than two touch inputs reliably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 agree with this

halorin said:
I disagree. I don't think I need to slap myself because I expect a 'superphone' to be able to handle more than two touch inputs reliably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why is everyone so fixed on the multi-touch? Seriously. Let's face the facts for a second. Besides playing console-ported games with 2 controls on left and right of the screen, there is no other place where you need that.
Fact: pinch-to-zoom works flawlessly (as in "without any issues") everywhere you need it - maps, browser, gallery. If it doesn't for you - talk to your doctor about fixing your hand coordination. Where else do you need multitouch in the real world? Nowhere.
Besides, we need to stop being hipocritical. We found ONE problem with Nexus that still remains and we freak out. I cannot even start listing the difficiences of other "SUPERPHONES" like iPhone. They can't do **** in comparison. Yet I don't see so much hate and dissapointment over their devices as we have here. Think about it. Apple fanboys are actually less hipocritical about their devices, albeit somewhat ignorant. Yet they can appreciate their devices and value them for things they can do, and we, informed and educated, hate our devices (far more advanced) for tiny flaws. So who's better off here?
The reason for my rant is for us to face the facts and be just. No device is perfect, humans created it, and we are not perfect. Everything has flaws. You cannot focus on one _insignificant_ flaw and forgo all the good stuff. People would never marry if that were the case =) Look at the whole picture, value something (or someone) for it's good qualities, don't hate it for the flaws.

halorin said:
You can play SuperGNES in landscape with the d-pad and the buttons at diagonally opposite corners and play pretty much without issues. I'm able to do running jumps in Super Mario World. I don't know why SuperGNES and Snesoid both do not have LR button capabilities, but I'm no designer. I haven't tried other emulators.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so you CAN play NES emulators with no problem. i thought i read that you cant do this because of the stupid touch screen limitation. damn false info.

halorin said:
I disagree. I don't think I need to slap myself because I expect a 'superphone' to be able to handle more than two touch inputs reliably.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. You need to slap yourself.
If you don't think the phone is a good value, sell it on Ebay. You'll get the bulk of your money back and you can go whine about your expectations about your new phone elsewhere. *****ing about what it isn't/doesn't have is pointless.

DarkDvr said:
Why is everyone so fixed on the multi-touch? Seriously. Let's face the facts for a second. Besides playing console-ported games with 2 controls on left and right of the screen, there is no other place where you need that.
Fact: pinch-to-zoom works flawlessly (as in "without any issues") everywhere you need it - maps, browser, gallery. If it doesn't for you - talk to your doctor about fixing your hand coordination. Where else do you need multitouch in the real world? Nowhere.
Besides, we need to stop being hipocritical. We found ONE problem with Nexus that still remains and we freak out. I cannot even start listing the difficiences of other "SUPERPHONES" like iPhone. They can't do **** in comparison.
The reason for my rant is for us to face the facts and be just. No device is perfect, humans created it, and we are not perfect. Everything has flaws. You cannot focus on one _insignificant_ flaw and forgo all the good stuff. People would never marry if that were the case =) Look at the whole picture, value something (or someone) for it's good qualities, don't hate it for the flaws.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you are undervaluing the intentions people have for their phones simply because they aren't yours. While I may not be as fanatical as some others have been, I'm going to take notice of the idea that my two year old iPhone 3G does something better than my new Nexus One because someone between HTC and Google decided that the touchpad sensor they chose was enough.
If the flaws of the phone were enough of a problem for me, I'd sell it on Craigslist and get something else. Just because they aren't that glaring for me doesn't mean I'm going to be ignorant of them, though.
Also, it's been well documented that the touch sensor on the N1 can misbehave in a variety of cases, even with just one touch. I've personally experienced this. Touches refuse to accurately register until you turn off the screen and turn it back on sometimes. Play around with the multitouch application for a while and you more than likely will see some anomalies.
I think I stand somewhere in the middle of 'This phone is perfect, why complainomg' and 'This phone is broken and flawedomg'.
It's hard to make the argument you're trying to make about no phone being perfect when phones like the Evo 4G and the Droid Incredible are basically the same phone except they didn't get cheap touch sensors. I'd wager to guess they'll be around the same price as the N1 as well, if not cheaper also.
I'll agree that some people take their complaints too far, but you almost make it sound like people should have nothing to complain about at all, which I disagree with.

The State of Android Apps

When I first got my EVO on launch day a year ago, I fell in love with Android (coming from an iPhone 3GS) and the EVO hardware, but the apps were complete crap; I hoped they'd get better, and to some extent, they have. A very small percentage of the apps do look and work better, but the selection is still really lackluster. The apps still aren't even close to the iOS apps I left over a year ago; they're nothing close in terms of selection or quality when compared.
Troll and flame away! Just kidding. I would actually like to conduct a half-way decent thread about the state of Android apps.

Hrshycro said:
When I first got my EVO on launch day a year ago, I fell in love with Android (coming from an iPhone 3GS) and the EVO hardware, but the apps were complete crap; I hoped they'd get better, and to some extent, they have. A very small percentage of the apps do look and work better, but the selection is still really lackluster. The apps still aren't even close to the iOS apps I left over a year ago; they're nothing close in terms of selection or quality when compared.
Troll and flame away! Just kidding. I would actually like to conduct a half-way decent thread about the state of Android apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my opinion all the apps I used are getting "more professional looking" as time moves on. Certainly since Gingerbread's release.
Are they all up to "iPhone app standards"? No. But they're getting there.

mattykinsx said:
In my opinion all the apps I used are getting "more professional looking" as time moves on. Certainly since Gingerbread's release.
Are they all up to "iPhone app standards"? No. But they're getting there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree...the 5 I use are getting better, but still a good half away from an iOS app. Still, no real selection of 'good' apps. They kind of remind me of Windows apps compared to OS X apps.

Let's keep in mind that the Android Marketplace is a full year or so younger than Apple's app store.
The platform is younger, in terms of public use, and the style is more open ended.
That is positive for some reasons and negative for others.

I can definitely agree with that. While there are certainly some amazing apps (Tasker, looking at you!) they tend to be few and far between. And the inconsistencies can be more than glaring. Even a killer app may have a horrid UI (Tasker, again, looking at you!). I suppose that so long as the job gets done, I can't really complain much.
But that is one thing I can get behind with iOS; the uniformity. Sure, worthless apps exist, but in terms of the look and feel? For the most part it's very consistent. I know that with Android you have so many people that are able to create and release an app, but that also lends to a bunch of half-ass applications that either barely get the job done or just look down right ugly. Or are just completely useless.
The multitude of choice is both good and bad. Even such things as a goofy application icon gets to me. Sure, I change my icons ... but, dayum. That's not even important, it's that it just adds to the madness at times.
There are definitely some amazing applications out there, and over time you find the ones you really need and appreciate, like a decent calendar. But that still requires some hunting and experimenting, which isn't necessarily bad unless you're trying to find a solid app that simply looks and acts the way you want.
I love the Android platform, but this is one of the things that can add to the frustrations of it. It has gotten better, and will get better. Just like Android as a whole.

I think that will change once ice cream sandwich comes out, all of the honeycomb apps have a very consistent and sexy looking UI

psych2l said:
I think that will change once ice cream sandwich comes out, all of the honeycomb apps have a very consistent and sexy looking UI
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed. I'm really banking on this next shift.

mattykinsx said:
Let's keep in mind that the Android Marketplace is a full year or so younger than Apple's app store.
The platform is younger, in terms of public use, and the style is more open ended.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/\This.
Apple has been around for a fair amount of time now. Android Market is younger, and I think had a somewhat slow start, before taking over the smartphone market, like it has today. I would say, all things considered, it's not half bad, and yes it definitely keeps getting better. Two of my fav apps, Pageonce and PhonemyPC, have gotten exponentially better just in the short time I've been using them.

*edit* sorry this got a little longer than I had planned I got going and couldn't stop till I had made my point which as it turns out is kind of big.
I also love the platform we have BUT iPhone apps have been and will likely always be better. Think of it like art. There are plenty of painters in the world, but most are average. They would all like to hang their pictures in a gallery, but really at best .0001% are good enough to warrant this. The Apple Appstore is like a gallery. It takes only the best looking, best working, most efficient apps and rejects the rest. Therefore when you walk in, you are blown away. All you see is the best.
The Android Market is more like a city wall. Sure you could paint a masterpiece on one, but who'd notice with all the graffiti everywhere? Everyone who can use a paintbrush is painting all over everything and it's a damned clusterf**k. Just finding the good paintings is luck at best, and there is almost no incentive to paint a masterpiece there for just that reason.
The best Devs develop for iPhones. They prefer the walled garden because it helps keep their app from getting lost in the shuffle(tho the average devs hate it because it keeps rejecting their poorly coded barely functional apps). Also Devs love that when making an iPhone app, you know exactly what type of OS and Phone it will run on. There's only one iPhone. There's only one iOS. There are thousands of android phones, some with keyboards, some with touch-screens, some with Android 2.3, some with 2.3, some with 2.1, plenty with even older versions, some with one resolution, some with other resolutions, some with 3g some with 4g, some without either even. Some are smart phones some are *dumb* phones. Some are flip phones some are sliders. Some have touchwiz some have Sense. Some have Motoblur. Some have...well you get where I'm going with this.
Historically, if you look at apps for Mac computers, while few in number compared to PC apps, they were usually superior and more user friendly. And more polished. The apple and android phone conflict is not a new war, it's a mobile version of the same war that has raged since the early 80s:
On one side there is Apple, saying that "this is our Hardware and this is our OS. You can use it if you but you can't change it. Can't put it on your hardware. You can't put your own spin on it. Our stuff will "just work" because from a Devs standpoint, all variables are known, and we don't allow them access to anything important enough to make your phone stop working at any rate."
On the other side there is Android(taking the place of windows). They say "Here is our software, we don't make hardware so knock yourselves out. Make phones form $50 to $700 dollars for all we care. Also we don't mind if you change our code and make our OS your own. But beware because there will be billions of possible hardware/software combinations due to this and the truly best Devs will just make apps for Mac because it's easier by far. And those Devs who brave our water will produce apps which are buggy and largely untested on most devices... but we will allow them to do many times more with those apps than the simple, easy to use Mac software."
So in the end it will come down to exactly the same argument as had been used for the PC/MAC war for decades. If all you need to do is basic things(email phone calls texts etc) get an iphone(A Mac). If you want to be able to do more but at the expense of user-friendliness and stability, get a android(PC)."
I like to tinker, I use Android. Would NEVER get my girlfriend an android phone tho if she wanted a smartphone. Like ever. Or my parents. Or my daughter.
When all is said and done, Android will win the war for Quantity. There will be far more Android phones and apps. The cell providers love android. And due to the multiple price points and variable there is one for everybody.
But just like in the PC/Mac wars, the iPhone will still have a place. And it's apps will likely always be a cut above.

[SHARING CAMERA SHOTS] Android is fragmented and the fruit doesn't!?!? Ha.

Well, I've been wanting to play with the camera but always felt too lazy and unobligated to purposely find a subject to photograph.
Finally, I found something that is worth/funny to take a pic of.
Anyway, these are multiple pics (taken like how an average Joe's does) of my cousin's fruit-media-player since my intentions are to show off how the right settings can help so much.
FYI, my NS still runs CM7.
Even though the NS camera is not the best nor the worst, I'm fond of it.
All pics were taken under the same dimmed-light condition and setup. Just with different camera settings. Nothing added or removed.
Just a warning that pics in full size is big.
BTW, I think the subject of the pics is a pretty good one.
A picture is worth a thousand word, right!?
In this case, a thousand good laugh in a sarcastic tone.

Are you out of your mind? Whats so funny about it?
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app

y so many pictures of the same thing?

I used to own an ipod touch gen2, and this happened so many times. Absolutely Apple must do that because old devices hardware can't handle new apps. Can you install an app that requires android 2.2 on an 1.6 android phone?
My english is bad and I shoud feel bad

I don't get it

nhoc_maruko9x said:
I used to own an ipod touch gen2, and this happened so many times. Absolutely Apple must do that because old devices hardware can't handle new apps. Can you install an app that requires android 2.2 on an 1.6 android phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you can't. That's why those sheeps said Android is fragmented. Even some Android users agree.
Many people have this perception that the fruit OS is perfect and doesn't have this issue.
Well, this is the first time I ran into such problem on a fruit-media-player. Haven't touched one since I sold mine long long ago.
You know how much praises the fruit OS got. People act like the OS would never have issue and is way way better than any other "third class citizen" OS.
I found it funny (in the trolling way) because that popup message feels like "IN YOUR FACE SUCKER!" on a perfect device running a flawless OS made by a holy company.
As I've mentioned, the reason for multiple pics of the same thing is to compare the different camera settings, like high exposure, scene modes, etc.
So people can see how much of a difference a right setting can make.
For instance, the first 2 are in default settings, and the ones that has the whites extra bright are on high exposure and either firework mode or candle light mode.