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When the X1 was first announced, I was all over it. Then the Touch Pro with TF3D was announced, and I thought... the X1 is too 'raw' compared to the 'slick' Touch Pro, so Touch Pro for me!
Then I tried the FUZE (AT&T's Touch Pro) and I was disappointed in a few areas where I was not expecting to be disappointed (details below).
So, as it stands today, I am leaning back toward the X1 over the FUZE (TP). But it's a close call, and I'm still undecided. Here’s why:
1. Xperia hardware looks like a device that I would be proud to be paired with. In other words, just like Apple, Sony understands that a gadget can also be a fashion accessory. That’s a 2-fer in terms of value-add.
2. I have found the FUZE to be too heavy and bricky to be really pocket-friendly. This was a major disappointment when I checked it out at AT&T last week! I was all ready to buy the FUZE when I realized that it would take a serious adjustment to have that kind of weight and thickness in my pocket. It remains to be seen how I feel about the X1’s weight and thickness (since it's not released yet in the States). But, in terms of the specs published, the X1 looks to be about .5oz lighter than the FUZE. NOTE: The FUZE for some odd reason seems to be .5oz heavier than the Sprint Touch Pro and the HTC Touch Pro. No idea why.
3. The X1 has more hard buttons on the front panel, and more easily pressed hard buttons on the front panel. I have heard serious complaints about the “up” arrow on the X1 d-pad, but I will have to see for myself if that is insurmountable. I have played with FUZE, and the front panel buttons are not confidence-inspiring. I feel like it’s a negotiation with each press of the dpad.
4. The absence of the g-sensor on the X1 is stunning, and quite disappointing. What a huge bummer. What the heck was Sony thinking? G-sensors = cool + fun. Xperia = cool+fun. What am I missing?
5. The FUZE is about $175 w/plan on AT&T, and the X1 will be around $700 retail in a few weeks (with coupons, etc.). Yikes, that’s not a marginal difference in price, is it? I’m not sure I can justify a 4x price difference for a phone that is about 1.5x as good. Or, can I? Well, it’s like buying clothing: I can spend $200 on a shirt or $10 on a shirt. They both cover my torso about as effectively, but which one do I want people to see me paired with? This goes back to the gadget-as-accessory frame.
6. Panels. I figured they would be a dead platform as soon as 09, but the new facebook panel could be a game-changer. It shows how Panels could be the equiv to iPhone apps! Will panels have market mojo? What incentives are Sony peddling for developers to get on board? What kind of penetration can panels have if limited to only 1 device? Very chicken/egg situation here, and kind of a risk for X1 owners if they are relying on panels to breathe life into WM6.1.
7. TouchFlo 3D on X1. If this really ends up being portable to the X1 with 100% functionality and no bugs, then the X1 ends up being the more flexible device of the two. But 100% compatibility seems to be a ways off still, for many good reasons. Conversely, it is highly unlikely for several reasons that the TP would ever get panels. Sure, they might be portable over to the TouchPro HD, but that’s not the TP/FUZE, is it?
8. Keyboards. I’ve read some horrific reviews of the X1 keyboard, but they’ve been scattered and not consistent. So, I guess I’ll have to wait to actually try one myself to see how bad it really is. I tested out the FUZE keyboard, and I know it gets rave reviews, but coming from my HTC S710/Vox, I found the lack of space between the keys troubling. I’m sure I’d get used to it, but it seems like the X1’s layout (with spaces between keys) is more like my S710’s layout, which I find quite comfortable to type on. I am quite concerned about the lack of tactile feedback on the X1 keyboard, though. If there’s no feedback, then what’s the point of a hardware keyboard? Again, reviews have not been satisfactory around this aspect of the X1, so I’ll have to wait to see for myself.
9. Touchiness. I found the FUZE to be fiddly with touch sensitivity. Too often, a swipe was interpreted as a select, which was quite annoying. I've read that the X1 has a better touch experience, but that will be something I'll have to xperience myself, I guess.
10. Screen rotation. OK, big minus for X1 to have no G-sensor, but big plus for X1 for its apparent "instant switch" technology between landscape and portrait modes! I've seen some videos and it's quite impressive in Opera. One of the reasons why I 'dread' to go to my slide-out keyboard on my S710 is due to the lag. It's just painful to wait. If there were no "wait tax" on using the slide-out keyboard, I might go to it more readily.
11. Dpad+ features. The FUZE has the circular zoom thang, and the X1 has the glidey thing. No idea which is preferable. Both are interesting in their own way.
So, this is where I am right now re: X1 v. FUZE. To be honest, I am kind of looking for excuses to cheap out and get the FUZE just so I'm not spending $700 on a friggin phone. But the thickness and weight are things that I'd have to adjust to.
Does anyone have any thoughts/comments/additions to this analysis?
Jon
[cross-posted on X1 and Raphael forums so I can get both viewpoints]
Ops wanted to post this somewhere else sorry :-(
xperia has same hardware + bigger screen but no tv out and accelerometer. these are unuseful for me, and touchflo3D from touchHD runs great on x1
we have xda, we don't have to choose a device for his software, and xperia is indeed an HTC device so ALL tweaks and programs are compatible. x1 looks better and seems to be less fragile, i purchased xperia and now I tweak it with all i need from others devices
I have the same problem. Still unsure what device to buy, but tend towards the X1. I've used both devices.
Keyboard:
X1 wins for me. Its just more clear and more intuitive to use with the 4 row layout. Yes, the keys are small, but I had absolutly no problem with hitting the right one. The feedback was okay and definitely not a problem. The sliding mechanism is better as well, as is the depth of the slide-out part. It just seems more stable, better to hold and easier to use. Of course, A CRTL button and a CAPSlock LED would have been nice.
Size and weight:
X1 wins big time. The X1 is a little thinner and much more lighter. It just feels better in the hand and in the pocket.
Display:
Possibly the biggest advantage over the touch pro. The display is sharp as hell and web browsing is a pleasure. The fast and almost instantaneous swith between landscape and normal view is just awesome.
And some minor things like battery and the nice optical Joystick when internet surfing ...
Some cons:
X1 display not leveled. But when I used the X1 the first time I was surprised that its not a problem at all. the display itself is a little smaller than the cutting in the cover. So I had no problem pushing the X-Button or Start-Button.
No G-Sensor. Its just sad SE didn't implement that. Would have been nice, but its not a no-go ...
Will order it next week I think, but will take a last look at the touch pro to be sure ...
10. Screen rotation. OK, big minus for X1 to have no G-sensor, but big plus for X1 for its apparent "instant switch" technology between landscape and portrait modes! I've seen some videos and it's quite impressive in Opera. One of the reasons why I 'dread' to go to my slide-out keyboard on my S710 is due to the lag. It's just painful to wait. If there were no "wait tax" on using the slide-out keyboard, I might go to it more readily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, after you loaded more softwares in your phone, it will get quite laggy especially in some softwares, dunno about others, but it does lag here
nap007 said:
well, after you loaded more softwares in your phone, it will get quite laggy especially in some softwares, dunno about others, but it does lag here
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Click to collapse
Hmmm... so is the lag gap because one is running TF3D and one isn't? How bad does the lag get? And is it from installed apps, or running apps?
it will be running (or even run) apps which are causing it. However a soft reset once every few days should ensure it runs smoothly all the time.
yeah i have to find a decision, too
i think i will buy the x1, because the dimensions the depth is 1mm smaller then the touch pro. currently i use the wizard, its a really fat door stopper.
I am fortunate to actually own both these devices at the moment (thanks to an upgrade on my contract) so I can tell you what my findings are:
:: Hardware X1 problems ::
My battery cover refused to stay on. I was forced to get a small screwdriver and push the little metal tabs (near the SE logo) down a bit lower. This has been noted in other forums. The battery cover is a pain to get off if you don't have long fingernails.
The soft-reset button is under the said battery cover! I mean who decided that was a good idea??
The speaker is situated in a place that is often covered up by the palm of your hand (if you are right handed) and subsequently blocks the sound. The same can be said for the positioning of the camera lens, which frequently gets covered by fingers as you hold the phone in a natural camera position.
Notification LED's that are just too dim to see as they are located in between the keyboard and top panel. They have a rather confusing display of colours and none of them give you signal/bluetooth status for example.
There is a much documented report of a potential problem with case cracking.
No G-Sensor and the keyboard lacks the tactile feel and separate number keys of the Touch Pro.
But...
It has a fantastic screen response, very smooth. Fast landscape rotation on opening the keyboard, which glides out in a smooth curve. Dedicated hardware buttons and a cool optical sensor which works really well in web pages. GPS is really fast and accurate. A proper separate headphone socket.
:: Hardware TouchPro Problems ::
Unpredictable button presses
Lack of hardware buttons, especially a windows key and an OK key (also missing from the keyboard) No camera button, this is a serious omission.
Screen is not very scratch resistant (2 on mine caused by the useless case that is supplied) It's also very unresponsive, I find myself 'jabbing' the stylus at it sometimes to get it to acknowledge a response.
Poor battery life. Heavy/Bulky.
But...
has a beautiful VGA screen, the BEST keyboard I ever used on a mobile device, has a G-Sensor, a magnetic stylus which turns on the device on removal, touch sensitive D-Pad (Ok can be hit and miss sometimes but great for zooming) and has TV out.
:: Software X1 ::
The panels are disappointing. You can only set up 9 at a time, so if this really takes off you're going to have to sacrifice a few of your favourites. That's assuming that the panel idea is not going to turn out to be a flash in the pan. The ones supplied are a tad dull.
No YouTube application
Not all software works with the WVGA screen. Especially games. I found about 20 of my favourite apps weren't supported. Ok, this may change when developers bring out new releases but some may never work.
:: Software TouchPro ::
TouchFlo 3D looks sexy, but it is probably the biggest cause of crashes. I found myself constantly soft-resetting. Eventually after reading other users comments, I turned it off and a lot of problems disappeared.
----------------------------------------------------
In conclusion....
Obviously pros and cons with both. I think none of us will ever be satisfied with everything. What aggravates me is that HTC (who make both devices) don't seem to take all the good stuff from past models and make the perfect device! You get used to one feature only to find it missing the next time you upgrade.
So we have to see which feature is important to us and decide.
Here is the clincher....
The TouchPro / FUZE is probably the MOST UNRELIABLE PDA I have ever owned. I constantly have to reset and cope with weird behaviour on a daily (no hourly) basis. Very unstable.
The X1 is probably the most RELIABLE PDA I have ever owned!!!! and has coped with a mountain of stuff I have loaded on to it, and it continues to cope admirably! I don't have to worry about using it.
This is the most important feature for me and is why ultimately I am selling the TouchPro very shortly.
Hope this helps you decide.
Apprentice,
That was a fantastic comparison/review. Thank you so much for your insights. So, the X1 does not seem "bulky" even though it's only 1mm thinner?
not at all. its quite small in person. xperia all the way
Thank you apprentice for your review, and to JonDeutsch for starting this thread. I could have written your questions/opinions almost word for word. I am in the same place trying to decide which of these 2 phones to get.
I currently have a 8125 (Wizard) that I have flashed WM 6.1 w/M2D. When I had WM5 loaded it was slow and I was having all kinds of lockup & misc problems. Since flashing wm6.1 the phone seems to be on it's second life (faster and no lockups), so now I'm not is as much of a hurry to get into something else.
I went to the att store a few days ago to look at the Fuze. I walked out more confused about which to get. I was not impressed with the Fuze at all. To me, it seemed slow and sluggish for a new model with a cpu that is >2x faster than mine. Comparing it side by side with my 8125 the size was smaller and thinner, but the screen was physically smaller even though they are both supposed to be 2.8".
I was really looking forward to the Omnia also, but since I don't know if it will ever be coming to the US I've moved on to these two models. I also like the Touch HD, but not having 3G for the US won't pass the test either.
JonDeutsch said:
So, the X1 does not seem "bulky" even though it's only 1mm thinner?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
exactly
Hi
I think all is said. I owned both devices and I selled my TP. Why?:
1) G-sensor is nice but I dont use it.
2) TV-out is nice but I only used it once to see a film in a hotel but hasnt full support with CorePlayer so the quality isnt very good.
3) Screen is much better in X1. Now you can really surf a web in your sofa.
4) GPS performance is much better in X1
5) Stability is much better in X1
..
So no doubt for me....
Dani
What led me to the X1 was a combination of the following:
- much longer standby time
- not much bigger than a default cell phone
- I like the X1's keyboard layout better (matter of taste...)
- standard headphone jack
- I prefer "rotate only when keyboard's slide out" to "Oops, I rotated the screen accidentally!". Though I admid the G-sensor would be fun for games. But then again, most games don't even support WVGA, not to mention a propietary G-sensor extension that makes the apps incompatible to everything but a couple of HTC devices...
- X1 is a bit faster in most tests. Though that's probably only a driver thing, the Touch HD is faster than X1 and Raphael with almost the same hardware and WVGA display (more pixels than Raphael).
- I thought the panels are an interesting idea. However, by now I don't give a dime to that. Too propietary, too slow, too limited (few available, max 9 at a time), clumpsy handling (press panel button, touch on screen, wait - every time you want to switch to another panel...), ...
- The WVGA screen - though that's been more of a developer decition, so I've got a test device for that. Otherwise, I would have preferred the more compatible and bigger (in size per pixel) VGA display.
- X1 looks better
- and it was a bit cheaper...
In hindsight, Panels, as mentioned, turned out as a flop for me, and having to use WVGA fix for some games is quite annoying. But otherwise, the additional screen estate is really great (browsing in landscape, lots of infos on the Today screen, more entries in lists, ...), the keyboard is way better than I expected after some reviews, and I like how it feels more like a "dump" cell phone in my pocket and regarding standby time.
The "optical joystick"s really nice in some apps (esp. for slow scrolling - for fast scrolling flicking is better imho), while sometimes a bit too sensible in others. I wish there was a better "(don't) use in that application" configuration then just the few fixed apps (iirc, PIE, contacts, and messaging). But if you don't like it at all, you can just deactivate it completely...
JonDeutsch said:
Apprentice,
That was a fantastic comparison/review. Thank you so much for your insights. So, the X1 does not seem "bulky" even though it's only 1mm thinner?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome!
I can't recommend the X1 enough to be honest.
As for the bulkiness issue... it may only be 1mm less in depth (which I didn't realise as it looks a lot more than that!) but it's the difference in width that makes it less bulky. Also long and slim is way easier in your pocket. Finally the corners are nicely rounded. It really handles and looks like a regular 'candy bar' type phone.
user experience X1
I'll provide you with my point of view. Since i'm someone who actualy uses this for it's business functionality, i'm not that interested in sound quality / video playback/ camera functionality/ games/ eyecandy. My previous phone was a TYTN/ HERMES (last 2 years), prior to that I owned a jam/ qtek100 (20 months).
NOT having owned a TP/FUZE I won't be able to comment on it's pros and cons but having an X1 i can add some points which I think have been exagerated or been overlooked imho. I did look at a TP in a shop but wasn't impressed by it's feel, too plasticky/synthetic. The X1 looks and feels like a premium lifestyle accesory whereas the TP would be a top of the line 'gadget'.
Keyboard
The keyboard is one of the main issues in the reviews. I'm not bothered by it it but it is not as good as my HTC TYTN keyboard. Having said that, it's not as awful to me as some reviews implied, it's pretty usable to me. If you have bigger hands/fingers the TP might be a better option.
G-sensor
Looked like a lot of fun, but it would probably annoy me more than it would improve my life:
I do a lot of excel / powepoint/ word stuff on my phone and sometimes i'd like to pass my phone over to someone else to give them a glance of the figures i'm working on. With a g-senor the screen would tilt with eacht flick of the wrist putting some columns or rows beyond the visible area. Not having had that on my previous phones I decided I wouldn't be missing it.
TF3D/panels
At first i discarded the panels, flashed a lite rom and loaded tf3d. I thought TF was a bit slow , buggy and did not add any value for me so i went back to the plain WM screen.
Last week i reinstalled the panels, including the spb one and i 'm beginning to appreciate it. especialy the spb that has shortcuts to programmes and settings so i don't need the startbutton that much anymore (one handed operation!!) Best thing: it has a 'soft reset' button so no more picking at the battery cover to reach the reset hole (bad decission that is to have a reset button out of reach on a windows device). The SE panel is my main panel because i can display the next 5 or 6 upcoming appointments on one screen. TF can only display 2 appointments on the start screen afaik.
Dpad (touchscreen)
As stated above I used tf3d for a while. The fingerprints on the screen drove me mad. the same kind of scrolling can be achieved with the d-pad after a few days of usage and growing accustomed to its usage and responsiveness. I realy like the dpad now (allthough it could have been a bit more higher or the borders surrounding it could be a tad lower). Having this experience i was confinced i don't want multitouch or a full surface screen.
Arrow keys
This was the reason I nearly didn't buy the X1; I Liked them and used them a lot on my TYTN but after practising on the old TYN with the joystick instead of the arrow buttons I decided I could live with it. So not really missing them since the dpad has replaced this functionality. I admit it requires some effort to get a bit used to putting your thumb on the dpad instead of the keyboard itself but it's easy to grow accustomed to (after 2 solid years with my previous phone and it's arrowkeys).
Screen
Biggest gain. I can finaly look at full webpages on my phone and don't need to revert to the mobile version of a webpage. Clear and sharp but i can appreciate the argument that you need a bigger screen (i.e. touc HD) for this kind of resolution. For me and my sharp eyes it works fine , someone with less sharp eyes can use the zoom function of Opera .
Dimensions
Roughly about the same size as a normal Nokia candybar business phone. Some people complain it's a bit too heavy but i like that. Makes it feel solid.
Conclusion
My main conclusion up till now: it has the wow factor (someone actually said 'Wow' in a bar when i pulled it out). Thank god i didn't go for a full touchscreen without hardware buttons: the fingerprints would drive me crazy.
I'm happy with my choice but would understand if there are just some little things that would convince someone to buy a TP; just a matter of priorities.
The X1 is also too expensive to reccommend to everyone. I decided that the premium look and feel was worth it combined with the top of the range specs and the software flexibility. if it was a SE manufactured phone with symbian I wouldn't have bought it, the micro sd card and mini usb charging and the ROM enhancements are the reason i prefer HTC devices.
I hope the above helps....
Best thing: it has a 'soft reset' button so no more picking at the battery cover to reach the reset hole
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are other tools for that as well. Additionally, you can simply press the power switch for a few seconds. If you phone isn't crashed completely, a message box whether you really want to switch off is shown (and if it hangs, you're not able to launch something from a panel either...). Turning it on immediately afterwards does the same as a soft reset.
(bad decission that is to have a reset button out of reach on a windows device).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not only for those. Sometimes I wished for a reset button on other cell phones, too. But yes, the location sucks. Sometimes it faster to temporarily remove the battery...
Just wondering if any of you HD owners are missing the trackpad of the original desire?
Currently using the desire I find the pad very useful for navigating text entry boxes, though I have to admit I don't use it all the time. Just wondered if I'd miss it should I move to the HD as I am considering doing.
Whilst I think about it, interested also to hear from those of you that have moved from the desire to the HD. In general, having been used to the compact size of the desire how are you getting in with the HD?
Personally moved from HTC Magic and the only time i really miss the trackball is when I'm navigating menus in recovery, otherwise the larger screen allows selection of text boxes with fingers with reasonable ease
when my old legend was booted i never used the optical scroll thingy, and i always thought how much nicer the thing would look if they just removed it and made is shorter ect..., however i did use it for the recovery thing not sure how easy that would be without it.
I also previously had a Legend and rarely used the optical trackball. So far one the DHD I am not missing it at all. I find it easier editing text on the DHD.
I came from nexus one. I also miss scrolling around recovery with the trackball but doing it with the volume keys isn't that much more effort. I'm only in recovery 2-3 times a week anyway so who really cares? The other thing about the nexus is that I was always worried the trackball would pop out while I was pulling it out of my pocket one day.
I'm finding that the larger screen is much more accurate for touch input. 80% of the time if I'm editing text, I can just touch the screen and the cursor goes to the right place. The other 20% of the time the magnifier box works a treat. I find it no slower than using the trackball for accurate cursor placement.
Size wise it was a bit of a shock at first carrying around the much larger DHD but after a couple of weeks I'm used to it and the nexus one looks kinda small to me now. Still I would definately not wish to have anything bigger. The DHD is at my limit for size.
I've had both an HTC G1 and Motorola Milestone before the DHD and I thought I would miss it a lot. However, the G1 trackball was awful and the Milestone navpad was fiddly to use when I think about how they felt in use. I can honestly say that I don't miss it at all because it's very easy to select boxes with the larger screen and if you need to select a letter or move the cursor to a specific point, eg in a text message, you can tap near to it and then use the small cursor keys. It's a lot less fiddly than the other methods and makes me wonder why it hadn't been done sooner.
If I have one issue with the software keyboard cusor keys it's that only the HTC keyboard seems to offer them. I hope other market keyboards offer them, specifically SwiftKey. The method the default keyboard lets you select text for copy / paste / quick lookup is second only to the iPhone's implementation in my opinion.
I am so not missing the track pad. It was one of the reasons I sent the desire back.
I found that as I was typing a message it was far too easy to graze the pad and end up moving your cursor and hence text input making for some interesting reading. I never did figure out how to disable it.
Nope, the magnifier that appears when holding down on the textbox is far more usable and faster than the trackpad.
Eddie1506 said:
Nope, the magnifier that appears when holding down on the textbox is far more usable and faster than the trackpad.
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Click to collapse
That's what I love about it but if you have to select or move the cursor to text near the top of the screen you get into all kinds of trouble. You can just about see where it is but it's very difficult, could use a tweak.
Thanks for all the replies ... seems pretty unanimous that the lack of trackpad is not an issue.
My only real concern now is the speaker - I know it's said to be rubbish but can it REALLY be as rubbish as the original Desire? I was trying to watch a clip of a stand up show using Rock Player last night and could barely hear anything over the slight noise going on in the room at the time.
I know there are threads for this, just wondered if anyone here had any quick views in direct comparison to its predecessor.
xspyda said:
Thanks for all the replies ... seems pretty unanimous that the lack of trackpad is not an issue.
My only real concern now is the speaker - I know it's said to be rubbish but can it REALLY be as rubbish as the original HD?
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Click to collapse
original HD? there's only 1 HD and this is it, or you mean original Desire?
Oops, yes that's what I meant. Thanks, corrected
Well, having not actually seen the phones that people were complaining about (speaker wise) i cant say with certainty, but i suspect it may have been just a dodgy batch.
My DHD is fine speaker wise, it isnt loud by any means (its louder than my x10 though).
I would like it to be louder, but its not an issue, more of a little niggle, i honestly would worry about it.
I think it really depends on what you are comparing it to. I'm not familiar with the X10 so I wouldn't know how that performs but I do know that my Nokia 5800 knocks spots off ANYTHING I have heard since and the N95 was pretty good too.
The Galaxy S is not as good as the Nokia's but is what I would call passable. The Desire (original) on the other hand is just poor, very poor. I'm really interested to know if the DHD is as bad as the Desire or an improvement which could bring it towards the same league as say the Galaxy S.
I'd be VERY surprised if it's a hardware fault on early models as HTC are not known for either their camera or sound quality when it comes to mobiles.
Not really, just another piece of hardware to break.
And just another thread to necro.
Btt: no not rly.
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using Tapatalk
It was only useful for recovery in my opinion. It was also for the most part an irritation point, when sliding through the different homescreens or locking the phone using only one hand, it always grazed the trackpad making it either select or swipe homescreen.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
I have just come from a standard desire to a hd, i have to admit that i prefered the trackpad for recovery and also trackpad wake and unlock alot better than having to press the power button on top of the HD all the time.
Speaker on the HD is slightly better I would say, but not alot tbh.
Preferred the AMOLED screen on the standard, I find the viewing angles and black levels crap in comparison on the HD.
I do however really like my HD with bigger screen, faster proc, more mem and ram and better camera.
I miss the trackpad for quick text selection, and I preferred to use the button for taking a picture. It was nice to be able to feel for the button when taking the picture. The magnify selector is pretty good for text selection though.
The speaker on the DHD is much better than the original desire, at least in my opinion. If you like your Original Desire, then you will absolutely love your DHD.
Call me crazy, but I went in to AT&T today and swapped them out. I was really interested in having a physical keyboard, and was much more impressed with the build quality of the LG.
If you have any questions about the device, feel free to ask and I'll answer what I can.
I know what you mean, I came from a Galaxy S Vibrant to the Quantum and the LG blows the Vibrant out of the water in terms of build quality, the Vibrant felt like a cheap toy in comparison.
Yea I'm really loving the keyboard. Probably the best one I've used on a mobile phone yet. Overall solid build with just the right amount of heft.
dougp.me said:
Call me crazy, but I went in to AT&T today and swapped them out. I was really interested in having a physical keyboard, and was much more impressed with the build quality of the LG.
If you have any questions about the device, feel free to ask and I'll answer what I can.
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Click to collapse
I didn't play with it as long as i wanted. But how is the keyboard, as far as a fast typer?. Example if you slide your finger across the keyboard. The asdfghjkl; how well does it pick up. Do it leave some letters out? Hope you can make out what im Trying to ask lol. I hope it has a better keyboard than lets say some issues with the epic 4g keyboard.
diego1985 said:
I didn't play with it as long as i wanted. But how is the keyboard, as far as a fast typer?. Example if you slide your finger across the keyboard. The asdfghjkl; how well does it pick up. Do it leave some letters out? Hope you can make out what im Trying to ask lol. I hope it has a better keyboard than lets say some issues with the epic 4g keyboard.
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Click to collapse
The only thing I can compare it to are portrait keyboards like a Treo - but it's good for a wider keyboard.
Here's a test by line for you:
Qwertyuiop
Asdfghjkl
Zxcvbnm
1234567890
@#$%&()-\
!;:'"?/
No issues it seems! =D
it picks up letters without a problem, but i find the keys a little too spaced and the FN/caps buttons don't illuminate, shows up on screen...Still very satisfied with the Quantum, it's very fast in comparisson to my 8925, but i like the tilt keyboard better.
Thanks well the keyboard seems nice. I still got 5 more months before i decide on getting one.
Doug,
Given that you first used the Focus, how exactly does the Quantum's 3.5" TFT display stand up to the Focus's 4" Super AMOLED?
The Quantum stands out to me for some reason and one of the only real concerns I have is how much I'm giving up on the screen front if I go with the Quantum. Did you feel like you downgraded on the display when you booted up the Quantum?
Appreciate it!
gillbell said:
Doug,
Given that you first used the Focus, how exactly does the Quantum's 3.5" TFT display stand up to the Focus's 4" Super AMOLED?
The Quantum stands out to me for some reason and one of the only real concerns I have is how much I'm giving up on the screen front if I go with the Quantum. Did you feel like you downgraded on the display when you booted up the Quantum?
Appreciate it!
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Click to collapse
Short answer, I do not feel like I downgraded.
Long answer - while the SAMOLED's look great, they have their shortcomings. They're 16-bit only, so there is banding (noticeable, given the size.) Their battery life isn't spectacular, but that could potentially be due to the size of the battery. Since the resolution isn't different, things tend to look sharper on the 3.5" - also, brightness is all personal preference. I thought the SAMOLED was way too bright for me.
Thanks for your time, Doug!
Does the battery life on the LG compare to the Focus? The Focus seems to have great battery life so I don't to give that up if I switch. I am mainly concerned with the sound quality of the Focus. Also, I am worried they won't be able to find a good SD Card for the phone. I think the Focus is the only phone that can combine two different types of memory (NAND and SD-card). I am not sure the OS can handle the speed differential without a software patch to slow down the reads/writes of the NAND so there is no difference between it and the SD-Card.
I saw in the MobileTechReview.com review that the screen sharpness is not that good. What are your thoughts?
Also, how is the sound quality of the phone? Is the speaker loud? Does the earpiece have enough volume?
Thanks in advance for your time and answers. There are not too many good reviews of the phone.
JS
Tested all 3 AT&T devices
After reading many of the reviews on the at&t WP7 offerings I thought what I wanted was the Samsung Focus.
Last week end I spent a couple of hours playing with the phones in the AT&T store. I currently have an htc Fuze and I wanted to stay with htc, but after playing with the Surround I was disappointed with the speakers. The heft was not worth it for the sound.
There are many in my family who are of the iPhone faithful and I have played with their devices many times and am able to type with their on screen keyboards without much trauma. The reviews said the Focus keyboard was as good as the iPhone. The Focus was fun to play with; I liked the 4 inch screen, but my fat fingers could not work the on screen keyboard. I spent quite a while trying to type in both portrait and landscape and I had difficulty getting even one word right. Unfortunately, Focus is out.
At first the LG was of no interest because of the small 3.5 inch screen; I didn't even realize it had a slide out keyboard. I wanted an AT&T WP7 device and the first two, after playing with them for a while, simply were not going to work. When I picked up the LG Quantum the build quality was obvious from the first touch. It felt perfect! To my surprise, I pushed on the case and out popped this very smooth hard keyboard. I was hoping that I could graduate from a hard keyboard after using my kid's iPhones, but after sliding out the LG keyboard I easily typed out a paragraph with no errors! It even has arrow keys which I was unable to find on the soft keyboard which made the much needed editing even more frustrating. I loved the feel of the LG!
After reading many online reviews and a couple of hours of utube videos, I ordered the LG Quantum for $80 from CellularDeals.com. I am now eagerly awaiting its delivery...
is there an app on the quantum that'll let you use the camera flash as a flashlight?
I saw a comment somewhere that indicated there was, but didn't specify if it was homebrew or not.
Quantum Screen Response
gillbell said:
...how exactly does the Quantum's 3.5" TFT display stand up to the Focus's 4" Super AMOLED?...Appreciate it!
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Click to collapse
I now have my Quantum; the screen is the same size as an iPhone and not many iOS users complain about its size.
It seems that sometimes the screen is unresponsive, tap, tap, and nothing happens. I didn't notice it in the att store, but I do now. It may be my inexperience with a full capacitive touch screen, but, for example, if I touch the little arrow on the Home screen to access the app list, nothing happens. I have to swipe the screen to the left instead. The other arrow works intermittently also.
If anyone else has experience a similar unresponsive touch screen, please comment. I could be my unit needs to be replaced.
hey all! i thought id throw in my .02, as i won a quantum, and it arrived the other day! FWIW; i have worked for at&t for well over a decade, and couldn't begin to list the devices that i've had in my posession. however i can say that in 3 years i've rotated through an iphone3g, htc tilt 2, htc aria (which i still am using), samsung captivate, and now the lg. let me state for the record that i'm not a fan of lg phones. in fact i was rather disapointed to find that the quantum was the device i "won", as it was not my first (or second) choice if i were to purchase a wm7 device new. that opinion changed the moment i held, and fired, this beauty up. its nothing short of solid, well built, and highly functional.
this device is as responsive as any other capatacitive screen device ive owned yet...and maybe more so. typing on this device screen is accurate, and percise, even without the haptic feedback some devices offer. i do miss this option, but its not a deal breaker. the color is richer than i expected, considering its not the samoled screens some other devices offer. its size seemed to be a draw back at first glance, compaired to the smasung and htc, but has quickly become a non issue. the coating on the screen is oil phobic, like the iphone3gs, and cleans up quickly. summary: very impressed!
the keyboard...oh the keyboard...
ive never really liked having a physical keyboard. maybe ive become spoiled over the years; maybe since my first "smart phone" (htc sx66), nobody seemed to make one that felt solid. well, ive changed my tune. from the first solid "snap" of the board for service to my fingers, ive been a convert. this is not the crap lg keyboard they have loaded in their other devices. this one is clearly their way of stepping up to the plate, and showing that lg can, in fact, compete in the highly competitive smartphone device market. IMO, the addition of the function and caps buttons away from the main board body seem to make sense, and were a welcome addition. it seems mine dosent have the issue ive read here of a uneven back light. i was able to text in the darkness of my favoriate tavern last night without fuss. all the buttons lit evenly and just bright enough for my aging eyes to see without being over saturated, or needing to squint. granted, it darkenes a bit quick for my liking, im sure future wm7 updates will open more posibilities to adjust this. summary: quite impressed.
call clairity, speaker volume, bluetooth connectivity and battery life are all (mostly)exceeding my expacations. i say "mostly" because the battery seems to not quite make it a full day yet on a full charge. but to be fair, none of the devices i listed above ever really made it on a full charge from bell to bell. ive noticed its network strength is as strong as my aria is, and better than my iphone was (shocker). mulitiple bleutooth devices were added, and used without so much as a wimper. i would like a bit more sound volume (because im a touch deaf in one ear), or at least some sort of equalizer function...but thats more wm7 than lg. summary: really damn impressed!
the size, weight and build quality have (obviously) made me change my mind about lgs ability to produce a viable device that will likely see much use from me before it gets replaced...or should i say "upgraded"? good, solid and dense; it dosent feel like a toy that will crumple under my usage, or break if i get a bit carried away. it feels like a productivity tool...which is exactly how i intend to use it!
I hope this helps provide some perspective...and slightly more than .02!
ciao!
I went from a Tilt2 to a HTC Surround... HATED not having the slide-out keyboard, got an LG Quantum... LOVE IT!!!
Good Battery Life
DamnageD said:
...summary: quite impressed.
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DamnageD said:
...call clarity, speaker volume, Bluetooth connectivity and battery life are all (mostly) exceeding my expectations. I say "mostly" because the battery seems to not quite make it a full day yet on a full charge...
ciao!
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My Quantum was delivered on 7 December and last night, 20 December, was only the fourth charge including the first one out of the box. Last night I talked with my brother in Oregon for about three hours and the little battery icon was pretty small.
My wife is using the Quantum most of the time and her usage is lower than mine, but she makes and receives calls all day, does a few text messages and when we are driving around, every time she sees blue lights or hears a siren she goes onto her favorite websites, the sheriff’s scanner and fire rescue site. She has her favorite websites pinned to the home screen at the bottom and can logon in seconds anytime with a slid and a tap.
Because of a posting mishap, it is now after 11pm 22 December and the battery icon still says the Quantum has about 1/3 charge after two days of use.
rossi32s said:
I went from a Tilt2 to a HTC Surround... HATED not having the slide-out keyboard, got an LG Quantum... LOVE IT!!!
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so, did you notice phone get too hot when charged ?
I did not have the HTC surround long enough to charge it more than 2x. My LG Quantum does not get hot during charging.
I had to charge my Tilt 2 every day since I use outlook with exchange and the connection is always open. I have the same setup with the Quantum and only charge it every 2-3 days.
I got an A43 in part because it's got a resistive touchscreen so I can use it with an ordinary stylus (for instance, I am developing an astronomy app and want to be able to select individual objects on screen from a crowded field without any zooming, just as I can on my Palm). However, I've found that the A43 has the same problem with its resistive touchscreen that my Palm TX does: sometimes, when a touch is released, it registers a largish (0.25 to 0.5 inch) movement. This causes problems--it makes button presses in on-screen keyboards get registered in the wrong location.
Anybody else notice this?
On the Palm TX, the user community eventually figured out what the problem was and a third-party vendors manufactured a hardware solution. The problem was that Palm skimped and made a substandard plastic digitizer, which made it distort on release. The solution was that someone manufactured replacement glass digitizers you could install (you can still buy them for about $25) and those who got them were quite happy with them.
My A43 has a plastic screen, and not a very hard one at that. (My Clie stylus would scratch it lightly, so I had to switch to a softer-tip HTC stylus.)
With a good quality resistive touchscreen, it would be worth my while to put some effort into modifying AnySoftKeyboard to support sweeping a stylus through hexagonal keys in an an ATOMIK layout, with all the ASCII symbols available together, like in my PalmOS myKbd app, even if I end up being the only user (I get the feeling a lot of people don't like using a stylus).
not sure what to say about this, besides the fact that my current screen (Archos 43) is annoying because it doesn't allow me play emulators that require multitouch, pewpew, etc. (not that pewpew is a good game anyway). I kind of like the stylus because it feels more ergonomic than rubbing my fingers all over the screen, but I do have the same issues. I typically use Swype or Smart Keyboard Pro because Swype is _the best_ at predicting even if you swyping half-asleep texting your friend for no reason. Smart keyboard pro lets you configure swipe gestures to switch between regular keyboard w/ suggestions, arrow keypad+space (for time-wasting flash games), compact (two letters in one key), and T9, like an older phone's crap keyboard but with really nice prediction. Overall, I can't complain because my Archos has twice the features (camera, android, external speaker) of my older media device, for about the same cost ($230), even though it doesn't have a sexy AMOLED screen and days of battery life (still pretty nice though, and it doesn't feel so flimsy).
brb need to rewrite the past 10 minutes of this post, not sure why i'm talking about this
also, I use my nintendo ds lite stylus just because it works and I made a scotch-tape holster on the back of my Archos so I wouldn't use the black piece of cheap plastic. ಠ_ಠ
I sent my A43 back for RMA, and the one I got back is amazingly better. I can actually type with my thumbs on the on-screen keyboard. On the old one, even if I used a stylus, I'd get spurious keystrokes, sometimes even on keys that aren't next to the one I was pressing. I still get that on the new one, but less often.
Maybe it's because I'm keeping the screen protector on?
I also wonder if the issue isn't that a stylus is actually bad for these screens?
This is completely off topic but it's great to see you here Pruss. You greatly enhanced the Palm experience. I'm sure you will be a great asset to the Android community.
Neo Cortex said:
This is completely off topic but it's great to see you here Pruss. You greatly enhanced the Palm experience. I'm sure you will be a great asset to the Android community.
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I have much less time than I did when I was involved PalmOS. But I've made a few simple apps (you can search the market for "Omega Centauri"), and am planning an astronomy app.
I've always wondered why recently..well for awhile now why have there been so many new releases of Android devices with touchscreen without qwerty keyboards and with touch screens with qwerty keyboards..but no trackpads or trackballs? I've always find it very useful. Since The G1, Nexus one and The G2. Even the HTC mytouchs.
But now it seems they're forgetting them. I've been holding out on so many good phones just for that fact. Ima keyboard kinda guy,but I'll take a chance with an all touch phone but if it atleast had a track pad or track ball. The one for the Nexus One was absolutely awesome.
I mean what do you guys think? Are you guys like me? I mean,its like a small tiny mouse that can help select and click hard to reach links and other stuff on webpages. Very useful for people with big fingers.
What are your thoughts?
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Don't care I never ever use it. Not even in recovery lol.
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There is always blackberry
I certainly hope its not the end. The precision I get from my G2's trackpad is soo much better than what I can get from my finger. I still want an Android phone with a physical keyboard and a trackpad.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Trackpad is one more thing that increase the device cost to manufacturers.
unfortunately new devices don't come with it, and I don't think it will change in the future, once we have big touch screens...
Sad, RIP trackpads...
I dont need the trackpad... bigger screen would be nice No Trackpad but bigger screen thats what i like
Sent from my HTC Desire Z using XDA App
Bharakrama said:
I certainly hope its not the end. The precision I get from my G2's trackpad is soo much better than what I can get from my finger. I still want an Android phone with a physical keyboard and a trackpad.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
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Keyboard yes Trackpad...why? Seriously what can you do with it that cannot be done with a finger faster? lol
TBH, the only time I ever use the trackpad is the wake the phone and in recovery. Newer phones are becoming all screen and you may be seeing capacitive and physical buttons going away as well, a la Galaxy Nexus (or Nexus Prime or whatever they end up calling it). Honeycomb and ICS both have on-screen buttons, which strongly suggests buttons going bye bye. Personally, I don't even use the keyboard. I came from the Vibrant and got used to using the on screen keyboard. The main selling points of the G2 were HSPA+ and the hackability because it was Cyanogen's daily driver at the time. While I may not find use for the trackpad and keyboard, I hope OEMs keep these features. One of the major selling point of Android over the iPhone and WM devices is the ability to customize and have a phone with all of the features you'd want.
Ahh, well I guess there's not many of us trackpad lovers.
It's just much more easier with it. I've used it a lot .
Especially when browseing , for those hard to reach links without having to zoom all over the place.
And track pad wake so it won't be such a hassle going to the darn power button up top.
Its also much easier to move the cursor when typing certain things.
Like me when I made a mistake,instead touching to the misspelling and always touching the wrong space,I can immidietly scroll to it with the trackpad.
But,I guess its just a few of us.
I'm afraid I'm forced to get used to a non-trackpad/trackball device sooner or later.
Thanks for your opinions guys.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
I was always fascinated by Blackberry's trackpad/ball accuracy and loved it at first on my Desire Z. But from day one, just because of moving in light, the trackpad would behave all crazy and from that day I just stopped using it. Even when I think about it now, I don't use it at all not even for corrections. So for me its a good way the manufacturers are going. Also removing them help them make full screen phones (ala GNexus) so it keeps the phone size in check as well.
RobBull69 said:
TBH, Honeycomb and ICS both have on-screen buttons, which strongly suggests buttons going bye bye.
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HC is the tablet only iteration of Android. The reasoning in doing away with the buttons on tablets, is that you have so much more screen real estate on tablets, and taking some for the home/back/menu buttons is no big deal.
I think ICS supports devices having capacitive buttons or not. I haven't looked at the actual screen proportions/dimensions, but from the Galaxy Nexus screenshots, it looks like the screen is actually lengthened to accommodate the screen buttons. Otherwise, they are hogging up way too much screen area.
I personally would not like to see the capacitive buttons go away. If nothing else, the Home buttons works most the time when an app freezes up. If you are using an app and have the screen buttons hidden (like a game of watching a video), you are just stuck waiting, or maybe hold down the power button.
redpoint73 said:
HC is the tablet only iteration of Android. The reasoning in doing away with the buttons on tablets, is that you have so much more screen real estate on tablets, and taking some for the home/back/menu buttons is no big deal.
I think ICS supports devices having capacitive buttons or not. I haven't looked at the actual screen proportions/dimensions, but from the Galaxy Nexus screenshots, it looks like the screen is actually lengthened to accommodate the screen buttons. Otherwise, they are hogging up way too much screen area.
I personally would not like to see the capacitive buttons go away. If nothing else, the Home buttons works most the time when an app freezes up. If you are using an app and have the screen buttons hidden (like a game of watching a video), you are just stuck waiting, or maybe hold down the power button.
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x2 hardware buttons definately help...
I think the trackball/trackpad is a legacy from pre-iPhone android... which looked a heck of a lot like a blackberry.
Personally I like and use the trackpad quite a bit. It's perfect for adjusting typos and allowing for better cursor placement as well as coming in handy as a directional tool when using the terminal or ssh.
Plus having it light up in different colors a la the nexus one is a great way to provide notifications.
I don't really like this new over simplified approach mobile devices are getting though. Sometimes it's worthwhile to include more than one button on a device and just because android devices have different hardware than apple ones doesn't mean it's bad or that android needs to conform.
These days people seem to be opting for the Apple route of form over function. Why stop with the trackpad? Get rid of the camera button or even the volume rocker and just have a device consisting of a backplate and glass screen. I'm sure people will think it's gorgeous without taking into consideration the huge loss of convenient functionality.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
blk_jack said:
Personally I like and use the trackpad quite a bit. It's perfect for adjusting typos and allowing for better cursor placement as well as coming in handy as a directional tool when using the terminal or ssh.
Plus having it light up in different colors a la the nexus one is a great way to provide notifications.
I don't really like this new over simplified approach mobile devices are getting though. Sometimes it's worthwhile to include more than one button on a device and just because android devices have different hardware than apple ones doesn't mean it's bad or that android needs to conform.
These days people seem to be opting for the Apple route of form over function. Why stop with the trackpad? Get rid of the camera button or even the volume rocker and just have a device consisting of a backplate and glass screen. I'm sure people will think it's gorgeous without taking into consideration the huge loss of convenient functionality.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It isn't form over function, it is just that most "normal" people don't use it. They have probably stadium size amounts of people that do surveys that say they don't use it. Case in point, me. I do everything with my phone literally and I've never had to use the track pad. Gimme a mouse or a screen not an in between!
I hope so,seems like wasted space that could be a screen to me.
The trackpad on a smart phone reminds me of the damn nub they used to put on laptops, I hated that thing lol
blk_jack said:
Personally I like and use the trackpad quite a bit. It's perfect for adjusting typos and allowing for better cursor placement
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Me too.
I'd be able to get along fine without the trackpad, if every screen keyboard (including 3rd party keyboards like Swype) had arrow keys (or the option to turn them off/on at your preference). Otherwise, trying to get accurate cursor placement for correcting typos by jabbing on the screen is enough to drive me crazy.
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killj0y said:
It isn't form over function, it is just that most "normal" people don't use it. They have probably stadium size amounts of people that do surveys that say they don't use it. Case in point, me. I do everything with my phone literally and I've never had to use the track pad.
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Click to collapse
I'm not personally interested in what the masses of cattle want. While I believe that you do quite a bit with your phone (without a trackpad), most smartphone owners mostly use it to play Angry Birds and make poorly typed, one sentence status updates on Facebook, and not much more.
redpoint73 said:
Me too.
I'd be able to get along fine without the trackpad, if every screen keyboard (including 3rd party keyboards like Swype) had arrow keys (or the option to turn them off/on at your preference). Otherwise, trying to get accurate cursor placement for correcting typos by jabbing on the screen is enough to drive me crazy.
---------- Post added at 08:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:19 PM ----------
I'm not personally interested in what the masses of cattle want. While I believe that you do quite a bit with your phone (without a trackpad), most smartphone owners mostly use it to play Angry Birds and make poorly typed, one sentence status updates on Facebook, and not much more.
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I'm pretty sure you were agreeing with me, but in either case lol, i was just pointing out that it costs less not to put in a trackpad, especially considering most people probably don't use it. I am not talking down those who do, it is similar to a physical keyboard, i do in fact use it, but there is probably far more people that don't care for one, especially if there is a possibility of it lowering costs.
killj0y said:
I'm pretty sure you were agreeing with me, but in either case lol, i was just pointing out that it costs less not to put in a trackpad, especially considering most people probably don't use it. I am not talking down those who do, it is similar to a physical keyboard, i do in fact use it, but there is probably far more people that don't care for one, especially if there is a possibility of it lowering costs.
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I understand completely what you mean as far as cost goes. Me personally I like having my track pad and I'd probably miss it if it weren't there. But with all the development for the g2 I dont think I'm going to get rid of this phone for a while
AntSmoove said:
I understand completely what you mean as far as cost goes. Me personally I like having my track pad and I'd probably miss it if it weren't there. But with all the development for the g2 I dont think I'm going to get rid of this phone for a while
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That goes double for me. I was wishing big with the new nexus, but no SD slot is a deal breaker for me boo...