Posts tagged smartphone

The Nokia Lumia 900, Microsoft and the Finnish company’s last stand on the mobile wars, has been on sale for roughly a week. Apart from AT&T’s boo-boo, launching on Easter Sunday, and a crippling connectivity bug, the launch seems to be moderately successful, with the Lumia 900 currently topping the charts at Amazon.com and selling out in AT&T’s online store.

Windows Phone forums at Reddit, XDA Developers and Windows Phone Central are filled with happy owners still in their honeymoon period, grizzled Windows Phone veterans and recent converts thanks to Nokia’s very generous $100 credit in their AT&T accounts. They see that $100 overture as a clear signal that Nokia is not Apple (“you’re holding it wrong”) or Google (“huh? You mean you need actual customer support?”). To top it all, the promised emergency patch arrived 3 days ahead of schedule, which is unheard of in smartphone circles.

Nokia was the Apple of its time, with thought leadership in smartphones (they practically invented them), high-speed mobile connectivity, build quality and profitability. They’ve been suffering a very public fall after iOS, then Android, started eating away at the company’s key high-end and low-end markets. Last week, Nokia’s shares were at their lowest since 1997.

The Nokia Communicator 900, regarded as one of the very first smartphones

Still, Nokia was a behemoth. They were professional, reliable, resourceful. That’s what we all witnessed in the follow-up to the Lumia 900 launch, when a connectivity bug left new owners without a data signal.

Nokia addressed the connectivity problem head on, sparing no expense to make Lumia 900 owners happy. In a very public blog post, they admitted something was wrong, apologized, and took steps to correct it. That’s a masterful response to a potentially catastrophic crisis of confidence in their newest and most important product release in years.

[not to mention a PR and marketing campaign that proudly proclaimed that “the smartphone beta test was over”]

The Lumia 900 might not be a huge hit. Windows Phone may be beyond saving at this point. Nokia did, however, rescue their brand in the process. They showed the technology world why they’re not Apple or Google. No matter what happens in the next two years, Nokia will be better for it.

Now if only they made a high-end Android smartphone…

I have quite the track record with Android.

Bought a HTC G1 aka HTC Dream in November 2008, a T-Mobile Vibrant (Galaxy S) at launch in 2010 and now a Galaxy Nexus, also at launch. I’ve been one of the G1’s numerous beta testers, (bravely) relying on a half-baked OS as a daily driver. I also witnessed Samsung’s many failings, mostly leaving the Vibrant stuck with Android 2.2 and shipping a very buggy OS, unstable and prone to bizarre behavior.

The G1. This was the definition of cool if you were a geek in late 2008

Still, I love Android. From the very beginning, Android offered me the same qualities of Windows Mobile (customization, flexibility, freedom) with none of its limitations (resistive interface, terrible browser, lack of apps). The Vibrant, warts and all, made me a believer. While deeply flawed, the performance was well-ahead of my first Android phone (the G1), a thoroughly modern “superphone” capable of running circles around the the barely adequate hardware found in Google’s first Android phone. And that screen… Super AMOLED rocked my world.

Which brings us to the Galaxy Nexus, Google latest halo device and the first Android 4.0 device in the world.

One of the wallpapers shipping with the Galaxy Nexus, a perfect showing of Super AMOLED power

DESIGN

The Galaxy Nexus is a beautiful phone. The design is clean, organic and devoid of any logos/trademarks above and below the (massive) screen. Monolithic-looking when off (think 2001: A Space Odyssey), the Galaxy Nexus is a black slab of high-grade plastic built around a rigid metal frame, giving it the feel of a premium device.

My phone stays inside a hard case, so I don’t really deal with the back cover. I hear it’s “plasticky,” like most Samsung phones, obviously far behind the chic glass in the iPhone 4S. The back cover is a non-issue for me.

Being a native Android 4.0 device, the Galaxy Nexus doesn’t have any physical buttons. Of course, it does have a power button and volume slider but no Back, Menu, Home or Search buttons like previous Android phones. The power button is more solid than the one on the Galaxy S. Same for the volume slider. In general, the phone feels great in the hand and it’s also very light.

PERFORMANCE

(specs)

Those looking for Galaxy S III-grade specs on the Galaxy Nexus will be disappointed. Nexus devices were never about specs alone; the Nexus One was the fastest Android phone in the planet for a whole month. Likewise, the Galaxy S II has a much faster GPU than the Galaxy Nexus, the Mali-400. In the Galaxy Nexus, the PowerVR SGX540 GPU found in the Galaxy S makes an appearance once again, albeit running at 384 MHz this time. The CPU on the other hand is among the fastest circa Q4 2011, an OMAP 4460 with two cores running at 1.2 GHz.

Then, the screen. Allegedly the first true HD display on a smartphone, the 720p Super AMOLED panel in the Galaxy Nexus is quite a sight. Bright, colorful and over-sized, the 4.65-inch display puts most smartphones to shame. The iPhone 4S looks like a toy next to a Galaxy Nexus at full brightness. However, this is a PenTile display we’re talking about. At low brightness grays get muddy, with a textured look, and vertical lines stretching from the top of the screen to the very bottom are easily observed. Some consider it a huge issue, going as far as returning the phone but it doesn’t bother me. I love it so far, with the added sharpness of 720 lines of resolution making reading ebooks and browsing the web easy on the eyes.

My home screen. I like how folders keep everything organized. Top notch icon design as well

But is it fast? I’m used to the typical Android slowness, where the OS fails to respond to touch, freezes or goes to sleep — never to return. Both the G1 and the Vibrant suffered from those ailments. Well well well… Consider it fixed. This phone is not fast… It’s insanely, back-pressed-against-the-seat fast. Smooth as butter, eerily similar to iOS devices like the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4S and oh-so-different from all Android devices before it. It has never kept me waiting and 1.5 weeks after buying it, I have never had to restart it. No SD card? No problem. If that’s the price for out-of-this-world performance, I’m all for it.

The camera on the Galaxy Nexus is a 5.1 megapixel unit. Sadly, it is not the second coming of Christ — the one on the Galaxy S II, an 8 megapixel unit, is still the king among Android smartphones. The camera is very fast, though: no startup lag, no lag between shots. On top of that, the built-in editing tools are easy to use and effective. Finally, uploading pictures to the cloud with Instant Upload and Google+ is a piece of cake. The camera could be better, yes, but I deem it good enough.

Starbucks in December. The camera is no slouch, but not “awesome” either

Since this is the LTE version, it would be a major omission not to talk about Verizon’s network and battery life. If you never tried an LTE phone, prepare to be amazed. It’s 2 to 3 times faster than my home connection, a 10 MB cable modem. Some have clocked it past 40 Mbps down and almost 20 Mbps up. It redefines “mobile connectivity” — sites load in an instant and streaming high-quality YouTube videos is never an issue. At the same time, however, the LTE modem requires a fair amount of CPU usage, resulting in reduced battery life when compared with the GSM version. I get about 6 hours of “screen time” (everything on, listening to music and browsing the web) and around 20 hours or so of standby. I’m a power user and play with the phone a lot, so others might see better performance from the battery. Still, it’s not like 4G is required 24/7. If I know I’ll be out for a whole day — or the whole night — I can simply turn 4G off and fall back to Verizon’s 3G network. It’s no speed demon, but more than enough for email/browsing and maybe even Google Music streaming.

ANDROID 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich

The latest version of Android is old news at this point, with literally hundreds of blog posts dissecting the OS back in November (and a very detailed write-up on Ars Technica). I’ll approach Android 4.0 from the point of view of someone stuck in Android 2.2 instead, focusing on the main differences — and improvements — in Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Recent Apps button makes it easy to switch between applications with live snapshots

Android 2.2 was a milestone release for Android, unlike 2.1. FroYo featured Wi-Fi tethering for the first time, as well as Dalvik JIT compiling and proper Exchange support. It was much faster than 2.1. I know from experience because the Vibrant shipped with 2.1; the performance boost attributed to 2.2 was certainly there. In short, Android 2.2 was a great release, maybe the greatest before Android 4.0.

If my Vibrant had “stock” Android, maybe it would end there. But Samsung messed with it, added TouchWiz and, in short, broke a lot of stuff. As a result my phone was always a mess. Freezes were common, SD cards (two, one acting as internal storage) had to be “read” every time I deleted/added a file — and at every boot — or the phone would suddenly slow to a crawl for no reason. Occasionally — and often — it would crash when running Google Maps. I once had to do a battery pull while stuck in traffic (!)

Android 4.0, up to now, is a revelation. Streamlined, fast and stable, it’s very Apple-like without the annoying Apple limitations. It just works. No crashes, not a single one (I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s a big deal). Smooth scrolling, perfect multitasking — a big improvement over all previous Android versions — and Google apps redesigned to make things easier while giving the user more control. I really can’t put into words how much better Android 4.0 is.

Android 3.0 introduced true dual-core compatibility at the OS level. Android 4.0 made it perfect with hardware acceleration for the interface. Finally, Android is as responsive as iOS. I haven’t had enough “street time” with the phone (using it in public) but I’m already planning on showing it off to friends and family, particularly those carrying with fast-but-tiny iPhone 4S’s. No wonder Joshua Topolsky, editor-in-chief at The Verge, bought one.

The icing on the cake is the newly-added Data Usage feature plus goodies like NFC (near field communication) and Face Unlock. Android 4.0 is an embarrassment of riches for Android users.

CONCLUSION

This is the best Android phone ever made — period. As hard as I try, I can’t find anything wrong with it. Old Android annoyances have been fixed, performance is mind-boggling and the phone looks and feels great in the hand. It’s a tour de force, the new standard in smartphones and what they can achieve in software, hardware and design.

If you have an upgrade approaching, this is your next phone. If you have an iPhone 4, this is your chance to switch to Android without making compromises. The iPhone 4S might have the performance edge for now, but Android 4.0 is a game-changer on its own right, before even looking at the top-notch hardware assembled by Samsung.

The Galaxy Nexus is a must-buy and it gets a 9/10.

You can write this down: the new Droid RAZR is Android’s answer to the iPhone 4S. It’s the form-factor revolution most were expecting of the “iPhone 5.” It’s as desirable — or more — than any iPhone or BlackBerry while innovating on several fronts.

Keep in mind this is a phone for the masses, not for Android developers or “geeks.” It’s a status symbol just like the first RAZR.

Yes, it lacks Ice Cream Sandwich but an update can fix that. What it adds to the game is much more meaningful:

• Thinnest phone out there — 7.1 mm
• (probably) the lightest big-screen smartphone in the world
• Gorilla Glass (always awesome, a required feature in my book)
• KEVLAR body that makes it super-tough and resistant to spills

You’ll see this phone in best-seller lists this Holiday season, even if you can’t replace the battery or play with the bootloader. It’s the first DROID all over again and a huge step forward in smartphone engineering and design.

I am now the proud owner of a Samsung Vibrant, a Galaxy-S phone on T-Mobile. Thanks to an early upgrade, it’s replacing a G1 bought in November 2008, roughly a week after launch. This blog entry will go over the 1-week experience with the phone, both good and bad :)

The original T-Mobile G1, the world’s first Android phone:

I truly loved my G1.  However, it was quickly moving into the “collectible” category — not a good place to be if you’re a smartphone! The Samsung Vibrant that replaced it:

My Vibrant was bought at launch - July 15, 2010. I was the very first to buy a Vibrant at that particular store (the one on Wilshire Blvd and 4th in Santa Monica). Incidentally, it was the same store where I bought my G1 in 2008. Here’s the picture taken by my salesperson, Daniel:

Samsung Vibrant top specs:

• 1 Ghz Samsung “Hummingbird” CPU based on Cortex-A8
• PowerVR SGX540 GPU from Imagination Technologies
• 512 MB RAM (only 256 available to Android 2.1)
• 4-inch 800 x 400 Super AMOLED screen exclusive to Samsung
• 5 megapixel camera
• 720p video recording w/ direct upload to YouTube (sample)
• 2 GB for app storage
• 14 GB for internal storage (16 GB total)
• 32 GB-capable SD slot

Overall impressions:

This phone is a beast. Super-fast, beautiful screen, killer gaming performance thanks to the late-gen GPU. Very light, too. On the other hand, the GPS is useless and badly in need of a firmware update. Avatar for free and built-in support for divx, xvid and DNLA doesn’t hurt either.

(source for pics: IntoMobile’s review of the Samsung Vibrant)

Pros:

• Best screen out there, bar none (iPhone 4 included)
• CPU performance — Hummingbird flies
• GPU performance (try Asphalt 5)
• 2 GB for app storage(!)
• 16 GB of internal storage BUILT-IN
• TouchWiz 3.0 (yes, I like it)
• Battery life (about 12 hours w/ moderate use)
• Weight (feels light in the pocket)
• Quick boot
• Fast download/upload speeds thanks to T-Mobile’s HSDPA+ network
• Xvid and divx support built-in
• Supports wireless streaming (DNLA)
• True video-out via composite cable
• Swype (better than a physical keyboard)
• Full-length copy of Avatar in the included 2 GB SD card
• Live wallpapers! (recommended: Mario Live and Galactic Core Donation) 

 Cons:

• Android 2.1 (FroYo — Android 2.2 — will scream on this hardware)
• Performance issues (can be laggy sometimes)
• No “system restore” of any sort if something goes wrong (Android, not Galaxy-S flaw)
• Terrible GPS
• “Media scanning” is a pain. Takes a toll on performance
• Samsung drivers needed for Debug mode. Drivers installed fine on XP, Vista 64-bit was a different story
• No built-in tethering solution (Android 2.2 will fix this)
• Wonky compass

Conclusion:

This was a major upgrade from someone coming from a G1. My G1 was a slug with its outdated 528 Mhz processor and 192 MB RAM. It had a whopping 256 MB of ROM, *total*, resulting in less than 200 MB for app storage. The ROM size was also responsible for the G1’s addiction to Android 1.6 :)

I LOVE the screen. Never seen anything more beautiful. Even direct sunlight doesn’t faze it. In general, the phone is a dream come true as far as gadgets go, especially if you’re an early adopter like me. Battery life is great, giving me well-over a day of use (contrary to what Engadget says). I actually think it’s feasible to go TWO days on a single charge.

At the same time, the issue with the GPS is a serious one. Even after the famed GPS fix, it still lost signal at least four times in a quick getaway to Ojai. My wife’s iPhone 3GS had a strong, stable GPS signal the whole time. I also ran into trouble with a media server app that slowed things to a crawl — and made me fear (and consider) a factory data reset.

The latter is the price we pay for freedom in Android: the risk of defective (or malicious) apps single-handedly crippling the phone. As devices become more powerful — keep in mind that the Vibrant is faster than an editing rig bought in 2000, a screaming PC in its own right — users will tend to push them harder and harder. We’ll install desktop-class apps — or something “really cool” we found on the web. This particular episode was the only time, ever, that I longed for Apple’s closed garden approach. Thankfully, I uninstalled the app, the operating system sorted itself out after a couple of reboots and the problem disappeared on its own.

In the end, I think the Galaxy-S line fully realizes the potential of the platform. My phone makes me immensely happy — way more than the G1. If this is where Android is going, I can’t imagine what a Gingerbread phone w/ 1 GB RAM and a dual-core CPU can do. Apple doesn’t stand a chance :)

How about you? Are you getting any of the Galaxy-S phones? Did you buy a Vibrant — or Captivate on AT&T? Are you waiting for the Fascinate (Verizon) or Epic 4G on Sprint? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Before becoming an Android fanboy advocate, I used to own a Sidekick II. In fact, it was my first smartphone. I loved it for several reasons:

• Always-on Internet connection (GPRS)
• Apps! Games!
• Multicolored d-pad that made games playable
• Instant messaging
• Glorious, glorious physical keyboard aided by a scroll wheel
• Multitasking (take that, old iPhone)
• Cool screen mechanism with decent resolution and 65K color

Made by Sharp in Japan, the Sidekick II introduced me to smartphone-like features at a time when a cheap smartphone seemed like a distant dream. The anytime/anywhere rush of Wikipedia at my fingertips is still fresh in my memory; I can still remember the “thunk” sound from the screen snapping into place. I spent real money to get real apps and games for my Sidekick II — years before Steve Jobs dreamed of an App Store.

BEFORE THE SIDEKICK

I was a Nokia man once.  I admired their reverence for a clean, logical interface. And the fact that those cell phones were built like tanks. Lost a trusty 8260 at gunpoint in the streets of São Paulo. Got another one the very next day.

After moving to the U.S. in 2004, I was naturally forced into a pre-paid plan and a boring clamshell phone built by LG or Samsung. Once I obtained a Social Security card through UCLA, I signed a contract and… Got into yet another clamshell phone. I seemed condemned to go from dumbphone to dumbphone. Until the Sidekick II, that is.

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES

That Sidekick II helped me win countless verbal arguments while testing Call of Duty 3 (Spiderman vs. Batman, Werewolves vs. Vampires, take your pick). It let me play games at the doctor’s office — games in color with actual sound effects and music. It had a usable calendar and even took pictures in glorious VGA.

On the other hand, the little machine could NOT play MP3s (bummer!) or videos of any sort. The GPRS Internet was dog slow — not even mobile-optimized sites loaded quickly. Non-mobile sites would sometimes not load, period. Gizmodo, Engadget, Wired? In your dreams, baby.

But in all honesty, what was a Sidekick worth from 0 to 10? A solid, surprising 7. The Sidekick II exceeded my expectations and redefined what I could expect from a phone. However, I bought it late in the game — around mid 2005 — so it was obsolete in more ways than one by then. My fault, really, but I still paid dearly for it (again, in more ways than one).

SIDEKICK AND KIN, BROTHERS FROM ANOTHER MOTHER(?)

It’s hard to believe the Kin was built by the same guys behind the Sidekick. It actually had less features than its older sibling - now how did THAT happen? Both catered to same audience; while the Sidekick produced a series of hit phones, the Kin produced ads where hispters clumsily demonstrated what sexting is all about.

On the other hand, Android owes a lot to Danger (the talented folks behind the Sidekick’s operating system), so I owe a debt of gratitude to them as well. There would be no Android without Andy Rubin — and he learned the ropes while working at Danger. While Microsoft allegedly ran Danger to the ground, Android caught the ball and ran with it.

MY NAME IS LUIS LEVY AND I USED TO OWN A SIDEKICK II

Then I bought a phone with Windows Mobile 5. And then, after much suffering, I finally saw the light.

End of line.