There are only two phones to watch out for this summer
I left AT&T a few months ago because I couldnt deal with dropped calls and all that.
I am also one of the few people who left an Apple Iphone to go to an Android phone.
How’s that worked out you ask?
Mixed results ladies and gentlemen.
On one hand, Android on T-Mobile (the Motorola Cliq) is nice and cute but the difference for me has been the clarity of the phone calls and the fact that my bluetooth headsets now work perfectly.
You see I used to think my bluetooth earpiece was the problem.. turned out it was the AT&T/Iphone combo that made it hard for people to hear what the heck I was saying.
Anyway, I digress..fast forward to this summer and it seems to me that Microsoft will have to sit this summer out during the mobile phone summer 2010 wars.
Windows Phone 7 will not be widely available until the fall and that leaves basically 2 contenders.
HTC Evo 4G
HTC-EVO-4G
This phone looks amazing and has some serious specs to go with that as well.
* 3G/4G capability
* Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ QSD8650 (1GHz) processor
* 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
* World-class HTML browser – bandwidth and quality that rival that of netbooks
* Android 2.1, with access to more than 30,000 apps on Android Market
* GoogleTM mobile services including Google SearchTM, Google MapsTM, Google TalkTM, GmailTM, YouTubeTM , and syncs with Google CalendarTM
* Access to Google Goggles™ to search with pictures instead of words
* Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
* Updated HTC Sense, award-winning user experience, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more into a single flow of updates
* Visual voicemail
* Messaging – personal and business email, IM and text messaging
* 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot capability – connects up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices
* 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1 Mbps; average download speeds of 3-6 Mbps.
* 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps; peak upload speeds of 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds of 600 kbps-1.4 Mbps.
ENTERTAINMENT
* 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
* High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
* Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone
* Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
* Live video sharing with Qik
* Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing
* Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack
* FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
* Sprint applications including Sprint TV® and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile(SM)
* Bluetooth® 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
* Built-in WiFi®: 802.11 b/g
* Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
* Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB
That’s some serious hardware.
Now the rumor on the street is that Sprint will be selling this for $199.00 with a two year contract and it will be here in 2 months.
That’s a lof of phone for $200.
Then we have the..
Apple Iphone 4g
iphone_4g
I have written about this phone and the madness and drama that has been going on with Apple/Gizmodo/Police etc.
Seriously though, the Iphone 4G has a lot of hurdles to climb this summer.
Steve Jobs is no fool but Sprint and HTC are showing that a phone that is marginally better than the 3gs will not cut it.
Apple will have to make substantial updates in the following areas:
Screen Size: Double the pixel resolution at least.
Processor speed: Less than 1ghz is not an option
Vendor/Carrier: AT&T exclusivity can not be an option. That ship has sailed. No matter how much money AT&T throw at Apple, there are many more reasons for Apple to end the exclusivity.
Front Facing Video: Now a defacto standard by virtue of the Evo 4G doing it. Apple have to own this space before anyone else does. *Important*: If Apple fail here, they lose the war. If Google come out with a better video chat experience, Android will give Apple a battle that they really didnt expect.
That’s it really. Apple need to execute on a few crucial fronts and they can remain dominant.
Android need to clean up and consolidate their universal OS upgrade strategy across vendors before they can be considered a mature operating system. I am still on Android 1.6 on my Motorola Cliq with is a disgrace…
So I left Apple/AT&T a few months ago for Android. I will wait for a couple of months to see if the Apple Iphone 4G will bring me back…
What about you guys?
What phone will you be buying this summer?
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[...] conference and went on sale less than two weeks later. To me, this further reinforces my earlier assertion that this summer, there will be a choice to make between 2 phones, the Iphone and the HTC Evo 4g. [...]