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What's the best phone/pda, then?

Heh. Didn't we say this to you a few hours ago Filter.
:p

Still, I reckon if I'd wait if I were you. The G1's alright, but it's a bit of an ugly 1st gen product. There's always the poll-winning iphone if you fancy a more polished browsing machine as well...
 
tarannau said:
Still, I reckon if I'd wait if I were you. The G1's alright, but it's a bit of an ugly machine. There's always the poll-winning iphone if you fancy a more polished browsing machine as well...
Click to expand...
I don't buy a phone for its polish or its looks. I buy it for its apps and features.
 
I buy 'em for a combination of things, style and intuitive UI included.

The G1's far from the finished article with apps and features, not that a multitude of extra bells and whistles would rock my world either.
 
I just can't escape the many poor reviews of the G1.

The iPhone is growing in my estimations, but the lack of keyboard would do my noggin in very quickly. It may be multi touch, but it didn't feel finger friendly.
 
I wouldn't recommend the iPhone to someone who was happy with an iPaq because that would have had a decent collection of a-grade applications (like TomTom for instance), plus is a more business type device. The iPhone is dedicated consumer phone and personally I wish ol' Jobs would leave the business phone market to RIM and concentrate on consumer features. Even though I have an exchange server at work, I don't need exchange push email thanks, I'm at work plenty enough as it is. I would like a more functional sms client though. I don't really consider it a PDA in the same way as the G1 or Palm.

So the G1 although, even after all the 'glowing' reviews I await better hardware for Android. 40 quid a month is a bit much as it makes it as expensive as the iPhone.

If you like shiny bauble gadgets with a built in iPod and a very easy to use user interface but a bit limited in places, nothing new software cant cure the iPhone has no peer. Battery could be 3 times better though.
 
beesonthewhatnow said:
Have you used a G1? It's easily as good as the iPhone for browsing imo...
Click to expand...

Yep I posted about it elsewhere. The G1 was pretty good on a brief play, speedier slightly even, but the multitouch is hard to replicate, particularly once you get used to it. The ability to 'pinch' in means that it seems quicker and more responsive somehow. The G1's the best I've used elsewhere, but the multitouch just elevates the iphone for me.

In a perfect world I'd like some kind of more robust, smaller form factor 'smartish' phone that I could throw about in my pocket and forget about. The iphone's got closest to that in some ways, but the G1 feels bulkier and somehow not as solid iykwim
 
Sunray said:
I wouldn't recommend the iPhone to someone who was happy with an iPaq because that would have had a decent collection of a-grade applications (like TomTom for instance), plus is a more business type device. The iPhone is dedicated consumer phone and personally I wish ol' Jobs would leave the business phone market to RIM and concentrate on consumer features. Even though I have an exchange server at work, I don't need exchange push email thanks, I'm at work plenty enough as it is. I would like a more functional sms client though. I don't really consider it a PDA in the same way as the G1 or Palm.

So the G1 although, even after all the 'glowing' reviews I await better hardware for Android. 40 quid a month is a bit much as it makes it as expensive as the iPhone.

If you like shiny bauble gadgets with a built in iPod and a very easy to use user interface but a bit limited in places, nothing new software cant cure the iPhone has no peer. Battery could be 3 times better though.
Click to expand...

Nice summary, thanks.

G1 hasn't had that many glowing reviews from what I can see. Most of them say "OS will be good in time, handset is passable at best". That's what's making me hesitate.

Poor sales have lead to it being free on a £30 tariff now :cool:
 
Is there any word on the iphone going over to orange yet? I'd probably trade in my current phone and get that if it's at all likely to be fully operational :)
 
ChrisFilter said:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/10/16/review-t-mobile-g1/ - G1 review, not great

http://www.mobile-phones-uk.org.uk/t-mobile-g1.htm - 3/5, long list of flaws (they reckon battery life isn't even a day - gulp!)

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Handset/T-Mobile+G1/handset_review.asp?c=9930 - 7/10, ok.

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/0,39030107,49299060,00.htm - 7/10, ok.
Click to expand...
Most of the reviews I've read have been pretty much complimentary, but at the risk of sending the ed apoplectic neither the hardware or Android are quite as polished as they could be. The software will certainly improve, but how long's that G1 contract got to last.
 
I'm getting a day from the battery (averaging around 20% left) with what I'd call "moderate" use - lots of txts and email, a few calls, the odd bit of browsing, gps turned off unless I need it for a specific app.


I'm guessing a lot of the reviewers hadn't done stuff like turning the backlight down (the phone is still pretty bright even on the lowest setting), this made a huge difference in the time I got out of it.


If you do get one though, don't make the mistake I did and get it in white - there is a really annoying problem with the backlight. The black one doesn't have this problem.
 
tarannau said:
Most of the reviews I've read have been pretty much complimentary, but at the risk of sending the ed apoplectic neither the hardware or Android are quite as polished as they could be.
Click to expand...
There's no need to put in little digs. I'm fully aware that Android and the G1 are new and have a host of unresolved issues - just like the iPhone still has unresolved issues implementing smartphone basics like cut and paste, custom ringtones, MMS and video. And that's over a year after launch.

I'm more hopeful of Android speedily fixing things than Apple, though.
 
editor said:
iPhone still has unresolved issues implementing smartphone basics like cut and paste, custom ringtones, MMS and video. And that's over a year after launch.

I'm more hopeful of Android speedily fixing things than Apple, though.
Click to expand...

You keep saying the same thing. The lack of cut and paste is mildly frustrating, but I haven't heard legions of iphone users complaining about the lack of jazzed up text messages, Rihanna-tones or shaky, low quality video. I realise they may be concerns of yours, but they're not particularly consequential to me.

Some mild improvements to both Android and the iphone will help, but I doubt I'll be queuing up for low quality video footage any time soon. Give it a generation, but it's not that useful at the moment, for me at least. I'd prioritise the browsing experience, with text input and media playing probably equal next priority.
 
tarannau said:
You keep saying the same thing. The lack of cut and paste is mildly frustrating, but I haven't heard legions of iphone users complaining about the lack of jazzed up text messages, Rihanna-tones or shaky, low quality video. I realise they may be concerns of yours, but they're not particularly consequential to me.

Some mild improvements to both Android and the iphone will help, but I doubt I'll be queuing up for low quality video footage any time soon. Give it a generation, but it's not that useful at the moment, for me at least.
Click to expand...

The reason it keeps coming up is because most of us don't see why we should put up with the basic functions missing from the iphone.

is a pretty os really all you need to throw away most of the practicality of a smart phone offers?

I really suppose it comes down to what you use your device for. I use mine as a tool whereas a more & more people seem to treating them as fashion accessory's instead. So much so that they become horribly biased against anything that isn't a iphone....
 
Ah, the reverse sneer.

Just because someone uses their phone and technology in different ways to you doesn't mean they're mere 'fashion accessories' Not everybody needs or wants to tinker about - sometimes a convenient web browser's all someone needs.

I don't believe that MMS, ringtone management and lo-quality video on are particularly key or basic functions on smartphones fwiw - extras at best to me. I think I must have filmed about 3 videos and send a smattering of MMS in all the time I've owned capable phones (bloody years) The lack of cut and paste is less forgivable to me, but it's equally not a huge factor in the way I use my phone - I'm sure I'd find a workaround like you'd find in other OSs. Hopefully the fact it's so tightly integrated elsewhere would compensate.
 
tarannau said:
I don't believe that MMS, ringtone management and lo-quality video on are particularly key or basic functions on smartphones fwiw - extras at best to me. I think I must have filmed about 3 videos and send a smattering of MMS in all the time I've owned capable phones (bloody years) The lack of cut and paste is less forgivable to me, but it's equally not a huge factor in the way I use my phone - I'm sure I'd find a workaround like you'd find in other OSs. Hopefully the fact it's so tightly integrated elsewhere would compensate.
Click to expand...
You know, if you could just admit to the occasional shortcomings of the iPhone instead of always, always defending Apple no matter what you'd have a bit more credibility here.

Look. Watch me do it: I love my Palm Centro, but the lack of Wi-Fi really sucks and is a major pain in the arse, as is the fact that developers are fleeing the platform. It's still a great phone though with some apps that are still to be be bettered on any platform.

If it was you posting, you'd no doubt be telling everyone that they don't really need Wi-Fi at all and in fact Apple were actually doing you a favour by leaving it off, just like your insistence that the omission of a video - a feature regularly enjoyed by tens of millions of users - is somehow in our best interests because it's all "low quality."

It's not actually, Some phones offer excellent video recording and I'd imagine the majority of iPhone users would leap at the opportunity of having such a feature on their handset.
 
tarannau said:
Ah, the reverse sneer.

Just because someone uses their phone and technology in different ways to you doesn't mean they're mere 'fashion accessories' Not everybody needs or wants to tinker about - sometimes a convenient web browser's all someone needs.

I don't believe that MMS, ringtone management and lo-quality video on are particularly key or basic functions on smartphones fwiw - extras at best to me. I think I must have filmed about 3 videos and send a smattering of MMS in all the time I've owned capable phones (bloody years) The lack of cut and paste is less forgivable to me, but it's equally not a huge factor in the way I use my phone - I'm sure I'd find a workaround like you'd find in other OSs. Hopefully the fact it's so tightly integrated elsewhere would compensate.
Click to expand...

wtf you mean a device that doesn't support a major messaging protocol isn't a big deal? you wouldn't be saying that if it was sms or email.

cut & paste is a huge deal for someone like me who does a lot of terminal stuff. I've been able to do both things of these on my windows based phones for a good 4 years now! why am I going to give that up over a pretty os?

despite this my biggest problem with the iphone is the lack of software. You still do not have any good gps navigation software and even worse is that many developers do not want to create one because of apples arsey development setup. Until apple open the platform up a bit more, the iphone is going to be a downgrade in terms of functionality to a lot of smartphone users (me included). After all if they are so great, why are they barely used in corporate environments?

but I suppose its each to his own, if you don't give a shit about any of that, then fair enough, but don't be an itard and start slating other devices just because its not an iphone.
 
I went and had another play with the handsets... the Xperia just isn't a contender. The Touch Pro is by far the nicest I've seen. The G1 is nice, but.. dunno, still feels like a prototype.

In the end, due to costs, I'll probably go for the G1 but I want a Touch Pro more.
 
ChrisFilter said:
I went and had another play with the handsets... the Xperia just isn't a contender. The Touch Pro is by far the nicest I've seen. The G1 is nice, but.. dunno, still feels like a prototype.

In the end, due to costs, I'll probably go for the G1 but I want a Touch Pro more.
Click to expand...
If you're happy flashing roms and the like, then there is a dedicated team of developers over at the xda developer forum just dying to get Android on the Touch Diamond/Touch Pro :)

It'll be like a G1 with a proper screen :cool:
 
editor said:
You know, if you could just admit to the occasional shortcomings of the iPhone instead of always, always defending Apple no matter what you'd have a bit more credibility here.
Click to expand...

The same could have been said about you a number of times in the past in relation to Palm to be fair...
 
subversplat said:
If you're happy flashing roms and the like, then there is a dedicated team of developers over at the xda developer forum just dying to get Android on the Touch Diamond/Touch Pro :)

It'll be like a G1 with a proper screen :cool:
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's a very useful community. I used to flash my MPV650/750 with their cooked roms :cool:
 
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