Actually, I think the best advice is to wait, since the new generation of dual-core smartphones is less than a month away. The era of HD flash-acceleration and dramatic battery life improvement is upon us.
I partly agree with you. Manufacturers and re/e-tailiers are trying to get rid of the previous gen smartphones. Even the great ones like the EVO before the next-gen phones and platforms arrive. But I don't see the promised land quite yet. Battery life will improve, but marginally and as always, users will have to decide what devices provides them their own suitable balance of performance and power consumption.
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The best advice is *always* to wait. Technology in general, mobiles in particular, are obsolete 6 months after they came out.
Unless something revolutionnary comes out (in my case, it would be a dock that morphs my phone into a very basic PC), I'll be getting a slightly outdated smartphone that fits my needs (huge screen, good sound, android) for a bargain, instead.
All comments pretty much on point, though it's not 6 months, I'd say it's closer to 9. Huge hardware revisions every year (like the iPhone) and by "obsolete", I'm sure you did not literally mean obsolete.
I'd still like an infrared transmitter on my phone so I could control the damn TV and DVD player.
My smartphone wishlist: - infrared transmitter - pico projector - better sound - larger screen (we bought the smartphone for a reason, if we didn't need the screen real-estate, we would be using mini phones).
My iPhone wishlist: - same as above, but seriously, how many times are you going to refute Flash? Jobs has a personal vendetta that he's letting get in the way. If the new iPhone does not have flash come next July, I'm switching over. - better software
> My smartphone wishlist: > - infrared transmitter
I'm always confused from an engineering standpoint that every portable device with a half-way decent interface doesn't have an IR transmitter. We're talking literally a few cents of additional hardware, though admittedly designing around one more conveniently placed component in a phone enclosure may be non-trivial.
But then I put my cynical business-person hat on and I realize that they want remote control of your devices to be a "premium feature", and they haven't figured out how to make that a reality yet, so you get nothing.
Wonder how small I can make an IR emitter that attaches via micro-usb...
The Nokia N900 has a IR port, and it also has a great UI. I have one and love it. It even has better integration with Google Talk than Android; GTalk Voice and Video chat are supported by the built-in chat software.
Yeah you see but "waiting" now -as the best advice- is different than "waiting" for better technology in general.
I mean, these coming few weeks, stores and carriers will want to get rid of all heir old-gen hardware before the new gen rolls (Tegra 2, Orion...etc)
We're talking about a leap in battery life, performance, and general capabilities in mobile phones. The worst time to buy a current gen phone is when the new gen is days away (unless you're looking for the best price).
Totally agreed. Why the hell get an Android phone now when you can get the lastest cutting-edge tech for a smartphone just mere months away. IMO, I wouldn't waste $200 on an Android phone, and then shell out another $200-250 for another phone 6 months down the road. Just doesn't make sense, but if I'm not tech-savvy, then I guess these phones will do. Just my 2 cents. - BLUEBOY
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Definitely see page 5 - we do realize that a huge percentage of readers aren't from American markets and are really trying to get a more global spread of devices in coverage as well.
The LG Optimus One is probably our first real international device, and we've got an N8 review coming too. I know we have assets moving into place in the UK to start covering devices in Europe as well, so it's definitely happening. ;)
The Palm Pre 2 should have got a mention in the unlocked/international section. Won't Anandtech be reviewing it anytime soon? It is a "developer's phone" after all.
I found it strange that it was only mentioned in the ATT section. Since it isn't available through ATT, it really should have been put in the Unlocked/International section, unless for some reason it can't do any frequencies except for ATTs.
Yes, there are no cell network versions, but at their price points they offer quite a lot, and beg the question how apple and samsung end up charging the ridiculous amounts the do, for their hardware (which should be cheaper than netbooks, not more expensive...yay status-symbol-markup) It is them that also, more than a year ago, put one of the first Android Tablets on the market (my Archos 5 IT is a year old now....) and now they even made the move to capacitive touch screens (though I still prefer resistive....). Anyway, their 70 and 101 models should be at least worth a mention, as they are actual products, and probably enjoy a bigger market share than the ViewSonic. And not even listing Archos with the "also ran"? That's really questionable...
So anyway, if you're looking for a tablet for serious work, and not as a status symbol, give the Archos 70 a good look....USB host available via cheap adapter, priced low, connects via standard USB cable, HDMI out, micro SD.... Though apparently you give up 3g (...well, mifi is an option, or BT tethering to your cellphone) and GPS (that might hurt if you plan to use it for navigation...though 7 inch is a bit large for that kind of thing anyway. Oh and there's a 10 incher as well, for a similar price.
Yes, I don't understand why they didn't look at Archos as well. Perhaps because they are not as big of a company as the others? That new Archos 101 (10.1) just released recently and if anything has a chance of matching or surpassing the iPad it would be it. It uses the newer version of FROYO 2.2. At $299 its very competitively priced.
You actually can't get the 101 or the 70 in the US yet, but yeah I did forget to mention them. I was really determined not to mention the Archos 9 PCtablet, since I've played with that a few times and found it a major disappointment (performance and resistive touchscreen, amongst other things). I'll probably add in a mention of the 101, cause that does have a really good price on the low end (the 16GB ends up pretty close to the Viewsonic, which is a lot more powerful.)
I bought a Viewsonic G tablet this past week. The stock software is ok, but not great. The latest update includes the Handigo app store, which is better than nothing but not anywhere near the Android Market.
Where this device really shines is with the alternate roms. TNT Lite seems to be the best at the moment. It replaces the interface with the stock Android UI. There's hack that gets you the full Android Market and Flash support as well. Unfortunately, Android 2.2 doesn't support multi-core, so you're stuck using 1/2 the processing power of Tegra 2. Hopefully 2.3 will add that. Even with 2.2, it's still a fast device.
If you plan on keeping the G tab stock, then it's merely ok. If you like tweaking though, it's definitely worth the money. XDA has an forum dedicated to it.
You can still sideload apps, so it's not a huge deal. You can seriously just go download the .apk from the internet, toss it onto the SD card and install off there. The problem with that is that some of the apps don't work too well - I couldn't get Angry Birds to run properly for some reason.
Just IMO here - the stock software is NOT okay. It's basically ruining the device, for me at least. It's such a slow UI....I can deal with UI skins that don't lag down the system, like on the Galaxy Tab or the HTC Sense stuff, but man, this thing is slow - I've got dual A9's and it feels slower than the freaking ARM11 phones.
XDA is awesome, I've been looking at their section for the G-Tablet recently. I'll probably have a performance preview up within the next couple of days, but the full review is going to have to wait until after the Galaxy Tab review, so I'll probably look into TNT Lite.
The G-Tablet really does look like the hackers dream, but I've got a question, am I the only one that thinks it has a pretty woeful screen (especially next to the iPad)?
Haven't seen one in person, but based on the preview hands-on over at androidcentral I have to agree, horrid viewing angles on the screen and lag that could be measured in multiple seconds in interacting with the OS. And apparently it was even more unusable with the first shipping software revision, IIRC there have already been updates.
Guys, while I understand the noise around the flagships of the major phone manufacturers/brands is there a chance that we will see reviews/recommendations for some smaller, lighter and more elegant phones? I just picked up X3-02 and so far I am loving it. (I wish I didn't have to work 60+ hours and getting ready for some finals :( ) I paid for it more than some of your higher end offerings just because I don't want to hoe all the extra weight. Maybe you can review even some Vertu phones!? That said I understand it is a niche market and most people on the street would not care because they have not been bombarded with countless commercials everyday, but for those of us that care about looks, texture and quality of materials, we still want to get a feature rich device as much as the physical dimensions allow for. It will be nice to know how they stack up against the big phones. p.s. I also prefer Longines to Breitling ;)
They're less fashionable, but feature phones still make up roughly half the phones sold, so a reasonable case could be made to cover some of the higher end models.
"It’d be completely disingenuous if we had a myopic, USA-centric world view, and we’re actively working on getting a more international spread of devices whenever possible that’s of interest to everyone."
You have no idea how awesome Anandtech is for realising this (no sarcasm). So many other sites forget this. Thank you.
Excellent article Vivek and Brian! I just spotted one apparent issue with a technical specification. On the very last page regarding tablets, the BlackBerry Playbook was announced to feature a 7-inch 1024x600 screen, not a 10-inch screen. Hopefully this can be corrected, thanks in advance.
My girlfriend bought a Charm. We ended up returning it within three days. The screen is absolutely atrocious for a smartphone, even a budget model. I've seen cheap Virgin Mobile featurephones with prettier screens. We ended up buying her a myTouch Slide instead, which could also make use of the wonderful Cyanogenmod 6.
I was especially appalled using the Charm because I am a Vibrant owner, so it was like a trip back to the smartphone dark ages!
This article needs some editing - even though the phones were broken down in the carrier segments and unlocked/international portions, the phones were not themselves formatted in easily recognizable outline/title context. An editor would have pointed this out and emphasized the name of the phones in a bold/increase sized font title format alongside the pictures. Also, the site has been established for several years now, but the amateurish journalism still persists. The authors wrote "RIM brought BlackBerry 6 to market with AT&T in the form of the BlackBerry Torch 9800, a device that I honestly found very usable." The authors are suppose to be credible and suppose to be an authority on the technology subject matter, readers do not want your honesty - it's already expected and you are just being redundant with the sentence. More importantly, readers want to make their own judgment of the devices by the facts you state when using the phones, ie, responsiveness of the touch screen, call quality, phone camera & video recording, and other phone feature pros and cons. A better choice of words would be "to be candid" or "to be frank". Get a real editor to look over your articles before the final version is up on the site.
Everyone of your phone choices is what I would call a chocolate bar because it is thinner than the old style "candybar" form factor. Personally, I prefer to use a clamshell phone and, even in elementary school, my parents received messages home from the teacher that I needed to develop motor skills. The situation is worse now since my fingers are bigger, so I prefer a real keyboard which means that I am most interested in the new Blackberry Style.
Since Sprint has an antenna within sight of my home office window, I prefer Sprint service.
I like the ease of use of the menu system on Blackberry BB OS 4.5 once I click on an icon. I want the improved browser and other features in BB OS 6 and hope that the menu system has been kept in OS 6.
The only advance that I have seen for the user interface in the last 5 years is the less busy home screen on Windows 7. I want a phone that I do NOT have to keep looking at.
I was really disappointed about the very brief mention of the Notion Ink - Adam. Their tablet is poised to be the IPAD killer. Competitive pricing and way more features than the IPAD. No need to purchase accessory cables for SD cards, USB, etc. I fit in the category of APPLE haters. not just the IPAD but the company as a whole. Their true colors showed when Jobs blamed a customer 'your holding it wrong'. So egotistic, that He is right and everyone else is wrong. I think APPLE is even worse than MICROSOFT was in the 80's and 90's. The ADAM even has an energy saving feature with the Pixel QI display, but no mention about it. I will agree that APPLE is creative and thier computers look pretty. But why would you pay 1,000 or more for a laptop with a two year old processor. SSD is not unique to APPLE and may PC'rs have already updated their laptops and pc's with SSD drives. Apple really only wows the uneducated public. Guess thats why they have to teach them how to hold a cell phone. Anyway. I'm keeping a close eye out for the ADAM. Just Google Notion Ink Adam to really get excited about the tablet market.
Trust me, I'm a fan of the Adam and have been following it pretty closely ever since CES last year. As an Indian, I'm pretty psyched about the potential for an electronics boom happening in India. However, until it gets closer to shipping, it's only worth a mention. I have the Viewsonic and the Galaxy Tab in hand, which is why I wrote more about them,
While I also am an Apple hater, the iPad is shipping now, while the Adam still only qualifies as vaporware. So while the whole Android tablet market is poised to grow, and almost certainly some better designs than the Galaxy Tab and host of cheap iPad knockoffs will be coming, if you are looking to give or get one this holiday season your choices are relatively limited.
Rename to update.zip (make sure windows is showing extensions), put the file on your SD card "root" folder, boot in recovery mode and hit the update.
FROYO v2.2.1 on Epic 4G goodness.
Mixed reports on GPS - seems its either working or not at all with this update. Also, it breaks MediaHub, which requires a workaround to get functional again.
Exactly, I kept looking at my epic wondering if that isn't an LED Flash then why the heck does it flash when I take pictures?
Maybe it isn't LED? Nah, just an error I guess.
And dangit, I just updated to dl18, I need to update to dk28. If I run the update the way you stated, will I lose my contacts, and installed applications?
Hey Brian, I wonder why you didn't recommend the international Galaxy S version in the international segment. It's similar to the US Galaxy S versions but trades camera flash for a front camera.
You mention the wrong model (or carrier) when talking about the Captivate. If you've used the other models, they would be on Verizon and T-Mobile, not AT&T and T-Mobile. Also, your sentence regarding the flash implies that the Epic doesn't have a flash, when it does. Also, the Epic hasn't been priced at $249.99 on Amazon for months now. It was actually $99.99 for a while (It's currently $149.99)
Agreed Re the N900 in the international/unlocked category.... Very happy camper, the possibilities really are limitless on this device, I'm surprised on an almost daily basis.
I've been visiting Anandtech for many many years now, and have come to place a lot of trust and reliance on most of the articles.
While I am not disappointed with what was IN this article (which was well analyzed and written), I am more disappointed with what was NOT in the article.
Firstly, I had expected this smartphone buyer's guide to be similar to the PC guide - I had definitely expected much more than 1 page worth of content for non-US visitors. I had mainly expected to see recommendations in various price points (budget, price-performance, high-end), detailed breakdown of strengths and weaknesses of key contenders in each segment, and at the very least 3-4 options in each segment along with their price points. A tabular analysis of the various contenders would have, for example, worked very well.
I normally hesitate to write a critical comment as it is easy to criticize as opposed to doing something. I do understand that it takes time and effort to analyze a large number of phones. But man, you have high standards to live up to! This is what separates AT from the thousands of other so-called tech review websites. I'm sorry to say but there is a marked difference in the quality of articles and quality of analysis written by Anand and other senior members and some of the other articles that I am reading nowadays.
Please take this constructively. I am not dissing you guys, but only telling you how you could continue to "wow" loyal readers such as myself. One more thing: you don't always need to do a PhD in every device before being able to write about it. You can, for example, easily do a comparison of the top 10 or 15 Android phones on the basis of various parameters that are relevant to buyers such as speed/responsiveness, battery life, display quality, camera quality, construction quality, price, usability, etc.
Basically, what I want to be able to read a "guide" article on Anandtech, and be able to make an informed purchase decision after reading it, and/or become more knowledgeable about the subject. Please help. There are hardly any such websites nowadays that I can put my trust in nowadays.
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TareX - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Actually, I think the best advice is to wait, since the new generation of dual-core smartphones is less than a month away. The era of HD flash-acceleration and dramatic battery life improvement is upon us.Nexus S vs Motorola Olympus
enealDC - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
I partly agree with you. Manufacturers and re/e-tailiers are trying to get rid of the previous gen smartphones. Even the great ones like the EVO before the next-gen phones and platforms arrive. But I don't see the promised land quite yet. Battery life will improve, but marginally and as always, users will have to decide what devices provides them their own suitable balance of performance and power consumption.Marvel soniya - Thursday, July 11, 2013 - link
I can provide smartphone APQ451W+ at only USD129.0, it is Quad core ,MOQ is 5K, without sample on hand .Another new model APB401W+ at only USD68.0, it is Dual core, using public housing, MOQ 3K .
Marvel Electronics Limited
Phone: 86-13058001063
Fax: 0755-8318 7023-639
E-mail: soniya.[email protected]
MSN: soniya.[email protected]
Skype: soniya.marvelelectronics
Website: www.marvelelectronics.com.hk
StormyParis - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
The best advice is *always* to wait. Technology in general, mobiles in particular, are obsolete 6 months after they came out.Unless something revolutionnary comes out (in my case, it would be a dock that morphs my phone into a very basic PC), I'll be getting a slightly outdated smartphone that fits my needs (huge screen, good sound, android) for a bargain, instead.
vol7ron - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
All comments pretty much on point, though it's not 6 months, I'd say it's closer to 9. Huge hardware revisions every year (like the iPhone) and by "obsolete", I'm sure you did not literally mean obsolete.I'd still like an infrared transmitter on my phone so I could control the damn TV and DVD player.
My smartphone wishlist:
- infrared transmitter
- pico projector
- better sound
- larger screen (we bought the smartphone for a reason, if we didn't need the screen real-estate, we would be using mini phones).
My iPhone wishlist:
- same as above, but seriously, how many times are you going to refute Flash? Jobs has a personal vendetta that he's letting get in the way. If the new iPhone does not have flash come next July, I'm switching over.
- better software
azmodean - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
> My smartphone wishlist:> - infrared transmitter
I'm always confused from an engineering standpoint that every portable device with a half-way decent interface doesn't have an IR transmitter. We're talking literally a few cents of additional hardware, though admittedly designing around one more conveniently placed component in a phone enclosure may be non-trivial.
But then I put my cynical business-person hat on and I realize that they want remote control of your devices to be a "premium feature", and they haven't figured out how to make that a reality yet, so you get nothing.
Wonder how small I can make an IR emitter that attaches via micro-usb...
iannet - Sunday, December 12, 2010 - link
The Nokia N900 has a IR port, and it also has a great UI. I have one and love it. It even has better integration with Google Talk than Android; GTalk Voice and Video chat are supported by the built-in chat software.TareX - Sunday, December 5, 2010 - link
Yeah you see but "waiting" now -as the best advice- is different than "waiting" for better technology in general.I mean, these coming few weeks, stores and carriers will want to get rid of all heir old-gen hardware before the new gen rolls (Tegra 2, Orion...etc)
We're talking about a leap in battery life, performance, and general capabilities in mobile phones. The worst time to buy a current gen phone is when the new gen is days away (unless you're looking for the best price).
blueboy_10 - Thursday, December 23, 2010 - link
Totally agreed. Why the hell get an Android phone now when you can get the lastest cutting-edge tech for a smartphone just mere months away. IMO, I wouldn't waste $200 on an Android phone, and then shell out another $200-250 for another phone 6 months down the road. Just doesn't make sense, but if I'm not tech-savvy, then I guess these phones will do. Just my 2 cents. - BLUEBOYMarvel soniya - Thursday, July 11, 2013 - link
I can provide smartphone APQ451W+ at only USD129.0, it is Quad core ,MOQ is 5K, without sample on hand .Another new model APB401W+ at only USD68.0, it is Dual core, using public housing, MOQ 3K .
Marvel Electronics Limited
Phone: 86-13058001063
Fax: 0755-8318 7023-639
E-mail: soniya.[email protected]
MSN: soniya.[email protected]
Skype: soniya.marvelelectronics
Website: www.marvelelectronics.com.hk
jalsa777 - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
i do not know your visitor's demographics...But i am preety sure a lot of visitors are from outside the USA.
The article would be much better off if the phones were divided by segment or price band.
StormyParis - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Agreed. I dropped the article when I realized the structure made no sense to me.Brian Klug - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Hey Jalsa777,Definitely see page 5 - we do realize that a huge percentage of readers aren't from American markets and are really trying to get a more global spread of devices in coverage as well.
The LG Optimus One is probably our first real international device, and we've got an N8 review coming too. I know we have assets moving into place in the UK to start covering devices in Europe as well, so it's definitely happening. ;)
-Brian
Pataling - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
The Palm Pre 2 should have got a mention in the unlocked/international section. Won't Anandtech be reviewing it anytime soon? It is a "developer's phone" after all.jordanclock - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
I found it strange that it was only mentioned in the ATT section. Since it isn't available through ATT, it really should have been put in the Unlocked/International section, unless for some reason it can't do any frequencies except for ATTs.Rick83 - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Yes, there are no cell network versions, but at their price points they offer quite a lot, and beg the question how apple and samsung end up charging the ridiculous amounts the do, for their hardware (which should be cheaper than netbooks, not more expensive...yay status-symbol-markup)It is them that also, more than a year ago, put one of the first Android Tablets on the market (my Archos 5 IT is a year old now....) and now they even made the move to capacitive touch screens (though I still prefer resistive....).
Anyway, their 70 and 101 models should be at least worth a mention, as they are actual products, and probably enjoy a bigger market share than the ViewSonic.
And not even listing Archos with the "also ran"? That's really questionable...
So anyway, if you're looking for a tablet for serious work, and not as a status symbol, give the Archos 70 a good look....USB host available via cheap adapter, priced low, connects via standard USB cable, HDMI out, micro SD.... Though apparently you give up 3g (...well, mifi is an option, or BT tethering to your cellphone) and GPS (that might hurt if you plan to use it for navigation...though 7 inch is a bit large for that kind of thing anyway.
Oh and there's a 10 incher as well, for a similar price.
Skott - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Yes, I don't understand why they didn't look at Archos as well. Perhaps because they are not as big of a company as the others? That new Archos 101 (10.1) just released recently and if anything has a chance of matching or surpassing the iPad it would be it. It uses the newer version of FROYO 2.2. At $299 its very competitively priced.VivekGowri - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
You actually can't get the 101 or the 70 in the US yet, but yeah I did forget to mention them. I was really determined not to mention the Archos 9 PCtablet, since I've played with that a few times and found it a major disappointment (performance and resistive touchscreen, amongst other things). I'll probably add in a mention of the 101, cause that does have a really good price on the low end (the 16GB ends up pretty close to the Viewsonic, which is a lot more powerful.)Roland00Address - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Make sure you do a mini review before and after you root the device. I am just wondering how useful the device will be with no app support.DigitalFreak - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
I bought a Viewsonic G tablet this past week. The stock software is ok, but not great. The latest update includes the Handigo app store, which is better than nothing but not anywhere near the Android Market.Where this device really shines is with the alternate roms. TNT Lite seems to be the best at the moment. It replaces the interface with the stock Android UI. There's hack that gets you the full Android Market and Flash support as well. Unfortunately, Android 2.2 doesn't support multi-core, so you're stuck using 1/2 the processing power of Tegra 2. Hopefully 2.3 will add that. Even with 2.2, it's still a fast device.
If you plan on keeping the G tab stock, then it's merely ok. If you like tweaking though, it's definitely worth the money. XDA has an forum dedicated to it.
DigitalFreak - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Forgot to mention that there is also a dock coming, with HDMI out, USB and an Ethernet port.VivekGowri - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
You can still sideload apps, so it's not a huge deal. You can seriously just go download the .apk from the internet, toss it onto the SD card and install off there. The problem with that is that some of the apps don't work too well - I couldn't get Angry Birds to run properly for some reason.Just IMO here - the stock software is NOT okay. It's basically ruining the device, for me at least. It's such a slow UI....I can deal with UI skins that don't lag down the system, like on the Galaxy Tab or the HTC Sense stuff, but man, this thing is slow - I've got dual A9's and it feels slower than the freaking ARM11 phones.
XDA is awesome, I've been looking at their section for the G-Tablet recently. I'll probably have a performance preview up within the next couple of days, but the full review is going to have to wait until after the Galaxy Tab review, so I'll probably look into TNT Lite.
The G-Tablet really does look like the hackers dream, but I've got a question, am I the only one that thinks it has a pretty woeful screen (especially next to the iPad)?
strikeback03 - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
Haven't seen one in person, but based on the preview hands-on over at androidcentral I have to agree, horrid viewing angles on the screen and lag that could be measured in multiple seconds in interacting with the OS. And apparently it was even more unusable with the first shipping software revision, IIRC there have already been updates.jonup - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Guys, while I understand the noise around the flagships of the major phone manufacturers/brands is there a chance that we will see reviews/recommendations for some smaller, lighter and more elegant phones? I just picked up X3-02 and so far I am loving it. (I wish I didn't have to work 60+ hours and getting ready for some finals :( ) I paid for it more than some of your higher end offerings just because I don't want to hoe all the extra weight. Maybe you can review even some Vertu phones!?That said I understand it is a niche market and most people on the street would not care because they have not been bombarded with countless commercials everyday, but for those of us that care about looks, texture and quality of materials, we still want to get a feature rich device as much as the physical dimensions allow for. It will be nice to know how they stack up against the big phones.
p.s. I also prefer Longines to Breitling ;)
DanNeely - Sunday, December 5, 2010 - link
They're less fashionable, but feature phones still make up roughly half the phones sold, so a reasonable case could be made to cover some of the higher end models.G-Man - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
"It’d be completely disingenuous if we had a myopic, USA-centric world view, and we’re actively working on getting a more international spread of devices whenever possible that’s of interest to everyone."You have no idea how awesome Anandtech is for realising this (no sarcasm). So many other sites forget this. Thank you.
Hrel - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
You guys REALLY need to start getting some Archos hardware in shop to test out.AuDioFreaK39 - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Excellent article Vivek and Brian! I just spotted one apparent issue with a technical specification. On the very last page regarding tablets, the BlackBerry Playbook was announced to feature a 7-inch 1024x600 screen, not a 10-inch screen. Hopefully this can be corrected, thanks in advance.VivekGowri - Sunday, December 5, 2010 - link
Riiiiiight. My bad, thanks for catching that!Galcobar - Saturday, December 4, 2010 - link
Actually, the PlayBook is a 16:9, 7" screen, device itself is 5.1" x 7.6" x 0.4" (130mm x 194mm x 10mm).
ThomasA - Sunday, December 5, 2010 - link
Check that US Cellular (limited regions) is a selling a CDMA version of the HTC Desire. Too bad they won't sell it outside their small coverage areas.synaesthetic - Sunday, December 5, 2010 - link
My girlfriend bought a Charm. We ended up returning it within three days. The screen is absolutely atrocious for a smartphone, even a budget model. I've seen cheap Virgin Mobile featurephones with prettier screens. We ended up buying her a myTouch Slide instead, which could also make use of the wonderful Cyanogenmod 6.I was especially appalled using the Charm because I am a Vibrant owner, so it was like a trip back to the smartphone dark ages!
sykorius - Sunday, December 5, 2010 - link
This article needs some editing - even though the phones were broken down in the carrier segments and unlocked/international portions, the phones were not themselves formatted in easily recognizable outline/title context. An editor would have pointed this out and emphasized the name of the phones in a bold/increase sized font title format alongside the pictures. Also, the site has been established for several years now, but the amateurish journalism still persists. The authors wrote "RIM brought BlackBerry 6 to market with AT&T in the form of the BlackBerry Torch 9800, a device that I honestly found very usable." The authors are suppose to be credible and suppose to be an authority on the technology subject matter, readers do not want your honesty - it's already expected and you are just being redundant with the sentence. More importantly, readers want to make their own judgment of the devices by the facts you state when using the phones, ie, responsiveness of the touch screen, call quality, phone camera & video recording, and other phone feature pros and cons. A better choice of words would be "to be candid" or "to be frank". Get a real editor to look over your articles before the final version is up on the site.fausto412 - Sunday, December 5, 2010 - link
where is my beloved anandtech.com?silverblue - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
...but the Galaxy S should have Froyo, at least we do throughout Europe.strikeback03 - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
Blame the carriers, most likely. Whatever the reason, official updates have not yet been pushed out.jah1subs - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
Everyone of your phone choices is what I would call a chocolate bar because it is thinner than the old style "candybar" form factor. Personally, I prefer to use a clamshell phone and, even in elementary school, my parents received messages home from the teacher that I needed to develop motor skills. The situation is worse now since my fingers are bigger, so I prefer a real keyboard which means that I am most interested in the new Blackberry Style.Since Sprint has an antenna within sight of my home office window, I prefer Sprint service.
I like the ease of use of the menu system on Blackberry BB OS 4.5 once I click on an icon. I want the improved browser and other features in BB OS 6 and hope that the menu system has been kept in OS 6.
The only advance that I have seen for the user interface in the last 5 years is the less busy home screen on Windows 7. I want a phone that I do NOT have to keep looking at.
jah1subs - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
develop FINE motor skills.GotThumbs - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
I was really disappointed about the very brief mention of the Notion Ink - Adam. Their tablet is poised to be the IPAD killer. Competitive pricing and way more features than the IPAD. No need to purchase accessory cables for SD cards, USB, etc.I fit in the category of APPLE haters. not just the IPAD but the company as a whole. Their true colors showed when Jobs blamed a customer 'your holding it wrong'. So egotistic, that He is right and everyone else is wrong. I think APPLE is even worse than MICROSOFT was in the 80's and 90's. The ADAM even has an energy saving feature with the Pixel QI display, but no mention about it. I will agree that APPLE is creative and thier computers look pretty. But why would you pay 1,000 or more for a laptop with a two year old processor. SSD is not unique to APPLE and may PC'rs have already updated their laptops and pc's with SSD drives. Apple really only wows the uneducated public. Guess thats why they have to teach them how to hold a cell phone. Anyway. I'm keeping a close eye out for the ADAM. Just Google Notion Ink Adam to really get excited about the tablet market.
GotThumbs - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
Forgot to mention HDMI connection built in....no accessory cable purchase needed.VivekGowri - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
Trust me, I'm a fan of the Adam and have been following it pretty closely ever since CES last year. As an Indian, I'm pretty psyched about the potential for an electronics boom happening in India. However, until it gets closer to shipping, it's only worth a mention. I have the Viewsonic and the Galaxy Tab in hand, which is why I wrote more about them,strikeback03 - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - link
While I also am an Apple hater, the iPad is shipping now, while the Adam still only qualifies as vaporware. So while the whole Android tablet market is poised to grow, and almost certainly some better designs than the Galaxy Tab and host of cheap iPad knockoffs will be coming, if you are looking to give or get one this holiday season your choices are relatively limited.quickbunnie - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
Couple of minor errors:The Samsung Epic 4G does have an LED flash.
Also, while there are no reports of OTA pushes for FROYO on the Epic 4g, a signed (no rooting needed) FROYO build is sitting on Google's servers:
http://android.clients.google.com/packages/ota/spr...
Rename to update.zip (make sure windows is showing extensions), put the file on your SD card "root" folder, boot in recovery mode and hit the update.
FROYO v2.2.1 on Epic 4G goodness.
Mixed reports on GPS - seems its either working or not at all with this update. Also, it breaks MediaHub, which requires a workaround to get functional again.
SilthDraeth - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - link
Exactly, I kept looking at my epic wondering if that isn't an LED Flash then why the heck does it flash when I take pictures?Maybe it isn't LED? Nah, just an error I guess.
And dangit, I just updated to dl18, I need to update to dk28. If I run the update the way you stated, will I lose my contacts, and installed applications?
strikeback03 - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - link
Samsung has recommended not using that update anyway (http://www.androidcentral.com/sprint-says-froyo-ep... though the choice is up to youssj4Gogeta - Monday, December 6, 2010 - link
Hey Brian,I wonder why you didn't recommend the international Galaxy S version in the international segment. It's similar to the US Galaxy S versions but trades camera flash for a front camera.
Dodger52 - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - link
Why do all you techblogs get it wrong and don't get your facts right.!!!The blackberry Torch is powered by a new generation PXA 940 built using the 45nm process
(sources:)
http://www.ubmtechinsights.com/reports-and-subscri...
http://translate.google.nl/translate?js=n&prev...
Mook1e - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 - link
You mention the wrong model (or carrier) when talking about the Captivate. If you've used the other models, they would be on Verizon and T-Mobile, not AT&T and T-Mobile. Also, your sentence regarding the flash implies that the Epic doesn't have a flash, when it does.Also, the Epic hasn't been priced at $249.99 on Amazon for months now. It was actually $99.99 for a while (It's currently $149.99)
jed22281 - Wednesday, December 8, 2010 - link
Agreed Re the N900 in the international/unlocked category....Very happy camper, the possibilities really are limitless on this device, I'm surprised on an almost daily basis.
asliarun - Thursday, December 9, 2010 - link
I've been visiting Anandtech for many many years now, and have come to place a lot of trust and reliance on most of the articles.While I am not disappointed with what was IN this article (which was well analyzed and written), I am more disappointed with what was NOT in the article.
Firstly, I had expected this smartphone buyer's guide to be similar to the PC guide - I had definitely expected much more than 1 page worth of content for non-US visitors. I had mainly expected to see recommendations in various price points (budget, price-performance, high-end), detailed breakdown of strengths and weaknesses of key contenders in each segment, and at the very least 3-4 options in each segment along with their price points. A tabular analysis of the various contenders would have, for example, worked very well.
I normally hesitate to write a critical comment as it is easy to criticize as opposed to doing something. I do understand that it takes time and effort to analyze a large number of phones. But man, you have high standards to live up to! This is what separates AT from the thousands of other so-called tech review websites. I'm sorry to say but there is a marked difference in the quality of articles and quality of analysis written by Anand and other senior members and some of the other articles that I am reading nowadays.
Please take this constructively. I am not dissing you guys, but only telling you how you could continue to "wow" loyal readers such as myself. One more thing: you don't always need to do a PhD in every device before being able to write about it. You can, for example, easily do a comparison of the top 10 or 15 Android phones on the basis of various parameters that are relevant to buyers such as speed/responsiveness, battery life, display quality, camera quality, construction quality, price, usability, etc.
Basically, what I want to be able to read a "guide" article on Anandtech, and be able to make an informed purchase decision after reading it, and/or become more knowledgeable about the subject. Please help. There are hardly any such websites nowadays that I can put my trust in nowadays.
kakfjak - Thursday, May 5, 2011 - link
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