Comments on: Let’s talk tech: Phones- Smartphones

By: iphone 4

iphone 4 — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 03:53:02 +0000

Apple stated, it is essentially unattainable to distinguish any specific pixels around the iPhone 4′s screen. The human eye begins to lose track of pixelation past the 300 pixels per inch mark; therefore Apple terming the technologies “Retina Display”. Even though you maintain the iPhone up close to your deal with, its unlikely you’ll see any pixels.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:45:19 +0000

Well, because of my Apple loyalty, I don’t actually know too much about the phones. You mentioned. I have two friends with a Droid. One (a computer security analyst; read: white hat hacker) loves his. The other (a physical trainer) finds himself confused by it. Then again, he’s a very simple person.

I know someone that had a blackberry a couple years ago. I hated it from the experience I had setting it up for her, but she loved it so I’m willing to bet they’ve gotten way better since then.

By: strawbrykiwi

strawbrykiwi — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:35:48 +0000

Well I am next to 100% reliant on Google. For reals, if Google turns evil I’m screwed. I already have a two hand to text phone (thanks to broken touch screen). I like the physical keyboard which droid has- it’s a bit small but I could learn. Do you think it’s worth waiting for the Droid to work out bugs, get more apps etc? I’ve heard there aren’t many so far but pretty much if I could get my Google stuff synced up (my Dad’s Black Berry does that and I was impressed) but I don’t like the way they have their displays.

Ok pretty much you gave me AWESOME things to think about!

By: Cameron

Cameron — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:28:25 +0000

There are a number things you want to consider.

The first is how reliant on Google are you? If you use a lot of Google services, then then the Droid is going to be awesome for you since it runs on their framework.

Blackberries have a longer history, so they’re fairly reliable. I personally hate a trackball, but you might love it.

Do you use a Mac? I recall hearing that there wasn’t a Mac app for the Blackberry, but I find it hard to believe they wouldn’t have resolved that by now.

Think about how important a physical keyboard is to you. I used to love the fact that I could text with my phone in my pocket. With my iPhone I have to actually look at the screen most of the time which can be frustrating while I’m walking.

I’d also be sure to look at the apps available for each platform. Since you’re new to smartphones this will probably be less important at this stage, but once you get certain dependencies on apps, it’ll be painful to use a phone that doesn’t have them.

A few things I look for that you might not care about:

Reminders:
I have my entire life programed into my phone. I learned long ago I don’t remember anything so all of my important commitments are set as reminders in my calendar. Be sure reminders are easy to add and work well.

Custom content/settings:
I hate, hate, hate the base level Verizon phones because they make it a pain the ass to do something simple like add my own custom ringtones. If I can’t easily add my own content from my computer, I don’t bother.

Syncing:
There is nothing more amazing when your phone farks itself than the ability to restore it from a back up. Or when you accidentally delete a photo or phone number and can just resync it back. Even being able to add calendar events with a real keyboard and then sync them to your phone. Be sure to check how and how well your phone syncs.

I hope these suggestions help you make a decision on