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[Hawkian]

I just looked that phone up, too. It's actually a cool idea, at least from an ergonomics standpoint. The radial menu allows for better one-handed operation than offered by iPhone or Android.

But there's no point in developing another platform. The beautiful thing about Android being open source is that anyone can dress it up in any way.

I agree wholeheartedly in that, right now, I wouldn't dream of leaving Android for a custom linux mobile OS, and the phone itself doesn't look entirely practical for me with no keyboard and what I can only assume would be a sparse app collection. But looking at those videos was almost like looking into the future. It reminds me of what I always thought tricorders should have looked like on Star Trek.

 

[jonnybryce]

What? This is practically impossible to do with any new capacitive touchscreen device. This isn't the DS we're talking about here. In fact if you're worried about wear and tear, it's probably better to get a device without a sliding keyboard.


Optical mouse/trackpad, ya.

lmao exactly. The screen is not going to experience wear and tear from typing at all, these are capacitive beasts. Gone are the days or streaks or screen protectors. I still find it fascinating when people say they *need* a real keyboard, I get if it's a bit tight to type in portrait, but typing in landscape is pretty wide, simple, and comfortable.

Moving parts are what one should be worried about. Gets looser, gets wiggly, breaks, etc.

I just looked that phone up, too. It's actually a cool idea, at least from an ergonomics standpoint. The radial menu allows for better one-handed operation than offered by iPhone or Android.

But there's no point in developing another platform. The beautiful thing about Android being open source is that anyone can dress it up in any way.

I agree. I wish this was an Android customization, instead of a whole new OS. Samsung's in the other corner hyping up their new Bada OS. People need to hang it up and accept Android. I mean, obviously they already have, including Samsung, but you don't need your own OS. Give it up, every review trashed what Samsung did to Android with TouchWiz. Software isn't your strongest point.

The Else really feels like a Minority Report phone. It is a bit more plain than I'd expect, many menus and "apps" are simply text in branch or web menus, but it looks so damn cool and really has new ideas. If it gets released I'll definitely support it.

In other news, Droid topped Time's Top Gadgets of 2009! Android, fuck yeah.

http://www.androidguys.com/2009/12/08/droid-nook-top-time-list-of-gadgets/

And nothing too exciting here, but another Sammy Android device, the Saturn, has been spotted.

Nothing really new here, just cleaner looking, which I appreciate.

 

[Hawkian]

Android, fuck yeah.

Freedom is the only way-yeah!

 

[Iknos]

What? This is practically impossible to do with any new capacitive touchscreen device. This isn't the DS we're talking about here. In fact if you're worried about wear and tear, it's probably better to get a device without a sliding keyboard.

I'm guessing from the tone of your writing that there's a hard plastic on top of the screen that is very durable?

Scratch resistant?

I can understand what you mean about physical keyboards having their issues with all the sliding in and out and the possibility of certain keys getting jammed or not working.

Keep in mind that another draw for me is to be able to see the whole screen when typing using a physical keyboard rather than on top of a lot of the screen itself. When I'm writing up a list of groceries I'd like to be able to see up and down the list and I don't think I'd be able to do that with an onscreen keyboard.

Anyone do a lot of the stuff I do and use something like the Hero? To-do lists and calendar updates and even budgeting and tracking my spending. I do this sort of stuff on a notepad right now and then pop it onto my Google Documents via a PC.

 

[XMonkey]

I'm guessing from the tone of your writing that there's a hard plastic on top of the screen that is very durable?

Scratch resistant?

I can understand what you mean about physical keyboards having their issues with all the sliding in and out and the possibility of certain keys getting jammed or not working.

Keep in mind that another draw for me is to be able to see the whole screen when typing using a physical keyboard rather than on top of a lot of the screen itself. When I'm writing up a list of groceries I'd like to be able to see up and down the list and I don't think I'd be able to do that with an onscreen keyboard.

Anyone do a lot of the stuff I do and use something like the Hero? To-do lists and calendar updates and even budgeting and tracking my spending. I do this sort of stuff on a notepad right now and then pop it onto my Google Documents via a PC.

Most devices with a capacitive screen are either very, very durable plastic, or are made of glass. The key is you're doing all the touching with your fingers, which introduces virtually no wear. I've had my iPod touch for years and the screen looks as good as the day I got it.

I suggest you go check out a Hero or Eris in a store (or any Android phone, really) and see how you like the virtual keyboard integration. When typing things in portrait mode you can still see about half the screen above the keyboard and I rarely run into issues where I need to scroll to see where I'm typing on the Eris. Landscape keyboards take up more space, but if your OS is smart it will arrange things so you can see what you need to see.

 

[nib95]

I think it's great that they're two very different devices.

X10's GUI looks ideal for browsing media/movies/photos and the camera is killer. The phone itself looks sexy and the GUI is the most fantastical out of any phone I've seen so far.

Sense on the Passion is a good blend of style and practicality. Not as flashy but still quite pleasing to the eye. Since the update I hear it's very responsive and quick.

To me the choice should be easy depending on what you want out of a phone.

I think it speaks a lot about the Android platform. I know my iPhone owning sister would love the photos that came from the X10. She doesn't have that option with Apple phones. While I love the practical aspect of Sense UI and Apple's phones don't give me that option of various GUIs.

Fuck man, after reading all that, I still don't know any better. I thought both phones were using Android? Are they using different versions or something?

Which would be the better phone for MP3 playback (need an EQ) and camera? I'm assuming the X10? If so, what would the Bravo do better?

 

[DrFunk]

Fuck man, after reading all that, I still don't know any better. I thought both phones were using Android? Are they using different versions or something?

Which would be the better phone for MP3 playback (need an EQ) and camera? I'm assuming the X10? If so, what would the Bravo do better?

X10 = Android 1.6
Bravo = Android 2.0-1

The X10 is probably gonna have a better camera and MP3 playback, if previews are any indication.

The Bravo has an OLED screen, if that's up your alley.

 

[jonnybryce]

Fuck man, after reading all that, I still don't know any better. I thought both phones were using Android? Are they using different versions or something?

Which would be the better phone for MP3 playback (need an EQ) and camera? I'm assuming the X10? If so, what would the Bravo do better?

They're both running Android but SE has customized Android heavily.one way and HTC has as well. While they run the same apps and are both Android, the experiences are different. Check them out on YouTube if you'd like.

 

[Quadrophenic]

The Bravo/Passion is supposed to be coming in January 2010, right? Any idea, given HTC's past history, on when that phone will be officially (price, carrier) announced?

 

[pxleyes]

The Bravo/Passion is supposed to be coming in January 2010, right? Any idea, given HTC's past history, on when that phone will be officially (price, carrier) announced?

400-500 MSRP and T-Mobile and/or Verizon have been mentioned.

 

[RaySpencer]

Any news on the Droid commin to Canada? I need a new phone so bad! I will take a Droid, or that new version of the hero, but I want it soon!

 

[tokkun]

The Bravo/Passion is supposed to be coming in January 2010, right? Any idea, given HTC's past history, on when that phone will be officially (price, carrier) announced?

Typically the carrier controls when the phone is officially announced, so HTC's history doesn't really matter. I think carriers usually make the official announcements about 2-3 weeks before release, although there are certainly exceptions.

 

[Hawkian]

Any news on the Droid commin to Canada? I need a new phone so bad! I will take a Droid, or that new version of the hero, but I want it soon!

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Telus-to-Bring-Motorola-DROID-to-Canada-126293.shtml

Will probably have the Milestone's multitouch browser

 

[Bad_Boy]

Come January, looks like it will either be a droid or a bravo for me.

 

[Hawkian]

either a droid or a bravo

To key, or not to key?

 

[Bad_Boy]

To key, or not to key?

verizon is the question.

but right now i'm leaning toward the droid honestly. I could pick up one Dec 20th, but I'm low on cash due to all this xmas gift buying. So, first week of january I think I'll be getting my first android phone.

 

[Hawkian]

Keep your eyes peeled for a ludicrous sale or even a price drop on the Droid before christmas, you never know. And remember that Wirefly's got it for...


..fuck, I thought it was $149, then went to check: http://www.wirefly.com/eCommerce/SpecialOffer.aspx?cid=21427_a05964d7edbc49faa3bfa3174ec08bd9

$119. Kind of a steal. But again there might be a better deal this month.

 

[OmniOne]

Keep your eyes peeled for a ludicrous sale or even a price drop on the Droid before christmas, you never know. And remember that Wirefly's got it for...


..fuck, I thought it was $149, then went to check: http://www.wirefly.com/eCommerce/SpecialOffer.aspx?cid=21427_a05964d7edbc49faa3bfa3174ec08bd9

$119. Kind of a steal. But again there might be a better deal this month.

This is getting difficult to resist. I currently have an iPhone 3G with 13 months left on my line. I'm trying to not pay the ETF but this deal would make that almost negligible. Part of me also wants to hold out for the Passion.

All I have to do is hit checkout. What should I do GAF!?

EDIT: I'll get a 15% discount from work on Verizon versus 5% for AT&T, so this is also in my calculus.

 

[Hawkian]

15 percent discount from Verizon? That applies to your bills? Dayum.

I'm probably the biggest supporter of the Droid so I won't bother trying to sway you :lol

Spoiler

DO IT

 

[RaySpencer]

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Telus-to-Bring-Motorola-DROID-to-Canada-126293.shtml

Will probably have the Milestone's multitouch browser

fuck, telus again? blarg!

 

[h_a_t]

verizon is the question.

but right now i'm leaning toward the droid honestly. I could pick up one Dec 20th, but I'm low on cash due to all this xmas gift buying. So, first week of january I think I'll be getting my first android phone.

Same here.
I'm already up for my every two, and am waiting for conformation from Verizon by next month as to whether get a Droid or Passion/Bravo.

 

[Hawkian]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5fKrScVtP8&feature=player_embedded#at=17

Well, fuck the device, but AARRG i want HDMI out for the Droid!

 

[womp]

15 percent discount from Verizon? That applies to your bills? Dayum.

I'm probably the biggest supporter of the Droid so I won't bother trying to sway you :lol

Spoiler

DO IT

I get 22% off my Verizon wireless bill every month through work.

Check and see if your job has a discount, I've had it for years now and it takes a nice bite out of those taxes and fees. Basically makes my wife and I have a $23 data plan on each phone.

2 smartphones (Droid/Blackberry), 2 data plans, 700 min shared. $117 total.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5fKrScVtP8&feature=player_embedded#at=17

Well, fuck the device, but AARRG i want HDMI out for the Droid!

What would you use it for, out of curiousity? Just to store media on it?

 

[Hawkian]

My work offers Sprint service at a pretty big discount, but I am glued to Verizon.

 

[SimleuqiR]

What would you use it for, out of curiousity? Just to store media on it?

Droid does pr0n.

 

[Hawkian]

What would you use it for, out of curiousity? Just to store media on it?

Well, with something I could fit in my pocket and a cable in my car, I could bring NES, SNES, Genesis, and GBA games to any HDTV. Plus actual stored HD video of course. And never underestimate the convenience of being able to throw a youtube clip up on a TV in a pinch.

 

[jonnybryce]

Wow, the Eris' trackball is a lot smaller than the Hero's. I like how the Eris looks a little better, but I prefer to use a Hero.

I was talking to my brother and if Verizon gets the Bravo we were saying that we should both go to V for it. Part of me wants it, the other part says that there are going to be dozens of cool Android devices announced and released all the time and you can't have them all...so that brings me back to the "wait until something game changing or really unique" comes out.

My work offers Sprint service at a pretty big discount, but I am glued to Verizon.

Just curious if you've tried Sprint or you're just so satisfied that you wouldn't want to leave Verizon?

 

[Husker86]

Wow, the Eris' trackball is a lot smaller than the Hero's. I like how the Eris looks a little better, but I prefer to use a Hero.

I was talking to my brother and if Verizon gets the Bravo we were saying that we should both go to V for it. Part of me wants it, the other part says that there are going to be dozens of cool Android devices announced and released all the time and you can't have them all...so that brings me back to the "wait until something game changing or really unique" comes out.



Just curious if you've tried Sprint or you're just so satisfied that you wouldn't want to leave Verizon?

Wasn't price one of the big reasons you went back to Sprint after having an iPhone? Why would you go back to paying that same amount? (You posted a lot in the Pre/iPhone/this thread which all I frequented, please don't think it's creepy that I know your cellular history :lol ).

Anyway, you're exactly right. After going to Verizon for the Bravo you're going to want to go to AT&T for the Tadaa, then back to Sprint for the Wowza then to T-Mobile for the Holyshit...it'll never end.

 

[jonnybryce]

Wasn't price one of the big reasons you went back to Sprint after having an iPhone? Why would you go back to paying that same amount? (You posted a lot in the Pre/iPhone/this thread which all I frequented, please don't think it's creepy that I know your cellular history :lol ).

Anyway, you're exactly right. After going to Verizon for the Bravo you're going to want to go to AT&T for the Tadaa, then back to Sprint for the Wowza then to T-Mobile for the Holyshit...it'll never end.

:lol No worries, I know. If I were to go to Verizon it would be to make a family plan with my brother who would get a discount from his job, so that wouldn't be bad. Price was definitely a factor in leaving AT&T, but that was just the final straw. Once I had to add unlimited texting to my plan I was so annoyed at how much more I was paying for so much less compared to when I was on Sprint, so I decided to stop throwing money away since Android finally took off and got cooler phones that I liked.

I plan to be with the Hero for a while but at the same time, I have no loyalty, I just want the coolest toys.

 

[Hawkian]

Just curious if you've tried Sprint or you're just so satisfied that you wouldn't want to leave Verizon?

Never had Sprint so I can't vouch for their CS, but their network is clearly in the middle of the pack where I live- not the best by any stretch but notably better than AT&T. I'd put them right with T-Mobile. Verizon is way, way, way above them in network performance down here though, and it really shows on 3G.

But really, my financial obligations are the biggest point. I didn't start out with Verizon paying for it myself so I didn't get to choose; now that I'm on contract, the ETF fees are insane, and the in-network calling saves me and people I care about money since it's free for them, and I'm a nice guy like that.

Luckily the Droid is my favorite phone on the market right now. My second favorite isn't even an Android phone. I really feel VZW made a great call with the marketing push for the Droid. It is already the 2nd-most used Android device by a mile, and might surpass the G1 any day now.

 

[HoTHiTTeR]

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/11/google-phone-zomg/

I knew it was coming, I'd heard some rumblings from friends of friends, but it seems the Christmas Party gift was a g'damn Google Phone. I don't care what it costs; if it has close to the HD2 specs, I'll pony up a credit card now. Right fucking now.:lol

 

[Deleted member 22576]

he says is made by HTC and is running Android 2.1:

Sounds like just a rebranded Bravo/passion or whatever.

 

[DrFunk]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/12/google-employees-given-htc-made-google-phones/

TechCrunch was certain that rumors of a pending honest-to-goodness Google Phone were the real deal, and now according to the site, Google employees are already tweeting with the devices in hand. If you believe what you see on Twitter, Google drones were given the HTC-designed handsets at an all-hands staff event, and the phone is quite a looker. One tweet reads "ZOMG we had fireworks and we all got the new Google phone. It's beautiful." while another says the phone is "Like an iPhone on beautifying steroids." One other, non-Google user on Twitter who's seen the device says that the device is a bit thinner than the iPhone, has a trackball (a la Hero), and has no physical keyboard... which sounds like the Bravo / Passion we've seen a lot of lately (and we hear is coming to the US soon). Apparently the device is running Android 2.1, is unlocked and AT&T-ready (no word on 3G status, but this could line up with our speculation about this being the carrier's first Android phone), and will be due sometime in January. We're guessing if that list bit is true, it will coincide with a CES announcement, but anything could happen at this point. If the device is out in the wild in such a big way, an end of the year press release wouldn't shock us either. Check out one of the tweet-tears after the break, and stay tuned for more info!

GSM? YES

 

[Vyse The Legend]

http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/12/google-employees-given-htc-made-google-phones/



GSM? YES

Apparently, the phone (w/e it is) was unlocked and GSM-ready (T-Mobile and AT&T), but it only supported AT&T on Edge. In other words, the 3G is for T-Mobile. Take this with a huge grain of salt, for now.

 

[Manmademan]

Apparently, the phone (w/e it is) was unlocked and GSM-ready (T-Mobile and AT&T), but it only supported AT&T on Edge. In other words, the 3G is for T-Mobile. Take this with a huge grain of salt, for now.

that makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[Sanjuro]

The pace of how things are going right now are making me regret the Android purchase if things are to go like this in the future. They need to step up and universally sync the firmwares for all models. If they start getting to exclusive happy then I'm bailing out.

 

[Fatalah]

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/11/google-phone-zomg/

I knew it was coming, I'd heard some rumblings from friends of friends, but it seems the Christmas Party gift was a g'damn Google Phone. I don't care what it costs; if it has close to the HD2 specs, I'll pony up a credit card now. Right fucking now.:lol

Holy guacamoles! January is almost here, ahh!

 

[DrFunk]

that makes no sense whatsoever.

AT&T and T-Mobile use different 3G frequencies. 850 and 1900 Mhz, respectively. Which is why we need something like this:

http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/12/...odule-with-support-for-atandt-and-t-mobile-u/

 

[Pctx]

The pace of how things are going right now are making me regret the Android purchase if things are to go like this in the future. They need to step up and universally sync the firmwares for all models. If they start getting to exclusive happy then I'm bailing out.

well with whatever version you had.... if it was the G1... rumors of memory issues have been there for a while.... and sense UI get's updated after stock android phones. No big surprises.

 

[jonnybryce]

that makes no sense whatsoever.

Um yes it does.

As for bailing if newer devices have newer firmware, Android is like WinMo, not iPhone. There are going to be new phones all the time that are cooler than the phone you bought two months ago, and the newest phones are going to launch with the newest firmware , faster than your old one can be updated. I don't really see what the issue there is, it allows for the platform to continue to grow in multiple ways.

 

[Vyse The Legend]

that makes no sense whatsoever.

It appears you have no idea how 3G phones in the US work.

 

[tokkun]

It appears you have no idea how 3G phones in the US work.

There's confusion because you worded your statement in an ambiguous way. The first time I read it, it sounded like you were claiming that EDGE would only work on AT&T and not on T-Mobile. Obviously that wouldn't make any sense.

 

[Vyse The Legend]

TechCrunch seems to have confirmed that this is indeed the Google Phone:

(This photo is old, but apparently, this is the phone people saw last night.)

That's right: it was not the HTC Bravo.

More information via TechCrunch:

Here are the details we know so far about the phone: It will be called the Google Phone and will launch in early January, 2010. It won’t be sold by any one carrier, but instead will be an unlocked GSM phone. In the U.S., that means T-Mobile and possibly AT&T, whose exclusivity deal with the iPhone is about to run out. It will be running Android 2.1

The phone is “really, really fast,” says someone who has seen one in action. It runs on a Snapdragon chip, has a super high-resolution OLED touchscreen, is thinner than the iPhone, has no keyboard, and two mics. The mic on the back of the phone helps eliminate background noise, and it also has a “weirdly” large camera for a phone. And if you don’t like the touchscreen keyboard, a voice-to-text feature is supposed to let you dictate emails and notes by speaking directly into the phone.

I want one.

There's confusion because you worded your statement in an ambiguous way. The first time I read it, it sounded like you were claiming that EDGE would only work on AT&T and not on T-Mobile. Obviously that wouldn't make any sense.

Fair enough. My apologies.

 

[Polari]

TechCrunch seems to have confirmed that this is indeed the Google Phone:

(This photo is old, but apparently, this is the phone people saw last night.)

Will look so much nicer if the silver bits are brushed aluminium instead of plastic. I would hardly call it "iPhone on beautifying steroids" if that photo is any indication (which it probably isn't).

 

[Hawkian]

I think that phone should be all black.

 

[Fatalah]

I'm just wondering what carrier this Google-Phone will run on. Wasn't there an article last month talking about how a Google-Phone would run on its own network?

 

[vangace]

So if Google is now making hardware, does this mean I will finally get my Zune Phone?

 

[tokkun]

So if Google is now making hardware, does this mean I will finally get my Zune Phone?

The hardware is made by HTC. This is no different that than what was done with the Google Ion. As I expected, it seems as if the 'Google Phone' thing was all just hype and hot air.

 

[killakiz]

My guess is that the Passion/Bravo are the locked versions of the Google phone.