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Just felt like writing about my experience using an Apple Iphone in comparison to the many WM devices I've used over the years. Was over at a friends house today and got a chance to play around with his Apple Iphone. While I'm not ready to give up my WM HTC Trinity with it's advantage of push/exchange integration and abundance of 3rd party apps, there were some things about the IPhone that left me a bit envious.
First was the physical dimensions of the Iphone, while a bit big compared to my Trinity the thinness of the device made it feel a hell of a lot smaller. I was picturing a wallet type hard case for it that would allow me to fit it into my back pocket or inside jacket pocket without it bulging out.
Second was the overall look and feel of the interface, all the applications were well blended into the theme and the little effects made using it quite enjoyable. There was a little lag calling up apps from time to time but overall I found it to be a lot snappier when calling up an app. A lot different from Windows Mobile devices, just take the WM Calculator as an example, even after all these years looks like something that came out of Windows 3.1. Microsoft really needs to get rid of that PC minded interface and make something much easier to use.
Now the thing that impressed me the most was solid feeling and sensitivity of the IPhone touch screen. The sensitivity was very very impressive. I did a comparison with the IPhone and my Trinity side by side pressing keys on their respective calculators to see how much pressure it took, no matter how slowly and softly I tried pressing the Iphone the second I felt my finger touch the screen I got an instant response. Doing the same with the Trinity provided a harder press and it wasn't always consistent. I tried the same test on the Trinity using the stylus trying to press it ever so slightly to get feedback but it always took a bit more inconsistent pressure. Unlike the Iphone touch screen which felt solid to the touch, the you could feel the Trinity screen indenting slightly.
I think Apple is still years away from catching up with WM devices in regards to 3rd party software and improvements to their built in applications and we know Microsoft is going to update the overall look of WM in the next version but if anything good comes out of the Iphone competition, I hope WM manufactures like HTC and others will start improving the overall designs of their devices with thinner dimensions and more importantly better quality touch screens. HTC making a piece of software and touting it as a new Touch technology just doesn't cut it, what they really need is to start using a screen that is sensitive to the touch with a finger. TouchFlo is a nice to have but it's just layered over a Desktop Computer like interface and the screen isn't sensitive enough to get 100% response to what you're doing every single time like the Iphone.
I've been thinking recently of upgrading to an Ultimate 8150 for the fact that it has a hardware keyboard, reason being I just never found the finger method of using a WM5 device to be all that great and I hate pulling out my stylus to dial a number ect. After using the Iphone, except for the advantages of a hardware keyboard when needing to dial an extension or tapping out a quick sms in certain circumstances like driving or not being able to look at your device, I would have probably been more than happy with the touch screen if it had the same quality touch screen as the one found in the Iphone.
There's a reason why Apple's touch screen tech isn't used by many other devices...and about a year or less from now we'll start to see why.
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Sto...405B-A7C8-02A1126093CE}&siteid=yhoo&dist=yhoo
I have been debating giving my opionion here because I feel like I have gone to the dark side.. I have used a WM device for about 2 years and owned about every variant (not really but it seems like it). My latest being the Touch. I thought the Touch would be a phone that would make me not want the iPhone, but I was wrong. I finally gave in about a month ago when I realized that I spent most of my free time tweaking the Touch to work like an iPhone - or rather make it easy to use.
Here is my not-so-quick breakdown comparing my iPhone (unlocked and highly tweaked) to the Touch (with out of box ROM, but MUCH customization):
Phone itself: As listed above, the touchsceen is the clincher. The iPhone has a capacitance rather than resistance display. When I go back to the Touch from the iPhone, I feel like I am pressing the heck out of the display or I have to remember to try and use my fingernails (that I don't have). Screen size and resolution is not even close. The iPhone can even be seen in the daylight, as compared to the Touch that is almost worthless outside. Overall size, however, the Touch is smaller, lighter and if all I was going to do is make calls, I would prefer the Touch. The iPhone does have much better side volume keys and the switch to togle from ringer to silent is much better. I thought I would miss not having as many hard keys on the iPhone, but the only one I kind of miss is a dedicated camera button. It is a little tough to take pictures when the capture button is on the touchscreen. I would say the finish on the Touch is more durable and if you were hard user (i.e. outdoors) I would not have an iPhone. The metal back and chrome bezel around the screen scratch very easy. The only durability problem I have had with the Touch are some light scratches on the display from being in my pocket. I'm sure some kind of plastic polishing compound would fix it, though.
e-mail: Yes, the iPhone can do corporate exchange mail. This was the final frontier for me and the iPhone. With my company turning on IMAP with SSL, I am able to get e-mail from our company exchange server. No, it is not push, but every 15minutes is fine for me. It does reconcile nicely, with the exeption of not removing deleted mail from servier that is deleted on the device. I find it somewhat pathetic that the e-mail and attatchments I get on the iPhone look and opperate 10 times better than WM. Once you see HTML mail on the iPhone, it is hard to go back to WM. Yes, the Touch has many more features that some can't do without. I won't deny I miss a couple of them, like corporate address lookup and complete push syncing. I don't know that I have ever had to edit an attachment on my mobile, so only being able to view attachements doesn't bother me.
The keyboard: Over the weekend I did a little keyboard showdown because I was curious about how close the overall typing time would compare between some of my devices with hard keyboards and some with soft keyboards. The bottom line is that in my test, yes I could type faster on a hard keyboard. The HTC S621/Excalibar was the fastest at 1 minute 12 seconds for my test text. In comparison, however I was able to do 1:17 with the iPhone and 1:19 with the Touch (pocketCM keyboard and my iPhone color skin). Given that with the Wizard and Herald - both hard keyboards, I was at 1:14/1:15, I was very impressed with the speed and accuracy of the iPhone keyboard. It would be nice to have landscape keyboard support on the iPhone for all text entry, not just Safari.
3rd party apps: I am using some great apps on the iPhone that overcome some of the 1st generation problems that were publisized. I have IM, a todo/task program and full homescreen customization (custom icons, wallpaper, etc). With the "installer" app that can be loaded on the iPhone, you can even install and uninstall apps and custom graphics, ringtones, etc. from the device. To me, I used to find it fun customizing WM devices, but now it is almost frustrating compared to how easy I can see results on the iPhone.
Stock apps: Again, not to bash WM, but it's not even close. The calendar app syncs perfectly with my PC and Outlook. As do the my contacts. The weather widget is great and I also have a safari shortcut to accuweather that shows live radar and infrared views. Notes are much easier to see and edit than the "Notes" program on WM or OneNoteMobile or Notepad. GoogleMaps is close to the WM equivilant although not being able to use GPS (with my Trinity) or a Bluetooth puck, the WM version does have some advantages. I have not tried the 3rd party app for the iPhone called Navizon. Apparently it uses cell site information to triangulate your position. YouTube is amazing. iPod, duh, is amazing with coverflow. Safari is by far the best mobile internet browser - period - Yes I have used Pixel and Opera for WM devices. With the new HTC Album program, photos as now close to the iPhone, but... Threaded SMS is still better on the iPhone than any of the threaded SMS apps I have seen on WM. I think you get the picture...
Processor: 600+mhz on the iPhone vs. 201 on the Touch or even 400 on the Trinity. Even with the Touch overclocked to 273 and closing out apps when done, the Touch is so slugish compared to the iPhone. Think about it from the task management standpoint. YOU NEVER NEED TO CLOSE APPS on the iPhone. You just hit the home button and go to the next. This doesn't sound big, but trust me it is very liberating to not worry about closing apps. Did I mention video streaming or video playback? Again not even close, even comaring it to the Trinity.
Battery: Honestly I don't know how Apple did it. This think has a bigger display, faster processor, (relatively) huge internal memory to access and somehow the battery life is much better on the iPhone than any of my (touchscreen) WM devices. With both the Trinity and Touch I have to charge them every night, regardless of being charged throughout the day. The iPhone charges in the cradle throughout the day and I never charge it at night and usually (depending on if I am watching video or things that utilize the display) not charge the iPhone all weekend. The spec of 8 hours talk time, may just be accurate. I have made 2 hour plus conference calls and had the battery barely move.
"Mystery" dialing / answering: I know there are lock programs and the like on WM, but I have yet to find a solution that I like to prevent the phone ringing in my pocket and me accidentally answering it when the screen / keys turn on. I thought the iPhone "slide to unlock / answer" was a gimic when I first stared using the phone, but now I am sold - you can't accidentially answer a call and you can't accidentally call someone by forgetting to turn off the display (power button) and pressing the send key (on my Touch or Trinity, as I have done too many times). My wife uses a (Wasabi Green) Touch and has accidently called me many times. She swears something in her purse bumps the power button and then the send key gets bumped to redail me.
Rebooting: This is a comon occurance in WM, but I think I have only had to reboot the iPhone once since I have had it. And when you do turn off and on the iPhone: 2-5 seconds and it's off and it is back on in about 15 seconds (if you think that sounds long, time your WM device some time....).
Visual indicators on the main screen: While I know there are WM today plugs that can do this, I really like having a wifi signal meter and a bluetooth connection icon on the status bar.
Things that I don't like about the iPhone:
1. No copy, paste, select. I have learned to do without, but anytime I have to delete a large amount of text or type in the same thing more than twice, it gets a little annoying.
2. No stereo Bluetooth. This doesn't make any sense. This Apple's best iPod interface on a device that has Bluetooth and they don't set up A2DP? I have been able to use a Jabra BT adapter and it does stream stereo audio to my Motorola S9 headphones, but you can't use it with the phone and it gives you the annoying "this is not an approved iPhone accessory. Do you want to turn the phone off?" every time I plug in the adapter. WM does have the advantage hear, but going back to some high end wired headphones plugged into the iPhone give me AMAZING audio quality (I own B&W home speakers, so this not something I say lightly).
3. The camera is very limited in it's funtions. It is great if you are taking pictures of things that don't move in good lighting. If that is not the case (as with my 7 month old daughter that doesn't stay still for a minute), use another camera. There is no zoom, no lighting adjustment, no video capture, etc. Don't get me wrong, I use the camera quite a bit, so I wouldn't call it usesless, but compared to the same 2mp on the Touch and Trinity, they offer functions that I do miss on the iPhone.
Can't complain to much, but: as I don't live in an AT&T market (yes there are some in the US...), not having the visual voicemail is a little painful after seeing how cool it is. The good news is the phone does opperate exactly like my other phones when I do have voicemail. The indicator works. I press the voicemail icon and the iPhone calls my voicemail number (set by the SIM) and puts in my password. The keypad is visible to delete, save etc.
In my opinion, the iPhone will push Microsoft and the handset manufacturers to do better. Microsoft can publically denounce the iPhone all they want, but the fist day I saw a mouse connected to a PC I knew that sometimes even the mightly Microsoft can realize that somethings just make sense for everyone.
So, if you thought you knew everything about the iPhone, hopefully if you actually read all this you may have learned something new....
welcome to the dark side
from what i have read the A2DP mess is beause of the drm thingy going on..
anyhow it has been 1 month since i have even touched my jasjar (and i used to swear by it)
the only time i miss my old phone is when i want to go to a wap site, and win live maps..in which i can search using a persons name instead of an address
Guys,
I have been using HTC devices for many years now:
Pison 5MX, HP Jornada 720, HTC Alpin, HTC Trinity, HTC Kaiser and HTC Polaris!
The form factor of the new TP2 is brilliant.
HOWEVER, the keyboard is just not designed very efficiently for me because it is half of the size of the total width. Which means that the rear part is not used for the keyboard.
I would have preferred a FULL keyboard such as the one on the HTC Universal or on the Psion 5MX or Jornada 720!
I don't understand the point of designing a PDA with a built-in keyboard if the keyboard is just too small which makes it even not usuable. The one on the Kaiser was so small.
HTC produced the Universal with a full sized keyboard using the full width of the screen.
Why not on the newest models?
Any ideas?
I've had a few thoughts being a long time mini-keyboard user...
It's true that a bigger keyboard can make things easier, but for typing with your thumbs, too big is also a problem due to limited reach.
Typing with a Psion 5 was not great with two thumbs, and with a phone you want to type on the go, so this is more important than 2 handed typing while at a desk / other solid surface. As most people want to carry their phone with them a Psion 5 sized phone would not be too popular!
Having a full width & height keyboard while keeping the ability to put the keyboard away (for touch screen only use) will usually require a bulky tilt & twist hinge (like on Zaurus C series, Clie UX / NX, or HTC universal), which means the screen has to be smaller / narrower. Quickly sliding out a keyboard to hammer out a text is faster than opening and then twisting a hinge.
The Kaiser keyboard was fantastic in my opinion - I could type very quickly on it, probably not far off my Psion 5 speed (as when you didn't hit the Psion keys in the centre, they did not always work).
Have you any ideas for achieving a bigger keyboard without compromising on the screen size, usability or overall size of the phone?
I don't have a problem with the Keyboard size at all. I think it's just about perfect. My problem is the fact that they made the buttons much bigger and removed 10 keys from the original touch pro. Yeah, It makes it easier for some, but I know I'd rather have the keys. The keyboard still would have had really big buttons.
As a happy Universal owner I understand very well the point of sayborg.
As far as I know the only devices with great keyboards are:
Universal
Advantage
Shift
Toth (New)
But the last 3 options are too big...
I´m in the same interrogant? I want/need to upgrade my 2005 Universal but nothing I can see in the near future as a REAL replacement
TP2 is the closer one I can think
Hope HTC have some secret devices on that form factor, but I doub it
I don't know what to think about the keyboard yet. The buttons feel good, not slippery. The number keys at the top are a pain in the ass because the lip of the top layer is slightly overlapping making it just annoying enough to bug me. On screen keyboard is pretty tight. No complaints there.
DavidMc0 said:
I've had a few thoughts being a long time mini-keyboard user...
It's true that a bigger keyboard can make things easier, but for typing with your thumbs, too big is also a problem due to limited reach.
Typing with a Psion 5 was not great with two thumbs, and with a phone you want to type on the go, so this is more important than 2 handed typing while at a desk / other solid surface. As most people want to carry their phone with them a Psion 5 sized phone would not be too popular!
Having a full width & height keyboard while keeping the ability to put the keyboard away (for touch screen only use) will usually require a bulky tilt & twist hinge (like on Zaurus C series, Clie UX / NX, or HTC universal), which means the screen has to be smaller / narrower. Quickly sliding out a keyboard to hammer out a text is faster than opening and then twisting a hinge.
The Kaiser keyboard was fantastic in my opinion - I could type very quickly on it, probably not far off my Psion 5 speed (as when you didn't hit the Psion keys in the centre, they did not always work).
Have you any ideas for achieving a bigger keyboard without compromising on the screen size, usability or overall size of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the comments guys!
Well, for me, it would have been nicer to keep the SAME size of the current TP2 but with a wider keyboard, this wouldn't make the device bigger because the rear part/surface of the keyboard is even not used. A wider keyboard wouldn't cost more and wouldn't be heavier.
I thing the problem is that the producers of such devices are usually not consumers. I doubt that poeple who have designed such devices have as much usage experience as us. They sometimes lack of subtilty I think.
I also think that there is no perfect repalcement of the HTC Universal which is sad.
There is also the Acer M900 which has an OK keyboard but it is not tilting and again the keyboard is not designed efficiently/optimally for me but again this is a personal opinion!
For me there is no point to have a 2,8 " PDA whith a build-in keyboard. Keys are just to small...
Maybe one day, we will see the perfect HTC Device...
sayborg said:
Maybe one day, we will see the perfect HTC Device...
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It's true that we aren't there yet, but as far as hardware I think the Rhodium is getting pretty dame close. Huge screen, sturdy construction, physical slideout keyboard, and a large enough screen that the onscreen finger keyboard is very usable. These are many things that I've been waiting for. The only thing that can make the design better is to make it thiner which will take so time in tech advancement.
I still think they shouldn't be losing some of the buttons they had on the titan/tilt style phones (d-pad and soft key hardware buttons). However, I'm probably not giving the usability of the touch interface enough credit.
As long as the software is up to par (hadware acceleration and strong usability) then it's all gravy. This is the device I've been waiting for for a long time. I'm also thinking that once it's been out a year or so The Android roms for it will be pretty advanced and very capable. Overall, this has a TON of potential and I think it will be the first phone I don't constantly look forward to the next version on.
I just hope against hope that they have enabled hardware acceleration on this phone. If we have another non-implemented 2D/3D driver while relying on CPU power for rendering gsnarfle... I'd be most unhappy.
That's one of the big reasons I'm looking to move away from my Mogul... while it's a decent phone, they seem to have shot it in the leg and then told it to go run a marathon.
It may be my ignorance to the matter, but I hope that all the touchflo3D phones have full hardware acceleration support!
sayborg said:
Thanks for the comments guys!
Well, for me, it would have been nicer to keep the SAME size of the current TP2 but with a wider keyboard, this wouldn't make the device bigger because the rear part/surface of the keyboard is even not used. A wider keyboard wouldn't cost more and wouldn't be heavier.
I thing the problem is that the producers of such devices are usually not consumers. I doubt that poeple who have designed such devices have as much usage experience as us. They sometimes lack of subtilty I think.
I also think that there is no perfect repalcement of the HTC Universal which is sad.
There is also the Acer M900 which has an OK keyboard but it is not tilting and again the keyboard is not designed efficiently/optimally for me but again this is a personal opinion!
For me there is no point to have a 2,8 " PDA whith a build-in keyboard. Keys are just to small...
Maybe one day, we will see the perfect HTC Device...
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Click to collapse
well honestly I think I think if they used the whole width it would take up to much space be harder to reach the keys on the ends of the keyboard with your thumbs., and also the kaiser keyboard is not bad, it is very easy to type on for me and I can type fast, adn honestly I think they are making hte keyboards smaller cause its easier to use them on the go,
but look at a pic of the touch pro 2 keyaboard they did make it use mroe space, so they know what you mean it does make typing easier, but for phones with HUGE keyboards.. well most people dont want a phone that big but honestly they used almost all of the space on the touch pro 2 for the keyboard
The only thing that worries me is the lack of the windows key and the ok button. Those two will be missed greatly. Otherwise, I think the keyboard will be a huge improvement over my Mogul's.
sayborg said:
I also think that there is no perfect repalcement of the HTC Universal which is sad.
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Click to collapse
Eh sorry. While i havent used any touch device yet, i looked at the Universal, and one word jumped out at me.. Bulky. That thing just looks to big and clunky to be of any fluid use.
I was actually happy when i saw a pitcure of the TP2 keyboard. They keys look like a good size, and the bit of space between them i was happy to see because i toyed with the fuze/tilt and i fat-fingered with that keyboard enough to annoy me.
As far as removing keys... as Ranch Wilder would say..."Less is more". Just because a device as more keys/buttons doesn't mean its better. Take the Logitech G11 keyboard. They dumped a bunch of Macro keys on it, most of which never got used, and only made the keyboard take up more space. Their next version of the G15, the removed alot of the G keys (macro keys) to cut the size down, but there's still plenty to be useful.
I think its more a matter of people being use to so many keys, however i think the touch interface will more than make up for it. Plus i guess that puts me at and advantage where this will be my first phone with a keyboard.
If you feel the keys are too small, tell this to the Blackberry users.
I think the keyboard was stretched pretty close to the edges, I think its fine. the universal has a different target audience than the touch pro 2 if you want the PERFECT universal replacement I suggest this phone:
http://www.htc.com/www/product/shift/specification.html
but I never used or saw a universal so im not sure, but the shift is a really nice phone with a big keyboard and it has ALOT of speed, but it costs alot more than most phones and is wont fit in your pocket either but it seems like the perfect replacement plus it runs windows vista! a real os not a mobile one
and it has a finger print scanner built in whats not to like about that.
CAPS & Function Keys
I cannot imagine why the CAPS(shift) and Function keys are not reversed! Didn't the designers look at a computer keyboard?
So my question is - can the key functions be changed in the software and can the keycaps be popped off and switched?
orb3000 said:
Hope HTC have some secret devices on that form factor, but I doub it
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Click to collapse
Alas, I have been wishing this for years...
when the original Universal came out, as a college student, I didn't have the means for a Universal...
All I can do now is hope...
Well, im ready to upgrade from my 3125 (which is starting to fail after 2 years) to a touch screened WinMo phone (despite several friends/co-workers trying to get me into the iphone) I was strongly for the Touch HD for a while, then the Touch Pro II was announced and i started looking into it. Its not a bad phone.
Question is, which would be better overall?
The biggest selling point for the HD is the 3.5mm audio jack (why HTC or other phone manufactures dont make this standard ill never know, given the high demand and how pretty much every phone plays music now). My 3125 does play music, and has front audio controls (which ive discovered are more of a hassle than a bonus) ive found i dont use it to play music as much as i hoped i would. This is, in majority, due to the lack of a 3.5 jack. I managed to get a Bluetooh Stereo receiver, however the sound quality is sub-par, and it creates severe lag with the phone, and so, i rarely use it.
I do sync it to my outlook, use it to update appointments, notifications and contact list (im super forgetful of events, so it helps remind me)
Now on the flip side, the biggest selling point for the Touch Pro 2 is the hard keyboard (obviously). While i messed around with a soft keyboard on an iPod Touch, and im pretty sure i could get use to it, ive read that the HD used a resistant screen, so it wouldn't be as responsive as the ipod touch/iphone. Plus it would be nice to have hardware keys for fun stuff such as playing mobile games.
Outside of those two unique features, they seem like identical smartphones. I just have a couple questions about them..
1. This may be a stupid one, but since im in the U.S. i have to ask. It looks like the Touch Pro 2 will be able to go on the AT&T network (seeing as how T-Mobile is bringing it in), but Will the Touch HD also be accepted on the AT&T network? (i do understand it will NOT do 3g. I have no plans to use the network in that fashion, and if i do, non-3g will be enough)
2. Does the Touch Pro 2 have a G sensor for screen rotation and the like? From videos ive seen, it only shows it switching the screen orientation when they pull out the keyboard. And the G-sensor is something i would like to take advantage of.
3. Do both devices use the 'standard' (i use that term loosely) mini-usb connection? (same that's on the touch pro). I ask to see if the Mini-usb connections (such as the 3.5 jack converter) will work on it. It looks like the touch pro 2 does use it, but i haven't seen the jack on the HD as of yet.
3. I know the HD doesn't have IR, does the Touch Pro 2? (not essential, but it would be fun to play around with and make a remote out of it)
4. On the Touch Pro 2, will it play Media files using the 'Straight Talk' loud speaker? Additionally, hows the sound quality of that speaker?
Now, the TP2 looks pretty nice, and very functional & business like. However im not much into business (aside from programming) and will likely not use the conference feature much, if at all. The HD is more of the multi-media phone which is more or less what i want, but i cant ignore all the features and the hard keyboard of the Touch Pro 2.
Opinions? Comments?
ALL HTC devices made in the last 2 years or so have used the extUSB connection proprietary (although the spec is in the open) to HTC. It combines Audio/video with the usb port. You can use a standard mini USB cable in this port though.
TouchHD will work on AT&T 3g.
There is an accelerometer in the Touch Pro2.
IR has been deleted from later HTC devices if I have my facts correct.
Audio is played through the speaker unless you have headphones connected.
cheers.
i also wanted the htc hd but had my reservations about no hard press buttons. now that the TP2 will soon be available i will get that for sure!!!(qwerty)!!!
I would DEFINITELY go with they touch pro 2, sure the screen is a bit smaller but hardly, and also it does ahve a g-snsor, and also I here are specs for the touch pro 2 from htc website
http://www.htc.com/www/product/touchpro2/specification.html
and heres teh specs for the hd:
http://www.htc.com/www/product/touchhd/specification.html
also a slightly higer capacity battery in the touch pro 2
I know it has the hardware keyboard, but can you still use the softkeys if you didnt want to flip out the other one?
I am leaning toward the TP2, tho it means i have to wait for IT to be released, and my 3125 is quickly falling apart. :\
I think im going to stick with AT&T tho rather than switching to T-Mobile.. Anyone have any estimates on how soon it will be available to the US (unlocked)?
I know it has the hardware keyboard, but can you still use the softkeys if you didnt want to flip out the other one?
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Definitely.
Dude go for the Touch Pro II, i currently have the HD, but i need a physical keyboad since i tend to type alot on it, mails & sms's
Th eonly up side for the HD against TPII is its 3.5 audio jack, camera and slightly bigger screen of .2''
Don't forget the HD is a much slimmer phone, its even thinner than the Diamond 2 and only a little bit thicker than the original Diamond. May not be that important to you, but if you carry your phone around with you it can make quite a difference.
I have HD and ...
I have HD myself and it works OK in US. I'm using GSM only (no 3G) as you are going to.
Both phones are quad-band GSM phones, so they will work on TMO and ATT (GSM only).
TP2 also has TV Out which HD lacks.
Previously I had HTC Wizard with slide-out kbd. If you type a lot - physical kbd is a MUST. I'm ok with soft-kbd on HD, but I do not type much. But when I chat on ICQ ... man, I miss that kbd from Wizard.
Also HD seems much thinner (at least from videos I saw). That could be a factor.
Both miss front D-Pad - it turns out - big drawback for me Too many games rely on d-pad. I mean - real games It started to change though.
Bottom line ... if you type a lot and play games a lot - get TP2. Or need TV Out. Otherwise - get HD.
Personally - I'm staying with HD.
Basically the situation is a little funny. The Touch HD, Touch Pro 2, and Touch Diamond 2, are all pretty much the same exact phone. All the hardware is the same, all software is the same, only difference is the exterior casing.
Between HD and Diamond2, I have no idea what they are trying to do. You can buy a HD and flash it to the new topaz ROM, and bam you have a touch diamond2, like out of a time machine from the future! In fact the HD casing is nicer/thinner than the Diamond2, so it's even better!
For Pro2, it's exactly a touch HD/Diamond2 + a keyboard. For this you can say it's better if you don't mind the extra thickness, it's up to you between how much you want a keyboard and how much you want a thin phone. All the small keyboards from no matter what phone I don't like, they are too small to be used seriously, if I need to seriously type, I would bring a foldable full-size BT keyboard with me in pocket. But this is my preference. If you want keyboard, get pro2, if you don't, get HD.
I don't know where diamond2 fits in, it's same as HD but worse, it's thicker and smaller screen and no headphone jack and you have to wait to buy it while HD is out now, does that make any sense?
Sate said:
Basically the situation is a little funny. The Touch HD, Touch Pro 2, and Touch Diamond 2, are all pretty much the same exact phone. All the hardware is the same, all software is the same, only difference is the exterior casing.
Between HD and Diamond2, I have no idea what they are trying to do. You can buy a HD and flash it to the new topaz ROM, and bam you have a touch diamond2, like out of a time machine from the future! In fact the HD casing is nicer/thinner than the Diamond2, so it's even better!
For Pro2, it's exactly a touch HD/Diamond2 + a keyboard. For this you can say it's better if you don't mind the extra thickness, it's up to you between how much you want a keyboard and how much you want a thin phone. All the small keyboards from no matter what phone I don't like, they are too small to be used seriously, if I need to seriously type, I would bring a foldable full-size BT keyboard with me in pocket. But this is my preference. If you want keyboard, get pro2, if you don't, get HD.
I don't know where diamond2 fits in, it's same as HD but worse, it's thicker and smaller screen and no headphone jack and you have to wait to buy it while HD is out now, does that make any sense?
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well its smaller, also its got the sharpest screen, and also its not THAT much thicker but it is smaller and I think has better battery life but I see what you mean I want the touch pro 2 but if not that then the hd
I´ll definetly take the TP2, it has a physical keyboard!!!
For me is a must
Found 2 cents in my pocket, let me add it to the mix a roo
Ok, so I battled back and forth between the Sony X1 and the HD, I live in the US and my girlfriend in the UK so she was doing the shopping and the guy at the store was telling her go for the X1 if it were him thats what he would choose. That would be great coming from a TyTnII then a Kaiser, BUT i was SOOOO sick of all of the Iphone fantards that there was no way I was gonna pass the opportunity to get a killer device that would shut them the F up so i got the HD. I worked in mobile phone sales after high school in the mid 90s so I have been around them for ages and the Motorola flip phone was the greatest thing on earth. The Touch HD is by far the greatest hand held mobile device I have ever had. Looks great, works very well and even the Iphoners were saying well I dont need to record video and and and well I can read my MRIs on my phone and play slot machines to decide where to have dinner. Umm ok shut up and go play with your little toy in your room right. All this aside, i HATED not having a keyboard/D pad. This phone was the toast of the Beverly Hills Hotel and I broke the no mobile phones on your person rule and my manager never even uttered a word. No way I was leaving that beauty in my locker right! I tried every program for keyboards and still after all that, I sold it! Shipped it out yesterday as a matter of fact, and almost cried (not really but i almost told the guy i broke it and was gonna refund his money). SO with that said when the TP2 comes out, I WILL be back to typing fast and not screwing up and taking 2 min to type Ok ill be right over, do I need to stop off and pick up condoms and vodka!
Things I will miss
The look of the phone, its cool and sleek, but I felt like it was a little cheap feeling, i like feeling that my phone can stop an assasins bullet if need be. With the HD im a dead muthasucka
The 3.5MM headphone jack, BUT there is a tiny little adaptor i found online that looks kinda cool and not long and silly looking.
WAP vs the HTML internet, but I was assured by a post on another page that with Opera Mini (geesh) i should not have any concerns with surfing the net
.2 inch larger screen. This microscopic difference is so insignificant that even that much growth on my anatomy would be un noticed right, so who cares.
Not sure if there is a stylus but I like using that at times but we shall see about that.
Anyway I guess if you couldnt tell Im leaning way towards TP2, even though there is no D pad (wtf) and i need an adaptor to use my headphones, taking less time to type emails and such is very important and that is why i have to buy!!!!
This is the link for that headset adaptor, i think its like $7
http://www.javoedge.com/reflexeshop...&pbmId=16020&gclid=CMargqeD45kCFRBbagod8z-bQg
johseph said:
Ok, so I battled back and forth between the Sony X1 and the HD, I live in the US and my girlfriend in the UK so she was doing the shopping and the guy at the store was telling her go for the X1 if it were him thats what he would choose. That would be great coming from a TyTnII then a Kaiser, BUT i was SOOOO sick of all of the Iphone fantards that there was no way I was gonna pass the opportunity to get a killer device that would shut them the F up so i got the HD. I worked in mobile phone sales after high school in the mid 90s so I have been around them for ages and the Motorola flip phone was the greatest thing on earth. The Touch HD is by far the greatest hand held mobile device I have ever had. Looks great, works very well and even the Iphoners were saying well I dont need to record video and and and well I can read my MRIs on my phone and play slot machines to decide where to have dinner. Umm ok shut up and go play with your little toy in your room right. All this aside, i HATED not having a keyboard/D pad. This phone was the toast of the Beverly Hills Hotel and I broke the no mobile phones on your person rule and my manager never even uttered a word. No way I was leaving that beauty in my locker right! I tried every program for keyboards and still after all that, I sold it! Shipped it out yesterday as a matter of fact, and almost cried (not really but i almost told the guy i broke it and was gonna refund his money). SO with that said when the TP2 comes out, I WILL be back to typing fast and not screwing up and taking 2 min to type Ok ill be right over, do I need to stop off and pick up condoms and vodka!
Things I will miss
The look of the phone, its cool and sleek, but I felt like it was a little cheap feeling, i like feeling that my phone can stop an assasins bullet if need be. With the HD im a dead muthasucka
The 3.5MM headphone jack, BUT there is a tiny little adaptor i found online that looks kinda cool and not long and silly looking.
WAP vs the HTML internet, but I was assured by a post on another page that with Opera Mini (geesh) i should not have any concerns with surfing the net
.2 inch larger screen. This microscopic difference is so insignificant that even that much growth on my anatomy would be un noticed right, so who cares.
Not sure if there is a stylus but I like using that at times but we shall see about that.
Anyway I guess if you couldnt tell Im leaning way towards TP2, even though there is no D pad (wtf) and i need an adaptor to use my headphones, taking less time to type emails and such is very important and that is why i have to buy!!!!
This is the link for that headset adaptor, i think its like $7
http://www.javoedge.com/reflexeshop...&pbmId=16020&gclid=CMargqeD45kCFRBbagod8z-bQg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an adapter that's kinda like that but more of a squarish shape. Also yeah I don't think the diamond 2 is that ood of a phone comparedt to the other 2 but it is also the cheapest, but im not sure but it does have a few advantages over the diamond like battery life, size, and yeah the thickness isnt that much of a difference anyways, so it baiscally depends on how much size on a phone you will sacrafice for a bigger screen
Link278 said:
I have an adapter that's kinda like that but more of a squarish shape. Also yeah I don't think the diamond 2 is that ood of a phone comparedt to the other 2 but it is also the cheapest, but im not sure but it does have a few advantages over the diamond like battery life, size, and yeah the thickness isnt that much of a difference anyways, so it baiscally depends on how much size on a phone you will sacrafice for a bigger screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I am like you. I hesitated between TD2 and HD (I do not like keyboards, I do not do enough typing on my phone/pda to accept the added thickness, soft keyboard is enough for me).
I am more leaning to TD2: cheaper, smaller so more pocketable make it my number one pick over the HD (although would miss the 3.8'' screen, 3.2 is just a little bit small - my perfect device would be TD2 with a 3.4/3.5'' screen (it is possible keeping the overall size, just reducing screen borders, especially the empty space under the buttons...), and either thinner or, even better, with a larger battery...I have seen pics of the batter of the TD2 and TD1, and TD2 batter seems 2 times as large as the TD1....why is it only 1100 mAh is beyond me, by the look of it I would have expected at leat 1300-1400 mAh, it is either thinner or HTC is being conservative with its battery capacities....
3.5mm jack is a little bit annoying, but I seldom listem music on my phone anyway, so either an adapter or the included earphones would not bother me too much
I had both the Touch HD and the Xperia X1i. I love the big screen but i miss the keyboard. I would have stayed with the Xperia but the speaker sucked and I often missed calls. I'm looking to get the Touch Pro 2 as it seems to be a combination of both phones to me. i hope the speaker is as good as the Touch HD, if not better.
gkai said:
Yep, I am like you. I hesitated between TD2 and HD (I do not like keyboards, I do not do enough typing on my phone/pda to accept the added thickness, soft keyboard is enough for me).
I am more leaning to TD2: cheaper, smaller so more pocketable make it my number one pick over the HD (although would miss the 3.8'' screen, 3.2 is just a little bit small - my perfect device would be TD2 with a 3.4/3.5'' screen (it is possible keeping the overall size, just reducing screen borders, especially the empty space under the buttons...), and either thinner or, even better, with a larger battery...I have seen pics of the batter of the TD2 and TD1, and TD2 batter seems 2 times as large as the TD1....why is it only 1100 mAh is beyond me, by the look of it I would have expected at leat 1300-1400 mAh, it is either thinner or HTC is being conservative with its battery capacities....
3.5mm jack is a little bit annoying, but I seldom listem music on my phone anyway, so either an adapter or the included earphones would not bother me too much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that some companies make unofficial batteries that are like 2 times the size so u might want to get one of those then
Cheeze[iT] said:
I had both the Touch HD and the Xperia X1i. I love the big screen but i miss the keyboard. I would have stayed with the Xperia but the speaker sucked and I often missed calls. I'm looking to get the Touch Pro 2 as it seems to be a combination of both phones to me. i hope the speaker is as good as the Touch HD, if not better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am pretty sure it will be amazing since it has 2 speakers
Yea, the 3.5mm jack is getting to be less important over the keyboard. Mainly due to the fact that their is an adapter from the usb, and if i got the HD, i couldn't do much about the keyboard.
I know their is no D-pad, but the TP2 Does have the hard keyboard, with Arrow keys.. couldn't you use that to play games?
As far as uses? I dont know. I dont much experience using a phone with a keyboard so i couldn't say if i will use it a lot until i have it available to me. I could very likely get use to the soft keyboard, but if i had a hard keyboard, id like get use to that over the soft. My 3125 is a normal number pad so either the hard or soft would be an improvement for me.
The headphone jack, ive been thinking that i likely wouldn't use quite as much. The only time i get the opportunity to listen to music is when im either driving, or waiting on something and frankly when im out in public i dont like putting on headphones because it makes me oblivious to whats going on around me. Plus, as stated, i could easily get an adapter now that their are several available.
Even tho ill have to wait that much longer (2 more months.. meeehh) i think im falling in the TP2's direction.
Here's a cahrt comparing the features of the Touch Pro, Touch Pro 2, Diamond 2 and Touch HD: http://www.fuzemobility.com/the-titans-compared/
I thinkt he HD does very well actually...in fact if it gets a software update it may be the winner with the largest screen (it's really great to type on).
Hi all,
Every time I get a new phone, I like to write a guide giving my impressions and help anyone that may be interested in getting it as well.
Just to give you an overview, I've had android devices since September 2010.
Device history: Motorola Cliq>MyTouch 3G Slide>HTC G2> MyTouch 4G Slide
Now onto the Glide...
Build quality is solid, albeit cheap at times. It's very plasticky and light. All of my previous phones have felt much more dense in the hand. The shiny plastic bezel around the sides gets scratched up very easily, as does the top bezel over the screen. The top bezel wear is mostly from using the keyboard, as when you go to press the top keys, your fingernails may scrape the bezel. The back cover is nice, although I prefer soft touch finishes. My G2 felt the best in the hand. Back cover withstands knocks fairly well, and doesn't show scratches easily.
The charging port cover is a nice touch.
This is the biggest device I've owned thus far, and the bulk is becoming apparent. I wish Samsung worked a little harder on getting the form factor down in size a bit, because I feel as though it's not as optimal as it could be. When I pick up a phone, I want to feel that I'm holding nothing but the screen and keys I need. This phone feels a little wider and taller than necessary. Very blocky. If they tapered the edges more, this phone would be much easier to hold. There's a lot of space between the soft keys and screen and around the screen in general. This is about as big as I will go for form factor, because it's just starting to get a little unmanageable.
I wish Samsung made the screen a little bigger or added a trackpad, instead of making room to stick their logo on the front. The amount of space it takes up is deliberate and offsets the entire screen on the phone.
Screen: It's very bright and colorful. I appreciate the extra screen space over my old phones. This is about the limit for screen size for me. I don't think going any bigger would make the phone any better. I will however mention that the screen resolution is quite low for a screen this size. I didn't think I would notice it as much, but text does become hard to read when you try to zoom out on a webpage. 75% of the time, this is not a big deal but it's prominent enough that I mention it. There's a subtle hint of sharpness missing when it comes to the screen.
I hope that future phones will work more towards having edge to edge displays or displays without bezels (such as the Droid Razr M).
Keyboard: It will take some time to get used to, but it's a decent keyboard. Tactile feedback, although the keys are flat. Not the best keyboard I've used, but heaps better than my previous phone the 4G Slide. The keys are big enough that the flatness doesn't matter much. But it is hard to type on this phone without looking, if that's your thing. The G2 keyboard is hands down the best keyboard I've used on a device. I like the accent colors for different symbols and numbers
Battery: The stock battery that comes with this phone is very good. It holds a charge very well and can last you through the whole day with light to moderate use. I find myself charging my phone less than my previous phone, even though the screen size is bigger. Definite plus.
Speed: This is all relative now. Any phone you buy today will have more than enough power for your daily tasks and beyond. I have noticed that the Tegra 2 chipset is terrifically fast and tackles anything I throw at it effortlessly. I did not expect anything less. I would like to point out that, when under load, the phone does not feel as hot as my older phones did, even though the temps still go fairly high. While playing GTA Vice City over an hour the temperature peaks at around 50 degrees Celsius. I suspect the plastic helps with this, as when my G2 got that hot, the metal accents made it uncomfortable to hold.
What's interesting to note is this: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Processors-Benchmarklist.2436.0.html
The Tegra 2 ranks all the way down at 640. But just the fact that it's on the list impresses me. I expect that phones will catch up to laptops in terms of computing power within the next 1-2 years. They are already matching laptop chips from 8 years ago.
Faults:
I sorely miss my physical trackpad. I used it on a daily basis, and it's a blaring omission on this device. I would always use my trackpad to wake the phone, as it's very easily accessible and the easiest button to locate on a device. It's also much easier to reach for, vs. the power button. The similar sized Relay 4G manages to incorporate a physical button (not trackpad) in the same size as the Glide. The trackpad was also a great way to edit text on screen without the keyboard open.
Speaking of the power button, I kinda wish it was placed up top. It's in an awkward position, very close to the top corner of the phone. If it's going to be that high up the side of the device, might as well put it on top because you index finger has a longer reach than your thumb (yes, I've thought about this extensively).
The charging port is poorly placed. It's almost impossible to use the keyboard if your phone is charging. There's no good way to wrap your hands around the phone when charging. Also puts unnecessary strain on the cable and port if you're talking on the phone while charging, as it's at the top of the phone. Having the headphone jack right next to it only compounds the problem. Although the keyboard is still ok to use when you have only headphones plugged in.
There is no notification light. Very big miss on Samsung's end with this one. Why they couldn't throw one in is beyond me.
I will update this review, the more I own the phone. If there's anything you'd like me to comment on or compare, please let me know. I'd be more than happy to add it.
Nice review, you showed pretty much the most important downsides of the phone. I would also add RDS radio, which to me is the most important omission. The led notification can be decently passed with NoLed app.
I got mine just a week ago, and I can say I enjoy it, it's surprisingly powerful. As my first smartphone, can't really compare, but overall, it met all my expectations, and for the money I paid (155$) it is a pleasure. In Europe one can't really find anything close as performance to this.
Great phone overall.
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
incidentflux said:
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt we'll ever see any more QWERTY devices. The last one was released in September 2012, and there hasn't been any word on a new phone coming out. And very few of the phones available are actual high end premium stuff. Not the mid range garbage you're used to seeing all the time.
They are getting quite rare and hard to come by.
incidentflux said:
Indeed this is an S2 variant with QWERTY sans FM radio hardware and larger screen. I was thinking of getting an S3 Mini instead will probably go for a second Captivate Glide for my gym and car audio use.
God knows when we'll see an S3 QWERTY variant.
Long live hardware QWERTY keyboards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
S3 with a keyboard would be so sweet!
JB
dudejb said:
S3 with a keyboard would be so sweet!
JB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.christianpost.com/news/samsung-galaxy-s3-with-qwerty-keyboard-launching-on-t-mobile-this-month-81229/
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones/SGH-T699DABTMB-features
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
gtmaster303 said:
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed ... i need to get me a relay as well...
gtmaster303 said:
Speaking of the Relay 4G, I actually just picked one up.
I can safely say, the hardware is flawless. It actually covers EVERY one of the faults I listed with the Glide.
I don't want to trade in my Glide just yet though, considering dev support for the Glide is much further along (nearly perfect).
If anyone would like direct comparisons or side by side details, please let me know. Both of these phones are arguably the best Android QWERTYs currently on the market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
ninguno2 said:
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, been pretty caught up lately, but I haven't forgotten about you. I'll try and get some comparisons up tonight. 12 hours shifts really do take a toll on you
Sent from my Captivate Glide
I think this is a great review. I just wanted to add a few notes from my own perspective.
Keyboard: This is the worst keyboard I've ever owned. My previous devices have been blackberries up until getting a Stratosphere last year. It's soft, the targets are imprecise, and the tactical feedback is... squishy. Being 4-rows sucks, and aside from that it's marginally worse than the Strat in feel (strat is 5 row and, well... better.) Still, compared to BB, a joke. This keyboard actually drops to the level of being fatiguing to use. Where I would have no problem writing a novel on the BB, and a blog post on the Strat, I've actually started to use the virtual keyboard even for poking around in C source files on the terminal in VIM.
Hardware: Damn this tegra 2 is fast and silky. I have a side-by-side debian install and even building C++ projects I feel is only limited by the SD card speed. I can't see needing to upgrade this guy for a long time. Unless the Blaze has a much better keyboard (and has 1900mhz support, I travel the globe, dammit.)
Network: Has been pretty good. I'm travelling in Costa Rica right now, and I get HSPA+ almost everywhere. A few times I have had to re-register on the network (even a reboot wouldn't get me back) but I blame that on latin america cell service.
Wifi: Reception is about on par with other phones. Not as good as my Nexus7, nowhere near as good as my laptop, but if I'm reasonably close to the signal it does OK.
Battery: Bad. I got even got a giant 3800mah beast. Fortunately with thegreatergood's cm10.1, latest litekernel, inverted apps, and ondemand governor, I've gotten it to where it is serviceable. Being a former BB user, I still scratch my head when people think getting through almost an entire day with barely using your device before it dies means it's good. I can get about 2-3 hours of screen time now before things start to get low, and it can idle for days. I'd like more, but soldering the stock battery in parallel to this monster I have in here doesn't seem like an awesome idea.
Overall I'm extremely pleased with this device. It's so fluid and smooth - all of that "Android lag/stutter" I've come to expect over the years (developing on android and such, just never using one as my personal device) is all gone. It's not as "smooth" as my wife's jesusPhone4s, but god the UI on her phone seems so primitive and ugly compared to mine.
I feel like this is the first phone (thanks to thegreatergood, dman and CM10 team) that I'm really happy with since my torch, but I use it more than the torch because that was basically only good for talk/text/email. This phone is inferior at the text/email part, but better at everything else. And I can run a full blown Django dev server on it so I can code on the road .
Review Relay 4G
ninguno2 said:
Hi gtmaster! I found this forum (and you!) looking for a comparative between captivate glide and relay. I read your great review about the glide, and I'll be very interested if you could write some sort of summary telling what is better and what is worse in the relay.
Of course my biggest concern is how the keyboard performs (if not I wouln't be looking for a qwerty ), but for example, how the 5MP camera in the relay compare to the 8MP in the glide, regarding pictures and videos?
Thanks in advance mate!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So in response to your query (better late than never)...
The Relay 4G is much better than the Captivate Glide in a lot of key areas. I feel as though Samsung deliberately took the Glide back to the drawing board and corrected most, if not all of the flaws the phone had.
For starters, it's a much better device to hold. The back of the Captivate Glide is very slippery, despite being raised and textured plastic. I don't know why but I'm always scared of dropping it. The Relay 4G has a soft touch finish on the back which nicer to hold and easier to grip. Even though the Relay is marginally bigger than the Glide, the tapered and rounded edges make it fit in the hand naturally. The hand is not made to accommodate flat and angular objects well. This is especially apparent when you hold up an iPhone 4/4S/5. Sure, it's a high end device and feels like a luxury item, but it never felt ergonomic.
The phone has a notification light (Hurrah!). It also has a physical home button. It's well placed and easily accessible, making the phone to turn on a breeze.
The keyboard. Ok, this is where things get interesting.... It's not a bad keyboard by any means. I've used quite a few keyboards over the past few years and this one is somewhere in the middle. On the one hand, the keys are very responsive and properly spaced out (horizontally). But on the other hand, the whole orientation of the keyboard is shifted to the left for some reason. It doesn't feel centered or natural. You can grow accustomed to anything over time, and this by no means a deal breaker but it is a quirk to be mentioned. Also, I noticed that the keys themselves are very thin. Although the typing and feedback is precise, there's not much room between the keys vertically. I feel like Samsung focused hard on trying to cram a number row into a dedicated keyboard space and slightly ruined it.
The camera is decent. It's by no means the best camera you will ever use, and it will get the job done in a pinch. But don't ditch your old point and shoot for this camera. There's a lot of noise whenever you take pictures with a lot of detail. If you put in a little effort though, it will give you some great shots for a phone. I think when Samsung was designing this phone, the camera is where they cut corners and I'm glad they decided to do that here. I'd rather they cut corners here than with the keyboard, battery, or design.
The way I see it is, if you're buying a phone for its camera, you're buying it for the wrong reason. The cameras that manufacturers slap onto the back of phones these days are monumentally better than they used to be, but in the real world they still pale in comparison to a dedicated point and shoot. Sure you can probably get some amazing shots when you put them side by side. But with the phone, the angle, lighting, distance, location, status of your marriage, amount of mortgage you have left, what day of the week it is, and what kind of car you drive all have to be just right to get those amazing shots. Smartphones are closing the gap, but we're not there yet folks...
Overall the Relay feels solid in the hand, but at the end of the day it's still plastic. I don't care what you have to say about plastic or what kind of finish you put on it. The phone still feels cheaper (notice I didn't say cheap outright). It's solid I'll give you that, but you don't get the sense that you have a high end crafted device. Nor is this meant to be. Plastic and quality never go in the same sentence, no matter how hard you try. You cannot escape the fact that this phone is very generic bland looking, plasticky, and boring black. Personally I don't care so much for looks as I do for functionality, but ever since I've moved away from HTC devices and into Samsung devices, I noticed that the physical presentation of the phone isn't anything to write home about. Although I will say the styling is slightly better than the Captivate Glide. But that's like saying Rosie O'Donnell is slightly better looking than Whoopi Goldberg.
The Relay is, what the Captivate Glide should've been. After spending some time with the Relay, I realize that the Glide was more of an afterthought, rather than an actual phone designed for people who love a keyboard. So would I say you get one? ABSOLUTELY. But do I expect more from Samsung, or any manufacturer that's going to make the next android QWERTY? Yes.
Does any of that really matter? Not in the least. Because whoever makes the next QWERTY (assuming there is one), knows that it's a lukewarm market with no competitors and the sole buyers being the low-mid range market, texting teenagers, and us.
Thank you for your reviews.
I don't own a Relay, but reading the specs it looks like glide has better camera (as you said), more powerful processor (please correct me) and gorilla glass, which Relay doesn't have.
Relay apparently has no FM Radio, which is a lack in Glide (not the main, yet i would enjoy).
Glide has 4 soft keys on the front, instead of Relay's 3 (and i think this is a point for Glide, for esthetics and functionality).
Looking at the specs, i don't understand what makes Relay so far better than Glide.
sbiricuda said:
Thank you for your reviews.
I don't own a Relay, but reading the specs it looks like glide has better camera (as you said), more powerful processor (please correct me) and gorilla glass, which Relay doesn't have.
Relay apparently has no FM Radio, which is a lack in Glide (not the main, yet i would enjoy).
Glide has 4 soft keys on the front, instead of Relay's 3 (and i think this is a point for Glide, for esthetics and functionality).
Looking at the specs, i don't understand what makes Relay so far better than Glide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the glide is definitely slower. Gorilla glass is just a gimmick as far as I'm concerned. Sure it may be stronger, but it all depends on how you drop your phone. If it impacts a certain way, it will crack. Sometimes you get lucky and it won't. It has more to do with the design rather than the glass itself.
I would much rather have a physical home button, even if it means I lose a soft key. The ease of use is tremendous.
The relay is an all around better package than the glide. It's not amazingly better in any single way, but all the little changes add up to make a big difference.
Sent from my Captivate Glide
Battery on the Glide, and Relay AT&T
Hello,
Thanks for the great reviews.
I've got two questions, first is the Relay an AT&T phone? I was under the impression it was not.
Second, with regards to the battery on the Glide, for me I've found it rather disappointing, if I barely use the phone, I can get two days out of it. This is not ideal, I don't want a phone just to sit around, I want to talk, text, that's the main maybe some google play stuff, a hard day of use and I've got to charge the battery nightly. I'd love to know tips on battery improvement or a battery of the extended variety that will work with the glide?
Thanks.
tech927
1 full day's use with a battery is not considered to be dsiappointing in the Android world. It is rather considered fair.
tech927 said:
Hello,
Thanks for the great reviews.
I've got two questions, first is the Relay an AT&T phone? I was under the impression it was not.
Second, with regards to the battery on the Glide, for me I've found it rather disappointing, if I barely use the phone, I can get two days out of it. This is not ideal, I don't want a phone just to sit around, I want to talk, text, that's the main maybe some google play stuff, a hard day of use and I've got to charge the battery nightly. I'd love to know tips on battery improvement or a battery of the extended variety that will work with the glide?
Thanks.
tech927
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The relay is a tmobile phone, but it supports AT&Ts bands.
There are quite a few battery threads out there. Go search
Sent from my Galaxy S Relay
I thought I would create this post for others who might be considering moving to the Note 2.
I was previously using an Evo 4G. It was a decent phone after it was rooted, but battery life was still poor. After a lot of research and back-and-forth, I made the plunge and upgraded to the Note 2.
Here are my observations after having been using the Note 2 now for a week:
1. The size factor goes away quickly.
I was prepared to have a hard time adjusting to the size of the Note 2. The screen is larger than my entire Evo 4G! But after using it for a day, I was used to it and really liking it. Like I have read in so many other posts, I don't think I could ever go back to a small phone again. The size is really great.2. TouchWiz takes some getting used to.
TouchWiz is the layer Samsung puts on top of Android, like HTC uses Sense. Before blowing away my stock rom on the Evo, I had been using Sense, and thought it was decent. Then I upgraded my rom on the Evo to a Jellybean AOSP rom, and really liked that much better.
TouchWiz is similar to the AOSP, with some peculiarities that take some getting used to, but over all I think it is superior to HTC's Sense. I don't know how much of it is the software and how much of it is a beast of a phone, but there is very, very little lag or stutter ever on the Note 2. It's just a joy to use.
The homescreen clock, however, is atrocious and was quickly replaced. I'm currently running WPClock 2 live wallpaper and like it much better, but still not quite what I'm looking for.3. The camera is amazing
For either stills or video, for a phone camera this takes truly awesome photos. It's not up to the level of my Canon T2i, but for something that slides into my pocket, it comes pretty darn close. A whole 'nuther level from where the Evo 4G was. Not even in the same league. And the burst mode - just hold the button and it rattles off 6-frames-per-second. Again, not prosumer level, but for a phone it's pretty sweet.4. Speaker phone is great
I have found myself actually using the speaker phone, and the people I'm talking to can't believe that they are on speaker.5. Did I mention the screen is gorgeous?
Every time this past week I have needed to use the phone, it's made me smile. It's just a joy to look at. I know others will talk ppi and resolution and AMOLED etc, but from a sheer usability standpoint the display is just lovely. Bright, crisp, vibrant. It is just that good.There are other things I'm sure I'll think of once I close this post.
But if you are looking for a new phone and are considering the Note 2, stop it and go get one. I don't regret it for a minute.
Great observations. I'm shocked you didn't mention the battery life though!
Here are some tips and app suggestions for you:
S-Pen Toolbox - this lets you customise an app menu when you pull out the S-Pen
SwipePad + recent apps add-on - the best multi-tasking-app launching - app swithching program available
My script calculator - maths with pen and paper -sort of
Smart Screen Off - excellent if you have a flip cover or wallet style case
Now some tips:
The S-Pen is not only for taking notes, retouching photos and being artistic! It is veryeuseful when web browsing. The hover function works like "mouse over". It interacts with pull down menus on many web pages and enlarges thumnails!! Not many people know that!
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
If you don't have a case, get one. If you want a screen protector avoid the syrupy soft plastic ones. They do not look very nice -fter a few days with the S-Pen. I use cheap hard plastic ones that you can pick up for between $5-$10 for two. I change these every two months or so.
Enjoy you Note
Great post! (both of you, actually).
I concur with #1, absolutely. I think thats the biggest "hesitation" for most folk. And after a few days of using it, it didn't feel ridiculously big, as I feared, or others had mentioned. Weirdly, I think it looks smaller with a case on it. *shrug*
And yes, for once, I have a battery that I NEVER have to worry about.
Dmwitz said:
Great observations. I'm shocked you didn't mention the battery life though!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I'm still exploring the battery life. I was a little surprised that I didn't experience the kind of battery life that others reported, and am experimenting with the reasons. Map was eating my battery, which I couldn't figure out because GPS radio was turned off, and I had not used the map app. Turns out it is actually Google Services through map and it automatically tracks your location, so now that I have turned that off, my battery is lasting longer.
Dmwitz said:
Here are some tips and app suggestions for you:
S-Pen Toolbox - this lets you customise an app menu when you pull out the S-Pen
SwipePad + recent apps add-on - the best multi-tasking-app launching - app swithching program available
My script calculator - maths with pen and paper -sort of
Smart Screen Off - excellent if you have a flip cover or wallet style case
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great recommendations! Thanks!
Dmwitz said:
Now some tips:
The S-Pen is not only for taking notes, retouching photos and being artistic! It is veryeuseful when web browsing. The hover function works like "mouse over". It interacts with pull down menus on many web pages and enlarges thumnails!! Not many people know that!
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
If you don't have a case, get one. If you want a screen protector avoid the syrupy soft plastic ones. They do not look very nice -fter a few days with the S-Pen. I use cheap hard plastic ones that you can pick up for between $5-$10 for two. I change these every two months or so.
Enjoy you Note
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just picked up a flip cover from Samsung, so will be really interested to see how well Smart Screen Off app works with it. I have also ordered the Sena case leather pouch.
As for screen protectors, I prefer to not use one. I know some are worried about scratching their screen. I think like this. In my generation, (grew up in the 70's) a lot of grandparents put plastic set covers on the seats of their cars. They were cheap looking, uncomfortable, and squeeky. But the people who bought their car used had awesome seats! I would rather enjoy the screen as designed instead of covering it up. Just me.
Dmwitz said:
As you seem to like photography I can also recommend:
PhotoshopTouch
PicsPlayPro
Snapseed
TouchRetouch
Afterfocus
Pro HDR Camera - wipes the floor with the stock camera HDR
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One thing he didn't mention (and I agree with just about all of those suggestions) is Vignette. It is the only camera app I use, for actually taking pics. Its GUI isn't all happy-pretty-insta-filter-dumbed-down, but it hands-down takes some of the best pics I have ever seen on a phone.
Sorry!
kingdazy said:
One thing he didn't mention (and I agree about all of those suggestions) is Vignette. It is the only camera app I use, for actually taking pics. Its GUI isn't all happy-pretty-insta-filter-dumbed-down, but it hands-down takes some of the best pics I have ever seen on a phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Vignette was the first photo-filter-camera app I bought!! And I use it alot for the Illford black and white which is really incredible.
I have over 30 camera and retouching apps installed as I write so forgive me for missing that one.
Now after checking how many I have installed I need to mention:
Aviary - the best sharpness filter I have found and also allows you to rotate images for hand to get the horizon…well horizontal
Pixlr -
Paintersque
Little Photo
connman said:
I thought I would create this post for others who might be considering moving to the Note 2.
I was previously using an Evo 4G. It was a decent phone after it was rooted, but battery life was still poor. After a lot of research and back-and-forth, I made the plunge and upgraded to the Note 2.
Here are my observations after having been using the Note 2 now for a week:
1. The size factor goes away quickly.
I was prepared to have a hard time adjusting to the size of the Note 2. The screen is larger than my entire Evo 4G! But after using it for a day, I was used to it and really liking it. Like I have read in so many other posts, I don't think I could ever go back to a small phone again. The size is really great.2. TouchWiz takes some getting used to.
TouchWiz is the layer Samsung puts on top of Android, like HTC uses Sense. Before blowing away my stock rom on the Evo, I had been using Sense, and thought it was decent. Then I upgraded my rom on the Evo to a Jellybean AOSP rom, and really liked that much better.
TouchWiz is similar to the AOSP, with some peculiarities that take some getting used to, but over all I think it is superior to HTC's Sense. I don't know how much of it is the software and how much of it is a beast of a phone, but there is very, very little lag or stutter ever on the Note 2. It's just a joy to use.
The homescreen clock, however, is atrocious and was quickly replaced. I'm currently running WPClock 2 live wallpaper and like it much better, but still not quite what I'm looking for.3. The camera is amazing
For either stills or video, for a phone camera this takes truly awesome photos. It's not up to the level of my Canon T2i, but for something that slides into my pocket, it comes pretty darn close. A whole 'nuther level from where the Evo 4G was. Not even in the same league. And the burst mode - just hold the button and it rattles off 6-frames-per-second. Again, not prosumer level, but for a phone it's pretty sweet.4. Speaker phone is great
I have found myself actually using the speaker phone, and the people I'm talking to can't believe that they are on speaker.5. Did I mention the screen is gorgeous?
Every time this past week I have needed to use the phone, it's made me smile. It's just a joy to look at. I know others will talk ppi and resolution and AMOLED etc, but from a sheer usability standpoint the display is just lovely. Bright, crisp, vibrant. It is just that good.There are other things I'm sure I'll think of once I close this post.
But if you are looking for a new phone and are considering the Note 2, stop it and go get one. I don't regret it for a minute.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great summary of first impressions. Very to the point. I came over from an evo 3d and I can say that even tough I liked sense I have grown to like touchwiz even more. The biggest plus of course is the battery life. Although I don't get the same life as some on here say they get I can use my phone from 7am till about 5pm on regular days. On my 3d I could barely make it to 12pm. All I can imagine is how great the note 3 will be or even this one once we get more updates.
Sent from my Amazing Galaxy Note 2!
This device is a amazing Peace of Technology.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
I agree as of about 3 hours ago
It truly is incredible. I mean coming from the epic touch I knew I was getting an awesome upgrade but until you have it in your hands and are using it you really have no idea how good it's going to be.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
This device is amazing. I had gotten the iphone 5 three days ago and took it back today and exchanged it for the Note 2. Soo glad I did that. This screen is amazing....dont know what I was thinking picking the iPhone 5 over this AMAZING device.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
llfloyd79 said:
This device is amazing. I had gotten the iphone 5 three days ago and took it back today and exchanged it for the Note 2. Soo glad I did that. This screen is amazing....dont know what I was thinking picking the iPhone 5 over this AMAZING device.
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know what you were thinking either but at least you came to your senses lol. Welcome home!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
Thanks lol.
Sent from my Galaxy Note II
Impressions - Update
I'm now 2 weeks into my Note 2 upgrade, so thought I would give some additional observations.
Battery life is simply amazing.
After a couple of charge cycles, battery life with moderate usage easily lasts all day without giving it a thought. Depending on usage, might last 2 days. 2. Days. Incredible.The screen continues to "wow" me.
The size is fantastic. Years ago, I was the proud user of the very first PDA called "Newton." It was by Apple and was way ahead of it's time and had a very large screen. Over time PDA screens became smaller, and phones followed that trend. Finally, there is again a screen big enough to actually use for more than making calls without me having to take my glasses to see the tiny display.
Also, the color and resolution are just incredible. I still smile each time I go to answer a call or text.Camera continue to impress
Like I mentioned earlier, it's not fair to compare the camera on the phone to a stand-alone prosumer model, but for a phone I think it is about the best I have ever used. Controls are simple, autofocus is fast, color reproduction is accurate, and resolution is very nice.I'm still not using the S-pen often, but think that is just getting used to having it available.
Overall, the only thing that I would change is I wish I could have upgraded sooner. There is no comparison from where I was with an Evo 4G. I'm a Mac guy, and enjoy the ease of use the Mac OS offers. With that said, Android on this device has the feel Apple has built its reputation on. It's fast, beautiful, ease-of-use (while not totally a function of the phone) is tremendous, TouchWiz interface is perfect for this device, and over all it's just a joy to use.
Truly great design doesn't hinder usage, it makes it intuitive and easy to do complicated things. That's Android, TouchWiz and this device.
Agree with most of what's been said here, I've moved to Note 2 from an old Nokia, MUCH smaller, and now I've got used to making sure it's secure when I'm working, I have to admit to liking it a LOT.
The screen and camera are both excellent, and once I've got used to turning off things that are not needed, the battery life is OK.
there are a few app and android issues, it would be nice to be able to do things like have sounds selectable by time of day, so the alarm can be left active, but ringing and other notifications can be turned off, and I've just posted a Q re being able to run more than one Text to Speech app concurrently.
The only thing I'd change on the hardware side is the position of the On/Off switch, it's altogether too easy to catch it when holding the phone, especially if it's fitted with the flip cover, which mine is.
I've also found an "interesting" issue, but not investigated it yet, when running off a 2.1 A capable 12 V charger unit in the car, with GPS active and other apps in background, the charger appears to be unable to keep the battery charged, so over a longer journey, the battery is being significantly discharged. That may be down to a poor charger cable, but without an app to show battery current, I have no way to know if it's the phone that's eating power, or the lead that's not allowing full charge current to flow.
Have to admit, having resisted the move to a smartphone for some time, now I've bitten the bullet, I am very pleased indeed with the Note 2, and I'm still only just discovering what the thing is really capable of.
Irish Steve said:
Agree with most of what's been said here, I've moved to Note 2 from an old Nokia, MUCH smaller, and now I've got used to making sure it's secure when I'm working, I have to admit to liking it a LOT.
The screen and camera are both excellent, and once I've got used to turning off things that are not needed, the battery life is OK.
there are a few app and android issues, it would be nice to be able to do things like have sounds selectable by time of day, so the alarm can be left active, but ringing and other notifications can be turned off, and I've just posted a...
Have to admit, having resisted the move to a smartphone for some time, now I've bitten the bullet, I am very pleased indeed with the Note 2, and I'm still only just discovering what the thing is really capable of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boy, for your first smartphone, you've set the bar high. I'd be curious to see how your opinions change re: size and function over the next three years.
As far as your "time of day, and sounds" issue, you might want to look into an app called "Tasker", Very Powerful application, you might find it's daunting at first to wrap your head around, but it's exactly what you're looking for.
Sent from my calculator watch.
kingdazy said:
Boy, for your first smartphone, you've set the bar high. I'd be curious to see how your opinions change re: size and function over the next three years.
As far as your "time of day, and sounds" issue, you might want to look into an app called "Tasker", Very Powerful application, you might find it's daunting at first to wrap your head around, but it's exactly what you're looking for.
Sent from my calculator watch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the one redeeming feature for me is over 40 years working with one sort or another of computer, so the learning curve isn't so steep. Tasker will indeed be worth reading up on, as it may well be the answer for some of the things I'm looking for, certainly on some of the sounds on or off issues.
have to admit, it's making me think seriously about the longer term upgrades that I will be doing, the old concept of a desktop or a laptop are starting to look very different in the light of the capabilities of the Note, and I have to say I like being able to look at "full size" web sites with the Note, as there is just so much real estate on the screen, and despite being the wrong side of 60, I can still (just about) read it without going looking for reading glasses, which does help, though some fonts are getting challenging.
I am also wondering about the viability of using Android on a PC or desktop, there are certain aspects of the way it works that appeal a lot more than Windows right now, but that might be me being biased
Thanks for the pointer, that's the good thing about fora like this, the knowledge gets spread around and helps everyone
Cheers
Steve
Loved reading this thread! I'm a very happy LTEvo user, but my wife's E4GT is starting to show its age (she's very rough on devices). I bought a Note 2 via Ebay a couple of days ago. The plan right now is for her to get my LTEvo and I get the note. I'm compelled by the pen. As a long time WinMo user, the only feature I miss from those days was the ability to take quick notes and drawings. I tried capacitive pens, but they generally suck for writing notes as even the finest resolution is still way too large and they're a separate item easy to forget/lose. Can't wait to start playing!
jph8tr said:
Loved reading this thread! I'm a very happy LTEvo user, but my wife's E4GT is starting to show its age (she's very rough on devices). I bought a Note 2 via Ebay a couple of days ago. The plan right now is for her to get my LTEvo and I get the note. I'm compelled by the pen. As a long time WinMo user, the only feature I miss from those days was the ability to take quick notes and drawings. I tried capacitive pens, but they generally suck for writing notes as even the finest resolution is still way too large and they're a separate item easy to forget/lose. Can't wait to start playing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're gonna love the device. It's incredible. I don't use the pen a whole lot but one awesome feature is you can have it set so when you pull it out a notepad pops up. Which is great if you're on a call and need to jot something down in a hurry. No need to look for a pen and paper anymore!
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda app-developers app
I agree on all points, this phone really is the pinnacle of smart phones right now. Not a big fan of TWiz myself but there are some incredible ROMs on this site. I have soft bricked mine quite a few times and have been through probably 90% of the ROMs on this site with mine and it is just so easy to get it working again.