android vs apple

So when I got my Evo I was really pissed to see that it came with an additional $10/month "premium data" surcharge.  I called Sprint I complained, I questioned and tried to reason with them, but no luck if I wanted a 4G capable phone I had to pay the fee. I tried to reason that I didn't have 4G coverage but Sprint insisted that it wasn't 4G that I was paying for; they said that it was to cover the increased data consumption that my super phone would pull down. Well it looks like they will be expanding this concept to ALL of their smart phone devices, starting January 30, 2011 all smartphones will require an additional $10/month data surcharge increasing all of their Everything Unlimited plans by 10 bucks.  It should be noted however that even with this increase Sprint is still cheaper than its competitors, but I know that doesn't make this pill any easier to swallow. Existing customers will not be effected by the changes, at least not until you get a new phone, do an ESN swap, or make any changes to your plan.  This definitely makes getting a 4G phone all the more enticing if you are going to be charged the $10 regardless.  If you were considering getting a new 3G smart phone any time soon you better do it before January 30th or you'll be paying an extra 10!


Key quotes from the press release:
Source: Good and Evo, Sprint

  

Is it just me or new Android phones popping up like pimples on a teenagers face?! Seriously, though I feel like I can't even keep up with all the new devices.  From T-Mobile's newest high end devices the G2 and the myTouch HD to Sprint's up-coming, low-end $50 Froyo toting LG Optimus S new Androids are dropping every day! I'm glad to see the new phones rolling out; the more options the better and the bigger the Android user base grows which is good for all.

Sprint is FINALLY expanding their Android options some more after being completely left in the dust by their fellow CDMA carrier Verizon, and offering 3 new mid to low-level Android devices, the previously mentioned LG Optimus S, Samsung Transform, and the Sanyo Zio. In my opinion Sprint has really been needing some more Android devices especially in the mid-tier realm and these look like they may fill out that space nicely. Even better the phones are priced at $150 (Samsung Transform), $100 (Sanyo Zio), $50 (LG Optimus S), putting them right in the impulse purchase range and making buying an old school feature phone even more pointless!  The phones will also ship with a new Sprint software add-on called Sprint-ID; it allows user to select different thematic lay outs with pre-configured themes, settings, apps and widgets.  For example a business theme that automatically downloads and installs business related apps, widgets and adjusts the settings. This approach seems better than the current method of loading the phone with a bunch of Sprint crap straight out of the gate.  Check out the vid below for a walk-through of Sprint-ID.

      

The Samsung Transform is basically a "baby" 4G-less Epic. Running Android 2.1, with a 3.5" capacitive touchscreen, 800MHz processor, FRONT and rear cameras and a slide out qwerty keyboard.  It has a similar design to the Epic 4G minus the Super AMOLED screen and $100 less. And despite the lack of 4G the Transform still supports video chat!!!

And then the LG Optimus S, which in my opinion may be the most interesting of the bunch. For $50 the phone has a 3.2" HVGA screen, mobile hotspot, WiFi, 3.2MP camera,  and 600MHz processor; additionally Engadget describes it as having a Nexus One like feel.  Best of all it is running Android 2.2! It is really looking like it could have the biggest "bang for your buck"  in the Android world thus far!


And potentially following in the Samsung Galaxy S family's foot steps the LG Optimus One will apparently be the family name and it will be offered on other carriers as well; so far T-Mobile is the only other US carrier to announce a device.  The T-Mobile LG Optimus T will be dropping soon as well. Specs appear to all be the same but T-Mo was sure to point out that its Optimus comes with Swype preloaded and the button layout is slightly different.


Not to be left out Verizon will be adding another member to it's Droid family, with the Motorola Droid Pro.  This phone should be a nice device for Team Blackberry members looking to jump ship to Android with its BlackBerry-like portrait qwerty design.  The keyboard looks like a BlackBerry keyboard and has been describe to feel like one too! The Droid Pro has some impressive specs, with a 1Ghz processor, Android 2.2, 8GB of internal storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, a dual LED flash-equipped camera, 3G mobile hotspot and an optional 1860mAh extended battery.  The Pro will come ready to handle the busy business-person's daily tasks and will also have a desk mount like some of its other Droid relatives available for purchase! VZW customers your choices just keep getting better and better. The VZW Droid lineup has got to be the best selection of Android devices offered by any carrier. VZW customers biggest issue is likely which Droid to take home, but thats got to be a good problem to have.... right?

Ok so this wont really matter to many outside of Ohio but I am GEEKED!!!! Sprint's 4G coverage has finally started to roll out in small pockets around the state.  If you're like me you were pissed to have to pay the $10/month up-charge for 4G with the Evo and Epic, especially considering that many states have/had ZERO 4G coverage.  Sprint has promised to aggressively roll out 4G coverage and had Cleveland and Cincinnati slated for September as the first cities in Ohio with Columbus rumored to fall somewhere around that time frame.  Well I'm not sure when coverage started rolling out but I was hearing rumors that we had spotty coverage areas in downtown Columbus and on the north-side of town near the Polaris shopping area. So of course I fired up my Evo's 4G on OSU's campus and..... nothing; but later when I got home (North-side off of Schrock not too far from Polaris) I happily found I get 1-2 bars of 4G goodness depending on which room I stand in.

This couldn't have come at a better time for me since I recently moved and will be without the web for about a week.  Fortunately, my rooted Evo has the Wifi-Tether app which turns my Evo into a Wifi-hotspot just like Sprint's default app, but for free! Couple that with the blazing speed of 4G and I'm back in business!

The one huge downside of 4G for the moment however is its RIDICULOUS drain on the battery.  Its so bad that it pretty much renders 4G as a plugin-only feature.  But rest assured that this issue should be gradually addressed with software updates and better coverage.  I've noticed significant 4G performance variances in different cities; for example 4G in ATL seemed to be slower, spottier and consumed WAAAAY more battery than in Chicago. A Clearwire (Sprint's 4G partner) rep in Chicago explained that this is due to the superior coverage that Chicagoans enjoy.  So as markets mature and coverage improves we should hopefully see faster speeds and less battery drain.

Evo and Epic users in Ohio (and other states) I'd love to hear what areas of the state you have found 4G coverage in, and I'll be sure to update my findings as I will be making a trip home to Cleveland this weekend. Don't hesitate to drop a few lines below!

Update: I am seeing reports of 4G up and running in other areas in Columbus:

German Village Kroger area, King and Olentangy, Main and Grant, and Parsons and Livingston

Last night (while I was supposed to be studying lol) I couldn't help but keep checking my favorite tech sites; there where several big announcements so lets check them out!

First, the Droid 2 was officially launched today so VZW customers be sure to check that out my last Droid 2 post has been updated with video and I may have a personal review coming soon!

Images of the special edition Star Wars R2D2 version have begun to leak as well this unit is set to go on sale in September.

Next, Sprint customers another 4G phone is headed your way! The Samsung Epic 4G, Sprint's Samsung Galaxy S phone became official and will drop August 31st, for $250.  This phone has a 1Ghz hummingbird processor (Samsung's 1Ghz processor option said to be very fast), a Super- AMLEOD screen for crisp deep color, front and rear camera and full physical keyboard.  It is easily the best of all the Galaxy S variants in my opinion. Sprint Premiere customers should be receiving an email regarding pre-ordering the device!

Check Out Sprint's vid comparing the Epic and the Evo:



Not to be left out Dell's rumored device the Dell Thunder video footage has been leaked. The vid shows of the upcoming 8MP, 720p recording, 4.1" OLED toting Android phone. Hopefully it will be launching with at least Android 2.1 with  speedy update to 2.2.



This is a more pocket friendly Android device to go along side the Dell Streak 5" tablet/phone soon to be released on AT&T for $300 on a 2yr contract.




Next is in my opinion the best news of all and that is the Google Android based Sony Ericson PSPhone!!!! This partnership between Google and Sony will introduce the long awaited PSPhone. It will launch with Google's next software Android 3.0 Gingerbread and will have a separate part of the Android Market for PSX/PSP quality games.  The phone will be a slider but instead of a traditional qwerty keyboard it will have a full PSP supporting controller with standard Playstation buttons an special touchpad (joystick alternative) and shoulder buttons! This phone could be out as early as October! I can't wait! SNESoid, Genesoid and all the emulators will be effin amazing on here and not only will you have free access to all the classics but you will get access to Playstation and PSP classics as well as new content.  This phone is a gamers dream phone and will likely be the only phone that will make me consider putting my Evo up for sale.  Android's momentum is steadily building and they are not looking like they are going to let up. This will launch Android to the top of the list for mobile gaming and allow Sony to finally introduce a PSPhone that has been desperately requested. There is also a chance that some of the games will be available for non-PSPhone Android 3.0 high end devices.

And finally, not to leave Team iPhone out there may be good news coming your way too.  You may finally be able to ditch AT&T as rumors are becoming more solid that a CDMA (VZW or Sprint) iPhone is being prepared for a January 2011 release.  Now many automatically assume it is coming to VZW but with their heavy support of Android lately I think its possible it could be headed to Sprint. This would defintiely be interesting if Sprint surprised us all and nabbed the new iPhone.  I doubt it (and hope I'm wrong don't want all the iUsers on my network), but who knows I'm sure we will know the truth soon enough..... Could the pressure form the growing Android Army have hurried the plans to get the iPhone away from AT&T?

Sources: Engadget, Gizmodo and Android Central

  

Samsung is hitting all the US carriers hard this summer with similar devices for all of the major US cell carriers. The Samsung Epic 4G's keyboardless brothers have been announced for Verizon (Samsung Fascinate), T-Mobile (Samsung Vibrant) and AT&T (Samsung Captivate). All of these devices are variations of the same general phone the Samsung Galaxy S (or in the case of the Epic 4G the Galaxy S Pro) in what appears to be an attempt by Samsung to develop some universal brand recognition across carriers.



All of these devices have:

1Ghz processor
4 inch Super-AMOLED screens
5MP camera with 720p video camcorders
Included Storage cards will vary with each carrier but it looks like they will all have at least 2GB included


The devices seem to be priced around $199.99 on a 2yr contract and each will come loaded with different goodies depending on the carrier. T-Mobile has confirmed that theirs (Samsung Vibrant) will be available July 21st for $200 and will include the Sims 3, Avatar (full length movie), live TV through MobiTV and E-Books with Kindle for Android.

Check out video of the AT&T version Samsung Captivate below:


For more specific detail on your carrier's Galaxy S version check out Engadget's more detailed articles by clicking the corresponding device below:
Verzion's Samsung Fascinate
T-Mobile's Samsung Vibrant
AT&T's Samsung Captivate
and again Sprint's Galaxy S Pro or Samsung Epic 4G

For those of you who skipped the Evo 4G and iPhone 4 in hopes of something with a physical keyboard you are in luck, Sprint recently announced their newest Android handset the Samsung Epic 4G. The phone appears to be everything the Samsung Moment should've been. It will run on Android 2.1 but I'm guessing it will likely get an update to 2.2. It will also come with Qik video chat application pre-installed like the Evo! No official price or launch date have been announced yet... On paper it looks GREAT so let's just hope Samsung got it right this time and this thing is not full of issues like the Moment.

The Samsung Epic 4G will have:

4 inch Super-AMOLED screen

1Ghz processor

5MP main camera with LED flash and 720p video camcorder

VGA front facing camera for video chat

WIFI, 3G and 4G Data with the ability to function as a wifi hotspot for up to 5 devices

Full Qwerty physical keyboard

Will include a 16GB SD card