android vs apple

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?

T-Mobile, home of the original Android device the G1 has been falling behind a bit lately in terms of competitive high end Android smart phones (barring the Nexus One, but we'll leave it out because of its unique distribution method). While other carriers have been releasing Super-smart phones such as the HTC Evo 4G, Motorola Droid 2, and Motorola Droid X T-Mobile customers have been stuck more-or-less with only mid-level options.

While the myTouch Slide, Moto Cliq and a few others are respectible Android devices the carrier lacked many true high end phones.  Well following the launch of the Smasung Vibrant, the carrier's first competitive super-phone in a while comes the highly anticipated T-Mobile G2!

T-Mobile is boasting that the new G2 will have "the fastest smart phone experience in America". The phone will utilize a next generation Qualcomm chipset at 800Mhz, which in theory should be very fast. It will be running a vanilla (standard Google issue) version of Android 2.2 Froyo, which is a really nice thing as it bypasses carrier and manufacturer bloatware.  HTC's Sense UI overlay in my opinion is one of the better manufacturer tweaks but getting the default Google experience is great because it allows you to customize your phone the way YOU want! Removing sense will give G2 users an experience like that one the Nexus One, and will likely have similarly quick updates to new versions of Android OS since there will be no need to make sure they are compatible with the manufactuers custom crap.  The G2 has a 3.7" screen with 4GB of internal memory plus a bundled 8GB microSD card, Swype keyboard, 3.5mm headphone jack, 5MP autofocus camera with LED flash and 720p HD video.  Additionally the G2 will be T-mobiles first HSPA+ enabled device allowing it to run at 4G speeds.  The phone is set to launch October 6th!  Best Buy has begun pre-orders with the standard price of $199.99 on a 2 year contract.  Radio Shack just topped there offering the G2 at $150.00 with a 2yr!

But T-Mobile isn't stopping there rumors of the  myTouch HD are heating up stating that it will be the 2nd HSPA+, 4G speed supporting device.   The myTouch HD is rumored to have a 3.8" display, Swype, 4GB of internal space plus 8GB microSD card, 5MP rear camera and a VGA front facing camera for video chat on Qik or Yahoo Messenger, some sort of video out feature (most likely HDMI like the Evo) and a 1Ghz processor most-likely the more advanced dual-core processor.

If nothing else this is a effort by T-Mobile to show its customers that it is in the Android game and still ready to go head to head with the competition.  T-mobile customers you have some good devices coming your way and this is a great sign for all of us as competition heats up the phones keep getting better and better!

Source: Engadget