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Android Hardware Thread - 2010 Edition
- Thread starter ThatObviousUser
- Start date
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Battersea Power Station
Member
Did you guys see Gizmodo's reports of the alleged Nexus Two? Pretty underwhelming: a slightly thinner(?) Galaxy S with a front camera.
http://m.gizmodo.com/5676008/hands-on-the-nexus-two-by-samsung
Also, for all you discussing tablets, the Adam is looking more and more real, so you'd be crazy not to consider it. An e reader and tablet all in one? Yes, please. Also, the Eden multi-tasking sounds cool. I'm on my phone so it's a bitch to get links, but look up the Notion Ink blog for info.
http://m.gizmodo.com/5676008/hands-on-the-nexus-two-by-samsung
Also, for all you discussing tablets, the Adam is looking more and more real, so you'd be crazy not to consider it. An e reader and tablet all in one? Yes, please. Also, the Eden multi-tasking sounds cool. I'm on my phone so it's a bitch to get links, but look up the Notion Ink blog for info.
Battersea Power Station said:
thirty said:
We might not want to jump the gun here. The source does not know anything about the internals, so this may be more than just a Galaxy S.
Even if it is, sure I understand it won't have the same impact the Nexus One had ... but it still may prove to be a phone worth purchasing over its peers.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
YAY! Supposedly the iphone is finally going to Verizon. Many may :lol and wonder why this matters in this android thread, but I'm happy as an AT&T customer.
This has nothing to do with my like or dislike of the iphone, but rather that once the iphone goes to Verizon AT&T might finally stop riding Apple's jock and get a wider selection of phones. Win 7 Phones are already gonna help this out, but I see no reason they shouldn't get a better Android lineup as well as soon as Apple becomes non exclusive.
This has nothing to do with my like or dislike of the iphone, but rather that once the iphone goes to Verizon AT&T might finally stop riding Apple's jock and get a wider selection of phones. Win 7 Phones are already gonna help this out, but I see no reason they shouldn't get a better Android lineup as well as soon as Apple becomes non exclusive.
Kuro Madoushi
Unconfirmed Member
Hmm...I just took the plunge 2 weeks ago...
Nexus two made by Samsung not HTC????
:S
Nexus two made by Samsung not HTC????
:S
pistolpete2940
Member
I was planning on coppin the G2 this wednesday. You guys think I should wait on the Nexus two? I've always preferred a hard keyboard but with these 4 inch screens it shouldn't be a problem typing on screen.
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Engadget Article!
Verizon nabs Samsung Continuum, Zeal and Motorola Citrus on November 11th, according to gushing leak?
By Sean Hollister posted Nov 1st 2010 12:12AM
Pics from Phone Arena!
Verizon nabs Samsung Continuum, Zeal and Motorola Citrus on November 11th, according to gushing leak?
By Sean Hollister posted Nov 1st 2010 12:12AM
Pics from Phone Arena!
OriginalThinking
Member
Looking less likely that we'll see any Samsung 'Nexus Two' at the event on the 8th. Still some hope though... I just wish Google would announce a concrete press event for Gingerbread so I'm not checking tech sites every 5 minutes for an update.
More inclined to believe this article than the "false alarm" ones.
http://androidandme.com/2010/11/news/yes-the-samsung-nexus-phone-is-still-real-and-coming-soon/
http://androidandme.com/2010/11/news/yes-the-samsung-nexus-phone-is-still-real-and-coming-soon/
nolookjones
Member
luxarific said:
have you tried swype yet?
Vanillalite
Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Engadget Article!
T-Mobile Comet sends $9.99 shot across the bow of dumbphones
By Chris Ziegler posted Nov 1st 2010 12:54PM
The argument used to be that carriers' higher pricing for smartphone data plans were what kept them out of the low end, regardless of the upfront on-contract cost -- but now that T-Mobile has rolled out a 200MB / $10 package, phones like the Comet -- a T-Mobile branded version of the Huawei Ideos announced at IFA -- might actually pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of dumbphones everywhere. Why's that? Well, the carrier will be charging a ridiculously low $9.99 on contract after $50 rebate for it, featuring 7.2Mbps HSPA, FM radio, integrated Swype, microSD expansion up to 32GB, and 802.11b / g / n atop Froyo; ...
T-Mobile Comet sends $9.99 shot across the bow of dumbphones
By Chris Ziegler posted Nov 1st 2010 12:54PM
The argument used to be that carriers' higher pricing for smartphone data plans were what kept them out of the low end, regardless of the upfront on-contract cost -- but now that T-Mobile has rolled out a 200MB / $10 package, phones like the Comet -- a T-Mobile branded version of the Huawei Ideos announced at IFA -- might actually pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of dumbphones everywhere. Why's that? Well, the carrier will be charging a ridiculously low $9.99 on contract after $50 rebate for it, featuring 7.2Mbps HSPA, FM radio, integrated Swype, microSD expansion up to 32GB, and 802.11b / g / n atop Froyo; ...
I have my Desire again!
I posted in here the other week when it was sent off for repair for overheating/rebooting.
Got it back today. Well. Got a refurbished phone back (Although it looks and feels brand new) as Vodafone said they could not repair the fault without having it for weeks.
Lets see how this one goes!
I posted in here the other week when it was sent off for repair for overheating/rebooting.
Got it back today. Well. Got a refurbished phone back (Although it looks and feels brand new) as Vodafone said they could not repair the fault without having it for weeks.
Lets see how this one goes!
MidgarBlowedUp
Member
I have to get one of these as I think they would make one of the best HTPC remotes ever.
thirty said:
i ordered directly from archos, there's a 10% discount that the site oddly gives so i paid $256 shipped for the 8gb version. that price was too hard to pass up. oh, the confirmation of froyo and not 2.1 helped push me too.
I got it yesterday. Beware that it doesn't ship with froyo. The good news is that the update is just around the corner (selected people in the Archos community are in the beta program).
Otherwise it's pretty good for the price, the most visible cost-cutting measure is the below average screen, but heh, 250.
My provider has offered me an HTC Desire with unlimited internet at a very decent price, Provider has even offered to upgrade my other halfs phone to a normal Desire too, with no extra cost to her, including ulimited internet. But there is also the option for HD version. The HD version will only come with 500 mb per month though and is a bit more costly.
Just wondering if the normal Desire is still a decent enough phone as I'm getting such a good deal on it?. There just seems to be so many new phones coming out. I don't want to be stuck on two contracts with irrelevant phones.
These will be our first Android phones, must say just having a look around, these Android phones seem a bit overwhelming.
Just wondering if the normal Desire is still a decent enough phone as I'm getting such a good deal on it?. There just seems to be so many new phones coming out. I don't want to be stuck on two contracts with irrelevant phones.
These will be our first Android phones, must say just having a look around, these Android phones seem a bit overwhelming.
OriginalThinking
Member
dakster said:
The Desire is very much still a great handset. If you aren't that bothered by the slightly larger screen size there isn't too much difference. Both run Android 2.2. The advantages of the HD are the aforementioned extra screen size, an improved camera (8 megapixel with dual led flash vs 5 megapixel with led flash), slightly more RAM (768 vs 512 - Imo 512mb is plenty anyway), a more modern 1ghz processor with a better GPU and an updated version of HTC Sense offering a few extras. How much extra would the HD cost you? I'm not sure it's worth paying a lot extra for if you are getting a really good deal on the normal Desire.
XMonkey said:
That's not 100% accurate. Unless you are prepared to root your phone (which I recommend but will invalidate your warranty) there is no guarantee you'll see the next version of Android (Gingerbread) on the Desire. In any case UK operator locked Desire's only started receiving Froyo this month/last month - I've been running Froyo on my Nexus for some time, so don't expect timely updates due to HTC's skinning of Android, otherwise known as Sense.
OriginalThinking said:
Would be an extra 8 quid a month, but no unlimited internet. If I take the normal Desire, I also get the wife's phone upgraded too. She still has a bit left on her current contract, and has a crap phone. Reading the replies here about the normal Desire, I think it's a no brainer then. Normal Desire. Thanks.
That's a pity about invalidating the warranty if i root the phone. Comes with a two year warranty so i suppose I best keep it stock.
OriginalThinking
Member
What I'd like to see from a Galaxy 'Nexus S'
Given that all signs point to Samsung releasing a stock Android handset powered by Gingerbread in time for Christmas, I think now is a good time to review the areas where the 'Nexus S' needs to improve over the Nexus One in order to make it a must have handset for stock Android enthusiasts and developers. I'm focusing on hardware only, not what Gingerbread may offer in terms of software.
1. Screen
The issue - The Nexus One was one of the first smartphone handsets to employ an Amoled screen, delivering crisp blacks and outstanding colours. Where it lacked though is screen visibility in direct sunlight - In my home country of Scotland this isn't much of an issue (Grr Scottish weather!) but for a lot of people this can be a real bugbear
The answer - At the very least we need to see the next generation of Amoled screens on the Nexus S. That is of course Samsung's 'Super Amoled' technology offering even deeper blacks, better power management and most importantly better screen visibility in direct sunlight. Not perfect visibility but certainly a step up.
Likelihood - For me it's a 99% certainty we would see Super Amoled on a Samsung produced Nexus phone - It just wouldn't make sense to release a flagship Gingerbread handset and not use Samsung's market leading screen technology.
2. Touch Screen and capacitive keys
The issue - The Nexus One released to a huge fanfare - but it wasn't long before tech sites and users picked up on an odd issue with the screen. When using two finger pressed on the screen and swapping axis using those fingers it was possible to confuse the phone as to where you were actually pressing. This may have been as a result of Android not initially being designed with multi touch in mind (due to a rumoured gentlemen's agreement with Apple) and was a limitation of the touch screen panel chosen for the phone. In practice this actually has a negligible impact on the handsets day to day use, however it was blown out of all proportion mostly by iOS fanboys and technology sites looking to gain hits. There were also some odd issues on Android 2.1 with the handset sometimes registering single presses in the wrong place, something fixed when Android 2.2 was released. On top of this there were some complaints that the capacitive buttons on the handset weren't aligned correctly so that you had to press the top part of the keys to register a touch, again certainly overblown in the press but definitely an area where a small improvement is required.
The answer - Touch screen panels have come on significantly since the release of the Nexus due to ongoing pressure in the market to create bigger, better panels to stay one step ahead of the competition. Certainly the newer panels employed by Samsung and HTC allow for unlimited touch inputs and exhibit none of the issues with 'axis swapping'. Not only that but the Galaxy S handsets have been lauded for showing excellent touch responsiveness, including the capacitive keys. Therefore Samsung simply need to use the same touch technology in the next nexus handset.
Likelihood - 100%. It's unthinkable that we will have nexus one type touch screen issues on a modern panel. Samsung would have to take a step backwards for this to be an issue.
Internal Memory
The issue - If memory serves the Nexus One only has 190mb (from 512mb internal memory) on which to install apps which is simply nowhere near enough. Even with Froyo allowing you to move the bulk of selected apps onto SD card (the app has to be programmed to allow this and apps which support widgets should not be installable to SD), I constantly find myself having to uninstall apps in order to clear space, which is highly frustrating. Worse yet when the handset gets low on space (under 20mb of internal memory) it will reject incoming text messages with no way to retrieve them.
The answer - Greater internal memory. The Galaxy S line up already have significantly greater internal memory, thus making my Nexus issues a thing of the past. Where Samsung need to be careful though is the type of internal memory they use - Galaxy S handsets have suffered stalling issues when loading apps due to slow internal memory, something that would be unacceptable to me as it would be a backwards step from the Nexus One.
Likelihood - 100% we will see greater internal memory - where it gets murky is with the type of internal memory Samsung will use. Hopefully they have learnt from the stalling issues and if the handset has been tested on campus at Google I would expect them to not let this slip past un-noticed. The last thing a Nexus handset sequel needs is the kind of negative press that dogged the first few months of the Nexus One's release.
3. Build quality
The issue - The Teflon coating on the Nexus One was prone to either rubbing off or discolouration where the bottom contacts of the handset were. This was rumoured to be related to the neoprene slipcase the handset came with or the charging/bluetooth dock. This is something that has affected me personally. In all honesty due to the location of the discolouration and the nature of the handset bottom being quite dark, it's nigh on impossible to notice unless you are looking for it. Nevertheless if you are paying $529 dollars for the handset (over £350 after taxes and shipping in the UK) you don't expect build quality issues.
The answer - Fairly simple this one, more rigorous testing and learning form previous mistakes. I'd be amazed if Google haven't learnt from and ensured that all the issues that were complained about from the Nexus One weren't discussed with Samsung. What some people are concerned about are Samsung's love of plasticky products, which would be a step back from the solid feel of the original Nexus. As light and slim as the Galaxy S handsets are the plastic nature does tend to make them feel a cheaper option compared to recent HTC handsets such as the T-Mobile G2, HTC Desire HD and HTC Legend. Let's see some metal in the construction Samsung, a flagship Google handset should have the looks and build quality to rival the iPhone 4, in the same way the Nexus One was at the very least the equal of a 3gs.
Likelihood - 50/50. I don't think Teflon issues will come into play here, but I am concerned about overuse of glossy plastic and the handset coming off as a 3gs clone - certainly true of the European Galaxy S. Taylor of Android and Me has said a combination of metals and plastics are used in the construction. I certainly hope he is right.
4. Reception
The issue - Ok this is the biggie. There is absolutely no doubt that the Nexus One is not great at picking up a signal particularly in weak areas. Not only that but it has a worrying habit of dropping to no signal at all, sending incoming calls to voicemail without you even knowing it. When I first got my handset the phone would regularly drop data connection for no reason - Only fixed by booting the handset into airplane mode and back out again, which was incredibly frustrating. Come 2.2 and improved radios I no longer have this issue. However I do still have people telling me they tried to contact me but went straight to voicemail, even where I know I'm in an area with reasonable reception. Not only that but my 3g iPad absolutely smokes my Nexus when it comes to downloading data. Now part of this is down to the fact that both run on different networks, but I'm convinced that there is something wrong with the Nexus hardware. Sometimes when running speed tests the phone doesn't start downloading data until the time for the speed test is nearly elapsed, often giving me '0 scores'. If I were the only one, I'd put it down to a faulty handset. But the sheer volume of people reporting similar issues of the support forums led me to believe that HTC screwed the pooch here. A new Nexus MUST have a reliable and strong antenna - The worst PR for a phone is reception issues, something which has plagued the Nexus One and even the iPhone4.
The answer- Again really simple - testing, testing, testing! I haven't seen Galaxy S owners report reception issues in any significant numbers so I'm presuming (hoping) that this isn't going to be an issue for Samsung - obviously the original Nexus was manufactured by HTC. Google need to be 100% sure that they aren't going to see forums filled with complaints about reception issues if the direct to consumer model is going to be a success.
Likelihood - 95%. Simply can't see Google letting this one slip under the net. If they hadn't learned from the Nexus One they should certainly have learned from watching the iPhone 4 'grip of death' fiasco.
Need a breather after that!...
A few other things I'd like to see (I'll keep it short)
Improved camera - Not necessarily more megapixels, but certainly a better sensor. The iPhone 4 has shown itself to be a great mobile camera not because of numbers but because of a better lens and sensor quality. Given that Samsung make digital cameras, surely this isn't too great an ask? Can we make sure that the sound quality on HD video is good too? Especially outdoors. I don't want to have every noise obliterated by the sound of wind in the microphone. Oh and a Xenon flash would be awesome.
Screen resolution- This may depend on Gingerbread, but the iPhone 4 has upped the ante and it would be nice to see an Android response.
Front facing camera - See above, the iPhone 4 has lead the way and front facing camera will become the norm ongoing.
Better battery- I'd like to be able to get through a solid 24 hours between charges even with reasonably heavy useage. I'm currently getting about 14-15 hous at best right now.
HDMI out - Needs to be standard.
Processor/GPU - To be honest I think this is a given. The 1ghz Snapdragon might have been cutting edge at the time but the Hummingbird Galaxy S processor absolutely smokes it, particularly when running 3d games.
Trackpad not trackball - Just copy the T-Mobile G2 trackpad and have that led light up around the edges too, it's beautiful.
Phew, that's it. Anything else that GAF would like to see on the hardware front? Screen size? Kick Stand? Hardware keyboard? More ram??? Feel free to comment.
cmon cmon cmon UPS guy... captivate incoming today or tomorrow apparently.
look at my shitted up tracking:
TRAIN?!? LEFT IN THE FACILITY?!? Dont you guys do this for a living?
look at my shitted up tracking:
Code:
03/11/2010 0:26 THE PACKAGE WAS LEFT IN A UPS FACILITY
RICHMOND, BC, CA 02/11/2010 5:18 ARRIVAL SCAN
RICHMOND, BC, CA 01/11/2010 13:00 LATE TRAIN
CONCORD, ON, CA 27/10/2010 20:50 DEPARTURE SCAN
27/10/2010 17:25 ORIGIN SCAN
CA 27/10/2010 20:30 BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVEDTRAIN?!? LEFT IN THE FACILITY?!? Dont you guys do this for a living?
OriginalThinking said:
Would Samsung really release a stock Android phone when they are invested pretty heavily in Touch Wiz at this point?
Is a Nexus 2 even necessary? Google has said in the past that it's not necessary. Wasn't the point to push phone hardware ahead when it was lagging before? Things don't seem to be lagging anymore, the top Android phone is pretty much equal to the iPhone 4 at this point.
Pretty much everything you want on your want list is on my Droid X which came out in July (well, except for stock Android... but even the fabled G2 isn't really stock).
If Samsung DOES release a stock Android phone w/ 3.0 and it's on Verizon... I'm gonna be pissed I didn't wait a month. But I do love my X as it is now.
OriginalThinking
Member
Futureman said:
If Samsung are partnering with Google then it's not entirely unlikely that in order to get 'first dibs' on Gingerbread they would agree to creating a stock Android handset. Not unlike HTC producing the Nexus One despite their heavy involvement in Sense. As for the Droid X, great if you want a CDMA handset, great if you live in America. I stay in Europe and it's solely GSM here - I would be amazed if the Nexus 2 wasn't a GSM device, so unless they do both CDMA and GSM I'd favour the latter due to the potential worldwide market. This makes more sense given that the Nexus One was GSM and that reports have talked about a new Google Phone being a Carphone Warehouse (UK) exclusive. As for why Google would do it - I'm honestly not sure. Perhaps they feel the need for a new developer phone and thus it needs to run on stock - the G2 with it's aggressive anti-perma root doesn't fill the void. Maybe they feel in the light of Windows Phone 7 Android needs a new push to generate buzz and sexy new hardware and Gingerbread features will detract from the US WP7 launch. Perhaps it's because they want to try a new model - direct to consumers yes, but not via the web, via 3rd party retailers. Who knows?
So what are the hot new shits for Android on TMobile?
(And is there anything coming up in the next 2 weeks?)
Looking for a possible gift for someone, and they need a new phone badly.
It doesn't need to be rootable (the G2 still isn't perm-rootable, right?), but I'd like to avoid any non-stock shit layered on top.
Give me the deets, plz.
So...
MyTouch 4G or G2?
(And is there anything coming up in the next 2 weeks?)
Looking for a possible gift for someone, and they need a new phone badly.
It doesn't need to be rootable (the G2 still isn't perm-rootable, right?), but I'd like to avoid any non-stock shit layered on top.
Give me the deets, plz.
So...
MyTouch 4G or G2?
the archos us store had the 8gb 70 on sale yesterday and a few hours today before it sold out. the 101 has yet to be sold on at the archos store yet. keep at that site or archosfans.com forums for updates. the code is a bit odd, it seems to be phantom, some people get it, some don't. keep trying til you do i say. try different browsers, clear cookies, etc. it didn't give me the discount initially but i logged into the site again and gave me the discount. i just couldn't pass up on $256 shipped pricing. i figure i could sell the thing if i didn't like it.NH Apache said:
Glasses free 3D android phones! Looks and specs are decent too.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/sharp-galapagos-003sh-and-005sh-bring-glasses-free-3d-to-japanes/
Unlikely to be released outside Japan though. ;p
http://www.engadget.com/2010/11/04/sharp-galapagos-003sh-and-005sh-bring-glasses-free-3d-to-japanes/
Unlikely to be released outside Japan though. ;p
OriginalThinking
Member
The G2 is the handset to have. It looks sexy, its seriously fast by all reports and the keyboard is supposedly one of the best out there. Permaroot will come eventually, top, top men are working on it ;-)Mudkips said:
brain_stew
Member
Got my San Francisco today! 
Its a Christmas present though so I can't use it yet. Really impressed with how solid the build quality is. Hopefully there'll be a stable 2.2 ROM available by the time I properly get my hands on it!
Its a Christmas present though so I can't use it yet. Really impressed with how solid the build quality is. Hopefully there'll be a stable 2.2 ROM available by the time I properly get my hands on it!
OriginalThinking said:
Yeah. I'm leaning toward the G2.
The question is whether or not I buy it outright or take the recipient to the T-Mobile store and deal with all the contract, rebate, etc. bullshit. Would have to know the account holder's (recipient's father) last four of social to make changes, right?
Maybe I can stop by the local store and see if they have an empty display box or some shit I could wrap up.
This might not be the best place to ask this question, but I didn't think I should start a new thread. I have the original Moto Droid; I noticed last night that my Gmail account stopped syncing automatically and will only show new messages if I manually refresh it. I have tried rebooting the phone, taking the battery out, and clearing data from the app with no luck. I mentioned it to a friend of mine with a Droid X a bit ago and he said his has been doing the same thing. Anything I should be aware of or any other remedies I should try?
gkryhewy said:
Recipient currently has a full data plan.
xtop said:
Why would the MyTouch 4G be better? As far as I can tell the only benefits are the front-facing camera and the fact that it's an international phone. (Though the specs on TMobile's site list the same bands supported for both. Wut?)
A keyboard isn't a deal-breaker for the recipient, but there's no question that having one is a huge plus.
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