Motorola Droid Review and iPhone Multitasking?
Got to test out the Droid this weekend, and wanted to give my thoughts on it….plus a story out today saying that the iPhone can do multitasking??
Update – Check out the Best Smartphones on any network post at Gizmodo. Has the iPhone as the tops of all, and Droid comes in second of any smartphone on any network.
Only got to test for about half an hour, but there were a few key functions I was curious about:
1) Hardware – the Droid hardware is pretty solid, and sized well. The slide out keyboard (a big benefit for me) seemed a little hard to use, though. Also, it was noted that there are some quirks with using the screen keyboard vs. the physical keyboard that were aggravating. At the end of the day, it’s Motorola quality (a bit better though than usual) and the iPhone is Apple quality and precision.
2) Touchscreen – The Touchscreen wasn’t as smooth as the iPhone, but it generally did the trick. It didn’t feature multi-touch, though it did have a way around that. Overall the iPhone 3GS runs a lot smoother navigating.
3) OS – the interface on the Droid is much rougher than the iPhones. This means a lot more options (like your own backgrounds and settings), but also a more rough user experience. The icons don’t look good, and the responsiveness is a little slower. The iPhone is much sleeker, but in options the Android OS wins out. A draw here.
4) Browser – the Droid browser in some quick tests was much slower and didn’t render pages as well. Much prefer Safari.
5) Music – Not wanting to give up iTunes, I checked out the Droid music player. Overall not as smooth as iTunes, but passable. Also, Amazon Mp3 buying is pretty good, though not the experience of the mobile iTunes store.
6) Other – The cell service was clearly better on the Droid, the battery seemed pretty good, and multitasking was very cool. The App store left a lot to be desired, but it is young and will probably improve. Google Navigation for the Droid is a major feature, and gives awesome turn-by-turn direction, even using voice, and puts to shame the Google Maps for the iPhone. Android Apps are open and will become awesome (pick your own touch keyboard style)…though currently iPhone is the leader here.
Multitasking is the main feature that would turn me to the Droid side, but today I read that the iPhone does it just fine, they just don’t let you. Like MMS was.
So my verdict – the Droid is no iPhone killer, but Verizon is an AT&T killer, and surprisingly, Apple holds back the iPhone almost as much as AT&T with their restrictive app features and restricted use of the phone hardware. If you have the iPhone, don’t switch yet, if you are in the middle of choosing, take a long hard look at Droid.
This video demonstrates a Jailbroken iPhone app that backgrounds apps. First is the iPhone 3G, then the 3GS. He backgrounds like 10 apps without noticeable slowdown.
The Apple, AT&T, Verizon, Droid Wars
For those interested in business, marketing, and ad strategy, there’s no better lesson than following cell phone campaigns and their outcomes. As the holidays approach, the AT&T and Verizon wars just had another missile fired as Apple throws a punch in favor of AT&T in a war that started with the iDon’t and There’s a Map for That ads of Verizon.
Check out the interactive history of this war below.
Latest – Apple Defends AT&T
Verdict – If you don’t know, AT&T’s only advantage over Verizon is that their data connection can maintain a call and surf the internet/apps while maintaining the call. Verizon you can only do one or the other. A good point to bring up, unfortunately it could do a call, surf the web, and make you dinner at the same time, but if you don’t have cell service, you’re going to end up hungry.
Apple iPhone Ad – What Time’s The Movie? from Arik Hesseldahl on Vimeo.
Earlier: AT&T Defends Itself
The Verdict – AT&T was pretty miffed to have its 3G network coverage slapped on, so they came out with an ad reminding everyone of the nationwide coverage their cellular network has. The only problem is that Verizon’s ads were about Smartphone coverage (where 3G is a must). Also, this ad shows major cities they have coverage in, which I imagine even T-Mobile has fine cell service there.
Oh, and this ad is just really dumb. Luke Wilson?
Verizon Ads AT&T is Defending Itself Against
Verdict: These ads must’ve been so effective, AT&T sued over them, giving them even more coverage. Worse, they are currently losing (meaning they are accurate). The seasonal ads showing “There’s a Map for That” are relatively effective, but the points that arise and AT&T’s reaction to them (rather than having a plan to improve their network) will go a lot further than the ads themselves.
In summary, it looks as though Verizon has the upper hand and the network. It will remain to be seen how the Droid does, and how the new Smartphones on Verizon’s network affect it. AT&T needs to improve their network this year or its going to be over…that is, improve their network instead of spending money on ads complaining about Verizon.
Let’s hope today’s rumors of the iPhone exclusivity ending are just that or time may be running out.
Regular Folks Guide to Making the Switch to iPhone
The world of cellphones is sadly just like the world of sports teams. People are fanboys and their phone is better than everyone else’s. Not to mention it defines who they are. For the rest of us folks with regular jobs who just want something that works for what we need most, I offer an overview of my switch from Verizon’s Blackberry to ATT’s iPhone 3GS.
I was a Blackberry fanboy myself for many years, as well as a big Verizon fan. After using my phone more and more for business, on trips, and just in my day-to-day figuring out where I was, I decided that the iPhone just does more, faster, than the Blackberry after having an iPod Touch for a while. It would’ve been sacrilege for me to think that an Apple phone could do business email in a more useful way than a Blackberry just a year or two ago. But somehow they did.
The Good, the Bad, and the Eh….the Blackberry vs. the iPhone
While it isn’t a fair comparison to pit the Blackberry Curve vs. the iPhone 3GS since it’s a little more costly and newer/faster (and touchscreen differences – though the Storm would fare worse), this review accounts for all the Blackberries I’ve owned (every model that Verizon has had for the past 5 years) in the areas that matter. I don’t care which phone does Twitter apps better.
At first glance the iPhone dominates the Blackberry, but as you use it there are some things the Blackberry does better. But in balance, the iPhone is a far superior
Hardware and Construction
The Blackberry Curve was the best sized Blackberry and had an awesome keyboard. The shell was a bit cheaply made, though, and the trackball ended up crapping out quickly. I had 3 Curves in less than a year under warranty due to some faulty piece of hardware.
The iPhone 3Gs is a great looking phone, with no moving parts, and even has a fingerprint resistant screen. Much better construction and having had an iPod Touch for a year, there really isn’t much damage that’s possible since nothing moves or comes off.
The lack of removable backing is somewhat nice for aesthetics and longevity of the case of your iPhone, but that also means no battery removal…ever. Which brings me to a big weakness of the iPhone – the Battery. It is apparent quickly that it will not match the Blackberry Curve battery life.
Some Blackberries are better made than the Curve for Verizon, and I wanted them. But Verizon wouldn’t carry them.
Winner – iPhone 3GS
Talking and Texting
The iPhone is really an iPod Touch with a phone as an afterthought. It is apparent in the quality of calls and the general interface. Also, texting is just not pleasurable on the iPhone. Not only is the messaging interface aggravating, but typing on a touch screen is difficult. Fortunately the correction tool is great, and the new landscape keyboard helps, but the Blackberry has the vastly superior call quality, ease of texting, and texting options of the two.
Most importantly, there are a host of options on the Blackberry for texting and calling you can pull up. Easily save a number to contacts, get call information, and find texts quickly. iPhone is very locked down and views texting like an instant messaging conversation rather than a text within itself.
The one win the iPhone3GS has is the visual voicemail. This is offered on Blackberry, but the iPhone actually catches caller ID (including the place they called from) and downloads the voicemail, so you check them just like a stack of mp3s and you don’t have to listen to them all to get to the one you need to hear. Even if you had your phone turned off or were in a no service area (yes, that is often).
Winner – Blackberry
Verizon vs. AT&T
To make a long story short, AT&T blows in service. The 3G is faster on AT&T,though, just don’t leave a metro area. Worse, the EDGE network coverage isn’t all that hot either, and dropped calls and no service zones are more frequent than I prefer.
You will fully understand the dead zone commercials of Verizon if you make the switch. It’s no intolerable, just annoying. I do miss Verizon, though, because of the coverage and service, so if they ever get the iPhone I’ll pay whatever to switch back.
A coverage example is that I live in downtown of a medium metropolitan area with both ATT and Verizon 3G coverage. I received this coverage all the way to work – 10 miles away- with Verizon. With AT&T I lose the 3G 3 miles into the trip, lose coverage completely 5 miles into the trip for a mile, and regain EDGE network at work, which is much slower.
Winner – Verizon
—– Review to be continued…Operating Systems, Media Capabilties, Camera, Wi-Fi, Browser, and Customization, apps
