// November 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // General
I am in the market for a new mobile phone. I have been using an old $50 Nokia since I got back to Australia until I find something I like. Everyone keeps telling me to buy an Apple iPhone, but that’ll never happen.
I think the iPod is a great product as a music player and for all the apps it offers. I have an iTouch and I think it is great – although a bit useless without a Wi-Fi connection which I suppose is where the iPhone comes in and fills that gap.
But I do not like the way Apple want to control what you have on your phone – both in terms of Music and in the applications you can download. I also don’t like how everything must go through iTunes and the AppStore. They don’t even allow Bluetooth!
I have been exploring the possibility of an Android phone. The version of Android I am not worried about, nor am I worried about the custom modifications the manufacturer make. All this can be changed due to the freedom of open source software.
It is all about the hardware. Do I go for the first generation handsets such as the HTC Dream or the Samsung Galaxy, or wait a few more months until Sony Ericsson, Acer, Motorola and HTC release their new Android based handsets. The later are due out toward the end of this year and first quarter of next, so waiting a few more weeks isn’t going to hurt right?
That’s what I said before the Samsung Galaxy came out and I still have brought it due to the fact that something better is around the corner. But by February the big manufacturers have would have announced what is coming midyear, and after that they’ll be announcing what’s due this time next year. That’s the world of technology, either you buy now or you’ll forever be waiting for the next model and will never buy anything.
I have my eye on three phones at the moment, all due out next year.
Acer Liquid
They make laptops, so I am not sure how good they’ll be in the mobile phone market. They specs look good, with a 1Ghz processor, 3.5inch touch screen and 5MP camera. In the looks department, it looks great. It is due to come out at the end of this month, so if I was in a hurry I’d buy it, but with other phones due out after Christmas I’ll wait…
Sony Ericsson Xperia X10
This is the phone I have had my eye on fir the past month or so, and it was officially announced a few weeks ago. The only thing I don’t like about this phone is the size of it. The screen is 4inches, which is a little big for my liking. I am sure the quality of the video is great, but at 4 inches I doubt my pockets will like it. Still – it has an 8mp camera, 1 GHz CPU and supports up to 16MB micro SD cards.
Motorola Droid
This is the phone that is said to go head to head with the iPhone. It has both a soft and physical keyboard, 3.7 inch screen, 5MP camera, and Android 2.0. According to TechCrunch the differences between the Droid and the iPhone 3GS are trivial, which is pretty impressive considering this is Motorola’s first attempt at an Anroid based phone. One thing that Motorola have over Apple is that they have been making phones for decades.
All three phones will most probably suit my needs, and the differences are probably minimal. The OS is the same and is open source, so I can probably make the same customisations to all the phones. The only difference here is the hardware, aesthetics and usability. I think it will come down to the feel of the phones in my hand as to what I base my final decision on.
