I'm so excited to get my new phone one of these days. I haven't had the time to actually choose which one to get. If you're like me, and willing to wait a bit longer, hope this article below help you read up on these phones and help you decide whether to seal the deal now or just hang on to that old ready to retire mobile of yours.
First promised by late July of 2010, the White iPhone4 has not seen the end of mass production hell. Rumors say the white iPhone missed July launch due to some paint problems--the case and the home button paint mismatch and Steve called a halt. Now it has been confirmed that the white variant will be released by Spring of 2011--what a stretch from July! It may not be as classy as the black, but if you are a fan of white Apple products, this is something you might wanna wait for. Then again, that's a long wait, but if you have waited, you might as well wait some more.
Why you wanna wait for it? Coz it's white. And it gives you some sort of badge, idk, patience badge, exclusive badge (since everyone's got black).
2. HTC Desire HD and HTC Desire Z (Q4, 2010)
So much praise has been given to HTC Desire that a successor needs to be tougher, meaner, more badass but still in a very classy way. Now, came out news of its successor and it feels depressing, at least in the screen department. Losing AMOLED but gaining screen estate, The HTC Desire HD tries Desire in bigger proportions. Swapping 3.7" to 4.3" and AMOLED to S-LCD, can make some smile and some frown. AMOLED, IMO, is really the way to go--less power consumption, higher contrast (though lower detail). But due to shortage, HTC decided to go with S-LCD.
Desire Z retains the 3.7" screen (again S-LCD), but gains physical qwerty. Pretty much the same specs as the original Desire. With reviews all over the net praising HTC's virtual qwerty, I just don't get the point of adding bulk to your pocket. Then again, nothing beats hardware keys.
3. XPERIA X10, mini, and mini pro OS Upgrade to Android 2.1 (November 2010)
Too little too late, but better late than never. Finally, Sony Ericsson's Android flagship phones are getting their much needed updates. While this ain't 2.2--and most HTC Desire owners are already bored with 2.2--this update will deliver much needed improvements on the x10 line such as improved keyboard, 65K color limit removal (inherent to 1.6), added homescreen panes, improved performance, improved SNS widgets, and HD video recording (about time).
While X10's custom UI in mini and mini pro is universally praised for their usability, the X10 biggie's is criticized for being laggy, buggy, and oversimplistic. Videos however show this is no longer the case after the update. And, hey, you get more apps! But then again, still no multitouch.
Demo can be seen below:
Why you wanna wait for it? If you have an X10, you must have been dying to get this update. You're too impatient already. If you haven't gotten one, then this update might change your mind. After all, the X10's price has gone as low as the HTC Hero's and Legend's both of which are stuck with 2.1. And, hey, X10 has much advantages over those--screen size and CPU. Just don't brag on an HTC Desire.
4. Samsung Wave II and Samsung Wave Numbers (November)
S-AMOLED hew? Samsung's first bada OS-powered phone, Wave S8500, was such a smash that it shipped more than they predicted, ruining their AMOLED screen production forecast. So much so, they needed to discontinue the original Wave to make way for AMOLED orders from other companies and their own Galaxy S and Omnia 7 phones. But with a considerable demand for the S8500, they needed to make a successor, albeit one that sports S-LCD. Deja vu? The Samsung Wave II sports a 3.7" S-LCD screen, retaining most of the specs of the Original Wave. While S-LCD may be inferior to S-AMOLED, you get a bigger screen. Reports say the Wave II costs 30 Euros more than the Wave I. That's almost 2000 Philippine pesos. But that doesn't seem like a deal breaker, after all, I find 3.3 inches to be too small. Then again, it's not S-AMOLED.
If you're not looking to burn money, Samsung has other solutions, the Wave Numbers: 525, 533, 575, and 723. Whew, too many numbers. Basically, the 525s don't have 3G, while the 575s has. The 533 is like the 525 but comes with a slideout qwerty keyboard. All are full capacitive touch phones (no word on multitouch but since bada is, it's most likely) with 3.2" TFT screen, all WQVGA (428 by 240), have wifi 802.11 b/g save for the 723 that has 802.11 b/g/n. Mind you, WQVGA will look kinda floppy seeing how Wave I has 800 by 480 resolution on 3.3". Apparently Samsung is all for pleasing the masses. Expected price in pesos for the 525, 10K.
Why you wanna wait for it? For the Wave II: I had a Wave for a month and everytime I switch to my iTouch and go back to the Wave, I felt uncomfy. It's just a matter of .2" difference in terms of screen, but I feel like the Wave was too rectangular and not as conducive for typing as you want it to. If you are planning to get a Wave, don't be surprised if they tell you that it's out of stock. That means you have to get the Wave II coz the Wave aint coming.
For the numbers: If you're planning on an affordable touchscreen, these kids might do you good. They're expected to be incredibly affordable rivals of the Corby, and in fact, may be Corby's replacements.
5. Samsung Omnia 7 (November)
Windows Phone 7 might be in its infancy, but it doesn't stop the major players from making their models powered by WP7. The interface, looking as classy as a magazine may not be for everyone, but the usability of the OS gained universal praise. But universal frowns also saw the lack of multitasking, copy-paste (big ouch there), and bluetooth file transfer to name a few. Boy, does this OS now smell like iPhone's early beginnings. I'm also wondering if those devices are upgradeable as most Windows Mobile stuff usually are not.
Fast forward to the WP7 device in question, the Omnia 7 is the Omnia 2's successor. It may not be improvements on all departments, but hey, you got S-AMOLED, 1GHz processor, capacitive screen. Not to mention that this phone incorporates design elements of the iPhone (home screen button concaved), Galaxy S (4" S-AMOLED screen and touch sensitive keys), and the metallic rear of the S8500 Samsung Wave. Now, grace that with WP7, and that's the Omnia 7. The bad thing about this new OS is the fact that manufacturers weren't able to customize it much. MicroSoft has locked it down so much even HTC has missed placing their Sense UI on it. So what sets the Omnia 7 apart from the WP7 crowd? The S-AMOLED screen. But it would have to compete with the Galaxy S for the title of best multimedia playing device, though I'm all for the Omnia 7 because it's not all plasticky like its brother.
Why you wanna wait for it? Sure, Wp7 is in its infancy, but who doesn't wanna have that baby? It's classy, sassy, and elegant, and wouldn't be long enough until all these manufacturers will find their way inside the OS and make their own tweaks. The Omnia 7 seems like a powerhouse with its specs, but it's not for the faint of heart. If you're getting it, be sure you are ready to commit and experience some level of frustrations.
6. PlayStation Phone (2011)
Geeks have been dreaming about this phone 5 years ago, and just this week, it said Hi to the Internet and everyone went nuts--criticizing and praising it, saying how it would kill the iPhone or how funny it is to be caught in a business meeting with one of these. For good or for bad, Sony Ericsson is out making headlines again, and we can expect them to be doing the same strategy: announce early, release very late.
What does the PS Phone have? According to rumors Android 3.0, touch pad like the ones in laptops--this supports multitouch, an analog d-pad and gaming buttons. The phone is a slider much like the PSP Go. If the pricing is right, this will sell like hotcakes and restore Sony Ericsson to prestige. Oh how they miss the trophy with the X10. Anyways, Sony is denying this device, but we'll see soon.
Why you wanna wait for it? It's the PSP Go that can make calls. It's on Android. But one thing scary, we don't know the price yet. And it might be a KIRF.
7. Samsung Galaxy Tab (November)
Priced a bit below the iPad and performs, well, a bit under the iPad, too, the Samsung Galaxy Tab has not been pleasing tech sites. Oh well, Google themselves said it, 2.2 ain't for tablet yet. The Tab has gotten very funny impressions: on the tablet side, it doesn't do so well, being laggy and all. On the phone side, it can make calls. But then it's a bit too huge to carry around with you. So having the Tab with you does not make sense unless you really want a tablet and the iPad doesn't quite cut it for you. Maybe a few firmware updates / tweaks will cheer up this baby and make it work faster. But for now, it still is not a serious threat to the iPad--given that there is no word about an update.
Why you wanna wait for it? Coz you hate Apple and the iPad but too sissy to admit that you want an iPad so you get the equivalent anyway. While, personally, I dislike the iPad for several reasons, I think the only serious advantage the Tab has over it is it can make calls. So if that's your thing, a tablet phone, I think you wanna try the Dell Streak, or this.
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