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I have been using a Droid X for the last three days. I’ve read the reviews that are out in the blogosphere and want to take a different approach. I’ll simply compare the Droid X with the HTC Incredible that I’ve used since early May. I’m very satisfied with the Incredible but ultimately I conclude:  While they’re both great phones, the Droid X is the better phone.

I wanted to compare apples to apples as much as possible. I had both phones running LauncherPro Beta for the home screen, instead of Sense UI (Incredible) and some form of blur (Droid X). I prefer LauncherPro Beta to both so this was a “real world” modification to the phones. I used the phones in similar settings to compare antennas and Wifi reception.

Hardware

Form Factor and Ergonomics — Both phones feel solid but the Droid X weighs in at ~5.5 ounces vs. Incredible at ~4.5 ounces. It’s not enough difference that you need to wear suspenders to keep your pants up but the extra weight is noticeable. The Droid X has a massive 4.3″ screen vs. the Incredible’s adequate  3.7″. This makes the Droid X a considerably larger phone overall (basically, Motorola and Verizon’s answer to the HTC Evo). I was asked on Google Buzz whether the phone fits comfortably in a pocket. It does. I found the larger screen easier to type and Swype on. (Swype is preinstalled on Droid X, a nice touch (pun intended).) Droid X has a dedicated camera button and physical Menu, Home, Back and Search keys, oddly in that order. The Incredible lacks a camera button and has virtual or flush Home, Menu, Back and Search keys. I like the feel of the physical keys better for those functions. The Incredible has an unnecessary optical trackpad that I almost forgot about because I use it so infrequently. Winner: Droid X, primarily due to massive screen size. Admittedly, this is a highly subjective assessment and some may prefer the Incredible because it is smaller.

Screen Quality —   Both screens are very responsive and do multitouch well. I couldn’t distinguish the screens based on responsiveness. To compare the displays, I loaded Beautiful Live Weather wallpaper on both phones. Side by side, the blue on the Incredible’s AMOLED was much deeper or richer than the “washed out” powdery blue on the Droid X. I initially concluded that colors on the Droid X were “washed out.” However, I crowdsourced an answer and Bud Gibson and Mark Richards on Google Buzz directed me to PC Mag’s comprehensive screen review. The review found that the Incredible oversaturates colors by 37 percent and the Droid X undersaturates by 6 percent, which means the Droid X has a more accurate display of colors. In fact, the Droid X has the most accurate display of colors of all of the phones tested, including the iPhone 4. Nonetheless, I showed the screens side by side to two tech-savvy people who both preferred the oversaturated Incredible. This whole issue may be somewhat of a red herring because of the shortage of Samsung AMOLED screens that are used in the Incredible; the later batches of Incredibles are rumored to have Sony TFT screens similar to the TFT screen used in the Droid X. Winner: IMO, Droid X for accurately displaying colors vs. AMOLED Incredibles. However, inconclusive because information about future Incredible screens is unconfirmed.

Antennas — The Droid X receives better signals than the Incredible. In the same location where my Incredible regularly drops calls, the Droid X did not. This was not a fluke; the results were repeatable. The Droid X also appeared to obtain stronger Wifi signals. Winner: Droid X.

Sound Quality — Both phones sound good and the ear pieces are loud. I don’t think a good argument can be made that one is better than another. Winner: Tie.

Battery — Battery technology really hasn’t kept pace with advances in smartphones. Battery life is probably the chief complaint about smartphones, excluding the highly-publicized complaints about the iPhone 4 dropping its signal. If I can make it through the day without a charge, I’m thrilled. The Incredible usually goes the 8-10 hours with light to moderate use. On my first full day with the Droid X, it went 12 hours with about 1.5  hours of heavy Wifi use and 0.5 hours of talk and still had more than 20 percent of its charge remaining. One reason could be that the Droid X has battery manager software baked into the OS. Also, the battery in the Droid X has more milliamps than the Incredible’s battery (1540 vs. 1300). Winner: Droid X by a large margin. Furthermore, for those requiring even more juice, an extended battery for the Droid X will be available.

Storage — Both phones have 8 GB internal and can support up to 32 GB on a card. The Droid X comes with a 16 GB card, whereas the Incredible ships with a 2 GB card (which I never received but I already owned a 16 GB). Winner: Droid X wins by a hair because the 16 GB card comes with the phone.

Other — The Droid X has microphones up the wazoo… I believe there are three of them. Frankly, I don’t know what they all do (one is noise cancellation but the purpose of the third is unclear to me) but there must be a reason for them. The Droid X has a HDMI output but it requires some type of adapter that doesn’t come with the phone. I have seen videos of the Incredible outputting to a flat screen but it was by standard video cables, not HDMI. Both phones have 8 megapixel cameras with dual stage LED flashes. I’m not a camera guy so I didn’t futz around with the cameras but the Droid X can record in 720P and the Incredible can’t. Some say a software update will enable it in the Incredible. Winner: Droid X because it has slightly more bells and whistles.

Software

Both run Android 2.1, contrary to early rumors that Droid X would launch with 2.2. The Droid X is expected to receive a 2.2 upgrade by late summer. That’s based on official word from Verizon. The best estimate on the Incredible was a statement by HTC that it will receive 2.2 before the end of the year. This may mean tomorrow or it could mean December 31st.

Stock UI — Sense UI might be a little better than Motorola’s blur. In any event, I recommend replacing almost every item that can be replaced on the phone, including the UI. You can read my recommendations here. Winner: They both lose to LauncherPro Beta. :P By the way, I noticed that on the Droid X there is a red indicator that highlights the cursor in text fields. This was helpful in locating the cursor and it continued to display even when I changed the UI. This is a nifty improvement.

3G Hotspots– Droid X can create a 3G hotspot to support up to five Wifi devices. The Incredible may get this feature by a software update. (This optional feature will cost $20 per month.) This feature is easy to use. You simply key in a hotspot password for the other devices and toggle it on. Winner: Droid X.

DLNA– The Droid X supports it and the Incredible doesn’t. This is a fantastic feature and underplayed by other reviewers. Digital Living Network Alliance is a trade organization that has created a protocol of sorts by which various devices can share media. For more information, the Wikipedia page is pretty good or visit DLNA’s page. You can play music from your Droid X on your computer  or vice versa. You can also transfer music wirelessly from one device to another if you are using the same Wifi router. PS3s and many other devices support DLNA (Wikipedia has a list) and I think you’ll be hearing more about this technology. Maybe we’ll have cloud-based music solutions later this year but until then DLNA streaming is great. Winner: Droid X.

Pre-Installed Apps — Both phones come with some bloatware that cannot be removed. Other than Swype, which comes on the Droid X, I would prefer not having any of the other apps on either phone. (You might find the Blockbuster app on the Droid X appealing but I didn’t.) Winner: They both lose because bloatware sucks. :P

Conclusion

I’m a satisfied Incredible owner but, all in all, the Incredible doesn’t seem to do anything better than the Droid X. That said, I’m not paying full retail to upgrade to a Droid X. If I had upgrade eligibility or if I were a new Verizon customer, I would choose the Droid X. Speaking of upgrade eligibility, check out this promotion: if your Verizon contract expires anytime in 2010, you can upgrade to the Droid X at the subsidized price, which is competitive at $199.

You might also enjoy:

--HTC Incredible Full Review [Verizon/Android] --Android Showdown: HTC Incredible vs. Motorola Droid [Verizon] --Motorola Droid X vs. HTC Droid Incredible [Verizon/Android] --Updates Coming to HTC Droid Incredible [Verizon/Android] --Droid 2 Specs Confirmed [Android/Verizon]

I won’t pretend to know exactly how this thing works but it takes a cell phone call that is initiated to a tower and turns it into a VOIP call using a standard wireless router. These devices are also known as “femtocells.” The device was easy to connect but it needs to be placed in a location that receives a decent tower signal. My office wouldn’t work but I tried plugging it into a router in an office down the hall and, after waiting about twenty minutes, it locked on to the tower signal. My first phone call was a success. I did more testing and it worked flawlessly for every call I placed or received. Calls were crystal clear with no garbling. I never dropped a call with the Network Extender. More than one Verizon phone can connect to the Network Extender simultaneously. Presumably it saturates the bandwidth at some point but I only tested it with two simultaneous calls.

Verizon Wireless sells the Network Extenders for $199.99 and does not assess a monthly service fee. Other carriers have similar offerings but some assess a monthly service fee (Sprint, for example). Overall, the Network Extender was easier to connect than I expected (quite unlike installing a router) and it performed exactly as promised. For more information, visit Verizon’s website.

P.S. I’ve been using a Droid X for two days and will post up a review on Monday. Will I end up eating my words from a prior review based on specs and reading that compared it to my HTC Droid Incredible?

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I’ve already written that I would opt for the Droid X over my the HTC Incredible. I prefer the larger screen and would use the wireless tethering. That post has generated significant traffic for this blog, more quickly than any other post I have written — approximately 500 views in the first few hours.

Enjoy the show.

You might also enjoy:

--Motorola Droid X vs. HTC Droid Incredible [Verizon/Android] --Droid X Full Review [Hands On] vs. HTC Incredible — Verizon Android Showdown --Droid 2 Specs Confirmed [Android/Verizon] --Nokia N900 Walk-Through Video from YouTube (a re-run for some and an eye opener for others) --Android Showdown: HTC Incredible vs. Motorola Droid [Verizon]

We will probably need to change the design of our pricing where it will not be totally unlimited, flat rate.

This spawned a flurry of blog posts and struck fear in the hearts of smartphone users across the country. However, a piece in FastCompany takes a different view. Should someone who uses data casually be required to “buy” as much data as someone who streams movies all day and all night? That’s what flat rate data plans do. Presumably tiering data plans can result in fairer apportionment of the fees the carriers collect.

Dan Nosowitz, author of the article, points out that AT&T and other carriers are trying to have their cake and eat it too. They want to tier data plans which suggests that you pay for what you use, in a general sense. However, if you decide to use the same amount of data but divide it among multiple devices (i.e., tether your computer to your smartphone), you’re hit with additional fees. It is difficult to justify these tethering fees because tethering itself does not drive up the carrier’s expense.

I really like the FastCompany article but it misses one critical component. Consumers who want to stay in the lower data tiers can rely on Wifi signals to install apps and download massive files. Many home internet providers do not cap bandwidth and public Wifi is becoming widespread.

I tossed a picture of Sprint’s HTC Evo 4G at the top of this post for a reason. Sprint has a $10/mo. data surcharge (on top of the standard data charge) for the Evo. It was assumed that this charge related to the use of the 4G WiMax network. However, Evo owners who live nowhere near a 4G lit area are required to pay the surcharge. Official word eventually came out of Sprint that, basically, the Evo is so cool that Evo owners are more likely to use more data than other Sprint smartphone customers, even on a 3G network. In other words, Sprint is already trying to tier its data without officially saying so.

I wonder if people who have recently signed up for or renewed unlimited data contracts will be offered incentives to dump their existing contracts for tiered data plans. Early equipment upgrades? My pure guess is that we won’t see that but it’s an interesting possibility.

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UPDATE: Now includes full Droid X press release at bottom of post.

UPDATE 2: Replaced by a hands on review of Droid X and comparison.

Soon Verizon customers will have a choice between two top Android devices, the recently released HTC Droid Incredible and the upcoming Motorola Droid X. Here’s my take: if you have pockets or a handbag big enough for the Droid X (4.3″ screen), it’s a better choice. If you want a smaller phone, the Incredible (3.7″ screen) is the way to go.

The Droid X has everything the Incredible has plus some goodies like 720P video recording and HDMI output. The Incredible has long been rumored to support 720P video recording using its 8 MP camera but it would, according to the rumor, require a software update. I don’t put tons of credence in rumors like this because if you look around there were rumors of FM transmitters in phones that never had them and other features that never materialized.

Also, the Droid X runs Android 2.2 while the Incredible has yet to receive an update from 2.1 to 2.2. PocketNow and Engadget have good coverage of the differences between the versions. Two primary advantages to 2.2, in my opinion, are the boost in speed and built in Wifi tethering.
UPDATE: Latest press release indicates that Droid X comes with 2.1 installed, contrary to rumors, but Droid X owners will receive 2.2 OTA in the second half of the summer.

Other than the differences previously mentioned, it would be difficult to distinguish these two phones. They run the same apps (both at 1 GHz) and the overall user experience would be quite similar. I think the bigger screen and Android 2.2 would tip the scales in favor of the Droid X for me. Nonetheless, I have been extremely satisfied with the Incredible.

JULY 2010: DROID X BY MOTOROLA LANDS On the NATION’s LARGEST & MOST RELIABLE 3G Network

DROID X Delivers More Browsing, More Connectivity, Personal HD Video and Enterprise Features – All on a 4.3” Widescreen

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Verizon Wireless, the company with the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless 3G network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT), a pioneer in the mobile industry, today unveiled DROID X by Motorola.  DROID X does more with ultra high-speed Web browsing; a fast 1GHz processor; 3G Mobile HotSpot capabilities; loads of memory; intuitive social messaging; Adobe^® Flash^® Player 10.1 ready; and access to Android Market™, which has more than 65,000 applications, along with a host of unique Verizon Wireless applications such as NFL Mobile, Skype mobile™, V CAST Video, EA Need for Speed Shift™ and more.

“Nine months ago, we made a commitment to our customers to bring the openness of Android to the Verizon Wireless network,” said John Stratton, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless.  “Since then, we have introduced the top-selling Android phone in the marketplace today – the DROID by Motorola.  DROID X takes that commitment to another level with exclusive content, faster processing speeds, and, of course, the reliability of our network.”

Sanjay Jha, co-chief executive officer of Motorola and chief executive officer of Motorola Mobile Devices and Home business added, “Motorola designed DROID X to push the extreme limits of Android innovation, and enable you to do even more with your mobile device. We are breaking down barriers so that you can experience the Web the way it was meant to be and create, share and view content like never before, either in your hand or in your home. Enterprise users will also find DROID X appealing with features including push e-mail and live widgets for e-mail and calendar updates.”

DROID X gives customers a 4.3-inch high-resolution screen for viewing the latest movies and video from BLOCKBUSTER On Demand^® presented by V CAST Video, the newest addition to the Verizon Wireless V CAST application, which also includes access to favorite TV shows.  The DROID X video capabilities let customers capture spontaneous fun, combining a dual-flash, 8-megapixel camera, HD camcorder, as well as DLNA and HDMI connectivity to download, stream and share personal HD content.

DROID X customers will also receive Android 2.2 and Adobe Flash Player 10.1 with an over-the-air update in the latter half of the summer.  With the update, the Flash Player will allow mobile users to experience hundreds of sites with rich applications and content inside the browser, including games, animations, rich Internet applications (RIAs), data presentations and visualizations, ecommerce, music, video, audio and more.

“It has been an exciting time for Android momentum and global consumer adoption since the announcement of DROID by Motorola nine months ago,” said Andy Rubin, vice president of engineering for Google. “There are 160,000 new Android-powered devices activated daily and Android Market has grown to over 65,000 applications. Plus later this summer, Verizon Wireless and Motorola will update all the DROID by Motorola phones to the latest 2.2 software. For customers, this means great new features and improved browser performance. For developers, this will provide new tools such as cloud-to-device messaging and enhanced enterprise functionality.”

“We are excited about full Flash support coming to the DROID X and other devices from Motorola,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer of Adobe. “Flash Player 10.1, which is one of Adobe’s most anticipated releases ever, has been redesigned from the ground up to deliver the kind of highly engaging experiences that consumers now expect from their mobile devices.”

Once updated to Android 2.2, business customers will find DROID X offers the features that turn the device into a workhorse with support for both Exchange and Gmail™ for business. Corporate users can enjoy push delivery of e-mail; live widgets that stream messages to the home screen; filter widgets to differentiate work and home e-mail; corporate directory and Global look-up along with a unified calendar for Enterprise and sync with Google Calendar™.  Security protocols allow remote password control and wipe via Exchange server.

Pricing and Availability

DROID X by Motorola will be available at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning July 15 for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.  Customers will receive the mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. In addition to subscribing to a Nationwide Talk plan or a Nationwide Talk & Text plan, customers will also need to subscribe to an Email and Web for Smartphone plan.  Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access. Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.

Customers can add the optional 3G Mobile Hotspot service to their DROID X for $20 per month.  The 3G Mobile Hotspot allows customers to turn the phone into a wireless modem for up to five compatible Wi-Fi devices.  In addition, current Verizon Wireless customers who have contracts ending by December 31, 2010, can upgrade to any smartphone, including DROID X, without penalty.

For more information on DROID X by Motorola, go to http://phones.verizonwireless.com/droid/x/.  For information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

# # #

You might also enjoy:

--Android Showdown: HTC Incredible vs. Motorola Droid [Verizon] --Droid X Full Review [Hands On] vs. HTC Incredible — Verizon Android Showdown --Updates Coming to HTC Droid Incredible [Verizon/Android] --HTC Incredible Full Review [Verizon/Android] --Droid 2 Specs Confirmed [Android/Verizon]

I’ve read many of the reviews out there of the KINs and I believe that many reviewers haven’t considered the target market. These phones are designed for 13-15 year olds.  If I were in that demographic, I would be delighted to have a phone that offers Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, email, an HTML browser, Zune music features, Wifi, cloud archives of all activity, a camera, decent memory capacity and a solid keyboard.  However, if you’re outside of the young teen demographic or you’re looking to upgrade from your LG, you might want to consider a full blown smartphone, which permits app installations and greater customization.

I offer the caveat that I didn’t try out every feature of the KINs but in my time with the phones I formulated the following opinions:

Likes

The hardware, manufactured by Sharp, is good.  I particularly like the large screen on the KIN 2. Both phones have full QWERTY keyboards that are easy to use. The cameras are 5 MP on the KIN 1 and 8 MP on the KIN 2.

The Windows Phone interface is funky with asymmetry on almost every screen.  I like the “tile” layout which is a nice departure from the mundane world of gridded icons.  In this regard, perhaps the KINs offer a glimpse inside of the core elements that will likely become Windows Phone 7.

The simplicity of the phone makes it a good choice as a youngster’s first phone.

Dislikes

The browser isn’t terrific.  It can display basic pages but it fumbles a bit on more complicated pages like those on many news sites and blogs.

It takes some getting use to because, as I mentioned, it’s not a traditional gridded icon interface.

At this point, I’m a spoiled HTC Incredible user and wouldn’t look back. However, if I were a parent buying a first phone for my kid who is just old enough to object to being called a kid, the KINs would be at or near the top of my list.

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While this phone will be tops in the Verizon line-up, I’m not sure it’s a real game changer if it comes out as a 3G phone. The Incredible’s processor is plenty fast and perhaps an OTA update of Froyo rolls out for the Incredible soon. I certainly hope this doesn’t become a painful wait like what happened with the Droid Eris.

The Droid Scorpion could be a real game changer if it rolls out as Verizon’s first 4G/LTE Android in 2012. This is within the realm of possibilities considering not a single picture has hit the interwebs and we’d expect that by now if the phone were to launch any time soon. Regarding 4G Androids, reports are funneling in that the Sprint 4G Evo (WiMax, not LTE) is selling like mad and new activations even brought down Sprint’s phone activation system. Apparently, Radio Shack is doing a second round of pre-orders, which could be more aptly called post-orders.

Friends and family keep asking me about whether the iPhone 4G or HD or whatever is heading to Verizon. I have two answers… no clue and don’t care. Many of the most notable tech writers who got ahold of Evos have quickly became iPhone-to-Android converts. I’ve read the first-hand accounts on Buzz from techies like Louis Gray. Unless Apple has some real tricks up its sleeve, the new features that were previewed for the iPhone OS 4.0 are hardly revolutionary. Apple is playing catch up with Android at this point.

[via Mobile Crunch]

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• Android 2.2 “FroYo” debuted at Google I/O. Many people have it up and running on rooted Nexus Ones. It supports the creation of mobile hotspots which basically turns a FroYo device into a wireless router.  IntoMobile has been providing good coverage. It recently reported that the “leaked” version is not the final version, according to Googler Romain Guy, but it is apparently very stable.
• Google I/O attendees found HTC Evo 4Gs in their goodie bags, Oprah style. I’ve written about the Evo 4G before (which should have stayed with the codename “Supersonic” but, anyhow…).  What happens when you give an hot Android phone to hundreds of developers? Well, someone figures out how to gain superuser access by rooting the device (video). Robert Scoble started a high traffic Buzz comparing the Evo to the iPhone platform. Many newly minted Android fans weighed in and dueled with Apple fanatics. The iPhone 4G (or HD or whatever they decide to call it) has a fierce competitor comprised of Google and virtually every major device manufacturer.
• Mark Zuckerberg conceded by email (which he agreed to make public): “I know we’ve made a bunch of mistakes….” Captain Obvious? I wonder, however, whether they did as big a land grab as possible with a slight retreat in mind from the onset. Don’t know.  In any event, it remains to be seen what Facebook intends to do about the mistakes. I suggest that they include a lockdown button in the privacy settings which basically toggles off all information sharing except with friends. In my opinion, that would be a step in the right direction for Facebook.
• Gizmodo found or stole another prototype, depending on your perspective. This one appears to be the Motorola Shadow which runs Android. The story goes that a gym employee found one laying around and Gizmodo got ahold of it (follow link for pics). This phone looks great and it’s almost certainly Verizon bound. It could be branded as the “Droid 2.”
• The Google Orkut experiment is still ongoing. A number of Google Buzz users are playing around with Orkut and enjoying it. If you’re at all interested, check out my post about it.
• Finally, this blog has been getting very heavy traffic lately compared to historical numbers. I attribute that primarily to my posts about the HTC Incredible which is still back ordered at Verizon. I’ve loaded up on apps and if you don’t know where to start, check out my AppBrain page. Also, I redid the TechBottle logo in the header of the blog. Do you like it? Be honest. I’m on the fence about it but I’d rather read and write to the blog than tinker with the logo more.

P.S. I have something brewing with a major carrier. Expect good but very honest hands-on cellphone reviews.  It’s also possible I’ll have some leaked info about upcoming phones soon. Stay tuned!

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Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam has confirmed anecdotal reports that demand for the HTC Incredible is outstripping supply. According to McAdam, there are kinks in HTC’s supply chain and components for the Incredible are scarce, particularly the AMOLED touchscreen manufactured by Samsung. Shipments to stores are selling out within hours and those who order online must wait for more Incredibles to be manufactured. Had supply met demand, the Incredible would have broken initial sales records set by the Motorola Droid. 100,000 Incredibles were sold within the first two days of release.

One takeaway from today’s news is that a phone can be a tremendous hit without a $100 million advertising campaign, which was rumored to be the promotional budget for the Blackberry Storm 1 and the Motorola Droid. In the case of the Incredible, much of the demand was generated by carefully planned “leaks” of photos, videos and specs dating back to December. One particularly nifty trick was leaking that the Incredible’s snapdragon processor would be underclocked to around 75% speed. That rumor was eventually dispelled and the Incredible boasts the fastest processor on the market today, tying it with the Nexus One — a full 1 Ghz.

[via BGR]

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“The duration of the exclusive Apple-[AT&T] agreement was not ‘secret’ either. The [plaintiff] quotes a May 21, 2007 USA Today article – published over a month before the iPhone’s release – stating, “AT&T has exclusive U.S. distribution rights for five years-an eternity in the go-go cellphone world.”
…
“[T]here was widespread disclosure of [AT&T's] five-year exclusivity and no suggestion by Apple or anyone else that iPhones would become unlocked after two years… Moreover, it is sheer speculation – and illogical – that failing to disclose the five-year exclusivity term would produce monopoly power…”

So what does all this mean? Well, unless Apple has an “out” for a breach by AT&T or is willing to breach the agreement itself, Verizon will not see an iPhone until 2012.

Well, the Wall Street Journal could have some explaining to do because they ran a piece on March 29 stating:

“With Apple developing a phone with CDMA capability, its exclusive U.S. arrangement with AT&T dating to 2007 appears set to end.”

Now, are there ways to reconcile the WSJ article and the court documents from Engadget? Sure. Perhaps the CDMA variety is not intended for Verizon and will be sold overseas. Maybe “appears” is the operative word in the quote above. Perhaps Apple believes AT&T breached or Apple is prepared to breach. In any event, it seems like every few days an article runs one way or another about the Verizon iPhone. I’m not going to write more about this based on rumors but the court documents are very real. The original deal with AT&T had a five year term expiring in 2012 contrary to everything than ran in the blogosphere and in mainstream media.

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Click to Enlarge

So, I’ve blabbed and blabbed about the HTC Incredible but hardly made a keystroke about the HTC Evo 4G (“Supersonic”) coming to Sprint. Latest rumor is that this device launches on June 6th. It’s going to be sold at, of all places, Radio Shack. Don’t let the venue discourage you. This could win the “Android-of-the-year” award, if there were such a thing.

It’s basically the HTC Incredible plus a forward facing 1.3 MP camera for videoconferencing, an enormous 4.3″ screen, 4G WiMax data speeds and the ability to serve as a Wifi Router (which requires extra bucks per month, most likely). This launch could breathe some serious life into Sprint. Incidentally, if you mention to a Verizon rep that Sprint is launching 4G this summer and Verizon is lagging with a planned 2011 launch, the company line is that 4G technology isn’t ready for prime time yet.

P.S. If you missed all the fuss, Oprah Winfrey had an HTC Evo 4G  in her hand on television the other day.

[via IntoMobile]

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Likes:

• Hardware Overall: The phone feels very good. It’s like holding a well balanced kitchen knife. It’s a solid build with good weight and shape. The screen is made of Gorilla Glass which resists scratches and allows for a very good touchscreen experience.
• Software Overall: This is my first Android phone and it can do some amazing things. It comes preloaded with Google Maps with Navigation and a few other goodies. However, the beauty of Android is how well the 3rd party apps complement the phone. Also, widgets on the home screens (all 7 of them) spruce up the phone quite a bit and make it much more functional. I have a music screen, a calendar screen, an email screen, etc. With a swipe or two, I’m looking at what I want.
• Screen: AMOLED screen is a piece of beauty. It produces vibrant colors and displays videos well.
• Phone: Sound quality and reception are very good. The speaker in the earpiece is quite loud, perhaps too loud at full volume. The phone gets knocked for its reception. Here’s why: “bars” on a phone are not a standard measure. This phone will show fewer bars with a very strong signal than a competing phone. People have confirmed this by testing the raw numbers. Even at one “bar”, reception can be very good. It has an equivalent signal strength to the Blackberry Tour which had a great antenna.
• Browser: The stock browser is good, roughly comparable to Apple’s Safari iPhone browser. However, the Market has some free browser replacements that really shine. The revised Dolphin HD is the best mobile browser I have ever used. It supports gestures, it can be reskinned, there are many plugins, the app exits properly (more on this later) and it renders pages properly. Both the stock browser and Dolphin HD can display the flash-based category cloud in the right column of this page. I made Dolphin HD my default browser. Another good, free browser alternative is SkyFire which is in beta.
• Music Player: The stock music player is very functional but doesn’t have any pizazz.  Check out Cubed (3) in the Market for a nice 3D navigation system. Other good music players in the market include MixZing and Meridian. Also, one nice thing about Android is that you can make a 3rd party app default for a certain action.
• Video Player: Nothing wrong with the stock video player but some people prefer Meridian.
• Email: The Gmail app (which I prefer to the Sense mail program) is very good if you use Gmail (and why don’t you, I ask?). Some people have problems with some other email systems but, based on my skimming of the Android forums, these problems can be solved.
• User Interface: Sense UI is splendid. I played around with some alternative UIs using the app Home Switcher and Sense UI is the best in show.
• Keyboard: How can I forget this one? The stock keyboard is acceptable. Swype is a keyboard replacement that eats it for lunch. There’s a problem, however. If you want to do voice commands, there’s no button on Swype to listen for a voice command. You need to revert to the stock keyboard and then speak your command. Frankly, I think voice commands are overrated. With Swype (which is not available in the Market, you can find it here), I can type much faster than I did on the Blackberry by dragging my finger key to key until I swiped a word out. After a couple days of practice, this method of input is a breeze.
• App Development: It’s like being a kid in a candy store if you’re coming from a Blackberry. I think when you factor in the quality of the apps, the App Store and the Market are very comparable. And, toss in that the Market is basically wide open for all kinds of apps. On the iPhone, you can’t replace a keyboard, music player, video player, SMS interface, etc.

Dislikes:

Overall

The HTC Incredible is the best smartphone on the market that is available on any carrier. Not perfect. 4.7 out of 5.0. This will be Verizon’s best offering for a very long time because the 4G network won’t be deployed until 2011 and the next gen iPhone won’t be available to 2011 at the earliest, according to credible rumors. If you’re in the market for a new phone, you will probably be very, very happy with the HTC Incredible.

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I see a number of reasons why the Nexus One is globally popular. Google is known as one of the world’s best brands. The Nexus One has industry-leading hardware, including a 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen. The phone is reasonably priced off-contract, which is very important to non-U.S. markets where the subscription/subsidy mobile model does not exist.

Android is on a tear lately and now accounts for almost as much smartphone traffic as the iPhone.  See below:

I believe that the chart above represents the single biggest reason iPhone exclusivity in the U.S. will end this year. Apple needs market share, plain and simple.

Will the next-generation iPhone close the gap that is likely to develop or is this a case of “openness” winning?

*Update: The iPhone Footprint report does not cite any sources for the proposition that the Nexus One outsold the iPhone by 16% in February. This is unconfirmed. Thank you to my Google Buzz followers for their noteworthy correction.

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This is obviously bad news for AT&T which has gained many subscribers due to iPhone exclusivity. It’s great news for Verizon and other carriers who were losing customers to AT&T. In the end, consumers should win out as cellular service and product offerings become decoupled.

This leak comes at an awkward time for Verizon which is expected to launch two solid Android devices in the coming weeks, the Nexus One and the HTC Incredible. I doubt we’ll see a bunch of “iDon’t” advertisements.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304370304575152242601774892.html

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Click to Enlarge

I’ll get the bad news out of the way first. The HTC/Sprint 4G “WiMax” phone will not be marketed as the “Supersonic” afterall. Instead, it will be called the HTC Evo 4G (lame!). It won’t be out until Summer and 4G “WiMax” data pricing has not been revealed. Rumors have it that the all-you-can-eat buffet-style data plans we enjoy on 3G networks will not be offered on 4G networks. Also, 4G “WiMax” will be rolled out to only selected cities (seven new ones announced today). Now, the good news… very good news…

Engadget posted the phone’s specs and, make no mistake about it, this phone is an absolute monster.

• A 1.3 MP forward-facing camera for video calls which complements the 8 MP flash camera on the reverse side which can record in 720p.
• HDMI output which requires some kind of adapter to display on a TV with HDMI inputs.
• Snapdragon 1GHz processor (same as Google’s Nexus One, fastest processor currently in the market).
• 480 x 800 4.3-inch TFT LCD
• 1 GB internal memory with 512 MB RAM (making the HTC Incredible look like a wimpy little kid)
• Android 2.1, the latest flavor, covered by a revised version of HTC’s Sense UI.
• Capable of running on 4G and 3G networks.
• 8 GB MicroSD in the box which presumably could be replaced by a 32 MicroSD, the max currently available.

These specs coupled with 4G speeds may be enough to draw people away from other carriers. Perhaps this explains the hike in other carrier’s early termination fees. This phone will be the granddaddy of Android phones.

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The HTC Incredible could set the bar for Android 2.1 devices… or it may not. It’s roughly comparable to a Nexus One but may have less RAM, an underclocked processor, an 8 MP camera (Nexus One has a 5 MP), a dual LED flash (which is apparent from every photograph that has surfaced), and HTC’s proprietary Sense UI.  So, it appears the HTC Incredible and the Nexus One are quite similar but a little different.. if the rumors are credible (or they may be Incredible!).

This is good news for Big Red because Verizon is lagging the Android world with its flagship Motorola Droid (Android 2.0 for now but upgrade to 2.1 soon). Already, the Nexus One has been released for T-Mobile and AT&T. A recent Sprint announcement hit the interwebs yesterday.

The next couple of weeks will be very interesting for Verizon. Both the Nexus One and the HTC Incredible will probably hit around the same time. The Nexus One, however, will only be available online and may not be eligible for upgrade pricing. It retails at $529. Pricing for the HTC Incredible is not yet available.

[via IntoMobile via DailyTech]

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I’d like to remind those with short memories that this really isn’t the 1st birthday. GrandCentral launched the service in 2005 and Google acquired it in July 2007 (see here). It should be celebrating a 5th birthday. Apparently, the Google Voice team feels that it is the 1 year anniversary of the “launch” of the service. Other chest-beating about Google Voice advancements in the past year also disappoints. Consider:

• Mobile Apps. Yes, decent mobile apps for Blackberry and Android. Wasted time on an iPhone app that was never approved by Apple.
• SMS-to-Email. Yes, you can receive SMS in email now. So what?
• Chrome extension. Yes, it’s actually quite nice. Score one for the team.
• Voicemail in Gmail. Not essential but, yes, an improvement.
• Google Voice with Existing Number. This is complete nonsense. It existed before Google acquired GrandCentral and it’s not a feature at all. It’s a way to use Google Voice for voicemail only. It’s a feature offered by your cell provider to forward unanswered calls to your Google Voice number. You have to forfeit simultaneous ring and other bells and whistles to use it. I addressed this back in November 2009.

These are some features that users have been requesting for many years (note again: plural) that have yet to be implemented:

• Number porting. Users want to keep their phone numbers but use all of the Google Voice services. This could be accomplished with number porting. Since the early GrandCentral days, this feature has been requested. Is it in the works? To add insult to the intelligence and taste of Google Voice users, we were offered colorful business cards to show off our unwanted Google Voice phone numbers.
• Voice response to caller presentation. Caller presentation allows Google Voice users to screen calls or listen in as voicemails are being recorded. Unfortunately, it only responds to touchtones. Accordingly, I turned it off entirely, as I suspect many others have done.
• VOIP integration. It would be helpful if we could place calls from a computer by VOIP transmission, instead of exclusively by telephone. This is probably in the works because Google acquired Gizmo5 back in early November 2009 for $30m in cash and has nothing to show for it yet. (Query: when will Gizmo5 similarly celebrate a 1st birthday? It dates back at least as far as 2005.)
• For a complete list of missing features, look here. It’s basically the Google Voice team’s official to-do list.

So, why all this whining? Well, GrandCentral (pre-acquisition) was rolling out features much faster than the Google Voice team. Some protest that we should all be thankful because this is a free service. I contend that it certainly isn’t. For starters, low cost international calling has the potential to generate significant revenue. There are fees for various items like changing your phone number. And, perhaps most importantly, we are donating our voices to improve the quality of Google’s speech-to-text, a precursor to Google voice translation. Arguably, we’re all paying for the service.

As many of you know, I’m a Google supporter but the Google Voice project has been nothing but a disappointment vis-a-vis where this project would be had it stayed with the GrandCentral team. I still use Google Voice and I like it but this may be another case of a large company acquiring a small company to the detriment of the services offered.

Happy stinkin’ 5th birthday, Google Voice.

[via Official Google Voice Blog]

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• Apple united with AT&T over Verizon for the iPhone and signed into a long-term exclusive deal.
• Verizon has twice tried to launch an iPhone killer, failing miserably both times. The first was the Blackberry Storm which was the brainchild of Verizon and never took in the marketplace. The second was the Motorola Droid and the heavy “iDon’t” campaign.
• Verizon and AT&T continue to take swipes at one another in their advertisements and, obviously, Apple is heavily invested in AT&T’s success.
• Despite rumors that sounded credible before the iPad launch that it would be offered on Verizon, Apple again signed an exclusive deal with AT&T.
• Apple’s recent patent lawsuit against HTC is really targeted at HTC, Google and Verizon collectively. Why didn’t Apple file the lawsuit when the Nexus One was launched on T-Mobile? Are Apple’s lawyers really that slow? Probably not. The lawsuit was filed just prior to the launch of the Google/HTC Nexus One launch on Verizon (around the same time the FCC approved the CDMA version of the Nexus One) and Apple seeks to enjoin the sale of the Nexus One phone in the U.S. Perhaps this could actually speed up the launch of the Nexus One on Verizon, which is expected within the next few weeks, because it may benefit the defendants to have the phone in the market before there is a ruling on the injunction. BGR is reporting that Verizon employees are already being trained on the Nexus One.

The contract between Apple and AT&T regarding iPhone exclusivity is expected to be up for renewal this summer. Will Apple renew it? Most of the speculation I have read is that iPhone exclusivity in the U.S. will end; nonetheless, I have become increasingly doubtful that Verizon and Apple could ever become friendly with one another, especially in light of Apple v. HTC.

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Click to Visit MWC2010 Website

While certainly overshadowed by the Olympics, there is another international event taking place this week. It is the Mobile World Congress 2010 which takes place February 15-18. This is the premiere event for mobile device manufacturers. 47,000 attendees are expected and over 1,300 companies will exhibit products.  Based on rumors and some bona fide news, we can expect the following:

• KEYNOTE: Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, will be the keynote speaker. He is expected to speak about “openness” and how it relates to the mobile market. (It basically means Google believes it can beat the competition silly in a fair fight. Which makes one wonder, will there continue to be fair fights after Google beats everyone silly?)
• MICROSOFT: Microsoft could unveil Windows Mobile 7. Some are predicting a new line of Microsoft phones in lieu of a WinMo 7 debut. It is expected to incorporate many of the Zune HD features. (WinMo 7 could make Microsoft relevant in the mobile market. Presently, WinMo has under 8% of smartphone marketshare. I expect that WinMo 7 will be heavily marketed along with Microsoft’s Bing search (which, suprisingly, is gaining in popularity and has 9% of the internet search market).)
• HTC: HTC, the Taiwanese manufacturer of the Nexus One, could steal the show. Pictures and videos have surfaced of upcoming devices, including the HTC Incredible and WiMax capable smartphones. Presumably, some of the HTC lineup will be on display at the MWC2010. (I’m hoping at least one of the better HTC phones touches down on Verizon. Full disclosure: I am likely to switch to an HTC Android phone if Verizon wises up and begins offering handsets that compete directly with the Motorola Droid. As an aside, I’m still curious what the ROI was on the $100 million campaign to sell the Droid.)
• SONY: Sony will unveil the much-anticipated, and potentially over-hyped, X10. (Yeah, I hyped it on the blog too.)
• PALM: Palm is a complete and utter no show. They will unveil nothing. Nada. (Palm slips further into oblivion.)
• RIM: RIM has nothing to show or could unveil the “Dakota” or “Magnum” which is basically an enlarged candybar Blackberry with a traditional keyboard and a touchscreen. (RIM needs to figure out how to emulate Android and run Android apps; this could be virtually (no pun intended) impossible. RIM is practically guaranteed to lose marketshare in the next few years. No longer will it be able to ride on the coattails of the Curve 8330 users. When they’re up for new phones, other platforms will look much more attractive. I also think Verizon is unlikely to promote the hell out of any Blackberry product after repeated strains on their relationship.)

More to come when the MWC2010 begins. For pics and vids of the wares live from the event, I recommend the site IntoMobile.com.

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Curiously, it is unclear whether the Google Voice app will ever be available on the iPhone. Google Voice currently uses traditional land lines to route calls. Apple has rejected it from the App Store claiming that duplicates the phone’s existing functionality and would confuse customers. Arguably, VOIP apps duplicate the phone’s functionality as well. I suggest that neither would actually confuse customers but would rip profits from AT&T. The Google Voice vs. Apple showdown is before the FCC now.

In the future, Google Voice may become a VOIP service. As I relayed back in November, Google acquired Gizmo5, a VOIP outfit, and will integrate Gizmo5 technology with Google Voice. When this happens, Apple may have no choice but to approve a Google Voice app. In the meantime, Google is coding around Apple’s restrictions and thumbing its nose at the App Store. Google Voice can be accessed via the iPhone browser at m.google.com/voice.

[First VOIP App Approved via Gizmodo]

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What is the MagicJack “femtocell” home mini cell tower?

It is a small device that plugs into a computer’s USB port, receives a dialing signal from a cell phone located within 8 feet of the device, connects to a local cell tower and then switches the call from the local cell tower to a VOIP call transmitted on the MagicJack system, the same VOIP system as that the original MagicJack uses. After a call connects, the MagicJack femtocell would have a range of about 3,000 feet.  The MagicJack femtocell is being touted as a legal way to make air-time free calls from your cell phone. Like other femtocells, including those offered by cell carriers, someone with a weak cell signal in the home could experience better call quality or fewer dropped calls, if the VOIP transmission is better or more reliable than the cell transmission.

Which cell phones work with the femtocell?

GSM phones only, according to most reports.  AT&T and T-Mobile phones would likely work but Verizon and Sprint CDMA phones would not work with the version of the MagicJack femtocell being demoed.

How much will it cost?

$40 for one year of service, which includes unlimited calling in the U.S. and Canada.

When will it be available?

In about four months.

Analysis and Concerns…

1. Questionably legal.  The FCC is reviewing the legality of a 3rd party femtocell not provided by the cellular carrier (some cellular carriers sell their own femtocells which usually run around $200).  If the FCC gives its blessing on the MagicJack femtocell or concludes that it fits within the spectrum laws, then I predict that cell carriers will simply cook into their contracts provisions that prohibit the use of 3rd party femtocells (like prohibiting TetherBerry on Blackberry phones).

2. Unless it has improved markedly in the past two years, the MagicJack VOIP network is spotty. I received repeated bursts of static using a traditional MagicJack.

3. Consumers would only achieve cost savings under two scenarios. First, the consumer exceeds his/her minutes and thus is able to reduce the overage by VOIPing some calls. Second, the consumer VOIPs enough calls to reduce his/her monthly allotment of minutes and incurs a lower monthly cell phone charge.

4. According to some reports, the service requires a MagicJack SIM card inserted into the phone. While this isn’t a big drawback for users who don’t need to insert SIM cards for other reasons (international roaming or switching networks), it may detract from the appeal of the MagicJack femtocell.

5. The advantages are somewhat overstated by some bloggers and commenters. You can use a traditional MagicJack for unlimited VOIP at the same price. The primary advantages of the new scheme are using the same handset for your VOIP and cellular calls and consolidating your VOIP and cellular calls to one phone number (the latter of which you can do with Google Voice too, a free service).

6. Consumers with with friends-and-family plans or pick-any-10 or the like can effectively make unlimited cell calls for free by adding a Google Voice outdial number as a airtime free call.

7. Google acquired a VOIP company in Q4 2009. When it slaps that together with Google Voice and enables number porting, then many of the purported advantages of the MagicJack femtocell will be available through Google and, most likely, for free.

I suppose the good news is companies are getting creative about ways to reduce communications expenses, particularly cell phone bills. If Google Voice rolls out VOIP too, perhaps the bottom will fall out of the cell phone companies sooner rather than later.

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[UPDATE 4/29/2010: The Nexus One was replaced by the HTC Incredible in Verizon's line-up.]

The rumors were right that the Google Nexus One will be launched on T-Mobile and T-Mobile alone.  However, Mario Queiroz, a Google executive, has confirmed that Nexus One will be available on Verizon in the Spring.

Unless you are due for an upgrade now and cannot wait, the Nexus One is a far superior phone to the Motorola Droid (unless, of course, you are lost without a physical keyboard). Furthermore, the unsubsidized retail price of a Droid is currently higher than the unsubsidized retail price of a Nexus One.

Given that this did not leak as a rumor, perhaps the decision by Verizon came at the 11th hour. The decision by Verizon makes sense; Verizon customers who want the best available Android device might pack up for T-Mobile. By Spring, however, there should be many more Android choices.

P.S. Among other tidbits revealed about the Nexus One in Mountain View today, customers who order the Nexus One directly from Google will be able to custom engrave the back of the device with a short message. I’m thinking “#tmobilesux” could be popular.

Below is the official video of the Google Nexus One in action:

[via All Things Digital]

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First, the trackball on the Tour was the subject of much publicity for being faulty.  It appears that RIM has corrected the problem in later builds.  I had a faulty trackball and my carrier, Verizon, allowed me to swap it out for a later build. The trackball is covered by RIM’s 1 year warranty. The Tour 2 will use a optical trackpad instead of a trackball.  This could be a step in the right direction.

Second, the Tour was launched with OS 4.7.1.40.  Under the right stress (which nobody can seem to identify), loading an app can cause a “552 error” which often requires reloading the OS and risks data loss.  Carriers are allowing some Tour owners to swap out for a new Tour if the 552 error appears which dumbfounds me because it is not a hardware problem. Swapping out hardware will not solve the problem. It is clearly a problem with the OS.  I had a few 552 errors and reloaded the OS each time.  Finally, after loosing my patience, I upgraded to the “leaked” version of OS 5.0.0.230.  It is very stable and nobody I know running it has encountered the dreaded 552 error when loading an app.  An official release of OS 5.0 is expected very soon.  (The Storm 2 was the first Blackberry to ship with OS 5.0.)

Taking into account those two problems, overall I am very satisfied with the phone.  With a later build date and later OS, the phone functions very well.  I am enjoying it and have not jumped at the opportunity to go Droid yet.

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Pros

The N900 will have the best hardware of any smartphone upon release (the specs are truly amazing), which is expected to be within two weeks (although delayed once before). It is the first smartphone to run the popular Firefox web browser which is used by approximately 47.5% of computer users.(1)  The N900 will support a completely open operating system that is Linux-based that looks promising, Maemo 5.

Cons

The N900 is being launched in the U.S. on T-Mobile, which recently suffered a serious network outage.  The device is relatively expensive, like the Droid.  It does not have the iPhone or Android level of app support.  Additionally, and some critics are quick to point this out, the N900 will not have native support for MMS.

Are Investors Overlooking the N900?

The N900 will set the bar for hardware and Maemo 5 has the potential to rival Android.  Will developers and consumer support the product?  It appears that Nokia has taken the “if you build it, they will come” approach.  It could be a blockbuster product.  NOK’s peformance over the past six months, down 1.37%, hardly suggests that anyone on in the market believes in Nokia and the N900.  Why?

(1) Some analysts dispute this figure.  The numbers ranger from about 25% to  the www3school’s estimate of 47.5%.

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