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these aren't the droids you're looking for

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
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Im over here now
ATT's coverage isn't as good nationwide - not even close for 3G which is vital for a smartphone and while I had users (sample size approx. 100 nationwide field reps some of which were in Canada, Mexico, Guam, and Puerto Rico too) on their networks we had far more outages than Verizon. Some carriers might be better in select local or regional areas on voice, but nevertheless, ATT isn't nearly as good for smartphones in the US.
well i guess all my travels in the U.S. have been in major metropolitan areas, but ive had zero issues with my WiMo phones
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
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VT
well i guess all my travels in the U.S. have been in major metropolitan areas, but ive had zero issues with my WiMo phones
Are you in hundred places at once with a hundred different devices? No, then sample size is not adequate then.

NYC is pretty bad for ATT smartphone users - get a lot of complaints there despite it being a huge metro area...
 

jonKranked

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Nov 10, 2005
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well i guess all my travels in the U.S. have been in major metropolitan areas, but ive had zero issues with my WiMo phones
Steve, when I lived in SoCal and was traveling around there, (up to San Fran, the Tahoe/Reno area, the Corridor b/w LA and SD), everyone I knew w/ AT&T complained how spotty the service was. Even down on the beach in my apartment in the South Bay people with AT&T had poor service.


My sister lives right outside Philly - about 5 minutes from KOP, and since she switched from Verizon to AT&T she has been dropping calls regularly.


And this isn't about any particular OS, but about carriers.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
It's definitely area dependent.

Verizon has superior coverage virtually everywhere but fortunately, I evaluated my coverage in my area before committing to AT&T. Knock on wood, I've not had a dropped call and my service is excellent everywhere in my commonly visited areas.

Only place it gets bad is in upstate NY when I visit my grandmother.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
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Im over here now
My sister lives right outside Philly - about 5 minutes from KOP, and since she switched from Verizon to AT&T she has been dropping calls regularly.
i spent all last week in the Philly/Cherry Hill area and didnt lose it once...although i wish i did.....getting work emails on my phone officially sucks

Only place it gets bad is in upstate NY when I visit my grandmother.
me too. ATT did say they are putting up a tower close to Platty, which should help, but Delta House is deep in the valley so im thinking a new tower wont matter
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
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VT
Also unless email or other limited bandwidth applications are your main reason for having a smartphone edge/non-3G coverage does not cut it. That is where Verizon is significantly ahead - 3G.
 

jonKranked

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Nov 10, 2005
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Hey what's the data pricing going to be - anybody know?
I pay $30/mo for unlimited data (on top of my voice/txt'ing plan, and this is for a BB). I think enterprise level unlimited data is $40/mo.

edit: haha I'm only 8 days into my current billing cycle and I've already put down 100mb of data to my phone.
 
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jonKranked

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True, but I couldn't imagine it costing much more than $30 or $40. My last phone was a motorola Q and I was paying $40/month for unlimited data.
 

jonKranked

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Good initial indepth review of Android 2.0 on the droid:

http://gizmodo.com/5395801/android-20-review-almost-human

Obviously wasn't expecting it to be a perfect phone, but overall it still sounds great.

Worth noting is that all of the issues/problems (with the potential exception of the camera) are software issues. I have yet to hear a single bad thing about the hardware (except maybe how much it weights). Based on how much development has been done on Android over the past year, and how frequently they issue updates, I think that most, if not all, of these issues will be resolved in the first 6 months of the Droid being on the market.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
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I really like the increased momentum in flick-scrolling through pages.

There's a lot to like about that phone.
 

jonKranked

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I really like the increased momentum in flick-scrolling through pages.

There's a lot to like about that phone.
One thing that article didn't mention is the sweet docks that are included with the phone:

-one for home, to turn the phone into a media playing station

-one for vehicle, that automatically brings up the TBT navigation program
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
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Yeah... I don't really care about the home dock. It'd be great if the backlit screen would actually turn off sections of it that are denoted "black" - in that case, I'd have it in my bedroom and use it as an alarm clock.

Unfortunately, even the best alarm clock app can't make the glow go away from a black screen that still has a backlight. Sucks, too, because there are some great alarm clock apps out there but the dimming mode does no good - the phone still glows.
 

jonKranked

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Yeah... I don't really care about the home dock. It'd be great if the backlit screen would actually turn off sections of it that are denoted "black" - in that case, I'd have it in my bedroom and use it as an alarm clock.

Unfortunately, even the best alarm clock app can't make the glow go away from a black screen that still has a backlight. Sucks, too, because there are some great alarm clock apps out there but the dimming mode does no good - the phone still glows.
I think that's more a limitation of lcd technology currently than anything else; that is, being able to selectively power portions of the screen.


While these definitely aren't "make or break" accessories, it does show some good attention to detail, and IMO reflects the other ways people are starting to use their phones. I use my BB as a music player daily, and in a number of places.
 

binary visions

The voice of reason
Jun 13, 2002
22,092
1,132
NC
I think that's more a limitation of lcd technology currently than anything else; that is, being able to selectively power portions of the screen.
Right. I think there are a couple TVs (not sure if they're on the market or if it was just demo stuff) that could actually selectively dim LED backlights but really, until that exists, I won't be happy with my phone as an alarm. Right now I just leave it face down on my desk but that means I still need a clock unless I want to pick up my phone to check the time... I know it's nit-picky.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
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VT
I've been off contract since the summer but I'm going to wait and see for a while mainly because having a data plan is expensive and I won't get much utility from any smartphone right now. I most likely will go with Verizon unless they fall behind in LTE.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Right. I think there are a couple TVs (not sure if they're on the market or if it was just demo stuff) that could actually selectively dim LED backlights
local dimming led's have the ability to do what, but the cost is higher then a sidelight led panel....and its really only in tv's.




Did I mention I put down a deposit on one :)
they are taking deposits?
 

jonKranked

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Nov 10, 2005
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Interesting chart comparison:




points of differentiation:

1) battery life - droid takes talk time, iPhone takes standby. I consider this to be a draw

2) camera: 5 vs 3, also droid has a flash. Not much of a difference, but from what I've heard the software running the droid's camera is a little laggy

3) Multi-tasking: Droid ftw. Yes, you can get an iPhone to multi-task, but it is not a out-of the box feature; jailbreaking is the only way to enable (not something the typical iPhone user can do or wants to do)

4) Apps: yes, Apple wins this one. Or do they? More isn't necessarily better... I wonder just how many of these apps are useful, or are just ports of solitare and bejeweled?
 

jonKranked

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The big question is do people really pay $1400/yr for their smart phones? :confused: :crazy:
yup, they sure do. I pay around $1200/year, but most (and I'm talking ballpark of 80%) of my personal emailing is now done via my blackberry.

But that's still with a 17% corporate discount... from my last job
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
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290
VT
The big question is do people really pay $1400/yr for their smart phones? :confused: :crazy:
Honestly they don't unless its for business. Its a case of too much disposable income - most people that have them are usually near a computer often anyways and its far more productive option than a smartphone.

Most people don't need near real time email/facebook/etc. Its a pure luxury which is why most people still have regular cellphones.
 

4xBoy

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2006
7,014
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Honestly they don't unless its for business. Its a case of too much disposable income - most people that have them are usually near a computer often anyways and its far more productive option than a smartphone.

Most people don't need near real time email/facebook/etc. Its a pure luxury which is why most people still have regular cellphones.
My blackberry is my modem for my home computer, yeah not the fastest set-up but the cheapest option at the moment.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
My blackberry is my modem for my home computer, yeah not the fastest set-up but the cheapest option at the moment.
You are missing the point, I am not talking about outliers. Its not the case for most smartphone owners and most iPhone owners can't tether until its is officially launched by ATT. A smartphone is not required tethering equipment, there are cheaper cellular modem equipment options (or other providers like satellite). Tethering incurs additional fees over the standard unlimited data plans on most providers (yes I know there are programs that let you get around that but unlimited is not unlimited and its a breach of the contract to use them).
 

jonKranked

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Nov 10, 2005
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Syadasti, for a while I didn't have internet at my apartment, so my BB was my *only* way to check my personal email. Yes, I am at a computer all day at work, but cannot access email sites (they are blocked).