If only I had a nickle for every time I answered the question what phone should I buy. Debating between phone platforms is not easy because you have to compare hardware and software features. My friend sent me an email trying to decide between three android phone (2 unreleased) and the 4th generation iPhone (yet to release). I went through and pointed out the key thing you need to consider when debating between Android and iPhone. I figured I would just share my answer with everyone and send my friend a link with my answer. Here is his email below.
Rod, since I know you know this, thought I would ask.
Should I go for the Droid or wait for the Incredible or the new LG Andoid(think it’s an LG) coming out this spring, or just wait for the iphone? Any thoughts-saw your review on the Droid call quality.
Whether you are still running the old Android 2.0.1 or have upgraded to 2.1 on your Motorola Droid, you will have found that you are still stuck with just 3 home screens for your icons, unless you are using a replacement Launcher or Home replacement. There are many out there, like Home ++, or Panda Home, etc. I tried to use them all, but gave up because all of them took a performance toll and made my device less stable. I can put up with an occasional Force Close, but when it starts happening dozens of time a day, that’s it for me. So I have just been trying to cram everything into 3 screens. It helps to use folders, but unfortunately every time I messed around with another Launcher, it never included the folders, and I had to start over. If you want to see how I solved that issue, look at my post on FolderOrganizer (Manage Android Applications with ForlderOrganizer).[click to continue…]
As most of you should have read, Chris came up against the Exchange support wall today, on his new Nexus One device. And while the Exchange support is apparently slightly better on the Motorola Droid, it’s not that noticeable. For that reason, I recommend to anyone who needs to have Exchange support on Android that they move directly to TouchDown, an application built specifically for this purpose. Because Chris is such a good friend, I figured that I should share a few secrets with him about TouchDown, and Rod replied back immediately: “Don’t tell us, tell the blog!†So, let me share with you a few secrets about TouchDown. [click to continue…]
Anyone that had high hopes that domestic calls over Skype would not use your voice plan need to think again. It’s makes sense for Verizon because so many people would reduce their voice plans in favor of Skype. I do wonder if International calls to domestic numbers over Skype will use Skype minutes. Essentially, you in the UK and calling back to the US that is when using Skype minutes is critical. I called Verizon and 3 different customer service agents said calls from outside the US over Skype back to a US number DO NO USE SKYPE. See the Verizon FAQ if you have questions. I really hope these three people are WRONG!!
We just heard that eBay has released a dedicated application for Android devices and it bears some pretty cool features.
Ability to check status of your auctions
Voice navigation
View and/or leave feedback
Bid notifications
We haven’t had a chance to check eBay mobile for Android out yet, however, it is free, available, and you can get it in the Android Market. Just search for Android.
If you take a look at it before we do, leave us a comment and let us know what you think.
I think everyone has seen the Verizon commercial that shows a high quality video playing on the Motorola Droid. The first thing that crossed my mind was I want that! So I started digging around to figure out how to do it. If you’re not a person that likes to dig into menus or sub menus, you may never find the option to change the YouTube app to display high quality video. I’ve done the work for you and now I am going to share my results along with a few more tips and tricks.
I am starting to see various news reports crop up that Windows Phone 7 is being delayed. Some sites are saying this is extremely bad news for Microsoft while others suggest the deal is related to the success of the Droid. Either way being a proponent of Windows Phone I welcome the delay.
I received a text message saying, “I sent you a text with part of the password, call me and I will give you the rest on the phone.” Not a big deal. I have done this many times before. Today for some reason, once given all the pieces, the password did not seem to work. [click to continue…]
