Tim Salmon and I (in Phones Show Chat) often remark that if the perfect smartphone came along then we'd have nothing to debate and nothing to write about - but the current situation in terms of what I've tried and rejected is starting to get ridiculous. Am I too fussy in wanting something that's remotely close to perfect? Having seen, tried and rejected 101 smartphones, what the heck do I recommend to others?
Read on in the full article.
Very true Steve... I find it hard to recommend anything - it's so easy to get wrong. You can play it safe and go with the market leader (i.e. the iphone), but then that kind of suggests you don't really believe in what you say. On the other hand if you recommend something which you personally appreciate, the other person may discover a whole world of pain flashing/twiddling/fixing it to get it work!
hehe it's so true no? i sometimes try to write a list of things my perfect phone would (and would not) do but i always get stuck on the details which makes me wonder if it is even possible to design and build the "perfect" phone
i am loving my htc desire but i *really* appreciate the camera on my N86 after using the htc desie camera for a day or two
maybe having more than one device is the only way to go, where between the 2 (or more) of them you have all vital bases covered
Duncan J Murray wrote:.... go with the market leader (i.e. the iphone).....
iPhone is NOT a market leader.
and iPhone is NOT a phone for every lad and gal out there.
if you live in a country that data is quite expensive or you don't want to waste your battery life with constant on GPRS, then you know that iPhone would not sell.
And also, each phone user is unique. Some want touch phone but no qwerty (not a bulky phone), others wouldn't mind if the phone 3mm thicker as long as it have QWERTY. And the 1 phone will concur all of the iPhone definitely means that's phone really not for all of us (not me).
Anyway.
Good article steve.
I also find myself in this situation.
I wanna upgrade my old E61i, and the only choice I would be worthy is the cheaper 5800 or the more expensive N97mini. and I finally choose to wait for a couple of more months for those C6/E7/N8 to come out.
Nokia really entering the dark age of their device.
Amazingly, Nokia entering the darkness and still the king.
If they really do it right, I think all the fruits company will be history before anyone heard it.
PS.
Kudos for trio 5230/5530/5800.
I believe this phone really priced right.
I've already seen more 5230 owner than iPhone owner in Indonesia.
I believe in 2010 the sale number of sole type of Nokia 5230 will beat all the iphone model combined together.
Now, this is what a market leader is.
I thought I was in the same boat till yesterday, wont change the Vivaz now for along time, stick SPB Mobile Shell on it and it totally transforms the experience.
Symbian^3 looks interesting and I might buy a device just to see what's what when they start to appear but it all depends on how quickly apps get ported over.
Like you Steve I still think Android needs another year to mature by which time I think Symbian will have surpassed it in the UI department as I like you believe Symbian still offers the most functions within the OS.
I don't think you need to wait for apps to be ported for S3.
AFAIK, native S60 apps will be supported in S3 devices (there is a mention on S3 supporting both AVKON .sis and QT .sis), where as the S4 will totally ditch the avkon.
My solution is to own several phones and pick up a different one every morning depending on mood.
Very fair Steve, let`s hope this year`s crop offer up some genuine rivals to Apple at last. I really want to like Maemo/Meego but too much tinkering at moment but the next/final step should be really interesting. I hope Symbian gets something decent out and it`s on decently spec`d hardware rather than last years shambles if it doesn`t and without being too dramatic I think it`s all over as it`ll get swamped by tidal wave of Android which will include more and more cheap ones, Symbian is already in big trouble vs Android with Apps as numbers released to Android are starting to accelerate exponentially according to last weeks figs. It could be that SF^3 turns out to be last roll of the dice and the longer we have to wait the more the weight of expectations on it and SF^4 is just going to take to long to be released before the market share has been tied up, maybe not but it`s a close thing I think
I have a N97 myself, and have played a lot with the N97Mini.
I have growned quite satisfied with my N97, I love it for the decent (better than average) camera, the video-cam (yes, I know pre-focus would have been nice, but..), the oodles of mass-storage, the flexibility, good software support, the now working Ovi Store (I think I have bought about 13 games, and 5 apps). I use Google Maps on it (works like a charm), I email, I surf the web, use dropbox thru the browser, SMS.
Yes, they both deserve a better CPU and RAM for real power users, but for semi-power users (lack of a better word), I can defintely recommend the N97Mini. It has a good price/performance ratio. Compared to similarly priced phones like the HTC Hero, the N97Mini wins hands down in almost every department, except UI slickness (which is not really that big of a deal).
BUT - it is critical for Nokia, to be able to compete in the future, that they deliver on promises and rumours mounted by Symbian3 and the rumored Nokia N8-00 device. If executed, that could very well be the comeback Nokia needs in the high-end for sure!
I think a good combination at the moment would be an E71/E72 or N86 (depending if you like qwerty or not) running JoikuSpot and an iPod Touch. Use the Nokia for all the phone stuff (calls, messaging, imaging) and navigating and the iPod Touch for web surfing, apps and music.
I have been a nokia fan for quite some time...I think my first phone was the gold 3390 or the crazy flip 6800.
I honestly have loved every single one of these phones and have tried since the 6800 to have a full qwerty as I love to text and write. i can't stand abbreviations and must be able to capture full thoughts.
I really do hope Nokia makes a big splash with symbian^3 since they really need the boost but honestly i think the nuron will do very well in getting nokia known again in the usa
I have the n97 mini on order and I am really looking forward to it since it seems like there are many apps for the touch based S60V5 phones.
I still believe apple is hype and I have a feeling that unless froyo brings all the androids together they may be in for a long haul.
Thanks for another great article Steve. There is something between the sturdy E61i that you use as your backup device and the recommended E63. It's the E71. I have both these phones (my wife uses a red E63). Both hardware AND SOFTWARE are MUCH better on E71. Build quality is fabulous. Hardware is awsome - metal and high quality plastic. Plus being only 10 mm thick it is extremely pocketable. Plus, smallish but very useable full QWERTTY. On top of that an incredibly reliable GPS with free voice navigation now available for free. Software is rock stable now at ver. 410.xxx.xxx (7th iteration). Yet, most of all the device has some incredible kind of elegance and MAGIC,which is its greatest advantage. BTW, newer batches manufactured in Hungary have slightly better cameras - photo quality is quite acceptable for casual pictures.
The N82 is far from a perfect phone, but I've yet to see a phone with a superset of its features, so I stick with it. Fortunately, it's built (nearly) like a tank, though I did accidentally crack the screen of my first one with a beer keg. 😊
I'm hoping to see a phone to replace my N82 in the coming year, but I put it at only a 50-50 chance.
If someone would just squeeze the i8910 into the E90 formfactor, it would be the best phone in the world by far!
Strong speculation that Nokia will announce the N8 tomorrow running Symbian^3 OS.
There will never be a "perfect" phone, at least not for everyone. Some may get close depending on your requirements, and for those in the right frame of mind, the iPhone is absolutely perfect and has absolutely no flaws 😉
The N95 was pretty close, although that was lacking in screen size. Right now I'm finding the 5230 fitting the bill fairly well, albeit with a very clunky UI. Heck, I've even managed to get a few rather indecently good pictures out of it, even though it "only" has a 2mp fixed focus camera.
One thing that darned near every smartphone lacks these days though is battery life - its the one area that has actually gone backwards over the last few years. 1gHz processors, VGA (or higher res) screens, 8mp camera, HD video recording, bluetooth, wifi, HSDPA, all great. But what about a phone that you can take away for a week on a business trip and not have to charge every other day? Look at the venerable Nokia 6310i - 7 days on a charge. I used to use a BB 7230, that would last 7 days of being connected up and pulling through mails. Nothing comes close these days :frown:
could you tell me more about the symbian 3 phones from Nokia?
The 5xxx touch series (with latest firmware) Had most Nokias from 6800 to n70 (still have) to n86 which I still have but now not being used. Why ? The Nokia 5230! Surprised me too. Poor camera,cheap construction, yada yada but... It is light, sturdy with a rubber case, and the UI is actually very good. Again this surprised me a lot. Nokia are normally not very good at this but I am really enjoying this phone! Kinetic scrolling everywhere (almost 😉 it actually just works IF you are a Nokia user. If you come from a different environment then YMMV.
A very pleasantly surprised (dont need no stinking touch convert) :
I can only hope that Nokia makes a direct E90 successor.
Milestone has a locked bootloader and requires digital signatures. So no modding goodies. So, for me no Milestone - a HTC Desire is on it's way to me right now. But i hope on the next phone i'll have a hard time choosing between an Android and a Symbian.
cdx wrote:The 5xxx touch series (with latest firmware) Had most Nokias from 6800 to n70 (still have) to n86 which I still have but now not being used. Why ? The Nokia 5230! Surprised me too. Poor camera,cheap construction, yada yada but... It is light, sturdy with a rubber case, and the UI is actually very good. Again this surprised me a lot. Nokia are normally not very good at this but I am really enjoying this phone! Kinetic scrolling everywhere (almost 😉 it actually just works IF you are a Nokia user. If you come from a different environment then YMMV.A very pleasantly surprised (dont need no stinking touch convert) :
Totally agree, although cheap construction isn't really too much of a problem - its easily strong enough to take normal usage.
Shame that kinetic scrolling isn't there in the menus - have to use the right hand scroll bar. Irritating. The UI isn't at all bad (its definitely better than the 5800 I had a year back), but it is very inconsistent, and the designers obviously didn't have the time to actually make it intuitive.
And I've managed to get more creative pictures out of the 5230 than I ever did out of the N95 or N85. Change pics to B&W, high contrast, and you can get some fantastic results. Still prefer the camera on the N73 though 😉😃
Why does a phone have to be perfect before you can recommend it? I take it you've never recommended a film or a restaurant to anyone either?
clonmult wrote:One thing that darned near every smartphone lacks these days though is battery life - its the one area that has actually gone backwards over the last few years. 1gHz processors, VGA (or higher res) screens, 8mp camera, HD video recording, bluetooth, wifi, HSDPA, all great. But what about a phone that you can take away for a week on a business trip and not have to charge every other day? Look at the venerable Nokia 6310i - 7 days on a charge. I used to use a BB 7230, that would last 7 days of being connected up and pulling through mails. Nothing comes close these days :frown:
Unfortunately, given the amount of features contained in most smartphones and the fact that battery technology is not moving at the same rate, battery life is inevitably going to be an issue. You can replicate an older phone by disabling many features to reduce battery drain, but that kind of defeats the point....
I am a newb to the smartphone world, but I think I got lucky with my pick. I got the Samsung Mythic (SGH-a897), and I think it's great. I know I could have a flawed perspective because I really have nothing to compare it to. Every phone I've had before this were dumbphones and I've never had a data plan. The interface is great. Sure, the on-screen qwerty takes a little practice, but I don't have many keystroke errors anymore. One review I read on it says that the LED flash on the camera makes all the pictures washed-out, but I really don't see it. I'm on the Internet all the time, and the large screen makes it easy to keep up with all my rss feeds. I read that the Opera browser works best on this phone, but I haven't bothered looking for it because the current browser does fine. I usually navigate to Google Mobile anyway. I skimped a little by rejecting the AT&T Navigator, but Google Maps works just fine, and still uses the GPS capability of the phone without the extra cost. I just don't get turn-by-turn directions, but I don't like some sweet voice telling me that I just missed a turn. I have a wife for that. I love the fact that I can use any input device to operate the touchscreen: finger, finger-nail, stylus, retractable pen tip... Again, I may like the features of this phone simply because I've never had anything like it, but I think I came across a good entry into the smartphone world and I fear disappointment if I have to change. BTY: Flo-TV service is a wonderful assist in staying alert while I crunch numbers all day at work.
Hi Steven, can't wait for your take a walk on the wilde side of the i8910 part 3...
Alsways interesting what devices you end up with. E90 and i8910... a great combo
clonmult wrote:
Shame that kinetic scrolling isn't there in the menus - have to use the right hand scroll bar. Irritating. The UI isn't at all bad (its definitely better than the 5800 I had a year back), but it is very inconsistent, and the designers obviously didn't have the time to actually make it intuitive.😉😃
Got vMENU to get Apple like kinetic scrolling on menus 😊
Good article but what do you recommend to those people who wouldn't know the difference between a feature phone and a smart phone but just want a "good" phone and come to you for advice because you know about these things.
For example what do you recommend to someone who wants to replace their ageing Nokia 6300?
Hey Steve only last month on the Phones Show (good program I enjoy it) you where defending the N97 and in your opinion it was the best smartphone (main device) and suddenly you don't use it anymore what's changed?
I see 3 out of 4 are last generation Nokia's trying to relive the glory days? I still am with my N82 as a backup device.
grahamlovett wrote:Good article but what do you recommend to those people who wouldn't know the difference between a feature phone and a smart phone but just want a "good" phone and come to you for advice because you know about these things.For example what do you recommend to someone who wants to replace their ageing Nokia 6300?
There isn't really a difference these days - and until v4 of the iPhone OS comes along, thats not really a full smartphone OS.
What defines a smartphone? It can't be the ability to have apps, as thats been available on S40, SE K series, etc. for years - Java has been useful in some ways.
Full multi tasking is what I'd tend to ascribe as a major smartphone feature, and to be honest there aren't that many people who really need it. For most people, the latest/greatest S40 or SE phone is more than adequate.