Obviously I am utterly dependent on technology and specifically my smart phone. I can't help it. I'm a techno junkie. Actually I'm just a gadget junkie and seem to drawn to bright shiny things that make me want to buy them. I'm not alone though, and I'd dare say that once you have had a smart phone, you can't go back to not having one. The same things people will say about my compulsive obsession with my smartphone, have also been said about Microwaves when they first came out. I dare you to take away someone's microwave today and see what kind of reaction you get! Better count your fingers after you try that.
What's that you say? iPhone 4S instead? Ummmmm no.
Contrary to popular belief, I'm not an Apple fanboy. Yes yes, I own a bunch of ipods, and I own an iPad 2, as well as my iPhone 4. I don't have a MacBook or any of their other computing products even though I have entertained the pervasive thought of getting one. Truthfully I can't justify the price of a macbook just for the sake of trying one out. Not even used.
"Those crazy mo'fo's on Kijiji want next to new prices for stuff that's years old."
The worst part of that, is that they actually get those prices. Cra-zay-zee! I will however take advantage of that ridiculous Apple pricing on used products when I sell my phone. So yes I own some apple toys but I don't consider myself a die hard. My PC works great. I know how to support it and there's very little that a Mac would do that I can't on my PC. Definitely not worth the switch.
I digress.
Essentially I am tired of the Apple regime and the new iPhone 4S is not enough of a step up from my phone for me to want to buy it. I don't think much of the new Siri feature either and having seen Google's voice software, I'd have to give it the edge. There's nothing really that I'd be missing if I didn't get the iPhone 4S. I also tire of Apple creating restrictions in their App Store. Their proprietary iTunes software is a little annoying and I definitely worry about letting Apple handle my stuff in their "cloud". The price they charge for space is outrageous too. I'm tired of their whole system really.
I know this sounds crazy, but I want a change.
 |
| Galaxy Nexus |
If not the iPhone 4S then what am I considering as a replacement? Well, I'm really considering an Android phone. A few friends have them and after playing with them I think I was a little surprised by how slick they are now compared to when they first came out. The touch interface has really improved, the resolution is comparable to the iPhone Retina display and they horsepower under the hood is great too. They take great pics and often times better than the iPhone. Video recording is available in 1080 HD and the number of applications that are available now has increased tremendously. A lot of the apps that I currently use on my iPhone are also available from the Android Marketplace. The switch will be relatively easy and I don't imagine suffering to many growing pains. Sure I'll have to learn a new interface, which means getting comfortable with all the tricks and tips that come with using an Android O/S but I think it will be worth it.
Not to mention the new version of the Android O/S is now available to certain models of the phone as well. It is called Ice Cream Sandwich or ICS for short. Many existing models will benefit from an upgrade but release dates for the update haven't been written in stone yet. Only one phone currently has it installed natively and that is the new Google phone called the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.
 |
| Galaxy S II |
The phone that is widely considered king of the Android phones is the Samsung Galaxy S II. That is until the Galaxy Nexus came along. They are very similar in specs but most reviews I've read, put the Nexus a rung or two above the S II. The new Motorola Razr is also a decent competitor but is close but not close enough from what I've read.
So for me the choice comes down to the brand spanking new Galaxy Nexus or the Galaxy S II. I like the display, speed, and new Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) that the Nexus offers. However, the Galaxy S II will take a micro SD card, takes great pics/video and is already available to the Telus network. The Nexus will be offered by Telus once their network is upgraded to LTE - which probably won't happen till the new year sometime. Unfortunately the Galaxy S II doesn't come with ICS right now. I know it is slated for an upgrade though, but that too will probably not happen till the 1st quarter of 2012.
So I think I'm going to wait till the new year to make a final decision. Once the S II gets the ICS update then things might swing in it's favor. I also want to make sure that I can switch to Telus and so if the Nexus is only available to Bell as an alternative, then I'll have to think really hard before I switch to them.
Which phone would you pick if you were me and wanted to get an Android phone?
UPDATE: I've just discovered that the Galaxy S II comes in 2 different screen sizes and processor capacities. The original Sii had a 4.3" screen but they've since released international versions that have a 4.5" screen size which is just slightly smaller than the 4.6" size of the Galaxy Nexus.
ReplyDeleteAlso important to note is that the Sii in the international version also has the 1.5 dual core processor instead of the original 1.2 that was offered, making it a slightly better performer than the original.
Telus and Rogers both offer the newer version of the Sii but Bell still sells the original. You can tell the difference on these phones by the presence or lack of a physical button on the front of the phone at the bottom. The original model has the button, but the updated versions do not (instead 4 little icons).
Also it's important to note that the Sii LTE from Rogers will work on the Telus network but may only be capable of using the 4G network and not the LTE network when it comes out. This is mainly due to the fact that Telus may not use the same LTE frequencies that the Rogers has on their network.