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So here is my review for my new 3d tv. Overall its pretty amazing as a tv overall, and its really cool how “connected” it is. The 3D is a fun addition, but dont buy this tv just for that feature as its still in its baby years. It is cool to fuck around with the 3D, like in video games or just adding another dimension to your favorite movie as the conversion of 2D to 3D is actually pretty good. At least better then I had thought. The TV does have some odd quirks about it, mostly the awful remote control (which can be replaced by a third party remote), the lack of out of the box wifi (adapter purchase needed – but it does have a wired port), and the crummy speakers (but you would want to match this tv with a real stereo anyways).
I like it, if you are in the market for a new tv I would recommend it. The picture is bright, crisp, and the blacks are black. The connected applications like twitter, google maps, and netflix is just icing on the cake.
PART ONE
PART TWO
HARDWARE:
It feels solid, heavy, and expensive. Boxy black with gold features that have grown on me in a Atari 2600 retro kind of way.. It really does feel like a “Droid”. The screen is high resolution and big. The keyboard is almost completely flat, and tiny. My small girl like hands found troubles with it at first, but after some use I found a way to use it decently enough that it doesn’t feel like too much of a problem. The keys have a small bump, but overall the design of the keyboard sucks. The keyboard sits next to a small useless directional pad. Its not a complete loss, but I think anyone would take a little more thickness for a better keyboard.
The Speakerphone is loud and the speaker sounds great. The optional Car Dock is basic, and CANT be used if the phone is in a case. Stupid. The optional dock station was not reviewed, but a free program called “dockloader” throws the phone in dock mode (first photo shown below is the phone in dock mode), so I dont suggest buying it. Just lean it up against something and save your $30.
The phone has the normal volume up/down and power button. But one annoying thing is that to turn the phone off or on from sleep you only have ONE option, the power button. It would have been nice to have the option to wake up the phone by pressing more then one key. Like the iPhone you can press the top button or the menu button. Another annoying design flaw is the row of buttons under the screen are way to easily pressed, especially when trying to use the camera. Also the volume buttons are constantly being hit when putting the phone in you pocket or just holding. Overall the hardware feels solid, but it also feels poorly thought out.
I have noticed the screen is really sensitive. It reminds me of the iPhone’s screen, but the software is holding it down. A few times I had my finger hovering over the screen, but yet the screen took it as a press and opened an application without an actual touch. Now this could have been some odd software glitch, or it was the touchscreen going crazy. The 854X480 resolution blows the iPhones 320×480 resolution and it looks great!
A heavy, weird looking phone with a keyboard that is barely functional and a huge screen that cries for a new body.
3/5 STARS
SOFTWARE:
The Android 2.0 software is my first time using Googles operating system. It seems for the most part decent but not polished. Some things are well done, while things like the music player, photo album, and basic shit like removing programs are barbaric in comparison to the iphone. The Android has a smoking fast processor, and a video card! But the menu’s have a stutter to them, and applications have been crashing more then I would like. Whats weird is some parts of the OS seem fine tuned, with no lag, and super fast scrolling… but other parts, like the MAIN HOME SCREEN seems like its in Beta.
The Google maps is great, But the new Google Navigation is a different story. I found google navigation confusing. Sure the voice search used on this phone is ALMOST PERFECT (its scary how good it is). But when I say “Navigate to Target Burbank” it brings me up a google search page, where I have to find a button (if there is one) that says “get directions”. I later found if you say “Map Target Burbank” it will give you google maps, where then you can click “Navigate”. The directions seem spot on, the traffic layer is great, but the satellite view which is really cool to see satellite images of the map your driving on is too much for the phones network to take. It worked for awhile, but then I hit a slow internet spot in my drive, and well, the satellite layer took a hit. Thats right, unlike some of the applications on the iphone, Google’s navigation is streaming. So you have to have cell phone service for it to work as it downloads while you drive. It works, but it could be better and since its listed as beta im sure it will.
The application store is decent, but some of the “Apps” make me question the legitimacy of whats be downloaded on my phone. A simple weather radar application wants permission to read my phone numbers and area codes? Hmm. While it no where compares to the applications of the iphone, whats really interesting is the lack of decent games for the phone. Thats probably because of the limitations google uses in their OS. Which makes all applications be installed on the internal memory (256MB) only. NOT the 16 GB memory card that comes with the phone. So a game like “Myst” on the iphone, with its huge 512MB install, wouldn’t even fit on the droid. Not a huge problem, but if you’re a gamer dont look at anything except the iphone for your cell phone gaming. I just wonder how easy it would be to fill up your droid with applications? Time will only tell.
The Android 2.0 seems like its in Beta, and since only Verizon’s droids have the new OS im guessing it is. Simple things like a voice recorder, a google weather app, and misc basic functionality seem curiously absent. There is no pinch and zoom in the OS yet, which is really annoying. So if you want to use the internet browser, or zoom into a photo you have to manually tap to zoom or use on screen controls. The browser is almost spot on with the iphone (its acts and looks the same for the most part), but I found it slower. Flash support is supposedly only months away for this phone, which would change EVERYTHING if implemented well.
The iphone is solid. Almost every quirk has been fixed. Every menu has been fine tuned, every option well thought out. The Android is like a step down from the first iphone when it comes to its software. It seems unfinished, and im sure it is. Some day I bet Android will be on top of its game, but as of right now its scrambling to take on too much too fast. Its not bad, its usable.. but its not the iphone, and especially iphone users will question why would I ever take that step down. Which comes to the only reason I can think of… open development. There is a reason why the application store has some sketchy applications, because its an open phone.. you can hack it up as much as you want, the look, the programs, its all up to you, not Apple. Like “Google Voice”, I can use google voice to make and receive calls over 3G (saving my Verizon mins!), something that has been absent from the iphone. The actual phone is ok, but whats missing is a hardware “end” key. The on screen keyboards are great and almost as good as the perfected iphone’s. Widgets by the way, are almost useless… as an example, why would I want a twitter app that shows me the latest tweet from my friends? One tweet???? really??
One thing to note, I always have screens popping up when I dont touch them. Or the menu will be frozen for 5 seconds when im trying to pan left or right on the home screen. Also the application screen will slide open on it’s own sometimes.. its things like these that make me hope an update is coming to fix all these quirks ASAP ( http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/10/v…mware-updates/ ). Also the sensor that turns off the screen when its held up to the ear often forgets to turn back on, which is a pain in the ass as you struggle to turn it back on so you can end a phone call.. hopefully a fix for that is also on the way.
Bottom line: The OS is fine, and it can only get better. But it still has alot of catching up to do.
3.5/5 STARS
CAMERA:
The camera seems to be buggy, hit and miss. While an update next month promises to fix some of the cameras issues, it overall is slow and sketchy. For the most part I was able to take some great photos, but it has a lag sometimes causing the photos to come off blurry. It like most of the applications on this phone was also prone to crashing. The photos also have a grain to them, Motorola has always had questionable cameras in their phones, and this is nothing different. There is a flash, which is very welcomed coming from the iphone, but in really low light, the flash might get you a picture, when the iphone wouldn’t.. but that picture will be nothing but a “hot mess”. Still, I would rather have an overexposed flash photo of something, then nothing at all. No way to use the flash during video (at least I havent found a way yet).
The camera album is not well thought out, and makes no sense. The video, especially for a cell phone was great, and can record MMS videos (low quality) or High Quality that can be uploaded to WiFi to Youtube. Since this is a untouched by Verizon phone, applications like Qik work!! Which is great news. Qik allows LIVE streaming video from your phone. A HUGE PLUS.
Overall the camera doesn’t act like a 5 megapixel camera, the video is a VERY NICE step up from others, and hopefully the lagy & crashy can be fixed by the software update. I still like the iphone’s camera, its quick, and the touch to focus is ideal, but the Droids camera could easily beat the iphone with some third party applications or some fixes from Google/Verizon.
3.5/5 STARS
Camera Test:
VIDEO (HIGH QUALITY) -uploaded from phone to youtube via wifi
QIK LIVE STREAMING VIDEO TEST! (good morning)
Complete Camera Quality Samples: Camera Samples on Flickr.
OVERALL:
So is there a reason to get this phone? Yes. If you for some reason need to stay on Verizon’s powerful network. The Apple iPhone is defiantly a better phone. AT&T is really an overstuffed network with way too many people on it. Its network is also not as spread out. I get more dropped calls then ever with my iPhone. Which is a shame. The best phone on a bad network. The droid isn’t for everyone.. you really have to be somewhat techy to figure it out. Its the number one phone I have ever used that needs a manual, but for some reason doesn’t come with one.. most likely because it’s a mess to figure it out.
The phone has alot going for it.. I really think the Android operating system will someday rule the smartphone market.. but right now, its nothing but a huge beta test. The idea that everything can be tweeked, and customized by third party applications is the only thing that saves it right now. If something doesn’t work right, there probably is an “app” for it.
While the phone hasn’t even been out for a week, it already has sold thousands.. hopefully that means fast fixes for some of the issues I have with the phone. Its not an iPhone killer, not even close.. but its defiantly the second best phone I have ever used.
-Verizon hasnt touched it.. its open, and nothing is locked up.. so Tweek it, and change it.
-The camera can be great sometimes.. the video is GREAT.
-Flash support is months away
-Great Browser!
-Sound quality both speaker and phone is great
-The screen is big, and bright
-Android OS is great if youre a Google/Gmail user
-WIFI!
-The stock Ringtones and Sound alerts dont suck!
-VERIZON NETWORK!
-Cramp annoying keyboard and questionable hardware design
-Buggy Unfinished/Rushed Feeling Software (google navigation, music player)
-Only 256MB internal memory (16GB card is only for photos, mp3′s, etc.. NOT PROGRAMS! -BOO )
-Poor excuse for a Music program
-Questionable camera
-Confusing and poorly thought out menus and OS navigation
-Apps are not as good as their iPhone versions (facebook, twitter programs, etc)
-NO PHYSICAL “END CALL” KEY!
-Optional Hardware (car and home dock) cant be used with a case
-Doesn’t come with ANYTHING except the power cord/usb cable… where is the MANUAL… HEADPHONES…ANYTHING???
-Phone is only for “Techy” people
-Widgets are useless for the most part
-Unresponsive will be your main complaint!
-VERIZON PRICING!
If you have ever had an iphone… you will probably be annoyed with this phone. If you have never used/owned an iPhone you will probably love this phone if you can figure it out. You can probably make this phone almost exactly how you want it.. but alot of people will get annoyed by this, especially when buying applications for simple things.
