Comments on: Where Is the Verizon Pre 2?

verizon palm pre 2 release With the only WebOS 2.0 device now available in carrier-supported form in France and Canada and sold unlocked in the United States and Europe, the Verizon version of the Pre 2 remains a mystery. 


Despite HP/Palm's promise of full Verizon carrier support and subsidies during the Pre 2 launch in October, Verizon's Pre 2 now heads into calendar year 2011 having missed the entire 2010 holiday shopping season.

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Brilliant

PacManFoo @ 12/30/2010 10:51:35 AM # M Q
How many customers did Palm lose the last few weeks by not having the Pre 2 on any US carrier? By the way, thanks Palm! Lov'in the new iPhone 4!!
RE: Brilliant
Gekko @ 12/30/2010 11:32:37 AM # Q

it's about time you entered this decade.

RE: Brilliant
nastebu @ 12/31/2010 6:49:59 AM # Q
How many customers did Palm lose? I know you meant the question rhetorically, but without advertising, with unexciting hardware, and against new Android handsets and persistent rumors of a Verizon iPhone... probably not many.
Reply to this comment

warranty claim

Gekko @ 12/30/2010 11:31:25 AM # Q
>Customers making a warranty claim for a Pre Plus are being offered a choice of the lower-spec "free" Pixi Plus or Verizon's flagship Android device, the $200 Motorola Droid X.

Droid X as a free replacement??? drop the turd on the counter and grab the X and run in the other direction as fast as you can!!!!!!!!!

RE: warranty claim
hkklife @ 12/30/2010 1:14:48 PM # Q
Yup, I was thinking the exact same thing. So, assuming this offer from Asurion is legit, a user with a broken Pre Plus can choose to get a device that runs the same OS but has worse specs in every way than their existing phone. Or they can get the most feature-packed 3G smartphone on Verizon (or arguably on any domestic carrier)? It's almost a no-brainer if true. Heck, I'd even take a Droid 1 on VZW over a laggy, wobbly Pre Plus, especially since the WebOS 2.0 update is nowhere in sight.

The Droid X ain't perfect but on the strength of its sheer hardware specs and large installed base + general momentum of Android makes this one an easy decision. That said, a Pre 2 would still be a perfectly decent little midrange smartphone for someone who likes a smaller formfactor with a real QWERTY keyboard. Even though the Pre 2 is what the Pre Plus should've been a year ago, it's still mystifying why HP couldn't somehow push this one out a few months earlier to at least have *something* to sell this holiday season!
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: warranty claim
Gekko @ 12/30/2010 1:20:20 PM # Q
>it's still mystifying why HP couldn't somehow push this one out a few months earlier to at least have *something* to sell this holiday season!

sometimes it's tough to push out a turd.

RE: warranty claim
Gekko @ 12/30/2010 1:25:00 PM # Q

if i owned a VZW Pre under this plan right now i'd immediately smash it into a tiny million little pieces and go get the X.

RE: warranty claim
hkklife @ 12/30/2010 1:28:55 PM # Q
As would I. And as should anyone else with a Pre Plus. The ONLY advantage it has is the keyboard and the "free" wi-fi hotspot feature which VZW can (and likely will) revoke at ANY time.


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: warranty claim
freakout @ 1/1/2011 4:35:50 AM # Q
webOS is *still* the nicest mobile OS around, UI-wise. That's the trump card for the Pre/Pixi right there. Plenty of my friends have picked up Android phones this last year and I remain deeply unimpressed by Google's design (or any of the multitude of variants manufacturers have slapped on top of it).

I'm rocking a WP7-sporting LG Optimus 7 myself right now, when it dawned on me last week that I could get it for free (bar another two years servitude to a carrier that I've been supremely happy with these last coupla years). It's actually pretty nice. But boy do I miss webOS and the Pre:

- The Pre just feels fantastic to carry around. Geeks complain about the screen size - and I must admit I love the big screen on the Optimus - but the Pre's pocketability is just beautiful. And the rounded river-stone aesthetic just feels so nice when cradled in your hand.

- I miss webOS multitasking. The card system puts all its competitors to shame.

- Ditto notifications. WP7's don't persist after they popup - so if you missed it the first time, you're screwed unless you notice the live tile update.

- System settings. A universal drop-down menu for WiFi and Bluetooth (and GPS with a patch) is super-convenient.

- Real portrait QWERTY keyboard. WP7's predictive software keyboard is actually decent and I've gotten used to it, but I don't enjoy jamming out messages on it like I did on the Pre or my Treos. It feels like a chore, especially when you make a few mistakes.

- Mute switch

- Gesture area, which facilitates fast app switching and kills the need for an onscreen or physical "back" button.

- Simple customization via Preware.

I'd still be happily using my Pre were it not for the horrible physical abuse it suffered in 2010, leading to the broken headset jack that means I can't actually use it as a phone anymore (except on speaker or headset mode). I figure I'll pick up an unlocked Pre 2 in a coupla months when they drop in price and keep the Optimus in a box as my backup phone.

Still hate the iPhone!

RE: warranty claim
Gekko @ 1/1/2011 6:48:31 AM # Q

who do you think you are fooling? if the platform was that great - you would have never left.

RE: warranty claim
freakout @ 1/1/2011 11:04:14 PM # Q
^^ Haha. Call it a temporary "leave of absence" then.

What are you rocking nowadays, anyway?

RE: warranty claim
Gekko @ 1/2/2011 7:00:14 AM # Q
Reply to this comment

WP7

Gekko @ 12/31/2010 4:53:04 AM # Q

below are some very interesting comments on WP7 and some lessons on smartphone UI design. i agree 100%. i very much dislike the WP7 "Metro" UI and this encapsulates why.

-----

A recent unlocking of the WP7S emulator provides many many screens (perhaps all the screens in WP7S) that reinforce my concerns about low content resolution, flatness, and hierarchy. The typography is loose and over-produced, with big blimpy titles burning up content real-estate. The titling typography does not serve user needs or activities. Instead it is about its designer self, and looks like signage on the walls of a fashionable building. Good screen design for information/communication devices is all about the user and should be endlessly self-effacing. It is much more difficult to be user-friendly undesigny than designer-friendly designy.

http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0003cy&topic_id=1&topic=Ask+E.T

Note that he was writing in February, but I think his points ring true. The key thing that Windows Phone is missing is information density.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/oct/24/windows-phone-7-review-htc-hd7#information

RE: WP7
Gekko @ 12/31/2010 5:59:09 AM # Q

The WP7S interface has an extra sequence/layer added by big-button opening screens for the new ways of organizing stuff. Compared to the IPhone, most of the WP7S organizing screens have lower content resolution, which violates flatness and leads to hierarchical stacking and temporal sequencing of screens. In day-to-day use, maybe the panorama screens will solve the stacking/sequencing problem, or maybe they will just clutter up the flow of information. Of course Microsoft's customers are already familiar with deep layerings and complex hierarchies.

The panorama sequence appears to be an interface for an interface, a distancing from the core activities of users, who just want to get on with what they want to do. My view is to let the user's eyes do more on a screen-image rich with opportunities rather than having to slide-and-flip through a sequence of thin decorative screens in order to find the desired action. The way to reduce clutter is not to thin down and sprawl out the content; instead fix the design. Clutter and confusion are not attributes of information, they are failures of design.

RE: WP7
HyperScheduler @ 12/31/2010 10:24:53 PM # M Q
So true. Well-put.

Isn't it strange that Microsoft actually BRAGS that it's new phone will mean that users will usevtheir phones LESS?!?!!

It is Luke advertising a car by boasting that you WON'T want to drive it.

RE: WP7
HyperScheduler @ 12/31/2010 10:29:23 PM # M Q
"Like," not "Luke."
RE: WP7
freakout @ 1/1/2011 4:44:21 AM # Q
I like Metro. Live tiles on your "start" screen actually work pretty well, but MS needs to provide an option to shrink them a bit, so you can have, say, 3 x 4 instead of 2 x 4 onscreen at once. And give us a universal search option! Oh, how I miss "just typing" on webOS to do anything at all. (webOS 2.0 looks worth the price of admission just for the expansion of that functionality alone.)

But within apps, Metro is both (1) pretty and (2) fun to navigate. WP7's beefy hardware specs provide for an extremely fluid experience. It feels futuristic, unlike Android or iOS which are fundamentally unchanged from the icon-driven UIs we had on Palm Pilots back in 1996. Kudos to MS for trying something new, IMHO. With some tweaks, Metro will really be killer.

RE: WP7
HyperScheduler @ 1/2/2011 12:03:40 AM # M Q
Thank you for this information, Freakout. I see what you are saying. You do have a point about the icon-based screens going all the way back to PalmOS devices.

Gekko, can you go ahead and disclose what phone you are using these days?


Palm m515 > Treo 650 > Treo 755p > iPhone 3Gs (but just bought my first Palm TX and got it improved by Chris Short at www.PalmDr.com)

RE: WP7
LiveFaith @ 1/2/2011 11:51:02 AM # Q
Gekko's phone. "Information is the most valuable commodity".

http://tinyurl.com/38moxh5
Pat Horne

RE: WP7
Gekko @ 1/3/2011 3:16:37 PM # Q
RE: WP7
Gekko @ 1/6/2011 12:56:06 PM # Q

very nice. i'd jump all over it if i were you.

RE: WP7
BaalthazaaR @ 1/6/2011 1:34:45 PM # Q
Gekko wrote:

very nice. i'd jump all over it if i were you.

I actually might... just need for it to be released.

RE: WP7
Gekko @ 1/6/2011 1:40:59 PM # Q

my top apps - in no particular order -

1. Documents To Go
2. Dropbox
3. RadioTime
4. Remote Notifier
5. Jorte
6. ChromeMarks
7. Astro
8. Google Finance
9. Zagat

http://www.appbrain.com/

start doing your research and get ready!

RE: WP7
BaalthazaaR @ 1/11/2011 9:39:21 PM # Q
RE: WP7
hkklife @ 1/11/2011 10:40:45 PM # Q
The Droid Bionic is fairly impressive, given its dual-core power, though aside from that & the LTE connectivity, I am not sure if it'll be a substantial upgrade from my Droid X (and I'd have to pony up full price for it). I was really hoping for a 4.5" LCD and 1GB RAM for at least of these next-gen handsets.

Otherwise, the rest of the VZW's lineup looks decent but not outstnatindly impressive. Though it's a bit too early to judge the Samsung offering, I'd be tempted to pass on it just because of that company's horrid history of software updates. This first wave of LTE handsets all look kinda like "me too" quick 4G refreshes of existing models & specs, especially with Android 2.2 lingering on past its expiration date on all of these devices.

The most impressive CES phone of all is the Moto Atrix on AT&T. If it had at least a 4.3" screen (ideally 4.5") and was LTE on VZW, I'd pay pay full price for it in a hearbeat. The "better than Fooleo" notebook docking station is a phenomenal idea that I am surprised no one thought of sooner (Philips had a clamshell screen a few years ago for docking and playing videos back from an iPod). The runner-up is that svelte Samsung 4.5" Android phone, though I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to basically be an oversized iClone--I GUARANTEE you the removable battery microSD slot will be omitted.

The one item I am absolutely about to soil myself in anticipation over is the Moto Xoom tablet. But i DETEST how the carriers are getting so involved in all of the tablets that aren't utter junk!!

Of the non-junk Android tablets on the market or coming soon, all of the decent ones are tied to a damn carrier in some form or another! Will we ever see one decently-spec'd 10" Honeycomb tablet that's wi-fi only? Meanwhile, you have companies like Archos, Velocity Micro, and Viewsonic and even bigger no-names like Sylvania and Coby tossing all kinds of rebranded Chinese junk into the market.

$500 would be the PERFECT price point for a wi-fi only 32GB Xoom to compete head-on with the iPad and trounce it on specs, flexibility, and storage capability. Duarte has seemingly done some nice stuff with Honeycomb but I'm not so sure he has had enough time to really make a silk purse out of Android's horrid UI. Like I said before, Android is going to become a great tablet OS before it becomes a great smartphone OS.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: WP7
Gekko @ 1/11/2011 10:41:10 PM # Q

what device(s) are you using now? did you consider the iPhone 4 and if not why not?

you can get an Incredible now for a penny -

http://wireless.amazon.com/HTC-INCREDIBLE-Android-Verizon-Wireless/dp/B003HC8NUW

but i'd wait for the new HTC 4.3"+.

RE: WP7
Gekko @ 1/11/2011 10:45:38 PM # Q

Baltzy - my post above was directed to you.

hkk - Android has a horrid UI? i have to strongly disagree. maybe my HTC Sense makes all the difference but i love it and love the ability to customize with widgets, wallpaper, etc. i can make it anything i want.

RE: WP7
BaalthazaaR @ 1/11/2011 11:29:02 PM # Q
I'm still in the dark ages (your term) of using a Palm TX and a dumb phone. I like my devices to be relatively open so that rules out Apple.

I also dislike SSS so I never went to the Treos and also at the time I didn't see the need to have a data plan since I was in a free wi-fi location 99% of the time that I needed the internet.

Android devices seem to have caught up to where I will take a look to see if it is to my liking. So I do have a question since I haven't looked it up yet. How easy is it to install an app that I've written myself on an android device? I don't want to jump through any app store hoops or let it be publicly visible.

RE: WP7
Gekko @ 1/11/2011 11:51:58 PM # Q

with Froyo 2.2 and newer - you can simply email yourself the app (.apk file) or move it to your SD card. then you simply click on it from your device and it will ask you if you want to install (sideload) the non-Market app. that's the beauty of Android - easy and open. you can also use apps like this to manipulate files on your device and microSD card -

http://www.appbrain.com/app/appinstaller/com.IQBS.android.appInstaller

http://www.appbrain.com/app/astro-file-manager/com.metago.astro

it's 2011. stop being a masochist and go get yourself a new device. life is short and you're missing out and being left behind. you have no idea what you're missing.

RE: WP7
hkklife @ 1/12/2011 12:44:55 AM # Q
Baal, Android is by far the most "Palm OS-like" as far as being to sideload apps/files etc. Yes, the n00bs wanting to be hand-held by iTunes may bitch but generally those are the same sorts of soccer mom-types who repurchase their existing music from Apple instead of bothering to learn how to rip a CD, for example.

Straight connection USB mass storage , no proprietary drivers, no DRM, no bloated desktop component, no "check-in, check-out" of your media etc. You can perform a full OS/ROM update on the fly OTA. No fiddling with iTunes, plugging into a desktop, or looking for a wi-fi hotspot. Android and WebOS are by far the most "mobile" and cloudified mobile OSes...and you see how much support WebOS is enjoying nowadays.

And you can find 3rd party media players to support every codec under the sun. And if you run out of internal (fixed or bundled) storage space, just pop in a larger microSDHC card. Definitely better than having to trash your device and pay big $ for one with 2x the storage ala Palm & Apple. And none of that foolishness about non-user-accessible "fixed" microSD cards that aren't up to spec and shouldn't be removed like WP7 has. RIM and Android definitely have the best system in place for supporting external storage, but with Froyo's ability to offload apps to microSD, it takes the cake. BIG thumbs up for Android there.

Gekko, I was referring to horrid UI as far as contacts/calendar, especially in stock Android. It still pales in comparison to a 15 year old Pilot 1000 for PIM stuff, though I will admit that PIM is a bit less important than it used to be when you have pervasive 3/4G internet connectity in your pocket and nearly everything is a Google search away. But no doubting the stock UI and PIM apps are pretty primitive if you don't have a nice skin on top of it (Sense is still the best) or use Jorte etc. And some manufacturer skins are so horrid (Moto Blur), they overwrite basic functionality of Android. For example, I COULD sort contacts by last name, first name on stock Froyo on my Droid 1. I CANNOT sort them that way (only first name first) on my Droid X with its Blurified Froyo. What a PITA!!!
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: WP7
BaalthazaaR @ 1/12/2011 3:52:41 PM # Q
I CANNOT sort them that way (only first name first) on my Droid X with its Blurified Froyo. What a PITA!!!

Way to sell it :-)

One more question. Can I keep my contacts off the cloud? Is there an option to store all your info on the device itself?

RE: WP7
Gekko @ 1/12/2011 4:03:57 PM # Q

yes but why would you want to? let go of the 90's and stop being paranoid and embrace the cloud. automagic OTA syncing is a beautiful thing. but here is your alternative -

Application - HTC Sync for all HTC Android Phones (NAM)
Release Date: 2011-01-12

You can use HTC Sync™ to synchronize Outlook contacts and calendar or Outlook Express contacts and the bookmarks of web browser between your computer and your phone. It also lets you install third-party Android applications on the phone, and bring your photos, videos, documents, songs, and playlists to your phone.

http://www.htc.com/www/SupportViewNews.aspx?dl_id=1076&news_id=855

RE: WP7
BaalthazaaR @ 1/12/2011 4:10:05 PM # Q
Paranoid is my middle name so I can't stop being myself.

I have had my identity stolen multiple times as a result of people hacking into "service providers" (without going into specifics). Believe me, it is no fun at all trying to clean up the mess. I didn't trust big companies before, I trust them even less after going through those ordeals. There is absolutely no data that I will even consider letting them have unless I absolutely have to.

RE: WP7
hkklife @ 1/12/2011 7:44:26 PM # Q
Baal;

Perhaps as a sort of oddball alternative, may I suggest an Archos 43 "Internet Tablet"?

http://www.archos.com/products/ta/archos_43it/index.html?country=us&lang=en

Yes, it's a resistive screen but it's still 854x480 (as as Moto's highend Android devices) and it's 4.3". On these non-phone, non-Google-endorsed devices, your PIM data is stored on the device itselt and NOT sent to the cloud at all (I have an Archos Android 101 tablet).

Then just bring your own 3rd party (CompanionLink or similar) utility to synchronize your contacts to your device. Then, install Graffiti on the Archos. Bingo!

You have "modern" features like microSDHC support, a 1ghz CPU, 3D acceleration, multitasking, and gigs of storage alongside non-cloud paranpoia and the ability to sideload a good number of apps. Sure, the iPod Touch is a lote more refined and has nicer cameras/screen but you cannot beat the price on the Archos (basically an Evo or Droid X-sized PDA).

Also, in case you were wondering, your PIM data DOES reside on the device for an Android smartphone. It's just synchronized to the cloud. But you can always leave it in "airplane mode" all the time as well.
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: WP7
BaalthazaaR @ 1/13/2011 7:59:56 PM # Q
No need to go with Android for a non-phone device. My TX is going strong and I have all the apps that I need on that.

The reason that I've been considering moving to a smart phone is so that I can "be at work" after hours when I'm off doing other things. The idea is that I'm not stuck to a laptop but can respond reasonably quickly so that I meet my "availability requirements".

Anyway... Follow up questions. Is it possible to maintain a separate work calendar/e-mail that wont end up on the cloud? Also do you have an option to not sign in to the cloud?

Reply to this comment

1984 all over again!

Gekko @ 1/7/2011 11:46:16 AM # Q

looking at CES i can't help think that it's 1984 all over again! did you see all of those Android devices????

ATTACK OF THE ANDROIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


"AES"
Gekko @ 1/7/2011 5:20:53 PM # Q

Perhaps this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) should be renamed "AES" for Android Electronics Show — given all the handsets and tablets featuring the Google mobile OS that are being shown and rolled out.

http://searchengineland.com/google-teases-honeycomb-tablet-os-at-ces-60504

VZW iPhone
Gekko @ 1/8/2011 9:25:59 AM # Q

anybody here buying the VZW iPhone? i would have considered it a year ago Pre-EVO. but now i don't see ever leaving Sprint and Android. once you go 4.3" display you don't go back. and the tight integration with Google and the Android ecosystem is awesome. and the Sprint pricing can't be beat. after all discounts and taxes and fees i pay about $73/month net for my package - Unlimited Voice to any and ALL other mobile phones on any carrier, Unlimited Data, Unlimited Texts, GPS, 4G, etc. i also get 450 voice minutes/month to landlines (which i rarely use) along with free landline 7pm nights/weekends. Sprint service/coverage is great.

it will be interesting to see who this VZW iPhone hurts. my guess is that Blackberry will be hurt the most. followed by AT&T.

RE: 1984 all over again!
abosco @ 1/9/2011 9:01:18 AM # M Q
Android is popular because it is the "good enough" alternative for people who can't use AT&T. iPhone on Verizon will hurt Google, there is no doubt about it. Not only will it steal a lot of customers away from AT&T, but it'll steal a lot of current Verizon Android users once they're eligible for an upgrade.

I've seen large screen smartphones. I think they looked really cool, until I bought the iPhone 4. Every other screen looks like pixelated junk now.

RE: 1984 all over again!
Gekko @ 1/9/2011 11:26:20 AM # Q

i disagree. i'll take a 65" 720p LCD TV over a 42" 1080p any day. same principle.

RE: 1984 all over again!
hkklife @ 1/9/2011 12:39:03 PM # M Q
As it stands now, Android 2.x is (just barely) good enough to compete with iOS and thrives based on its open nature, tremendous momenum in the marketplace, and, primarily, the variety and strengh of its hardware.

Based on what I have seen of Honeycomb, Android is going to end up being a top-notch tablet OS before it becomes a top-notch smartphone OS.

Likewise, Apple's hardware is "good enough" in the same way Android as an OS is "good enough". "Retina display" to me is a nifty buzzword designed by some clever marketing guru just like Sega's "blast processing" in the early 90s. Its easier to spec a higher-res tiny LCD than it is to reengineer your device to have a smaller bezel and larger LCD in the same formfactor. Apple could (and should) reduce its home button size and pick up an extra quarter-inch of screen size on the iPhone. 3.5" diagonal was stunning in 2007, still class-leading in 2008, acceptable in 2009 and starting to look feeble by 2010. In 20 iOS will only fare worse as 4.3" & 4.5" Android screens bring improved resolutions and virtual keyboards to the party.

In an ideal world we would have a version of iOS existing totally independent of DRM, desktop synchronization and iTunes, running atop CES 2011 Android hardware....and with Palm OS Garnet's PIM capabilities.

RE: 1984 all over again!
Gekko @ 1/9/2011 1:07:12 PM # Q

hkk - i had no idea that a 4.5" Android existed until you posted that and i Googled and found this -

http://www.intomobile.com/2011/01/07/samsung-android-infuse-4g-att-video/

bigger is better! especially when the bezel is thin and thus the relative size of the phone does not get much bigger. that's the beauty of the EVO - it's all display and very little bezel which makes its screen so much bigger than other phones but the phone itself is not.

i'm hoping the EVO 2 is 4.5"+!!!

4.8'+
Gekko @ 1/10/2011 11:26:48 PM # Q

ok - i think i draw the line at 4.3"-4.5" max display on smartphones. here's a 4.8"+ smartphone and i think it's too big. it does not pass the "out Fri night front jeans pocket test".

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/08/acers-4-8-inch-phoneblet-will-head-to-a-us-carrier-this-year/

RE: 1984 all over again!
Gekko @ 1/10/2011 11:30:59 PM # Q

Bosco -

Dave wrote on January 10, 2011

I'm not sure this is a big deal to be honest. Carrier exclusivity for the iPhone is unique to the United States. Android is a worldwide success. Those two statements sum it up – another carrier providing thus iPhone will give it a small temporary boost but nothing substantial. There's a lot of churn in the smartphone world and even a near doubling of iPhone sales WORLDWIDE would still leave it trailing Android. The US is not the be all and end all.


RE: 1984 all over again!
hkklife @ 1/11/2011 2:14:23 AM # M Q
Ditto. I feel 4.5" is pretty much the maximum for a smartphone screen, though I could see a 4.8" still attracting a certain niche audience. Remember, not everyone is a skinny jean-wearing hipster.

Besides, it's all relative: To those of us who even BRIEFLY carried around a Lifedrive + a dumbphone, even a Dell Streak makes for a svelte companion in comparison!

RE: 1984 all over again!
HyperScheduler @ 1/11/2011 11:46:54 PM # Q
HKK-- your comment about an "ideal world" made me drool with delight!

Gekko-- you are correct to stay with the EVO for now. I have an iPhone 3GS but here is the case against switching to Verizon iPhone:

NO ABILITY TO USE APPS AND THE INTERNET AT THE SAME TIME AS A PHONE CALL. As you can see by my shouting, this is a deal-breaker for me.

Also, your use of Android happens to mean that you could download Pimlical for Android. Man, I'm jealous!

Finally, to throw Verizon a bone, at least they are offering the free hotspot creation.

RE: 1984 all over again!
Gekko @ 1/12/2011 12:12:24 AM # Q

there are MANY reasons for me to stick with the Sprint EVO vs. VZW iPhone - but i won't repeat them all again here. yes i can do simultaneous voice + data but i must turn on 4G (which is fine).

Pimlical? i'm not impressed. i'll stick with Jorte.

VZW iPhone free hotspot creation? NO - they charge $$$ for that.


RE: 1984 all over again!
hkklife @ 1/12/2011 12:58:35 AM # Q
Ditto Gekko's comments. The ONLY devices VZW ever offered "free wi-fi hotspot" capability for were the Palm Pre Plus & Pixi Plus....and that was not part of the initial deal but added later around the time of "Project Jumpstart" to stimulate the sales of those devices.

AFAIK, that's still included with them but it can easily be terminated at any time if VZW decides to do so.

For $20, their 5gb 3G tethering package still isn't a bad deal and it definitely gives the VZW iPhone a leg up on the AT&T version.

Pros of VZW iPhone:
-Antennagate reception problem fixed
-Better overall network coverage/capacity
-Truly unlimited data (not in 2Gb increments) for $30/month
-Facetime calls over 3G (presumably)
-Wi-fi hotspot capability

Pros of AT&T iPhone:
-Compatible with all existing cases etc (VZW version has shifted button placement a bit)
-Global capable w/ microSIM card (and easier to frequently swap devices)
-Faster data speeds on AT&T's network when you are in good coverage
-Simultaneous voice & data

Look pretty much like a draw to me but I'd still take the VZW version if I *HAD* to pick one.

But mandatory iTunes, 3.5" screen, fixed battery and fixed storage? Not for me!
Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: 1984 all over again!
hkklife @ 1/12/2011 1:01:41 AM # Q
One more biggie for Verizon:

iPhone 4 can be bought at FULL retail price at any time if you are desperate to upgrade!

AFAIK, Apple &(online) and AT&T (in store or online) will NOT sell you a GSM iPhone outright without signing a new contract. I THINK you can buy an iPhone at full price in the Apple retail stores but I am sure they will do everything in their power to make this an unpleasant process.


Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p->Verizon Moto Droid + Verizon Palm Centro-> Verizon Moto Droid X + Palm TX

RE: 1984 all over again!
Gekko @ 1/12/2011 1:31:33 AM # Q
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