Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave (and in all honesty, why would you do that?), you’ve probably heard about Google’s mobile OS, Android.
Last week, the tech media world was on the edge of their seats as Google hosted a press conference to introduce the first Android-powered production unit, the T-Mobile G1, to the world. The announcement and demonstration of the device, by smartphone veteran HTC, had geeks all over the world watching, blogging and salivating.
The OS looks impressive, and much more polished than the hacked version ported over to current HTC devices we mentioned earlier. Initial impressions by the media are also overwhelmingly positive, and many bloggers are already comparing the UI to the Apple’s.
However, I wish I felt the same way about the aesthetics of the hardware.
I’ll be blunt, the G1 looks like its about a decade behind in design styling.
Granted, the G1 is only the first Android powered phone, however there are still a few things I think could have been done differently.
What keeps the G1 from being perfect:
Design. Since the release of the iPhone, consumers are more interested in sleek polished designs than ever before. HTC’s own recent models, such as the Touch Diamond, are considered sleek and sexy, so why did HTC release the G1 which looks like a remote control from the 80’s? Word on the street is because HTC has been developing their prototype model, the “Dream”, since Google announced the Open Handset Alliance and got HTC in on it. Supposedly, this design was considered “cool” when they came up with it, long before Apple’s iPhone was released. Instead of creating a whole new device, HTC just released the Dream as the G1, with its body design as-is.
Lack of standard audio jack. Ok, plenty of phones don’t have 3.5mm jacks, but at least the smaller headset 2.5mm jack is considered standard too. HTC used to embrace the 2.5mm stereo + mic standard (which allowed a plethora of standard adapters and headphones available), however later switched all their devices to a single multi-use proprietary USB jack. The G1 is no different, and although it includes headphones in the retail package, you’ll need to buy an HTC-to-3.5mm dongle adapter to use those fancy Sennheiser earbuds or connect to your home stereo. Apple got this one right: if you’re encouraging people to use their phones for media, use a standard plug.
Lack of stereo Bluetooth. Ok, if you’re not going to have a 3.5mm audio jack, at least include A2DP wireless stereo in the software stack. One of the things that still bugs me about the iPhone is that Apple still doesn’t consider wireless stereo important. Meanwhile, even the free-with-contract phones that have lousy music applications have this feature. Sure, its not as commonly used as it should be, but its something I personally use an awful lot which makes me wonder why Apple chose to leave it out as well. At least Apple included a standard headphone jack… HTC/Google, this is a bad move. The good news? Since Android is open source, this should be hopefully corrected soon.
Lack of MS Exchange support. Once again, something that could be corrected soon with some third party developments. However, many people use Exchange to keep all of their information in sync, and this must be recognized if you want to convert users from other platforms. The upside is that at least Google introduced their Apps sync (see below).
No Video Recording. This is something that people complained about lacking in the iPhone as well. Once again, open development community = new added features always being added, but this is just another thing that should have been included at launch.
Now, many of these missing features are software related, and due to the evolving nature of the Android product, I truly believe them to be temporary. However, the fact that they are missing means that its not ready for people who currently use Windows Mobile or Blackberry devices, and regularly use features such as Exchange sync and music playback.
Now, in its defense, here’s what Google did RIGHT:
Full Push Sync with Google Apps. Yes, what they lack in Exchange sync is made up for with a push/sync for the rest of us. If you use Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Contacts, etc), your Android phone will sync automatically with it. This is essentially what Apple tried to charge $99 a year for with MobileMe before that service was considered somewhat of a failure.
Multi-Tasking OS. Based on a Linux 2.6 core, the Android platform can run preemptive multitasking. Like the Windows Mobile platform (and unlike Apple, Blackberry, and Palm), this opens up many doors for developers to write software that operates unseen in the background, such as GPS paper-trailing and file-server apps, not to mention the obvious benefits of having multiple things open and running at once.
Open Source. Perhaps the biggest selling point of the platform is that they are not locking it down, and making all aspects of the system and SDK open and available to encourage new and amazing applications. Yes, open source mobile platforms already exist, but Google is the first to do it who has the marketing strength to really build a working development community out of it.
Personally, I’m excited for Android. Its got a lot of potential, a smooth user interface, and an open development community. I’m currently using Windows Mobile simply because it has a large development community and a wealth of 3rd party apps, but don’t care much for the UI. Apple clearly has the smoothest UI on the market, however its limitations and closed development model make it absolutely useless to me. Android could be that perfect blend of form and function…. but until it supports at least Exchange and A2DP, I’m not knocking on T-mobile’s door.
Software development communities are what make an open platform OS great.
In the Windows Mobile world, XDA-developers member A_C, is famous for developing iPhone-UI inspired applications known as the S2 series (S2Play, S2U2, S2View). A_C distributes these completely free of charge for the benefit of the community and WM users everywhere, and are in a constant state of “under development”, despite being more stable than some commercial products out there.
The problem is, some unscrupulous people have decided to take advantage of A_C’s free software policy, and sell them as packages of “iPhone theme” bundles.
These bundles are being sold on a number of websites, from www.iphonethemeforppc.com to ebay. A_C has been trying in vain to put a stop to it, but its too large a task for one man.
So, in retaliation, A_C has decided to stop all development of the S2 series unless people learn their lesson.
Since A_C’s applications have a large cult following in the WM community, this whole fiasco has created the internet-version of an angry mob. Users on various message boards have started banding together to harass anyone on net who has the audacity to steal A_C’s software to profit from it.
As far as I know, this may be the first time a strength-in-numbers approach such as this has applied to software development. Meanwhile, S2 development has indeed stopped, leaving some users who were looking forward to compatibility updates (Treo 800w users, I feel your pain) devastated.
The moral of the story?
You ultimately hurt yourself in the end by preventing any future updates.
For the sake of continuing development, don’t steal software! Its bad, m’kay?
Well, I’ve decided to dub today “iPhone day” to inaugurate the release of the 3G iPhone as well as
the coveted 2.0 firmware that will allow 3rd party applications to be installed from the itunes store.
This is an auspicious day for Apple fans - not only does the iPhone finally release a 3G model (a subject that caused much ridicule from iPhone haters), but even the original models are now officially recognized as a “Smartphone” by my definition of the term.
Congratulations to iPhones everywhere- today is graduation day.
*tear* They do grow up so fast… Why, it feels like just yesterday that I was complaining about how un-capable these devices were despite their glitz and glam (and hype).
Now the question is, will this solve all the compaints of missing functionality that high end users have had with the original iPhone?
How many of the “missing” features can be restored by third party applications?
Well, it won’t help the fact that you can’t insert memory cards, replace the battery, or type on a real keyboard.
However, perhaps some of the other complaints such as video recording, MMS, and A2DP (stereo bluetooth) can be remedied with software updates from third parties.
Oh, and let’s see if we can spread the name “iPhone day” around and get it to stick!
NOTE: Yes, I’m aware that the phone is not out yet in US… However dude to time-zone discrepancies, it was released in New Zealand at the equivalent of 8:01am NYC time.
The term Smartphone is thrown around a lot in current marketing, but how many people can actually peg a definition to it?
Personally, coming from a background in Windows CE development, I usually hear the term Smartphone to refer to the following:
A low-profile Windows Mobile device that incorporates a phone module and does not include a touch screen.
These devices, which originally resembled standard phones with numeric keypads (such as the HTC Tornado, HTC StarTrek, and Motorola MPX200) ran an OS Microsoft called Smartphone Edition, which was optimized for key navigation as opposed to touch screen input. They were for people who wanted a “phone first, and a PDA second”, or rather a PDA that looked and operated like a phone.
Microsoft’s full blown touch screen handsets that resembled a PDA were referred to as Pocket PC Phone Edition in contrast. (I say this in past tense because MS decided recently not to call them Smartphone and Pocket PC Phone anymore. They are now Standard Edition and Professional Edition, respectively)
On the other side of the playing field, however, Palm refers to their Treo line of handsets as “Smartphones”, despite the fact that they all have touch screens and look like PDAs, including even their wx models (which run Microsoft’s Windows Mobile)!
Clearly Microsoft’s definition of a Smartphone is not shared by the rest of the industry.
So, perhaps a Smartphone refers to the marriage of a well known PDA (such as Palm or Windows Mobile) with phone components?
Most people in the market for a “Smartphone” want to be able to replace their tried-and-true PDA and phone with one device. So, perhaps the term refers to a familiar PDA Operating System merged with a phone?
This can’t be the case since there are many devices on the market called Smartphone, many of which are not running Palm or WM. Nokia, who offers a wide variety of handsets for various markets, calls their high end phones running the open Symbian OS Smartphone. The belief is that the term actually originated from their Communicator line of handsets, which was marketed as being “a Smart Phone”, since it offered smarter features than the rest of their handsets at the time. Nokia’s Symbian handsets, which run on non-touch screen devices that resemble phones, seem to agree with Microsoft’s definition of the term. They are phones that look and work like phones, however underneath the hood they have the power of a full blown portable operating system.
To complicate matters, you must also consider Sony Ericsson with their P900 series of phones that runs Symbian… but with a touch screen!
These SE devices are also called “Smartphone”, despite looking like a full blown touch-screen PDA.
Clearly the definition needs to be less specific.
Perhaps a Smartphone refers simply to a phone with PDA features?
That may have been in the case in the late 90’s, when phones that carried the title Smartphone clearly had features which differed radically from standard features phones of their time. The problem now, is that most modern phones have PDA features.
I used to sync my Sony Ericsson T610 with my outlook calendar and contacts, send and receive email, and browse the mobile web as well as play mobile and online games. The T610 was a fairly standard feature phone in Sony Ericsson’s lineup, yet only the P900 series was worthy of the term “Smartphone”.
Same story with Nokia phones, with some of their low-end s40 handsets offering roughly the same set of features out of the box as their Symbian counterparts.
So what, in the eyes of Nokia and SE, is the difference between devices labeled “smart” vs. the others? Perhaps a Smartphone refers to a phone with an Operating System that allows third party development?
This is the definition that always made the most sense to me, and the one I used to live by.
A standard feature phone has a limited set of features that it can do out of box (for example: music player, calendar, contacts, java games, email, etc). A Smartphone is a phone with an open architecture OS, which allows third party applications to add new features or even change the very user interface. These devices can grow and evolve with the user’s needs, therefore it makes sense to call a phone that can learn new tricks “Smart“, or at least smarter than the average handset.
But don’t all phones these days allow you to download and install little programs?
Yes, average phones such as even the Motorola Razr can have some degree of third party development, in the form of Java applications installed that add new features. The difference is that they run in what is referred to as a “java sandbox”, that is, it has to play within the confines of the limited control Java gives the developer. The Java environment does not allow the feature-altering power that a real development API offers.
You don’t get access to the hardware features within Java, instead you get a limited set of commands such as drawing graphics on the screen, playing tones, interpreting keys, etc…
The result is that simple applications that can run inside the sandbox, such as games or shopping list calculators, are available but you can’t change the user experience of the phone (for example, a new voice command to control how you dial contacts) or develop code that takes control of the hardware (for example a VOIP application like Skype).
Although this definition makes the most sense to me, sadly, it doesn’t fit with all the devices currently being marketed as a Smartphone.
RIM’s Blackberry, the LG Instict, and the first edition iPhone (before being opened up with the new SDK) were all touted as “Smartphone” even though the development support was severely limited, if existent at all.
So, then perhaps the definition of a Smartphone is simply a phone that has high-end computer like features (email, html web browsing, etc)?
The problem with this is that most of those “Smart” features are now available on even standard fare phones!
Applications such as Opera Mini, which despite running inside the Java sandbox, can be installed on almost any standard device supporting Java, and manages to deliver full blown html web pages on any size screen. In fact, many users claim that Opera Mini is better than the browser that comes with their Smartphone.
Then there’s Funambol, an open source startup that focuses on data synchronization across any platform and device. So you can synchronize your PIM with your home computer, office computer, and many common phones. It even has a system to support Push email on almost any device, something the Blackberry is famous for.
If Blackberry style email and iPhone style web browsing are what make those phones “Smart”, then all current phones can be considered Smartphones!
Sadly, the conclusion is that there is no industry standard definition of a Smartphone.
The term appears to have changed with the times, and is now sadly lost to marketing jargon. Whereas once upon a time “Smartphone” implied certain features, now you can have two phones with identical features yet only one is marketed as a “smart” device.
If I wrote the book on the mobile industry, I’d have clearer suggestions for device titles:
Smartphone: A phone device that has an open platform Operating System that allows full development to create and change the software, similar to a full blown mini computer. Examples: Palm Treo, HTC’s WM lineup, OpenMoko, Symbian OS, and the upcoming Google Android.
MultiMedia Phone: A platform that offers glitz and glam high end features, especially multimedia, while focusing more on ease of use than offering the full flexibility of a Smartphone. Examples: iPhone, LG Voyager, etc.
Portable Internet Messaging Device: Devices that offer “smart” features such as web browsing, push email, and other business class capabilities. Examples: RIM Blackberry.
I think that would solve a lot of the confusion, such as “Why can’t my blackberry run skype like that WM phone” or “how come the iPhone doesn’t have a keyboard?”.
Sadly, for now we’ll just have to make our own definitions.
A blog post by Simeon Simeonov, a VC and blogger, has been well covered in all the usual places this past week. Although it lacks any serious novelty, it’s a good compilation of a lot of known facts
and an interesting shot at guessing what Google’s most famous vaporware looks like. Things to note that are not covered are Eric Schmidt’s comment on cell phones being free, him being on Apple’s board, Google’s existing forays into mobile search, their US mobile portal’s recent changes (has anyone else noticed them because I haven’t heard much about it), their click to call ads, the new
integration with German BWM navigation systems, (mentioned but barley) previous Orange Google Phone speculation (mostly hyperbolic as seen here) among more. This is definitely something to keep a close eye on because just as many doubted the iPhone, you can never be too sure what who will do next.
An interesting study from MarketStar is showing that despite the big marketing campaigns pushing people toward Smartphone devices the mobile public remains skeptical. They just don’t want to give up their “regular” phone. I have noticed this as well. Just last night I was talking to a friend who shared her all to familiar story about how she feels about being forced to upgrade to these new “do everything” phones that are “so much worse than just the basic phone she had before.” I hear this time and time again.
The study also found that retail associates do not usually offer combination devices or smartphones to regular mobile phone subscribers.
What do you think the impact of this is? How is this shaping multimedia and data usage rates?
First of all, hi everyone. I’m glad to be blogging for MOpocket.
Now to the post at hand…Trade gatherings such as this past week’s 3GSM are a great opportunity for many things including attending parties, getting to know a new city and racking up those frequent flier miles, but for those of us playing along at home they’re a great opportunity to get a sense for the current state of the mobile industry. It’s especially important to look back and try to pick out and recognize the trends that were present throughout.
One such trend, in my opinion, is the OEM’s answer to Steve Jobs. One of the most valuable aspects of the iPhone announcement to me didn’t actually have anything to do with Apple. Throwing a curve ball like Apple did is one of the best ways to put the industry up to bat and see how they’re swinging these days.
So let me get to right to it… The pattern I’ve found has been a shift to the all-screen form factor with a little ambivalence showing here and there manifested by the side-sliding keyboard we’re seeing more and more of. I know, I know, we’ve been seeing a lot of that recently, but not like this at a conference like 3GSM. Not at the clip we saw. Not after a major hardware announcement such as Apple’s. Just take a look down Engadget Mobile. Here are some highlights:
These phones are mostly targeted at the shinny new RIM Pearl audience — that of course would be the space between the intersecting circles of the ~5% business phone users and the general consumer population — some of which are still clunky and for the aforementioned business users and others which are just plain spin-offs of the iPhone.
There are of course some very compelling new concepts. Take Samsung’s F700 for example. It’s a beautiful phone with a very competitive array of features including high speed connectivity and a 5 megapixel camera — none of which the iPhone has.
Next is the HTC Vox (S710). It’s even lighter and more run-of-the-mill than the Samsung, but it keeps to the same idea which is that people are looking for more functionality and therefore easier ways to interface with their device. It provides that in its slide out full QWERTY keypad.
The last one I’ll mention is Neonode’s N2. This is a device by a company I only became aware of recently that apparently decided to attempt to make the killer phone themselves instead of just waiting for it to come like the rest of us. They use some interesting (read: makeshift) technologies such as an optical touch sensitive display, but their idea is pretty intriguing. They’re offering
a decently solid piece of technology and releasing it on an open development platform along with some features such as mail, calendar and a media player. All I can say is that I wish them luck.
To recap, there are basically three types of phones coming through from this trend of larger screens and new input methods. There’s the big name, high-end, side-sliding QWERTY keyboard, probably going to stay mostly a business phone phones. The iPhone-ys (namely the LG KE850) . And, the iPhone-y open source models such as the Neonode
N2 and the OpenMoko. These phones are what the OEMs are introducing into the same market the iPhone will be in. How will they compete? Just fine.
A few weeks ago I made the prediction that mobile phones would capture a defining moment in the 08-election cycle. Well, thanks to Nokia’s announcement at 3GSM of their new partnership with YouTube, I am a step closer to being correct.
Nokia handset users will now be able to easily view YouTube content on their phones. YouTube will be rolling out a mobile site that pre-edit clips and encodes them in the H.264 compression format for compatibility with Nokia’s new Nokia Video Center application software. The Nokia N95 device will be the first sold with the Nokia Video Center software pre-installed, with a download version also available for selected S60 devices. Consumers may also view YouTube content via the Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map.
“We are thrilled to be giving users easy access to entertaining YouTube videos anytime and anywhere. By partnering with an industry leader like Nokia, we’re able to bring YouTube videos to mobile phone users worldwide,” said Steve Chen, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer for YouTube.
Ever heard of deQuervain’s Tendonitis? You may better know it as “blackberry thumb.†deQuervain’s Tendonitis is the inflaming of tendons around the thumb and wrist and can lead to the inability to grip things. Believe it or not, our favourite little devices are causing it. The constant demand of unnatural movement of your thumbs between buttons on your smartphone is pretty strenuous. Here are some tips and treatment options to consider:
Prevention Tips:
• Don’t favour the use of one thumb over the other. Be ambidextrous; use both equally.
• Take breaks from repetitive tasks.
• Make your work environment as ergonomic as possible. Don’t type War and Peace on your smartphone, instead, wait until you can use a keyboard.
• If you have some down time, and as silly as it may sound, engage in stretching and strengthening exercises for your thumbs and wrists.
Treatment:
• Resting your thumbs for two or three days.
• Take anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen.
• Splitting your thumbs and wrists.
• Get regular blackberry massages.
• And when all else fails, surgery or physical therapy are always an option. My best advice is to say, don’t let it get to that point!
I know, I know… I live for texting too, but listen to your body. Pain is a sign something is wrong. Worse comes to worse, you can always pick up the phone and just talk instead of texting.
I really enjoyed this review of Nokia’s N73 by Daniel Appelquist over at his self named Dan’s Blog. Dan is top notch guy over at Vodafone and I have always enjoyed his mobile musings. The review is a great and insightful discussion of the Nokia N70 and and the N73 which left me clutching my N70 and wanting more.
It’s not that it’s some huge revolution in usability and design. It isn’t. It’s a step up from the N70 (pictured at left) which I’ve been using for a few months. But what a step up! It is just a little bit better in almost every aspect of operation and use.
Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave (and in all honesty, why would you do that?), you’ve probably heard about Google’s mobile OS, Android. 
Software development communities are what make an open platform OS great. 
Well, I’ve decided to dub today “iPhone day” to inaugurate the release of the 3G iPhone as well as
A 
First of all, hi everyone. I’m glad to be blogging for MOpocket.
Ever heard of deQuervain’s Tendonitis? You may better know it as “blackberry thumb.†deQuervain’s Tendonitis is the inflaming of tendons around the thumb and wrist and can lead to the inability to grip things. Believe it or not, our favourite little devices are causing it. The constant demand of unnatural movement of your thumbs between buttons on your smartphone is pretty strenuous. Here are some tips and treatment options to consider:
