Archive for the ‘Consumer electronics’ Category

I have an iPhone and thank God for that. One of my colleagues has a BlackBerry and I borrowed it for a story I was writing. It was the most miserable time of my life.

First of all it took me about an hour just to download BlackBerry App World, which should have just come preinstalled on the device, like the iPhone App Store is preloaded on iPhones. Genius!

First I got on the Web to see if I could find the app on the company’s site, since BlackBerry App World was not pre-installed on this device.

The Internet experience was as slow as a snail in peanut butter and I can’t believe how long it took for me to get to the BlackBerry App World download page.

So after I finally got the app store onto the device I moved on to download an app that I am writing about for one of my stories. Downloading this app took another 15 minutes and was a real turn-off.

Luckily I am sitting at my desk and I have the time to wait for all these downloads. Had I been out and about, I think I definitely would have quit the process.

I expect to be able to surf the Web quickly. I want information right away and I don’t want to wait! Am I just spoiled or is this every mobile user’s expectations?

I am spoiled, but that is besides the fact. Mobile users are on the go and mobile. They don’t have the time to wait for an hour to download stuff. So are BlackBerrys really smartphones?

A smartphone is a device that offers advanced capabilities and has PC-like functionality. In my opinion BlackBerry has PC-like functionality, but only if you’re talking about dial-up PC Internet access!

Long live the iPhone.

Any thoughts?

Popularity: 25% [?]

All I wanted for Christmas was a phone that wasn’t a RAZR.

And I got that and much more with my new Voyager LG.

First the lovely and sleek front screen resembles the Apple iPhone, mostly because of the touch screen. But when flipped open to reveal a QWERTY keyboard – let’s just say now I’m able to reach new levels of texting heaven.

The features include capabilities – including V CAST Mobile TV, V CAST Music and the ability to play .mp3, .wma and unprotected .aac files, and V CAST Video.

These features, coupled with Verizon Wireless’ high-speed wireless broadband network, enable users to download music or surf the Web anywhere.

The built-in stereo speakers are pretty awesome for those ringtones I’ve been picking up with my Thumbplay (www.thumbplay.com) account.

And having your text messages read out loud is hilarious. By simply touching the talking head icon on the touch screen when reading a text message a robotic sounding female voice will read what your friends send you.

(Note: If you receive a text that says “ahaha” it sounds like an awesome Ninja kick induced “ayaaa!”)

The GPS system — VZ Navigator comes with the premium data plan package that I have subscribed to. And it does come in handy when you are looking for perhaps, Starbucks? (trust me — I know there is always one around the corner, but which corner?)

But not so handy when you are looking for those great hole-in-the-wall places that aren’t necessarily listed, or when you are walking around areas with lots of construction. It assumes you are driving, so that can be quite frustrating at times.

The 2.0 megapixel camera is pretty great, I actually shot the picture for this article with it: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/associations/170.html.

Be warned you have to upgrade to a somewhat pricey plan in order to use this phone, especially if you want all the features.

I currently don’t use the browser much, even though it’s pretty snazzy, I can check my email easier with the Verizon email application. Plus I don’t subscribe to V CAST Mobile TV.

My disappointments are that it doesn’t come ready to play music; you have to buy an extra memory card and software.

Plus I have a MacBook and the music program isn’t compatible with Macs and I’m a music junkie, so please sign me up for the next new and improved iPhone next Christmas.

Thanks Santa. 

Popularity: 35% [?]

Rumor has it that Google will be unveiling 1 or several Android-based Google phones at  Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona this February.

The Google-ites are already hard at work, tinkering at the Googleplex on prototypes made of refurbished pieces of HTC phones. The current devices are not the sexiest, but of course these are just developer-ready models. I would imagine whatever Google debuts at MWC will make the iPhone want to run and hide in a closet – if an iPhone had legs that is.

Anecdotally, if an iPhone did have legs Google would be aiming to sweep the rug from underneath it with its rumored debut. Hell, ad-supported (subsidized) Google phones may just have the whole cellular manufacturing industry on the run – in more ways than one – to keep pace with Google. This is true even if the devices don’t offer much new in terms of functionality – unless of course you consider advertisements, however cleverly they are masked, to be new functionality.

The point is these Google phones will eventually be as cool as the coolest phones available and they may be much, much cheaper, therefore highly prevalent in the near future. If they do end up being ad-supported that is.

None but the Google-ites know for sure.

But if we know Google, whatever happens will be just what we did not expect.

A demo of Android posted on YouTube’s Android Developer Channel shows the top level UI menu, in which the user scrolls horizontally through a carousel of icons to launch the relevant application. However, later iterations could spawn limited sub-menus, so that a generic mail icon could contains the selections for email and SMS/MMS messaging, or a ‘chat’ icon could include SMS/MMS plus the instant message client.

We’re waiting, Google.

Popularity: 21% [?]