November 9th, 2009

Smartphone Buyer's Guide: What are the choices on my carrier?

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 5:06 am

Categories: AT&T, Android, Apple, BlackBerry, Google, HTC, Linux, Microsoft, Palm, RIM, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, WebOS, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Tags: Touch Screen, Apple iPhone, High Tech Computer Corp., Google Android, Device, Microsoft Windows Mobile, Smart Phone, T-Mobile, RIM BlackBerry, Smartphone

I recently posted the 2009 Holiday Guide for smartphones and in that guide posted about just one smartphone from each carrier. I also posted my Holiday Guide for feature phones and included the two I thought are best on each carrier. There are more smartphone selections than just one and now that most all of the announcements for the holidays have been made I thought you might like to know what the choices from each carrier are, along with the subsidized and non-subsidized prices so you can make an informed choice. Most people find a carrier that works for them with the best coverage in their local area so they look first to their carrier for a smartphone rather than looking for the a smartphone and then switching carriers. You will find the smartphone choices from the four largest nationwide carriers, but keep in mind there are also some rather large localized carriers in the Northeast and Southern regions with excellent smartphone choices.

The prices you will see in this article are from the carrier. If you are new to a carrier or adding another line you will find excellent prices on Amazon.com and other online vendors.

Verizon Wireless

Verizon has had a rather weak lineup of smartphones for most of 2009 with their primary focus on high end BlackBerry models. They recently added some very good Windows Mobile and Google Android devices to their offerings so Verizon Wireless customers have some of the best choices this holiday season. You will find smartphones with keyboards and those focused on touch only so something should appeal to you that allows you to stay with Verizon Wireless, or even join them to obtain one of their new Google Android devices.

Verizon does have the most expensive data and voice plans, but they also have the most coverage of any wireless carrier. The HTC Touch Pro2 has been sold out for much of the last month so may be difficult to find. The HTC DROID ERIS and Motorola DROID are the hottest devices at the moment and you will see commercials for both on television and in print advertising. If you travel internationally, make sure to look for a phone that is GSM-capable too.

RIM BlackBerry

• BlackBerry Curve 8330 - Front facing QWERTY, 2.0 megapixel camera: $429.99 (no contract) and $49.99 (2-year contract)
• BlackBerry Tour - Front facing QWERTY, 3.2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $489.99 (no contract) and $149.99 (2-year contract)
• BlackBerry Storm2 - Large touchscreen, WiFi, 3.2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $539.99 (no contract) and $179.99 (2-year contract)

Windows Mobile

• Samsung Omnia - Large touchscreen, Samsung TouchWIZ interface, 5 megapixel camera: $459.99 (no contract) and FREE (2-year contract)
• HTC Ozone - Front facing QWERTY, non-touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $349.99 (no contract) and $49.99 (2-year contract)
• Samsung Saga - Front facing QWERTY, touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $449.99 (no contract) and $99.99 (2-year contract)
• HTC Touch Pro2 - Large touchscreen, slider QWERTY, 3.2 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $489.99 (no contract) and $199.99 (2-year contract)
• HTC Imagio - Windows Mobile 6.5, large touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, GSM world phone: $579.99 (no contract) and $199.99 (2-year contract)

Google Android

• HTC DROID ERIS - Touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, HTC Sense UI and widgets:: $469.99 (no contract) and $99.99 (2-year contract)
• Motorola DROID - Android 2.0, 5 megapixel camera, large touchscreen, slider QWERTY: $559.99 (no contract) and $199.99 (2-year contract)

Apple iPhone
Verizon has no iPhone devices.

Symbian
Verizon has no Symbian smartphone offerings.

Palm WebOS
Verizon has no Palm WebOS devices.

A couple of things to keep in mind as you look at these Verizon smartphones is to check for WiFi and GSM support if you are a business traveler who needs these wireless technologies to do your job.

Let’s see what AT&T has available »

November 4th, 2009

The iPhone is one of the best phones in the world, carriers with it are the problem

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 5:34 pm

Categories: AT&T, Apple, T-Mobile, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Phone, Carrier, Smart Phones, Telecom & Utilities, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

I try not to link to posts I completely disagree with that reach conclusions that don’t seem fully backed up, but I just had to respond to this UK Crave blog post titled, The iPhone is the worst phone in the world. After reading the post and then thinking about my experiences with my iPhone 3GS on both AT&T and T-Mobile I really think the author meant the iPhone/carrier combo is the worst in the world. Every issue, other than battery life, that they mentioned was carrier related and not due just to the device. You see, with AT&T I too experienced constant dropped calls in full signal areas and massive data issues in areas saturated with iPhone users. Then, with T-Mobile I never have had a dropped call on my iPhone and data has been solid, although it is only EDGE data on T-Mobile.

The iPhone is actually a pretty incredible phone that offers the consumer an experience not ever seen before. While we all acknowledge the iPhone rocks at web surfing and media consumption I honestly think it does quite well as a phone too for several reasons as I have listed here.

• Answering calls is as easy as a swipe across the screen.
• Controlling how your call is handled couldn’t be easier. By this I mean the options for a Bluetooth headset, speakerphone, or headset speaker.
• The proximity sensor turns off the display so nothing is accidentally pressed.
• Voicemail appears in a visual list so you control what messages you want to listen to.
• Starting a conference call or swapping calls just takes a screen tap.

I am not saying the iPhone is the perfect phone, but it sure makes all these tasks above easier than I have ever before experienced on a phone before. We now see others copying these exact same interface elements. For example, the Nokia N97 and Touch Pro2 have swipe to answer actions.

There are MANY other phones that are much worse than the iPhone and I completely disagree with the CNET UK post. Do you agree that the iPhone is the worst phone ever or do you think it actually is one of the best phones?

November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Smartphones

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:18 pm

Categories: AT&T, Android, Apple, BlackBerry, HTC, Holiday Gift Guide, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, High Tech Computer Corp., Phone, Device, Smart Phone, T-Mobile, Sprint Communications, Smartphone, CLIQ, iPhone 3GS

The lineup of cell phones has expanded a bit, but a significant number of what we see in that category are updates to existing models. The real innovation in the mobile phone world is in the area of smartphones where we see the Apple iPhone, Palm WebOS, Google Android, RIM BlackBerry, and Microsoft Windows Mobile devices taking us to places we have never been before. This holiday season there is a huge selection for you to choose from on every carrier and several exciting devices will be launching throughout November. There are so many to choose from that we can’t cover them all here so I will present you with one smartphone from each carrier and one SIM-unlocked one.

Even though I am only presenting one phone from each carrier, I highly encourage you to visit your local carrier’s retail store to check out all the offerings available since they are quite compelling. The great thing for buyers this holiday season is that such intense competition lends itself to good prices and changing carrier plans and services.

T-Mobile

Motorola CLIQ

T-Mobile is my personal wireless carrier and I was going to talk about my current favorite device, the T-Mobile Touch Pro2, but I think another new device is more exciting and interesting for the holidays. Motorola’s new CLIQ Google Android device with MOTOBLUR integration that tightly integrates social networking feeds and data in the device. The CLIQ has a beautiful capacitive touch screen, 5 megapixel camera, support for T-Mobile’s 3G data network, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, and full QWERTY keyboard.

The device is highly optimized for social networking with Facebook, MySpace and Twitter apps built right into the Android OS. Android is an exciting new platform with thousands of applications and capability to meet all your needs.

Price: $199.99 with 2-year contract and rebate

[Check out the ZDNet Reviews page]

Check out my AT&T recommendation »

November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Cell Phones

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:16 pm

Categories: AT&T, Holiday Gift Guide, LG, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon

Tags: Phone, Device, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Bluetooth, Cell Phone, Camera, Wireless, Samsung Memoir, QWERTY, Pantech Reveal

Even though 2009 was a difficult one for many in regards to finances, the mobile phone market continued to grow and manufacturers continued to roll out some excellent phones for the consumer. In this issue of the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide we will take a look at two selected mobile phones from each of the four major US wireless carriers. I know the lines between feature phones and smartphones are no longer clear cut, but we will have another Guide edition for smartphones that will include those devices running Windows Mobile, Google Android, RIM BlackBerry, Apple iPhone, Symbian, and Palm WebOS.

QWERTY keyboards are quite popular today due to the heavy text messaging practices that many people take part in while standard phone keypad models don’t seem to be as common. That said, there are also some very powerful and functional devices without keyboards that appeal to consumer for other strengths. The phones we will cover in this Guide range from $49.99 to $199.99 in price.

T-Mobile

Samsung Memoir

This first selection from T-Mobile brings a feature not seen in many phones and that is an 8 megapixel digital camera. I find the saying that the best camera to have is the one that is always with you and with the Samsung Memoir in hand you really don’t have to compromise when it comes to taking photos. The Memoir also has a Xenon flash so you can take decent photos in low and no light conditions too. In addition to the 8 megapixel camera you will find a large 2.64 x 1.61 inch 240×400 pixel resolution touch screen display with haptic feedback. Samsung throws on their cool TouchWIZ user interface and the decent NetFront web browser to round out the device.

You will find it supports T-Mobile’s 3G data network, has integrated Bluetooth, and integrated GPS receiver for navigation. The Samsung Memoir is quite a powerful mobile phone for those looking to take lots of photos on the go.

Price: $199.99 with 2-year contract and rebate/discount or $499.99 with no contract (T-Mobile’s new Even More Plus plan)

[Read my review and check out the ZDNet Reviews page]

Go to the next page »

October 16th, 2009

Is the Google Android platform the upcoming smartphone of choice?

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:58 am

Categories: AT&T, Android, Google, HTC, Linux, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon

Tags: Google Inc., High Tech Computer Corp., Google Android, Device, Smart Phone, T-Mobile, Sprint Communications, myTouch 3G Fender Edition, myTouch 3G, Mobile Operating Systems

My T-Mobile SIM is setup for my T-Mobile G1 Google Android device that I have owned since day 1 (see my full review) and continue to enjoy with the updates and growing Android Market application selection. T-Mobile was the first US wireless carrier to support Android and then rolled out the T-Mobile myTouch 3G to add a second Android and become the carrier of choice for Android fans. T-Mobile will be launching a third Android device, the Motorola CLIQ, very soon, but they are no longer the exclusive Android carrier. Sprint has the awesome HTC Hero with the Samsung Moment coming soon and Verizon will have a couple of devices in 2010. AT&T has nothing announced yet, but there are rumors of a Dell handset. When you decide you want an iPhone, you only have one choice in carrier and form factor, but when you now consider an Android device you can stay with your carrier and/or have a choice in form factor. Let’s take a closer look at what Android devices are or will be coming to each carrier in the US, followed by my thoughts on what I have found to be the best so far.

T-Mobile

I’ll start with T-Mobile since they were the first to support the Google Android platform. You currently have two choices at T-Mobile with a fourth coming soon. Here are the known choices on T-Mobile:

• T-Mobile G1
• T-Mobile myTouch 3G
• Motorola CLIQ
• Samsung Behold II
• T-Mobile myTouch 3G Fender Edition

The T-Mobile G1 is the first Android device and can still be found at T-Mobile. It is a bit clunky, but it has a fantastic keyboard and is the primary Android device I still use today. The myTouch 3G drops the keyboard, gets a nice facelift, doubles the onboard memory, and gives you lots of customization options. I really liked the myTouch 3G and would buy one in a second if it had the HTC Sense UI (discussed below in the Hero portion) integration on board. The Motorola CLIQ (see Andrew’s thoughts) is coming soon and will be the second Android device on T-Mobile with a hardware QWERTY keyboard. This device is being marketed as a social networking powerhouse and is a good device to consider. I was caught a bit off guard with Read the rest of this entry »

October 16th, 2009

AT&T Tilt 2 reviewed as last of four Touch Pro2 US variants

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:12 am

Categories: AT&T, Microsoft, Windows Mobile

Tags: High Tech Computer Corp., T-Mobile, AT&T Corp., HTC Touch, Tilt 2, Smart Phones, Mobile Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Handhelds, Operating Systems

It looks like the final US carrier branded Touch Pro2 device will be launching this weekend. AT&T’s Tilt 2 is scheduled to be available on 18 October, but the folks at WMExperts were able to get their hands on one and posted a review. The Tilt 2 is the first of the four carrier HTC Touch Pro2 units to launch with Windows Mobile 6.5. It also appears to look most like the European HTC Touch Pro2 with curves and silver highlights. I still really like using my T-Mobile HTC Touch Pro2, especially since it is not loaded with bloatware like AT&T continues to do with all of their smartphones that are not iPhones.

It also looks like the T-Mobile version has the best keyboard of all four major US wireless carriers with a dedicated number row and actual CTRL key for efficiency during text entry. There is still no word on when the Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon devices will get the Windows Mobile 6.5 update, but as I pointed out before there isn’t a whole lot in the WM 6.5 update that is needed on the Touch Pro2.

October 6th, 2009

Hands-on with the AT&T HTC Pure Windows Mobile 6.5 device

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:43 pm

Categories: AT&T, HTC, Microsoft, Windows Mobile

Tags: High Tech Computer Corp., Device, Microsoft Windows Mobile, AT&T Corp., HTC Pure, TouchFLO 3D, Mobile Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Handhelds

Back in May I had the chance to check out the GSM HTC Touch Diamond2 and this weekend we saw AT&T jumping the gun and selling their new HTC Pure device that is the US version of the Diamond2. I won’t go into all the details that I did back in that review since the specs are the same with a very similar form factor. I will instead focus in this post on some things specific to the HTC Pure on AT&T. You can read about my take on the Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system that is preinstalled on the HTC Pure. I put together a small image gallery and a video of the HTC Pure so you can see what it is like. While I would personally not consider the device, the $150 price after rebate and contract is quite attractive.

	Image Gallery:A walk around the HTC Pure Windows Mobile 6.5 device.

The HTC Pure is another nice device from HTC and the only hardware issues I have is the lack of a 3.5mm headset jack and lack of a trackball or other some type of navigation controller. I have come to realize I am not a huge fan of devices without some kind of controller like the trackball on the Sprint HTC Hero because there are times when I want to scroll around and cannot with the touchscreen. I love the compact form factor and beautiful display though. I am not impressed with the amount of AT&T bloatware and the incomplete Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system.

Specifications

: The HTC Pure has the following specifications:

• Windows Mobile 6.5 operating system
• Qualcomm MSM 7200A 528MHz processor
• 512MB ROM/288MB RAM (about 250MB ROM and 95MB RAM available for the user)
• 3.2 inch 480×800 WVGA display
• Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and Dual-band HSDPA (900/2100 MHz)
• Integrated GPS receiver
• Integrated Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support
• Integrated 802.11 b/g radio
• Integrated FM radio
• G-sensor accelerometer
• 5 megapixel camera with auto focus
• 1100 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery
• microSD card slot with support for SDHC capacities
• Dimensions: 4.32 x 2.1 x 0.59 inches, 6.28 ounces

Walk around the hardware: On the front of the device you will see the beautiful 3.2 inch 480×800 display that is the primary standout feature of the HTC Pure. The rest of the hardware is Read the rest of this entry »

October 4th, 2009

AT&T announces first WM 6.5 devices, the HTC Pure and HTC Tilt 2

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 11:35 pm

Categories: AT&T, HTC, Microsoft, Windows Mobile

Tags: High Tech Computer Corp., AT&T Corp., HTC Pure, Tilt 2, Pure, Mobile Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Mobile Applications, Handhelds

AT&T jumped the gun a bit and today announced the HTC Pure and Tilt 2, both running Windows Mobile 6.5. I have an HTC Pure here in my hands under evaluation, but cannot post my full review until early Tuesday morning when the embargo on Windows Mobile 6.5 lifts. In the meantime, you can check out the official press release and even visit your local AT&T store as I understand many of them are actually selling the HTC Pure now for just $149.99 after $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract.

The HTC Pure is the US version of the HTC Touch Diamond2 (see my first impressions of that device) that is powered by Windows Mobile 6.5. The Pure has a 3.2 inch WVGA display, TouchFLO 3D support, and much more.

The Tilt 2 is the AT&T version of the HTC Touch Pro2 and AT&T is the last carrier to add this device to its collection, but the first to offer it as a Windows Mobile 6.5 device. The HTC Tilt 2 will be available in the “following weeks” for $299.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate. Verizon still comes in with the lowest price on this device while AT&T is slightly less than Sprint and T-Mobile.

Stay tuned late tonight for my full review of the HTC Pure to see what I think about the device and whether it is worth the $150 price.

October 1st, 2009

Documents To Go for iPhone now supports Excel editing and creation

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:15 am

Categories: AT&T, Apple, Mobile software, iPhone

Tags: Apple iPhone, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Smart Phones, Office Suites, Software, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

I am reminded of the good old days of the competition between mobile software on my Palm devices when I see developers like DataViz and Quickoffice going back and forth with updates and improvements. We are seeing this same competition take place on the iPhone as one takes the lead and then the other comes out with an update that passes the other one by, until the other updates yet again and retakes the lead. Today, we see that DataViz has released Documents To Go version 2.0 that adds support for Excel on the iPhone. This is a FREE update for existing owners. We now have both apps supporting Word and Excel on the iPhone and it looks like the next hurdle is PowerPoint. I will have a comparison of the two Excel modules up later tonight or tomorrow morning so come back to see how they compare to each other.

Documents To Go version 2.0 adds support for creation and editing of Excel files (2007 & 2008 formats) and typing speed improvements. The Excel support includes support for iPhone cut/copy/paste, 111 functions/formulas, multiple worksheets, and more. One capability I have yet to see from either of these Office apps is charting support so maybe that will be the next additional feature.

August 31st, 2009

Back to school special: QWERTY messaging phones

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 4:25 am

Categories: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon

Tags: Phone, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., 3G, Bluetooth, Messaging, Camera, GPS, QWERTY, QWERTY Keyboard, Phone Keypad

It’s that time of year when kids go back to school and people start to think of ways to stay connected and in touch. If your kids are like mine, text messaging is used 90% of the time compared to voice calls on mobile phones and they are all about the QWERTY keyboard for easier, faster texting than a phone keypad. Every carrier realizes this too and has a lineup of QWERTY phones to meet these texting needs. Let’s take a look at two of the best QWERTY phones available from each of the four major wireless carriers.

I personally have tried several times to move away from a QWERTY keyboard device, but realized it is time to give up on that idea as the QWERTY keeps drawing me back and I am just more comfortable using them for messaging purposes.

While there are several BlackBerry and other smartphone QWERTY devices available (check out my recent King of the QWERTYs articles), we are going to take a quick look at the feature phone set since they are less expensive, more likely to be purchased for school aged children, and are heavily focused on text messaging. As I have talked about before, the lines are actually getting quite blurry between smartphone and feature phones as feature phones offer people more and more.

T-Mobile

Samsung Gravity 2
T-Mobile is the smallest of the four major U.S. carriers in terms of subscribers, but they also have the best rates for the included number of minutes. T-Mobile regularly takes the prize for best customer service and as a subscriber myself for over 7 years I can attest to their excellent service.

The Samsung Gravity 2 brings an upgrade to the popular Gravity device with redesigned keyboard that gives the owner four rows instead of three, upgrades from a 1.3 megapixel camera to a 2 megapixel camera, adds a GPS receiver, and 3G wireless data radio. I am working on a review of the Metallic Pumpkin Gravity 2 and there is also a Berry Mauve model to choose from.

The QWERTY keyboard is very functional and is accessed by sliding the upper part of the phone to the right (up in landscape orientation). The Gravity 2 keyboard has the two phone soft keys at the extreme ends of the keyboard centered vertically for very easy usage. The number row is along the top and accessed with a function key since there is a full phone keypad on the front part of the phone. There are directional arrows to help with navigation in keyboard mode and the buttons are well defined with good feedback.

Price: $29.99 after instant discount, rebate and contract
[Read the review (Berry-Mauve) and (Metallic Pumpkin)]

Samsung Comeback
The newest QWERTY messaging phone from T-Mobile is the Samsung Comeback in both Frost Silver Cherry and Pearl White Plum. The Comeback has more of a Sidekick-like design with a flip up middle section that reveals a full QWERTY keyboard. The keys are quite small and close together with a straight layout and small space bar. There is a directional pad on the right and phone hardware buttons to control the phone.

There is both a front outer display and inner display as the from transforms from phone mode to keyboard mode. The Comeback has a 2 megapixel camera, integrated GPS receiver, and 3G wireless data radio. A microSD card is supported, along with stereo Bluetooth capability.

Price: $74.99 after instant discount, rebate and contract
[Read the review (Pearl White Plum) and (Frost Silver Cherry)]

Let’s check out AT&T’s offerings ª