April 27th, 2009
Clash of the Touch Titans summary; which device is my favorite?
I completed my Clash of the Touch Titans articles last week and wanted to thank all of you for your active participation. I had quite a few comments on those posts and received several emails from people thanking me for the posts on each device. As I stated in my first post I use these types of comparisons as a way for me to make personal device buying decisions and evaluate different devices. You can check out my thoughts on the following announced or current touchscreen-focused devices:
- iPhone 3G (iPhone 3.0 OS)
- Palm Pre (WebOS)
- HTC Magic (Google Android)
- RIM BlackBerry Storm (BB OS 4.7)
- Samsung OmniaHD (S60)
- HTC Touch Diamond2 (Windows Mobile)
I have now had a chance to get hands-on with everyone of these devices and operating systems, except for the iPhone 3.0 OS update. Some may ask why I compared each device to the iPhone 3G in the last page of each post and my reasoning is that the iPhone is the hottest device in the mobile operating space and in just under two years of existence has shaken up the entire mobile space and in many ways is setting the bar. Surprisingly, Apple leads in areas that other mobile players had the opportunity to lead years ago (application store on the device, capacitive touch screens, and outstanding mobile browsing experience) and they let Apple step right in and take over.
As much fun as I do have with my iPhone and iPhone 3G, there are still many features and functions missing on the iPhone (even after the upcoming 3.0 update) that limit what a power user can do with the device. For example there is no video recording, no multitasking, no Bluetooth keyboard support, US wireless carrier choice (Windows Mobile and RIM rule here), no accessible file structure (results in no email attachment support or iPhone as an external drive), no expandable storage capacity, and no removable battery.
Take a look at this comparison spreadsheet for a snapshot of features and specifications of each of these Touch Titans as it may help you when thinking about which device fits your needs best. Price and data plan fees are not included because they have either not yet been established or are changing regularly (iPhone 3G pricing drops). I highlighted areas that made a device stand out (good and bad) from the others.
After checking out each of the devices over the last several weeks and posting my comparisons, here is the order of my personal preferences for the six devices and major issue that affected the order I placed them in:
- HTC Touch Diamond2 (Virtually limitless functionality)
- Palm Pre (New OS that shows lots of promise)
- Samsung OmniaHD (Media creation powerhouse with virtually limitless functionality)
- iPhone 3G (No multitasking or file access)
- HTC Magic (Limited application installation support)
- RIM BlackBerry Storm (OS not optimized for touch)
I think each of these devices have significant pros and cons and what may not be good for me may be just perfect for you. Some people recommended I take a look at the Nokia N97 and Nokia 5800 for the S60 comparison, but the N97 is more keyboard focused and the 5800 is less of a “Titan” than the OmniaHD with the targeted audience being the beginner or mid-level S60 user.
I am much more of a QWERTY keyboard fan and may be looking at QWERTY devices using this same type of comparison feature soon because there are one or two QWERTY devices I am seriously considering this year.
Matthew Miller is an avid mobile device enthusiast who works during the day as a professional naval architect in Seattle. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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| 04/27/09
