New Year's Eve: Time to Dream Big [Three BIG-spec'd Androids I'm Personally Attracted To]
It's New Year's Eve: the perfect time to look back, and also the perfect time to build new dreams.
When it comes to dreams, we're told to "dream big." And even if it doesn't seem reachable or budget-friendly at the moment, those big dreams have their purpose: they keep a person "hungry": willing to dream, willing to work, willing to reach out until they get what they want.
Thus, let's change the tone of our budget-conscious discussions on Android gadgets, and for today, DREAM BIG.
When it comes to Android phones, there's no other way to dream big than to think and consider the Android Superphones. Thanks to the Samsung Galaxy SII setting the trend of creating a smartphone to beat the iPhone, Android phone and tablet makers like Motorola, HTC and even LG are working hard to follow in the rubber marks that Samsung had left in the Android innovation pavement. Thus, expect that Androids will become more and more powerful as the days go by.
I'm actually a very practical girl. I prefer "doable" and "reachable" than the ostentatious. I do not see the point in owning a Php 20,000 phone, and I once swore that I would never spend more than Php 3,000 on a phone, because I got traumatized when my then-de rigueur 3310 got picked from my knapsack's back pocket. In front of a church, at that. But since then, innovation could no longer be contained, and now, I'm absolutely all for spending a reasonable amount on a good Android phone.
I still have my spending "set point," the maximum that I'd go for any phone. I still feel like it's too much to spend Php 25,000 and above on a phone, no matter how amazing it is, at the moment. So my strategy will be to wait until the prices drop as the companies release new models.
But price points notwithstanding, here are my personal picks for high-end SuperDroids:
Motorola Droid 3 -- One of the reasons why I'm not interested in a Samsung Galaxy SII is that I want to hold out for 4G/LTE. The technology is currently being implemented by Smart Communications, and I want to take advantage of that when it's fully rolled out in the country. If I choose the Samsung Galaxy SII as my "ultimate" Dream Droid, I may limit myself to 3G connectivity at around the same price. So as I was thinking about looking for the "Ultimate Androids" that I may want to purchase within 2 years' time, I decided on finding a 4G Android and putting it on a sort-of bucket list to think about and, well, pray for. I found this! And the next phone.
But before I go on to the next Dream Droid, I want to say one more main reason why I put this on the top of my list:
I chose this phone because of the Slide-Out Keyboard. As I just mentioned in my recent comprehensive review of the Cherry Mobile Nova, I am re-realizing that I hate texting for long periods on a touchscreen phone. I seriously need a physical keyboard, and by Seriously, I mean SERIOUSLY. So when I came across the Moto Droid 3, I was happy to have found a better, 4G model similar to my first slide-out keyboard "crush," the HTC Desire Z.
HTC Amaze -- While everyone else is obsessed by the HTC Sensation XE because it is among the Beats-branded Androids of HTC, I'm yawning. I'm not impressed because of one major thing: it's just not powerful enough. While the HTC Sensation XE has 1.5GHz CPU speed/768MB RAM/4GB ROM size/1GB user-available Internal Storage, the HTC Amaze has, to pun around, more amazing specs at 1.5GHz CPU speed/1GB RAM/16GB ROM size. Imagine the difference. Plus, it has an HSDPA speed of up to 42MBPS. Can you say "whoa" with me? Here's a side-by-side GSMArena Comparison chart so you can see why I'm amazed.
Samsung Galaxy Note -- While I'm not into the Samsung Galaxy SII, I'm really going goo-goo eyes over the Samsung Galaxy Note. For one, it is marketed as a tablet/phone hybrid with a stylus and some functions for note-taking and journaling. I'm more attracted to the S-Pen than anything else on this unit. But I'm also happy at the fact that: It is LTE, it is wide enough for handy browsing, reading and note-taking, and, it's not as chunky as the Samsung Galaxy Tab(lets). The real draw for me is really on the fact that it has handwriting support. It doesn't hurt that it's on Gorilla Glass, either.
Will I be able to buy all three Androids within the next three years? I'm not sure. I'd settle for either the Moto Droid 3 or the Samsung Galaxy Note, actually. Either way, I'm not in a hurry. My Android journey is only beginning, after all. :-)
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Photo Credits: Xylker.com
The Droid 3 and Amaze are specific only to Verizon and T-Mobile USA, if I remember correctly. Unless of course you plan to have them imported and unlocked here.
ReplyDeleteActually, Verizon doesn't even use GSM (so no SIM cards), so you might be better off looking for the international equivalent (The Milestone is Motorola's international brand equivalent to the Droid series, I believe).
Friendly warning about holding out for 4G, though - if 3G coverage is still spotty in Metro Manila even now, I'm not too sure that 4G-enabled phones will be worth waiting for in the near future.
Happy New Year, Unknown! :D
ReplyDeleteErr, no, the Droid 3 is both GSM and CDMA. Check out the Droid 3 Specs on the link. There are gray-market online sellers who have factory unlocked units shipped here, no worries. :)
Here is one: 1st Stop Mobile Phones and Gadgets/Gadgets HQ by Jojo Pabelico. I think I found it from him first. I also considered having it sent in by NY Shopper but since you've pointed out that it may well be networked-locked, whenever I'm ready to buy it, I may get it from Jojo Pabelico, instead, since his seems to come factory unlocked.
You know, I've mentioned more than 3 times on this web mag that I'm working solely via 3G, since May 2011. Truth be told, I'm based in a municipality in Western Visayas that refuses to become a city. Though I do travel to another, more urbane city, as well as Manila. Where I live is the hinterlands by most standards: a truly rural area, only slightly urbanized, with only Gaisano Capital as its mall, and its ADSL services only top off at 768kbps, and these are just concessionaires. PLDT doesn't even serve the place, much less Bayantel. The only telcos available there are foreign to the Manileño. Thus, my best option had been 3G. So far, it's been great. I've been happier on 3G than on ADSL, save for my experience with Bayantel.
See, I've only had 1 or 2 downtimes on Globe Tattoo when I was in Boracay (for around 2 months), then only once when I moved to the said municipality. And honestly, Sun Broadband Wireless, though notorious for getting spotty data transfer when the wind blows, was pretty reliable during the Sendong onslaught. We had crazy strong howling winds in my area, and now that I think about it, it was a miracle I was still online via Sun Broadband Wireless at that time. In fact, I was puzzled why I was still online, when even Sun Cellular's staff in my area had warned me that the service will definitely waver when there are strong winds and rain.
I alternate Sun Broadband Wireless and Globe Tattoo connections (prepaid, as of now) on my Cherry Mobile Nova, by the way. Save for the fact that this arrangement is pretty much more expensive than getting a Plan instead (Php 225 x 4 + Php 100 x 4 = Php 1300), for now, I can live with it. I do plan to get Globe Tattoo and Sun Cellular Broadband plans in the future.
Also, I don't think anyone should belittle 4G implementation in the Philippines. The mother company that owns Android Alliance uses 4G via Wi-Tribe as the office ISP. I have even higher hopes for SmartBro's LTE, as I tried it in Boracay when it launched. It sure was pretty awesome, in terms of speed. In terms of reliability, THAT we will have to see.
After I got my Android and got it to run Froyo via the official Cherry Mobile update, I have increasingly depended on it for my 3G connection via WiFi tethering until I fully let go of my Globe Tattoo dongle and lived on my Cherry Mobile Nova alone.
Right now, I'm working from an urban area/city in the Visayas, and while Globe Tattoo is actually on EDGE in my area, I set my Cherry Mobile Nova on WCDMA-only, placed it near a window and I noticed my surfing is faster than when I was in the municipality where I am living.
Back in the municipality, I got these Speedtest Results, though I don't recall if I used my Cherry Mobile Nova then, or the dongles:
ReplyDeleteSun Broadband Wireless: 2.20 MBPS
Globe Tattoo: 1.54 MBPS
SmartBro: 0.33 MBPS
I'm sure SmartBro's results will be better on LTE, as that is a different protocol altogether.
If you're curious about my locations, do send me an email, as I may not be at a liberty to disclose it here. :)
I'm not as keen on the HTC Amaze as I am about the Moto Droid 3, even though it's also on GSM, if you clicked on the links to see the specs. So since there is already a local supplier for the Droid 3, I won't have much of a prob when the time comes for me to get my dream unit. :D
Both are on GSM, Unknown, so there should be SIM cards. :)
Thanks for your input, as always. It keeps ME on my toes in getting my facts right, all the time. ;)