Topic: Favorite smartphone?

[tendoboy1984]

Out of those 4 popular smartphones, which is your favorite?

[TJ Spyke]

I don't own one, but want one. If there was a iPhone with a pay as you go plan (here in the US) rather than those super expensive contracts, I would get one. I can get a Android phone with it though and for a decent price, so that will be default my pick.

[tendoboy1984]

I don't own one, but want one. If there was a iPhone with a pay as you go plan (here in the US) rather than those super expensive contracts, I would get one. I can get a Android phone with it though and for a decent price, so that will be default my pick.

There are Blackberry phones on no-contract plans, but are they really that popular now that iPhone and Android are dominating the smartphone sector?


And I wonder if we'll ever see Windows Phones on no-contract plans? It took a while for Android phones to appear on no-contract plans, so who knows.

[Adrock]

I have an iPhone 4S and I love it. Technically, it's my favorite because I own one and don't hate it. I previously owned a Blackberry Bold 9700 which was awesome for like 6 months before I realized, I couldn't really do the one thing I even wanted a smartphone for well: browse the Internet. In that way, I'm extremely easy to please. iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7 all do that well. I liked the form factor of the Blackberry because I like physical keyboards but there was more than enough reason to ditch the platform.

I chose an iPhone because everything is made for it, from apps to accessories, and Apple releases 1 new model a year and supports it for 3. I'm serious, that's it. I don't care that I can't mod it as easily as Android because I'm not modding anything. Apple made a phone that's pretty straight forward. Some people don't like that kind of simplicity; some people do. The iPhone does what I need it to do and largely gets out of my way. Android and WP7 would function in exactly the same way for me so I don't have anything against those platforms. The only thing I don't like about Android phones is how quickly the vendors are to release new models and product lines but that's not a mark against the operating system which, from my limited experience, is pretty awesome.

[NWR_insanolord]

I have an iPhone 4, and before that I had an iPhone 3G, and I like the iOS platform a lot. Part of that is I'm a lifelong Mac user, so I'm predisposed toward liking Apple's design choices and the iPhone works better with a Mac than other platforms do. iOS has developed to the point that I don't have many complaints with the feature set, although I still have my phone jailbroken for a few specific things.

[BranDonk Kong]

I think technically this thread should say "Favorite Smartphone OS?" since Android and Windows Phone are licensed to OEMs and there are thousands of different models, and there are a handful of new BlackBerry phones every year too.

Anyway, Android all the way. It's open source, you have a never ending supply of choices for a phone and carrier (though some people don't like that), and when you get an Android phone you can basically do whatever you want to with it, no hacks are necessary to install non-market apps (except with very rare cases with some AT&T phones a while back), and you aren't locked down to any specific desktop software or just a single shop for programs.

[tendoboy1984]

Anyway, Android all the way. It's open source...


...and you aren't locked down to any specific desktop software or just a single shop for programs.

Google Play?

[Shaymin]

Or the Amazon Appstore, or Cyanogen, etc.

[nickmitch]

I think technically this thread should say "Favorite Smartphone OS?" since Android and Windows Phone are licensed to OEMs and there are thousands of different models, and there are a handful of new BlackBerry phones every year too.

I was thinking the same thing.

Anyway, Android all the way. It's open source, you have a never ending supply of choices for a phone and carrier (though some people don't like that),

LOL

Anyway, it's iPhone for me. I'm kind of an Apple geek, and I like to use **** like AirPlay and the remote app. I know there's all sorts of options for similar ****, but I'm REALLY lazy. And Apple makes quality products with excellent customer service.

[BranDonk Kong]

Anyway, Android all the way. It's open source...


...and you aren't locked down to any specific desktop software or just a single shop for programs.

Google Play?

No, you are not locked down to Google play, that's like saying Windows is locked to IE since it's the only browser included with the OS. You don't even have to use any market if you don't want to, and can just side load everything.

[Oblivion]

Anyway, it's iPhone for me. I'm kind of an Apple geek, and I like to use **** like AirPlay and the remote app. I know there's all sorts of options for similar ****, but I'm REALLY lazy. And Apple makes quality products with excellent customer service.

High five! While I'm not an Apple geek or anything, I find the sleek look and layout of their devices and OS incredibly enduring. I find Android devices sort of...unpolished? Plus most of the Android phones I've played around with have shitty screens compared to the sexy Retina Display. Yummy.

[Plugabugz]

I've had a Samsung Nexus S since launch day in December 2010. Last week i (re)upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, and my phone feels brand new again.

Of all the phones and devices before, while Nokia's just feel well built - the nokia 6280 excluded, their first 3G AND first sliding handset as it was a disaster from launch. their inexperience in 3G and non-stick phones was obvious - Something about the Nexus is very appealing. Plus add in vanilla Android for a clean no-BS feel.

I also have a iPhone 4S (work device) and while i like it, i like the actual customisation options that my Nexus provides me. Google needs to seriously work on the customer management side of the nexus line though.

[BranDonk Kong]

Anyway, it's iPhone for me. I'm kind of an Apple geek, and I like to use **** like AirPlay and the remote app. I know there's all sorts of options for similar ****, but I'm REALLY lazy. And Apple makes quality products with excellent customer service.

High five! While I'm not an Apple geek or anything, I find the sleek look and layout of their devices and OS incredibly enduring. I find Android devices sort of...unpolished? Plus most of the Android phones I've played around with have shitty screens compared to the sexy Retina Display. Yummy.

You've never seen an Android phone with a 720p display then (Rezound, Galaxy Nexus, basically all of the "new" Android phones coming out this month and later, high end at least), makes Apples qHD (lets call it what it is) look like old hat.

[S-U-P-E-R]

I got the latest and greatest Japanese Android phone. iPhone users are subhuman garbage

[Stogi]

It's Android for me. I like to customize pretty much everything if I can, and Android lets me do that to a much greater degree than Apple.

[tendoboy1984]

You all know this was a poll right? I'd like to see a percentage of votes.


I'm surprised no one picked Blackberry. I thought they were still popular?

[BranDonk Kong]

Not at all, their global market share shrinks every single day. I fully expect RIM to be bankrupt, or at least going to software-only (and then soon after completely gone) by the end of 2013.

[Shaymin]

I used to *work* for RIM, and still use a BB... but I'm jumping off the platform at my next upgrade assuming there's a good phone with a physical keyboard out by then.

[tendoboy1984]

Not at all, their global market share shrinks every single day. I fully expect RIM to be bankrupt, or at least going to software-only (and then soon after completely gone) by the end of 2013.

My how things change in just a few short years. Before the iPhone and Android, Blackberry was the defenition of a smartphone. Then Apple and Google changed everything, and somehow RIM can't catch up.


Does anyone think Microsoft can gain marketshare with Windows Phone so they will be on even ground with iOS and Android? Android started out small, then it exploded in popularity in just a couple years, so the same thing could happen with Windows Phone.


Then again, many people think the "Metro" UI is horrible (including me).

[nickmitch]

Meh, that new Nokia has a few fanboys clamoring, but we'll see how it sells. It's not the Windows Mobile of old that was designed for enterprise users, so it kinda loses the market there. But when RIM finally goes under, somebody's gotta pick up the enterprise market. MS has been there before, but I think Apple wants it more and has the "cool" factor going for it.

[tendoboy1984]

Meh, that new Nokia has a few fanboys clamoring, but we'll see how it sells. It's not the Windows Mobile of old that was designed for enterprise users, so it kinda loses the market there. But when RIM finally goes under, somebody's gotta pick up the enterprise market. MS has been there before, but I think Apple wants it more and has the "cool" factor going for it.

Microsoft tried to make Windows Phone (and now Windows 8 ) more accessible to a wider audience, with the Metro UI being designed to be simple and easy to understand. There is no "enterprise" market anymore; RIM / Blackberry had that cornered down, and look at them now. Smartphones are for everyone now.

[nickmitch]

There's still an enterprise market. It's what keeping RIM in business now. The problem came when the smartphone market expanded and RIM couldn't keep up. All the other manufacturers had to do then was make their devices usable in that market space (remote wiping being a key feature) and slowly edge out the Black Berry as the go-to business phone.

[tendoboy1984]

There's still an enterprise market. It's what keeping RIM in business now. The problem came when the smartphone market expanded and RIM couldn't keep up. All the other manufacturers had to do then was make their devices usable in that market space (remote wiping being a key feature) and slowly edge out the Black Berry as the go-to business phone.

Yes, the enterprise market is still keeping RIM in business, but it's so small compared to the overall smartphone market that Apple and Google expanded. RIM needs to expand to a wider audience, or else they will be left behind.

[nickmitch]

It's bigger than you think. The problem is that it's too easy for a company to set up any modern smartphone to access company servers, retrieve/view/edit data, and provide decent security. So, anybody who wants their iPhone or Android device to load their work email can do so, albeit not as well as a BlackBerry. Basically, RIM won that market, but then that market got more options. It now comes down to the cool factor, which isn't RIM's strong suit anymore.

[tendoboy1984]

It's bigger than you think. The problem is that it's too easy for a company to set up any modern smartphone to access company servers, retrieve/view/edit data, and provide decent security. So, anybody who wants their iPhone or Android device to load their work email can do so, albeit not as well as a BlackBerry. Basically, RIM won that market, but then that market got more options. It now comes down to the cool factor, which isn't RIM's strong suit anymore.

But the primary buyers of smartphones now are young adults. RIM needs to capitalize on this new market, because the enterprise market alone won't keep them alive forever. It's like you said, people have more options now, and the smartphone market has expanded greatly since Blackberry pioneered years ago.


It's similar to the gaming industry. Nintendo (with Wii and DS) expanded the video game market past the "core" gamer demographic. Being complete caught off guard, Microsoft and Sony frantically tried to capitalize on this expanded market. Microsoft got it right with Kinect, while Sony stumbled with the PS Move.

And even Apple (with iOS), and Google (with Android) expanded the mobile gaming market to a wider audience. Again, Sony tried to capitalize on this new market with Xperia Play and PS Vita, but they stumbled.

In a nutshell, RIM is the Sony of the smartphone industry.