HTC HD2 vs Galaxy S

While out hiking in the Sacramento Mountains this weekend with my Mini Me, my HTC HD2 phone gave out. The HTC Sence didn't work anymore so I couldn't make calls, text or take photos. This was my 3rd replacement this year of the same model of cell phone. In all honesty, when it worked, I loved it. What I wasn't fond of were the Windows apps since the majority in stock weren't freebies. Nor was the selection much to drool over. What I would put as #1 was the size of the screen for photos. I took a lot of great shots with it and it came w/ flash (though I rarely used the flash feature since I prefer natural light). I also liked that my Facebook would sync to my contacts even if my contacts were named differently in my contact list. And it would update their profile photos on the HTC HD2. In essence this is what it had or didn't have:

      HTC HD2

• Lots of glitches with freezing
• HTC Sense (Touch) would stop functioning (which meant time to replace phone)
• Minimal app selection
• Amazing screen size
• Awesome photo resolution
• Flash for photos
• A great light indicator notifying you of missed calls or received txts
• Sync contacts w/ Facebook friends (including their profile photos)
• Bluetooth with my car was a problem on the receiving end. I had to YELL!
• Came with Transformers 1 AND 2

 

So because it was the 3rd time I'd returned it, I went from this...

to this...

I think the girl behind the counter was much more excited about the phone than I was. I the agitated customer who loved a phone that didn't want to play nice all the time. Given that I wanted to have the same type of phone (touch) I was introduced to the Galaxy S 4G. I heard somewhere that 3G and 4G are the same thing. That basically it's all in the labeling. It gives the customer the sense that it's better if the # is greater but it's just a name change. It's heresay though. I haven't researched it thoroughly. Anyhow, the girl behind the counter said, "The phone has been out for 1 month and we haven't received any complaints." Hmm... well, let's just say that after day 1 of being an owner of the Galaxy S, it froze!!!!!! Since it wouldn't shut off, I attempted to remove the cover I'd bought for it in order to access the back of the phone to remove the battery. I broke the cover within a matter of minutes. Grrr!

Other than that, it did sync all of my contacts but it won't sync my contacts profile photos from Facebook. Boooo! I do have access to a ton of free apps now. That's a huge plus. I haven't had a chance to play with the photo feature like I'd like to. The screen size is disappointing but it'll have to do. I also miss having a little flashing light indicating that there's a missed call or text. The Galaxy S doesn't have that feature. So far, this is what I've observed:

      Galaxy S

• It has two camera features (facing rear or forward)
• No flash for photos
• Higher-Res photos
• Tons of free apps and widgets
• 7 pages to fill your cell desktop with apps or widgets
• No light indicator signaling missed calls or texts
• No option to remove the voicemail envelope indicator (I hate that)
• Came with Inception on a 16G memory card
• Bluetooth seems more compatible w/ my car. No yelling! :D
• Google Talk feature for easy texting while driving

I'm slowly coming to love my taped up new Galaxy S. Yes... I used Scotch tape to put my cover back on my phone. Gives it character. lol

Techie ♥

I've always loved learning about new technology as a child and even more so as an adult. I didn't grow up with luxuries like a color tv, cable, landline phone or Atari games. The most luxurious technological things I owned as a child were a typewriter, calculator and dual cassette player. My oh my how things have changed and, yet, not so much. Currently, I don't have cable or sattelite tv. I have found that there aren't enough hours in my day to watch all of those extra channels. Besides, regular airtime television is enough. I also do not have a landline home phone, but not many folks do now a days. I've traded in that old typewriter for a laptop and dual cassette player for an iPod.

So, my G1 (Google) cell phone has been acting up lately and I decided to put myself on the waiting list for the HTC HD2. The bad thing is that I really do need a new phone NOW and this HTC HD2 phone won't be in stock for another month! According to reviews (YouTube), it's a better product that the current iPhone (which is probably going to be outdated due to a soon-to-be released new version of the iPhone). Right now, I really don't need the latest and greatest phone. However, I'd like something remotely close to greatness a.k.a the iPhone. Je je. Hopefully my Google phone will hold out until it gets replaced.

The other beauty I've had my eye on is the iPad. I can definitely say it's not a product I need, but it is a beautiful toy I'd like to own. Why? It's lighter than my laptop and functions like a tablet. As a designer, I also tend to lean more towards Mac products. So, why don't I own an iPhone instead since it's an Apple product? That's a good question. I like my cell phone carrier. Point blank. Why don't I look for an unlocked version of the iPhone? I did, but for the cost of a used, outdated iPhone, I could get a brand new knock-off. Ha!

Back to the iPad. I had been wanting to visit one at Best Buy, but hadn't found the time to do so. Luckily, a co-worker just purchased one and was using it to show his slides during a meeting. After the meeting, I went over to his office and asked if he'd let me play with his iPad and he did! It's a little heavier than I'd imagined and so much more beautiful. The visual aesthetics of it is phenomenal, it's extremely user-friendly and it's fast.

One of the big reasons I wasn't sold on the Kindle, Nook or most e-readers was their lack of color. I'm an artist, designer and photographer. I require visual stimulation. The iPad brings the rainbow to reading books and magazines. No, it doesn't come with Flash and it probably won't, which will lead to better photography for editorials such as WIRED or your local newspaper. Anyhow, I'm not on a waiting list to get myself an iPad, but it's on my list of self-indulgence. =)