Droid X vs. Black Berry vs. iPhone 4

A look at the main strengths — and drawbacks — of three popular smart phones

Deciding to buy a smart phone is the easy part. With dozens of models on the market — add one more after Motorola's Droid X went on sale Thursday — picking your perfect phone requires hours of research on countless details.

But if you prioritize your favorite features, the decision-making process may be less painful.

Nearly one in ten cell-phone users own smart phones, a computer-mobile phone combination that has more advanced applications than the basic feature phone, according to Nielsen Mobile. As prices fall and functions and apps become more useful, many of the 90% of cell-phone owners who don't own a smart phone may be considering an upgrade.

While there are many pricing variations on a slew of different phones, the top models all cost about the same — about $200 for a phone if you also buy a two-year contract, though the service costs will vary.

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There also are a slew of other models available at lower prices. For instance, the Samsung Omnia and the Nokia Surge are as cheap as $30 with a two-year contract.

Don't forget that smart phones require data plans that range from about $15 to $70 per month. Additional monthly costs could include extra storage space or wireless "hotspot" access.

So, first narrowing down your choices based on a phone's functions, and then comparing costs, may be time better spent.

How quickly do you need to access email messages? Is browser speed important to you? Would you prefer a large, readable screen or a raised-button keyboard? Do you need a high-quality camera or two-way video chat?

Among the Droid X, iPhone 4 and Blackberry smart phones, the quality of those features varies, said Michael Gikas, senior electronics and technology editor at Consumer Reports.

Here's a look at some of the main strengths - and drawbacks — of these three phones:

HTC Droid X: for avid Internet users



With its fast Google-driven browser, Verizon's fourth Droid model may be a great buy for those who like to use their phone to access the Internet. The Android-powered devices were billed as the iPhone killer, and they do have several features that make them competitive. Motorola (NYSE: MOT - News) added several more to the Droid X model, such as an 8-megapixel camera.

Strengths: At 5 inches long and 2.6 inches wide, the Droid X has a 4.4-inch display that would suit users who want readability. "It's a handful, but a manageable one," Gikas said in his review. Gikas also likes the device's keyboard, which has a "Swype" feature that makes its touch-screen keyboard easy to use. The time-saving tool allows users to slide their fingers over the keyboard, rather than lifting them, when typing a word — and yet still avoid typos.

If you're looking for a phone with a big screen, great search tools and on a reliable network, get the Droid X," said Paul Eng, who also reviewed the phone for Consumer Reports.

Drawbacks: Droid phones are notoriously clunky. One of the largest phones on the market and weighing in at 5.5 ounces, it's not a good pocket phone. Also, if you prefer carriers other than Verizon, this model's not for you. Finally, some reviewers note that the screen's resolution is not as fine as the iPhone 4's resolution.

IPhone 4: for photo/video and app lovers

It's no secret that the Apple iPhone (NASDAQ: AAPL - News) line is beyond popular. As with other Apple product launches, many people waited in long lines to snag the latest iPhone model released June 24. Apple sold more than 1.7 million units of the device in its first three days on the market.



If you're into taking pictures and watching videos with your phone, the iPhone 4, with its high resolution and fast streaming, would be a good bet.

But staunch fans of Verizon should keep shopping. It's unclear when the iPhone will open to Verizon's service. For now, AT&T is iPhone's exclusive carrier.

Strengths: A high-resolution touch screen makes it easy to read text; two cameras allow video chat; and a 5-megapixel camera with a flash takes great pictures. Gikas said he likes the phone's video-editing feature. And it's a good phone for people who like to play with apps — the iPhone serves as a platform for more than 300,000 applications.

"If your looking for a sharp screen, great multimedia features and a great source for content, choose the iPhone 4," Gikas said on Consumer Reports' website.

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Drawbacks: Users have no carrier choice outside of AT&T. The iPhone 4 has that antenna issue. CEO Steve Jobs said Friday at a press conference that the company will give free protective cases to iPhone 4 buyers to alleviate the problem.

The BlackBerry:



Research in Motion's (NASDAQ: RIMM - News) BlackBerry, which often hooks users with its instant email, has its own set of features. Foremost is that "push" email function, which feeds messages instantly instead of checking in with a server every 15 minutes or so. It's a hot phone with business executives, and Gikas said information-technology managers love them for their security features.

Strengths: In addition to its "push" feature, BlackBerry's email capabilities include linking several accounts to one master inbox, so users don't have to check multiple sources. BlackBerry users can choose from dozens of small and large carriers including AT&T, Verizon, Cellular One and T-Mobile. If you like using your thumbs to text, most Blackberry models have a physical QWERTY keyboard ideal for thumbing. BlackBerry also has two touch-screen models.

Drawbacks: Some reviewers say the BlackBerry models are clumsy with video streaming and slower with Internet use. The models that do have a camera don't offer much in the way of megapixels. For example, the BlackBerry Curve, one of the most recent models, has a camera with only 2 mega pixels. Finally, for those who prefer smaller phones, most of the BlackBerry models, which average 4.3 inches high and 2.4 inches wide, may be too large.

Best cell phone

SlashPhone Week in Review – Week 16 2010
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
Welcome back. We knew you’d make it. After all, this is one of those moments you look forward to all week, right? (Don’t dash our dreams?) Last week was a pretty interesting week in the cell phone industry, but we made it through it with barely a scratch, so we’re good to shove on to the next week. No worries, it’s not that easy to take us out. But anyway, here’s your latest Week in Review. Hope you like it.

Monday, April 19th:

First off, we started the week with a review. That’s right, we love to bring you the latest and greatest, and what’s a better way to do that then to give you an opinion on the latest (and potentially greatest) handsets that hit the market? This time around, the Droid Incredible by HTC got the keen-eyed treatment of the guys over at Android Community and SlashGear. Two reviews for the (free) price of one; doesn’t get any better than that, right?

And then we got some FCC goodness about where the Dell Mini 5, or Streak, if you prefer, might be heading in the near future. According to the documents, it looks like the Android tablet could see some shelf time on T-Mobile USA. Hopefully that means at a subsidized price, because we’re a bit worried about what this thing may cost out-right. Hopefully Dell won’t slap us all in the face too hard.

Tuesday, April 20th:

Do you want an HTC EVO 4G? You know, Sprint’s first 3G/WiMAX handset? The brother to the HTC HD2. Yeah, you remember. Anyway, do you want one? Are you a Sprint Premiere customer? Would you like to win an HTC EVO 4G, a quick gig as a para-professional blogger, and an “extended Summer weekend?” Great. Then you need to check ou the contest Sprint has going on right now, and fill out in 150 words or less why you’d be a perfect fit for the winner’s crown.

Research In Motion’s mobile Operating Systems are one of the best in the industry, no doubt about that, but they need a revamp in aesthetics. If these leaks of OS 6.0 are accurate, then it seems that RIM does indeed have some things held up their sleeve to fix the stagnant nature of the OS. We’re eagerly anticipating the official results, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.

Wednesday, April 21st:

The Sony Ericsson XPERIA X10 may not be our favorite Android phone (or any kind of phone, for that matter) out there, and one of the reasons could definitely be the fact that on both the software and hardware end of things, the device simply just doesn’t support multitouch. It’s even been confirmed that the X10 won’t be getting any kind of multitouch support in the future. But, sure enough, there’s a video out there that shows multitouch working just fine on an X10. So, consider us confused. Check out the video to see it for yourself.

More bad news for Android users: the HTC Hero’s update to Android 2.1 isn’t coming until June. We know, we know, it’s blasphemy, and we wish we didn’t have to say anything. But, thanks to an HTC representative directly asked, they’ve confirmed that the Hero will be getting two updates in June. The first will be a prep update, to ready the device for the impending major upgrade to 2.1. A few days later, you’ll get the prodigal OTA, and then everything will be right with the word. Unless, of course, Android’s Froyo (2.x) comes out a month before you get that update. Then, well, we wish you the best of luck.

Thursday, April 22nd:

If you’re one of the many owners out there with a Nexus One, then hopefully you haven’t had any real issues with your 3G coverage. Because Google doesn’t care anymore. Really. They’re stopping any and all investigations into engineering solutions for the problem. They do suggest, however, that you should try moving from your home (permanently?), or try holding your phone in a different way: like upside down. And, we wish we were joking about that.

Using Google Maps is great, but if you’re driving around, it’s probably not a good idea to keep typing directions into your phone. So, the best way to fix that is to speak to your phone. Right? Well, if you’re using Windows Mobile or Symbian S60, you can sure give it a shot. Google Maps v4.1 gives you the power, folks. Use it wisely, okay?

Friday, April 23rd:

We close the week with something that we thought was impossible: Android running on an original iPhone. Thanks to a hacker (obviously), if you want to go through the steps, you’ll be able to dual-boot the iPhone OS and Android OS, whenever you like. Simply turning off and on your device will give you the option. And, from what we can see in the video, everything seems to be working just fine.

Another model number for what seems to be the Samsung Galaxy S appeared, and this time it’s heading to South Korea. The model number in question is the Samsung SHW-M110S, and it rocks the same 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen display, Android OS, and TouchWiz 3.0 User Interface that we’ve come to love on the Galaxy S.



SlashPhone Week in Review — Week 15 2010
Sunday, April 18th, 2010
Here we are at another edition of SlashPhone’s Week in Review. We’re glad you could make it, as we take a look back at the last week in the cell phone industry, and bring it all back to your mind’s eye before we start a new, news-filled week. We’re excited about what’s been, but we’re also looking forward to what’s coming. So, before we get too distracted by all the sparkle and glamor of the future, let’s take a seat and look over what the week before brought us.

Monday, April 12th:

As Apple moves forward with their latest version of the epic iPhone OS, we welcome the new 4th generation. But, with the inexorable change that we all must face, we also must understand that products of yesteryear will be forgotten. That’s exactly what Apple has made official: they won’t be supporting the original iPhone in the coming months, or into the future. So, if you’ve been waiting to upgrade, the next iPhone may be what you need to do.

Microsoft officially announced their social-networking devices, the Kin One and Kin Two on Monday as well. The two devices are specifically aimed for teenagers or “social” networkers, and the two devices couldn’t look any more different from one another. We can’t imagine the Kin One will see much face time with folks, but the Kin Two isn’t that bad of a device. Definitely worth taking a second look.

Tuesday, April 13th:

When Opera Mini was launched on the iPhone, the world was stunned. But, it didn’t last long, because consumers quickly acted on the new addition to the App Store. Records were probably broken, as the mobile browser was downloaded one million times. Pretty impressive numbers, if you ask us. (And probably Opera.)

HTC, in the mean time, is apparently speculating over whether or not they want to develop their own mobile Operating System. Google does it, Research In Motion and Apple do it, and all of those companies are insanely popular and successful. So, why shouldn’t they? With all this talk of them purchasing Palm, that may not be too far from the truth.

Wednesday, April 14th:

Someone at Verizon Wireless must have jumped the gun, because one day before the official announcement regarding the Droid Incredible by HTC, the splash page for the device’s “Coming Soon” goodness hit the Internet. It showed the final testament to what everyone already knew: the new handset was coming to Verizon Wireless. It was pulled from online shelves soon, but then relaunched with a password protection the same day. And then, sure enough, it’s now public again for everyone to see.

So, when’s the new iPhone going to be unveiled? Everyone is pointing at June 22nd, and we’re pointing with them. A booking for the date at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on that date confirms it, more or less. So, save the date for late June, as we expect a brand new, shiny iPhone to get announced.

Thursday, April 15th:

Sure enough, only a day after the coming soon page broke the Internet’s curtain, Verizon Wireless finally officially announced the new Droid Incredible by HTC. So, while everyone was waiting for the Nexus One, it seems that Verizon Wireless will be releasing their own branded, 3.7-inch AMOLED, Android 2.1-powered handset on April 29th. Are you excited yet?

Friday, April 16th:

Sony Ericsson may not be the best phone manufacturer on the planet, but we’re still fond of them. And, we’re glad to hear that they managed to make quite a big profit this last quarter. Their strategy to sell a fewer amount of handsets, but put them in a far more pricier bracket has worked out for them. And, accordingly, they are going to stick to that methodology for good measure.

Saturday, April 17th:

The iPhone 4G/HD hit the floor in a San Jose bar, and pictures immediately made their way to the Internet. There’s still some speculation about the authenticity of the device, but we can honestly see Apple changing their pace with the iPhone’s design, and going a bit out of their box to create the next generation piece of hardware. We also like those two buttons on the side, too. Who knows what they do, though. We’ll have to wait and see if it turns out to be real.

best seller

Nokia Thresher

Nokia Thresher cell phone key features:

• - Display: 2.4-inch, 240*320, TFT, 16M
• - 3.2 megapixel camera and 4x smooth digital zoom, integrated
• flash
• - Navigation & entertainment enablers
• - A-GPS: SUPL and Control Plane support for AT&T Navigator
• - Automatic orientation of maps (pedestrian navigation support)
• with compass & accelerometer
• - 360 degree optical joystick for navigating maps and browsing
• - AT&T Address Book Native Sync
• - Uplink noise cancellation
• - >4hrs UMTS talk time
• - Removable memory MicroSD and up to 140 MB on board memory
• - Bluetooth 2.1 (stereo)
• - Micro USB for data and charging
• - Full Focus (Enhanced Depth of Focus Technology)
• - Dedicated camera and zoom keys supporting the landscape mode
• - Full screen viewfinder
• - Music player
• - MAXD submenu requirements for 3G with WM-DRM/MTP + dedicated
• hard or soft key access
• - NB-AMR, Midi, MP3, WMA, AAC+, MPEG-4, WAV
• - 2.5 universal headset

The Nokia Thresher is a Quad band GSM / EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz, UMTS 850 / 1900 / 2100 and HSDPA network mobile phone that measures 100 x 48 x 14 mm and weighs 119 g. It is designed in a slide form factor, and feature a 2.4 inch TFT display screen with 240 x 320 pixel resolution and 16 million color support. The phone also supports A-GPS with SUPL and Control Plane support for AT&T Navigator. The Thresher also features AT&T address book native sync, uplink noise cancellation and is powered by a battery that provides more than 4 hours of UMTS talk time. It supports 140 MB of internal memory with expandability via removable MicroSD card, Bluetooth 2.1 supports (with stereo Bluetooth), microUSB connectivity for data transfer and charging, a 3.2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom, integrated flash and full focus (enhanced depth of focus technology). The phone also supports dedicated camera and zoom keys that supports landscape mode, full screen viewfinder. It also has a music player that supports NB-AMR, Midi, MP3, WMA, AAC+, eAAC+, MPEG-4 and WAV files; MAXD submenu requirements for 3G with WM-DRM/MTP and dedicated hard or soft key access. The mobile phone is also hearing aid compatible (HAC) for M3/T3 and supports instant messaging and emails.

Features

The Nokia Thresher is a quad band mobile phone with HSDPA connectivity that supports a 2.4 inch TFT screen with an accelerometer that automatically rotates the screen on landscape mode when the phone is display a map in its directional A-GPS mode. The A-GPS function is supported by AT&T navigator which allows user to find their way to their destination with turn-by-turn directions. This GPS function is further supported by automatic orientation of maps (pedestrian navigation support) with built-in compass and accelerometer. It also features a 360 degree optical joystick for navigating maps and browsing. Other features on the camera includes a 3.2 megapixel camera with 4x digital zoom which allows users to compose shots on its full screen viewfinder, capture images and videos and send these files to their contact in the handset’s phone book via emails or MMS; instant messaging which lets users chat and stay in contact with friends, and Bluetooth® 2.1 connectivity that allows users to pair the handset with compatible wireless headsets for private listening of music stored in the phone’s 140 MB of memory.