Android Smart phones

[Klaus]

We reported on the EVO’s separating glass and touch sensitivity issues a while back and now HTC has issued a statement addressing both issues. Apparently the glass seperation issues aren’t that big of a deal and have no effect what-so-ever besides a slight “give” when touching the screen. So based on that, HTC has slightly changed its manufacturing process, so there should be no issues on upcoming phones.

In regards to the touch sensitivity problems, HTC has acknowledged that problem as well. They said that issue seems to be more prevalent in arid climates. However, it’s merely a software issue and the fix should be pushed out to EVO owners very soon

http://www.talkandroid.com/3899-htc-...tivity-issues/

[Klaus]

Jeanna and Luke you might find this review "humorous". This proclaimed geek is obviously trying to be a troll.



And a bit of a more positive review:

[Chadwick]

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2010/06/...about-android/

Wanted to park this here for future reference.

[Klaus]

New Version of Google Maps out.

New features of Google Maps 4.3 include:

See ratings for aspects about a place such as service or atmosphere
Transit station pages show next departures
Latitude suggests friends

Froyo almost ready for release.

[Klaus]

Yeah, we kind of already saw this phone, but if you don't tell Motorola and Verizon, we won't. We just got our hands on an official, final Droid X at the NY launch event, and it tastes just as sweet. Here are a few notes:
It's built of basically the same material as the Droid, but there's something almost kind of "taut" about the phone, where when you thwack it with a finger it resounds like a drum. The phone vibration seems to work on this same principle, giving it much less of the typical buzz (in the funky, cheap sense) you expect.
There are three mics, and in video mode you can select between "scenes" based on which mic you want to use: outward facing for regular shoots, inward facing for narration. The third mic is up top for noise cancellation during calls.
Yeah, there's not kickstand, but the EVO 4G really does seem chunky up against the Droid X, and the camera bulge on the latter is not annoying at all.
PHYSICAL BUTTONS.
You get your choice between Swype and Motorola's multitouch keyboard, which is really pretty great. We were typing at speed within a few seconds of using it.
You can tell that the processor is fast, but the UI still has a jerky quality to it -- it's not totally fluid. We'd say that's more of an Android thing, though.
The new version of Motoblur is much, much more attractive than before -- the widgets are sleeker, smaller, and less in your face. You can also resize them, and they rearrange themselves somewhat intelligently.

Developing...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/23/m...-and-unboxing/

[Naya]

Haven't seen glass separation on our phones.

Luke had a serious problem with the phone yesterday. The battery lasted for all of 6 hours with moderate use.

We're going to go in to BestBuy tonight see if maybe there's something wrong with it. I haven't had that problem, and for about a week, I didn't have a charger at work, so I only charged it at home. And I used the phone moderately; I was texting throughout the day, maybe a phone call or two, and web surfing (and some FreeCell when I was on lunch :P). It lasted well into the evening after having fully charged the night before.

Luke is quite set on an iPhone 4 after speaking with his uncle and cousin about their iPhone 3G's. But I'm hearing WAY more problems with the iPhone 4 than with the Evo. Like this:



What kind of company doesn't test for that kind of thing? I can understand battery consumption issues, and screen issues. But losing service signal because YOU'RE HOLDING THE PHONE A CERTAIN WAY. WTF?!?!1\one

Hopefully tonight we can resolve the battery consumption problem. I don't like AT&T at all. But if we can't, we might be returning our phones. I don't like having to charge my phone every day, and the batteries on the iPhone last longer. Not sure what else to do if they can't fix it.

I am going to read that article that Chad posted about tips to help prevent battery consumption.

[Klaus]

The Iphone 4G is a really nice phone. You probably won't like it as much as Luke would - Android is always going to be more "hacker/geek" friendly but for battery life a smaller screen phone with a larger battery it will certainly last longer.

I would also consider Verizon if you don't like ATT - Droid Incredible has gotten solid reviews and it looks like the Droid X lasts all day if you want a 4.3in phone. I still think the EVO is the best Android phone on the market. I would probably think Luke's battery issues fall into one of the following categories:

- Battery not conditioned yet (I near 20 charges and discharges or so)
- Using the phone constantly all day
- A "rogue" app (poorly written) app is always on or constantly refreshing sucking up the power. You should be able to see that on the power use graph that pops up when you hit 15% charge.
- Iphone envy - making any excuse to return the EVO and get the new iphone.

[Klaus]

Just saw this on my Twitter feed. Not sure if it will fix battery issues:

The Sprint HTC EVO 4G has a nice little pile of issues hanging around it right now, but really, what device doesn’t right out of the box? Well, EVO lovers, an OTA (over-the-air) update could be hitting your handsets soon with some fixes to a handful of issues you may be experiencing.

The rumored update should include WiFi fixes, (which may mean WiFi N becoming enabled, but if it’s not, you can always do it yourself), better battery management, and better Exchange email support. Many EVO users will surely be happy to see the additional fixes coming with the update, yet it’s probably not the update they are really waiting for (ahem, Froyo, cough). Android 2.2 “Froyo” could be weeks, or months away, and the only people who don’t care about the Froyo update are probably oblivious to what Froyo can do for them – don’t let that be you.

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/06/24...ate-next-week/

[Ender]

Yeah, I had a major issue with the phone while coming back from Lake of the Woods. I turned it on in Baudette at about 11:15 am since that was probably the first place where i was going to get signal. I used it to go through gmail for a few minutes, send a couple messages, and do some light web browsing. After that, it spent the next 3 hrs straight in my pocket idle because I was driving. I made a call later, and sent a few more messages and checked mail again. It was dead by 5:45pm. So, I only got 6.5 hrs out of the battery with light use. I noticed that even while the phone was idle, it was very warm indicating that for some reason it was using a lot of power.

I had EVERYTHING turned off (4G, WIFI, Bluetooth, GPS) and always hit the task killer before i stop using it and turn the screen off immediately before i stop using it.

The battery life report showed no unusual apps that used the battery up. The top 5 uses were all normal uses of the phone (cell standby, phone idle, android system, display, etc). The biggest thing on the list that i actually used was the phone for the 1 call that I made.

I was pretty pissed after that. I am not sure if it was because i was traveling and it was constantly searching for different signals or what. I have noticed that it does last a bit longer than that if you are in one area, like if it stay in the cities.

The battery life issue has been a killer for a lot of people for this phone, and I may be in the same boat because I think it is total bullshit for a phone to only last a few hours. It defeats the purpose of having a mobile phone in the first place if you have to charge it constantly.

[Klaus]

I was pretty pissed after that. I am not sure if it was because i was traveling and it was constantly searching for different signals or what. I have noticed that it does last a bit longer than that if you are in one area, like if it stay in the cities.
.

After I saw you posted you were in Lake of the Woods last night I knew exactly what your power issue was. You are correct when you are in a area with spotty coverage every phone will sit and search for signal constantly and burn your battery down. When I drive to my cabin once I get to the north shore if I don't turn my phone off (or change it to airplane mode) it burns down in less then one hour and gets super HOT. Every phone I have used has done this and it's something to be aware of - turn your phone off or change to airplane mode.

Overall, I think you just need to make a decision about your phone usage and what is acceptable battery up time. For me it's 6-8 hours of normal use: turning it on when a email/txt/phone call comes in plus using an occasional app or web browsing. 4 hours for heavy use - sitting in bed browsing the web, reading my twitter feed, watching some youtube, facebook photo viewing etc. I have chargers at work, my car, and at home. Personally, it's kind of a way of life once you get a smart phone. If you are going somewhere you can't recharge for a long period of time make sure it's fully charged beforehand. With the EVO you also have the option of having a extra battery if you want.

If you are set on the Iphone I would go for it - it's an awesome piece of technology and since you are in your 30 day return window you only lose like $50 per phone. But be aware that Sprint currently has the best shared data packages available. With ATT and Verizon you will pay a premium and a per phone data package of $39-$59 plus a upcharge if you teather. I admin several Sprint accounts at work and their current plans are typically 30-50% lower compared to Verizon with very similar coverage maps in MN. Att has well documented coverage issues (especially 3G) so just know that going in.