Technology catch-all thread

[chw42]

An iPhone Lover’s Confession: I Switched To the Nexus 4. Completely.

 

That guy bought 8,000 songs off iTunes? Damn...

 

Anyways, it seems like that guy should have jailbroken his iPhone if he wanted to set default apps so badly. But then again, something like that should be standard and mandatory in any OS. In fact, Microsoft is gonna pay a ton of money just because they didn't give users a choice of the default browser on Windows 7 in Europe.

Edited January 4, 2013 by chw42

[RockRaines]

An iPhone Lover’s Confession: I Switched To the Nexus 4. Completely.

Does it plug into my ipod docks in my car and house? No. Then not interested. You too iphone 5.

[BigSqwert]

Does it plug into my ipod docks in my car and house? No. Then not interested. You too iphone 5.

So you'll be keeping your iphone 4 for the rest of your life?

[RockRaines]

So you'll be keeping your iphone 4 for the rest of your life?

Until there is a docking solution for my car, stereo in my bathroom and alarm clock by my bed, yes. I'm sure in the next year it will shake out. I've started to move to bluetooth speakers like the Big Jambox for my living rooms but the docking station next to my bed is so incredibly convenient.

[Steve9347]

Does it plug into my ipod docks in my car and house? No. Then not interested. You too iphone 5.

This is why you don't lock yourself into such docks. USB is way more universal.

 

But that's just painfully obvious.

[chw42]

Until there is a docking solution for my car, stereo in my bathroom and alarm clock by my bed, yes. I'm sure in the next year it will shake out. I've started to move to bluetooth speakers like the Big Jambox for my living rooms but the docking station next to my bed is so incredibly convenient.

 

Isn't Apple coming out with a $30 adapter?

[Y2HH]

That guy bought 8,000 songs off iTunes? Damn...

 

Anyways, it seems like that guy should have jailbroken his iPhone if he wanted to set default apps so badly. But then again, something like that should be standard and mandatory in any OS. In fact, Microsoft is gonna pay a ton of money just because they didn't give users a choice of the default browser on Windows 7 in Europe.

 

There is a huge market for 4.0-4.8" screens, which can all be acceptable form factors depending on the overall build of the phone. To pretend there is no market for smaller screens is ludicrous simply because a few OEM's have decided to jump the shark and go well into the 5.5" range. The iPhone 5 has sold an estimated 40+million devices at 4", while the Galaxy S3 has sold 20+ million 4.8" so lets not pretend 5"+ is the only market. There is no way the new Google Nexus is that big. I think I'm more in line with reality with it coming in around 4.5"-4.8".

 

And I'm fine with the size of the S3 because it's external design makes up for it's larger screen (so it doesn't seem TOO large), but anything beyond that is simply too big. I don't care if Chinese OEMs are going after the small penis crowd, either. It doesn't interest me to have a 5+ inch phone. The US isn't their market for those phones, hence why they sell like s*** here. The Note, Note 2 and that new 5" 1080p HTC screen are simply too large...and I've used every one of them.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Y2HH

[Y2HH]

Isn't Apple coming out with a $30 adapter?

 

Been out for months.

[Y2HH]

This is why you don't lock yourself into such docks. USB is way more universal.

 

But that's just painfully obvious.

 

Yet there are far more accessories for apples products that don't use USB. While I sympathize, you should be correct in saying a standard should be more universal, reality shows otherwise, unfortunately.

[chw42]

There is a huge market for 4.0-4.8" screens, which can all be acceptable form factors depending on the overall build of the phone. To pretend there is no market for smaller screens is ludicrous simply because a few OEM's have decided to jump the shark and go well into the 5.5" range. The iPhone 5 has sold an estimated 40+million devices at 4", while the Galaxy S3 has sold 20+ million 4.8" so lets not pretend 5"+ is the only market. There is no way the new Google Nexus is that big. I think I'm more in line with reality with it coming in around 4.5"-4.8".

 

And I'm fine with the size of the S3 because it's external design makes up for it's larger screen (so it doesn't seem TOO large), but anything beyond that is simply too big. I don't care if Chinese OEMs are going after the small penis crowd, either. It doesn't interest me to have a 5+ inch phone. The US isn't their market for those phones, hence why they sell like s*** here. The Note, Note 2 and that new 5" 1080p HTC screen are simply too large...and I've used every one of them.

 

I never said 5+ is the only market, but there will be one soon. Every year, Android phones get larger and larger screens. 3 years ago, it was 4 inches, 2 years ago it was 4.3. Then it was 4.5. Now it's 4.7-5. And this will keep going until users revolt, which they haven't yet since manufacturers have been able to fit these screens on devices while maintaining a similar form factor. You say 5+ inch phones have no place, but the Galaxy Note is a lot more popular than say, most Motorola or HTC phones.

 

What I was saying is that your dream of a 4.5 inch Nexus device isn't going to happen and that is because of where the screen size trend is going. Google isn't going to downsize the screen size of their flagship phone while other devices have 5 inch 1080P screens with similar form factor. Could Google possibly make an array of Nexus phones with different sizes aimed at different markets? Perhaps and that rumor was thrown around this year, only to be proven false.

 

And let's be frank here, there is no such thing as a 4-4.8 inch market for Android phones, it's more tiered than that. Most high-low-end Android phones end up with screens around 4 inches. The HTC One V, the Sony Xperia Sola, the Galaxy S III Mini, HTC One S, and older phones tend to be around this screen size. Then you have your mid-end phones at around 4.3 to 4.5 with the Galaxy S II, Droid RAZR, etc. All of the premium phones of the past year all have 4.7+ inch screens. HTC One X, Galaxy S III, Droid RAZR HD, Nexus 4, etc. Either they will stay at that size or they will go even higher and the trend from the past is that flagship phone screen size goes up. When will they stop? Who knows? The sales haven't really suffered with the increase.

Edited January 5, 2013 by chw42

[Jake]

Thinking about making my next phone an Android. I like the app cross compatibility with my tablet and I really love widgets. Thinking about Samsung S3 or Note 2. Unsure of size and price of the Note obviously. What other things should I consider? Other phones I should bring into the mix?

[chw42]

Thinking about making my next phone an Android. I like the app cross compatibility with my tablet and I really love widgets. Thinking about Samsung S3 or Note 2. Unsure of size and price of the Note obviously. What other things should I consider? Other phones I should bring into the mix?

 

Depends on your carrier. The Note 2 is a big phone, but if you love big screens, that's the phone to get. S3 is a great phone as well, I really like the feel of it in the hand. But you should probably hold off. New flagship phones will be here in 2-3 months.

[RockRaines]

This is why you don't lock yourself into such docks. USB is way more universal.

 

But that's just painfully obvious.

I hope this was a joke. Are you saying USB has been consistent? There are at least 3 versions I've been through with cell phones in the last 10 years.

Edited January 5, 2013 by RockRaines

[chw42]

I hope this was a joke. Are you saying USB has been consistent? There are at least 3 versions I've been through with cell phones in the last 10 years.

 

Micro-USB is a standard now in Europe. And it should be everywhere.

Edited January 5, 2013 by chw42

[Jake]

Depends on your carrier. The Note 2 is a big phone, but if you love big screens, that's the phone to get. S3 is a great phone as well, I really like the feel of it in the hand. But you should probably hold off. New flagship phones will be here in 2-3 months.

 

Interesting. I'm not in a hurry, probably going to wait until my iPhone 4 bites the dust.

[Y2HH]

Interesting. I'm not in a hurry, probably going to wait until my iPhone 4 bites the dust.

 

The Note 2 is 5.5" screen (meaning the phone is even better than that). It's too big for most practical purposes. If you're a cargo pant wearing type that doesn't do too much moving around, however, it may be fine. I couldn't even fit a Note 2 into any of my pockets.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Y2HH

[Y2HH]

I never said 5+ is the only market, but there will be one soon. Every year, Android phones get larger and larger screens. 3 years ago, it was 4 inches, 2 years ago it was 4.3. Then it was 4.5. Now it's 4.7-5. And this will keep going until users revolt, which they haven't yet since manufacturers have been able to fit these screens on devices while maintaining a similar form factor. You say 5+ inch phones have no place, but the Galaxy Note is a lot more popular than say, most Motorola or HTC phones.

 

What I was saying is that your dream of a 4.5 inch Nexus device isn't going to happen and that is because of where the screen size trend is going. Google isn't going to downsize the screen size of their flagship phone while other devices have 5 inch 1080P screens with similar form factor. Could Google possibly make an array of Nexus phones with different sizes aimed at different markets? Perhaps and that rumor was thrown around this year, only to be proven false.

 

And let's be frank here, there is no such thing as a 4-4.8 inch market for Android phones, it's more tiered than that. Most high-low-end Android phones end up with screens around 4 inches. The HTC One V, the Sony Xperia Sola, the Galaxy S III Mini, HTC One S, and older phones tend to be around this screen size. Then you have your mid-end phones at around 4.3 to 4.5 with the Galaxy S II, Droid RAZR, etc. All of the premium phones of the past year all have 4.7+ inch screens. HTC One X, Galaxy S III, Droid RAZR HD, Nexus 4, etc. Either they will stay at that size or they will go even higher and the trend from the past is that flagship phone screen size goes up. When will they stop? Who knows? The sales haven't really suffered with the increase.

 

The trend has been upward, but only to a point. Even Samsung, noted there is a huge market for 4.0-4.8" screens by releasing a Galaxy S3 Mini (not in the US yet), and their biggest selling phone of all time is of course the S3. Their Note phones have sold a few million...but when comparing to what the S3 sold, it's not even a close comparison. The market for 5+" phones is primarily in China, where they actually sold a few million of them, but that's still a small number...the American market hasn't been very accepting that market. I'm not saying there isn't a niche market for them in the states, there obviously is, but it's not a trend market that they'll continue to go after being that their smaller devices are outselling them with relative ease. The sweet spot has been shown to be between > 4" and

 

And like I said, while I'd prefer 4.5", a number I would have once quoted as 4.2"*, I feel they get too large/unwieldy after that point. That said, If Googles Nexus comes out, has superb build quality, LTE, enough onboard storage, which is basically all I ask of it, but it happens to be .2" bigger than I wanted, I'm not going to let that stop me from making a purchase of it.

 

* The better builds of the shells have resulted in smaller overall phones, so I've gone from saying 4.2" is a perfect size to 4.5", because the outside casing is no longer taking up a ton more room after the screen real estate as they once did. The S3 is a perfect example of this, they really shaved down wasted bezel space and made the overall phone smaller than it would have been a few years ago, this trend has allowed larger screens to be fit into smaller overall form factors.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Y2HH

[Y2HH]

Micro-USB is a standard now in Europe. And it should be everywhere.

 

I agree.

[Y2HH]

I hope this was a joke. Are you saying USB has been consistent? There are at least 3 versions I've been through with cell phones in the last 10 years.

 

That's because idiots keep changing it. USB is supposed to be a standard universal connection type. But you had USB, Mini USB, Mini USB-a, Mini USB-b, Micro USB-a, Micro USB-b, and then a combination of Mini-ab's, etc...so you're right, there has been a bunch of garbage going on in the USB arena, too. But most of this nonsense as stopped and most are accepting the same micro ports these days.

 

I remember my garmin and my blackberry both used a different sized mini usb cable, and it was annoying.

[chw42]

The trend has been upward, but only to a point. Even Samsung, noted there is a huge market for 4.0-4.8" screens by releasing a Galaxy S3 Mini (not in the US yet), and their biggest selling phone of all time is of course the S3. Their Note phones have sold a few million...but when comparing to what the S3 sold, it's not even a close comparison. The market for 5+" phones is primarily in China, where they actually sold a few million of them, but that's still a small number...the American market hasn't been very accepting that market. I'm not saying there isn't a niche market for them in the states, there obviously is, but it's not a trend market that they'll continue to go after being that their smaller devices are outselling them with relative ease. The sweet spot has been shown to be between > 4" and

 

And like I said, while I'd prefer 4.5", a number I would have once quoted as 4.2"*, I feel they get too large/unwieldy after that point. That said, If Googles Nexus comes out, has superb build quality, LTE, enough onboard storage, which is basically all I ask of it, but it happens to be .2" bigger than I wanted, I'm not going to let that stop me from making a purchase of it.

 

* The better builds of the shells have resulted in smaller overall phones, so I've gone from saying 4.2" is a perfect size to 4.5", because the outside casing is no longer taking up a ton more room after the screen real estate as they once did. The S3 is a perfect example of this, they really shaved down wasted bezel space and made the overall phone smaller than it would have been a few years ago, this trend has allowed larger screens to be fit into smaller overall form factors.

 

The Nexus 4 actually does have LTE...it only works on band 4 though (1700/2100 MHz frequencies I believe). So it currently only works on Bell, some AT&T markets, or future T-Mobile LTE networks. The inclusion of LTE into any Google device from here on out will have to do with how Google and carriers deal with each other. One of the reasons there is no LTE on the Nexus 4 is because of how stubborn and slow Verizon was with updates.

 

And I feel as if the S3 could be even smaller, the physical/capacitive buttons are really a waste of space.

Edited January 5, 2013 by chw42

[TaylorStSox]

I have an HTC One X. While I love it, I wish I would have went with the Note 2. I want a tablet that makes phone calls, not 2 devices. I use my phone as a media device and web browser, on the go.

[Y2HH]

The Nexus 4 actually does have LTE...it only works on band 4 though (1700/2100 MHz frequencies I believe). So it currently only works on Bell, some AT&T markets, or future T-Mobile LTE networks. The inclusion of LTE into any Google device from here on out will have to do with how Google and carriers deal with each other. One of the reasons there is no LTE on the Nexus 4 is because of how stubborn and slow Verizon was with updates.

 

And I feel as if the S3 could be even smaller, the physical/capacitive buttons are really a waste of space.

 

Unfortunately, for the most part, those aren't American LTE bands -- but it'd probably work in Canada. When I say LTE, it has to support all the American LTE bands or it does nothing for me.

 

And believe me, I understand how the carriers can be...Google needs to make a strong arm push against them like Apple did...Google has the money and power to accomplish this now, so they should push for it. These half asses implementations of LTE won't cut it.

 

I agree with you on the physical/capacitive buttons, they should do away with all but one of them somewhat like Apple has, specifically for things like reboots, etc...especially with Google going more the way of Apple to save design space and not allowing removable batteries or external storage.

[Y2HH]

I have an HTC One X. While I love it, I wish I would have went with the Note 2. I want a tablet that makes phone calls, not 2 devices. I use my phone as a media device and web browser, on the go.

 

Most people are not in this market, you're one of the very rare that is. I, on the opposite end from you, do NOT want a tablet that makes phone calls, it's too obnoxious, big, and bulky. They also look absurd when held up to your ear. It's almost as obnoxious as the bluetooth morons that walk around with BT earpieces in their ear even when they're not in use. That bugs the s*** out of me.

[TaylorStSox]

Most people are not in this market, you're one of the very rare that is. I, on the opposite end from you, do NOT want a tablet that makes phone calls, it's too obnoxious, big, and bulky. They also look absurd when held up to your ear. It's almost as obnoxious as the bluetooth morons that walk around with BT earpieces in their ear even when they're not in use. That bugs the s*** out of me.

All phone makers are increasing their screen sizes, correct? Apparently, people do want all in one devices. People do want a large browser that makes calls. If they didn't, screen sizes would remain static, no? Maybe I'm not so rare. If Apple started telling people they need bigger phones, soccer mom's would be talking on tablets. They don't because they want you to buy more than one device. The Note seems to be a step in the direction of having an all in one device. Maybe there is a market.

[Y2HH]

All phone makers are increasing their screen sizes, correct? Apparently, people do want all in one devices. People do want a large browser that makes calls. If they didn't, screen sizes would remain static, no? Maybe I'm not so rare. If Apple started telling people they need bigger phones, soccer mom's would be talking on tablets. They don't because they want you to buy more than one device. The Note seems to be a step in the direction of having an all in one device. Maybe there is a market.

 

Yes and no. Obviously there are markets for bigger AND smaller screens, and business wise, neither market should be ignored so long as it produces profit. The difference is, the sub 5" market is the bigger market, by far, especially in the states. The 5"+ market is bigger in China...but be that as it may, screen sizes will not remain static for any foreseeable future, but that doesn't mean there isn't a happy medium.

 

Believe me when I say you are rare. The plus 5" phones have sold -- combined -- less than 10 million units worldwide. Meanwhile, Apples 4" iPhone 5 and Samsung's Galaxy S3 at 4.8" have sold a combined near ONE HUNDRED MILLION units...in the US alone. Worldwide they are probably orders higher than this. The differences aren't minor...they're major. And this is discounting Apple and Samsung's previous models when having this discussion, this is merely US numbers of S3's and i5's.

 

I'm not saying there isn't a combined market that you're looking for...it exists, but it's a niche market at best. At least for now it is, that doesn't mean it won't become a more major market in the future. But right now, let's face it...even with a big screen a tablet is NOT a desktop replacement, and an oversized wanna be tablet phone like the Note/Note 2 sure as hell isn't. At lest...not yet. For a practical real world example, neither could replace my desktop for my work right now...nor will they for the foreseeable future. Forgive me, but sending emails and browsing the web is not a real Internet job...it's marketing job...and for that market, it may be adequate...but for the rest of the IT industry, it's not an acceptable alternative. It's not even close.

Edited January 6, 2013 by Y2HH