Second Android-Based Phone Announced

Rob Lazzurs writes "The second 'Google phone' has been announced. While this does from the first look seem like a nice device, I know I would miss the keyboard. However, I would expect given the issues with the first device, the question on most G1 users lips will be 'Is the battery life any better?'" Update: 02/17 14:06 GMT by T : Reader Andrew Lim adds a link to CNet UK's hands-on pictures of HTC Magic including pictures of it next to a G1. Also on the upcoming cell phone front, reader Jack Spine writes "Dell is to launch a smartphone, according to AT&T chief Ralph de la Vega. Speaking at a Mobile World Congress panel discussion with Steve Ballmer, de la Vega said 'Dell announced they're entering the smartphone market,' — a bit of a slip, because Dell hasn't, yet." Update: 02/17 16:07 GMT by T : Now, according to Engadget, de la Vega says he was misquoted.

Comments

lack of keyboard

[crimperman]

Yeah that's a problem. I liked the G! in principle but every time I picked one i felt like it was going to break in minds. This one will by nature feel more solide (less moving parts) but lack of keyboard is a bit of an issue for me.

Not sure about the proprietary headphone jack either

Re:lack of keyboard

[jellomizer]

I never got this Cellphone Keyboard obsession thing. Even ones with real keyboards they are just good for typing short messages, really small buttons makes it hard to type. At least with the touch screen the keys are actually a bit bigger as you can switch keyboards for what you are typing. But for the most part the type of stuff you need on a smart phone is Point and Click. When you are texting you only write short bursts. The need of a real keyboard isn't that big of a deal, much like people who complained when we went from the Dial phone to the Touch pad. The Dial Phones had great feed back, the feeling of the resistance of the dial, the arch motion your finger was made to do. The feeling it touching the stopper. The sound of it winding up and winding back with the gentile clicks of it puling the number over the line. But still TouchTone Phones took over as they were more efficient, and allowed for future upgrades, in the short term the people switching from Dial to Touchtone were less efficient as they had to hunt down numbers in a different pattern. But in time it picked up. I think the same thing will happen with touch screens. The feeling of pressing the key for a response will not be a major concern in the future.

Re:lack of keyboard

[limaxray]

You must not have had to deal with both types of phones for an extended period of time - I said the same thing you did until I got a phone with a real keyboard, and now I will never go back. The novelty of a touch keyboard wears off very quickly when you have to do real work sending emails, managing servers, etc. It's just really nice not to have to actually look at the keyboard.

Re:lack of keyboard

[BrokenHalo]

Even ones with real keyboards they are just good for typing short messages, really small buttons makes it hard to type. At least with the touch screen the keys are actually a bit bigger as you can switch keyboards for what you are typing.

I'm with you on that. I'm not convinced by the iPhone for my needs (making calls, SMSs and occasional browsing/email) since if I want to spend much time browsing or typing, I'll use my laptop or desktop machine. The new Android device looks like it might fit my usage a bit better.

My reaction to the first Android phone was that it is so bulky, I would never want it in my pocket.

Incidentally, if I have not misunderstood the pics in TFA, I think it might be a better idea to make the device a non-reflective black colour. The iPhone is just too damn shiny, which highlights the slightest amount of wear and tear, and a silver finish isn't much better. I currently use a Motorola Razr2 V9 which is also excessively shiny on the front, but has a matt finish on the back. For all its slimness, this device has the advantage of being built incredibly strongly, and I suspect it will probably outlast all my friends' iPhones...

Re:lack of keyboard

[raitchison]

For people with big hands a touch screen keyboard (at least Apple's implementation of it) is pretty much unusable. Even if you are very accurate with your key presses you fingers will frequently hit another key. When I've used an iPhone I had to resort to typing with my pinky which is pretty awkward.

A well designed physical keyboard (IMO the G1 has one) even if the keys are smaller you can still put the pressure on the key you want to press and it and only it will be pressed. Other physical keyboards, such as those on the Pantech Duo they keys are too flat and they aren't any better than a virtual keyboard.

Re:lack of keyboard

[pcolaman]

What the fuck are you talking about? The G1 is the most solid smart phone I've ever had. Dropped this son of a bitch from 5 feet (obviously not on purpose) onto a sidewalk, and it handled it like a champ. Also, the most solid slider I've seen. I also don't get the whole battery complaint. If you leave the GPS and WiFi on, yeah it's going to be a battery hog. But I keep both off unless I need them and I get about 2-3 days of average use (internet and phone) before I have to charge it otherwise. And the fact that it charges through USB just makes it easy for me to charge it when I'm at work (family owned place that doesn't care what I hook up to the computer, lucky me).

If you want to legitimately complain about something about the G1, it's the horrible camera on the phone. The resolution is reasonable for a phone, but the performance on the camera (panning, zooming, focusing, etc) is the worst I've ever seen. Good thing I didn't buy it for the camera.

Re:lack of keyboard

[hoooocheymomma]

Excellent points. I was going to mod you up, but my effeminate, child-like hands couldn't push the mouse buttons down hard enough...


Well, that and I don't have any mod points...

Re:lack of keyboard

[smilindog2000]

I guess I agree with you there, though I miss my old iPhone. My G1 seems like a Model T in comparison hardware-wise, but I don't think I can go back to the no-keyboard situation. My old eyes just don't work well enough to find those small keys.

I looked at all the photos of the new phone. Here's some insights from a G1 owner:

- The screen is *exactly* the same model. It's nice, but only 2.5". Every time I hold an iPhone, what really strikes me is that huge 3.5" screen.
- They *still* don't have a headset jack. This is possibly the dumbest lack of a feature ever in a smart phone, and they kept it! The non-standard headphones HTC ships suck, you have to have a bulky dongle to use anything else, and you can't charge while listening to music. Sucks, sucks, sucks!
- The camera lens appears larger, possibly meaning that HTC decided not to ruin all photos with a crap lens like on the G1. Of course, it could just be the same lens with a new style case.
- Being HTC, there's no way this phone has a bigger battery than the G1, and battery life will suck.
- The slot for the speaker looks identical the the G1. On the G1, it fills up with lint, and you can't hear calls when there's background noise, like while driving or at a restaurant (much to the pleasure of everyone else).

Until someone fixes the damned headphone issue, the speaker, the camera, and increases the screen size on an Android phone, I'll stick with my crappy G1.

Re:lack of keyboard

[patniemeyer]

It's a matter of taste... I had exactly the opposite experience. Moving from Palms with chicklet keys to the iPhone took a little getting used to, but I'd never go back. With touch you get bigger buttons that adapt to what you're doing and you don't take any real estate away from the screen.

I have an ssh app for the iPhone that I use to check in on servers... It puts up a semi-transparent keyboard over the screen so that I can type and read at the same time. There are advantages to "soft" keyboards.

Re:lack of keyboard

[initialE]

Then get a treo, they're still on sale. Or a HP hw6915. Or a berry. All good stuff, all still there. Windows Mobile developers even know now to program for square screens as well as rectangular ones.

Re:lack of keyboard

[cyclomedia]

Personally I never got this Smartphone PDA thing...

I jest... All i really really want is a PSION Revo with wifi and a gig or so of storage, perfect for on-the-move emails, ssh-ing and even (no flash!) web browsing. But most importantly, and unlike every damned PDA made since 2001, it has a proper keyboard!

How many does that make?

[Goaway]

Isn't this something like the third "second Android phone" announced so far?

Re:How many does that make?

[TheCybernator]

Isn't this something like the third "second Android phone" announced so far?

Well, you know, they are all still in Beta.

Re:How many does that make?

[Aladrin]

The 'second' was actually cancelled, and is back on the drawing board.

I know, because I had preordered it. Due to exchange rates, I'm down $10 because of it.

I ended up with a G1 instead. I'm quite happy with it.

Samsung and several others have also announced their intention to create such a phone, and approximate dates of release, but have not showcased the phones.

Re:How many does that make?

[halcyon1234]

Yup. I'm waiting for the second third Android phone.

Sounds like Apple

[Dekortage]

FTA: "We are paying particular attention to style and design; I'm practically obsessed with it," said Patrick Chomet, global director of terminals for Vodafone Group.

Channeling Steve Jobs?

Also: "If the device hits an anticipated price point of between 99 and 199 euros, Ms Milenesi said it would be pitched at the broader phone market. "With that range of prices, it's not aimed at the same audience as, say, the iPhone, it's looking more at a broader appeal for people."

Hmm, how much cheaper than the iPhone is that really? Will people want to save a few euros and miss out on all the cool Apple vibe that iPhone owners magically acquire?

Waiting for offline navigation software

[leromarinvit]

I'm still using my 4 year old Windows Mobile phone because nobody has yet released offline GPS software. Seriously, most new smartphones have built-in GPS, and nobody thinks about that? Google Maps is not an option because 3G is not available everywhere, and even where it is, it costs way too much. (No, flatrates don't count either, because I wouldn't need one otherwise.)

Same goes for the iPhone. Apple has its market locked up, but Google doesn't - so why are there no decent options?

Need a keyboard?

[LordKaT]

Am I the last person on Earth to use a phone as - I don't know - a god damn phone?

Re:Need a keyboard?

[rob1980]

Nope. But you're probably one of the few remaining people who haven't updated their definition of "phone" yet. ;)

Re:Need a keyboard?

[FrozenFOXX]

Am I the last person on Earth to use a phone as - I don't know - a god damn phone?

Nope, I use my G1 as a phone quite regularly. However, I see it more as a "communications device," rather than a phone.

I must admit, I've not had any problems with the battery life on the G1, especially after the last update or two (got mine with a rooted phone). Even with regular, fairly heavy (but not overly punishing) use I can go for over 24 hours without a charge which puts it between the iPhone and the BlackBerry Curve.

Re:Need a keyboard?

[Zero__Kelvin]

I have always been a firm believer in the concept that cell phones are for placing and receiving phone calls. The term is used erroneously in the case of the G1. The G1 is NOT a cell phone. It is an Internet Enabled PDA based on Linux and FOSS software that is also capable of placing and receiving cell calls. It is a COMPUTER. I can write software for it, and even modify the OS itself. To compare a G1 to any cell phone, including the iPhone, is to compare Apples to Androids.

Re:Need a keyboard?

[LordVader717]

The are plenty of phones you can buy which don't do anything other than phone and write texts. They often have great battery life and cost as little as $30 unlocked.
I use a Nokia 1110i and it has been all I needed. But I still understand why people might want something more.

Re:Need a keyboard?

[PitaBred]

Do you also not own a TV and tell everyone about it?

If you don't use a damn smartphone, why in the hell are you commenting on a story about it? Are you proud to be a semi-luddite or something? "I use a computer, but I'll be damned if I use a fancy phone!"

Re:Why not develop android for current gen phones?

[Hijacked Public]

Under Slashdot grammatical convention it is acceptable to use the word 'forced' to describe a person's employer assigning them a telephone they don't like.

Also, just to expand, if the digital version of a pop culture movie is released on iTunes exclusively, the convention allows a person to claim he is being 'forced' to use iTunes.

No, we just got sick and tired...

[Animaether]

...of pointing people to the myriad of mobile phones out there that -are- nothing but a phone because the response, invariably, is:
- but I do still want it to carry WiFi?
- but it doesn't have a color screen?
- can I can't run custom apps on it?
- does it have a bluetooth?
and so forth and so on.

If you really, really, really want a mobile phone that is 'just a mobile phone' plus the stuff you do want, just get one that does all that -and more-... and use your willpower to NOT use the parts you don't want to use*

I know, it's hard to resist the shiny once it's in your hands.

(* the only exception being workplaces that outright ban camera phones - luckily for those people, there are also a myriad of devices that do indeed have everything-but-a-camera, some of them even targeted especially at this particular audience.)

Still no standard 3.5mm headphone jack

[nkohler]

I refuse to carry around a "dongle" to be able to use a good set of IEMs.

Basic "smart" features often lacking

[Nerdposeur]

I really don't understand people and their problems with smartphones -- if you don't like it, don't use it. :\ No one's forcing you to use one.

I agree, although it is frustrating when you get a device with tons of functions but terrible reception. Great reception is a fundamental phone feature.

I also think there are things that "smart phones" could do to be smarter AS phones. For instance:

• Have a "knock first" mode: callers hear "I'm busy or asleep - press one to ring me anyway if it's an emergency, otherwise leave a message."
• Have built-in, onscreen, location-aware, always-cached phone book search. If there's anything a phone needs internet for, that's first.
• Automatically sync your contacts to your computer via Wi-Fi when you walk in range of your home network.

SOME phones have SOME of these features, but stuff like this should be basic to any phone that's supposed to be "smart." Let it be a great phone before you make it a camera and a computer and a bagel slicer.

Proprietary headphone jack, nuff said...

[rtilghman]

It's funny how the lack of one of the most basic features can drastically undermine the appeal of a whole device...

-rt

battery life

[xant]

I've actually found that each OTA (over-the-air) update of Android has incrementally improved the battery life.

At this point I have GPS and high-speed networks always turned on, and syncing everything except Gmail (only because I hate that nag and I get over a hundred emails a day..), and my battery indicator stays green for more than a day at a time without recharging, which means I could probably go 2 days without a charge. (May not sound like a lot, but this phone does a LOT.) If I turned off more stuff, it would be no worse than my last, extremely DUMB phone.

It's not the phone...it's the cost of service

[DrVomact]

I'd actually love to have an Android phone (the one with the keyboard), but I'm not willing to pay the extra $35/month T Mobile wants to charge for internet access (plus the regular rate for phone calls, of course). So it doesn't really matter how many great Android phones come out—the whole point of Android is constantly available internet connectivity, so there's no point in my buying one if I'm not willing to cough up that extra money.

Maybe this is a fair charge, maybe not, but I guess I have no urgent need to be connected to the internet 24/7 (I have computers at work and at home that I can use for that, after all), and my techno-lust is not sufficient to make me pay the extra fee.

Maybe the fees will come down once there are unlocked Androids for sale, and every cellular service supports them. Then maybe I'll take a second look.