My New Toy: HTC Aria vs. iPhone 4, Rd. 2

For the last couple of months, I was going back and forth about which new smartphone I was going to purchase. In one corner was the iPhone 4 and in the other, AT&T's mid-range Android phone the HTC Aria.

I've owned the first-generation iPhone for three years, so I was originally going to go with the newest version, but I was so smitten by the Aria that it was no longer a no-brainer. I did tons of research, played with models in the AT&T store, and obsessed on the decision for weeks.

Last week I finally went with the Aria. The first couple of days with the phone were frustrating because I was trying to figure out the new Android OS, but the Aria has slowly been growing on me. Unfortunately, I'm still not 100% sold.

I still have a few more weeks to test out the Aria, or I can exchange it for the iPhone 4 with the promotional price. Right now, my inclination is to go back to Apple so I can have a phone I'm familiar with, but I don't want to short-change the Aria either. Plus, I know that I haven't used my HTC device to its full potential. Maybe I should have waited a little bit longer...ah well.

My Toughest Decision

Usually, I can make a snap decision, move forward, and not really give it a second thought. Apparently, I use take this approach when it comes to buying a new phone. I've been sharing my thoughts about the iPhone 4 and the HTC Aria, but some new players have entered the competition. Namely, the HTC Droid Incredible and the Samsung Galaxy S.

Now, you would think picking a phone really shouldn't be that big of a deal, but choosing something besides the iPhone or the Aria would mean I would have to change wireless carriers (Verizon for the Droid Incredible, Sprint or T-Mobile for the Galaxy S). Making that kind of change and commitment is not an easy decision.

I was with Sprint prior to moving to Cingular (now AT&T), and I didn't have a bad experience but I changed because I didn't like their phone selection. So far, I've been content with AT&T and wouldn't mind sticking around, but their new voice and data plans are kind of odd.

Verizon and the Droid Incredible started to take a slight lead, but apparently they're going to a similar model for their plans as well. I wouldn't mind going back to Sprint or moving over to T-Mobile if their phones are worth the hassle of changing carriers. Hopefully, I'll have the chance to play with the Samsung Epic (Sprint) and the Samsung Vibrant to help me with my decision.

Or I can just stick to my good ole first gen iPhone...

My Thoughts on Apple's Mea Culpa

So, Apple had an intimate press conference to address the antenna issue with the new iPhone 4. I didn't get to watch the conference, but I did read up on various web sites while they were live blogging/chatting about what Steve Jobs had to say.

In a nutshell, Apple admitted that the iPhone 4 glitch, but so do all smartphones. They threw out numbers to try and convince people that this issue is not a big deal, and to make customers happy they will be giving out free Bumpers/cases or refunds for those who already bought a Bumper.

As a potential buyer, this press conference didn't convince me to take the risk on the iPhone 4 just yet. I wanted to hear what Apple is planning on doing to fix the hardware problem, but the only solution I read was, "here's a free rubber band for your phone". That doesn't make me want an iPhone 4 any more than I did yesterday, and if anything I'm less likely to purchase one today.

The Bumper offer seems like a temporary fix rather than a real solution. If Jobs had said our new batch of iPhone 4's will have a new antenna design, then I'd be willing to be patient, but I didn't read anything coming close to that. Apple may have glossed over the idea by saying it will continue to think of fixes and yadda yadda yadda, but since they've known about this problem for a while now it shouldn't take that long to come up with a real solution. Heck, they should have been expecting this and been prepared, but apparently they didn't think it was going to be a big deal.

Also, the attitude of "every smartphone has issues" and "we painted a bulls-eye on ours" was kind of a cop-out, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I know you have to have an ego to lead such a large corporation, but using the excuse that this happens and it's just not us (I'll even show you how our competitors have the same problems) seems kind of cowardly. Jobs should have taken the hit, without pointing fingers at others, manned up and outlined a real solution rather than giving away a $30 rubber band-aid.

Did today's presser move me closer to Android? Not really. I still have a "devil you know" mentality, and so far I haven't read anything that has sold me on getting an Android phone (the HTC Aria in particular). It's not like I need a new phone now (although my 1st Gen iPhone did start acting funny when the new version came out), and I can wait a few more months to see if Apple starts acting right. The thing is, we shouldn't have to wait for a fix...

My New Toy: iPhone 4 vs. HTC Aria

A few days have gone by, and I'm still not sure if I want to take a risk on the iPhone 4. I still think a lot of the complaining about the glitches are being blown out of proportion, but I also don't want to drop a ton of cash on a product with known issues. Plus, Apple's response of "it happens and just hold it another way or buy one of our bumpers" was kind of off-putting.

I went to a Sprint store to check out the HTC EVO 4G, and man is that an ugly phone. I'm sure all of the Android nuts are wetting themselves with excitement, but to me the phone is way too big. A lot of people online are calling the EVO a mini-iPad because of its size. Once I actually had the chance to see and play with one, I was convinced that the EVO was not for me.

Then I went to an AT&T store to play with the iPhone 4, and the model I used didn't have any issues that I could tell, but I still wasn't sold. I meandered around the store and I stumbled across the HTC Aria, which is a mid-level Android phone for AT&T. I was immediately smitten with its hardware, and the interface seemed good but I'm far from an expert. Of course I had to go home to do some research on the Aria, and what I've found hasn't been really good or bad.

The experts online seem to think that the Aria is a serviceable Android phone, and while it's not as powerful as an EVO, Droid Incredible, or Droid X, it's still a decent little device. The only real bad thing I've read about the Aria is that it's not able to side-load non-market applications, but I have no idea what the means so I doubt that will factor in my decision. If I decided to switch from Apple to Android, Aria would be my starter phone. The thing I still don't know enough about Android or the Aria to be confident enough to make that kind of change.

Like I mentioned before, I've been committed to Apple and its iPhone for too long, and I don't have the patience to learn how to work a brand new type of phone (which is funny because that's the same reason why I haven't switched from PC to Mac). Plus, I started to pay attention to how I hold my iPhone, and with some minor modifications the snafu on the new phone really shouldn't affect me. It was fun playing the field for a little bit, but I think my heart belongs to iPhone 4...although I never say never.

My iPhone 4 Second Thoughts

So, today is the big day when the new iPhone 4 officially releases, and based on some feedback online, the honeymoon might already be over. Sites like mashable.com and engadget.com are exposing some pretty big problems that are plaguing Apple's shiny new toy. Apparently, just holding the phone will cause you to lose connectivity. Wow.

Now, I wasn't one of those who just had to pre-order an iPhone 4 last week, and there's no way in hell I'd wait in a long-ass line for hours on end for a new phone, so I'm not really impacted as of right now, but I am starting to have second thoughts about buying one.

I've had my first-gen iPhone for close to three years now, but even then I bought mine a few months after the initial release. I was planning on doing the same with the iPhone 4 because new technologies like this are bound to have some bugs to work out, but these problems seem like biggies. I doubt Apple will be able to fix the glitches over the next couple of months, so I don't know when will be a good time to buy a new iPhone.

Unfortunately, I'm antsy and I've been planning on getting  new phone for sometime now. The iPhone 4 hiccups are making me rethink if it is the right phone for me. I don't know enough about Android phones, but the new HTC Evo 4G is a hot item, and most of the feedback has been positive (although most of those bragging about the Evo are bashing the iPhone 4). I don't know if I want to go back to Sprint (I never had issues with their service in the past), but I'm not too confident about the iPhone. The thing is, these problems might only be found on a few handsets, and my hesitance maybe unfounded, but I can't justify dropping a massive amount of cash on a product that has these kinds of issues.

On the other hand, I'm too pot-committed to Apple and the iPhone. I'm used to the phone's infrastructure and the way it works. I have too many songs, videos, apps, etc. that are iPhone specific and having to re-buy or convert them is a hassle I'd like to avoid, but so is having a phone that cannot make actual calls.

Really, I just need to be patient, let Apple fix the problems with the iPhone 4, and buy a new one once the major issues are ironed out. Until then, I might just check out some of the newer smartphones, so I can make an informed decisions. A little flirting never hurt anyone...

My Two-Cents on the iPhone 4

Today was the day many have been waiting for as Apple unveiled the new iPhone 4 at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2010 in San Francisco, and this is the phone I've been waiting for because it pretty much has everything and then some.

The Design
From the two glass panels to the stainless steel band to the slimmer design, this has to be the sexiest looking phone ever created. Those who followed the initial leak a few months ago might not have been too surprised at the sleek new look since the model displayed today didn't change from the prototype, but up close it looks even more stunning.

The Bells & Whistles
Not only does the iPhone 4 look sexy, but it can do a ton of new tricks such as FaceTime (video calling), two cameras, the ability to record hi-def video with flash (and edit videos with iMovie for iPhone), and multitasking just to name a few. Add these cool new features to the the list of cool things the iPhone can already do, and you have the perfect smartphone (until iPhone 4.2 or iPhone 5 comes out). Even little things like changing your home screen's wallpaper is a nice added touch. Oh yeah, plus we'll be getting a Netflix app for free!

The Price
The only thing not slim and sexy about the iPhone 4 is the price. For those not changing plans to AT&T, we can expect to pay a nice chunk of change for our new toys (between $499 and $599). Of course new subscribers will get the discounted price, which has always bugged me. It makes sense to use a shiny new phone for bait, but throwing a bone to existing customers is a good idea too. I just hope the fact that my AT&T contract has expired means I can get the new iPhone for a cheaper price *fingers crossed*. In the end, it's not going to matter because I'm going to end up paying whatever Steve Jobs tells me to.

The Verdict
I want one! I've been biding my time, and passed up on the iPhone 3G and 3GS because this is the phone that I've wanted since day one. Is it nothing more than a flashy status symbol? Yes. Do I need it? No, but that hasn't stopped me before. Now, I just need to decide on the 16 or 32 gig version.

My New Toy: Netbook vs. iPad vs. iPhone 4G

While I'm not the most tech savvy person, I do have a pretty big addiction for fancy electronics. Last week was the big debut of Apple's iPad, and while I've been able to stay away from the Apple Store to play with the new "it" toy, I'm still trying to figure out what my next big purchase is going to be. Right now, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to go with a netbook, an iPad, or the new iPhone once it comes out. Each have its own cool little features, but there is no way I can afford all three, so it's decision time.

The thought of have a little, fully functioning computer is a pretty cool idea because who wants to lug around an already small version of a computer in laptop form. Everything I've heard about netbooks really haven't sold me on them just yet. They're not as powerful as a regular laptop which makes them a poor substitute to begin with, but being able to do most basic functions with a tiny computer is still a cool idea.

The new alternative to the netbook is the shiny iPad, which still seems like nothing more than a really big iPod Touch. I've read some of the reviews, researched some of the features, and I'm still not really interested, but I thought the same thing about the iPhone when it first came out. I do have to admit that the iPad looks pretty sexy, but it still doesn't have enough bells and whistles at this time. Buying an iPad now is kind of like dating a really hot chick with very little personality. Sure, you'll feel really cool at first, but you'll get bored pretty fast.

When it's all said and done, I'm almost positive that I'm going to end up buying the new iPhone once it officially drops. Buying my first iPhone was a really good decision, but I've been biding my time before upgrading. I've let the iPhone 3G and 3GS come and go because I was content with my first-gen model. I have a feeling though that the iPhone 4G will tempt me all over again. Plus, I'm pretty sure most of the features the iPad is going to have are going to be offered in some form for the iPhone, plus it'll be a phone. Multi-tasking is always a plus.

Deep down, I always knew my heart belonged to the iPhone, but I just getting antsy while waiting for the new model to come out. I just need to patient and avoid doing something hasty like jumping into bed with the first sexy mobile computing device that crosses my path.