The great hardware debate -- is better actually better?

[freestaterocker]

Spec wise you didnt exactly take step backward though, right? The Gnex has a better screen, faster processor and better camera module (though less MP). And the GS2 is a great device for defining future proof. Even today is one of the best Android devices on the market.

You know that WP is going to release Appolo sooner rather than later. You know its going to support high res screens, multicore processors and expandable memory. You know that developers will produce games specifically designed to utilize the two cores and the better resolution. So you know that the 900 may be holding you back from experiencing the best that WP has to offer within 6 months. Its fine if that doesnt matter to you, but the Nokia would not fit the definition of future proof. Im not saying its not a great phone or that you shouldnt buy it. Im also not saying that Nokia could have done much different. Im just saying its always better to have better hardware.

Speaking of the SGS2... 800x480 is the resolution on THAT 4.3" screen and nobody *****es. They just hand over their money.

 

[AndreaCristiano]

Speaking of the SGS2... 800x480 is the resolution on THAT 4.3" screen and nobody *****es. They just hand over their money.

In droves I would like to add

 

[mcjama76]

What can dual-core do for you: a course refresher what the A5 chip will bring to the Apple iPhone 4S

From the article...

"We'd rather point out that in this very moment you can get as much slick user interface and apps, high-definition video recording, and fast browsing from a WP7 handset, for example, with its two-year old single core 65nm processor, as from the first dual-core phones, whose chipsets are produced with the 45nm ARM Cortex-A9 design.

The typical user wouldn’t even notice that their brand new WP7 phone is sporting 2009 tech, since the platform is optimized for this exact CPU, and because of that, it runs faster and smoother than even some Android overlays powered by two Cortex-A9 cores. Not to mention how oily iOS and adjacent apps move on the iPhone 4, for instance, whose silicon is circa 2010."

 

[cckgz4]

I said this months ago. And unfortunately, with the vast amount of Android devices out there for these tech blogs to review, they sort of carry over that mindset to other operating systems and forget that other devices have systems optimized to function GREAT daily on lower specs. But oh well

 

[mcjama76]

The tech industries greatest marketing tool is consumer ignorance...

 

[nyc_rock]

Speaking of the SGS2... 800x480 is the resolution on THAT 4.3" screen and nobody *****es. They just hand over their money.

Yeah, but it came out over a year ago.

 

[tekhna]

Yeah, but it came out over a year ago.

Lol, yep. I was waiting for someone to say it. The SGSIII will probably have a 1280x720 SAMOLED screen.

 

[1jaxstate1]

Yawn, any competent person knows that paying the same amount for a WP7 device over an Android device is just dumb. From a cost standpoint. The user experience is another thing.

Nokia played it right by lowering the price.

Sent from my Galaxy S II

 

[DeveloperChris]

I agree on some level--my Android phone crushes the Lumia in terms of specs, but perhaps not in terms of usability. And 4 cores just drains battery. Got it. Agreed. But there's a difference between Android's hard-on for bleeding-edge specs, and specs that come close to matching what's on the market, providing some measure of future-proofness.



HTC Rezound is 49 bucks at Verizon right now. 1280*720 screen, excellent camera, dual-core processor. Android phone prices drop fast.

I had the Rezound at one point - the screen was nice, but the phone itself felt cheap, and it was shaped like a brick. Camera was OK, but images captured with it were nothing better than average. Was happy to sell that phone. Honestly, I felt it was a pretty poorly designed phone, with awful battery life.

I do like all three mobile operating systems, and have had phones from all three: iPhone 4, Galaxy Nexus, HTC Rezound, Droid X. My previous favorite was the Galaxy Nexus, but I am really enjoying my new Lumia 900. Nokia has created a phone design that looks great and feels good to hold. It doesn't feel cheap like all of the Android phones to date have. The screen doesn't have the the higher resolution of the Nexus, but it's still really nice. The 900 is responsive, and the UI is excellent, especially the live tiles. Android widgets are OK, but half the time, they don't work like they should.

The problem I have with Android, is that the phones are buggy, and seem to require regular reboots, battery pulls, and phone resets. The Galaxy Nexus is a nice phone in theory, but in practice, it has had significant flaws from day 1. ICS is buggy, and the Galaxy Nexus itself has problems maintaining a good signal. Hardware reliability is also questionable. I personally have had three replacement Galaxy Nexus phones to this point - my current one seems OK, but I worry that it too will fail at some point. The first Nexus couldn't keep a 4G signal for more than a couple of minutes, then would have no signal until a reboot. The second Nexus had a bad power button. The third one simply died, and wouldn't turn on.

The iPhone is a more reliable phone, and is better built than most Android phones. However, iOS is missing some basic modern functionality that exists on the Android and Windows Phone platforms today, and the screen, while beautiful, is still rather small compared to the competition. Mango 7.5 is the best of both OS worlds, but I wasn't a fan of the OEM phone designs prior to the Lumia 900. And so far, in two days of usage (which granted, is a small sample size), I like how the phone is performing. The OS is nice and responsive, the hardware is beautifully designed, and Live Tiles are great. On the negative side of things, the Nokia applications are really nice, but the application selection from the Marketplace isn't great. However, I think Microsoft and third-party developers are going to rectify that in short order, so it's not something I'm particularly worried about, especially as the core applications that I use regularly are there.

 

[fisci]

no wonder wp7 producing companies love you guys....

"Let's by some bargain bin processors/gpus and sell them for the same price as phones with legit specs"

The adreno 205 is old as ****, and although you might not notice it in the ui, this is a huge part of why there are no good games on the wp7 platform. Just wait till you try and play a graphically intensive game (if any ever come out that is...). You'll see why it is good to buy a phone with current specs.

I love the "oh well it isn't necessary" argument. You're letting companies screw you by selling you super outdated technology for a premium fee.

In a year when your phone lags in games, you'll understand.

Also the bs about android on here is hilarious. I own an sgs2, and I never have force closes, need to reboot or anything...

ICS is smooth as silk.

 

[tekhna]

I had the Rezound at one point - the screen was nice, but the phone itself felt cheap, and it was shaped like a brick. Camera was OK, but images captured with it were nothing better than average. Was happy to sell that phone. Honestly, I felt it was a pretty poorly designed phone, with awful battery life.

Agreed on cheap feeling and brickish, but lol wut on the camera? The camera is outstanding.

 

[Rodolfo#WP]

We really do need a "Don't Like" button.

 

[WPLuver]

Your argument would make sense if the iPhone didn't provide a massive spec bump over the Lumia, because it's so heavily optimized. But it does. The iPhone has a beast of a processor and GPU, and the Lumia has, well, specs awfully similar to the HTC HD2. First released in 2009. Specs matter. Maybe not as much as we think, but even the heavily optimized iPhone is leaving the Lumia behind, and it's been out for a while.

Its funny that when someone compares an IPhone with an 900, they say specs matter, even though the 900 is just as smooth (games notwitstanding). Yet, those same people if there were given to choose between a high-speced Windows PC and Mac at the same price, they would choose the Mac. Make up your mind.. does specs matter, or the overall smoothness of the experience.

 

[fisci]

Its funny that when someone compares an IPhone with an 900, they say specs matter, even though the 900 is just as smooth (games notwitstanding). Yet, those same people if there were given to choose between a high-speced Windows PC and Mac at the same price, they would choose the Mac. Make up your mind.. does specs matter, or the overall smoothness of the experience.

stupid comparison....

new macs still have a decent cpu and graphics processor (**** many are quad core)

It isn't using a super old cpu/gpu.

Specs definitely matter. They might not be the be all end all but when paying premium price, you shouldn't get getting 2-3 year old components.

 

[tekhna]

stupid comparison....

new macs still have a decent cpu and graphics processor (**** many are quad core)

It isn't using a super old cpu/gpu.

Specs definitely matter. They might not be the be all end all but when paying premium price, you shouldn't get getting 2-3 year old components.

Definitely stupid comparison. Now that OS X runs on Intel, hardware is hardware, and you'd best believe OS X runs better with the 8 gigs of RAM I have in my Macbook now as opposed to the 2 gigs before.

The profit margins on WPhones must be insane. The APQ8055 SOC was released Q2 2010.

 

[anon(5335877)]

Definitely stupid comparison. Now that OS X runs on Intel, hardware is hardware, and you'd best believe OS X runs better with the 8 gigs of RAM I have in my Macbook now as opposed to the 2 gigs before.

The profit margins on WPhones must be insane. The APQ8055 SOC was released Q2 2010.

Maybe, but don't forget to take into account the licensing fee that Microsoft charges OEMs.

 

[tekhna]

Maybe, but don't forget to take into account the licensing fee that Microsoft charges OEMs.

Microsoft is paying Nokia billions to make WPhones.

 

[anon(5335877)]

Microsoft is paying Nokia billions to make WPhones.

That is true, but I was talking about HTC and Samsung.

 

[cckgz4]

Don't know if I posted in this thread but yes it's EXTREMELY frustrating to see these tech bloggers mark down phones (outside of Android) for having lower specs than the current Android phone. You'd think that everyone in the tech world would know off hand that an optimized OS works just fine on lower spec'd hardware (see older iPhones). Apple gets ranked high but it has a small screen and a non-removable battery and granted the 4s is dual core, the 4 was not. It's pick and choose. This is another reason why I don't put much stake into blog reviews of phones. I just use them to get a closer look at the phone for my own eyes