Focus Vs Surround, hard decision, help needed plz!

[tdkirk7]

Hey everyone,
I am new to WPCentral and I was hoping someone could help me?
I am wanting to get a new WP7 phone on AT&T within the next week to be secondary phone to my iPhone 4 (please don't flame me for saying that) and I am kind of at a tough decision and could really use WP7 owners help please. I really like the Samsung Focus, but I am returning a Motorola Atrix partly because of fragmentation so what makes me look at the HTC Surround is the Focus has had updating issues, and coming from iPhone and having experienced fragmentation on Android I really want to make sure I will get updates and not be left stranded and outdated right after buying the phone. I know all WP7 phones are going to get Mango but with the Focus having update problems already who is to say they wont have problems updating them to Mango? If anyone could help me decide and weigh on my dilemma I would really appreciate and can't wait to get a WP7 phone!

 

[Duvi]

Hey everyone,
I am new to WPCentral and I was hoping someone could help me?
I am wanting to get a new WP7 phone on AT&T within the next week to be secondary phone to my iPhone 4 (please don't flame me for saying that) and I am kind of at a tough decision and could really use WP7 owners help please. I really like the Samsung Focus, but I am returning a Motorola Atrix partly because of fragmentation so what makes me look at the HTC Surround is the Focus has had updating issues, and coming from iPhone and having experienced fragmentation on Android I really want to make sure I will get updates and not be left stranded and outdated right after buying the phone. I know all WP7 phones are going to get Mango but with the Focus having update problems already who is to say they wont have problems updating them to Mango? If anyone could help me decide and weigh on my dilemma I would really appreciate and can't wait to get a WP7 phone!

Welcome to WPCentral.

It's really up to you and what you prefer. I love the Focus and when the devices were first announced, I thought I was gonna go with the Focus until I got to the store and the Focus felt just right. The size of the screen... the weight of the device... the beauty of the screen.

There are a few that love the "Surround" sound. So go in to the store and play with both. Ensure you get rev 1.3 and you'll be good with the updates.

 

[Luisraul924]

If I was on AT&T I would, without a doubt, get a focus. It truly is up to you though your best bet is to go try them both to see how they feel.

 

[jalb]

Hey everyone,
I am new to WPCentral and I was hoping someone could help me?
I am wanting to get a new WP7 phone on AT&T within the next week to be secondary phone to my iPhone 4 (please don't flame me for saying that) and I am kind of at a tough decision and could really use WP7 owners help please. I really like the Samsung Focus, but I am returning a Motorola Atrix partly because of fragmentation so what makes me look at the HTC Surround is the Focus has had updating issues, and coming from iPhone and having experienced fragmentation on Android I really want to make sure I will get updates and not be left stranded and outdated right after buying the phone. I know all WP7 phones are going to get Mango but with the Focus having update problems already who is to say they wont have problems updating them to Mango? If anyone could help me decide and weigh on my dilemma I would really appreciate and can't wait to get a WP7 phone!

I can only speak for my personal experience with these phones, but I used a Surround for about a month, then swapped it out for the Focus. I love the Focus - it's the best phone I have ever had. The screen is drop dead amazing, one of the best on the market. The chassis is slick and just the right amount of weight. Some say it feels cheap and plasticy, but I disagree. To me it feels like a luxury device. The one downside I have is that the camera button is very easy to press, which of course turns the camera without you know it. Second, it only has an 8 gig storage option. I hear you can add to it, but you have to be very careful, as only certain cards will work, while the wrong card will brick your phone.

The Surround was very nice - I do miss the speakers. I liked being able to set it up on its little kickstand and listen to music or podcasts while doing chores around the house. The problem I had with it was the build quality. The battery cover sort of squeaked, and it felt squishy, and there was a slight Oreo-effect when opening the speakers. I really, really fell in love with this phone, but at the end, I did not like feeling like my $500 piece of brand new hardware was a flimsy-feeling toy, so I took it back. I am very pleased that I made that decision, but I did waffle for some time. I am not sure if my experience with the hardware quality is very common. Very few people own the Surround, so it was hard to Google about. There are a few other reports out there like mine though.

 

[jalb]

Oh, also the camera was a big decision maker for me. They are both 5 mp, but the Samsung lens seems to be much higher quality, and has anti-shake, which the HTC did not.

 

[jmerrey]

Considering the internal hardware, software, etc is almost identical, the decision for me came down to screen. In my opinion the focus wins. However, the htc hd7s is coming in a few weeks, so I might wait until then, go to the store, and compare them in person.

 

[furygoalbrtis39]

Well if you want good speakers go with surround, if u want a good screen then go with focus, those are the basic differences

Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

 

[flyeaglesfly]

i tried both at the at&t store and loved both. in what seems to be a rarity, the manager of the store had a surround. said he had been using both and preferred the surround for the build quality, though the screen on the focus is much nicer. i LOVE my surround, best phone i've ever used. my choice hinged on the 8gb internal storage vs the 16gb internal storage for the surround. both are fantastic though!

 

[dtboos]

Its the internal chipset/Nand memory + the excellent screen that really set the Focus above the rest imo. The software is the same, and functions/performs the same so its about the hardware/form factor you want.

It does only have 8GB internal memory though, but with my zune pass I couldn't care less.

The focus has an extremely high satisfaction rating (even beat out the iPhone in the recent PC World users poll).

The outer shell is a little 'plasticy' so get a thin case. Makes it feel very solid.

 

[jimski]

As noted, ultimately the choice is yours. I only played with the Focus for 15 minutes before purchasing the Surround. The Focus screen is very bright, but appeared over saturated to me, but others love it. And while some like a very thin, light phone, I prefer something with substance. Purchased on launch day so there were no SD card or update issues to skew my decision. I have had good luck with HTC devices, and while the speaker didn't matter to me one way or the other at the time, I do enjoy using it and get some eye/ear pops from friends when I slide it open. The HD7s will be another option next week, but may cost a little more till they start to discount it. Bigger better screen and thinner than a Surround, but the same 16GB built in. I figure the update issues will be resolved on the Focus by the time Mango rolls around but noway to be sure.

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

 

[Winterfang]

Welcome to WP. No flaming here, the Iphone 4 is a wonderful device. Anyway I don't understand well what fragmentation means but it seems to be a problem with Android fans. I recommend getting the Focus, it's lightweight, beautiful, has the best screen on any Windows Phone device ( As of now ) and it takes amazing photos.

Don't bother with the surround, is kinda gimmicky.

 

[flyeaglesfly]

i don't agree at all that it's gimmicky, build quality far surpasses the focus. but to each their own.

 

[Dagolara]

No interest in the Quantum? I realize is has the smaller screen but it's a pretty slick especially with the QWERTY keyboard.

 

[flyeaglesfly]

i looked at the quantum as well. i did like the keyboard, but i was going from a LG Xenon to WP7, and the last thing i wanted was another LG because i hated that phone. i'm sure the quantum is pretty sweet though.

 

[Adiliyo]

focus:
pros:
screen
thinner
lighter (somewhat subjective, but i feel the majority of people want lighter)
expandable storage
camera (samsung sensors are far better than htc's)

cons:
8gb internal flash
quieter speaker
issues with updates if you end up with a rev 1.4 device (issues are now, and when solved, should not be a problem for mango)

surround:
pros:
louder speaker
16gb flash
higher pixel density due to smaller screen

cons:
smaller screen
fatter
heavier (again, the pro/con is somewhat subjective)


there's my breakdown in the most basic sense. i feel it's pretty objective.

disclaimer: i have a focus, and LOVE it.

 

[flyeaglesfly]

pretty good breakdown. its true that the htc's cameras are pretty lacking. does the job for me since i don't use it a lot, but i can see why some would rather have one with higher quality.

my fiance has an iphone 4 and she's the picture taker, and as we all know the iphone takes magnificent pictures, so we still have good pics.

 

[Winterfang]

Add to the Focus pros is that is has superior calling quality. Every Focus owner tells me how clear the sound is.

 

[flyeaglesfly]

Add to the Focus pros is that is has superior calling quality. Every Focus owner tells me how clear the sound is.

could easily be true, since i've never talked on one i have no reference point. calls sound great on my surround though.

 

[jimski]

Add to the Focus pros is that is has superior calling quality. Every Focus owner tells me how clear the sound is.

Not arguing here, but superior to what? My Surround is very clear, except when I talk to someone with an iPhone. I have yet to read about poor call quality on any WP device. If you want to say the Focus has very good call quality, that's fine, but superior requires some objective evidence.

Sent from my HTC Surround using Board Express

 

[Adiliyo]

i also have no way to compare it to the surround, but it sounds as good as the past few devices i've owned (droid x, iphone4, samsung fascinate) not significantly better or worse...