Motorola Droid & HTC Touch Pro2

[soydios]

So, my Verizon new-every-two came and went this past August and I've been on the lookout for a really good smartphone. I went to the Verizon store today to try these both out. In short, the Motorola Droid is, well, the Droid and cool and Android and all that, and I want. But then I took a few steps over to check out the Touch Pro2's keyboard, and oh my gosh it makes the Droid's keyboard look like something from a third-world country. Handling the Touch Pro2 and the Droid in the same store is just an embarrassment to the Droid on everything but the operating system, processor, and screen.

Nevertheless, Android is important to me, so here's my question: is there anything in the near future from any maker (HTC, Motorola, or other) that is Android 2.0 (like the Droid) on a fast processor (Cortex A8 or Snapdragon, like the Droid) with a high-resolution screen (like the Droid or TouchPro2) and a non-puny keyboard (like the TouchPro2)? Or should I just live with the inadequacies of the market's current offerings, namely the Droid's shrunken keyboard, and get a Droid before the end of the year?

 

[zerocool84]

There haven't been any big CDMA Android phones named yet after the Droid. I've seen a lot of GSM stuff but haven't seen anything CDMA this month. Yes, hardware wise the TP2 is awesome but Windows Mobile still sucks. It shows not matter how much coating they put on it. If you want to wait until the end of December to see if they release any details for any new phones you could do that.

 

[BabaBooey]

I love my T.P.2 a man's phone....:biggrin:

 

[Tom]

Im happy with my TP2 and Winmo. Criticisms of Winmo 6.1 are usually from people who used it on an older device or harp on non-finger friendly menus..that are mostly confined to settings screens that allow customization that other operating system don't allow at all.

 

[soydios]

Im happy with my TP2 and Winmo. Criticisms of Winmo 6.1 are usually from people who used it on an older device or harp on non-finger friendly menus..that are mostly confined to settings screens that allow customization that other operating system don't allow at all.

I've used Windows Mobile PDAs in the past so I'm familiar with the platform. Windows Mobile 6.x is straight-up outdated, but knowing Microsoft they'll redeem themselves with Windows Mobile 7 (have they ever lagged this far behind for more than one operating system generation? no.), but that won't be out until middle/late next year. Furthermore, writing applications for Android looks to be really simple (like two semester-long computer science courses, and the SDK is a plugin to Eclipse JDE), and that's something that I already have a list of applications to custom-build.

I guess I'll go with the Droid and just deal with the scrunched keyboard.

 

[Tom]

"Windows Mobile 6.x is straight-up outdated"

this is a typical comment about Winmo. How is Winmo with HTC Sense "outdated" ?
What do you want from a phone that Winmo can't do ?

Android has potential, but potential doesn't equal existing functionality. If it's easy to write apps for Android that means there will be lots of apps..lots of crap apps. Doesn't mean there will be more apps. All android really has is Google, which isn't because the same integration isn't possible in Winmo, mostly it already exists, but it's about Google being in charge rather than Microsoft or Apple.

I agree Microsoft needs to bring out new versions faster, not so much to improve functionality, but because the younger generation craves flash and newness.

 

[destrekor]

I've used Windows Mobile PDAs in the past so I'm familiar with the platform. Windows Mobile 6.x is straight-up outdated, but knowing Microsoft they'll redeem themselves with Windows Mobile 7 (have they ever lagged this far behind for more than one operating system generation? no.), but that won't be out until middle/late next year. Furthermore, writing applications for Android looks to be really simple (like two semester-long computer science courses, and the SDK is a plugin to Eclipse JDE), and that's something that I already have a list of applications to custom-build.

I guess I'll go with the Droid and just deal with the scrunched keyboard.

If a hard keyboard is required with Android 2, and hell, Verizon in general, you might be waiting awhile.
There is a Snapdragon-based Android phone on the horizon (same hardware as the HTC HD2, spyshots show it might look a little different, not as sexy as the proper HD2 with WinMo, as far as the physical build). I reckon it would be Android 2, but release date unknown although rumored to be late December or sometime in the first quarter of next year. But, no keyboard, like the HD2.

I've made do with the Droid's keyboard, it serves its purpose.
My Samsung Omnia had no keyboard, so just having a keyboard is quite a bit better. And the software keyboard (well, using Better Keyboard) is worlds better than any keyboard replacement I used in WinMo. So I'm far more capable already, plus, this phone spanks the Omnia in every way possible. It's not WinMo, it's stable, and memory management is something I never have to worry about (WinMo sucks ass at memory management).

As for the WinMo versus Android argument, I am finding myself preferring Android more and more. Like I said, I had the Omnia and spent, iirc, 8 months with the phone. I modded it because the basic WinMo6.1 OS was junk for touch (Omnia had a Resistive screen too, bah. i put the stylus somewhere, no sure where). Flashed modded firmware before Verizon officially released the GPS unlock, and kept playing around with different ROMs and UI applications.
It started getting a lot better in the summer and fall, when WinMo 6.5 ROMs were starting to mature. Had the new style (that Microsoft has yet to release, is coming soon) with the touch-optimized notification bar and main buttons, including Start, at the bottom and more touch friendly. Worlds better, and the UI everywhere had improved quite a bit. Even the ancient-looking Alarm screen received an update that made it far more friendly.

But customization, and getting an assortment of apps, was a tiresome process.

The open nature of the Android platform is already allowing a huge stream of apps in the Market. Sure, some are junk, as people with little experience coding release something they don't intend to spend a lot of time on... but you also get the developers who release a quality product, or spend a lot of time releasing updates to make sure it works. And the community is great, people work together to accomplish development goals. It didn't take long for an LED Flashlight app to be released for the Droid, and quite a few people were working together on a few different boards to try and get something working.

Not saying you don't have that with WinMo, because on the contrary, xda-developers.com and modaco.com had thriving communities built around Winmo customization. But I am enjoying my Droid far more than I ever dreamed with my Omnia, it was just little issues that kept it from being the phone I needed it to be. The Droid is super stable, very reliable so that I don't need to worry about it not being there for me based on what I need at the time, and quite a few apps that just craft this phone into something I never thought possible.