Life After Q: Part II

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cell phones: Blackberry, Verizon Smartphones, Android, iPhone

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So now that I have decided that I am truly in the market for a new phone, there are several big questions I need to answer. For one, what type of phones are available to me as a Verizon customer? While there is always the option of finding an “unlocked” version of a phone (if the perfect phone isn’t offered by Verizon), there is always an associated cost with that. Another question, would it benefit me more to shop for a phone now or wait until the summer when some of the newest phones are going to hit the market?

So, let’s start by having a look at what I could use on my network:

1. Blackberry Phones
Blackberry is one of the leading smartphone engineers for a reason. People seem to love the interface and the usability of the phone, and the types of advancements the newer editions of the Blackberries have made are impressive. With the Curve there is now a decent quality digital camera, GPS support, and on some editions Wi-Fi support. The 8830 is compatible with 3G networks, can be used globally, and has a built-in media player that supports a wide variety of audio and video formats. Both phones are also very capable when it comes to opening documents, such as Excel spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations (no editing capability however).

The problem with the avaiable Blackberry phones is that what one can do, the other can’t. The 8830 has no camera or wi-fi, while the Curve is not capable of connective to Verizon’s 3G network. And, in the end, the Blackberry phones do not offer anything revolutionary when it comes to the operating system. In fact, I would see moving from a Windows Mobile OS to a proprietary Blackberry OS as a step in the wrong direction when it comes to potential future integration. Although, buying the most popular phone in the country would mean entering into a great community that offers support, hacks, applications, etc.

2. Verizon Compatible Smartphones
The Verizon smartphones actually get me a little more excited, especially the XV6800 and the SCH-i760. The XV6800 is compatible with both wi-fi and Verizon’s 3G network. It runs on the Windows Mobile 6 platform, and while that is not terribly exciting, it is at least familiar. It also has a decent quality camera phone with video support. All in all, some great features.

What is ultimately the really fun thing about these phones is that they offer both the touch-screen interface and full QWERTY keyboard. I have become incredibly fast at typing on my Q and cannot imagine degrading to a standard number pad, but at the same time am a little weary about going to full touchscreen. There is still something about feeling keys underneath my fingers that makes me a little more confident and speedy when I am typing. However, there is no denying that touch-screen offers way more in the realm of user interface flexibility. And, so long as it is a little more accurate than say the Garmin is at sensing finger presses, I am willing to try it out and these phones offer me the best of both worlds.

Every phone has its cons. These are substantial in size, not nice and slim, as well as cost. There are sensitivity issues with the touch screen, and one is reported to have less than perfect call quality. However, I expect there is always going to be a give in take, and if I was to go out and buy a cell phone right this second… it would probably be one of these two. They don’t have the type of OS updatability or integration I have dreamed of, but they are worlds better than what I have now.

So, back to the second question at hand… should I settle now, or should I see what the future has to offer?

3. Android Phones
There are a lot of rumors of what the new Android phone will do, and I am sure that the first generation phones will not be without their quirks. However, there is always something a little revolutionary behind what Google does and I would be excited to be part of it. The idea of services like YouTube, Google Maps, Google Docs, search, widgets, and many more being integrated from day one into a cell phone operating system is an attractive prospect. Not only that though, it represents a new momentum towards blurring the lines between what is web service and what is software. Other recent news promises things like better software integration and multi-player gaming. While not all of the dreamed about details could come to fruition, there is a level of excitement about this phone that is getting software developers and phone manufacturers behind it with determination, and that can only be a good thing.

4. iPhone (2nd Generation)
Another revolutionary phone is the iPhone. I’ve never been a Mac fangirl, but the attractiveness of this phone cannot be denied. I like the idea of a multi-touchscreen interface that supports gestures as a way to navigate photos and websites. It seems to make navigating your phone more natural and organic. While the phone is beautiful and sleek, as most Apple products, there are MANY features of the first generation phone that are lacking, including support for enterprise level e-mail (beyond necessity), 3G, a camera that takes video, Flash video, GPS, and much more. There have been rumors of at least some of these things being supported in the new phone. But ultimately, even if the phone improves, it seems to me like it benefits those who love Apple most… those who use iTunes and AppleTV, those who are the fanboys and girls. Apple integrates best with its own fans and own products, and for me and the products I use daily, I’d benefit far more with a system built by Google or Microsoft.

So, I think my best option is to wait it out just a while longer to see what Google has up their sleeve. The Verizon options are certainly great as a fall back, but I’m still not ready to give up on Google as the catalyst to another phone revolution.

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• Other interesting upcoming phones include the Garmin nuvifone and the Sony PSP phone