I've been thinking about a new phone for a few weeks, having realised that my n900 was having charging issues. They came to a head on Friday night when he was unable to charge. I removed the cable, and the usb socket came away with it. So that's that for Mo. I cried a little: I know he was only a piece of technology, but Mo introduced me to so many wonderful people and took me to places I would never have been without him. Besides, I need to find a way to get the data off him with a dead battery!
Which leaves me needing to rather rush my decision about a new phone.
I narrowed it down to a couple of choices, and asked my friends on twitter: Galaxy s2 or Nokia n9?Unsurprisingly given the people I interact with, they came down in favour of the n9. But I still haven't quite decided, as I have a few niggling doubts. So I thought I'd blog about them – partly as a way of getting my thoughts clear, and partly so people who know better than I can address the doubts and see if they're meaningful.
So: In favour of the S2:
Terrific specification – probably still the best phone spec on the market. Though some of that is because Android needs a fast chipset. Except...
Future proof: S2 is expecting to get ICS in the next few months. And ICS runs on a slower chip in the nexus, so presumably will run like lightening on the S2's chip.
Software: android market is huge, with stuff that's both practical and fun. I can probably make it do everything I want – and it will include DRM stuff like kindle and kobo books. I have both on the HTC flyer and it would be nice to have the same book on the phone so I can read at work.
Novelty items like locking (face unlock with ICS)
Against the S2:
Reputed to be plasticky build quality
Android operating system is a bit clunky in places. Though I do ok with it on the Flyer (actually, preferred Gingerbread to Honeycomb, to be honest)
Big phone for small teddy paws.
In favour of the N9:
Spec is pretty good. It has most of the features I would want to use, including that Carl Zeiss camera lens.
Harmattan is reputed to be the perfect operating system, running like silk with amazing integration.
Reported to have solid build quality – though the n900 is not a good recommendation given the problems those have had. Lovely shape, too.
Against the N9:
End of the line operating system – no future proofing
Do I want a phone I can't access the battery? No slot for an SD card, either.
Will have to switch to a micro-sim card so extra hassle
Less apps etc, though it has most of the things I'd look for apart from kobo/kindle app.
So that's where my thinking has got me. On the irrational side, I think I feel more excited technologically about the idea of an S2. But the n9 would bring me back into networking with the people who've been such great friends with the n900. Which is why I'm still sitting here undecided. I hoped one would drop in price today as the sales start and that would help me decide. But sadly not.
If anyone has comments I'd be really glad of them (Unless you're selling UGG boots – I've deleted a lot of those comments already!)7 1
Which leaves me needing to rather rush my decision about a new phone.
I narrowed it down to a couple of choices, and asked my friends on twitter: Galaxy s2 or Nokia n9?Unsurprisingly given the people I interact with, they came down in favour of the n9. But I still haven't quite decided, as I have a few niggling doubts. So I thought I'd blog about them – partly as a way of getting my thoughts clear, and partly so people who know better than I can address the doubts and see if they're meaningful.
So: In favour of the S2:
Terrific specification – probably still the best phone spec on the market. Though some of that is because Android needs a fast chipset. Except...
Future proof: S2 is expecting to get ICS in the next few months. And ICS runs on a slower chip in the nexus, so presumably will run like lightening on the S2's chip.
Software: android market is huge, with stuff that's both practical and fun. I can probably make it do everything I want – and it will include DRM stuff like kindle and kobo books. I have both on the HTC flyer and it would be nice to have the same book on the phone so I can read at work.
Novelty items like locking (face unlock with ICS)
Against the S2:
Reputed to be plasticky build quality
Android operating system is a bit clunky in places. Though I do ok with it on the Flyer (actually, preferred Gingerbread to Honeycomb, to be honest)
Big phone for small teddy paws.
In favour of the N9:
Spec is pretty good. It has most of the features I would want to use, including that Carl Zeiss camera lens.
Harmattan is reputed to be the perfect operating system, running like silk with amazing integration.
Reported to have solid build quality – though the n900 is not a good recommendation given the problems those have had. Lovely shape, too.
Against the N9:
End of the line operating system – no future proofing
Do I want a phone I can't access the battery? No slot for an SD card, either.
Will have to switch to a micro-sim card so extra hassle
Less apps etc, though it has most of the things I'd look for apart from kobo/kindle app.
So that's where my thinking has got me. On the irrational side, I think I feel more excited technologically about the idea of an S2. But the n9 would bring me back into networking with the people who've been such great friends with the n900. Which is why I'm still sitting here undecided. I hoped one would drop in price today as the sales start and that would help me decide. But sadly not.
If anyone has comments I'd be really glad of them (Unless you're selling UGG boots – I've deleted a lot of those comments already!)7 1