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HTC says Droid Eris patch is not real? (Update) June 8, 2010

Posted by David in : HTC, Technology, Verizon , add a comment


As any Droid Eris own will most likely tell you the recent upgrade to 2.1 has not been all sunshine and lollipops. Between the missing features that Verizon promised and reports of major bugs I know of a few user who are ready to give up on not only the Eris but maybe even Android all together. One such user? Anthony you may remember him from his review of the the Eris at least I hope you do after all it is to date the most viewed post on this blog. Since the upgrade to 2.1 he has be plagued with just plain out odd bugs with all major features, such as messages failing to send and calls dropping after coming in. The only solution he has found is power shocking the phone, by removing the battery. Now Anthony is not the kind of man to put up with this level of crap so he did what any user would do he called his carrier for help. Well Verizon basically told him oh well your problem not mine. Before I continue I should note that Anthony once attempted to call NASA because of a discussion about the Milky Way. So what did he do when Verizon was less then helpful? He called HTC and what he was told was shocking. But I will let his words speak for themself

I called HTC today and had a sup tell me there isn’t and never was a patch being created to fix the eris. And that Verizon was told from the beginning that the eris 2.1 would be fragmented, as well as Verizon demanding the update before HTC wanted to let it go. Hence the no speach to txt. The sup said that the eris hardware could handle it but had to be scratched because of the rush. And I’m not pulling your leg. Wish I would have recorded the call.

Now I do understand that more often then not a call center supervisor is not always given all the information. IN fact most the time we are treated like mushroom. That is kept in the dark and feed a load of crap, but to out right say we are not or has never been a patch for the 2.1 issues on the Eris is shocking.

This is also just one supervisor who has said this, but if you are an Eris owner call HTC your self and see what they say

Update:
So Anthony called HTC again today and again talked to a supervisor. This one told him the last person he talked to was not a supervisor and that although they have no ETA or any information on when or how the update will be pushed, the fact remains that the patch is being worked on.

Nexus One – An owner's review March 13, 2010

Posted by David in : Android, HTC, Nexus One, T-Mobile , 1 comment so far

I am going to take my cues from Anthony Ford and do what he plans to do with his Droid Eris review. First he wrote afirst impressions of the phone and then he plans to write a second review having having the phone for awhile. The second part of this review should be coming soon he tells me.

The ordering process:
I have a confession to make I have never ever bought a phone without playing with it first and until this one I always felt it was a mistake. I think it is very important to know how the phone feels in your hand how it works and if you can be happy with it. I suggest you always goto the local store and play with the device before buying it, this however is not an option with the Nexus One. It is sold directly from google and can only be purchased online at http://www.google.com/phone. The process is easy and straight forward. I went with the 2 year contract option with T-Mobile rather then paying the $529 for the unlocked phone (although I was willing to do just that). During the order process I was offered the dock station for an extra $45 and now they offer a spare battery for $25. I glad they did not offer the spare battery as I would have gotten it and it would have been a waste. I will explain why later. I was then given the option to engrave my phone. My initials in binary on the first line and Do NOT drop on the 2nd. Yea I am a geek and proud. Oddly enough and something that struck me as odd a few hours later I was not given my new T-Mobile number. I didn’t find out what my number was until I received the phone a few days later.

The Device:
When I got the device I hastily unwrapped it, something I now regret not recording to share with you, although I did get a few pictures from my old phones 3 mega pixel camera, that I will be posting at the end of the article. I really admired the look of the device and was happy that unlike every other phone I have had it felt better in my hand. Although almost an ounce heaver and bigger then then the LG Dare I had the device felt better balanced and more natural feeling. I loved the engraving on the back and felt the Neoprene sleeve with the Android robot on it was something I would be happy to carry my device in. I hooked up the dock and placed my phone on it to charge. The first signs of life a tiny little orange light to let me know it was charging. At this point I had to fight all the urges to turn the device on I knew the best thing I could do right now is wait for the device to full charge before playing with my new phone. (Thanks Joshua for this reminder)

Now a lot of blogs including me have talked about the specs of the phone so I wont right now, but needless to say the device is peppy. It really takes full advantage of the 1ghz snapdragon processor. It is fast with little or no hesitation when moving around the screens and menus. By default the wall paper is set to the loud Nexus One live wall paper with the laser beams shooting around the screen, this was the first thing I changed quickly switching to the much more subtle grass, which updates with the time of day. Having played with a number of Android phones from the G1 to the new Moto Droid and Driod Eris I was already familiar  with the basic of the OS, although I feel that even someone new to the OS could use the phone with ease, although not as simple to use as the Iphone OS.

One thing that I have found really nice and surprising about the device is battery life. I use the device a lot often going 14 hours days of consistent  usage with only basic task managing (Android Central just did an article on task manager usage that I highly recommend) and most the time when I set the device in the dock to charge for the night I still have around 40%+ battery charge. The draw back of every smart phone is the battery and I am happy with what I get from the Nexus One, which is a lot more then I expected. To give you an idea of what I consider consistent usage. Twidroid checks for updates hourly. Emails are checked every 15 minutes. All radios, but bluetooth are on (I don’t use bluetooth) and I watch youtube or listen to Pandora for about two hours every day during my commute to and from work. I also will read news blogs in the evening while in bed. All this and the device has only give me a 30% battery power warning once and that was the day I started the day two hours earlier then normal.

First Impressions
Overall I am happy with the device. Although it is not perfect (what device is) it fills my needs I knew I had and showed me a few I didn’t know I had. The phone has become my personal assistant of sorts and every day I learn something new about it and find new ways for it to be used every day. I find the few draw backs it may have (the battery door is a pain to get off) and greatly out weighted by the awesomeness that is the Nexus One.

Why Google is selling the Nexus One? January 6, 2010

Posted by David in : AT&T, Android, HTC, Iphone, Palm, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon , 1 comment so far

As I have already posted the Nexus One has been announced, and even with a lot of great tech news coming out of CES (which I will be posting about in a few days) it seems  every where I look people are talking about the new phone from Google and HTC.

Not surprising really considering the hype that preceded the device, what is shocking is what people are saying. They are not talking about the fact that you can buy the phone unlocked or heavily subsidized with T-mobile service. In fact what they are trying to understand is why Google is even marketing the phone.

To answer that question we have to go back a few years and look at a phone, but not just any phone we have to look at the Iphone and how it changed the mobile phone landscape. When it came out it was the single best smart phone on the market, and a lot of people wanted it. They wanted it so bad they did something that was not that common at the time. They dropped the provider they were using and switched providers for a device. That is not to say people didn’t change providers before the Iphone, but it wasn’t about the device most the time. It was about the provider. This time they changed to get the phone and when the network got so crowded because so many people changed to the provider they started to complain, but few of them left to leave meant to give up the phone in its pure form. Since then 3 generations of Iphone have come and gone and still more people join AT&T for the Iphone, even though the network issues are well documented. And of course at this time most Iphone users are invested into the device beyond the device. They have purchased apps that have become a part of their daily lives. To switch from the Iphone means to lose those apps.

Enter Google and Android. During the Iphones rise to number one smart phone, Google, HTC and T-Mobile  introduced the first Android device the properly named G1. But people didn’t really flock to T-Mobile. In fact some people considered the G1 a failure because it did not “kill” the Iphone. Google kept working on Android and got a few other manufacturer using the Android OS and although none of them were Iphone killers, people started to leave their Iphones and took hold of Google’s open OS. Soon all but one of the major US providers had at least 1 android device. So now people can almost pick the phone they want and then pick the carrier and they will have the phone. This is want Google wants. They want people to say I want an Android device and then to pick the provider. And with the Nexus One the final steps have been taken.

Currently you can buy a Google device that will be able to to dial on two of the four providers in the US, of course to unlock the full potential you have to be on T-Mobile for the 3g speeds, this spring they will offer the phone on the other two providers when they released the already announced CDMA version they will have it on all four major providers. And yes I know they have only announced Verizon support coming, but Sprint and Verizon share the same frequencies and an unlocked CDMA that runs on one will run on the other. At that time you can pick the phone and then say I want the faster speed of T-Mobile’s HSPA 7.2mbs 3G speed. Maybe T-Mobile can not give you coverage on 3G so you go with Verizon the largest 3G network. Or maybe you would rather have AT&T because they are faster then Verizon and you can talk and surf the net. Maybe Sprint’s great plans are the best few you. It wont matter you can get the phone on the network you want.

And you know that Apple is happy about this they already know from sales in other countries that having the phone offered on different networks increase sales, and now that Google has jumped in the pool Apple will follow and you will see the same thing with Apple as we are seeing with Google. Buy the device then pick the network. And RIM and maybe even Palm and dare I say Windows Mobile can not be that far behind. If they wish to stay relevant they are going to have to do the same.

And do you know who wins in all this? We the consumers do. Once we can get the best phone regardless of the provider the provider will have to prove they are best for us. AT&T has back bone issues that cause data issue in areas like New York City, they will have to fix it. Verizon does not offer a family data plan, well that could be a reason you go with the other provider they will have to do something. T-Mobile has so little 3G coverage they are going to have to expand to get my business. And Sprint is being weird and not give LTE the love it needs which could leave them in the cold when the manufactures decided not to make CDMA phones any more. And the switch to LTE will make this even better. You wont have to wait 3 months for the version to come out that supports your network. One device will work on all the networks.

So to answer the question the reason Google is selling the Nexus One is simple. They are doing it to give you the consumer a choice. And choice is good

Droid Eris – An Owner's review January 6, 2010

Posted by Anthony in : Android, HTC, Verizon , 5comments

HTC Droid ErisWelcome to my owners review of the HTC droid Eris. I say owners review because unlike the “user” or “first look”reviewers, this is my only phone. I do not have a super power blog that creates enough interest in my own opinions that people just send me free phones for me to do half ass reviews. That being said I’ll be doing this review the only way that I can possibly have it make sense, by starting at the beginning.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, lived a man who’s only way to tweet, IM, facebook, email and youtube was on his LG dare. This man loved technology and even worked with mobile phones all day long. So he knew what was out there, like a kid with a telescope who’s parents were too lame to put him in space camp, he knew what was, but never would! That man was me and being that man sucks. So I began a mission, a mission to find a blend of hardware and OS that could do everything on the web I wanted to. Everything that I could do on a PC (which I don’t own) plus do it while looking pretty. After much searching I found this device in the droid Eris. Ill be doing this review in two parts. In the first half it will be within the first week, the second half will be after all the newness has gone away and all I’m left with is facts. So without any more delay………….

FLASHY LIGHTS:
The first thing I noticed when I held the display model at the Verizon store, was that in my hand it felt so comfortable. I mean really comfortable. The soft touch finish almost seems to eliminate the space between my hand and the case of the phone. Point being, it feels as though the device is meant to be cradled in your hand, like a robot baby. The Sense UI is beautiful, I never once have witnessed any program or app on my Eris that wasn’t very pleasing to my eyes. Having seven screens is great and having seven more scenes to play with just adds to the fun. Add to that the seemingly endless background apps in the marketplace, and you have a recipe for tech eye porn. That’s the best way I can put it, without getting vulgar.

Now, I know that most reviewers go on and on about specs. So I really didn’t want to say anything about them at all. But in fairness to the few people who’s only Intel on the Eris comes from this review, here’s the goods. It has a 3.2 inch capacitive display, with four electrostatic buttons on the bottom of the screen, a 5 mp camera, and a dedicated call and end call/lock button. The only other button on the phone is the volume rocker. “but Anthony, whats on the inside”. Well in all honesty the inside is a little dated, with a Qualcomm MSM7600, 528 MHz processor, and 288 MB of ram and not being able to save apps to the SD card, it does feel a little shallow when it comes to the hardware. But you never feel cheated or shorted, after all I purchased 2 of these devices for $100.00. An android device with sense UI and a 5 mp camera and amazing screen at $50.00 cannot be called a rip off. Which brings me to my next topic.

THE FEELING:
Its come to my understanding that just about as soon as you charge that battery up for your new phone, the device is dated. Which brings me to the only conclusion I have been able to come too. When anyone buys a new smart phone, they’re actually buying an OS trapped inside a shell. Not that hardware isn’t important, just that hardware comes and goes (remember your first gen ipod, was it the hardware you loved or the software). That being said, I think that people gravitate towards which Os’s make them feel good. Everyone has that neighbor who bought a prius because they liked the feeling of looking like they give a damn, when they actually don’t. They bought there prius because it feels good. My LG dare made me feel trapped, cut off from real apps and a real online experience. The Eris makes me feel free and connected at the same time. Both able to draw me closer to my friends and family and then say screw it and spend an afternoon making augmented reality graffiti while streaming music and ignoring every facebook update i get. So in closing, my Eris makes  me feel like part of a movement. A movement for the freedom to do what we want with the devices we pay for, to make any app we want. Almost like I’m part of a team, no…… the captain of a team, no…….. like the mother fricking  boss of the team.

See you in two weeks when I turn all this garble into total sense, and in the process continue to open people’s minds up to the idea of being in control of there own phone. Until then, live long and……. you know.

Like the review? Check out Anthony on Twitter and look for part two of the review coming in a few weeks.

The Nexus One is here January 5, 2010

Posted by David in : Android, Cell Phones, Device manufactures, HTC, Motorola, T-Mobile, Technology, Verizon , 3comments

Google's Nexus One

The Nexus one was announced today in a nice little gathering and thanks to Robert Scoble broadcasting the whole thing on Ustream me and close to 25,000 other people who were not invited got to watch it live. And although a lot of information was leaked days and even weeks before we still got some great confirmations and a few surprises.

First some of the specs (full spec list)

Again nothing we didn’t already know about and if want to read some reviews on the device and how these specs work together both Nexus One Blog and Engadet have written reviews of the two reviews I feel the Nexus One blog did a better job of presenting the facts without out expressing some unjustified biases to or against the device.

Now the phone will be sold directly from Google (again no surprise) and currently you can get an unlocked device today for only $529 which honestly isn’t that bad. Or if you don’t mind a 2 year contract with T-Mobile you can get the device for $129 with all the standard terms about eligibility applying. It seems that current T-mobile customer’s may be able to upgrade for a cheaper then $529, so contact T-Mobile today and see what it will cost you.

Now for $529 you can get the device without contract and unlocked. But keep in mind the phone currently only supports T-Mobile 3g bands in the US. You can still use it on AT&T, but the fastest you will connect is EDGE.

Speaking of support it was announced that Verizon here in the US and Vodafone in Europe will also get the the Nexus one sometime in the spring. I will of course keep my ear to the web and let you know when this support is available. And of course if you can get an unlocked phone with Verizon frequency support you can use that device on Sprint.

A completely useless yet undeniable cool thing about the device is you do have the ability to engrave the back of the phone when you order it. Of course from what I hear this adds about 72 hours to the processing time before it is ship, so if you want the phone before the weekend order it today and skip the engraving. If you want to show off the fact that your phone is beyond yours may I suggest “To [name] love Google.”

If you do want to order it today with or without the engraving head over to Google’s phone page now which always you to buy the Nexus One with or without service with T-Mobile and this spring promises the ability to order with Verizon. I would also like to note that during the presentation it was announced that other devices including some from Motorola will be sold from the store front, before Motorola is making the Nexus Two as we speak.

If you are not sure if you want to get the device for T-Mobile or not I will be publishing the follow up to the price comparison with a network comparison later this week. And AFordonWeb will be sharing his thoughts on the Eris this week as well.