One of the best-known benefits to Android is the variety of devices on the market. There are so many Android phones available to choose from, but many people find criticism with the selection, and will find some features to be lacking no matter the Android device. This is true to some extent, and leads us to the question: what do we really need in the next round of Android phones, including the G2?
Everybody has their own opinions and areas they want to see enhanced in the next generation of Android phones. Some people want to see more graphics acceleration so our phones can be used as gaming devices, some people want HDMI and external connections so you can play movies and other media on your TVs. In my opinion, I want to see more devices focused on….
The Business User
As a business user myself, I have many of the requirements of regular users, but most business users need ease of use, stability, performance, and more. The latest versions of Android are already addressing the business user in its email software with integration into Exchange, IMAP, POP and most email systems, but media functionality is lacking. I want the fast graphics so I can chill in the evening. I want the media playback so I can fire up my Android phone on the plane and watch a movie. I know the larger corporate environments like to be able to control the phone’s configuration from a central location like the Blackberry systems do. The software is getting there and is almost business ready. I’m sure more of this will come, but for now the basic integration is upon us.
Here are some of the main hardware areas I’d like to see addressed in future devices, and a quick look at what we know of the upcoming G2 from T-Mobile.
Keyboard
The G2 in its many recent photos shows the full hardware keyboard and has the potential to meet one of the main criteria that I want from my next phone, and that is a good hardware keyboard. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the first phone I ever purchased, which had the best keyboard released for any Android device, the T-Mobile G1. So why haven’t we seen more devices like this? Is it because of the popularity of the iPhone that everyone has been trying to make a phone that competes with the soft keyboard, super-selling phone from Apple? I’m not sure. I’m extremely surprised that it’s taken this long for a successor to the highly successful G1 and I really hope that it’s all it’s made out to be.
I love my Nexus One and I can type fast using Swype on the soft keyboard, but turning your device sideways and using the screen keyboard means the contents of the screen are covered with the keyboard itself. Like everyone else, I like to be able to see what’s displayed on my screen, while still having the ability to type. So hopefully that’s the number one must-have for the successor to the G1. People complained at the first photos of the myTouch Slide with its reduced row keyboard, but as more and more people use it and report on it, they generally feel it works pretty well. The G2 follows this same design, so we’ll see how well it works once we get our hand on the device.
Processor
There is always lots of talk about the performance of Android phones and many people have been asking why the processor for the G2 is supposedly only running at 800MHz. Is this a concern? I really don’t think so. The G2 is using a brand new Qualcomm MSM7x30 chipset; the Scorpion processor has more hardware acceleration than the previous processor/chipset combinations like those using the Snapdragon. This means that even though the processor is running at a slower clock speed, the overall experience is enhanced by the additional acceleration of the chipset and secondary processing of other tasks like graphics and multimedia. We’ve already seen what can be achieved by community modification of the current Snapdragon-based phones, and the experience just keeps getting faster and faster. Google is also continually optimizing the code underneath the facade of the Android GUI. I’m expecting big things from the G2, and based on the reaction of many developers in the community, it will end up being a heavily modified device.
Sound
I haven’t had a phone yet that has provided good sound quality, especially from the built-in speaker phones. I frequently use my speaker phone for business calls or when I have other people with me who need to be involved in the discussion. My Nexus One is barely loud enough to be used as a speaker phone and even with the volume increased, the tiny speaker produces such tinny sound. I really hope that someone, sooner or later, will produce a phone with a better built-in speaker with enough quality to throw into the middle of a meeting table and allow the people around it to listen and talk without having to lean over the phone and strain to hear what’s going on.
Display
Of all the devices I’ve used, the Samsung Galaxy S has by far had the best size and quality display of any phone available today. Four inches of pixel -pushing real estate seems to be the perfect size for portability and readability. I love the EVO with its 4.3 inch display, but it only just fits into my pocket without being noticeable. The 3.7 inch screen of my Nexus One and the upcoming G2 is the smallest acceptable display for a business user with an Android phone. Any smaller and it becomes harder to read and requires more scrolling to read your content.
Meet these simple requirements and I’ll be a happy business user and I guarantee that you’ll have a bestselling phone and hefty profit from all the sales. Has T-Mobile met these goals with the G2? Only time will tell and that time is only weeks away. Sprint is heading in the right direction with the Samsung EPIC 4G and Verizon has been getting serious with their releases for a while. The choice, while better than a single option, is almost becoming too much; with all the releases this is causing more and more fragmentation in the Android world as each manufacturer adds their own customizations to the Android GUI. Still, the most popular phones are like the Nexus One with the standard Google Android experience, with quick updates to the next latest greatest OS tweaks and enhancements.
The G2 looks like it will have the standard Google Android experience as well; this is a good thing. If you want to customize your experience, there is an abundance of choices available through the Android market without having the manufacturers’ choices forced upon you. HTC has the Sense UI, which is probably the second-most popular enhanced GUI for the Android platform, but why not make it an add-on and allow people to use it on any device? After all, it is just an add-on or framework that developers would embrace even more if it were made open with the source and libraries available to the world.
I’m very excited to see what the G2 will bring to the table, and even more excited that we should be able to get some first looks and a chance to test the G2 at the upcoming Big Android BBQ in Austin, Texas in October.
What do you want to see in your next Android device? What other areas would you like us to dig into and write about? Give us your shopping list of requirements, and maybe we can make sure the manufacturers get some feedback. What would be even more super cool is if we could get someone like HTC to build a community specified device. Just imagine, a full- on heavy hitting super-phone that we all have a hand in designing. Maybe they would build us an AndroidSPIN special edition….. Not likely, but a nice thought!
See you in the comments below 
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This G2 better be great since this is the last chance I give Android or else I go to iPhone (I hate btw but it gets the job done) or a WP7.
Go ahead, Android community wouldn’t loose too much.
Go ahead, Android community wouldn’t loose too much.
I think the hardware is where it should be, And the source code will dictate the advancement of the hardware. The one thing I would like from the different manufactures, is the option to buy a device with their UI or without. Include a stock ROM in all devices and an option to choose it at setup. Is that to much to ask? <—-[serious question]
thanks for the processor info, but just so u know u WILL see people that wont read the article and still repeat like mindless idiots “i cant believe its only 800mhz, im goin to verizon” or sprint or iphone…. im glad i waited for the G2, its the proper step up from my G1, i will have my G2 till the inevitable G3 comes out in 2yrs….woo hoo
thanks for the processor info, but just so u know u WILL see people that wont read the article and still repeat like mindless idiots “i cant believe its only 800mhz, im goin to verizon” or sprint or iphone…. im glad i waited for the G2, its the proper step up from my G1, i will have my G2 till the inevitable G3 comes out in 2yrs….woo hoo
Great article, Simon! I will be sure to RT and share this one around the net!
Thanks dude!
People kept complaining about the G2 and the slow processor. I was trying to give some explanation of how the processor speed is not the No. 1 factor in a device. Of course it all helps, but Id rather see a well architected phone myself. I just hope the whole Z Frame and keyboard work out to be good.
Thanks dude!
People kept complaining about the G2 and the slow processor. I was trying to give some explanation of how the processor speed is not the No. 1 factor in a device. Of course it all helps, but Id rather see a well architected phone myself. I just hope the whole Z Frame and keyboard work out to be good.
Everyone complains about battery life, but the popularity of bigger Android phones means that people are not so concerned about phone size. How about putting a bigger battery in these phones?
Also, one feature that rarely gets much coverage in blogger reviews is how does the phone work as a phone? Dropped calls? Cell carrier coverage? Sound quality?
Agreed…As more and more focus moves towards the processing power of the devices, how well goes it run games, how good are the pictures it takes, it seems fewer and fewer people actually report on how well the device functions for what it is intended….To make phone calls.
We’ll be sure to cover this more with newer reviews and information.
Agreed…As more and more focus moves towards the processing power of the devices, how well goes it run games, how good are the pictures it takes, it seems fewer and fewer people actually report on how well the device functions for what it is intended….To make phone calls.
We’ll be sure to cover this more with newer reviews and information.
couldn’t agree more, i just have one more request and thisis aneasy to access track ball (or optican) and this is the only reason I prefer the g2 over the droid 2 that seems like a very attractive option
Your so right. I loved the Samsung phones but it made it much harder not having any sort of track ball or pointing device to navigate when your editing text.
Trying to get any sort of precision on Android without one is very difficult.
Apple solved this on the iPhone by having a nicer software approach that showed a zoomed in window as you tried to move a precise location. We don’t have this yet on Android and I’m sure if they tried to use the same approach, Apple would throw law suites at them…
I’ll add this to the list.
Thanks
couldn’t agree more, i just have one more request and thisis aneasy to access track ball (or optican) and this is the only reason I prefer the g2 over the droid 2 that seems like a very attractive option
great article. i’m a huge fan of tmobile as a carrier–the plans are MUCH cheaper than others, and the reception is definitely at the top in my area. but the phone selection has been very lackluster; since like march, it’s always been “wait for q4,” when all these dual core powerhouses come out, so that’s what this whole processor uproar is about. i’m sure the processor will be good, but i still have doubts as to whether it’s as great as i expected it to be. i’m still not sold on the phone, but it does look solid enough to succeed the beloved g1.
One of the better articles that i have read on all the the blogs that i visit. great job!!
I personally can’t believe how big phones are getting again.
Anyway battery life is a plus. I have the slide and the wife has my old g1, which both phones are running 2.2, cm6 to be exact. I have the slide oc at 825 and battery its borderline fine.
Point being the battery life is alot better after devs do there magic what’s htc issue.
Yes I would consider the g2 for an upgrade just sux another 30 bucks for internet.come on tmo where’s the family internet plan ??
I was recently told of a new leaked update for the EVO that has done something to address this. I’ve been told that with heavy usage the phone can get 1.5 days worth of battery. If this is true, this would be awesome and whatever they have done needs to be transferred to every Android device available. The battery life of current devices is not acceptable for a business user let alone a regular user. If I’m on a business trip somewhere I need to get at least a full 24 hours out of my phone and I think this should be the minimum benchmark for battery life.
Processor speed really isn’t very important anymore as most phones are going away from the sense ui due to battery drain. I used it in some of the devs mods, it was nice, but totally worthless imo. Id rather have more ram than anything else. I have to agree with twiztidnutz that these phones are getting almost to the size of a small netbook!!!!!!!!
I agree on the processor speed, but as I explained in the article, just because it has an 800MHz processor does not mean that the phone will be slower. The supporting chipsets and hardware and graphics processing support are what makes the phone perform well not just the speed of the processor.
When you look at the speed of desktop processors, they have not really increased in their speed over the last few years but the advent of new technologies and the supporting architecture has made the overall experience much better.
Yea but the amount of processor speed computers have is much much higher then cell phones currently. My main concern is what happens when apps require more processing power from your cell phone. Dual core processors are coming soon and I expect apps to be more advanced and require more processing power. People keep down playing the processor speed but I can guarantee every single person would take the extra 200mhz if they could. Why would they do that? Because in the end it does matter. How much it matters is just an opinion right now. Now the question is for me at least, do I want to gamble $500 dollars on the G2 and hope that the lower processing speed wont affect me a year from now? or would I rather just get the Vibrant which has everything I need plus the faster processing? I think the answer is pretty simple (for me anyways).
I would agree with you, but I’ll wait until we see what this baby can do. GPU integration makes a lot of difference on the Samsungs but the memory architecture also slows it down. If HTC/T-Mobile get this right, it could be a blazing device.
I would agree with you, but I’ll wait until we see what this baby can do. GPU integration makes a lot of difference on the Samsungs but the memory architecture also slows it down. If HTC/T-Mobile get this right, it could be a blazing device.
I would simply like a unified user experience. Too many manufacturers want to put “their stamp” on the user experience and the only thing they accomplish is sluggish devices and consumer confusion. HTC has done a good job with Sense but everyone else is simply polluting the Android experience.
This is definitely a sore point where Android in concerned and causes a lot of fragmentation. when you look at Blackberry and iPhone you always know exactly what you are getting when you purchase a device. Every new Android device that comes out has something new that the manufacturers and carriers think makes their device better than the previous and this is hurting Android in the long run. If they are going to add new extensions and overlay new interfaces on Android they should at a minimum provide the option to turn it off so the devices have a consistent look and feel at the press of a button.
My problem with the 800mhz is that people are saying gingerbread requires 1ghz. If this turns out to be true there could be issues with it being released by tmobile/HTC. I’m sure Cyanogen would get it working but it’s always nice to have the company supporting you as well.
Considering the CPU is underclocked, is it possible to unlock the CPU through an update? Sony did it with the PSP.
I’m sure it’s very possible if not Cyanogen or some other developer will do it. The problem is if the CPU was made to run at 800mhz pushing it can never be good. My only concern really for the G2 is towards the end of it’s life when newer phones are needed to keep up with the apps being released.
G2 FOR THE WIN I WILL JUMP ON IT SOMETIME IN OCT
realistic wish list:
Made by HTC
Coming off 3 1/2 years of sidekick and with the G1 since launch, 5 row qwerty Keyboard! is the sidekick KB patented or something? it was/is the best in the business, i was able to type a whole essay without ever looking at the screen, the layout was just perfect. I personally liked the SK3′s keyboard best but it really comes down to taste.
Processor and all the inner guts and stuff. If clockspeed isn’t really the issue then give us something that is able to withstand the upcoming updates for the next 2 years. I dont have the money to buy a phone every year or at least at full price and i dont like staying behind with the updates. Give us the best available at the time of release. Its the era of media and we need media capable phones and thats what has me exited about this new chip in the G2.
Display wise i think 4″ is perfect though i can’t complain about the 3.7 since i fell in love with the N1, Samsung has set the standard and if HTC has a comeback for it, bring it on (as cliche as that sounds lol)
Camera: Im not asking for a DSLR but something capable for when i forget my DSLR and please dont forget the LED flash
With the inconsistent copy paste and selecting feature on android a trackball or optical track-pads are a MUST.. hear me? a MUST
3.5mm headphone jack, should be standard
don’t care for HDMI output port
charging ports on the side are a NO NO
i honestly dont care for general hardware design as long as it works, many thought the chin on the the G1 was ugly and to some degree it was but it felt nicely in the hand and when putting the phone screen side down it kept it from touching the surface.
hope i didn’t forget something
oh and please leave it vanilla android.. PLEASE!
i love this blog cause you update a lot. I HATE it because none of your writers know how to write. i don’t either. but im not a writer. your sentence structure is confusing and you guys seem like you are experts at nothing. GET some new writers OR take some writing classes. after getting thru this horribly written “article” i will never come to this blog again. unless you improve.
bye
bye
bye
be nice
be nice
be nice
be nice
Don’t let the door hit you on your…. oh nevermind. Good riddance!
please for the love of God make this phone with some sort of AMOLED screen, super or not. vote for me for president and i would enforce AMOLED screen on every android phone. 800mhz is good enough for me, as long as its vanilla android and ill learn to live without the 5th row keyboard. everything else is add-on that i cant live without. now vote for me if u want AMOLED for everyone and their android machines