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SAN JOSE, Calif.
—
Google's
Android operating system has come a long way in the past
year.
A year
ago, you had two choices if you wanted an Android smart
phone, and both were offered only by T-Mobile. Since
then, the Android ecosystem has exploded with options.
Every major U.S. carrier now offers Android phones, and
they come with a variety of features and in various
shapes, sizes and prices.
I've been
testing some of the latest — Samsung's Epic 4G,
Motorola's
Droid 2 and
Motorola's
Charm. All share the same basic Android OS and some core
features, but each is likely to appeal to different
audiences.
The Epic
4G, one of Samsung's recently debuted Galaxy line of
smart phones, is the new star of
Sprint's
Android lineup. It sports a slide-out keyboard, a speedy
processor, and a much more pocketable design than the
jumbo-size HTC Evo 4G that formerly topped the list of
Sprint Android phones. It also comes with a 16-gigabyte
flash memory card, which is a good amount of storage
compared with other Android devices.
But the
big selling point of the Epic 4G is its
"super" OLED (organic light-emitting diode)
screen. A new type of display technology, OLED screens
tend to produce deeper blacks and a wider range of
contrast between lights and darks than the LCD displays
used in most TVs and phones.
The Epic
4G's screen is able to display a beautiful range of
colors and multiple levels of brightness. Pictures and
videos look good but not great; the screen is not nearly
as high-resolution as Apple's iPhone 4, so it can't
display high-definition videos. And for some reason,
whites — such as the background of a Web page — can
look dim even with the screen's brightness turned all
the way up.
Another
selling point for the Epic is its keyboard. While many
of the first Android phones included physical keyboards,
more recent ones have largely abandoned them for virtual
ones accessed by tapping on their touch screens.
I
generally prefer virtual keyboards because I can type
faster and because keyboards add extra weight and size
to a phone. But I liked the Epic's keyboard. It's well
laid out, with dedicated number keys, adequate space
between the buttons and, in a nice touch, a system
buttons such as "home" and "menu."
These duplicate the functions of the touch-sensitive
system buttons on the phone's face, but those buttons
can be hard to press when you have the phone turned on
its side to use the keyboard.
I was
less impressed with other aspects of the Epic. Its
rounded, thick shape is somewhat uncomfortable in the
hand and hearkens back to the smart phones made before
the sleek iPhone debuted three years ago.
A much
bigger problem, though, is that it's linked to
Sprint
, whose coverage can be spotty compared with other
carriers. I wasn't able to get a steady signal at my
desk, for example. And when driving in south
San Jose
, I was able to get a signal only by roaming on another
company's network, which can incur extra fees. Even then
I was unable to use the Epic's GPS to navigate back to
the office.
The Droid
2 is
Motorola's
answer to Samsung's Galaxy phones. It's an update of the
original Droid, the first hit Android phone, and has
basically the same rectangular case. But it sports many
of the same updated features as the Epic, including a
5-megapixel camera and a 1-gigahertz processor.
The Droid
2 has some significant advantages over the Epic. The
biggest is that it is on
Verizon's
network, which has the best coverage of any major
carrier.
Also,
unlike the Epic, the Droid 2 comes with the latest
iteration of Android — version 2.2 — preinstalled.
It includes Adobe's new mobile Flash player, which
allows users to watch videos, play games and view
websites that they wouldn't otherwise be able to access.
The Epic is likely to get the latest version of Flash
soon, but users will have to download and install it.
Additionally,
the Droid 2 felt better in my hand. It's thinner and
narrower than the Epic, making it easier to hold.
Still,
the Droid 2 is not a clear winner when compared with the
Epic. Its screen has a similar resolution, but images
seem washed out by comparison. And despite a comparable
processor, the Droid 2 felt sluggish at times, slower
than expected at changing screens or pulling up
applications. Also, the keyboard felt cramped, with
small buttons and no dedicated number keys.
The Droid
2 is merely one of many Motorola Android phones; the
company is producing a full line with a range of options
and designs. Another recent effort is the Charm, which
is more of a messaging phone or entry-level smart phone
than a full-featured one. It's priced accordingly;
T-Mobile is selling the Charm for about
$50
with a two-year contract.
The Charm
is squarish in shape, with a keyboard on its face, much
like a BlackBerry from early last decade. It's thin and
light, making it easy to fit in a pocket and carry
around. The Charm runs Android 2.1 and includes the
latest version of Motoblur,
Motorola's
software that aims to bring all of your messaging and
social networking updates into one widget.
But in
many ways, users will get what they pay for. The Charm's
screen is small — about half the size of the Epic's
— and low-resolution, making photos and graphics look
pixelated. The keyboard, which takes up about a third of
the Charm's face, is cramped, with tiny keys that can be
hard to press. And T-Mobile tends to have even worse
coverage than
Sprint
.
None of
the three new phones, then, is a home run. But they each
add to the Android options and, for many consumers, will
definitely be worth a look.
—————
TROY'S
RATING:
Samsung
Epic 4G:
—4.0
out of 5
—Likes:
Eye-catching screen, spacious keyboard, slick interface
—Dislikes:
Spotty network, older version of Android OS, relatively
wide and fat case
—How
much:
$249.99
with a two-year
Sprint
contract
—Web: www.sprint.com
or www.samsung.com
Motorola
Droid 2:
—3.8
out of 5
—Likes:
Good network coverage, latest version of Android with
Flash, relatively slim case
—Dislikes:
Cramped keyboard, sluggish performance
—How
much:
$199.99
with a two-year
Verizon
contract
—Web: www.verizonwireless.com
or www.motorola.com
Motorola
Charm:
—3.0
out of 5
—Likes:
Thin and light, Motoblur software centralizes messages
and social networking updates
—Dislikes:
Cramped keyboard, low-resolution screen
—How
much:
$49.99
with a two-year T-Mobile contract
—Web: www.t-mobile.com
or www.motorola.com
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