Nokia N900
The Nokia N900 has been expected on the Ti OMAP 3430 platform since 2008 and as I write this, we’re still waiting for it to appear on shelves. I’ve had a pre-release version for some time and it has been proving time and time again how close the browsing experience is to that of a low-end UMPC. As a converged device this is one of the most feature-laden there is with everything but the kitchen sink (and, unfortunately, an electronic compass) included. Street prices are in the region of 500 Euro. Availability MID-Novemeber 2009.
Like: Deep integration of Skype into OS. Web and social-networking focus. Quality photo/video lens. True Flash support in browser.
Dislike: Lack of 3rd-party applications on the new Maemo 5 OS. Resistive touchscreen. ‘Only’ a 3.5 inch screen.
HTC HD2
The HTC HD2 is the largest WVGA device currently available with a screen size of 4.3 inches in a space-efficient design that is only 11mm thick. Windows Phone OS may worry some but with the high-speed 1Ghz Snapdragon processor and HTC’s sense overlay and Opera Mobile 9.7 browser, this should keep most people happy. Street prices are in the 550 Euro range and launch is expected in the early part of November 2009.
Like: Huge capacitive touchscreen and core specifications.
Dislike: Lack of camera cover. Weight.
Motorola Droid / Milestone
A surprise from Motorola comes in the slider-form of the Droid. Also known as the Milestone in Europe. The Milestone runs on a theTi OMAP 3430 platform (as the Nokia N900) at 550Mhz with V2.0 of the Android operating system. The screen is a capacitive, 3.7 inch part. Pricing is around 480 Euros and availability is mid November (Europe)
Like: Thickness (for a device with a physical keyboard.) Large battery capacity. 16GB on on-board storage.
Dislike: Simple keyboard mechanics. Poor camera optics (from early reports). Weight.
Acer Liquid / A1
The Acer Liquid (A1) is another Android-based phone. This one is running on the Qualcomm Snapdrogon platform at 768Mhz with a 3.5 inch screen. Acer have included some user interface enhancements similar to HTC’s Sense extensions. This is a ‘pad’ style device without hardware keyboard. Unconfirmed launch pricing (which should drop even lower when it hits the streets) is around 380 Euro with availability towards the end of November.
Like: Light weight. Battery capacity. Price.
Dislike: Relatively small screen size.
Toshiba TG01
The Toshiba TG01 has been in the market running Windows 6.1 on it’s 1Ghz Snapdragon platform for a few months now but hasn’t really been the big hit that its specifications might suggest. The WM6.5 version might help that (i tested one yesterday and it felt a whole lot better) but it won’t offer the most stylish of user interfaces among this group of MIDPhones. It does have a large screen (resistive, 4.1 inch) and it’s the lightest of the devices here. Street prices appear to be hitting the 400 Euro mark and the device is already available in Europe.
Like: Weight. Large screen format. 32GB of on-bard storage.
Dislike: Small battery. Resistive touchscreen.
Sony Ericsson X10
Formally announced today, the X10 specifications look very exciting. A 1Ghz Snapdragon platform with a 4 inch capacitive touchscreen. The operating system is Android 1.6 (plus media and contacts extensions by Sony Ericsson) and a promised upgrade to V2.0. An 8mp camera rounds off some great specifications although it is unknown if the X10 has an electronic compass. Price is unknown at the moment but as a flagship Sony Ericsson model, we’re not expecting it to be the bargain of the bunch.
Like. Style.Weight. 8mp camera (potential)
Dislike. Availability (Q1 2010)
New article: 6 WVGA Smartphones that Push The Mobile Web Envelope. http://bit.ly/2QFPPm
RT @chippy: New article: 6 WVGA Smartphones that Push The Mobile Web Envelope. http://bit.ly/2QFPPm
Groan, still can't use any of these. RT @chippy New article: 6 WVGA Smartphones that Push The Mobile Web Envelope http://bit.ly/2QFPPm
RT @chippy: New article: 6 WVGA Smartphones that Push The Mobile Web Envelope. http://bit.ly/2QFPPm
Good summary and all the reasons why not to buy them ;)
The problem is that many consumers (situation in Europe) are comparing these devices to smartphones, they are not aware of a MID market. For them neither processing power nor software availability is important. They also think that a netbook is a notebook but smaller, but this is a whole another problem.
What is important for them is “bling” factor of a touchscreen in a phone/multimedia device. These MIDphones are competing with iPhone.
And real geeks are still playing with their n810 from Nokia. And what are n810 competitors? ;)
You mean they are comparing them to dumbphones aka featurephones if quote: “For them neither processing power nor software availability is important.”
Consumer market is not composed out of geeks, remember that we are only 0.001% of smarphone consumers out there.
Yes, you’re right, my mistake.
Consumer generally wants – phone+PMP+camera+sometimes web, qwerty and real OS are obsolete.
MIDphones – neither MID, neither smartphone, cons of both :)
Processing power that could not be fully used cause of form factor and software environment – not a real MID (but with Android and Maemo it is surely better than with Symbian). Limited battery life for a phone. These devices are also not really for geeks but overbuilt for a massive consumer. Not much sense for either group – only marketing forces.
Masybe I’m a geek, but for a price of one of these I can buy Archos 5 and a decent phone – and I’d be happier (even more with a BT keyboard) :)
Only HD2
Web browsing is one of the basic functions of a MID. Even some months earlier, iPhone was the most fast and convenient when used as web browsre inspite it’s not a WVGA MID.
Today, i think only HD2 can be a competitor because of multitouch capasitive creen, so i thinkong of byuing only it
iPhone and Samsung OmniaHD – are both based on Cortex. Inspite they are not WVGA, both are worth mentioning here
As the article was about WVGA phones, they didn’t quite make the article!
Of course Chippy, that’s your right to define borders. But its too formally. The subject of the article is _mobile web_ and iPhone is still one of the best for fast web browsing; and there is a little difference between WVGA and OmniaHD 640*360 screen
I’m not for placing all Cortex phones here. I think Blackberry has too small screen
Sorry Squirrel but have to disagree about the OmniaHD with 640*360. Older websites are aimed at an 800 width resolution. But PPI is important too, which is the prime reason I am interested in the HD2 more than the Omnia2.
im still not sure what a midphone is. the iphone 3gs should be considered a midphone. is it excluded because it doesn’t multitask?
No, it is excluded because it isn’t WVGA.
I agree you need to have a line somewhere. Personally I think anything less than WVGA is useless for browsing the web. I have a phone which is 3 years old. I could browser it then using mobile IE. But it is hard work and I hated doing it and was only for emergencies.
With the new, higher resolution (and quicker) phones that are coming out, they start to be usable by consumers and not just geeks. When the iPhone becomes WVGA I would consider buying it, but not before then.
“anything less than WVGA is useless for browsing the web”
Vakeros, next statement is “much more” true: “iPhone is the best MIDPhone for web-browsing” – because its fast and has multitouch and 800*480 is only the third requirement for good web-experience
Interesting ordering. We might have to agree to disagree. For me 800×480 is the minimum res. for web-browsing. I don’t care about speed, if I am having to move around or zoom in and out. This is where size of the screen also becomes important, and PPI should be taken into account. The higher the res. the bigger the screen needs to be (at least if you see things at native resolution.) There is an argument for having higher res. and just bump up the dpi to 125%. The disadvantages of a bigger screen is size (obviously) and battery life.
I don’t make many phone calls. I don’t receive many phone calls and I wouldn’t have a phone on me at all if it didn’t also have the Pocket PC feature set.
Also HD2 compared with iPhone 3GS – I expect they will be of similiar speeds (if HD2 isn’t faster), it also has multitouch (which I don’t care about – I would probably prefer resistive, especially as the icons can now be large enough to be operated with your finger properly).
Netbooks based on Tegra 2 (Cortex based) have already been demoed http://armnews.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/tegra-2-netbook-unveiled/
So till these make it in devices by April 2010, I think I need to hold off any purchases… Simply because as you’ve pointed out, with more functionality, comes a more dire need for better battery life… These devices offer near-laptop fucntionality, and are always in your pocket…
Also, for web browsing, it’s important to have smooth flash rendering, which again Tegra seems to offer with hardware accelerated flash… So yes while all these devices currently available are a great step forward, it’s difficult to make a purchase when the next evolutionary step towards near perfect handheld browsing is a few months away…
I want smth 4,8″ on Tegra 2 :-)
Where is OMNIA 2??
Don’t forget that Dell Streak!
http://www.umpcportal.com/2009/10/dell-streak-5-inch-3g-android-mid-with-3g/
Dell Steak is just an idea, isn’t it?
When will it come? Is it based on Cortex or Moorestown?
Chippy, where did you see “Archos 5 Android Internet Tablet 8GB version selling for 240 Euro”? I cannot find it anywere (not in Archos.com nor in Amazon.de)
There’s a pulldown menu here.
If only the droid had a HSDPA version. . . .maybe soon? But the HTC HD2 looks like the best choice right now….well except the price. I haven’t used a WVGA smartphone with 3.5″ or larger screen size but most users say web browsing is unbearable on such displays. One issue (as pointed out by rustle) is how the processing power in certain devices are curbed because of their form factor or a missing piece of hardware. It’ll be unthinkable at this stage to make a snapdragon device with a VGA screen…..why would anyone do that?!
The Dell Streak does look very promising though, not just because it looks like its 5″ screen wouldn’t offer anything less than WVGA but because it’s styled like a smartphone and I can imagine holding one up to my ear….I’ll probably look like a nerd but definitely not as nerdy as a square-ish OQO 02 or S5 glued to my cheeks (same 5″-ish screen).
I wouldn’t even bring the SE Xperia X1, X2 and HTC Touch Diamond 2 into this cuz the sub-3.5″ screens just ….. one thumb and there’s barely 40% of the screen left :-)