Which Android Phone?
Monday, October 24, 2011 at 4:18PM When asked about what cell phone to buy, I will either recommend an iPhone (now the 4S), or a specific device running Android. Depending upon what web services you use (if any) and your technical aptitude, generally points me to make a specific recommendation.
I wrote a rather lengthy comparison just under a year ago that compares the iPhone to the Android platform and even though some things have changed, the general tone of the article remains the same.
The article can be found here.
If you have decided that you want to go with Android, there is a plethora of choices. However, allow me to simplify things and narrow it down to two choices.
1. Motorola Droid Razr - http://motorola.com (links to Razr product page)
2. Samsung Galaxy Nexus - http://google.com/nexus
The Droid Razr is out now and the Galaxy Nexus will be released in the next couple of weeks. The Razr is only available on Verizon and the Nexus will first show up on Verizon and will be released to additional carriers in the weeks following Verizon's release date.
These two phones represent the best that Android has to offer. The Razr is slim, sleek and even trumps the iPhone in the hardware department. However, while the Razr is running the current version of Andorid (aka Gingerbread), the Nexus will be the first phone released with the next generation Android OS named 'ice-cream sandwich'. The Razr will most certainly come up to parity with respect to the Android OS, but it will take a few months as the Razr has both Motorola extras and Verizon extras.
Still have trouble deciding? I've held the Razr and the hardware is extremely compelling. It's the slimest smart phone to ever be produced and it has a luxury feel. I will dare say that the Razr will outshine the Nexus in the hardware department. However, I am most likely going to hold out for the Nexus. The main reason is that it will immediately have the latest version of Android and I prefer the pure Android experience over the dressed up (and bogged down) version that the carriers insist on putting over top of the OS.
You really can't go wrong with either of these phones. They are both formidable competitors to the iPhone and in some ways are better. I still love the iPhone and recommend it often to many many people over Android. My next phone will be the Galaxy Nexus though.
Reader Comments (1)
The ability of an application to rotate to match the orientation of the device you are holding is a great feature and Apple encourages App developers to support all possible orientations. However there are some situations such as when you are using the device lying down when the rotation can be annoying.
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