The wife and I have finally broken down and got smart phones recently and now are trying to figure them out. Ironically, we don’t feel very smart using them yet.
Unfortunately Verizon doesn’t have the iPhone yet, so we purchased the Droid Incredible. It’s a very nice phone, it’s just taking some time to learn everything. I am a big Google fan though, so Android should be a good fit.
At first glance, the Android OS is nice, but it seems overly complex. I’ve found myself Googling how to do things that should be seemingly simple.
Coming from iOS (iPad & iPod Touch) jumping into Android is tough. I know there is a learning curve and I keep telling myself that.
I am excited though to have a phone with a good camera and video camera built-in. As a dad, there are plenty of photo opportunities that come up unexpectedly.
I’m withholding any judgement until I get more time to use it and learn it. Then I’ll be able to give a more informative Android review.
For now, do you have any Android tips or apps that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Both my friend (who makes cell phone applications) and myself have fallen out of love with the HTC hardware. It always looks good on paper but the durability and ability to consistently function properly seem to be major issues. If you can, attempt to judge the hardware and software separately. There is also Verizon’s inability to keep their hands out of the phones they sell so, probably some Verizon garbage on the phone as well. It is not a perfect set up, but I hope the android software shines through for you.
Thanks. So far the hardware seems fine. It’s just getting use to the software that I’m working on.
I made the switch from an iPhone to the incredible a couple months ago. I love it, it does take a little bit to get used to the completely different software. The applications are usually not as polished as their iPhone equivalents, but I’m not sure I could go back to the iPhone now.
I’m not a huge fan of HTC sense (or all those un-removable applications installed by HTC/Verizon), so I’ve been messing with other roms. My two favorites are Cyanogen (http://www.cyanogenmod.com/) and unCommon Sense (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=793315).
Tasker is a cool app, it lets you automate just about anything on your phone. You can change your ringer based on the time or location, or enable GPS to turn on with certain programs are launched (camera, maps, etc.).