3 ms·

I guess I just don't get it. I was recently in the market for a cellphone and with a $200-300 budget I was choosing between the new iPhone and an A1600 Motorola

by garply 17y ago

I guess I just don't get it. I was recently in the market for a cellphone and with a $200-300 budget I was choosing between the new iPhone and an A1600 Motorola Ming. I ended up shelling out about $250 for the Ming for several reasons: 1) The iPhone feels bulky - I don't like such a massive phone. 2) The Ming has a clamshell model - this ties in with the iPhone's size problem, but it also deals with protecting the screen... I've seen people using skins just to protect their phone. 3) The Ming's battery is trivially replaceable (~$10 for a battery). 4) The Ming runs Linux. I've used both and find the software interfaces comparably pleasant, although different. And contracts were a non-issue because where I'm located (China) the carriers don't lock the handset down. The only downside I've found - and this comes with the size reduction - is that some of my activity is stylus-based. For some things (like calling contacts) fingers work fine though. Overall, I'm quite happy and I wonder if the iPhone is overhyped.

yardie 17y ago
I just checked the specs on a Ming. No 3G, No wifi (china doesn't allow it someone posted), lower resolution screen, and a stylus?! BTW, it weighs as much as an iPhone. Linux on mobile phones is at a dead end. Even Motorola is jumping to android. And actual useful MIDP applications are few and far between. If you wanted the cheaper phone then just say so. But the Ming is truly not in the same league as the iPhone, HTC, or Blackberry.
- garply 17y ago
  I wasn't actually looking for the cheaper phone. Before I made the purchase, someone else pointed out to me the hardware difference - lack of 3G, wifi, and screen resolution - I didn't see how they were selling points. Having used a friend's iPhone extensively, I never made use of wifi or really benefited from the screen resolution. And 3G is just higher transfer speed, right? Perhaps the issue is that I don't watch videos on my cellphone? I like to make calls, check email, and use GPS on my phone. To me, the loss of those hardware features didn't seem to be anywhere near worth the loss of the clamshell design and the extra battery.
ghshephard 17y ago
Re: Bulky - It's a tradeoff on screen size. Hard to make a screen that's as large as the iPhone and make it any smaller. Does anyone make a cell phone with the same size screen as the iphone that's significantly smaller? Re: Screen - While I've read that the iPhone is a magnet for screen cracks, I'll note that I've carried three generations in the same pocket as my keys, am clumsy as heck, and haven't managed to damage my screen yet. Very nice optical glass covering. Re: Battery - Yeah, a $10 Replaceable battery would be nice. One (major) suckage about the iPhone. I carry a couple extra TruePower batteries for my iPhone. For $80 It both powers as well as charges the internal battery. I can go on a trip for a week without an external charger, and play games, watch movies, listen to music, etc... But they are big, bulky and expensive. Thumbs down on the iPhone on this one. With all that said, the iPhone is not overhyped, it really is a pretty amazing/revolutionary system. I've had 3 generations of Treos, and honestly - the iPhone is almost a different _class_ of hardware, it was so different. A not uncommon scene when hanging out with friends is for us to all kick back with our favorite iPhone Games, Apps, Movies and just sit back for three hours with them. Ironically - on a feature-by-feature comparison, the iPhone actually doesn't compare with a fairly large number of devices, but the Application experience is incomparable. Kindle, Eucalyptus, iPod, Camera, Clock (Stopwatch, alarm), Google Maps, Photo Roll, ZombieVille, GoogleEarth, WhiteNoise, iTunes, AppStores, WorldWar, SitckWars, FlightControl, Warfare Inc, are all Apps/Games I use (out of around 80 installed) _every day_ - I don't recall ever interacting with my Laptop with such a diversity of applications on a constant basis. I've got a couple _seasons_ of TV Episodes (seamlessly) synced from iTunes, and I do the majority of my TV watching on my iPhone now. Don't even bother with the Laptop Screen most of the time. It's been at least seven years that I've actually turned on a television.

by garply 17y ago

yardie 17y ago

I just checked the specs on a Ming. No 3G, No wifi (china doesn't allow it someone posted), lower resolution screen, and a stylus?! BTW, it weighs as much as an iPhone. Linux on mobile phones is at a dead end. Even Motorola is jumping to android. And actual useful MIDP applications are few and far between. If you wanted the cheaper phone then just say so. But the Ming is truly not in the same league as the iPhone, HTC, or Blackberry.

garply 17y ago
I wasn't actually looking for the cheaper phone. Before I made the purchase, someone else pointed out to me the hardware difference - lack of 3G, wifi, and screen resolution - I didn't see how they were selling points. Having used a friend's iPhone extensively, I never made use of wifi or really benefited from the screen resolution. And 3G is just higher transfer speed, right? Perhaps the issue is that I don't watch videos on my cellphone? I like to make calls, check email, and use GPS on my phone. To me, the loss of those hardware features didn't seem to be anywhere near worth the loss of the clamshell design and the extra battery.

ghshephard 17y ago

Re: Bulky - It's a tradeoff on screen size. Hard to make a screen that's as large as the iPhone and make it any smaller. Does anyone make a cell phone with the same size screen as the iphone that's significantly smaller? Re: Screen - While I've read that the iPhone is a magnet for screen cracks, I'll note that I've carried three generations in the same pocket as my keys, am clumsy as heck, and haven't managed to damage my screen yet. Very nice optical glass covering. Re: Battery - Yeah, a $10 Replaceable battery would be nice. One (major) suckage about the iPhone. I carry a couple extra TruePower batteries for my iPhone. For $80 It both powers as well as charges the internal battery. I can go on a trip for a week without an external charger, and play games, watch movies, listen to music, etc... But they are big, bulky and expensive. Thumbs down on the iPhone on this one. With all that said, the iPhone is not overhyped, it really is a pretty amazing/revolutionary system. I've had 3 generations of Treos, and honestly - the iPhone is almost a different _class_ of hardware, it was so different. A not uncommon scene when hanging out with friends is for us to all kick back with our favorite iPhone Games, Apps, Movies and just sit back for three hours with them. Ironically - on a feature-by-feature comparison, the iPhone actually doesn't compare with a fairly large number of devices, but the Application experience is incomparable. Kindle, Eucalyptus, iPod, Camera, Clock (Stopwatch, alarm), Google Maps, Photo Roll, ZombieVille, GoogleEarth, WhiteNoise, iTunes, AppStores, WorldWar, SitckWars, FlightControl, Warfare Inc, are all Apps/Games I use (out of around 80 installed) _every day_ - I don't recall ever interacting with my Laptop with such a diversity of applications on a constant basis. I've got a couple _seasons_ of TV Episodes (seamlessly) synced from iTunes, and I do the majority of my TV watching on my iPhone now. Don't even bother with the Laptop Screen most of the time. It's been at least seven years that I've actually turned on a television.