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Which phone OS? |
Alpha Trion
Joined: Sep 06, 2007
Posts: 197
From: Midlands UK
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Hi all,
I've just run into the last three months of my contract & am obviously thinking about upgrade time. With the wealth of large touchscreen phones now being announced & released with all very similar specs etc my choice seems to be getting harder & more frustrating!
A few months ago i was certain the N97 would be mine, then with the fantastic specs/processor/screen etc of the Omnia HD this become my 1st choice. Recently though the announced N900 & also Dogmann's high praise of the TG01 have made me realise that i think its actually the phone OS that might persuade my next upgrade?
Currently use N82 & have been very pleased with ease of sync with my mac/itunes/contacts etc & also i like the S60 phonebook for level of detail & would consider these functions as very important in my next phone. Phone browser is also critical & must at least be able to play flash websites properly (you know BBC news/BBC football etc). Video playback is also up there with the priorities. I'm now looking for the next best OS/phone for my needs & have been trying to weigh up the pro's & con's of WM, S60 v5, Android, Maemo & of course OSX.
I guess truth be told i'm still edging towards the Omnia HD but then lack of mac support may be an issue? Maemo I think may be too young? & I know very little about Android & WM
Anyway enough of my ramblings I guess i'm asking which is the best OS? & would to love hear from all your experiences.
Cheers | |
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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iPhone OS is the best ATM but Android is fast improving as Motorola (and soon  and LG) begin to release some decent models; Palm's WebOS has more than just novelty value but we're still waiting for GSM models to arrive.
Symbian and WM are on the downward slide. If you're buying now go for an iPhone 3Gs but if you can wait, go for the Moto Cliq/DEXT or SE's Rachael. Satio is coming next month too, should be worth a look...
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razec
Joined: Aug 20, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Mars
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Just one thing.. if you also love mobile gaming then get rid of Palm webOS.
10 years at Esato |
Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Hmmm. . . .i feel it would be very uhmm. . . Bold must i say, of me to just say what OS is the best. My advice is go and try some devices eg. Hero, 3GS, N97, OmniaHD, BB Bold etc. . . . At the end of the day its going to be YOU stuck with the phone on contract, and YOU using it. You seem to be enjoying the N82 and IMO the best upgrade from that is a N97, OmniaHD OR Satio,but like i said it depends on you. I could say Symbian is the best because i like it but you may find S60v5 is not quite what you wanted. Everyday theres seems to be a new Symbian Foundation member, for the past week almost everyday i read of a new member so its become very interesting, i wouldn't just write it off as going downward, its phones eg. N97, OmniaHD and Satio are very capable and its still a lovely OS, or are we talking about sales again? Gosh.  . Rather give the devices a go and see what you like. I dont realy think there's a best OS, they all seem to be capable of the same lately.
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whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: India
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Unless you're too dependent on select Nokia applications, with the Omnia HD around, I wouldn't even consider getting an N97. The only thing that I "wished for" in the Omnia HD is a physical keyboard. But I can live without it. In every other department, it trumps the N97 comprehensively. On the flip side, the N97 has the Official Ovi store and apps support going for it - but most of the apps work fine on the Omnia HD as well -- and I download them from the Ovi Store! 
As for the OS, I had faced a similar dilemma before homing in on the Omnia HD. I had considered the HTC Magic but cancelled it because the Indian version was crippled and overpriced (No Android Market or Google Apps!). The Hero wasnt available yet. Then I thought of the N86 which was quite a decent choice but then decided to "increase" my budget and chose the Omnia HD. The phone has almost everything I wanted and a trusty OS. It might not be flashy and is downright clumsy at some times as well, but still manages a neat job.
The only other OS i would want to look at is Android. The Hero looks promising and the SENSE UI with the new FW looks great. And then there's Android 1.6 on the anvil too. So, I would be looking at this platform closely. For now though, I feel the Omnia HD gives you the most bang for your bucks. 
T230 >> T610 >> Ngage QD >> N73 >> N85 >> Omnia HD >> And countless other review units |
Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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I agree. But ive recently read quite a few users posts who have made the move from an OmniaHD to a N97, from a 3GS to a N97, from a N97 to a OmniaHD etc. . . And a lot of it is due to the form factor which may TOTALY change your main priority once you experience a new form. So thats why im saying dont just look at the OS, in the end they do most of the same things, and after using these devices you may find you prefer a certain form. I would throw in the N86 just incase you find that you still prefer that type of device.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
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Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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I can stick up for Symbian having just purchased a Nokia 5530xm phone which is touch based Symbian s60v5. I can honestly say i have been pleasantly surprised by its ease of use and how brisk and speedy everything is on it. Go for anything but Windows.
Also having just read a review of the n86 in Mobile Choice today they absolutely raved about it plus its alot more stable than the n97 atm.
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[ This Message was edited by: Bonovox on 2009-09-17 23:24 ] |
c_vignesh
Joined: Aug 16, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: TamilNadu,India
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whatever ppl might sy about symbian and s60 v5 ...it seems a better bet and provides better value for money
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carkitter
Joined: Apr 29, 2005
Posts: > 500
From: Auckland, NZ
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On 2009-09-17 18:33:20, GUCCI.011 wrote:
...Everyday theres seems to be a new Symbian Foundation member, for the past week almost everyday i read of a new member so its become very interesting, i wouldn't just write it off as going downward, its phones eg. N97, OmniaHD and Satio are very capable and its still a lovely OS, or are we talking about sales again? Gosh.
I'm talking about market penetration of Apps in the 'real world' outside of Esato and fanboy opinions, etc (btw that was not a jab at you just a general observation).
Which OS has developers writing Apps for sports events like Wimbledon (that was a cracker App ) internet banking Apps, mobile ticketing Apps for airline passengers, news Apps for major magazines and newspapers, etc as well as awesome gaming Apps...
Only the iPhone OS has managed to gain such traction in the business community - every company wants an iPhone App now. Symbian and WM Apps were and still are for a limited audience.
Anyone not using the iPhone OS is missing out on a lot of useful functionality.
Android has the potential to match iPhone OS blow for blow but we need to see some better and more inspiring devices than what HTC has produced so far. The Cliq/DEXT is one, Rachael is another...
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Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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Im certainly not missing out on anything. If i want that i launch the built in browser on my phone and go to the website to watch the highlights, read the news, or watch it, or log into Ngage Arena to vs. someone in System Rush or some other game. Those apps also realy depend where you are eg. Banking. Although with Symbian phones you're already able to do these things with the built-in web browser on the full website without needing to get an app 1st. There are also 3rd party apps for Comic reading, and Magazines, i remember there was Mobizine for java phones as well,but such apps realy depend where you are.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
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Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
anonymuser
Joined: Dec 17, 2002
Posts: > 500
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This is a holy war, and the only real answer is to get some good hands-on experience with each of these OS's and decide which of their various strengths you value the most. Asking the question here will only get most people explaining why the OS they bought into is best for them, which is fair enough but not necessarily useful to you.
I own an iPhone like carkitter, and like carkitter I find it very easy to recommend it. It's by far the best platform for apps and there's no real sign of Android or Symbian (let alone WM) challenging that to any serious degree. Yes, Android phones are improving, but the OS is also starting to fragment slightly (do you want the Google experience or SenseUI? MyTouch? Motoblur? Xperia?) and even the best selling apps in the Android market are barely scratching a living. None of this prevents Android being a huge success in the future, but it does mean that right now, I wouldn't consider it personally.
Symbian. It's still highly coveted by some here, it's got a long history, and I was once a very big fan (you're talking to someone who only swapped their Psion Revo for a Psion Revo+) but I truly believe it's day is now past. Going forward, S60 is the new S40 - a low end, disposable OS for featurephones.
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Tsepz_GP
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: Johannesburg, South Africa
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^ but still very capable. Just because NOKIA is taking it to mid-end (mainstream) doesnt mean SAMSUNG will do the same. Maemo is sticking in NOKIAs high-end communicator type devices, SO you can still expect Eseries Business phones and NOT just "feature phones", that said i think thats exactly what helped Symbian out, the idea of having a mixture of Feature Phone and Smartphone in one, and so NOKIA and SAMSUNG will im sure continue to make these devices, expect some more N97/OmniaHD type devices even when Symbian^2 gets here.
Phone: iPhone 15 Pro Max Black Ti 512GB
Tablet: iPad Pro 11” 2020 Space Gray 256GB
Watch: Series 3 Nike Edition Space Gray
Droid: Huawei Mate 40 Pro 256GB |
Alpha Trion
Joined: Sep 06, 2007
Posts: 197
From: Midlands UK
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Hi all,
Thanks for all yout responses so far, some really good comments in there too. I think i may have been a bit too vague in the topic question, as what I should have asked was "which is the most supported/future proof OS" or words to those effect.
For arguments sake removing OSX for the moment (girlfriend has an iphone & loves it & i'd be the first to admit it is THE best OS for sheer user experience, ease of use, ease of firmware update & of course the unrivaled appstore) because of poor O2 coverage at home & work plus other niggles with the iphone itself.
Looking at the four main candidates will S60 be 'upgradable' to symbian^2 when or if it finally arrives? or is the new symbian foundation roadmap an entirely different make-up? WM6.5 is just around the corner with already some quite eye catching devices on the horizon. I know so little about Android at the moment but seem to be getting the vibe that it's not quite there yet but shows potential & i'm quite liking the initial shots of Maemo but obviously its only on one device at the moment & will still be a very young platform.
Right now i'm still edging towards S60 on the Omnia HD but just worry about the lack support, certainly from early next year onwards & don't won't to be stuck with 'old hat' for 18 months.
Cheers |
Bonovox
Joined: Apr 13, 2008
Posts: > 500
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At the end of the day most people you speak to regarding OS reply with the same answer. They just want something easy to use.
Phone?? What phone?? |
whizkidd
Joined: May 14, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: India
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On 2009-09-21 11:57:56, Alpha Trion wrote:
Looking at the four main candidates will S60 be 'upgradable' to symbian^2 when or if it finally arrives? or is the new symbian foundation roadmap an entirely different make-up?
Yes. It is an entirely new roadmap. One thing I have never liked about S60 is the fact that it can never be upgraded to a newer, faster version of the OS. So, if your S60 device came with S60 Fifth edition, it WILL NOT be upgradeable to S60 v5 FP1 or 2 if ever these arrive. Quite unlike the iPhone or even WM, which I still wont touch with a one mile rod.
WM6.5 is just around the corner with already some quite eye catching devices on the horizon. I know so little about Android at the moment but seem to be getting the vibe that it's not quite there yet but shows potential & i'm quite liking the initial shots of Maemo but obviously its only on one device at the moment & will still be a very young platform.
WM 6.5 looks to me as a stopgap OS just to enhance the life of 6.1, which really feels three generations old already. So, even if you go for it, you will find yourselves outdated very soon--as WM 7 is due just next year. Besides, I doubt if much of the changes in 6.5 are revolutionary. You might rather wait for WM7 than go for WM 6.5. Android on the other hand seems to be evolving pretty fast. The only issue I have with Android is the various custom interfaces it will run "underneath". So HTC has its SENSE, Motorola has MOTOBLUR. Ths might be good for those who wish for some variety even whilst using the same OS. Incidentally, Samsung has done the same thing with S60 on the Omnia HD. They seem to be pushing the TouchWiz interface on every touchscreen phone they make. Smartphone or not. Thankfully, i can switch it off on the HD.
Right now i'm still edging towards S60 on the Omnia HD but just worry about the lack support, certainly from early next year onwards & don't won't to be stuck with 'old hat' for 18 months.
Lack of support in terms of the SW availability? As for being stuck with an old hat, the Omnia HD still packs in the best hardware you can get inside a phone as of now. It should still be powerful 18 months down the line. Besides, with some tweaks you can use all the stuff designed for the 5800 or the N97 on the Omnia HD.
T230 >> T610 >> Ngage QD >> N73 >> N85 >> Omnia HD >> And countless other review units | |
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Posted: 2009-09-16 15:25
