Everyone has an idea of what their perfect android phone would be. While I would say that the Galaxy Nexus running Codename: Android would be as close to a perfect Android experience yet; I have found that I am wanting and missing various aspects that other Android phones have or need. I often contemplate what that phone would be like if I had a say and while I do not have Samsung, HTC, or Motorola on speed dial I’ve decided that I will share my opinion with you. So without further digression here it is, my perfect phone.
Design/Form Factor:
I do like the Galaxy Nexus phone factor. The curved class works well and the phone holds well. However I do have to say that I liked the way the Rezound felt in my hand. That phone felt solid and not overly heavy. I like the Nexus and it feels sleek but the plastic is definitely apparent. I would say that the design of the phone would be perfect if it had Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus sleekness and it were coupled with HTC’s smooth metal finish and solid structure.
Speed/Processing:
While it is general progression of technology and others will question my sanity for suggesting this, I am perfectly fine with dual-core technology or at least if we stopped at quad-core. We should be working on efficiency now that we have an OS and tech designed for speed. My Nexus hums along perfectly with no lag at all and that’s on an underclocked OMAP processor. So I would be perfectly happy with just a dual-core processor of even staying with the Tegra 3 quad-core for my quick game of Shadowgun.
Battery:
The most important feature in my opinion of the phone is the battery. Battery life on 4G is just abysmal. Seriously, even phones on 3G these days have crappy battery life on stock software. While yes, Motorola released the RAZR MAXX and Samsung is tweaking software, this is an issue that should have been fixed a long time ago. While the MAXX has shown us that a 4G phone can have a day of heavy use, but only if we have a giant 3300mAh battery. If anyone could make it work, it certainly would be Motorola.
Screen:
I have to say while I love the crisp clear Super AMOLED display of my Galaxy Nexus I find that my favorite screen to look at is the 720p display on the HTC Rezound. While some would argue that it’s pales in comparison to the Super AMOLED screens I enjoyed looking at that screen. Movies, emails, texts, games and so on, just looked crisp even with the lack of brightness I complained about in my review. It could have been the whole pile of pixels per inch that HTC packed into that phone but I find that display being the best. If we could get a super AMOLED with that kind of pixel density, things could not look sexier.
Radios:
4G is in and 3G is out, at least according to Verizon’s statement, and so be it with the speeds you can achieve from using it. When we get to the point voice over LTE being a staple I will have to reevaluate but until then I am putting my money on Motorola’s radios. Every phone I’ve used from Motorola has never dropped a signal in areas that either my HTC or Samsung phone has. Their speeds are beyond exceptional and even if my Galaxy Nexus is reading signals correctly, downloads are stupidly slow. So again, my money is on Motorola in this department for the time being.
Camera:
The HTC Rezound in my opinion has the best camera for an Android phone to date. Why Samsung put a 5MP camera on their current generation device I will never know but 5MP is extremely last year. It’s not bad, but unlike my HTC phones of old I wouldn’t consider just relying on my Nexus camera as my main memory capturing device on a vacation. Even with all the camera apps out there, you can only do so much with the hardware.
Audio:
I like the idea of Beats Audio. Now before you jump on my case as it being a gimmick hear me out. Given that we are using our phones for almost everything from productivity center to mobile media center the idea of having a decent sound output isn’t too far fetched. HTC’s move to add Beats to their phones has spurred others to do the same, like Samsung partnering with Jays, and I certainly like the idea.
I found that I used my iBeats headphones on the Rezound a lot more than I did with any other phone and if others had great sound with great headphones I would certainly believe people would get onboard. However, unlike Beats, I would throw in the ability to mix up equalizers, change how music sounds and make it work with other music programs like Pandora or Spotify. With Beats it’s just the Beats EQ that works in just the specialized music player.
Software:
Ice Cream Sandwich is a heck of a leap forward to that of even Gingerbread. It’s not short of its quirks but so far it’s the most polished Android OS to date. With it, there isn’t even a need for manufacturer skins like Sense or TouchWiz. There is enough flair that the OS feels shiny and new whether it’s your first day or your 1000th. However things I would like to see that Sense has would be the ability to automatically connect multiple profiles of the same profile rather than manually having to do so. Plus it would be nice to see more social networking integration.
The Sense Widgets are awesome. I love the flip clock, the people widget and the weather widget. While they aren’t actual widgets in a Sense (see what I did there) if HTC made these actual widgets and allowed them on stock ICS they would have a solid product. There are programs that render this moot, like Beautiful Widgets, HTC’s have a polish to them that is hard to duplicate. HTC, Motorola, and Samsung can make stock ICS their own by doing little things like widgets or applications, and not taking away the hard work Google engineers have done to polish up the OS the way they have.
Updates/Pure Google Experience:
While this is something that should be under software I feel that it warrants its own section. Google Nexus devices are known for their timely updates. Being the first to receive updates is a perk and the real reason why I bought the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon in the first place. Even as an unofficial developer device it will still receive more timely updates. Plus the ability to unlock the bootloader with ease should be a staple in every smart phone (hear that Motorola).
Google did make an attempt at getting OEMs onboard with more timely updates and most agreed but it appears it was all for show. Given the current time tables for current Gingerbread devices seeking ICS you’re almost better off finishing your contract and getting a phone built for Ice Cream Sandwich or Jelly Bean depending on your contract time frame. OEMs need to work on getting updates out more timely rather than abandon support for phones replaced by new versions a month after, but that’s a rant for another time.
Conclusion:
So to break it down, my perfect Android phone would consist of following:
- Form Factor: HTC’s solidity with Samsung’s sleekness.
- Speed: I am perfectly okay with dual-core.
- Battery: A 4G phone that can last a full day on stock software without the need to be plugged in and without a bulky battery.
- Screen: Super AMOLED with HTC’s pixel density.
- Radios: Motorola’s Radios but with Samsung’s up and coming battery life tweaks.
- Cameras: 8MP at least, 5MP is no longer the norm, seriously. 8MP Minimum.
- Audio: Decent audio for those that use their phones for everything.
- Software/Updates: An Android OS that makes productivity, organization, media and gaming work more efficiently for us. HTC widgets work and act like actual widgets would be nice too. Things that are tedious, like combining contacts, should be automated. Updates should be timely and UI skins should be a thing of the past thanks to ICS.
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