My touchscreen smartphone evolution: Where I started and what I have now.

            From the first time I held a touchscreen smartphone in my hand, I was hooked. I was transitioning from a thin flip phone to a semi-bulky touchscreen phone with a slide out qwerty keyboard. It may sound like a huge transition, but with everything the phone offered, I soon forgot about the thin flip phone and could hardly put the semi-bulky touchscreen phone down.

            My first touchscreen smartphone was the HTC 8125 Pocket PC (HTC WIZARD / Cingular (Now AT&T) Version).

HTC 8125/Wizard (Formerly Cingular, Now AT&T)

 
It sported a 2.8” screen with a resolution of 240x320 pixels at 143 ppi, 16-bit screen colors, a touchscreen display, slide out qwerty keyboard, a removable 1250 mAh battery, a 1.3 megapixel camera with a fixed lens, led flash, and a self-portrait mirror on the back near the camera lens. The HTC 8125 also had built in wi-fi, a TI OMAP 850 195 MHz Arm 926EJ-S processor, 64 MB of DRAM and 128 MB of flash memory with the ability to add up to 4 GB more memory via it’s minSD card slot. The 8125 had Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system running the show and connected to the cellular network via quad ban GSM/GPRS/EDGE Class 10 technology. Other specs of this device also included bluetooth 2.0, mini usb (slave only, no host), a 2.5mm stereo headphone jack and infrared data transfer capability. This was also the first smartphone that I had that came with a stylus. At the time this was a very feature packed device and it came in handy while I was in college. Being that it had the ability to view and edit basic functions of Microsoft programs like, Excel, Word, Powerpoint and Outlook, it was a more portable option than a laptop when it came to creating and editing my homework on the fly using those programs. And the stylus, when it worked, was a plus when selecting or highlighting certain things on the screen. Another plus to this device was that there were many developers out that made free software that you could add to this device. Software included anything from games, to productivity software, to customizable software that you could use to clone other phones operating system layouts. Some of the software created compatibility issues and caused the phone to crash a lot, but all in all, it was a great smartphone. The limited size of the hard drive, glitches in software, and poor battery life left me wanting more in a smartphone.

            Left wanting more hard drive space, a larger touchscreen, and a smoother overall smartphone experience, including the operating system, I was led to the Original Apple IPhone (seen below).

 Apple IPhone 1st Generation (AT&T)

 It had a 3.5” screen with a resolution of 320x480 pixels at 163 ppi, 18-bit screen colors, a multi-touch touchscreen display, 3-axis accelerometer, proximity sensor, a Samsung 32-bit RISC ARM 412 MHz – 620 MHz processor, 128 MB eDRAM, and storage capabilities of 4, 8, or 16gb flash memory. Features also included a 2.0 megapixel rear camera, two speakers, IPhone operating system 3.1.3, quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE for cellular data connectivity, wi-fi, bluetooth 2.0, a USB 2.0/Dock connector, and a built in lithium-ion 1400 mAh battery. My particular device had the 8 GB hard drive. It was capable of storing apps, songs, and other media. It was a great phone for entertainment and media viewing. Where it lacked was in the ability to freely add media and customize the phone. In order to add media you had to purchase it from or upload your own media via ITunes (Apple’s proprietary media managing software). You also could not add third party software or share media purchased from ITunes. Basically to get full functionality of the phone you would have to jail break (unlock) it and install a third party app store that would allow you to customize the phone in some ways but it would void the Apple warranty. The Edge cellular network was also not the best for uploading and downloading media to and from this device. And the non-ability to add extra media storage was also a downside to this device. Somehow all of these minor short comings could be overlooked, because of the IPhones operating system ease of use and overall user friendliness. It was such a well put together phone that I held on to my Original IPhone for quite some time. Bypassing the next two models of the IPhone, the IPhone 3G and IPhone 3GS, I eventually bought the IPhone 4. 

IPhone 4th Generation (AT&T)

 
The IPhone 4 was a much needed upgrade from the Original IPhone, but it still lacked customization options and made me feel as if I was carrying the Original IPhone at times. I needed a change of pace.

            

          My change of pace came in the form of a smartphone that combined features from all of my previous smartphones and added much more. My next smartphone was the Samsung Galaxy Note (seen below).

Samsung Galaxy Note (AT&T)      

 
A feature packed smartphone with a large 5.3” HD Super Amoled WXGA screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800, a stylus (S PEN), 4G LTE, a 1.4GHZ Dual Core Processor, 1080p Full HD video recording, an 8 megapixel camera with LED Flash in the rear, a 2 megapixel camera in the front, bluetooth, v 3.0, usb 2.0, wi-fi, 16GB internal memory, and the ability to add more memory via a microSD card (up to 32gb). It also came with a 2,500 mAh removable battery and the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. The Android OS and the stylus (S Pen) were the highlights of this smartphone. Even though the Android Jelly Bean 4.1 OS had some glitches and the Google play app store offered less add on applications than the Apple app store did, it gave me the opportunity to customize and add third party add on applications that made this smartphone stand out. The size of the Notes touchscreen was unlike any smartphone out up to that point. Viewing media on a smartphone screen that large made it hard to go back to a smaller smartphone regardless of the specifications they had to offer. I later upgraded to the Samsung Galaxy Note II (seen below).

Samsung Galaxy Note II (AT&T)

After owning the Samsung Galaxy Note and Note II, i have become accustomed to having a large touchscreen smarthphone with a stylus (S PEN). After having the Note 2 for over a year, i knew that when the Note 3 came out I would eventually upgrade. The upgrade became available and I now own a Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (AT&T)

            It may seem like a minimal upgrade to some from the Galaxy Note 2, but with 3 GB of ram, a 2.3 GHz Quad core processor, a 5.7” FULL HD Super Amoled Screen, an intuitive stylus (S PEN), a 2 megapixel camera in the front, a 13 megapixel camera in the rear, 32gb internal memory, USB 3.0, Android 4.4.2 Kit Kat, IR LED remote control, MHL 2.0, bluetooth 4.0, the ability to add more memory via the microSD card slot, a removable 3100 mAh battery, and NFC. Paired with a bluetooth keyboard, mouse, mhl adapter, or micro usb to usb adapter, this device has very few limitations and is by far the best smartphone I have owned to date. I am finding it hard to find uses for my laptop when my smartphone is more portable and in some cases, just as powerful. The Note 3 is not a laptop replacement, but it can hold it’s own with some of the laptops and tablets that are out currently. If you like big touchscreen smartphones, I suggest you put the Galaxy Note 3 on your short list of devices to review before making a purchase. The large screen, S Pen functionality, and updated android Kit Kat 4.4.2 OS, make this one of the best touchscreen smartphones on the market. I’ve had it for a month now and it has been great.

Have you owned any of the touchscreen smartphones that I mentioned? If so, which did you like the most? Please feel free to leave a comment letting me know your thoughts, thanks.

Posted by Brandon from Brainy Toads            

The LG G Flex. The best smartphone I have ever owned.

Considering the LG G Flex?  It’s the best smartphone I have ever owned.

Often, I’m asked “what kind of phone is that”?  My reply usually involves pointing out the fact that it’s more than just a phone.  It’s my lifeline!  With a quad core processor, 2 gigabytes of RAM, and a 6 inch screen, it’s more powerful than some laptops.  Add a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, as I have, and there’s nothing that cannot be accomplished. 

I have read articles and reviews that question its worth, and whether the curved screen is a gimmick.  At the time of purchase I was upgrading from a Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and noticed the G Flex was lower in price than the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.  The screen resolution is less than that of the Note 3, and it also has less RAM.  In my opinion, this device is not as nice as the Note 3, but the lower price played a part in my decision.  To be honest, I debated a very long time, between the Note 3 and the G Flex.  I made my decision because of 4 things:  larger battery, less bloatware (pre-installed apps you do not use, but are unable to uninstall), a larger screen, and that the screen was curved.  I enjoy these features daily.  So, in my opinion, this device is worth the money.   

Combine the larger battery with the less labor- intensive screen, and you get a device that can last all day, and then some.  The 6-inch display leads me to rarely pick up my 10-inch tablet.  I used to consider purchasing a 7 or 8 inch tablet, but that's no longer a thought.  The 32 gigabytes of storage are all that is needed due to less than normal bloatware.  I love the curve of the display.  Often, it works to my advantage with handling glare.  On lower brightness levels, the screen does have a ghosting issue.  However, with the long battery life, I can increase the screen brightness to 100%, and still make it through an entire day's usage on one charge.  I can view content as it’s meant to be.  Movies streamed from Netflix, Hulu and my Network Storage look awesome!  The device also curves around my face and fits well in the back pocket.  I have never been a believer in placing my smartphone in my back pocket, but it simply fits with this device.  Initially unsure of button placement, I actually enjoy the volume and power buttons being on the back.  With previous smartphones, often I would involuntarily press volume and power buttons while simply holding it in my hand.

What truly makes this smartphone the best I have ever had?  With my previous smartphones, in order to keep up to date with the latest version of android, I have had to install a custom version of Android (a custom ROM).  This also meant I was able to remove unwanted apps.  These were apps which bloated my system.  The G Flex has many of the features I enjoyed while using a custom ROM on previous devices.  The G Flex has been upgraded to KitKat 4.4.2.  I have even allowed the (bloated) AT&T apps to remain on the device.  Usually I would have rooted and removed these apps as they are simply taking up storage space.  As a matter of fact, I haven’t made any changes, other than ringtones, notifications, and wallpaper for both my lock screen and home screen.  Android is a Linux based operating system.  Linux operating systems are about freedom of choice.  The ability to choose what apps I install, and what widgets, icons and fonts I use, is the main reason I use Android.  LG does a good job of allowing me to choose how I setup my device.  It is not as quick as stock Android, but it is quicker than Samsung TouchWiz and HTCSense. 

Is the LG G Flex the best smartphone I have ever owned?  Yes.  Is the LG G Flex worth the money?  As the price continues to fall, meaning a newer version is likely to be released, I would say yes.  Should a person wait until the new version comes out?  Yes.  The current version is awesome and very capable of being used as your main phone (for those that own more than one device).  Normally, the newer version of the device will have more bells and whistles, and be an improvement on the previous version.  If the only thing new is a heart rate monitor, or a fingerprint unlock feature, then get this version.  By then the price should be right where you want it.

Currently have an LG G Flex, or used one recently?  Leave your thoughts below on your experience.

Posted by Todd from Brainy Toads