If you don't already own one, why would you bother with a 3G smartphone? Is there any more to the iPhone phenomenon than a cool touch screen?
Here are the reasons I find my phone (an HTC Hero running the Android operating system) an invaluable life tool, and some thoughts on what represents good value if you're looking to take the leap, or to upgrade your current phone.
Benefits
1. Anywhere access to email and calendar.
I use GMail for my personal email, and (as part of Google Apps Business Edition) for my business email as well. Android gives me those great Gmail features (threaded conversations, labels, integrated contacts) on my phone. Equally I can connect to other email services via good old POP3/IMAP and SMTP (the standard email protocols). I also use Google Calendar, so again I have the ability to update on my laptop or phone, and receive reminders on both. I can also share calendars with colleagues and family.
Not only do the strengths of Gmail and other cloud-based services really shine when you want anywhere access to data - in most cases they are also far more secure, reliable and available than the equivalent service hosted by your ISP or on your own mail servers. Gmail has class-leading anti-virus and anti-spam, as well as a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and you can it from your phone, browser or Outlook.
2. Location-based services
Awesome mapping with Google Maps. The built-in GPS can pinpoint my location to within 2 or 3 metres, and I get accurate turn-by-turn navigation in Harare. Very convenient when you know where you want to go but there aren't any road signs to tell you where you are! I also get weather reports for here, there and everywhere - my phone tells the weather service where I am.
3. Web Browsing
This falls into the occasional use category - the screen on a phone is never going to match the browsing experience of a laptop or desktop - but nevertheless is valuable when you're away from the home and office. From a business perspective the Web is the largest repository of information on the planet, so with my phone I can access anything from up to date pricing, through staying informed via newsletter subscriptions. On a personal level, those troubling questions like 'when is the next 6 Nations / Premier League / World Cup match?' can be resolved anywhere, anytime.
4. Applications
Your smartphone is essentially a computer with phone capabilities. That means that there are a range of applications available for most handsets. From business apps to manage your personal finances, through a staggering range of games, to apps which show you a map of the stars if you point the phone at the sky. Some of the more basic ones you are likely to use regularly are music and video players. I'm not convinced by the viewing experience of even the largest form factor phones, but I'm definitely bought into the music player. The arrival of my current phone saw my nephew inheriting my iPod. Simply no point in having a dedicated MP3 player.
3G Availability
Is the 3G service in Zimbabwe good enough to justify the investment in the phone, and pay for the data? With the (re)launch of Econet Broadband in October, the answer is 'yes'. The service isn't lightning-fast, or super-reliable, but it does work. You need the right hardware (a 3G-capable phone, and to have your line enabled), and then it's pay for usage. Econet have conveniently enabled customers to top up using standard recharge cards, so it's quick and easy.
In terms of coverage, Econet seems good - and improving. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to access 3G services in Troutbeck, Nyanga. Not only could I read emails while I was away from the office, I could get Google Maps to pinpoint my location with an aerial map. Very handy for working out where the 3rd green was in relation to me and my ball ;-)
Is Econet the only game in town? Yes and no.
Telecel are piloting their 3G service. That should indicate a launch date in the next few months. Like Econet, all their base stations have been upgraded to support 3G data services, but they don't have the same sort of base station population, so their coverage will be smaller.
There's no word of NetOne offering data services, which is unfortunate. Not only is competition healthy, but NetOne have very good coverage, with a much lower ratio of subscribers to base stations than Econet. That should mean that NetOne customers have less problems with network congestion.
3G Pricing
By international standards, our data services are expensive. Econet have however revised their prices downwards already since launch, and with competition from Africom, Powertel and shortly Telecel in the mobile broadband market, they will continue to face pricing pressure. The current state of play is...
Econet
5 MB - $1
50 MB - $10
100 MB - $20
200 MB - $40
Telecel
Not yet known
NetOne
Not applicable
4G Availability
4G is already being used in Internet connections in Zimbabwe. It's an area where the developing world is adopting later technology faster than much of the developed world due to the dire condition of much of the fixed telecoms network. I'm not yet convinced of the value of 4G on a mobile phone (as opposed to for point-to-point connectivity) in our environment though. The killer app for mobile 4G (whether WiMax or LTE) is streaming services (like video). We're in no danger of becoming a hub for high quality streaming video any time soon, and the cost and (lack of) speed of international bandwidth is still sufficiently draw-dropping to make video in Zimbabwe the exclusive preserve of a few very wealthy and exceptionally patient individuals.
So, whilst 4G phones are increasingly a reality in the US, and will become more so in the developed world during 2011, I'm not attaching any value to them for my own use cases just yet.
Phone Choices
If you're bought into the value of the services 3G can carry, and the availability of the service, what represents a good handset?
Frankly, there's a dizzying array of choices. With phones from Apple, Blackberry, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, HTC and others - running iOS, RIM, Symbian, Windows Mobile 7 and Android. In late 2009 I spent some time looking at various options in the UK, and I'm now revisiting the options available in the light of my experience, and the current crop of offerings.
Operating System
The last time I went through this loop, I started with the operating system. With a background in software development, I've long valued the reliability, scalability and security of Unix-like operating systems. Servers running Linux or commercial Unix variants just work. Often for years without a reboot.
That leads me directly to Google's Android operating system. Based on a Linux kernel, Android is a mobile operating system to match, and in many cases better, the breakthrough feature set of the operating system from Apple - the iPhone OS (now iOS). The operating system is modern, robust, and can be installed on handsets free of charge by any smartphone manufacturer.
The reason that Google doesn't charge for Android stems from their business model. The greater the population of internet-connected users that can access Googles' expanding range of services, the more successful the company can be. Apple's proprietary (i.e. iPhone-only) alternative gives Apple the opportunity to determine which applications and services iPhone users can access - which may not be Google - and Google sees the availability of a mobile platform they can offer services on as vital for their long term prosperity.
There are a staggering number of handsets and applications available taking advantage of the Android operating system. Having said that, if you don't share my open standards philosophy, or you're already an Apple iPad, iMac or MacBook owner, then the iPhone may represent a good buy. They're priced at the premium end of the market, but as well as a lengthy feature list, you do get an excellent user experience, and seamless integration with other members of the Apple family. iPhone 4 is the current generation, and has sold in number since it's launch.
My previous smartphone was from Blackberry. It worked extremely well, and did a fine job of keeping me in touch with the office. Blackberry shares some of the weaknesses of Apple (proprietary operating systems), has some key strengths (good business applications / connectivity, and a large business user base), and also has some weaknesses of it's own (not quite the user experience of iPhone or Android). The Blackberry Torch is their flagship phone, and looks good if you're a Blackberry fan / organisation.
If you're wondering where the Finnish giants, Nokia, fit in the smartphone world, the answer is they're desperately trying to make up lost ground. They were slow out of the blocks during the first phases of the smartphone revolution, and failed to translate their dominance of the GSM world into 3G. Their proprietary operating system - Symbian - has been steadily improving, and they now have their own App Store (Ovi), but they've a distance to go before they're a driving force in the smartphone market.
Edit: Nokia have now joined forces with Microsoft, and will be offering Windows 7 mobile (in preference to Android) on their future generations of smartphones. Their intention (signalled by their ex-Microsoft CEO) is to make smartphones a 3 horse race (with Apple and Google). Windows 7 is a very good platform, but the stock market thought Nokia had jumped the wrong way, with the company share price losing 14% on the back of the announcement. Time will tell.
Android-Based Handsets
Once I had decided on an Android-based phone, the decision one year ago became remarkably straightforward. Whilst there were a range of manufacturers in the process of releasing first generation Android phones, there was a very clear leader - HTC. The Taiwan-based manufacturer produces Googles' own branded Android phones, and arguably betters them with it's own designs - most notably the phone that won many of the 2009 'phone of the year' accolades - the HTC Hero.
HTC have extended the Android operating system with a custom-developed user interface called Sense UI. It is extremely well thought-out, and further customisable by the user. Coupled with that, the hardware, feature list and build quality across the HTC / Android range is uniformly impressive. That's not to say they're perfect. Audiophiles may criticise the relatively simple music player on Android, but it works well enough for me. The camera on my current phone (the Hero) isn't as good as the equivalent 5MP phone on a Nokia, but I don't take a lot of pictures with my phone, so again it works well enough for my needs. The cameras on the latest crop have stepped up a notch though, and by all accounts perform well. So, the areas that have been criticised haven't been an issue for me, and increasingly they look a non-issue for most.
With that in mind, I really don't have a compelling reason to switch loyalties. After going through generations of Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones the only phone that tempts me would be the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. In terms of design, Sony are the Apple of the open standards world, and this phone has a suite of well-integrated applications, in a well thought out design. Samsung, LG and Motorola Android-based phones are all improving fast, with the Motorola Droid being a particularly good example. None of the other manufacturers could match HTC a year ago, and although the gap is closing, they're arguably still not quite there.
HTC have a huge range of phones ranging from capable, through very good, to awe-inspiring. In terms of a current recommendation I'd plump for any of 3 Android models (strictly 4, but one is a variant), based on your usage.
All of them offer the standard fare of:
- Android 2.1 or later
- HTC Sense User Interface
- 3G
- Touchscreen (supporting pinch and zoom operations, as well text input via either phone-like or full QWERTY virtual keypads)
- WiFi (for when you're within range of the home or office network)
- bluetooth (useful for connecting a wireless, handsfree earpiece)
- 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack (connects to your stereo)
- 5 MP or better camera
- storage expandable to 32 GB via a MicroSD card (that's about 300 albums of music
- internal GPS
The main differences are casing, screen size and type, and processing power.
HTC Phones to Consider
Consumer: If you want something solid and reliable, that does all of the good things that 3G allows at a reasonable price, I recommend the HTC Wildfire. It's not as large as the largest - with a 3.2 inch capacitative screen - which is good if you like a smaller phone. It has a 5 MP camera which will provide decent snapshots, and a very capable 528 MHz processor.
Pricing: +/- $490
Business: The successor to the award-winning Hero is the Legend. It features an upgraded operating system, processor and storage, and added an OLED display for beautiful, saturated colors. Externally it still resembles the Hero, but the case is now a single piece of Aluminium. A seriously good looking piece of kit that will turn heads in the boardroom and at the bar.
Pricing: +/- $715
Pro: The phone that wasn't around a year and a bit ago was the Desire. It's key differentiator is a massive display. At 3.7 inches, it was a trend-setting mobile TV! Not only does that mean a bigger viewing area, but also a bigger typing area. So if you're a heavy email or SMS user, this will give you the biggest 'virtual' keys to hit. On the downside, it's size does make it that much larger to use and to carry.
Pricing: +/- $960
The Desire now has an even bigger brother in the Desire HD with a 4.3 inch screen, and an upgraded 8 MP camera. Both versions feature a class-leading 1GHz processor.
Pricing: +/- $1045
Others in the Mix
Blackberry Torch: $930
iPhone (16 GB): $1480
iPhone (32 GB): $1600
Wrap Up
So, you'll have gathered that I have no reservations in recommending purchasing a smartphone. Whatever your background, if you live an information-rich, connected life, a smartphone and a data plan will be a worthwhile addition to it.
