Articles by Dieter Bohn
In case you missed it, each site in the Smartphone Experts Network posted our Smartphone Experts Roundtable podcast, where we discussed the biggest smartphones announced and released this month: BlackBerry Tour Review, Nokia N97 Review, iPhone 3GS, Palm Pre Review, and the HTC Hero Announcment.
Here’s the rest of the big Smartphone news of the week!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Join Dieter, Matthew, Rene, and Kevin as they discuss all of the insanely great new smartphones that have been announced and released in the past month. On the docket:
- Palm Pre Review
- iPhone 3GS Review
- Nokia N97 Review
- BlackBerry Tour Review
- HTC Hero
- and a bit more about Windows Mobile to boot. It’s all here!
(Update: links and player fixed.)
- Download it directly with this link
- Subscribe via iTunes
- Subscribe directly to the Podcast feed with your favorite Podcatcher here
- Listen to it here with the player above
Show notes after the break.
Want just the big news in the world of smartphones? Look no further!
We’re pretty sure you were turning your eyes to TiPb today for the haps on the iPhone 3G S launch, but you weren’t alone in seeking out the sage wisdom found here. Our very own Rene Ritchie had a brief spot on NPR’s Marketplace, a daily half-hour radio show devoted to all things financial. Rene’s take:
iPhoneblog editor Rene Ritchie says people might scale back on downloading music, kill their landline, even cut back on their cable. But they will not do without their smartphones.Rene Ritchie: I think they’re becoming increasingly a necessity. Now your instant messages, everything can be popping up at you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Ritchie says now that smart phones have made it possible, we’re all expected to be on call around the clock. Employers want to be able to reach their employees at will. Clients expect immediate attention. Friends feel snubbed if you don’t text them back, right now.
You darn tootin, Mr. Ritchie. Jump to 8:15 in the show to hear the story, or hit up 9:30 to hear the dulcet tones of your favorite iPhone blogger.
We’re going to kick off the Palm Pre vs. iPhone 3G S excitement with a simple browser smackdown. The short version: the iPhone 3G S is faster in our video above, but the Pre is close and actually is edging out the iPhone after the just-applied 1.03 webOS update. The part you actually should pay attention to is "time to content," i.e. how long it takes to load up the stuff you actually want to read as opposed to the javascripty-bits. Bottom line: speed-wise there’s a hair’s-breadth between the two browsers, it’s so close that you really ought not be making your purchase decision based on it — or bragging about it either way.
Feature-wise, we give the edge to the iPhone 3G S — they are on version 3.0 while the Pre is just getting started at 1.02 / 1.03. The ability to pop up a link in a new browser window is quite nice — not to mention Autofill. I myself prefer the Pre’s Card metaphor to the in-app tabs of Safari, but that ’s a matter of taste.
Stay tuned for more as we pit these devices against each other!
[cross-posted at PreCentral.net]
Update: As noted in the comments and in a raft of emails, you can open links in a new card on the Pre with Opt + Space + Tap. It works, but Palm, really, Opt + Tap isn’t really doing anything here. Just saying. Thanks everybody!
Upgrading to an iPhone 3G S in Canada? We feel for you, and we fear we’re going to continue to feel for you for a healthy portion of the day. Last year there were activation backlogs and hang-ups all over, but it was especially egregious in Canada, where people were waiting for half the day for Rogers’ system to get up and happy and talking with Apple’s system.
Our esteemed editor Rene Ritchie just called in from his Apple Store to say that their system isn’t showing the 3G S on the Rogers system and it’s unclear how exactly it’s going to be resolved. Last year we heard 6-hour-wait horror stories. This year we’re crossing our fingers that resolution will come more quickly.
On the bright side, we haven’t heard a whiff of a problem anywhere else. From Switzerland to Cincinnati people who didn’t pre-order are finding lines short enough to guarantee everybody will get their phone and activations almost as quick as the iPhone 3G S itself.
Update: Rene is currently channeling the fury of his fellow Rogers-snafu-victims on his twitter feed.
Want just the big news in the world of smartphones? Look no further!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Each week we bring you the biggest stories from around the Smartphone Experts network. We’re changing up our format this week: shorter, bite-sized, yet still delicious.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wondering what you may have missed this week in the smartphone world? The Best of SPE is here to ease your mind and get you caught up.
