Week 4 of the 2009 Smartphone Round Robin brings me face-to-big-glass-face with our most ancient nemesis — Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Phone, this year spawning the killer keyboard of the HTC Touch Pro 2, and the monstrous hardware of the HTC HD2. Yes, that’s 2 times HTC version 2 devices and to help me out, I’ve got the dark lord of WMExperts himself, the one and only WMExperts Phil Nickinson to show me the ropes — and quite honestly to help me lift that ginormous HD2 onto the table!

Remember, every day you post on my WMExperts Forums thread, you’re entered for a chance to win the Windows Phone of your choice. (And there’s a total of 6 smartphones up for grabs — one per SPE site — so check them all out!)

This week also brings the yin to my yang, the productivity to my play, my best frenemy forever, CrackBerry Kevin back to TiPb and the iPhone he claims never to use. Head on over to the TiPb forums and help him out, would you? (i.e. show him some neat new games). And get a chance to win an iPhone 3GS for your troubles.

Video hands-on with the Touch Pro 2 and HD2 after the break!

[YouTube Video link]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Microsoft Windows Phone HTC Touch Pro 2, HD2 Hands-on Video — Smartphone Round Robin

Facebook 3.1 brought the much-in-demand push notification service to the iPhone’s most popular social networking app, but no good deed goes unpunished, and along with broken push, it also brought a host of problems. Now, not everyone is having the same problem, but a lot of you have told us about one or more of the following:

• No push notifications: Seriously. Facebook updates their application ito included push notifications and it doesn’t work most of the time.
• No alert sound to push notifications: Is sound turned on? Yes. So where is it?
• Commenting on photos: If you go to post a comment on a picture one of your friend’s posts you are greeted with a nice little “error” on a blank screen.
• Force closes: Now perhaps this is just a issue I am having but it seems as if the application loves to close on it’s own since the last update. Usually this is a sign of poor memory management.

We realize Joe Hewitt leaving left you in the lurch, but come on Facebook, you have Microsoft money and one of the most consistently popular apps in the app store! A 1.0 app from a startup we understand, but 3.1 from the social networking giant? It’s never a wise idea to use the general public as your beta testers. If the application is not ready for prime time, don’t release a sub-par application. Wait. You’ll have more time and we’ll get a better app. Now that you’ve released it, however, we’re all stuck, and you need to get it fixed and yesterday.

Did we miss any other major issues going on within this application? Feel free to vent in the comments below!

Now please excuse me while I go dust off Boxcar and put it back into action…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Dear Facebook — Please Fix Facebook 3.1.1 for iPhone and Soon

TUAW recently remarked that the App Store approval process seemed to be working much faster lately. TiPb has been in contact with numerous application developers and the general overall feel we are getting is the same — Apple is finally coming around when it comes to the app approval process. Much has been said about Apple and their App Store over the past few years but things have seemingly changed for the better.

TiPb sometimes gets access to beta applications for feedback or review anywhere from a month to a week in advance. Generally we’ve seen the same 2 week delay Apple advises before the apps show up in the App Store (though sometimes it’s been up to 4 weeks or more in the past). Lately we have received an app only to find it released only a day later, sometimes hours later depending on the app itself.

What has brought about this speed boost we have no idea but we welcome it regardless and hope it continues.

[Thanks to Chris for the link!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Apple’s App Approval Process Getting Speedy

Not content to allow France to hog all the 4th generation iPhone rumor attention, Korea Times claims carrier KT reveals (we read that as wishes rather than knows) the following specs:

They said the coming 4G iPhones will be equipped with organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens on surface and live video chat functionalities, while removable battery is highly likely.

The new 4G iPhone is also going to be loaded with dual core processors and higher and powerful graphic chips that can deliver higher video resolutions and better “still” images when taking pictures.

Let’s make this clear again up front (lest we be smited), no one outside of a tiny group at Apple and maybe Foxconn brass know exactly what the 4th gen iPhone is going to be, and even then it’s subject to change (like the iPod touch G3 losing it’s camera at the eleventh hour). So, while OLED and a better camera make sense given the competitive environment, multi-core chips are already on the roadmap, and a chat cam is always rumored for each new device, it’s hard to imagine Apple would make a removable batter now given how much effort they’ve put into making long-life, built in batteries for iPods, iPhones, and now MacBooks as well. Carrying extra batteries isn’t a maintream reality.

Still, let us know what you think. We likely know as much as anyone outside the illuminati at this point!

[Thanks to the Reptile for the tip!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Korea Gets in on the 4th Gen iPhone Rumors! OLED, iChat Video, Duel-core, More!

Scarcely 2 months after Motorola and Verizon launched the Android-powered DROID, Google is back with another high-end smartphone, the Nexus One, this time sold unlocked by Google directly, but also in partnership with T-Mobile, and with Verizon, Vodafone, and others coming online soon. Once again, the tech-blog hype has been off the charts, and once again the iPhone 3GS is being used as the great comparison. Fine then, let’s compare!

If you’re interested in either Apple’s iPhone 3GS or Google’s Nexus One, here are some points to consider…

First, go read our iPhone 3GS vs. Droid: Which One Should You Buy article. 90% of it applies identically to iPhone 3GS vs. Nexus One.

Finished? Okay, on with the differences.

Location: US or International?

The iPhone 3GS is pretty much a singular experience internationally. Outside of China where Wi-Fi is crippled in current models, and places like India where the 3GS has inexplicably still not be deployed, the iPhone you buy in the US is the same one you get throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and so on. Same hardware, same software (though it will come configured for your local language and keyboard type), and even the App Store is now in 77 countries (though not all apps are available in all countries — some for language or licensing/carrier-specific regions, others simply because some developers have yet to embrace global market thinking). There are large differences in what can be found in Apple's iTunes media store, especially when it comes to video like Movies and TV.

Android in general, including the Nexus One is more of a mixed bag. It's available first and foremost in the US, though that will no doubt expand over time. Even then, however, some of the most compelling Google services for Android 2.0 will still be unavailable outside the US — Google Voice and Google Maps Navigation, and might remain so for a while. Android Market, likewise, doesn't support paid apps very well outside the US, making it far more difficult for developers to provide them and users to acquire them. Likewise, the US version of Android includes Amazon MP3, a service Amazon has extended to the UK but has utterly failed to push any further. Otherwise, you're left to your own media devices. Tipping the scales back the other way, while Google still doesn't provide multitouch for Google applications on the Nexus One in the US, it's believed international versions will have multitouch baked in, just like what happened with the Motorola Droid/Milestone last month.

All this means that if you’re in the US, decide how important multitouch in the built-in apps is to you. If you’re outside the US, well, Google wouldn’t support Google Voice or Google Maps Navigation for you on any device (and neither would Apple), so it’s no joy for all.

Carrier: Unlocked or Subsidized

Over 70 countries now have the iPhone 3GS available, often heavily subsidized on multiple carriers, in some cases also offered unlocked (sometimes even directly from Apple). In sharp contrast, in the US the iPhone 3GS is only available subsidized but locked to AT&T. If you're in the US and you like and get great service from AT&T, enjoy your iPhone. If, however, AT&T is less than stellar, you'd have to love the iPhone a lot in order to use it. If AT&T is non-existent where you work and live, it's game over.

AT&T is a GSM/HSPA 3G network, which is the dominant technology internationally, which means you can take your iPhone traveling with roaming costs the only hindrance. Also, HSPA allows for the simultaneous use of cell data and telephone services — you can surf the web or check email while on the phone.

Nexus One is available online and unlocked from Google, though currently when you go there from outside the US it shows up as unavailable. We’ve heard that will change in the (near?) future. However, the current model supports only T-Mobile’s HSPA 3G frequency bands, which means if you want to use it on AT&T and many other carriers, you’ll be using it on 2G. If T-Mobile 3G is good for you, however, you can get it subsidized even cheaper than an iPhone. And if you’re prepared to wait a short while, you can get a Verizon version as well, though it will be locked to Verzion’s network and you won’t be able to travel outside the US with it. (One of the drawbacks of CDMA-only phones).

So once again, decide which carrier works best for you in the places you live an go, and if it’s AT&T decide if you can live without 3G on the Nexus One (at least until Google releases an AT&T friendly version of the phone). If you’re outside the US, check and see if it will get 3G on your carrier, and if that’s Vodafone and you don’t mind contracts, wait and see what kind of subsidy you’ll get.

Hardware: Slab vs. Mega Slab

Nexus One boats the same form factor as the iPhone 3GS — the full screen, touch-screen slab. But it’s bigger and brighter (blindingly so in direct sunlight), spoiled or enhanced by more hardware keys, and harkens back to the aluminum trim of the original iPhone 2G.

In terms of specs, the Nexus One has a large, 480×800 AMOLED (active matrix organic light emitting diode) screen that’s about on par with the Droid (some like it a tiny bit better, others only a tad less). Being AMOLED it looks much brighter than the iPhone 3GS’ LED screen, but the OLED screens can also wash out in direct sunlight. Still, the extra pixels make a difference in web browsing and general sharpness.

The Nexus One doesn’t have the 16GB or 32GB of internal storage that come with the iPhone, but it can use MicroSD cards that store just as much. It also has double the RAM of the iPhone 3GS, 512MB vs. 256MB. Finally, at its heart beats the massive 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, which should theoretically best the iPhone 3GS’ 600 MHz Cortex A8. I say theoretically because the iPhone OS still seems to flow more smoothly, more often, then the better spec’ed Nexus One. This could just be Apple’s attention to detail, which we’ll return to later, but one paper Nexus One should be doing better and isn’t quite yet.

Also, like the Droid, and as mentioned, the Nexus One in the US won’t support multitouch for native apps like Google Maps or for the built in keyboard. This makes a noticeable difference in how visceral and tactile the touch interaction feels, and how fluidly the typing experience comes across. (Dieter thinks there might be some other issue with the Nexus One keyboard, but multitouch is the easy culprit to name). Either way, the raw typing is still much better on the iPhone.

Once again, still like the Droid, even though you can use up to a 32GB microUSB card, unless you "root" (hack) the DROID, you can't store apps on that card. Due to piracy concerns, Android 2.1 still only allows you to install apps on 256MB of internal memory (some developers work around this by installing a small host app, then downloading extra data to the card). Depending on your usage pattern, that may not affect you, of course, and Google says they’ll fix this with encryption in an update. But for gamers who want lengthy adventures with tons of textures, or offline navigation with all the localized maps, it could be an annoyance. The iPhone, by contrast, lets you use almost all available space for apps — up to just shy of 32GB on the high-end model.

Fortunately, the 5 megapixel camera on the Nexus One seems better than the problem plagued Droid, and physically much better than the iPhone 3GS 3 megapixel camera. It doesn’t have HTC’s Sense UI camera app, however, and either way the software implementation of the iPhone 3GS camera for stills and video — tap to focus/white balance, embedded trim, sharing, etc. makes it more of an even fight than it ought to be.

Clearly the Nexus One, some six months newer than the iPhone 3GS, brings better hardware to the table. That the iPhone 3GS’s build quality and what Apple manages to do with that hardware (the iPhone OS) to remain competitive is truly impressive and something people who want to consider the staying power of their purchase should consider. Those who want top-of-the-line today, well the Nexus One is all about that.

Software: iPhone 3.1 vs. Android 2.1

The iPhone hasn’t received a software update since our iPhone 3GS vs. Droid comparison, so iPhone 3GS is still iPhone 3.1.2 and Android 2.1 is only slightly different than Android 2.0.

2.1 adds awesome voice activation features to the mix. There’s a microphone button on the virtual keyboard that let’s you talk to search, to begin navigation, even to launch apps. You can get a lot of that piecemeal on the iPhone via apps (including Google’s own Google Mobile App for iPhone) but it can’t match the integration and power of the Nexus One.

The other additions include animated wallpaper backgrounds (imagine Koi Pond as a home screen background). It’s cool and nice-to-have, but not must-have until we see the impact on performance and battery. If it turns out there isn’t one — hey, cool and why not?

Lastly, there’s a nice new animated photo gallery with accelerometer affects. It’s not as intuitive to use as the iPhone’s, but it makes an even better crowd-wowing demo and that’s what made the iPhone’s so famous to begin with. (Though it also lacks multitouch gestures).

Android 2.1, however, doesn’t fix the lack of consistency and polish that’s plagued Android in general to date (check out the Boy Genius‘ epic rant on that) any more than iPhone 3.1.2 addresses some of the gaping holes (notification management to name another) that remain a thorn in power iPhone users’ sides.

For more on this, also check out my 2009 Smartphone Round Robin review on the Android Platform and thoughts on why Google is tending more towards power than passion.

Apps: iPhone App Store vs. Android Market

Nothing has changed here except both the App Store and the Market have more apps each. Go figure.

Device: Staying Power vs. Latest and Greatest

As mentioned above, that an iPhone 3GS is still competitive — and more than competitive in many areas like media, user experience, apps, etc. — with devices released this week like the Nexus One is a testament to just how well Apple can make and support an iPhone. Even people still on the original iPhone 2G are enjoying a large part of the iPhone 3.1.2 OS release just a few months ago. That’s Apple’s forte — integrated devices with killer usability and software updates that reset the standards of expectation.

The Nexus One, however, has all the best and brightest of the new technologies, like 1 GHz processors and AMOLED screens, augmented reality and awesome voice support in the built-in apps. Some people really do consider phones to be fashion, or always want to have the very newest thing on the market, and given Android’s model — which produced the Droid two months ago and the Nexus One today — Google is going to be very appealing to them.

If you buy a phone every year or two, and want to build up your apps and accessories, the iPhone will likely keep you happy longer and more effortlessly. If you get bored easily and want something fresh faster, with more diversity, Android in general and the Nexus One right now are where it’s at.

Conclusion: Which One Should You Buy?

One paper, on hardware, and in Google services the Nexus One kills. In reality, Apple delivers a better user experience to more users around the world with a richer app and media ecosystem.

If you have T-Mobile in the US or can use those 3G bands, or don’t mind waiting a short time for Verizon and maybe a more universal 3G GSM version, have given your soul to Gmail and Google’s other services, demand the latest and greatest hardware on the planet, or just want a device that theoretically has more potential even if all of it may not be quite yet realized, if you want a platform where great new devices come out every other month — the Nexus One may be for you. Until 2 months from now.

If you’re on AT&T or most other GSM providers, don’t feel like waiting for Apple and Verzion to figure out their differences, or live outside the US where Google’s services are spotty-to-non-existant, if iTunes is where your media lives, if usability is more important to you than raw power, if Apple’s control over the platform is a price you’ll play for a more consistent platform, if you want a phone that’s just as great 6 months in as it was at launch — the iPhone 3GS might be it.

Normally here I’d tell you to try both, but there’s a problem this time — Google is only selling the Nexus One online right now. You can’t walk into a T-Mobile store to try it, and there are no Google stores. If you don’t mind ordering one and returning it quickly if you don’t like it, by all means try both.

Most importantly, remember there’ll be a new high end Android in a couple months if not sooner, and almost certainly a 4th generation iPhone in June/July. So if you can wait — wait. We’re in the age now where you get the best phone you can at the latest possible point you can, the enjoy it for as long as you can. In that regard, both these phones will do you fine, and which does you finer just depends on your individual needs.

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone vs. Nexus One: Which One Should You Buy?

The past few days our inbox has been flooded with emails from you, our readers, letting us know that you’ve experienced significant increases in AT&T 3G data speeds. And this makes perfect sense if you consider that all of the reported claims have come from the 6 cities that AT&T recently flipped the HSPA 7.2 switch on.

Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami, with capabilities being turned up on a site-by-site basis beginning last month. Further backhaul deployment will continue in these markets and begin in additional markets across the nation.

Located in Chicago I’ve personally witnessed a slight increase in data speed but I am still nowhere close to the 7.2 that AT&T has promised. Drop us a line in the comments and let us know — what speeds are you pulling from AT&T now?

[Thank to everyone who sent in their speeds!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Some AT&T iPhone Users Seeing Increased 3G Data Speeds?

From the Forums is a great way to see what all of the current hot topics are on the TiPb forums. Today we would like to go over some of the popular sub-forums for those of you who may not be familiar with our forum setup. Becoming a member is fast and free, so if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now.

• Having some issues using blackra1n to Jailbreak your iPhone? this troubleshooting thread is for you.
• It seems like many of you are into a little game, Storm 8 Pets Live – so share your codes with other forum members!.
• This thread is great for those of you who may be new to the iPhone – 33 Tips to Make the Most of Your iPhone. Don’t need help but have a tip you’d like to share? Feel free to add it to the list!
• Say what you will about AT&T but I personally get great service with virtually zero issues. Others are not so lucky but feel free to chime in on the following thread – As long as it’s not on AT&T.

See you on the forums!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

From the Forums: blackra1n Troubleshooting, Storm 8 Pets Live, 33 iPhone Tips, AT&T Quality

Every week a few of us from team TiPb, bloggers and forum crew alike, will bring you our current favorite, funnest, most useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone (or iPod touch) related, they’re fair game.

So who’s on deck this week and what are our picks? Find out after the break!

Chris’ Pick: Hanged

My pick of the week is the game “Hanged”. I first saw this app as a “must buy” mentioned in Entertainment Weekly magazine. It is a hangman game that uses nice graphics, cut scene animation, and a continuing storyline. The words you try to guess are from am ongoing letter from one lover to another. It is nicely done, and at $1.99 it is cheap enough to give it a try! [$1.99 - iTunes link]

Derrick’s Pick: UPS Mobile

UPS Mobile helps you keep up to date on all your packages being shipped, I recently ordered some iPhone cases and other items online and this app really helped me keep up to date with my packages. [Free - iTunes link]

Georgia’s Pick: Trip Journal

I have always been enamoured with this application; It has a beautiful interface and many different ways in which to use it. It’s so fun an easy, even though I hate to write down trip information, I end up entering even quick day trips with my children. It can also keep track of my children’s growth and places we went and use it to keep in touch with family members overseas. [$2.99 - iTunes link]

Matt’s Pick: Hippo Remote

Hippo Remote is in all basic sense – a Wifi remote for your computer (Mac or Windows) Getting Hippo remote to work with my Mac was the easiest thing to get it to work than any other remote Wifi remote I have used, as for the PC, Hippo Remote has a free VNC software that you can install to make the process easy. The neat thing about Hippo Remote, is that it contains “profiles” for multiple programs & OS’s in addition to having a simple touch-pad-mouse. I ended up using Hippo remote for the Media PC I gave to my parents & they use their iPhones to simply control it. I highly recommend it. [$4.99 - iTunes link]

Rene’s Pick: Audible.com

Getting from Montreal to Vegas and back this week for CES involved four flights and countless hours of waiting before, in between, and after. While I often listen to tech-focused podcasts on my iPhone, given the tsunami of tech I faced at CES, I decided I needed a diversion, a palate cleanser… a break! So, I used up a few lingering Audible.com credits, got myself some audio books, plugged in my headset, and tuned out (and only once nodded off!) From biographies to biotech, science fact to far-flung fantasy fiction, Audible has an every growing range of books to suit a wide range of tastes. If you’re commuting across town, flying across country, or just trying to get through the daily grind, give Audible a try. Getting a monthly account gives huge savings on the individual titles. [Variable - Web site link]

Your Pick?

You’re part of team TiPb too, so what’s your pick? What app was your absolute fav last week? Let us — and everyone — know in the comments!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Hanged, UPS Mobile, Trip Journal, Hippo Remote, Audible.com — TiPb Picks of the Week