Question about
peter

What's your next phone going to be?

Now that Mobile World Congress is wrapping up I thought it would be a good time to ask. We've seen a ton of promising new phones announced, launched, or hinted at over the past few weeks, including the Motorola's Atrix 4G and Droid Bionic, Verizon's version of the iPhone 4, Samsung Infuse 4G, Vibrant 4G, Nexus S, and Galaxy S II, Sony Ericsson's XPERIA Arc, XPERIA Pro, and XPERIA Play, HTC Thunderbolt, 7 Pro, ChaCha, Salsa, Incredible S, Desire S, and Inspire 4G, LG's Revolution and Optimus 3D, Acer's Iconia Smart, HP's Pre 3 and Veer, Dell's Venue and Venue Pro. And scarily enough there are plenty more that could have been included on this list.

So what are adding to your gdgt list? Let everyone know what you're lusting after -- or if you're going to sit this round out and wait to see what else gets announced later this year.
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peter's pick
hollis

I'm really liking the Galaxy S II, but I'm going to have to wait until Apple announces the new iPhone. Since it is taking a while I'm assuming it will be a new re-design of the OS. I'm just really looking for a phone that offers more options though. I like the integration of Android but the skins that some of the manufacturers use leave a lot to be desired.
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ArmpitOfDeath

Ideally, a Windows Phone 7 with 32Gb or more and a 5-row keyboard first and foremost.

A Pro 7 with a 32Gb SDHC (if confirmed working by a sizeable number of people) might have to fit the bill - but down the line I'm also probably looking for something from Nokia, as the N900 had *blazingly* fast (i.e. microSDHC cards couldn't hold a candle to it) transfer speeds so they clearly know what to do with built-in flash. However a Nokia keyboarded WP7 will likely have a 4-row keyboard, which still bugs the hell out of me. So in all likelihood, I will probably be picking up the Pro 7 in a few months time barring any major change in the market / forthcoming stuff news.

iPhone - As I probably said before, I think current developments might be a good time to bug mostly out of iOS - decommissioning / getting rid of the iP4, keeping solely the iPad in regular use while not bothering to upgrade it. If the new iPhone is hugely improved - especially in terms of the radio - I might look at it later.

Android - I got the Desire HD as a test platform for a couple of things I'm doing but as an everyday-use platform, it still has comparatively little attraction for me in the same way that the Droid/Milestone left me quite nonplussed overall despite the nice hardware - I still feel that if I'm going Android, I am actually better off going iOS. Unlikely that I'll be upgrading the HD anytime soon. Raw specs don't interest me as much as what I can do with the platform, well. And IMO, Android still does nothing particularly well and the openness is overwrought, once again IMO.

The Veer is a curveball I could be persuaded to explore for the elegance of WebOS, along with the form factor to make it a much handier daily *phone* (as in talk) than anything else I'm considering. If its radio is decent, I might look into it.
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ryan

Sadly, I'm pretty sure whatever Apple releases this summer will be my next device. The Pre 3 looks (and feels) amazing, but the ecosystem around Palm devices still isn't there, and likely won't be in force for another couple of years. I think Android also has another 1-2 years to go before it's polished to the point I'd consider switching.

In the mean time, here's to hoping for a larger screen, dual-mode, slide-out QWERTY iPhone. Right.
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dave

I've been thinking about this for awhile too. My current phone is the iPhone 4, and despite AT&T's subpar service in San Francisco, it's the first iPhone that has actually fulfilled nearly everything I have wanted in a phone: better back camera, front facing camera, HD video, fast, lots of storage, great screen, battery life, etc.

It's quite possible that I might sit this year out and see what happens this time next year. The mobile phone world is moving FAST and I can't even begin to imagine what sorts of phones we're going to be seeing in the next 12 - 18 months.

(Not to mention, switching phones or carriers will result in non-subsidized prices or even ETFs, making if cost prohibitive.)
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sledlow

I currently use a Nexus One and don't plan to upgrade right now. Android is moving at light speed as far as both development of the OS and new compatible features on the phones hardware-wise (i.e. NFC).

I held a Nexus S and it just doesn't feel as good as my N1. This phone has everything I currently want and it is honestly the best build quality consumer device I have ever experienced.
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Dunnion

I ask myself this question everyday! Even since MWC more great phones have been announced or leaked, and it's hard to keep up. I have grown to love my Nexus One, and didn't jump ship when the Nexus S was released, and now I feel it's too late to. I know I will lust after the new iphone, but I bought a wifi only Xoom, so i want to be able to provide a wifi hotspot for it with my phone. I'm assuming I'll get the next Nexus phone, whatever it might be! I just hope its made by HTC instead of Samsung.
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zerock

i will probably wait until summer, but i added Pre 3 to my list.but i'm unsure want to see how devs are going to react to webos now. i will either stick to my iphone 4 for the rest of the year or get a new phone at the end of summer.
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leigh

There are a couple of phones that I would happily replace my Moto Droid with... such as the Moto Bionic and the Samsung Galaxy S II. It will really depend on what sort of deals I can get when upgrading but there are quite a few Android phones out there that I would be very happy with... which is a huge change from when I first got my Droid and it was one of two phones on the market I was actually interested in owning.
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althejandro

practically any phone will work great for someone. I have a g2 and it looks like its staying that way. dual core or 4g won't make my experience better enough in order to warrant getting a new device (and i hate 4.3in screens, i had an evo for 6 months). I'm more concerned on what the phones actually look like and they still all look practically the same. When a sexe phone comes out (nokia win7 mockups) then I'll get that
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qyiet

I'm too close to the start of my contract to jump ship at this point, but nokia + wp7 sounds like the most awesome thing in the world. I'll be waiting for baited breath for details on those handsets.

Disclaimer: longtime nokia fanboi + wp7 early adopter
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oolyum

I'm probably going to give WP7 a shot when I'm eligible for an upgrade. Everything about it fits into my life very nicely, and I'm a big fan of installing the least amount of third party software as possible. Almost everyone I know has an iPhone, and they all complain about one thing or another. None of them seem overly satisfied with it, so I'm kind of turned off by that. Hopefully there will be some new WP7 models available in May when I'm eligible for upgrade pricing.
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patfactorx

Droid 3 Global LTE around the holiday time
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Musketeer

After having spent a lot of time playing with someone else's Galaxy S2, i honestly think the answer to this question is almost a no-brainer. The phone is so far ahead of anything else I have seen.

Forget the specs, forget the speed, forget the super amoled plus screen, those impressive on paper specs are not what makes this phone special, the thing that wins it for this phone can be summed up in three words:

Superb User Experience.

The combination of Android 2.3 and this hardware has resulted in something special. You need to play with one to fully appreciate what I'm trying to explain. If its released where you live, go try one.

Mine gets delivered on Monday :)

By the way, in case you are wondering, I currently use two phones, a Galaxy S1 (which is nowhere near as good as the S2!) and an iphone4 (work phone provided by my employer).
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radikal

I want the moto bionic, nothing better came out
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lookitsron

I can get the Inspire 4G from my job, going to push them to offer the Atrix 4G cuz I'd rather have that. But I'd also really like to know what the fruit company in Cupertino is going to come out with next =/ what to do...
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JustinCarone

Depends largely on what Apple is planning for the next iPhone. My contract is up in July and right now I am leaning towards the Bionic, but if there is something really exciting announced at Apple's iPhone event at that time I may go with the iPhone instead.
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JazzyJeff

I just got myself an LG Optimus T, T-Mobile's best of their collection of low-priced Android phones, IMHO. Had a Motorola Cliq XT and was getting dog tired of it, Android 1.5 and all. It finally kicked the bucket on me after six short months. Motorola is CRAP!! :(
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brett

To me the most appealing device is still the Nexus S. I just can't see myself going with something other than Android at this point, and I can't see myself going with something other than stock Android.

Even the design of other devices isn't attracting me to them. What does a guy have to do to get some simple, non-hideous industrial design?
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cary

I've recently went android with the HTC Desire after falling out with my iPhone. Sticking with the Android theme I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of the Nexus stable before I make any decisions.
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drisner

I switched from iPhone this year to Android. I tried both the Atrix and the Inspire. I'm very happy with the Inspire, but mostly because I can root it and put a different ROM on it. The Atrix has nice hardware, although the screen is pretty ugly (very washed out colors), but the software is terrible. iPhone seems like a toy now; I could never go back to it -- especially with the minuscule screen.

Little feature that is the best for me about Android over iPhone: when my navigation gives me verbal directions while driving or a notification for a message comes on, it pauses the podcast or audiobook I am listening to, rewinds it about 1/2 a second and starts playing again. I remember having to rewind audiobooks all the time because iPhone wouldn't do this.
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lepanen

Now when Nokia released N9, I'm going to wait until it is shipped to stores, and then gonna stick with it. No matter if there isn't ecosystem or future, it doesn't disappear anywhere, and big Linux community will keep it running. Finally I will get phone where is good web browsing capacities and great camera.
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titaniumman

I don't think anything super impressive came out of MWC this year. Right now the most interesting gadgets are the ATRIX 4G for the new generation of processors and the XOOM for Honeycomb. HTC's showing was a disappointment. I'll wait for the iOS 5 preview in March to see what Apple has in store for us. Oh, and could manufacturers please stop with those jumbo phones? 4 inch screen size is already pushing it ( I'm looking at you Samsung Galaxy S II ).
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amarohl

Some slick things coming, but nothing that will cause me to jump ship early from my Droid X. I'll probably ride it well into the fall/winter. My new gadget for the spring/summer will be a tablet; most likely the WiFi-only Xoom.
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refractured

iPhone 6 (or whatever the iPhone is in June 012.)
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maeglin73

Whatever the current good Verizon Android phone happens to be next summer, when the last of my upgrade discounts becomes available (may they rest in peace afterward). LTE is almost certain, at the rate things are going, and a hardware keyboard would be nice.
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drisner

I have an iPhone 3GS now and can get a new phone in a month, but I'm going to wait and see what iPhone 5 is like vs what new Windows Phone 7 phones come out. I'll probably wait until fall to make the final decision. I want a 4-4.5" screen for the sake of my old man eyes. If I had to choose from what has been announced so far, it would be the Galaxy S II when it comes out in the USA. Definitely sticking with AT&T because of family plan I'm on.
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kichigai

I'm leaning towards the Nexus S. Dual Core processors and powerful hardware are big motivators, but my experience with my 1G iPod Touch stuck at Mobile OS X 3.1.3 now being unable to run most big apps has made me leery about any device that might not get software updates. I can only imagine how annoying it would be to be stuck in the Android 1.6 cul de sac, and not getting any updates, while many apps start requiring Android 2.1, or 2.2...

I'm stuck with my BlackBerry until April anyhow, so we'll see if this changes when more information comes out about the Pre 3 (I'm digging a lot of what I hear about WebOS, but unless it's on T-Mobile, I'll forego it) and the Galaxy S II pricing.
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yadame

Will be updating my old iPhone 3g to Samsung Galaxy S II when it comes out. So over iOS and iTunes
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patrickneville

i have the htc incredible right now, and the minor updates the incredible s bring aren't enough for me to upgrade yet, will probably wait for the third iteration of that phone. the original incredible still is amazing, and does all i need at the right size as well.
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itchyeyes

I got my Verizon iPhone on Tuesday (switched from a Moto Droid), so that's likely to be my phone for a while.
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Dpmt

MWC really disappointed me this year. Motorola announcing phones like the Atrix 4G had me excited to see what the other Android manufacturers could come up with.

Samsung seems to have given up resolution increases for a product cycle, which is disappointing. I've had WVGA phones for a year and if my next phone is going to feel like an upgrade it has to have a higher pixel density or at least more of them I've never been a videophile who cared about contrast ratio on a phone, after the screen res has stopped going up I might start to care more. The rest of the specs look good. I'm also not happy with Samsung's software, I'm always driven batty when I use my Dad's Epic.

Nokia is clearly taking the year off, I'd be surprised to see anything before September. When they get some hardware in the US I'll take a look.

LG is banking on 3D, tech I'm reserving my judgement on until I have played a marathon Pokémon session on the 3DS, which might not happen properly until spring 2012. I also want to see more specs from the LG Revolution.

I was expecting nothing really compelling out of Sony Ericsson. They did make the best QWERTY phone that I saw at MWC, but I'm as interested in the Xperia Pro as I am of the Play which is to say just about zero, of course it remains to be seen how the Snapdragon MSM8255 performs compared to its multi core competition.

The Pre 3's hardware looks like the Xperia Pro's which is to say it may not be able to specs. WebOS is killer, but their not winning me over until they hit the same type of app critical mass that Android has. I don't want to be stuck in a situation like I had back on my N900 with an OS I really like and decent hardware (I miss that phones ability to pull down signal.) but no app support.

Dell is on the cusp of making something I'd like but their strongest play has been the Venue Pro which has had issues. Dell needs to work out their kinks before I trust them.

HTC is the company that disappointed me the most. They seem committed to rehashing the Nexus One and Evo for another year. The Thunderbolt would in some ways feel like step down from my G2. It seems like HTC gave up there innovation to be first to 4G on the US carriers. To be fair this seems like a wining strategy given the success of the Evo and the huge adverting effort behind the MyTouch 4G. As best as I can tell they have a couple of months of Verizon LTE exclusivity too which will win them a bunch of sales.

Motorola is the real frontrunner for devices in my mind. Given the poor network performance that Engadget and other posted about the Atrix 4G it looks like AT&T has failed it. The Droid Bionic is the phone I'm looking forward to the most. They look like the Verizon LTE phone to beat.

But really nobody seems to have announced my perfect device. Is it so hard to make a media powerhouse with a 5 row keyboard?
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gadgetboy

My response is in-line with Ryan's: whatever Apple releases this summer will be my next phone. (Assuming there are some compelling reasons to upgrade from my iPhone 4).

The only remaining question will be: which carrier?
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raffi

if Verizon has a WP7 device like Samsung's currently on AT&T I would consider it. However, my business apps are all on Android or iPhone, so when I upgrade my Droid soon I will wait for one of the Verizon 4G android phones with the larger screens (like the Galaxy S when its 4G version is released).
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jastman

HTC Thunderbolt (whenever it decides to actually be released!)
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corgan

D.) None of the Above

Phone companies have alienated me so much in the way they conduct themselves that I have lost interest in this category (almost) entirely.

That said, I'd probably consider the HP Veer if I needed a phone. I like the smaller form factor. Kin One caught my attention, too, for the same reason.
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kreets

I'm getting the HTC 7 Pro....if it ever actually comes out.
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doogald

My Verizon update date is in mid-August, but if they will not allow me to update to a one year contract, I'm going to wait out my full contract end date in December. Basically, I'll decide then, based on what's available and what is guessed to be coming out "any day now".

I have an Android phone now (this one is rooted running GB), and I really like Android, so I'll probably stay with a Droid. That said, I'll look at iPhone, WebOS and WP7 just to see - but I'm pretty sure that I'll stick with Android. Hopefully they'll have something with a decently-sized screen rather than these 4.3" monsters that seem to be what everyone else wants.
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DCForever

I have a Sprint Palm Pre at the moment. I am almost certainly staying with Sprint so that limits my options. That said, if Sprint gets the Pre 3, I will get that, otherwise a Windows Phone 7 for me.
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jackthefur

Assuming that the fact that the Pre 3 can do HSPA+ means that it could come to T-Mobile, then I'd get the Pre3 just because of its sheer gloriousness.

If that doesn't happen, I'll get some android phone or w/e
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donaldbyrd

To be honest, I feel a bit overwhelmed by all the options out there. I think I'll wait a bit and see what rises to the top by end of summer. Learning how to install ROMs has actually breathed new life into my Droid X experience. At least enough to keep me from considering going back to the iPhone, or from acting impulsively over the new Android phones. Really need to see what the next wave of content and app development will bring once 4G and the new android flavors hit their stride.
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ewasserman

I'm waiting to see more phones for the 4g networks. Waiting for the next round of Windows phones and the next iPhone. My contract ran out with ATT a couple months ago and my iPhone 3g is starting to show it's age. I can't decide right now, so I'm punting. I just ordered the LG Optimus V from Virgin Mobile.

The plan is so cheap that the phone is paid for in a few months and I get to test drive the Sprint network, which I was thinking of switching to anyways. I know it's not the most powerful Android out there, but it gives me something new to play with for a bit.
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resuna

In an ideal world, it'd be a descendant of the PDQ running Palm OS 4.1 with a B&W screen and 14 days standby and 8 hours talk time. And my laptop would be dual-booting the latest versions of BeOS and OpenStep. And it'd dock in my flying car. This is the goddam future, and I want my flying car.

In the real world, it'll either be another feature phone, or whatever smartphone looks least like a walled garden when my current phone wears out.
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FYou

interesting that palm isn't on the list.
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cotekyle

My problem is that I always want a phone not offered by Verizon. I'm not going to change carriers, I just find it disappointing. I'm trying to figure out what will be available for me when my contract expires in March.
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CraigJ

Unless Apple completely screws up, I'll be pre-ordering the iPhone 5, or 4gs, or whatever as soon as it's available for pre-order. Yes, the Android phones are attractive too, but I've got a lot of time and a fair bit of money in the iTunes / Apple eco-system and I see no exceptionally compelling reason to change.
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thwargle

I've been waiting so long for the iPhone to come to Verizon. I was one of the nuts who logged on to Verizon's website at 3 am to order the new phone. I got mine on February 7th and I've been extremely happy with the purchase.
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dansus

HTC Cha Cha, then Pre3 and see how the first proper Meego device looks.
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frankspin

HTC Thunderbolt was my first option but after the 299 price tag I don't think I can justify spending that much on a phone with "last gen" hardware. So right now I'm looking at the Bionic if the price point ends up being less or the same as the Atrix. For that price and that hardware I think it's well worth it.

I like the Palm phones and WM7 really intrigue me but I have to wait and see what the ecosystem develops into before making a jump into either platform.
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MarkPharaoh

It really depends on when things are released. Since I'm on a AT&T family plan, I am able to upgrade every 11-12 months so I always get the new iPhone, even if I'm just going to turn around and eBay it. Just bought an Inspire to replace my Captivate so I probably won't grab another phone that isn't Tegra-based (passing on the Atrix). I may even import a Galaxy S2 if the price is right and the rumors are true that it may actually have a Tegra.
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dmm

I'm getting an unlocked Pre 3 on AT&T.
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drisner

OK, what app availability will influence your decision?

For me, Netflix streaming and some sort of app or built in OS facility for downloading podcasts without the use of a computer and have the podcasts available very soon after they are published by the maker (unlike iTunes which sometimes takes days to make podcasts available).

This, for me, makes WIndows Phone 7 my most likely OS to jump to from iOS if I don't just stick with the iPhone.
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