Gadgets Blog » Cell Phones

Just when you thought it was safe to watch Harry Potter on your cell phone, industry experts are saying it’s going to starting hitting you where it counts…in the pocketbook.

Do you remember the days before 3G coverage when we were forced to use tiny screens and actually push buttons and all we could really surf was out e-mail and a few sites designed for mobile Internet browsing. You remember those days? That’s when we actually used the phone to call people.

When 3G hit and phones were able to actually surf the web in its entirety, the game changed and we grew to not only love our new freedoms but also to covet and expect them. Soon, you could watch videos and television shows on the phone all while waiting in line for your groceries.

The major networks spent billions and billions of dollars to upgrade their infrastructure all the while offering unlimited data plans at a relatively cheap price. They made their networks better so we could watch Netflix from our phones and then seemingly paid the bill. Uh, yeah. Not so much.

As a writer whose clients are primarily Internet based, I spend a lot of time using Skype to talk to people and get information, etc. It’s really an integral part of the Internet business lifestyle.

Yesterday morning, Skype wasn’t working. When I could log on, it couldn’t find the other friends on my list. I couldn’t chat, and all my meetings ended up getting canceled. The outage lasted throughout the day and wasn’t resolved until I got online this morning.

This was a universal outage that affected everybody, and for an intrepid writer like me, it put a cramp in my style. The problem was a software issue that hit their supernodes. The supernodes are what the program uses to recognize who of your friends is online.

The problem was mostly mixed by this morning, and more than 10 million people were already signed in, but it may still take a little while for some people to be able to get online. The company didn’t say how long it would take for the program to be 100 percent operational, but given the number of complaints, they it won’t likely be long.

The outage forced me to use that most archaic of human devices, a phone, to talk to people yesterday. I am writer, so typing away on a Skype message is much easier for me than having an actual phone conversation. (I know you can use Skype for a phone, but I don’t use it like that.)

While the project is still a ways off from hitting the market, Google Android head Andy Rubin gave members of the public and the press at the Dive Into Mobile conference a sneak peek at a buttonless tablet computer running on the Android operating system.

The pad looks comparable in size to Apple’s iPad, but it has no buttons. This is a departure from previous Android hardware, which included four buttons, and Rubin said this change was intentional. The pad orients itself regardless of which end is up. A button would make this confusing, so they went without it.

The tablet runs on a new version of the Android operating system and may include video conferencing and chat abilities, simplified menus and a three-dimensional version of Google Maps. Android and Motorola are developing this iPad killer.

This is the first time Google has given the public a glimpse of this much-anticipated piece of hardware, and it was just enough to whet their appetites for more. No date has been set for release, other than to say “sometime next year.”

When I was working at a corporation and was required to have a cell phone so that the soulless leeches could contact me 24/7, I had a cell phone contract maxed out on everything. I maxed on the minutes, texts, data usage and anything they had because that phone was my lifeline to corporate hell.

I checked my e-mail constantly, surfed the Web in the car, texted while I drove (yeah, I was one of those guys) and occasionally talked on the phone. I had the standard contract, and since everything was supplemented with a monthly stipend from work, it never hurt my pocket book.

When I decided to make the change from the corporate world to stay-at-home writer and blogger, the phone that had been so important was pretty useless. My wife and I were home 24/7, so I had my desktop computer to surf the Web and check my e-mail.

We used our landline for phone calls because our cell reception was bad in the house. We didn’t go anywhere because we have three small children and no social life, so why was I spending so much money per month on a cell contract?

We looked into decreasing everything, but I still had tons of leftover minutes on both our phones. Our contract was reaching its end, and we began looking at no contract and prepaid phones as a way to stop wasting money.

Today’s topic on Best and Worst touches a sensitive spot in my heart. The other day, my beloved cell phone of a year suffered a career-ending injury. As I carried a table up a small set of stairs, I tripped, crushing the touchscreen, and thus rendering the top half of the screen black and unreadable. As anyone who has lost a phone can attest, the hassle that goes along with it is frustrating and time consuming. I was lucky enough to still be under warranty, meaning Verizon (bless them) will have a new device sent my way in a matter of days. However, finding a smartphone that suits your personal needs can be nothing short of laborious, especially considering how difficult it is to determine the long-term use of a phone during a first impression. Don’t be fooled by nice designs or attractive colors, the following phones have issues that make them some of the worst smart phones on the market.

T-Mobile Sidekick LX
This phone is the epitome of style over substance. Its flashy design and attractive touchscreen make it initially appealing, but several design flaws plague the Sidekick. First of all, the structural integrity of the design is a bit suspect, as the screen’s two-axis flip motion can break easily if the phone is subject to any sort of abuse. While the phone sports a full QWERTY keyboard, which can make texting a breeze, the buttons on this particular smartphone are packed together, difficult for anyone with larger hands (or anyone without the fine-tuned motor skills needed to operate a QWERTY keyboard successfully). You’re best off looking for an alternative, such as the T-Mobile Dash, which boasts a great interface based out of Windows Mobile.

Blackberry 8300
As a whole, the Blackberry line of smartphones are quite good, with many features available on a variety of networks. If you’re looking for a device with great business capabilities, web integration, and email, a Blackberry can be a great choice. However, not all Blackberries are created equal, and some, like the 8300, fall flat next to their siblings. The Blackberry 8300, in some regards, is a lesser version of other Blackberry phones, meaning that the interface and keypad aren’t as sturdy and up-to-date. For perhaps the best experience with a Blackberry, check out the Blackberry Storm, which boasts some great unique features.

Nokia Surge 6790
Our final smartphone to avoid also looks like it could be a winner. But, alas, looks are also deceiving, once again. The Nokia Surge has a slim black design and a slide-out keypad, making it one of the better-looking smartphones. The device boasts some great synchronization with Gmail, Yahoo, and Windows Live, even if its operating system is a bit dates compared to competitors. However, there are some puzzling design flaws that make using the Nokia Surge downright frustrating. It’s impossible to dial a number without sliding open the keypad, a flaw that becomes more and more upsetting the longer you have the phone. Also, the small and slightly off-center screen can be hard to squint at in dark environments, as the brightness is lacking. For a similar, but better, alternative, check out the Samsung Jack.