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I, too, am getting to where I'm using my Android (LT Optimus T) less and less and my 9700 more. I love Android as a device to replace my Palm TX. It's great at browsing. I love the apps, like Google Sky and my scriptures application. Just really great devices. Unfortunately, for me, not a great phone or messaging device.
Here's my long list of why, after 3 Androids in the last four months, I'm still using my 9700:
1) No unified inbox. I agree. I hated that. K9 email fixes the unified issue (for me) another option is Maildroid. I have several email accounts I need to keep track of, and I admittedly wanted something that mimics the BB experience.
2) Fragmented, weak, contact management. I won't disagree that Android does not fill your needs. I do find it robust, but then again, I used BB Sync.
3) Touchscreen texting. This was my BIGGEST reservation... but, like you, I discovered Swype.
4) Awkward phone searching. The search bar opens in whatever program you're using... so, if you hit it when in Contacts/People, it'll search that. If you open it when in "nothing" than it defaults to web search. I like that you can narrow your search to whatever program (Evernote, email, text) you need to be in.
5) Phonebook errors. I don't get this one. On my LG I have phone number entries that show up when I text that aren't there when I go to edit the contact record. Cannot answer this one. It would bother me.
6) Need to unlock before doing anything. You can adjust that in Settings. I had the same setting applied on my BlackBerry.
7) No speed dial. Speaking of speed dial, on my Android, I can put direct dial shortcuts on the screen. On the Vibrant I could add speed dials to the phone screen, but you still have to unlock to the device, swipe to the dial screen or open the phone screen, and then touch the icon to dial the contact. Sounds cumbersome... there are quite a few lockscreen widgets that let you call directly from there, IIRC.
8) Flakey bluetooth. My 9700 does bluetooth, including voice dialing great. It reconnects when out of range or when I take the headset off the charger, without any drama. My myTouch Slide would not initiate voice dialing from the headset. My Vibrant would not voicedial from bluetooth at all. My LG does it better, but the voice prompts are super quiet and I have a hard time hearing them in the car. All three Androids have trouble dropping the bluetooth connection or reconnecting after a connection is lost. No comment... that is problematic.
9) No BBM. Enough said. While I used to be a huge BBM fan, I have come to a few conclusions that hold true for ME. BBM is a crutch...( hear me out
): I worked in a BB-heavy environment. Most of the people I worked with did not use it. Still, I managed to accumulate quite a number of BBM contacts. You know how I lost the most contacts? That's right... defection from RIM devices. So..., when it comes to messaging, I look for the long term. Google Talk doesn't have some of the benefits that BBM has, but it beats BBM in one important aspect: operability across platforms.
10) Fragmented notifiers / No profiles. I hate having to set a notifier from every program separately. This is cumbersome... agreed. It does allow for maximized customization. I do miss BB profiles, but there are apps to bridge the gap.
11) Can't enlarge the fonts. Okay, I admit I'm over 50 (don't ignore this problem, you too will be over 50 some day). I don't see small text as easily as I used to. I could not believe I could not enlarge the text in my Android applications. Android OS does not include the ability to change fonts. (Yes, I know I can root the phone and install new font packages, but I'm not into doing brain surgery on my phones). No excuse. That is silly not to include this natively into the OS. Rooting, however, is one-click easy, and most of the built-in data apps allow for you to increase fonts, I believe.
OK. Enough of my rants. I love Android, but I just don't think it's very mature yet. I agree it has the upper hand in momentum and I expect I'll be using one full time in the future. Just not yet.
Not at all trying to pick holes in your arguments... I agree with some major points you raise.01-12-11 01:21 PM - I'm now in the one-of-each camp as of this week. I'm on Sprint with my personal account and had a BB Bold 9650, yet have to also carry an AT&T Torch 9800 for work. As such, thought many times about switching the personal line to something a little more adventurous. I'm not a big fan of phones with only touchscreens though, so when the EVO Shift 4G came out last weekend, it was perfect for my needs and I made the switch over to Android. I am LOVING almost everything about this little phone! Speed is amazing, keyboard is tight, screen is crisp & clear, call quality is crystal clear... the only thing I'm not bowled over by so far is the battery life. Reading over on Android Central, seems that I'm in the minority and that everyone is getting awesome battery life. Me, not so much. I can't go a full day without charging. Guess the Seidio battery on my Bold really spoiled me!
So for now I'm enjoying the best of both worlds with the EVO Shift and the Torch (except that the Torch, sadly, is on AT&T...).01-14-11 02:57 PM - Most of the folks who get great battery life tweak their devices to achieve such.I'm now in the one-of-each camp as of this week. I'm on Sprint with my personal account and had a BB Bold 9650, yet have to also carry an AT&T Torch 9800 for work. As such, thought many times about switching the personal line to something a little more adventurous. I'm not a big fan of phones with only touchscreens though, so when the EVO Shift 4G came out last weekend, it was perfect for my needs and I made the switch over to Android. I am LOVING almost everything about this little phone! Speed is amazing, keyboard is tight, screen is crisp & clear, call quality is crystal clear... the only thing I'm not bowled over by so far is the battery life. Reading over on Android Central, seems that I'm in the minority and that everyone is getting awesome battery life. Me, not so much. I can't go a full day without charging. Guess the Seidio battery on my Bold really spoiled me!
So for now I'm enjoying the best of both worlds with the EVO Shift and the Torch (except that the Torch, sadly, is on AT&T...).01-14-11 04:41 PM
