I finally got around to heading out and sampling some of the better devices out there and to be honest I found some really nice devices. Below is a quick synopsis of each device along with its pros and cons.
LG G2X
The G2X is fast. Really fast. It was one of the more smooth and buttery feeling phones available. While there have been a lot of complaints of reboots (never happened while I had it) and screen bleeds (did not really notice it) I found the phone to be one of my favorites. It is also getting a tremendous amount of dev love, so you should look for really great things from this phone in the future. The ROM is stock Android and there is very little bloatware, but that is easily removed with rooting.
Pros:
Fast
AOSP
Dev Devotion
Cons:
Reported errors like reboots and screen bleed
LG is untested as a company
T-Mobile could become AT&T
Kyocero Echo
The Kyocera Echo is a standout for being a dual screen smartphone. Unfortunately, it also stands out for being a horrible smartphone. The dual screen is an interesting concept, but I found it to have very little practical use and the big line down the center of the dual screens made it impossible to use. Moreover, I found the phone to be very sluggish when compared to the other phones mentioned here.
Pros:
Interesting design
Greater screen space
Cons:
Line in the middle of the two screens is intrusive
Does not work well for all apps
weird
Blackberry Playbook
I was talking with a friend earlier today and the only comment we could come up with for the Playbook was that it is an outstanding failure. I use this description because there is a part of me that honestly believes that the Playbook is the best tablet on the market, but the OS is a bit of a dying platform that is loosing its identity and the fact that it does not have email is ridiculous. If it had email it would be sitting next to me now. The Playbook is incredibly smooth and fast, but it is too bad that such a great device got botched by RIM's failure to include email and keep Blackberry as a viable competitor. Look to see RIM fall behind WebOS and Windows Phone later this year.
Pros:
Best tablet out there
Super fast
Buttery smooth
Cons:
Dead platform
No email client
little to no app support
HTC Sensation 4G
The Sensation was awesome. It was really nice to hold and easy to use. Sense 3.0 has clearly made some huge adjustments and was very speedy. Not much lag, if any. On T-Mobile this would probably be my next choice. Locked bootloader is deal, but not a big one since HTC is saying that they will unlock it. This is a great phone for any user, but it is apparently having some wifi issues.
Pros:
Great device in the hand
Beautiful display
Speed
Cons:
Presently locked bootloader
Sense 3.0 (I just don't like it)
HTC Evo 3D
The Evo 3D is basically the same phone as the Sensation. Yes, the outside is a bit more boxey, but all in all it really felt the same (although a little clunkier to hold). The 3D is much ado about nothing. I barely noticed it. The 3D pictures and video are annoying to look at, but the 3D movies are pretty awesome. If you want to watch, and will watch, 3D movies on your phone then I would grab it for that, but outside of this one feature it is not different than the Sensation.
Pros:
3D Movies
Speed
Cons:
Presently locked bootloader
Sense 3.0
Gimmicky 3D
Conclusion
I tried a lot of phones recently and they all were very good. In fact, most consumers would be happy to have any of the above and I would not discourage them (except for, perhaps, the Kyocera Echo). They are all very solid devices. With that said, however, not one of them can replace the Nexus S. I am waiting for a device to wow me enough to let it go, but it is just not happening. The Optimus 3D? Not likely. The Nokia N9? I am buying it (MeeGo OS), but it will not replace the Nexus S as my daily. It is just too good a phone and even though some might say the specs have been passed up, and they have, the phone is just that good. Now, the upcoming Nexus Prime might just do the trick . . .
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