Apple’s iPhone 4 looks like it will be a killer device but there are a plethora of good smartphones on all of the major carriers. We take a look at some of the hottest handsets that will go head-to-head this summer season, so read on after the jump for a breakdown of the coolest new handsets (Update: If you think this one’s cool, check out Round Two).
iPhone 4
$199 on a new, two-year contract with AT&T (available June 24)
Specifications (Specs – sheet)
- 3.5-inch Retina Display (960×640) capacitive touchscreen
- Custom A4 CPU
- 5-megapixel camera with LED flash
- 16GB or 32GB internal storage
- Quad-band 3G data connectivity
- WiFi (b/g)
- GPS (aGPS)
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Front-facing camera for video calls
- Second microphone for noise cancellation
- Internal gyroscope offers six-axis motion controls
The Good
- Display should make text, videos and pictures vibrant and clear
- The A4 is also in the iPad and that runs blazing fast
- Video calling should be simple to do
- Thinnest smartphone on the market
- Antenna, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth integrated into steel frame
- Gyroscope opens door for innovative games, apps
- iOS 4 adds multiple features like multitasking
The Bad
- Non-removable battery
- No microSD slot for expandable storage
- Locked into iTunes ecosystem (good or bad depending on your preference)
- New AT&T data plans may limit usefulness of mobile data, apps
- New design may polarize fans of the original’s design
After months of speculation, hype and leaks, Apple finally unveiled its next smartphone and the iPhone 4 looks like a winner. It features a new design – the handset is made entirely of glass and steel – and the stainless steel frame now serves as the antenna for WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth and 3G, which should help improve reception (AT&T still has to pull its weight, though).
The 3.5-inch Retina Display should turn a few head too, as it packs 326 pixels per inch. This should make text, videos and pictures extremely crisp and vibrant, and it packs a solid 800:1 contrast ratio. Apple said this will make text look as if you were reading it on a piece of paper and we came away impressed during our hands-on time.
The camera has also received a much-needed boost, as you now have a 5-megapixel shooter with an LED flash. There’s also a front-facing camera that can be used with Apple’s FaceTime for two-way video chatting. You can also record 720p HD videos that can be edited on the handset and uploaded to sites like YouTube, and there’s also a new iMovie for iPhone which will give you the ability to add titles, transitions and more.
The 1 GHz Snapdragon processor is becoming a standard in most high-end devices but Apple is sticking with its custom A4 chip for the iPhone 4. This is the same CPU that powers the iPad and it provides some strong horsepower. Apple has also claimed the better processor won’t impact power consumption too much, as the improved (non-removable) battery should give users ample juice for their smartphone needs. There’s also an internal gyroscope to developers the ability to create apps that utilize six-axis motion controls.
Beyond the hardware, the next iPhone will rock iOS 4 (previously iPhone OS 4.0). This plugs most of the major holes in the platform by including multitasking, iAd, a social-gaming network and more.
Check out our hands-on video of the iPhone in the video below for a closer look at Apple’s latest smartphone.
EVO 4G
$199 on new, two-year contract with Sprint
Specifications (Specs – sheet)
- 4.3-inch WVGA (800×480) capacitive touchscreen
- 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU
- 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash
- 512MB RAM, 1GB ROM
- 3G and 4G data connectivity
- WiFi (b/g)
- GPS (aGPS)
- microSD
- HDMI-out port
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Front-facing camera for video calls
- Mobile Hotspot feature
- kickstand
The Good
- Flagrantly large 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display
- Integrated kickstand. Yes, it has a kickstand.
- HDMI-out port
- 4G for high speed data (where available)
- Mobile Hotspot feature
- Red-colored accents
- Multi-touch support
The Bad
- Battery life
- MicroSD under the battery
- Non-standard HDMI port
- Battery life (or lack thereof. Did we mention that already?)
- No simultaneous voice and data in 3G-only areas
- Big for small hands and tight pockets
If bigger is better, than HTC’s EVO 4G on Sprint is the best of the bunch. The handset packs a large, 4.3-inch display that works well in sunlight and it makes browsing the web and watching videos on the go a pleasant experience. It’s still a big phone but it has slim profile and it doesn’t weigh too much.
It rocks a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8-megapixel camera that takes pretty good shots, a front-facing camera that can do two-way video chats, HDMI-out port, and all the connections you want from a smartphone. It runs Android 2.1 with HTC’s Sense UI layered on top, and the company has promised users will get 2.2 by the end of the year.
Beyond the form factor and features, the most compelling thing about this is the ability to tap into Sprint’s expanding 4G network for home broadband-like speeds on the go. You’ll have to pay a price for that though, as EVO users are required to pay a $10 monthly premium on top of voice and data, even if you’re not in a 4G area. You’ll also be able to use this 4G connection as a mobile hotspot for up to eight devices, but this will cost $30 a month.
We put the handset through its paces in our full review. How did it fare?
So, does Evo live up to its striking good looks, killer feature-set, and the promise of a multimedia dream come true? Well, in case you haven’t been paying attention. Damn skippy. Evo’s huge screen just oozes sex appeal to any gadget geek – at the very least, it will draw the attention of just about anyone you happen to be near when you start playing with Evo.
Droid Incredible
Available for $199 on a new, two-year contract with Verizon Wireless
Specifications (Specs – sheet)
- 1Ghz Snapdragon CPU
- 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display @ WVGA resolution
- 8 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash
- 3G data
- WiFi
- GPS
- microSD
- Bluetooth (Stereo (A2DP), Handsfree, Headset, Phonebook Access)
- Android 2.1 OS with HTC Sense
The Good
- Huge 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with WVGA resolution.
- Slim form-factor
- Dual-LED camera flash
- 8 megapixel camera
- 8GB internal storage for apps, music, video
- Hot-swappable microSD card
The Bad
- Android Market still lacking the app-diversity and breadth of Apple’s iPhone AppStore
- No simultaneous voice and data service
- Questionable battery cover design
The Droid Incredible has been flying off the shelves at such a fast rate that Verizon can’t keep up with demand. There’s a good reason for that, as the device does seem to live up to its name. According to our thorough review:
Overall, the Verizon Droid Incredible is a great Android phone. It’s got the hardware chops to take on the best of the best. It’s light on its feet and handles most tasks – UI, maps, apps, videos – with ease. HTC Sense makes everything better. We like the design. We like the specs. Despite it’s drawbacks, we really like the Incredible.
It sports a good-sized 3.7-inch AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with a WVGA resolution. It ditches a physical keyboard to maintain a slim profile, but some may not like the grooves on the back of the phone. Inside, there’s a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, 8-megapixel camera with a dual-LED flash, and a microSD slot. It runs Android 2.1 with HTC’s Sense UI, which does add some needed visual panache.
There’s not much more to say about the Incredible, as it’s probably the best smartphone you can get on Verizon Wireless right now.
Samsung Galaxy S
Not clear which carrier, but it will likely be coming to T-Mobile or AT&T for similar pricing to the other phones.
Specifications (Specs – sheet)
- 1Ghz CPU
- 4.0-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display
- 5 megapixel camera
- 3G data
- WiFi
- GPS
- microSD
- Bluetooth (Stereo (A2DP), Handsfree, Headset, Phonebook Access)
- Android 2.1 OS with Samsung S Life UI
The Good
- Stunning 4-inch Super AMOLED display
- Light, slim phone
- Processor may be more capable than competitors
- The screen’s gorgeous, just thought I’d mention it again
The Bad
- The camera may not be as good as some of the competitors
- No definitive U.S. release date or pricing
- S Life UI may have some bumps out of the gate
The Samsung Galaxy S could very well be the wild card out of the bunch as we still don’t know which carrier it’s coming to (likely T-Mobile or AT&T) or how much it will cost. It may not have the largest screen of the bunch but it may very well have the prettiest. Photos don’t really do the 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen justice, as this thing is crystal clear and extremely vibrant. We didn’t get a chance to check it out in direct sunlight (which can make these types of displays unusable) but this is by far my favorite screen to look at.
The custom processor may also be one of its main advantages, as tests indicate it could have up to 3X the power of other smartphones in terms of graphics. The Cortex-A8 processor with the PowerVR SGX540 GPU can reportedly pump out 90 million triangles per second, more than three times the graphical power of the iPhone 3GS.
The handset also packs all the connectivity goodies you’d expect and it packs it all in a thin 9.9mm frame. Custom UIs on top of Android can be hit or miss (Sense UI is pretty cool but MotoBlur is kind of a mess), but I tend to like Samsung’s S Life UI because it’s very minimalistic but adds some neat little flourishes like easier access to social networks. Still, these customs layers can lead to a delay in software upgrades, so we’ll see how dedicated Samsung is to keep its users up to date.
Samsung has teased that this will be hitting the United States very soon, so we’ll get this one in our hands soon enough and give you a thorough breakdown of Samsung’s high-end Android phone. In the mean time, check out our hands-on video below for some more details.
So, it looks like the coolest smartphones of the summer will either run iOS 4 or a version of Android but you won’t have to wait too long for some good devices if you’re not a fan of those platforms. Research In Motion is gearing up the next version of its OS and BlackBerry 6 should debut on some wild form factors. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 looks pretty impressive too, and Dell, Samsung and others are sure to bring out some lust-worthy hardware with Microsoft’s latest mobile software. Any way you slice it, it’s a great time to be a smartphone lover.
What’s going to be your next smartphone, readers? Sound off in the comments.