Android Hesitation

I have an increased interest in the adopting Android as a primary device, but I am still hesitant to make the move at this point. Since the introduction of Nexus One, I have been excited for the potential of its OS with well-rounded support from Google. It seemed that an iPhone competitor finally took the first step in getting something right! Not saying that Android would ever conquer Apple domination to achieve the gold medal, but it certainly has beat out other contenders for silver. Watching Nexus review videos and reading tech blogs solidified my Android desire over the Palm WebOS, but the lack of a suitable hardware qwerty model bothers me. Every single option leans to the touchscreen variant, and I am over the whole iPhone-inspired craze for touch navigation of smartphone interfaces. It is never promising to browse online shops whose Android hardware qwerty selections are limited to only Motorola. While I respect Moto's comeback with the Droid/Milestone and Cliq, there is a part of me that feels unsatisfied with the onboard keypad of both models. One is an unappealing membrane surface while the other simply feels like a Toys-R-Us sale item.

My N900 is too memorable (even with its flaws) to be replaced with what I consider to be a subpar device. As great as the Nexus sounds on spec sheets and looks on videos, I am sure that the camera and loud speaker experience will be disappointing. HTC's track record has proven this with every phone I had the chance to power on, and I think it safe to assume the same for Google's new touch-inspired baby. I won't even go into fears that were conjured from my skepticism behind the Hero model released a long while back. Samsung continues to encourage nightmares of mediocrity with its build quality and software features, so it isn't even in mind as a viable candidate. This opinion is based on previous experiences with Samsung models running Windows Mobile OS and may indeed be wrong to believe, but I don't have faith in Samsung to improve with its Android units. Sony Ericsson seems to be as hopeless as Samsung in this regard. Not only does this company have a terrible reputation in delivering disasters such as the P990 and Satio, but its CEO is bold enough to justify passing up the chance to manufacture the Nexus (which may have been a blessing in disguise). I have absolutely zero expectations for the Xperia X10 interface. Promotional videos and commercials may show speedy transitions and breathtaking graphics with the swipe of one's finger, but I am almost certain real world use will be the anthithesis of this. I will not be surprised if SE will have to muster an arsenal of tech support operators to handle a surge of complaints about laggy performance and faulty hardware features. What makes that sad is that SE is pretty good at creating high-quality builds that show-off and gleam for cameras and onlookers alike. As I mentioned previously, Motorola hasn't really made a promising impression with its hardware qwerty devices so far. If there is another manufacturer that I am missing at the moment, it is most likely due to the absence of a hardware qwerty keypad. Often I wonder if Nokia will ever release a device for Android with the same prowess as the N900, and then I come back to reality. Nokia appears to be stuck in the world of Symbian and Maemo, and it is a shame that no other OS will have the blessing of Nokia's experience in offering terrific features for its solid gadgets. If Samsung and LG were able to reap the benefits of having a Nokia OS on its hardware, why can't this work the other way around? I would certainly spend money for a Nokia model running an interface alternate to Maemo and Symbian, but I assume I am being naive to some sort of copyright infringement possibility...and Nokia is dealing with enough of that.

I can only hope for a Nexus with a sliding qwerty keypad. Friends of mine have mentioned the HTC Desire as another promising model, but they are both from HTC and may be ultimately the same. I had read an article about a Motorola with a sliding qwerty, but that was based on a photoshop rendering. I still have good expectations for Android, but the current hardware selection is primarily limited to touchscreen variants. In the meantime, I guess it is a good thing to not be inspired to spend money and be content with what I have in my N900.

TRENT
Sent from my N900 via MaStory