Need a Windows Phone, Which One, or Wait

[pseudohippy]

Ok, I dont know a thing about phones. I just know I want a windows phone and my current provider is AT&T. Im not up to date on the operating system updates. I want to get the best running windows phone I can get with the latest capabilities. Im eligible for full discounted upgrade September 19 and a hole is slowly burning in my pocket.

Here are the candidates, please let me know if Im missing any or if there is something on the near horizon that I should wait for.

HTC HD75
$49.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HTC+-+HD...contract_desc=

Samsung Focus
$0.00

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+...contract_desc=

HTC Surround
$0.00

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HTC+-+Su...contract_desc=

So thats it for AT&T. Should I switch carriers for some special phone or wait longer or pick one of these?

[CrowdAds]

[sideways]

http://www.esato.com/phones/comparem...cp=664&cp2=662

Those are all last years high end. They do not compare with high end androids of today. The whole windows phone line up is due for refresh soon. If you can sit on your money until Christmas there should be much better options with newer software packaged on the market. When the new stuff ships it should also knock the prices for the ones you listed down. Oh yeah and WP7 still needs to mature a bit before it is really ready for prime time.

[pseudohippy]

Ok, Ill start searching for info on upcoming Windows Phones. I have zero interest in android or apple phones so I guess Ill have to wait. I only use my phone for taking and making calls and playing an occasional game while waiting around somewhere. I want my xbox live connectivity and thats about it. Other than that simple note taking ability, calendar, calculator and what not. But at the same time I wouldnt mind getting the latest and greatest version. I didnt realize they were close to refreshing, so thanks for that information. Its gonna be hard to wait, I only change phones once every two years so I like to pick something cool each time. Two years ago phones were not that cool lol.

EDIT: Ok, after some searching around I have made my decision. Unfortunately I will have to wait a bit. Thanks so much sideways. Im gonna get the HTC Titan if it ever makes it to the USA and to AT&T as rumored. Only time will tell. Europe will get it in October. I have no clue how long these phones take to get released in the states, if they ever do.

Video of It.

You Tube

You Tube

[The DarkSide]

Just wait a little longer, till mango comes & the new handsets are released - you'll wind up with a serious case of buyers remorse if you don't.

[pseudohippy]

You might have missed my latest Edit Darkside. What do you think of the Titan?

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by pseudohippy

You might have missed my latest Edit Darkside. What do you think of the Titan?

I did miss your post, and I spotted the titan earlier today. I'd still suggest waiting a bit - even tho that thing has me green w/phone envy.

[pseudohippy]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

I did miss your post, and I spotted the titan earlier today. I'd still suggest waiting a bit - even tho that thing has me green w/phone envy.

Are we just waiting now for other phones to come out just to compare? Or might there be significant advantages in the other phones. I like that huge 4.7 inch screen the titan has. As it is this one doesnt come out for a while here and Im not sure how long I can wait.

[The DarkSide]

When this one hits you'll probably have a few different WP7 devices to choose from, so I guess it'd work to just wait till this hits. And tbh, I luv this phone - that screen really impresses.

[medion]

Originally Posted by sideways

http://www.esato.com/phones/comparem...cp=664&cp2=662

Those are all last years high end. They do not compare with high end androids of today. The whole windows phone line up is due for refresh soon.

EDIT: I came across as WP7 bashing, and that was not my intent. So, I decided to re-word my post.

The OP stated that he needs WP7, so comparing to Android hardware is irrelevant. The OS on its own is outstanding, but like the other OSes, it also has its flaws.

So, with that said, my recommendation is wait for the new lineup over the next quarter (as you alluded to). The current crop of phones using WP7 are using the same hardware as the Toshiba TG-01, which was released in June 2009. It's a bit old in the tooth. I don't see the point in locking yourself into another 2-year contract 1-3 months before the new hardware hits.

I'm in a similar situation. I have an upgrade available on Verizon, and my current phone is the HTC Incredible. I'd love an Incredible 2, but the hardware is dated (coincidentally, the year-old hardware in the Incredible 2 is the same hardware that WILL power WP7-Mango devices, lol). It's a minor upgrade at most. With dual- and quad-core devices landing in the next 3-6 months, I'd rather wait it out and get something then, than get a minor upgrade and make it last 2 years.

So, that's my advice, take it for what it's worth. However, if you're not a 3D mobile gamer, the first-gen WP7 device list is sufficient, and there are some outstanding devices. I'd just hate to see you get a device that you're initially happy with only to be upset a month later over the new hardware.

[steinburger1109]

Even thought the WP7 hardware is going to still be behind, if you really want a WP7, you should wait for Mango.

[sideways]

Originally Posted by pseudohippy

Are we just waiting now for other phones to come out just to compare? Or might there be significant advantages in the other phones. I like that huge 4.7 inch screen the titan has. As it is this one doesnt come out for a while here and Im not sure how long I can wait.

Well essentially yes we are waiting to compare. The HTC titan is one of the first next gen wp7 handsets to see the light of day. By the time it hits the market we will have a much better idea of what this years line up looks like so don't get too worked up about the Christmas release comment. The internet hype machine should be faster so you'll know if it is worth waiting as we will know just how significant the next generation improvements are.

The 4.7 inch titan will definitely divide opinions being very much in the firepower end of the firepower vs mobility spectrum. I'd almost have to make a paper cutout model of it to grasp just how ginormas that is. Still it's note quote as huge as the Samsung Galaxy Note

Things I expect to see in the next generation. NFC support. Better cameras. Better software. Improved battery optimization. Also you have to remember that preinstalled updated software always trumps updating it yourself by virtue of what you see is what you get.

Originally Posted by medion

EDIT:

*snip*

The OP stated that he needs WP7, so comparing to Android hardware is irrelevant. The OS on its own is outstanding, but like the other OSes, it also has its flaws.

*snip*

I don't see the point in locking yourself into another 2-year contract 1-3 months before the new hardware hits.

*snip*

I disagree. Comparing to Android hardware is very much relevant since many of the first generation WP7 handsets were modelled after Android handsets. Compare for example the Samsung Focus and the original Samsung Galaxy S.

Agreed it's better to get in at the beginning of the 6 month_ish hyperspeed release cycle.

The old gen WP7 handset I liked the most when they initially launched was the Samsung Omnia 7. It was sexy.

[Confispect]

Funny i'm in this situation as well but I'm on Sprint. Options.

[pseudohippy]

Thanks for the insightful comments sideways. Everything you said there makes sense and Ill try to wait it out a bit.

As far as comparing to android for me specifically it is not actually relevant. Pretty much all I plan to do with the phones includes xbox live and making and receiving calls and texts. I just want the most updated xbox functions. Im hoping I can message friends inbox's while they are on live to let them know Im getting on soon, or Im late or whatever I need to tell them while Im on the go. Im in several leagues so I play matches where you need to schedule your games with other players within so many days and it sucks if you have to sit all day with your xbox on just waiting to see people log in to schedule the match. With the xbox connectivity Im hoping to be able to see who is or isnt online. At this point I dont even know if thats possible, but Im hoping it is. Oh, and I think it will play my poker game that I bought on the 360. That would be dope for wasting time waiting for the wife. Im not the only person like this so unless android can do that it isnt relevant

[sideways]

Perhaps I was unclear, I didn't mean android being relevant as an operating system for your use. Forget the software just compare the hardware.

WP7 and android both run on similar hardware with WP7 devices a hair (one_ish cycle) behind android. What that means is if WP7 manufacturers decide they want to play the mine is bigger game, well faster in this case but that would ruin the innuendo, they can go through an accelerated hardware evolution phase by cannibalizing Android hardware. It's the same people making them after all so very little R&D is required. So the cutting edge for android phones is relevant in my opinion as a benchmark for where WP7 hardware could quickly be.

If all you want most of the time is calls and texts that behemoth might be a bit overkill. You'll need to conduct some tests.

[pseudohippy]

Im an overkill kinda guy.

[medion]

Originally Posted by sideways

I disagree. Comparing to Android hardware is very much relevant since many of the first generation WP7 handsets were modelled after Android handsets.

I disagree. He said he wants WP7. That mean's he's confined to WP7-based handsets. Android handsets could have thermo-nuclear flux-capacitors powered by Mexican fairies, and it still wouldn't be relevant. We know Android has superior hardware. He's still not interested in an Android handset, so it's irrelevant to him.

Compare for example the Samsung Focus and the original Samsung Galaxy S.

I'll bite. 800x480 PenTile Super AMOLED display. Made by Samsung. Similarities end there. Different CPU, different GPU, different memory configuration*.

*Focus uses 512MB for shared system and GPU, whereas the Galaxy uses 384/128 dedicated to each. NAND in the Galaxy is 20nm Samsung flash memory, whereas the Focus uses 32nm SanDisk flash memory. The Focus is so different from the Galaxy S and uses so many non-Samsung components that it might as well had been outsourced.

Originally Posted by sideways

WP7 and android both run on similar hardware with WP7 devices a hair (one_ish cycle) behind android. What that means is if WP7 manufacturers decide they want to play the mine is bigger game, well faster in this case but that would ruin the innuendo, they can go through an accelerated hardware evolution phase by cannibalizing Android hardware. It's the same people making them after all so very little R&D is required. So the cutting edge for android phones is relevant in my opinion as a benchmark for where WP7 hardware could quickly be.

Currently, WP7 is only certified for use on a few select Qualcomm chipsets, and as of now, there is no official support for multi-core (if it's in Mango, it hasn't been announced yet). Android is certified for use on ARM11, Cortex A8 from various vendors (Samsung, TI, Freescale, etc.), Cortex A9, Scorpion, Krait, and multi-core is fully supported.

OEMs are given a very limited set of hardware to choose from. Even Samsung isn't allowed to use their own processors. HTC has the most similarity between their Android and WP7-based handsets only because they primarily use Qualcomm.

EDIT: Nokia claims they will use a multi-core processor not made by Qualcomm in a future WP-based handset, but no specifics were given. That's the closest I've seen for confirmation on multi-core support.

[sideways]

Well... I'll just shut up then.

[The DarkSide]

Nokia??? I'm in!!!

[medion]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

Nokia??? I'm in!!!

You'll be waiting awhile. Their hint was that it likely would be later in 2012, not their upcoming 2011 handsets. I'm getting the impression that the next update after Mango is the one that enables multi-core support. I could be wrong.

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by medion

You'll be waiting awhile. Their hint was that it likely would be later in 2012, not their upcoming 2011 handsets. I'm getting the impression that the next update after Mango is the one that enables multi-core support. I could be wrong.

Meh! I'm not gonna wait that long - I might go back to android and get that "Note" phone/tablet hybrid instead then.