Technology Review

I’ll admit it – I jumped on the iPhone bandwagon. That sleek interface, all-in-one use of music, email, camera, and web browsing. And lets not exclude the apps, oh those sweet apps. (my current addiction is Tower Maddness) The phone was calling to me like hand held porn (and you can find that too).

My delight was insatiable, I tapped and finger pinched my way around, gobbling up Apples innovative and addicting tech candy. I held in my hand the modern day gift from Prometheus. So what does a guy do when he gets an awesome new gadget? He calls his buddies to share in the excitement. And to brag. Or at least he tries to call. The result; 3 attempts, 3 dropped connections. In today’s text explicatives. . . WTF!  How is this possible? I work in New York City, a major metropolitan area where wireless communication is as available as a dirty water dog. I should be able to make calls from the subway . . . going below the East River!

AT&T . . . Call me. We need to talk this. But do it on someone else’s service, for obvious reasons.

After my shock abated and my buddies stopped rubbing my face in a phone that’s less reliable then a stoned hippie giving directions, I began searching for a new phone for 2010. Here’s the quick and nasty of what I dug up for touch screen phones that can handle apps, music, email and phone calls.

Droid

Ever remember that Motorola StarTac? It’s the poster child of resilient cell phones for the 90’s. Well, after an interestingly long funk, Motorola has made a comeback with a new phone. The Droid is a great device with a clean and clear interface. It has a long talk time and quick response for music and internet. For those with gorilla thumbs, there’s even a QWERTY keyboard. To top it, it’s on the market for about $200 with contract. A good buy in my opinion.

Nexus One

Here’s my prediction: I see a future where “Made in China” will be replaced with “ Made by Google.” They’ll conquer everything from electronics, to kitchen utensils, to toilet bowls. Until then, they’re trying with the cell phone. This has by far one of the fastest processing speeds of all the phones out there. And the calling clarity is unsurpassed. Even better – it comes unlocked . . . but for $500 ($179 with 2-year T-mobile contract). If you’re an early adopter and a tech fiend with deep pockets, go for it!

Blackberry Storm 2

Its business, its functional, it’s a Blackberry. For the millions of Crackberry addicts that are jonesing for corporate functionality and compatibility, this upgrade from the initial Storm covers the needed Wifi and a more accurate touch/press screen. My bet is if you’re already a member of the BBM team, then you’ll stick with it. At a little less than $200 a pop, it’s a reasonable purchase for a corporate device.

Palm Pre

The Palm Treo 650 broke my smartphone cherry. I remember it with fond memories. It had limited touch screen, a camera, and an SD memory card slot. Palm’s attempt at revitalizing its once competitive cell phone segment is summed up with this baby. She’s slick and with a pull-out keypad (though smaller than the Treo’s) and performs one thing most smartphones don’t these days . . . multitask. You can check your email, your calendar and the web just to make sure you didn’t double book your Saturday night with a NY/Boston game and that tall leggy blond living across the hall. And at $150 clams, your wallet won’t be gasping for its life.