Rant about Smart Phone Ads and Reviews

[Doctor Micro]

[RANT]
Is it just me, or is anyone else perplexed about why nearly none of the ads or reviews of all the new smart phones even bother to mention call quality, much less give a qualitative analysis or comparative graphs?

My latest read was a 5-page (!) review of the new Motorola Droid. The reviewer waxed eloquent and effusive about the display, the keyboard, thought the camera resolution was a bit fuzzy, yada yada yada... not one word about whether it actually worked as a phone, or how well.

Have we as consumers, and the manufacturers who cater to what they think we want gone mad? How did we get to the point where they can trot out the latest glitzy device, wait for our eyes to glaze over in awe over all the features (3G/4G/Tethering/WiFi/built-in GPS... ad nauseatum) and assume we'll put up with crappy call reception and/or quality?

Am I wrong, or shouldn't the ability to reliably make and receive clear phone calls be the core technology? I don't mind all the extra stuff, and some of it can be quite useful, or at least occasionally handy, but for God's sake, give me a phone that works!

Though my rant is inspired by the current smart phone genre, I see the same thing happening with the PC and laptops/netbook community, but that's another story.
[/RANT]

 

[NickCat11]

I never really thought about it like that because I'm to wrapped up focusing on all the other features they're advertising. You're absolutely right though about not focusing on the most important thing.

 

[JosephLeo]

The name of our modern day "cell phone" or "smart phones" are completely wrong. They should be called "Personal Communication Devices" or "Smart Devices" or something along those lines.

The "phone" feature has literally become completely without a doubt ubiquitous, omnipresent, and pretty much overlooked. Simply put- our modern day Smart Devices are full featured computers with the processing power of a supercomputer back in the late '80s for "omg did u c wut jenna did ystrdy?"

 

[studiot]

[smart ass comment]

Now a really smart phone would automatically adjust the user's english, as would a really smart forum.

[/smart ass comment]

 

[RicoS]

Verizon always pushes what separates them from the competition......its network and coverage areas (3g).....Verizon refuses to be defined by 1 particular device i.e. AT&T with the iphone.........the iphone is a great gadget.......but when it comes down to it, its ultimately a phone in which battery life and AT&T's network coverage is well behind verizon.........as well as all the other major carriers in the us........

 

[Doctor Micro]

Verizon refuses to be defined by 1 particular device i.e. AT&T with the iphone........

That may very well change a bit if/when Verizon starts selling the Droid.

AT&T's network coverage is well behind verizon.........as well as all the other major carriers in the us.

That seems to be the popular [mis]conception, but I disagree. Verizon's latest advertisements laud their allegedly superior coverage area and use two colored maps to supposedly demonstrate that claim, but the advertisement and the maps are disingenuous, as Verizon conveniently left out coverage on the map attributed to AT&T provided by cell phone towers not directly owned by AT&T and provide coverage to AT&T through reciprocal licensing agreements with their owners.

IMO, AT&T's biggest fault was underestimating the amount of bandwidth demand when the iPhone launched and became the gadget to have almost overnight. By now, they've caught up their infrastructure quite a bit, but they are still haunted by the earlier fault and the "I heard AT&T's coverage and bandwidth sucks" blog and word of mouth network buzz.

 

[Doctor Micro]

The "phone" feature has literally become completely without a doubt ubiquitous, omnipresent, and pretty much overlooked. Simply put- our modern day Smart Devices are full featured computers with the processing power of a supercomputer back in the late '80s for "omg did u c wut jenna did ystrdy?"

That's my point. Perhaps I'm a Luddite, but I believe a lot of us, particularly those of us in the business world actually still rely on verbal communication.

The day when I have to rely on a smart phone text message to a customer that says, "dude ur pcs rdy cm pkup" is the day I'm pulling down my shingle.

 

[8fold]

That's my point. Perhaps I'm a Luddite, but I believe a lot of us, particularly those of us in the business world actually still rely on verbal communication.

The day when I have to rely on a smart phone text message to a customer that says, "dude ur pcs rdy cm pkup" is the day I'm pulling down my shingle.

That's why I love google voice. SMS in complete sentences with a regular computer keyboard. Gotta keep it concise, though.

 

[RicoS]

When/If Verizon starts selling the droid? The Droid is just the OS the device runs on.......Verizon has 2 devices that runs the Droid OS......one by HTC which is horrible and one made by Motorola, which is awesome.....you cant tell me that AT&T coverage is better than Verizon.......maps or no maps......ask any iphone user if Verizon sold the iphone which would they choose........

 

[ProTech Support]

A little off the track here, but have you seen the commercials for HTC?

This commercial says absolutely NOTHING about the actual phone, features, or even what carrier - but yet I still find myself drawn in by the commercial.

Commercial

 

[RicoS]

HTC produces some attractive devices but they are horrible!! Im not surprised.

 

[bytebuster]

That's my point. Perhaps I'm a Luddite, but I believe a lot of us, particularly those of us in the business world actually still rely on verbal communication.

The day when I have to rely on a smart phone text message to a customer that says, "dude ur pcs rdy cm pkup" is the day I'm pulling down my shingle.

I use a $99 LG phone to receive customer calls. It's just a basic phone, and I don't have a text messaging service. I HATE text messaging, and Twitter. I can't understand why people just don't use the PHONE, instead of texting, and surfing websites during every spare moment. People are so attached to their smart phones it's scary, it's the new umbilical cord, people are ALWAYS ON THEM! It's like some people, especially teens, are retreating into their own shells, and only interacting with other people via text and quick "hook ups".

 

[ProTech Support]

HTC produces some attractive devices but they are horrible!! Im not surprised.

Well that is good to know, I thought they looked pretty good. Now only if they could have those great commercials AND great phone...


Guess you can't have your cake and eat it too

 

[RicoS]

Yeah, I think most consumers go off what a device looks like instead of its actual capabilities. IMO Windows based operating systems are complete garbage. I have been a Blackberry user for more than 10 years and I think that RIM, the makers of Blackberry gets it.