What's the Best Android Phone on Each Carrier?

Dear Reader: The Android operating system may be the first serious competitor to the iPhone platform -- with a slick interface and tons of cool applications. Unlike Apple's tightly policed Apps Store, Google's Android Market lets you download any program written by any developer.
Google Nexus One

When it came time to put its name on a phone, Google went all out. The .45-inch thick Nexus One is nearly all screen -- and what a gorgeous screen it is. The 800x480-pixel resolution shows more detail than a DVD and probably beats most HDTVs for quality, thanks to the use of OLED instead of the typical LCD technology. Colors, especially greens, are lush, and blacks are as dark as coal. All the better to show "Live Wallpapers", the gorgeous 3-D animated desktop patterns introduced in the new 2.1 version of the Android OS.
Eye candy aside, the high-res screen also comes in handy when reading long emails or jam-packed calendars, for example. The capacitive touchscreen on the OLED is very responsive and generally quite accurate. Driving the whole phone is the Snapdragon chipset that includes a one-gigahertz processor, 3-D graphics and HD video support. Translation: The Nexus One interface is extremely snappy.
Be warned, though: A few users have hit snags. In some cases, the touchscreen virtual keyboard misinterprets taps. In others, the phone pops off T-Mobile's 3G network and drops to a pokey EDGE connection. Google owns up to both glitches and has promised either software or hardware fixes. For T-Mobile subscribers, the Nexus One is worth the risk. None of its other Android phones come close in performance or design.
Other Options
Motorola Droid

Motorola brags that the Droid is the thinnest smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Our take: Fatter would be better. The "keys" are simply painted on a stiff sheet of plastic, and the tiny grooves between them provide virtually no tactile feedback. Fortunately, the virtual keyboard works quite well -- especially when turned to wide "landscape" orientation.
Samsung Moment

Motorola Backflip

When closed, the chubby phone's 3.1-inch (480x320-pixel) LCD is on one side and a (disabled) physical keyboard is on the other. Opening the phone flips the screen all the way around to hover over the (now activated) keyboard -- so the phone looks a bit like a mini laptop. The keys are big and easy to press, and the screen-keyboard setup feels very familiar and natural. Bonus features include a touchpad behind the screen -- an odd but effective way to maneuver the cursor. The Backflip also runs Motorola's handy Motoblur software; which is a kind of dashboard that shows updates of all your communications -- texts and emails, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter feeds -- in one glance.
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Comments
17
Subscribe to commentsalimaamoserFeb 13th 2010 12:48AM
Why would you not like the Nexus One interface and like the Hero? They are basically the same thing but the Nexus has the newer version of Android and has a bigger screen. If you want a different form factor, look at the Motorola Droid.
alimaamoserFeb 13th 2010 12:49AM
Why would you not like the Nexus One interface and like the Hero? They are basically the same thing but the Nexus has the newer version of Android and has a bigger screen. If you want a different form factor, look at the Motorola Droid.
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Suzy's CornerMar 12th 2010 9:06PM
My 3rd year wedding anniversary is coming up next week, and I really wanted to get my husband a new cell phone, since his phone is at least 5 years old! He doesn't use his phone for too many things, maybe a camera, but he usually just makes calls from it. What phone do you think I should get him?
roadofsilverMar 13th 2010 1:11AM
I don't know.. all of my friends with BlackBerry Storms say it sucks.. and I've used is several times, and the response time, yuck! it's honestly terrible! and the way you have to push the screen down to do anything... so annoying...
But, I must say, thats my opinion about their touch screen.. I have the old generation Curve, and one of my friends has the Tour.. I love both of them, especially my Curve.. it's virtually indestructible ^_^
KrisMar 14th 2010 5:46PM
The BB Pearl was too tiny in every aspect...too many functions for every key for someone like me who is on the go five and six days a week. The Curve (I have but no longer use the 8330) was better in a full QWERTY kb, but again, tiny keys. I had so wanted to stay in the BB family, but at the time the only other option was the Storm 2. I hated having to press the kb down to do anything. Who the heck thought of that???
So, I settled on the LG Chocolate Touch. It isn't bad, really...No flash on the camera, I could do w/o the FM radio, too. It isn't the quality of BB, and some of the BB's perks I do miss, but I'd say it is a good strong second choice.
I have heard both good and bad about the Droid. I rarely like getting new gadgets the moment the come out, b/c it seems some 'bugs' and some natsy ones at that are plauged in those new gadgets. I wait til second or even third editions come out. So far, I have been wise to do so, by what others who 'had to have it now' have complained about.
So, I think phone carriers i.e. Verizon, AT&T, etc and the phone companies i.e. Blackberry, LG, etc. need to get out of their labs and talk to the general public and ask us what WE want in a phone, what perks, what is a must, and what we could do without. Sometimes, coming out with a new phone first and fastest does not mean best.
johnnyomdMar 13th 2010 11:09AM
I couldn't WAIT to get rid of my blackberry storm. What a piece of crap!!!
amberMar 13th 2010 4:52AM
My son insisted on getting the LG Voyager. It was buy one get one free, so I ended up with one too. We both hate it! Now we are looking at the Plam Pre Plus, but we have to wait until January to upgrade. Does anyone know anything about the Palm Pre Plus? I don't want to get stuck for another two years with a phone we hate. We have Verizon. Any suggestions?
NtymetrophiesMar 13th 2010 6:30AM
Nothing beats the IPHONE 3gs! We looked at all the new smart phones with all the major carriers and nothing even came close or is as good as the iphone. The google platform is much harder to access the internet! I hated Apple products before and found it hard to convert to buying the iphone but just could not find a phone that worked as easy or as smooth as the iphone. Plus, you get thousands of APPs to pick from. Most of the major apps only support the iphone or the Blackberry.
MikeMar 21st 2010 10:31AM
Hard to access the internet? Whatever you're smoking, you might want to put it down now. All you have to do is touch the browser app button, and WHOOSH you're on the internet.
Typical iCult member mentality, though.
AndyMar 15th 2010 6:43PM
@Ntymtetrophies
You and most of these commenters have missed the point of this article. It's about Android phones. It assumes the reader is interested in the Android OS, hence the title "What's the Best Android Phone on Each Carrier?"
Note the "Android".
Right there in the title.
Before you even clicked through to this page.
MACH2FILMMar 21st 2010 8:36AM
Cell phone "madness". It worsens every day. I have yet to understand why it is necessary to tell the world where I am, what I am doing, who is my companion, etc., etc., etc. It speaks to me of millions of people attempting to build their own self images by being in constant contact with untold numbers of others doing exactly the same thing. It leaves no room for the mind to filter valuable information from useless drivel and separate it from that which is truly important.
MIchael Mc ManusMar 21st 2010 9:11AM
Agree with you completely. I used to have a job that required me to have the pager and cell phone. And there were day's I could not even go to the restroom without a distraction. Now, I have the freedom that the phone can stay in the kitchen. When I go out, I can enjoy a world with little or no distraction.
I do get a little anxious, when these clowns behind me in the car, begin to talk and talk away on the phone. I know one of these idiots will rear end me and my car one day soon.
ztk23ballaMar 21st 2010 9:31AM
i beg to differ, the iphone has a hot interface, and its a touch one too, it took RIM about 2 years to figure out a fake touch screen,
the blackberry storm uses 4 piezo sensors under the screen. The iphone actuall uses a touch screen.
twinklesMar 21st 2010 2:40PM
I got the LC Dare from Verizon two years ago and I call it the cheaper I-phone. It does almost the same things as the more expensive phone and in some cases more.
1. I have NEVER had to take it back for repairs and everyone of my family and friends owning a I-Phone have been back to the shop for repairs.
2. I can send photo messages much easier then they can and they can not get mine now since they've upgrade to the apple I-Phone. We used to exchange pics all the time...on all of their phones.
3. It is simpler to use.... I got my basics, e-mail, internet, music and all phone uses at the touch of a button ...
I can not however do several applications at the same time..We are scheduled to get upgrades nect month and I'll see if they have improved this model. If not, I'll keep this one.
Not sure we are happy with Verizon... the cell phonre business has become faceless drones selling you the product without the neccessary TLC after you've signed up. We always have problems mistakes with our bill and nobody wants to fix it. You end up counting the days until you can change services and never know where to go.... any suggestions for a people oriented customer service cell phone company ?
greyeMar 21st 2010 3:41PM
lol @Terry. you were being facetious, right? You sound a bit bitter about that phone you have there and hey, I can empathize, giving how it is nowhere at "beating" these other phones hands down. Blackberry is such an over hyped, yet underwhelming device. Please, move on to something that isn't prone to laughter.
Thank you!
blooberryApr 23rd 2010 2:06AM
No HTC love?! They build some of the slickest android phones there are. And please, quit with the bb and iphone crap.
Thomas HoustonApr 23rd 2010 1:00PM
@blooberry HTC did build the Nexus One. The Android market has really blown up over the past six months, so we'll probably have to revisit the best Android devices again soon. The Droid Incredible looks promising and can't wait to check out the HTC Evo 4G.