We know there has been an influx of news about the iPhone 3G when it was announced just a few hours ago. Still, it won't hurt to have another article about the next generation cellular device from Apple, right? Frankly, we would like to drive your attention to something closely related to the iPhone, but of a different nature: alternatives to the iPhone.
Over at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Steve Jobs has finally laid the facts out for months of speculations about the upgraded iPhone, the iPhone 3G. As the term indicates, the next generation iPhone will be 3G-enabled, and adds both GPS and Microsoft Exchange on this new iteration to reel in a bigger crowd. Targeted at a July 11th release for 22 countries, with another 70 countries to be included with the iPhone stock later this year, the competition is heating up, and consumers should gear themselves up for an exciting second half of this year.
Pretty as it may be, the updated iPhone 3G is not the only rose in the garden.
However, let's take a little breather from all the iPhone hype, and ponder for a moment: what's with all the iPhone love? Is it really all about the aesthetic, the interface, the updated features and the cool factor involved, or is there something more? Options are aplenty when it comes to devices that can hold its own against the iPhone's popularity, and thus, we present to thee a few choice devices that should be on your radar should you be seeking an alternative to the iPhone love.
HTC Touch Diamond
The unavoidable comparisons started a year ago with the introduction of the first of many Touch series phones to come, the HTC Touch. Once more, history repeats itself again, when HTC unveiled its next iteration of the TouchFlo interface, the TouchFlo 3D, on the brand new HTC Touch Diamond. Setting itself to be a strong contender in the touch technology market, the Diamond's entry sparked off a wave of interest for a phone that sports an aesthetic nature that rivals, or we might say, even outdoes the iPhone's stylistic design.
As the first of its HTC devices to be powered by the latest Windows Mobile 6.1, the Diamond has all the benefits of a productivity powerhouse as seen on a Windows Mobile platform, enhanced with HTC's very own TouchFlo 3D interface that creates a much smoother and more intuitive overlay on its navigation aspect. Masking off the original Windows Mobile 6.1 interface effectively, the TouchFlo 3D is the main driving force of the HTC engine, thus proving itself to be a strong contender against the iPhone's multi-touch interface. To prove the point even further, the upcoming HTC Touch Pro, with its integrated QWERTY keyboard, will be a favorite amongst furious typists who require a dedicated keyboard instead of an onscreen virtual QWERTY keypad.
Features-wise, the Diamond sports impressive specifications that include HSDPA of up to 7.2Mbps for download speeds and GPS ready with A-GPS. On the memory front, it's also equipped with 192MB of RAM, one of the highest offered in the current market, and not to mention a 2.8" VGA screen supporting resolutions of up to 640 x 480.
Samsung Omnia i900
Speaking from a form factor perspective, the upcoming Samsung i900, dubbed as Omnia, sports a strong similarity to the iPhone's basic design. However, if one were to delve deeper into the offerings of the i900, there is more than meets the eye with this upcoming Samsung model. Accelerometers and such are now part of the deal, similar to what we see on the Diamond, and more importantly, the inclusion of high speed HSDPA network support on both devices would give the iPhone a run for its money where speedy mobile internet connectivity is concerned.
With similar internal storage capacity options between 8GB and 16GB (with the former coming out first), and equipped with a 5-megapixel camera (something very rare on a Windows Mobile device), and topping it off with a 3.2-inch touch-screen, the i900 will definitely be joining in the dogfight when it makes it official appearance during CommunicAsia 2008.
The Samsung Omnia i900 is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1, and more importantly, comes with Samsung's TouchWiz user interface, which shows how much touch screen technology has evolved over the years.
Blackberry Bold 9000
It has been a while since we've seen an exciting lineup from Blackberry's offering, and this year, the stakes have been significantly raised with the news of a bold new move (pun fully intended) with the Blackberry 9000, codenamed Bold. On the interface front, Blackberry has gone through a whole new facelift, doing away with its colorful days of yore and takes a step into the sophisticated world with a brand new wire-line interface. More importantly, the Bold has entered a brave old world (old being the 3G world) and joins the big players in the connection race with its HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity options.
And of course, with a Blackberry in one's hands, it invokes a certain statement and image with the ownership, and you won't find both a business executive and a Blackberry device far from each other. With the Bold's new sleek design, you can look just as good while you work on-the-go.
Sticking to its QWERTY formula, with an all-improved wire-line interface that keeps up with the stylistic trends of various other mainstream devices, the Blackberry Bold does make a bold move when it breaks out!
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
Sony Ericsson's very first Windows Mobile device, the Xperia X1, will also be a device one should be paying attention to in the coming months. With no official word yet on its release date, other than the second half of 2008, the X1's interest value lies not in the commonly seen Windows Mobile platform, but its unique Xperia Panel that will utilize Sony Ericsson's very own interface that allows you to navigate through various dedicated panels for each specific feature that includes Web, Multimedia and Applications.
Not one to lose out, the X1 is also equipped with a 3-inch TFT touch-screen, and supports an impressive resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Its aesthetic nature does not say much in the slim and petite region, but in our hands, we did get a solid and strong feel to its 158g cool metallic body.
The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. We can't resist but snigger a little every time we use the acronym in our daily conversation, but we'll leave it to your own imagination as to why (check out the intials).
Closing Comments
Once more, we would like to reiterate our stance: every product has its values accompanying the pros and cons of each feature, so the common saying, "One man's meat, is another man's poison", stays true in this context. While we have provided some alternatives to the upcoming iPhone 3G that should hit our shores very soon, this does not mean that all interest is lost in the iPhone. Stay with us at www.hardwarezone.com as we keep ourselves in the thick of the action with our radars tuned intently on the iPhone's imminent arrival to a retail store near you!
Resisting temptation and constant ribbing from colleagues, we still had to put the original iPhone in this showcase. Why? Well, we are discussing about an alternative to the new iPhone, so the first generation iPhone does count as a possible alternative, so why not pick up the one that made it all possible at a really good price on eBay?
