Tyler Uebele

So, It seems I am picky about smartphones. Having recently learned that I dislike the HTC EVO Shift, and merely don't like the HTC Arrive with Windows Phone 7, I was about to bail on Sprint and get an iPhone. When I called Sprint to verify I was out of contract, they seemed to get anxious, and transferred me twice before giving me a straight answer. they did, however, convince me to try one more phone before leaving, assuring me that I would be able to return a third phone; because they "want to keep" me, as a customer. Since I could not get an iOS device on Sprint, and I had already used a BlackBerry, WebOS, Android, and WindowsPhone7 device in the last twenty five months, I felt limited in my options. Giving into the idea that my dissatisfaction was HTC's problem, I went for a pure Android phone -- one without manufacturer or network software (bloatware) added: the Samsung Nexus S with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

The List

From my previous experiences I had determined my list of out-of-the-box functionality I hoped for:

• Make Calls
• Manage Contacts
• Manage Contacts with Multiple Mobile Phones
• Manage Contacts with Many Email Addresses
• Listen to Streaming media
• Send and receive email
• Review Emails Sent
• Send and receive SMS/text messages
• Switch arbitrarily between current tasks
• Control app volume separate from ringer volume
• Enjoy my user experience

While there's some uncertainly about what an app will do when I leave it, the apparent effect is that the app chooses whether to exit or background. And while it does take a few taps to see what's running (three, no longer five), I feel much better about this multitasking experience than my previous android device.

This leaves streaming media as the only "droid doesn't" out-of-the-box. I've downloaded a few apps to try to do this, but I have yet to find one that I would call "good" for the sources I want to listen from. (Anyone know a good Icecast2 client?)

Compared to Prior Experiences

Accepting that my experience and opinions will be biased by my previous experiences, I will opine that the Samsung Nexus S provides a better user experience than both HTC phones I tried. I attribute this to two main differences:

1. The Nexus S lacks manufacturer/network bloatware
2. The Nexus S shipped with a version of Android featuring UX improvements over the version shipped on the EVO Shift.

Would I have liked the Shift if I had just held out for Gingerbread? Maybe, a bit, but it was still laden with HTC's "Sense" UI.

The Device

The device itself has a few features and non-features I'd like to point out. The front glass is concave. They say this is to better fit the face, but it's not nearly enough to make a difference there. I expect it has more to do with protecting the glass from scratches by keeping it off the table (or whatever you place it on). The screen is beautiful and responsive; whether this was to keep it that way or not, this is a plus.

The phone lacks a way to mute the ringer without unlocking it. As I've mentioned previously, this is an annoyance. It also lacks a shutter button, which is not a big deal. Additionally, it lacks a notification light, which would have been nice.

The form factor is slick and comfortable; a good size for this class device, and smooth to the touch, making it a pleasure to hold. Both the USB and audio connectors are on the bottom; having them together is preferred. (Sometimes, though, it makes me want to hold the device upside-down, but the screen won't flip that way.)

The front and rear facing cameras are nice to have, but they take pretty poor pictures -- even in good light. What's that? "It's a phone with a camera that takes pictures like a cameraphone." you say? Well, yes; but given there are better phone cameras, I would expect this newer device to feature one of them. The camera LED/flash is good and bright, but makes a better flashlight than picture.

The wifi radio seems weak. I have not tested for any real numbers, but it consistently reports a weaker signal than any other device. Right now I am 1 meter away, and it only reports "Fair" signal strength. When all other devices do fine and further, this one falls short on wifi.

The Software

As mentioned, the Nexus S shipped with Android 2.3, also known as Gingerbread. Most of the "pros" are met in my list above, others are some of the other Google built-ins like Navigation (wow!) I enjoy this phone much more than my previous Android. It's hard for me to say exactly what was improved without an older Android here to compare directly, so I will pit it up against my points about Windows Phone 7, which provides a convenient list of talking points:

• Status Bar: The very top of the screen, which contains indicators of various things as time, battery, and signal strength, does not auto-hide. It stays where it belongs, uses the right amount of color, and doubles as the notification area, which can be accessed for further details.
• General Feel: Overall, it provides a better user experience. It puts more things where they are easy to reach, and improves others. It even looks better.
• Alarms: I tried the alarm clock feature and was successfully woke. So that's good. The phone comes with only 5 choices of alarm/alert sounds, but at least they have meaningful names.
• Calculator: The calculator gets a solid "meh". It lacks a "scientific" mode, hoping to get by wit a secondary keypad for some advanced functions. It would be better to have all these buttons on one screen.
• Calendar: There's a calendar, but I never use it.
• Camera: The camera software is a step up, if for no other reason than it saves my settings. The camera hardware, as mentioned, is just ok.
• Hotmail: Can you believe Microsoft didn't release a Hotmail app for a competing mobile operating system? Whatever, I really use Gmail anyway.
• Gmail: The Gmail app lets me add multiple accounts, see tags, and even review sent emails! Take that old phone!
• Maps: The maps application does feel right. It pretty much beats the WP7 bing maps in every way, except, I can't quite figure out what order search results are in here either.
• Messaging: Good use of space, but still doesn't differentiate between conversations last sent or received.
• Music + Videos: I have not used the Music + Videos beyond the discovery that I cannot play arbitrary streams with it.
• People: I can have contacts with multiple mobiles, and at least 20 email addresses. Scrolling through contacts is also better with the addition of the nub, which appears when you start scrolling, and can be used like a scrollbar.
• Pictures: There appears to be no access to pictures but through the camera. I don't miss facebook pictures, but a direct link to camera pictures would be nice.
• Market: The Android Marketplace makes my brain said with its high volume of cloneware, ad-supported variants, and redundant search results. I do kind of miss the WP7 market's model of "try before you buy" and wish that model would find its way to Android.

Maybe I'm crazy, and just broken in by the phones I didn't keep; or maybe it really is better. Either way, I'm going to stop worrying, and keep the phone.