I'll admit it. I'm a bit of a hardware whore. When the HTC EVO 4G was announced for Sprint at CTIA, I admit that I was a little more than giddy. Finally, a full fledged superphone on my preferred network. The tech specs read like a hardware geek's erotic novel: 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 512 Mb RAM, 1 Gb ROM, 8 MP camera, HDMI Out, and of course a WiMAX radio for ultra fast mobile speeds. I thought that these specs would more than make up for the shortcomings of my most recent Android phone experience, the HTC Hero.
Launch day arrived, and as I made my last Twitter update from the Palm Pre, I was like a school girl at a Justin Beiber concert. I waited in line at 6 in the morning at my local Sprint store and was perhaps the 30th customer in Knoxville to receive one. Everyone I showed it to was extremely impressed, and I even convinced a few people to switch. I was riding the EVO train and there was nothing that was going to slow me down.
Then the Honeymoon wore off. Two weeks later and I still hadn't acclimated to the virtual keyboard. I had set up my seven home screens with various News, Weather, Facebook, and Twitter streams, and it felt like overkill. I just didn't need them, it was information overload. I found myself compulsively checking my phone in the middle of conversations for no reason. I was finding out quickly that what HTC put down on paper was more glamorous than what they delivered. I can only use HDMI for movies and YouTube, and not apps? That doesn't work, Android doesn't really have a wide range of formats I can use. The HD video recording? HD videos didn't really turn out that hot and I ended up switching back to VGA resolution to save storage space. Pictures? More megapixels does not a good camera make. I find the Pre has a much better quality shooter. It's a camera phone. Rarely will I ever need to blow up a camera phone shot above Facebook resolution. That's why have a point and shoot camera. Video chat? Yeah it's cool, I'll admit it. But I find myself trying to find a practical reason I need it on my phone.
Then there's Android and the Sense UI. Despite my hardest efforts I couldn't get the EVO to feel as cozy and warm as my Pre had been when I first got it. I found myself constantly second guessing my swipes and button presses and I could feel it slowing me down. Long press here did something in this app, but something else in this app. It was inconsistent and chunky I've never felt this before on any platform I've ever used. I can't quite place my finger on it, but something about Android doesn't quite fit my workflow.
I finally had enough of the frustration, the second guessing, and the hesitation. I need a phone that I could use without actually noticing the phone. I returned my EVO yesterday, and I'm more than happy I did. I feel like I'm back in control again. Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of things I love about the EVO. I'm going to miss the screen size, the speed, and the WOW factor when pulling it out of my pocket. But for right now, the Pre just works better for me. I don't have to consciously think about what I'm doing, it just naturally flows out of me. And before I get an email saying that I didn't give it enough time, I used the HTC Hero for 6 months before I got my EVO and experienced the same disappointments.
And I'm not saying I won't give Android another shot. Google just hired the UI designer from Palm and I feel like they will do great things. But for right now, Android isn't there for me. I'm glad that it exists. It keeps the whole market on their toes. It incites innovation in hardware, software, and creativity across the board. Perhaps I'm in a niche, but I've always rooted for the underdog. I feel a connection with WebOS that I've never felt with a platform since I was using the iPhone. And while WebOS doesn't seem to get a lot of love in the tech media, the only love that really matter is that of the end user. And I can say I'm one happy end user.
Palm, I need to ask you a favor. In the next three months I need you to release a new phone. A 1GHz processor would be nice, as would a screen larger than the current 3.1" one. Something around 3.5" to 4" would be perfect. Something solid, with a physical keyboard. I don't really need 4G either. You can keep the 3MP camera from the Pre, it takes fine pictures. Give me 8GB of built in storage and spend the extra $5 and throw in a MicroSD card slot. Give me a glass screen that's flat, not curved. Keep the Touchstone. Improve Synergy. It doesn't have to be the best, Palm. Just good enough for me.
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