Samsung Epic 4G reviewed [the competition] 89
Wed, 01 Sep 2010 7:14 pm EDT 
Since Sprint is currently the largest portion (if not the majority) of the webOS user base, we tend to pay attention when fancy new phones launch on Sprint. We lost a lot of Pre owners to the HTC Evo 4G, but there are many out there who simply must have a keyboard. Enter the Samsung Epic 4G, part of their cross-carrier Galaxy S platform (unlike the others in the series this one carries along WiMax and a keyboard).
Is another large-screened Android phone something that webOS users should be worried about? That’s hard to say, as the Evo with its HTC Sense overlay and the Epic’s Samsung TouchWiz UI are completely different beasts. We have to admit, though, at this point much of those that have remained with Palm to this point are the contract frugal and the webOS loyal. Whether that’s going to be enough to tide them/us over until Palm releases its first device under the auspices of HP remains to be seen.
Regardless, Phil over at Android Central has had his hands on the Epic 4G long enough to develop some 3,276 words worth of impressions, and in short the device really might qualify as Epic. Head on over to Android Central to check out the Samsung Epic 4G review (and then come back here to where you know you really belong).
89 Comments
bloody quitters... I hate Illinois Nazis .... I mean defectors...
Bloody quitters? Not sure what you are referring to.
As far as getting this phone goes, well I was pretty much sold on the EVO until this came out. I really like Swype and the physical keyboard. After playing around with Swype I really don't see the need for the physical keyboard, but hey, it's there. Another reason I prefer the Epic over the EVO is Samsungs Media Hub app. There will be movies and music and games that won't be in the normal Android market.
Something that is really pulling me toward an Android phone is all the Apps and Google's integration in Android as a whole. I think my next WebOS device will actually be a 7 inch tablet. WebOS 2.0 looks pretty cool but mostly on a tablet device.
I'm not going to lie: I REALLY like this phone. Played with it in store and boy is it slick. However, the singular reason I'm staying with my Palm Pre is due to the $10 "premium data" add-on that is required for 4G phones. Screw that, 3G has served me well so far, why would I pay 10 bucks for something I don't care for and cannot even use in my area?
If there were an option to 'opt-out' of the $10 fee, I hate to say that I would be very tempted to jump the webOS ship. ;/
alright Joliet Jake... That's awesome!
bloody quitters... I hate Illinois Nazis .... I mean defectors...
WebOS loyal.
I want to be as well, but my loudspeaker and ear piece is blown. Pre's hanging on for dear life
hmmmm ... Back swipe results in double post.....
I know I hate that I posted like 3 comments early today
does anyone know what % of palm users sprint actually has?
I'm curious if the other carriers ever caught up after offering phones for free, BOGO, etc.
it would also be interesting to know what percent of webos users on sprint are still using webos (the smart ones).
if I was interested in android, this is the one i'd buy. Now that exchange support is improving in android.... Nah. It's still webos ftw.
I can't get to Android Central at work (for some reason corporate filters block it but not Pre Central, this is fortunate since I have a Pre).
I am definitely one of the contract frugal. I really like webOS and would rather carry a webOS device than Android.
But the Epic is everything I want in a phone minus webOS: Sprint, 4G, big high res screen, keyboard, expandable/replaceable memory, faster processor. If HP just purchased this device from Samsung and installed webOS I would suck it up and buy one tomorrow.
I don't think I will be in a position to switch for another 6 months, so hopefully HPalm will have time to complete and introduce a phone that can compete with the Epic.
not even thinking about leaving samsung sucks at service after the sale with their phones . Did not even come with the newest software. The next palm phone will blow it out of the water
I can't fault them about rolling with 2.1 instead of 2.2. At least it's not Dell and 1.6.
lol. And that's the Streak. Dell's "phone" runs Android 1.5. :/
It does seem like a REALLY good phone, from everything I've heard about the various other iterations of the Galaxy S this thing will be just great. And the keyboard on this one is apparently the best out there at the moment.
...but I'm still waiting for whatever the Pre2 turns out to be. I have a feeling I won't be disappointed that I did.
I don't think I could do without the best bits of web-os anymore (true multitasking, the cards metaphor, and gestures), even if there never was another web-os device. I'd hang onto my Pre until it crumbled.
WebOS 'till I die or 'till HPalm kills it... (where's my new Palm phone?????)
You were dead on Derek when you said that the keyboard kept most Pre owners at bay when it comes to the Evo, but the Epic is really calling my name! I was considering jumping ship for the Evo but the keyboard was something that I could not look past... with the Epic now available there really isnt much holding me to my Pre Minus right now.
IF AND ONLY IF they would drop us a clue on what they were doing I would happily stay... if only... :(
not even thinking about leaving samsung sucks at service after the sale with their phones . Did not even come with the newest software. The next palm phone will blow it out of the water
Webos til you die? Whoa buddy palm is not paying noone to stay!
I'm not gonna lie, I'm gonna keep my pre till I die too. I don't care how outdated it gets, webos is the bee's knees. I find myself tryin to swipe away cards all the time on all my other electronics. I'm stayin loyal to HPalm
I haven't tried the Epic yet. One of my buddies who is a former (until today) pre user got his Epic today, and of course he's all gaga over it. I'll be checking it out thoroughly, though. I'm a die-hard physical keyboard user. The Evo looked great, but without the keyboard it was easy to say no.
I love webos, so, at this point, I'm waiting for 2.0 and quickoffice. I'll be interested in the new hardware, but do not plan on upgrading right away. If 2.0 is a flop (which it won't) or if quickoffice doesn't show up (which it will) then I'll have to give serious thought to the epic or some other android phone with a keyboard. In the mean time, I'm waiting it out with my pre.
It looks like a great device, a few nitpicks though. The horizontal slider certainly has it's drawbacks. I take public transit and I can type one handed on my pre, much harder to do on a horizontal qwerty. Otherwise the hardware is pretty much everything I'd want.
The OS on the other hand.... Is STILL ugly, I don't like widgets, and the OS fracturing is still a significant problem. The Droid was rumored to not receive Froyo until VZW customers demanded it (only 9 months into release) and the Hero will not receive 2.2. Non-support of existing devices is completely unacceptable, one of the few things I applaud Apple for.
So, you don't like widgets, big deal. Android does NOT force you to use them. Just remove them from your home screen(s) and there you have it...widgetless Android.
This is what kills me about webOS people who are completely ignorant about Android - it is very customizable out of the box, even without rooting.
Honestly, I think the biggest thing I would miss about webOS is the unintrusive, yet completely usable, notifications. Awesome multitasking? Nah, i've got a Pre minus and I typically never have more than one, two or at most three cards open at once. I love Synergy and understand 2.0 is going to extend that, but my concern with that is with so many apps hooking into it that will slow the phone down.
Notifications and Multitasking are the only things stopping me from jumping ship. :) I've had multiple cards open. Install the "new card for each IM target". Now you can chat with multiple people at the same time quickly. It's AWESOME. If webOS didn't have such a great notification and multitasking system, I'd have bailed a long time ago and would've shrugged and though "why would anyone care about webOS anyways?"
Synergy is meh for me. I wish it acted normally (non Synergy) but when you first load up Facebook/Email/IM it'd ask "Add all contacts/Prompt for each contact/Add none". And each person in your contact list has a checkbox "Synergize". I don't add my other email accounts in fear of Synergy.
yes, you should be afraid. i'm getting one this month. i will dearly miss my cards, but the amazing hardware and incredible variety of apps wins this round. i'm sorry, HPalm.
@UncleKeg and just to let you know, i'm a kentucky nazi. though i appreciate the movie reference :)
Well, I'm still switching to the epic for the main reason everyone else would: keyboard, high resloution super amoled screen, hummingbird processor. I was a 100% sure about my switch, which will be in the next 3 weeks, but then out comes webos 2.0 leaks with stacks, just type, a bunch of need api's released to developers. I'm a little iffy about switching now. But here the problem, I'm as much a hardware guy as I am software and if I don't see any hardware or any Mr.Blurrycam photos leaked from now till september 18th, it looks like I'm gonna be an Epic 4g user. I still stand by Webos as having the best OS out and with time they will beat out all the comp, it just doesn't have the attention the other os's have.
Well, I'm still switching to the epic for the main reason everyone else would: keyboard, high resloution super amoled screen, hummingbird processor. I was a 100% sure about my switch, which will be in the next 3 weeks, but then out comes webos 2.0 leaks with stacks, just type, a bunch of need api's released to developers. I'm a little iffy about switching now. But here the problem, I'm as much a hardware guy as I am software and if I don't see any hardware or any Mr.Blurrycam photos leaked from now till september 18th, it looks like I'm gonna be an Epic 4g user. I still stand by Webos as having the best OS out and with time they will beat out all the comp, it just doesn't have the attention the other os's have.
damn double post!
I don't want a horizontal slider in the next Palm HW. I much prefer the vertical.
bleh... landscape qwerty?
why not just pull out a netbook while you're at it? Useful for Zaphod Beeblebrox, noone else.
don't knock the landscape qwerty my friend. It's really pretty damn good. Especially if you have an OS where the orientation (on everything, OS and all apps) changes when the keyboards is opened. That was one good thing about old Windows Mobile. If Palm can make that happen with webOS, I'd be down.
upgraded from pre to evo in july (relax, i'll come back once hp releases something new, can't deal with the lag). in the meantime i love the speed of the evo! bought the epic for my girlfriend yesterday and i like it much more than my evo. screen is ridiculously nice and the size is perfect to hold. speed is quick on 2.1 and it feels lighter for some reason. the camera is also much better than the evo from my initial tests (nothing scientific). the super amoled screens are just beautiful, i suggest taking one for a spin... i'd switch my evo for an epic after using the device for all of 30 minutes.
That about sums up everything I like about the Epic (and everything I detest about the Evo and other slab phones).
webOS loyal (though I did play with the HTC EVO but it failed to impress me)
My Pre broke again, but now my warranty is up. I went Evo, Samsung sucks. But WebOS I'll be back.
look we got to give it to them that phone is hands down sexy I have used the evo 4G and it feels better because of the keyboard but android is so hard to use kinda annoying unlike WebOs is so danm simple my mom knows how to use my phone in 5 minutes my mom!!!! She hated the evo because she didn't know how to get around that OS so palm an HP don't fuck with us because we will switch sides we are tired of being loyal
Looks and sounds like a solid device. Worthy of Palm switchers. A good placeholder until something much better comes along. A decent first choice if I had to put down my WebOS.
+1.
Love the form factor & ergonomics. Screen, camera & MicroSD are all nice improvements over the Pre. All in all a pretty compelling phone.
I'd like a landscape slider option for a WebOS phone. Maybe with HP's resources behind them Palm will release WebOS 2.0 on devices in multiple form factors (portrait kbd, landscape kbd, virtual only, etc).
The Epic with WebOS would rock, and if I had to defect, it'd probably be my first choice. But I'm WebOS loyal so I'm sticking with my 1Ghz overlocked, themed, patched uberPre. I'm waaaay interested to see what new hardware Palm has in store for us, but I'm not going to rush out to get it on Day One (probably) as long as my Pre continues to hold up.
Mostly what I want to see from Palm (and expect I will with HP behind them) is better build quality/hardware and a good camera (5-8MP, autofocus, LED flash, front facing 2nd cam). Something along the lines of the Epic would be great, IMO.
This is it! This is the phone that I've been waiting for Palm to release! I am so picking one up this weekend.
I switched. Had a Palm Pre which was stolen a few weeks ago, never was able to locate it -- and no, I didn't have one of the locator apps installed :( :(..
Anyway, I was faced with a $100 deductible for insurance to replace the Pre (Sprint) or get a new phone, since I was eligible for an upgrade. Both Palm Pre hardware and WebOS lost this round... My Epic 4G is lighting fast compared to my Pre, has a huge screen, tons more apps, front facing camera, bar code scanning, Google Maps that doesn't take 10min to load, voice recognition, a much larger keyboard etc etc. I *do* really miss the elegance of WebOS (esp the cards, nothing comes close!) but Android is very nice as well. I am up and running now with Synergy like syncing in no time.
Sorry guys, maybe WebOS 2.0+ and Pre2+ will bring be back when I'm due for an upgrade again.
I got an Epic yesterday, but will be back with Web OS when the new phone is released. I must say the hardware is fantastic.
I love:
1. The Google Voice integration
2. Hardware Build Quality
3. 4G where I live
4. Gorilla Glass
5. Processor Speed
6. Screen Size, colors and resolution
7. A few of the apps
I don't love:
1. Pushing buttons at the bottom instead of gestures
2. Lack of real synergy. Only syncs contacts with Google, Exchange and Facebook
3. Don't be fooled by the number of apps in the Android Market. I'm missing some of the Web OS Apps already.
4. Most things take 3 or 4 steps in what I can do with Web OS in 1 or 2.
oh, and the multi tasking experience on Android sucks too. I miss my cards :(
What's wrong with Android multitasking?
It just sucks. I like Web OS Multi Tasking. I can switch back and forth between cards so quickly and enter information from one card onto another. Android multi tasking just doesn't work well compared to Web OS. Am I using it on my Epic 4G, yes, but is miss the deck of cards and gestures. I hope Matias Duarte can do some good work with Android 3.0 "Gingerbread".
I'm going to laugh at people who switch if Palm/HP comes out with even better hardware running WebOS 2.0 some 31 days after these folks switch.
If I was in the same boat as some of these folks, and liked WebOS (who doesn't?), then I would at least wait another month or so to see what Palm is coming out with. I mean really...do you really need to do the switch now (totally defective phone users are excused from this one)?
No, I do not really need to switch now. I really needed to switch back in July.
September is overdue, so I will switch now. I like WebOS a lot, so if HPalm ever releases a new device maybe I'll get it.
Or maybe not. Android looks pretty sweet. Maybe I'll just stick with it. It's more popular so it has more apps. I'm sick to death of everyone releasing an iPhone app, then an Android app, then maybe, just maybe, whip together a poorly-designed WebOS app.
Have you noticed that the WebOS catalog has added around 1000 apps in just the last month or so? The release of the PDK has greatly accelerated the rate of release of new apps, a lot of which are direct ports from iOS. They're adding several dozen new apps a day. When WebOS 2.0 hits in a month or two, you will see many more new apps, especially ones that use the mic and camera.
In my opinion, patience is a virtue.
I agree that patience can be a virtue, but too much patience can be a fault.
I'm glad that the app catalog added 1000 apps in the last month or so, but why should I care? They could add 100,000 new apps and I still will not care, if they are not the apps that I want.
Where is my Remember The Milk client? With Android, I can have a widget right on my home screen that tells me what I need to do today.
Where is my video chat client so my kids can chat with their grandparents and great grandparents at any time or place that is convenient?
Where are my voice commands so I can dial the phone, text, set up nav, etc., in the car without killing myself?
Where is my wifi tethering so I can work wherever is convenient? Yeah, I know there's an app for that, and yes, I have it. Every time there's a WebOS update, it seems to break. I have no clue if it's still working after the latest update.
Where is my barcode scanning app?
I won't keep talking your ear off, but the Epic can do all these things, and do them today. Why in the world should I wait for Palm to maybe implement some of these at some vague time in the future?
Look, my Pre has served me well, and it was a sweet little device when it came out, but now it is way behind the times, and in ways that are meaningful to me. Now, it's got a crack that originates at the USB port and is slowly creeping toward the button. I sure would like one of them indestructible gorilla glass screens. Sad I need to even say this, because I am not hard on my phones at all.
In this case, any more patience would be a fault. Especially, since where is my Netflix streaming app like iPhone has? Do you think the next platform will be Android or WebOS? Right, you do know. Where's my skype app? On WebOS, when? Ever?
To be clear, I'm not leaving because my launch day Pre is slowly falling apart. I'm sure it would last another 6 months, easy. I'm leaving because there is a device out there right now that does what I want to do right now.
And with several manufacturers cranking out devices on that platform, I can be reasonably assured that there will always be a device out there right now that does what I want right now. Looking back, putting all my eggs in one basket wasn't very smart. I guess I figured Palm could do what Apple does, but I guess I figured wrong. Palm is no Apple.
And they'll be laughing at you if HPalm doesn't come out with a new phone for six months, or if they come out with a phone and it isn't on Sprint.
The chance a new phone coming out in 31 days? 0.09%.
As soon as I can convince my wife I need a new phone, I'm Epic and Android bound for a year. After that year i'll re-evaluate what HPalm has done while I've been off Androiding.
If you honestly think a new phone won't come out this year, then you aren't paying attention. How many hints do you need from HP and Palm? Besides, they came right out and said new hardware was coming this year, and we already, officially, know that the PalmPad is coming out early next year, so that ain't it.
When WebOS 2.0 hits, I think you can be pretty much guaranteed that either a) a new phone/s will hit, or b) the new phone/s will have been released first.
Besides, go to Android. I've tried it. It sucks. It's not about WHAT you can do with your phone when all the important stuff is covered, it's HOW you do it. In that department, Android blows. It just does.
How long can we really be expected to live on hints and 'whens'? How hard would it be for a 'leak' of a new phone and it's features?
Everytime I use my wife's iP 3G and try to swipe away a message from her e-mail inbox or use a gesture to do something the way I would on webOS I am reminded of how good webOS is and how happy I am that I decided to defect from AT&T and my Blackberry over to Sprint and webOS.
But then I look at my small cramped screen and my limited memory. The two features that almost kept me from buying a Pre in the first place.
I read the vague references from HP guys that phone are definitely in their plans and I wonder how much longer webOS can make up for what is, IMO, inferior hardware.
I will wait the rest of this year for certain as I don't have $200 to spare on an Epic. But come bonus time in February HPalm better have some compelling hardware to go with its fantastic OS or this Pre owner will be moving to an Epic, which by that point will be Android 2.2 with Flash support.
HP/Palm needs to clear the inventory from the channel before they announce new hardware. This is simply good business.
If they announce a new WebOS device, NOBODY will buy the old ones.
Let's just have fun hacking the heck out of our Pres and the new stuff will be here before we know it!
(OTOH, I went by the Sprint Store today and took a look at the Envy and ... WOW!!! It's really sweet and weighs less than our Pres do.)
Come on HP/Palm. Make us say WOW, will ya?
This wait another month thing is getting old I hear this every month how many months do you wish someone to wait...why not just say a year that way you don't have to keep adding a month every month. People are tied of Palm and the crap pre and want something new because they can every year and yes I own an Evo.
WebOS 2.0 is coming out in the next month or two. Every hint and comment from HP/Palm has basically stated something will be out this year (the PalmPad won't be out till next year, so they weren't talking about that).
What's waiting another month or two if the OS is worth it?
He's just a troll. His presence here validates the fear he has that WebOS will become a major player in the wireless Space. His pale complexion doesn't go well with medals made of bronze.
In my view OS run like this:
1. webOS
2. iOS
3. Andriod
4. anything Windows
Why on earth would anyone wanna take 2 steps back from webOS?!!
Sorry, but Andriod is ugly, less useful than webOS, and plagued with issues. And for apps, this goes for iPhone too, who cares how many apps you have in the store total when really they are just the same app redone 5 times over under a different name or theme?
Sorry, but Android is way better than iOS.
Nevermind some of the neat stuff Android has baked in, but the notifications and multitasking alone just destroy iOS.
Umm.... I don't argue with your #1 (I personally like webOS more than the other OSes) but
1) Ugly? Yes, relative to iOS and webOS. Otherwise it's totally fine looking.
2) Less useful? Um, yeah, let's be serious here. :-/ It's much more useful than webOS. They have voice commands, fantastic gmail integration. Push email that doesn't kill the battery. Better battery life on most of their phones. 70,000 apps (if there's an App for webOS it's probably there for iOS and Android). Does phone calls, email, text messaging, IM, calendaring without a hitch. Android w/ Sense does Synergy. Basically it does what webOS does plus more.
3) Plagued with issues. Sure. And webOS isn't? You're living in a fantasy world if you don't think webOS isn't plagued with issues as much as the other OSes. Hell my phone turned itself off without warning once already. And then just recently I reset my phone and it just turned itself off and required me to pull the battery to start up again.
4) App count... is totally overrated. But iOS/Android do have apps that would be useful that aren't on webOS. For example, I went to Lollapalooza. They had an iOS and Android app which had the schedule and let you plan out your schedule. Not essential but nice to have. Note, no webOS version. My cousin who flies for work often stays at Hampton Inn most of the time and wants to keep track of her points. iOS has an app to do that. webOS... doesn't. You get the idea.
Let's be reasonable with judging the competition. webOS has it's definitely plusses, but it's definitely not the best phone OS when you look at all the factors. IMO it has the best POTENTIAL in a phone OS tho. :)
Android maybe ugly iyo but in sales AndroidS on top and that's all that matters and your webos and cards is not drawing in the mases...Its a failed system on failed devices.
One year ago, Apple sales ruled. Two years ago RIM sales ruled. 4 Years ago Nokia sales ruled. People are like sheep...they go to where everyone else is going. The trick is to make them realize which is the best out there and make it the "cool" thing to have. Palm failed to do that with the Pre and Pixi. Maybe they will succeed this time around. The point is, the sales don't mean a whole lot. What matters is having the functions you need, many of the functions you want, and being able to have the usability that WebOS provides. It's how you do things on your phone that mattes most, and WebOS, IMHO, rules the roost. With the App count rapidly accelerating (thanks PDK), one of the other WebOS nay-saying issues is rapidly diminishing.
I am sticking with Palm. I just wish that they would hurry up and release the new phone. I am beginning to feel the tech bug. I withstood the desire to get an IPad, I have hope for a PalmPad, but still want a lot more Apps. and I would love to have a new phone on Sprint before Christmas
i always love a blues brother quote.
I'm thinking about it I have to admit, I've been with Palm for a long time in the treos and now webOS. Would love a new phone to come out, but they have got to be on a 12 month new phone, 6 month refresh cycle or they will never compete.
I think the face of the phone is sexy, but I think landscape keyboards are hidious. They turn the phone into a mini netbook.
I'm contract frugal, and I'm hoping a webos phone will stil be the best for me by the end of it. I'm also hoping that the other carriers will have more competitively priced plans, But who knows.
Looks like a nice phone, but it's running Android. No thanks. It's webOS or nothing for me. Besides, I don't have big hands, so the huge keys that are spaced so far apart from one side of the keyboard to the other would just slow me down and give me tendinitis.
Hey its my old HTC Mogul. If palm would ever read a user comment i hope its this one. Please please never go back to some bunk brick type device styling like this. That sh*ts garbage. Reminds me of winmo nightmares (pee wee herman: HAAAMMMMBBURRRRGEEERRR)
Dude your joking right, that thing would eat you mogul for breakfast and crap out an iphone by lunch. It's larger than I want the next pre to be and I don't care for a landscape kb, but it still has tons of power.
i don't care what they bring unless webOS folds up or something i am sticking with the best. i am just that into Android.
I've been curious about this since I heard about it. It definitely looks like a nice device, all around. I've never used Android, so I can't say how the OS stacks up.
I'm a WebOS loyalist. I love my Pre, I love talking about my Pre, and I'm excited about the new features of 2.0. I'm dying as much as anyone to hear about new hardware. But I've been sitting on my upgrade for almost a month waiting for the announcement. If it doesn't come and my phone breaks or something, maybe I'll consider just upgrading for the time being. I would have to play with it before I decided, however. But what I am looking forward to the most is the next iteration of the Pre. Can't wait to see what they unveil when the time comes to do so.
The Epic has every feature I want in a device. Its dead sexy but I'm addicted to the ease and elegant simplicity of WebOS. If android could match that I'd be face to face with a sprint rep right now.
Ah shucks!!!! Let's face it guys and gals - we are all Palm users here commenting in this forum or at least was a Palm user. And since the intro of the Pre (on sprint as most of us are) we have been loyal Pre'er. And if it wasn't for the rooters giving us some hope and chance to compete with other devices. WebOS is just an outstanding OS with not so good hardware support. And yes hopefully eventually HPalm will come out with another device. But when and what? Is the question most of us want answered. And until then AndroidOS isn't that bad and has some OUTSTANDING hardware devices running it. My Pre is on its last leg but I did update the kernel using uber. That said it's ok speed wise but I still have to deal with a smaller screen, battery door cover broke off (on third phone and same for all), battery life sucks, volume up button doesn't work, etc... And 100$ for a replacement well f'that! So I am going to go with the EPIC. The landscape KB isn't my favorite design however I have used swype and onscreen KBs and they aren't so bad for quick responses. Personal info/TMI - I am a Electrical Engineer that focus on hardware builds so by nature I hate to use good software on hokey hardware! I mean we (sprint) never even got the Pre Plus - Fuck That!
Exactly. Look back to early 2009 when webOS was announced. Android was a 100 pound weakling -- webOS was a 10 pound weakling. Android skyrocketed from there and webOS floundered (with the exception of us willing to deal with hardware issues and waiting for updates to arrive).
So what did Google do that Palm didn't that gave it the meteoric rise? Honestly I think it was the decision not to license the OS. Android started coming on all types of devices from all sorts of manufacturers. webOS came on the Pre and Pixi. So, in order for someone to choose webOS they had to choose between two phones -- not much of a choice.
Had Palm decided to license webOS we could have had it on HTC, Motorola, and Samsung devices too. At that time the market was completely wide open, webOS could be where Android is today. It is a better OS, most people think so, but better OS alone does not make a success.
Now, it is too late in the game to do that. Those manufacturers have their hands full producing Android devices, without heavy backing from HPalm that route is now over. The only solution is to produce their own hardware.
So while we all sit here awaiting the next Palm webOS phone, what we really need to be waiting for is the next **SET** of webOS phones -- in different form factors and speeds.
+1. I have my Pre UberKernel'd and overclocked as well, but after using the Epic 4G it seems super slow. This comes to prove that native 1GHz is faster than forced/OC'd 1GHz, at least when it comes to current generation smartphones.
From day one of seeing a Pre I fell in love with the OS. It's the closest to an actual PC on your fone as you can get. Unless somehow HPalm goes under or stops making webos fones I'm not leaving.
All I can say is that I was a PALM loyalist bought my Pre on launch day. I love the cards and multitasking but they did not keep up with the times. I now have a launch EPIC, I do miss the cards but one thing about android EPIC is all I have to do is hold down the home key and all my running programs popup on the screen along with the option to kill unwanted apps. Not as good as WebOs cards but damn good for now.
My Wife got the Epic on Tue. It is a slick phone, and the keyboard is great. I'm not in a hurry to upgrade, so I'm waiting to see what the next Palm phone is and if it has 4G. Though the fact that Sprint seems to be forgetting about the WebOS phones has me a little worried. I'm really pissed that the Football Live App hasn't been updated for WebOS but has been for every other platform. Esp since they sent out a press release a couple of weeks ago saying it was available on any phone capable of running SprintTV.
WebOS is the best OS out there, but Android phones are so specced out that it makes me jealous. I just saw a Samsung phone on Tmobile - can't remember what it was called, I think it was the Galaxy? The screen was big, crisp, looked very nice and it came with Avatar preloaded, which they could hook up to the TV through a hdmi cord for 720p output.
My pre's slider is starting to die on me. Please release or announce a new phone TODAY HPALM!!!!
That's the Vibrant. Excellent sister phone to the Epic 4G.
Seriously, noone should be hating on these phones. Android is a legitimate OS and it isn't going away anytime soon. It has huge marketshare, which speaks to its accessibility. The Galaxy S series as well as the Droids and the Evo have set the bar higher for what the next WebOS device must be.
But I really can't take seriously anyone who dismisses Android out of hand.
I know everyone here thinks that webos is the nices most intuitive OS there is with the card swiping and lack of buttons... but to the masses that are used to buttons its not that intuitive to them to use and they prefer buttons to swiping. I went to several retailers to observe and most people wouldn't give the Pre/Pixi the time of the day they just bypass it... those that did got frustrated and went to what they are familiar with phones with buttons. I even watch this guy return his Pre because it didn't have a back button... he said what a stupid phone how do they expect someone to use this thing. Even though I had my Evo with me I attempted to show him but he wanted buttons. So the moral of the story is webos is not intuitive to everyone as you may think and this is also affecting sales sending them to Android, hence Evo/Epic. Its hard to teach new tricks to what's not broken buttons.
I made the switch and am 100% happy I did, the Epic 4g completely blows the doors off my Pre! I will be purchasing the next device produced by palm/hp but I refused to keep using out dated hardware and see no software improvements. I didn't like android as much until now its amazing and so is webos but right now the Epic is at the top of the food chain and the Pre is somewhere close to the bottom!
Agreed. I also switched from the Pre to the Epic this week and after using Android for a few days, all I can say is that the other smartphone OS manufacturers (including Apple and HPalm) are in deep doodoo. I love my Pre still, but damn Android is nice!
I hope I feel the same after a few months though.
I want this phone with WebOS on it.
I was all behind my Pre, I bought apps as often as I could to support developers and I recommended the phone to everyone I could. I made excuses for its shortcomings as just futures fixes. I never intended on getting an Android based phone on what i read about the OS from other Palm users. But after spending the past month with my EVO, I realized how behind Palm is. People can talk about multitasking and fragmentation all day long, but when I comes to using Android and its many, many apps, it just works. I can switch apps quickly and no lag when many are running. My EVO OS never freezes. If an app freezes, the "Force Close" popup kills it and I move on quickly. No waiting with no warning of whats going on or battery pulling like I had to do with my Pre. And even if my EVO needs to be re-started, it takes a whopping 50 seconds versus nearly 4 minutes for my patched OCed Pre. And my EVO is rooted and OCed. I'm not saying the next WebOS2.0 device won't be awesome but it will HAVE to overshoot the competition to stay viable, not merely match it. People can call me a traitor but in the end I wanted a phone that worked the way I wanted with more options now, not in the future.
EDIT: I meant to post all that to as a reply to some other post. lmao. move along..
Boot time on the new WebOS device better be SIGNIFICANTLY faster than on the Pre!
I've had my Pre since September 2009, which was when my AT&T/iPhone coupling expired. I was happy to get something new. I've enjoyed using my Pre, but it nor webOS hasn't been getting any love lately. Don't get me wrong... I love webOS. It was and is a nice breath of fresh air from the iPhone experience, but it seems like to me it's being neglected way too much.
Directly after work today I went to my local Sprint store and I played with an Epic 4G for the better part of 2 hours. The keyboard is great, the Super AMOLED display is breathtaking, and the list goes on. I'm by no means attached to Palm or any manufacturer. I just use and get whatever and whichever device offers the best feature set from when it's released. With that said, Android devices seem to be the "in-crowd" lately, so I think I'll be getting such devices as my soon-to-be Epic 4G gets older.
I got the iPhone back in 2007 (generation 1) and it served its purpose very well. I then went Pre and it's served its purpose really well as well.
With all that said, I agree that people dissing Android for the sole reason of "it sucks" without any backing is stupid. I enjoyed using the Samsung Epic 4G, and I plan on being a proud owner of said beautiful device in the relatively near future..likely in the next few months as I save up money for one.
*shrugs* Everyone in this thread, and pretty much anyone backing Palm keeps waving the Web OS 2.0 flag. Yah, what do you expect the software quality to be when that comes out? Seriously. Based on Palm's recent history...Even if it does ship this year I still expect a patch to two before it stabilizes.
I'm pretty much done waiting on Palm. October 1st or I'm just getting an EVO or Epic 4G. Even best case scenario hPalm comes out with maybe 2 models this Fall. The development scene is so damn anemic at this point that its going to take a year or more to get the same apps that are already on iOS and Android. And that is making a BIG assumption on sales and growth in a quarter or two, which like it or not IS a big factor for if a dev supports a platform.
Meanwhile Google will continue to update their OS at the same frenzied pace that they have been over the last 2 years. Manufacturers will continue to roll out a metric crap ton of phones giving everyone a choice of form factors...Really...everything about Palm is based on assumptions and potential. We know only the most basic of info on the hardware and almost as much on WebOS 2.0. I'm sorry but at some point the scraps of info become insufficient to hold off a renewal of a contract and to replace a 2 year old phone.
And before someone starts trumpeting the "well it would cannibalize sales if they gave us more info. Who gives a shit. No really. Again if they are releasing a new phone before the holiday shopping season that is less then 3 months from now, what sales are they really cannibalizing? I can guarantee you more people are more likely to go Android or iPhone then Palm at this point by no new info on a new device then if they were given details on an upcoming model. In short the Pre is an irrelevant phone at this point compared to everything else on the market....no one cares about it other then Palm fans. The best strategy for hPalm is to start building up buzz by announcing more info on the hardware. More official info on the OS. Because MAYBE....MAYBE if I saw something compelling enough before October I would consider paying month to month for a couple month to hold out....as it stands...no info = nothing coming out IMNSHO.
Well...I just have to say that my wife jumped ship yesterday and got the Epic 4G! After playing with that phone for a while, I'd just liek to say...LOOK OUT EVO; HEAR I COME!!!!
I am an first day release Pre-minus owner who bought an Epic 4G a month ago. I have both. Here''s the deal. WebOS is the best, easist to use, most dynamic smartphone operating system available. If WebOs 2.0 or higher ever becomes available on Sprint, so much the better. Android cannot touch it. The Epic is fast, has a brilliant screen, and a nice camera although 4G is mostly a gimmic at this stage, even in Washington DC where I work. It often is not even available. The biggest obtacle to HP/Palm right now is the availability of apps. Android and I-Phone have the attention of the developers and HP/Palm must turn this around or they are doomed.