I've got a decent amount to write about, especially since I haven't updated regularly for a little while now, but let's start with closing off the recurring thread of my busted cell phone affectionatly referred to by a few people as "the brick". It has finally been replaced. I had been waiting for a nice high-end phone to come out that would meet all my needs and be stylish to boot, but despite the promises of the Pre & Magic (which I still refuse to call the "MyTouch") nothing has yet to keep my interest after they've been released.
Since "the brick" was so far past its prime that you couldn't even consider it seasoned, it had to be retired. I decided to go with a relatively cheaper "dumb" phone while I await a cell phone company to deliver the goods to satisfy my lofty specifications. Enter: The Samsung Solstice. One of the many black touchscreen phones on the market, the Solstice is the newer version of [apparently] widely successful Samsung Eternity. It includes a 2MP camera (fairly weak), 3G speed capability, and GPS (though locked by AT&T unless you pay $5 a month for their service). It's sleek and thin and for the first time in a long time I can put a phone in my breast pocket.
After using it for two weeks, I can easily say that I *almost* love this phone. I've forgotten how nice it was to have a phone that didn't need to be charged every night -- I've only had to plug it in twice since I first turned it on. It actually connects to the internet on the first try, and won't sound the alarm at seemingly random times. The best feature: it syncs via Bluetooth! I can sync phone contacts and transfer images wirelessly without the need to hook anything up between my phone and computer, and that in itself is worth the price of admission. I don't know if high-end phones can do this, and I'm not sure if I can live without this now. Mark my words: the first camera manufacturer that incorporates Bluetooth (heck, basic WiFi would be acceptable) into their line of digital cameras would be able to swim in money Scrooge McDuck style.
Not all is perfect in Solstice land though, and the minor knock I have against it is that while the main screen has a widget bar on the left, it isn't as customizable as I would like. You can only use preselected widgets, and can't add any of your own. So while I have a link to AT&T's music store which I can't get rid of, I can't add a shortcut icon to the downloaded Google Maps application. Luckily though, it has little buttons to my other most used features such as alarms, text messages, profile (to switch to silent mode), web, and the bluetooth menu.
The creepiest thing about this phone? It involves a link to Facebook on the main screen. It's not an actual app but instead launches the mobile browser to the Facebook website. I accidently hit the button and 'lo and behold, my logged in home screen is on there. I never entered any of my details... the only explanation I can think of is that somehow my log-in details magically transferred over via sim card.
In the end, this phone does what it should perfectly -- make phone calls, manages contacts, and handles text/MMS messages. Anything on top of this is bonus, and luckily these bonuses almost matches every line on my cell phone features want list. It seriously has me rethinking whether I will plunk down the big money later on when a "fully featured smart" phone comes out. Until then, I know I will be very happy with what I have in hand right now.
Since "the brick" was so far past its prime that you couldn't even consider it seasoned, it had to be retired. I decided to go with a relatively cheaper "dumb" phone while I await a cell phone company to deliver the goods to satisfy my lofty specifications. Enter: The Samsung Solstice. One of the many black touchscreen phones on the market, the Solstice is the newer version of [apparently] widely successful Samsung Eternity. It includes a 2MP camera (fairly weak), 3G speed capability, and GPS (though locked by AT&T unless you pay $5 a month for their service). It's sleek and thin and for the first time in a long time I can put a phone in my breast pocket.
After using it for two weeks, I can easily say that I *almost* love this phone. I've forgotten how nice it was to have a phone that didn't need to be charged every night -- I've only had to plug it in twice since I first turned it on. It actually connects to the internet on the first try, and won't sound the alarm at seemingly random times. The best feature: it syncs via Bluetooth! I can sync phone contacts and transfer images wirelessly without the need to hook anything up between my phone and computer, and that in itself is worth the price of admission. I don't know if high-end phones can do this, and I'm not sure if I can live without this now. Mark my words: the first camera manufacturer that incorporates Bluetooth (heck, basic WiFi would be acceptable) into their line of digital cameras would be able to swim in money Scrooge McDuck style. Not all is perfect in Solstice land though, and the minor knock I have against it is that while the main screen has a widget bar on the left, it isn't as customizable as I would like. You can only use preselected widgets, and can't add any of your own. So while I have a link to AT&T's music store which I can't get rid of, I can't add a shortcut icon to the downloaded Google Maps application. Luckily though, it has little buttons to my other most used features such as alarms, text messages, profile (to switch to silent mode), web, and the bluetooth menu.
The creepiest thing about this phone? It involves a link to Facebook on the main screen. It's not an actual app but instead launches the mobile browser to the Facebook website. I accidently hit the button and 'lo and behold, my logged in home screen is on there. I never entered any of my details... the only explanation I can think of is that somehow my log-in details magically transferred over via sim card. In the end, this phone does what it should perfectly -- make phone calls, manages contacts, and handles text/MMS messages. Anything on top of this is bonus, and luckily these bonuses almost matches every line on my cell phone features want list. It seriously has me rethinking whether I will plunk down the big money later on when a "fully featured smart" phone comes out. Until then, I know I will be very happy with what I have in hand right now.
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