Is anyone else considering a switch?

[Edaze55]

First off, this isnt a rant about things wrong with the Hero.

I've mentioned the possibility of switching from the Hero to the then named Samsung Instinct Q even before the Hero launched.

As I've posted in another thread, Im still considering this possibility. Only now we know it as the Samsung Moment.

Let me first say that I really dont have any problems with my phone. It sleeps, I dont use any of the "battery fixes". Lag isnt a real issue as I dont leave multiple apps running. Battery life isnt a true issue as Im always close to a charger should I need one. The only real issue I have is dust under the glass. That said, its only been two weeks. Im sure its going to get worse.

I can get by with the Heros keyboard, but I really dont like it. Which is, and always has been my main reason for prefering the Moment over the Hero. I know some of you think this is a step backwards, but I dont. What its going to come down to is how good the Moment feels in my hands.

I have heard at least one other person talk about a possible switch as well, so Im wondering if anyone else has considered doing this, and if so why. Just to make things more interesting, even if you arent thinking about switching, I'd like to hear why.

 

[rebs]

I'm considering it, but only because of the issues I'm experiencing. My biggest issues are the sleep issue and a little lag (usually with the keyboard or switching from portrait to landscape mode).

I should add that although I'm new to this forum and this is my first Android device, I have played with Android before and I'm an IT geek by profession, so I'm not a complete newb...plus I'm a little more tolerant of issues....(although the fact I can't resolve these issues is very frustrating)

Having said that, these issues with hero are nagging enough for me to consider switching. The downside is the Moment doesn't support multi-touch or have the sense ui, so I don't get integrated messaging. These are hard pills for me to swallow.

I think it'll all boil down to what fixes I get in the next week.

 

[Edaze55]

I'm considering it, but only because of the issues I'm experiencing. My biggest issues are the sleep issue and a little lag (usually with the keyboard or switching from portrait to landscape mode).

I should add that although I'm new to this forum and this is my first Android device, I have played with Android before and I'm an IT geek by profession, so I'm not a complete newb...plus I'm a little more tolerant of issues....(although the fact I can't resolve these issues is very frustrating)

Having said that, these issues with hero are nagging enough for me to consider switching. The downside is the Moment doesn't support multi-touch or have the sense ui, so I don't get integrated messaging. These are hard pills for me to swallow.

I think it'll all boil down to what fixes I get in the next week.

I was under the impression that the Moment could support multi-touch, just that native android 1.5 and I believe 1.6 do not. I also thought I read that 2.0 was suppose to be bringing multi-touch to android.

I could be wrong and this could all be just wishful thinking.

 

[rebs]

I was under the impression that the Moment could support multi-touch, just that native android 1.5 and I believe 1.6 do not. I also thought I read that 2.0 was suppose to be bringing multi-touch to android.

I could be wrong and this could all be just wishful thinking.

You could be right. I heard that there could "potentially" be an upgrade that allows multi-touch support on the Moment, but that it didn't support it out of the box.

As far as multi-touch support on Android 2.0, I've seen two conflicting reports including this preview which said there was no multi-touch.

Android 2.0 'Eclair' Leaked, Screenshots Look So Good | Android Central

 

[Wams]

Hey Edaze55,
you thought of exchanging it for a new one??? i have had no trouble with any under glass issues. if thats the only issue you have, i would try to switch it out. i mean samsung, really????? i just can imagine owning a samsung!!!
good luck tho!!

 

[pdragon]

Part of me is debating switching due to the real keyboard. I'm really not sure, though, as this is my first touchscreen phone and I've never had one with a flipout keyboard either. My reason being is that I do like playing games on it and the flipout keyboard would be much easier for that.

The one thing that is making me hesitate, though, is that HTC seems much more responsive as far as their ongoing support than Samsung has ever been.

I'm going to wait til I can go to the store and actually play around with one then make my decision.

 

[michaelkahl]

I haven't had any dust issues under the glass and I carry the Hero in my pocket. There's lint galore in pockets, but I have had 0 issues myself. I just thought I'd offer that for consideration and to show my support for the posters suggestion on trying a new phone.
You know I'm a bit torn on this phone. One one hand I love Sense, on the other one I get frustrated with some of the slight hang-ups. One day I'm in love with the phone, the next I'm shaking my head in frustration. Depending on which phone shows up on a particular day I have a different opinion.
At this point I'm keeping an eye out for Moment reviews (they are popping up), Droid news, and any other potential contenders.
As much as I can get frustrated with it, this phone has taught me how limited my iPhone really is. I thought that even with it being JB there was a lot of added functionality, but it still lacks certain things that I like about Android and Sense.
I'm set that I'm going Android, I'm just deciding my platform now. Droid and the Hero really are the top contenders (even the Verizon Hero/Eris). The Moment isn't completely out of the picture as it is still very interesting. The 800MHz cpu and AMOLED display do draw me in.

 

[Edaze55]

Hey Edaze55,
you thought of exchanging it for a new one??? i have had no trouble with any under glass issues. if thats the only issue you have, i would try to switch it out. i mean samsung, really????? i just can imagine owning a samsung!!!
good luck tho!!

Thanks, I have actually thought of just a simple trade of Heros, which is still a possibility if the Moment feels too cheaply built. I will be paying very close attention to the reviews of the Moment that start to pop up in the next few weeks.

I really just like the overall look of the Moment better, which is not to say its actually going to be better.

Part of me is debating switching due to the real keyboard. I'm really not sure, though, as this is my first touchscreen phone and I've never had one with a flipout keyboard either. My reason being is that I do like playing games on it and the flipout keyboard would be much easier for that.

The one thing that is making me hesitate, though, is that HTC seems much more responsive as far as their ongoing support than Samsung has ever been.

I'm going to wait til I can go to the store and actually play around with one then make my decision.

I dont have anything bad to say about HTC or their support. Doing a little background checking into the Samsung Galaxy, it does appear that they have tried to keep up with fixes fairly regularly. Maybe some issues havent been addressed as quickly as some users would like, but as long as they dont abandon the product I think it'll be fine.

 

[MikeG7265]

I'm also considering the switch to the Moment. My biggest concerns with the Hero have been the battery life, I've tried a few of the fixes, and some days it lasts, and on other days, it's dead in a matter of hours. Like one of the other posters said, I don't know from day to day which phone will show up. The Sense UI is pretty, but I find myself only using 3 of the screens anyway, and with the battery issues, I try not to use too many of the widgets....and they are part of what drew me to the Hero in the first place. My other concern has been the vaibration of the phone, it is really weak, and I have missed more than a few calls and text messages because of it. I'm sure its possible that I may have gotten a bad one, and it may just need to be exchanged. And if there is a way to adjust the sensitivity on it, I sure can't find it.

I have adjusted to the virtual keyboard a lot easier than I thought I would, but would still like to play around with the keyboard on the Moment and see how it feels and responds.

I really like the size of the screen and definetly don't see myself going back to my Tour anytime soon. So I too will be reading as many reviews on the Moment as I possibly can over the next week, and then going into a store and getting a hands on before I make my final decision.

I have to say that I really like the way the Hero feels and the sound quality has really been good, I'll be interested to see how the Moment feels.....It's going to be a tough decision either way, but I will be staying with the Android platform.

 

[philip0871]

I love my hero, the only real issue i've taken with it is battery life. But this is nothing a new larger battery wont fix. I hate slide out keyboards, and the moment just looks really plasticy. In my opinion the hero is by far the sharpest android phone.

 

[quentinfisher]

If anyone does make the switch I'd love to hear their compare and contrast on the two devices. I'm intrigued by the hardware keyboard, but the bulkiness usually associated with slide-out keyboard phones is a deal-breaker for me. I'd love to hear how the optical trackpad stacks up against the trackball though ^.^

 

[andy22]

I am happy as all hell with the openness of this phone.

 

[Andronix]

Moment will come with cupcake, cool.

 

[romeosidvicious]

I am thinking about a switch as well. Here are my reasons in no particular order:

• I am a nerd and want to play with another device
• The Momet has a much better processor
• The HTC specific issues like the messaging app will go away
• Stock Android is must customizable than the Hero
• The Moment will probably be easier to root since it's closer to stock Android
• It's shiny and did I mention I am a nerd who like to play with new toys?

I won't expound on these right now but will gladly add to the thread more in a while...

 

[mustang5o]

Considering the various issues I've had with the Hero I am considering the Moment or going back to my Blackberry for a little while longer. I love the possibilities with this phone but I can't help but feel that it was pushed out too soon. Why not put at least 1.6 on it? Will it be upgradeable to 2.0 for sure? With a faster processor and no Sense UI the Moment might be the way to go. Tough decision.

 

[blue636]

I've used the iPhone 3G, every BlackBerry you can imagine and a handful of smartphones in between. I know a lot of BlackBerry and Android users are iPhone haters, but seriously, after having the Hero for a few days it makes me appreciate the solid hardware and software of the iPhone.

With the iPhone, I never experienced any lag and the battery wasn't really an issue for me. The UI and OS are just simple and it works and the way it interfaces the hardware really shows the benefit of creating your own hardware and software. Yes, the iPhone has its shortcomings and it's not perfect, but it is head and shoulders above all other touch screen phones (and perhaps some would venture to say smartphones in general).

Android and HTC have done pretty well with the Hero, but it certainly can be better. The thing is, Android is a year old now and it looks like it's going to finally become the OS it should be with version 2.0. And that's just a guess.

Am I going to switch? Probably not. I like the Hero even though it has given me a few headaches since I've had it, but it's not so bad that I can't live with it. Another reason I'm not going to switch is because I like Sprint's plans and I'm not going to get the Pre or Instinct any time soon, if ever. The only other phone I'd use on Sprint at this point is the BlackBerry Tour, but I wanted to spend some time away from BlackBerry for a little while. Outside of the Tour, Sprint's best phone right now is the Hero, so I'm keeping it.

 

[romeosidvicious]

I have to admit that the Pre is on my radar for sure. The fact I can get a local shell, set up a tftp server, and provision a Linux server from my PHONE appeals to the nerd in me. The lack of developers for the Pre makes me hesitant so the Moment is my top choice IF I switch. I will probably hash out my decision on here between now and the 1st and see what happens.

 

[shadrap]

The Hero is and will continue to be the best phone out for Sprint until after the first of the year. The UI from HTC makes all the difference. You might as well get use to the UI now. I am of the belief that HTC will continue to bring great phones to Sprint and that HTC will be their top brand.

 

[romeosidvicious]

The Hero is and will continue to be the best phone out for Sprint until after the first of the year. The UI from HTC makes all the difference. You might as well get use to the UI now. I am of the belief that HTC will continue to bring great phones to Sprint and that HTC will be their top brand.

I have to disagree. Sense UI is eye candy and while functional I don't use more than three screens on any scene and that is what vanilla android offers. The Moment is a much faster processor, more RAM, and a higher rev of Android which will address some of the issues that Hero users are seeing because some of them are no doubt related to HTC's cramming CDMA into the 1.5 rev of Android. If the UI is all that matters then the Hero may be the best phone for you but if performance matters then the Moment will frankly kick the Hero's ass up and down. HTC honestly skimped on this phone it has the same processor as the Touch Pro which has been out for while and meanwhile Samsung is dropping a 800mhz proc into the Moment as opposed to the 528mhz proc in the Hero which means the Moment will be almost twice as powerful out of the box, able to handle more processes at once, and will be a true 1.6 revision. If you like eye candy there's plenty of home replacements out there in the app store that are eye candy as well. Heck the Palm Pre's processor is better than the processor in the Hero. HTC used yesterday's technology on this phone's processor. Skimped on internal memory as well. The Pre has 8GB internal memory (but no SD card capability) compared with the Hero's 512MB which has about 100mb available for user installed apps when the Moment comes with 288 meg available to the user. The ONLY thing the Hero has going for it is the UI and I can easily live without the eye candy on screen for a more powerful phone with fewer issues.

 

[blue636]

If the UI is all that matters then the Hero may be the best phone for you but if performance matters then the Moment will frankly kick the Hero's ass up and down.

You might be right, but let's not get too carried away. The phone isn't even out yet. There have been plenty of hyped devices that never lived up to expectations. I've yet to see a Samsung device whose hardware makes me say, "Wow." The Moment could be the one, but I'm keeping my reservations until I do a hands-on.

 

[romeosidvicious]

You might be right, but let's not get too carried away. The phone isn't even out yet. There have been plenty of hyped devices that never lived up to expectations. I've yet to see a Samsung device whose hardware makes me say, "Wow." The Moment could be the one, but I'm keeping my reservations until I do a hands-on.

Same here! The hardware specs look good but the overall phone design is weak then it's a wash. It appears, at this point, the proc and available space are so much better though. I figure the Sense UI takes up a good chunk of the 512MB Rom so the Moment's free space is explained there. My wife has a Samsung Rant and for what it is it is a solid phone. I can't have a text based phone with the lower capabilities but if they followed the sturdy design, beats LG's designs in the same space by a mile, the Moment could be great. I may swap even if it isn't great to just get another thirty days and see what's on the horizon or I may go with a Pre for a while...

 

[shadrap]

I have to disagree. Sense UI is eye candy and while functional I don't use more than three screens on any scene and that is what vanilla android offers. The Moment is a much faster processor, more RAM, and a higher rev of Android which will address some of the issues that Hero users are seeing because some of them are no doubt related to HTC's cramming CDMA into the 1.5 rev of Android. If the UI is all that matters then the Hero may be the best phone for you but if performance matters then the Moment will frankly kick the Hero's ass up and down. HTC honestly skimped on this phone it has the same processor as the Touch Pro which has been out for while and meanwhile Samsung is dropping a 800mhz proc into the Moment as opposed to the 528mhz proc in the Hero which means the Moment will be almost twice as powerful out of the box, able to handle more processes at once, and will be a true 1.6 revision. If you like eye candy there's plenty of home replacements out there in the app store that are eye candy as well. Heck the Palm Pre's processor is better than the processor in the Hero. HTC used yesterday's technology on this phone's processor. Skimped on internal memory as well. The Pre has 8GB internal memory (but no SD card capability) compared with the Hero's 512MB which has about 100mb available for user installed apps when the Moment comes with 288 meg available to the user. The ONLY thing the Hero has going for it is the UI and I can easily live without the eye candy on screen for a more powerful phone with fewer issues.

Well I would think that it would be more than just sense ui swaying the reviews that have started to come in. Every review that I have seen has rated the moment less than the hero. I would like to think that these reviews were made, based on more than a pretty face, considering that is what they do for a living.

I will play with the moment, just like the rest of you, and if it is better. I will trade. I am a cell phone junkie/ nerd and love to have the latest and greatest, so I am open to the possibilities.

As far as the Pre goes. Don't even go there. The ui on the pre is nice, but that is where the phone begins and ends.

 

[rebs]

I have to disagree. Sense UI is eye candy and while functional I don't use more than three screens on any scene and that is what vanilla android offers. The Moment is a much faster processor, more RAM, and a higher rev of Android which will address some of the issues that Hero users are seeing because some of them are no doubt related to HTC's cramming CDMA into the 1.5 rev of Android.

I love the sense UI, but I'm considering going to the moment and rooting it. However, I'm under the impression the Moment does *not* have more RAM. Also, the demo I saw from sprint showed the moment running 1.5. Could you post your sources for the memory and 1.6? I'm not questioning you...I'm just trying to make any informed decision.

Right now the fact that the moment apparently does not support multitouch and is slightly larger are huge drawbacks for me.

I still maintain that the 528mhz processor is sufficient to run sense ui, but question whether HTC has the skill to pull it off. To be frank the Sense UI has been out for awhile, and should be optimized by now. There is some prioritization that needs to occur for the display and the keyboard (which have been documented on some other sites).

Here's what I got:
Proc - Moment (528 vs 800)
RAM - Essentially Equal. One report says Hero 288(?) and Moment 256MB
Display - Moment (more colors AMOLED screen)
Screen Interface - Hero (Multi-touch)
UI - Hero (Sense UI)
Camera - Equal (Personally don't care. Hero has 5mp, but no flash. Moment has 3.2mp with flash)
Form factor - Personal preference, but I like Hero's smaller, lighter interface better.

I am definitely considering switching...and leaning that way if HTC doesn't put out a serious update in the next week, but it's far from a slam dunk for me.

 

[romeosidvicious]

As far as the Pre goes. Don't even go there. The ui on the pre is nice, but that is where the phone begins and ends.

Not quite. The only thing holding the Pre back right now is a lack of development. It is a true nerd's phone. Root is easy and it's a true Linux root shell not a hack and you don't have to install a new ROM to get it. Huge internal memory. More open than Android (GPL vs Apache licensing). A better proc than the hero. It's got a lot going for it overall. The fact I can get a true shell on it is enough to put it in the running. Hell you can install a TFTP server and kickstart a Linux install from the Pre. It's a geek's phone hands down but I want to see where WebOS goes before jumping the Android ship. If WebOS is going to stick around then I will probably head that direction but Palm is struggling so I will wait, probably get a Moment, and see where WebOS goes.

Also not all reviews are panning the moment. In fact the negative reviews I see so far boil down to "doesn't have Sense UI".

Samsung Moment (Sprint) Smartphone reviews - CNET Reviews - Not panned - Mentions MUCH better screen than Hero

The bottom line:
With its full keyboard and bright display, the Samsung Moment successfully rounds out Sprint's Android offerings.

YouTube - Samsung Moment for Sprint - part 1 of 2 - Nice unbxoing and the UI, while vanilla, looks snappier than the Sense UI on the Hero.

 

[troyboytn]

Sprint couldn't pay "me" to take the Moment. The Instinct permanently ruined by perception of Samsung phones forever. I will never own another Samsung phone (under any condition). A Pre on the other hand, is a different story. If the next gen Pre should have either a virtual, or a landscape slide keyboard, I would seriously consider it. Until that time, I'll stick it out with the Hero.