Is Desire Overrated?

[aussienitro]

After holding onlto my old motorola L6 for 6 years I just ordered a Desire based on a number of internet reviews showing it at the top, even trumping iphone4 and Galaxy.

But on closer examination of youtube/user comparisons it falls far short of its competitors in nearly every aspect.

Compared to the Samsumg Galaxy the Desires,

*Video Camera is sub par (slower frame rate, less true colour).
*Internal memory is woeful (what were they thinking).
*Processor rubbish (lags 3D games whereas galaxy will not).
*Multitouch bugs out (cant draw two lines at once).
*Screen size smaller.
*Screen unusable in direct sunlight (samsumg "super" ANOLED is better)
*Speaker is tinny and weak.

I just cant find anything "good" about the Desire when directly compared, am I missing something? Is it simply the Desires interface that is better?

I find it a bit disturbing that I wont be able to download any android app/game and play it on this even though it was said to be a powerhouse, when its clear that the hardware is left lacking when compared to its equal priced competition. I haven't recieved item yet, but have a week to return if not satisfied so I'm up in the air as to what to do.

Am I missing something about the Desire?

 

[Nodders]

Yes - tonnes. I don't recognise most of your issues btw e.g. internal memory is not an issue with app2sd, I've never had any problems with multitouch, screen size isn't an issue, I have to squint to read the screen in sunlight but you do on the galaxy as well etc etc etc. Where did you get your gen from - the Samsung site?

Why can't you download android apps and games? I've yet to find anything on the market that wouldn't run well on the Desire.

 

[matttye]

The Desire is the best combination of excellent hardware, software and price. The Desire is expensive when bought sim free but you can get really good deals on contract.

Whilst the Samsung Galaxy S has better hardware, the Software is not as good. Whilst the iPhone 4 has better hardware (and to some, software), it is severely locked down by Apple and there's only so much you can do with it.

Video camera is fine if you follow the tips often posted on this forum. Remove the plastic lens cover and the camera quality improves a lot.

Who cares about internal memory when you can buy a 32GB MicroSD card?

The processor is not rubbish just because it doesn't play 3D games all that well. It's a smartphone not a gaming machine

There is rarely ever a need to draw two lines at once other than a few select apps.

A 3.7" screen is plenty big enough for most people.

Screen is perfectly usable if you turn full brightness on. Not great, but usable.

No defence to the speaker, I agree it sucks

 

[balders]

Why don't you wait until to have received the phone to pass judgement?

 

[Nodders]

Here are some other comparisons on a super quick Google search - it looks like each phone has some bits better than the other as you would expect. Tonnes of these things out there, I'm still not sure where you got the impression that all aspects of the Galaxy are better than the Desire.

Here and here.

 

[Tunga]

Am I missing something about the Desire?

Yes, you seem to be missing the actual phone .

 

[balders]

Yes, you seem to be missing the actual phone .

Why didn't I think of that.

 

[WozzaTT]

I wouldn't say it's overrated but it does have its weaknesses and niggles, like any phone does. For me:-

Battery life
External speaker
Screen in sunlight
Many apps just aren't as good as Apple's, but are improving.

Loads of plus points though!

 

[DMXXX]

Whoa you're sounding a tad too pessimistic there. It's a high end device and while some of its competitors are better in some areas, it also makes other mid to low end phones pale in comparison. Bare in mind that both Galaxy S and Iphone 4 are somewhat newer than the Desire and some slighlty better hardware is expected.

The processor definitely ain't rubbish as it can run most games perfectly and in reality only really struggles with Gameloft titles (they have been increasing the optimization for snapdragon processors with their recent game updates, so all of their games are playable). At the end of the day though Desire's main focus is not on gaming and if you really want to play every new 3D game smoothly then get some other phone.

The small internal memory can cause problems but since Froyo is out you can install apps, that allow it, to memory card (and force those that don't even without rooting).

The camera, admittedly, is not amazing but it's decent enough for taking photos and recording some clips. Who really uses their phones for serious photography/filming anyway?

As far as the screen goes the smaller size compared to GS can be considered as either a plus or a minus so that's up to personal preference and while the screen is bad in sunlight it's still usable and I think you can improve the visibilty with an anti-glare screen protector.

You are dead on about the speaker though as it is very sub-par and while the multitouch limitations are dissappointing they only really affect gaming.

To me though the choice was easier because neither the Iphone 4 or GS have been officially released yet in my country and when they will be they will cost a fair amount more than the Desire(especially the iphone which is ridiculously overpriced here).

To conclude I think you won't be dissappointed but if you feel that better visibilty in sunlight and hardware better suited for gaming is a must then going for something else would be a good choice.

As a note I'd say that waiting a little while might have been a good idea since the next gen Android phones appear to be around the corner. This goes to me too.

 

[Bunjiweb]

*Video Camera is sub par (slower frame rate, less true colour).

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the video quality, it is better than that from my dedicated compact digital camera which supposedly has a higher mp sensor. Once 2.2 is on your device you will get 720p video which is even better!

*Internal memory is woeful (what were they thinking).

I'd agree on this, but again 2.2 gives you app2sd and this should help! Personally however i've had loads of stuff installed before it starts telling me memory is low.

*Processor rubbish (lags 3D games whereas galaxy will not).

I have experienced NO lag on 3d gaming on the Desire, not like I did on the underpowered HTC Hero. I have even been playing lots of PSX games on PSXDroid emulator, all of which are lag free! if you think 1ghz is rubbish then you are seriously wrong, the Galaxy S does have a better graphics chip but I haven't experienced anything that has slowed down on the Desire, and the 2.2 makes it even better! I've even been using Rock Player to play different DivX films and I had it running a 720p video the other day at 24fps which I think is very impressive. DVD quality DivX at 576p runs best and looks fantastic on the Desire screen.

*Multitouch bugs out (cant draw two lines at once).

Don't think i've ever experienced any multi-touch "bugs" myself, I thought the desire screen detected 7 touches at once if the software also supported it. Most standard android software however detects 2 at once.

*Screen size smaller.

Smaller, but better for most people's pockets and big enough to be great for watching videos or reading web sites in landscape.

*Screen unusable in direct sunlight (samsumg "super" ANOLED is better)

I wouldnt say unusable, not as good as an LCD screen maybe, but this is something all AMOLED screens suffer from as each pixel lights itself! With auto brightness enabled I find the screen gets bright enough outside to read all I have ever needed it for.

*Speaker is tinny and weak.

It's a phone, are you expecting dolby digital surround? The output for headphones is very good quality, and the inbuilt speaker is good enough for ringtones or the odd youtube clip....

I think considering you haven't even got the phone yet you are massively over-analysing this phone! I think it's fantastic and I havent got the 2.2 update yet.

The Samsung Galaxy S's biggest downfalls are it's pathetic TouchWiz UI that is nowhere near as good as HTC Sense and the overall feel and build quality is not up to the standard of the Desire, which feels much more solid IMHO.

Both are great phones, but even though the Desire has better graphical power, i'd still have the Desire myself.

Ben

 

[chris 290]

Lol sounds like you want a samsung galaxy s then,i would suggest that you go and try them out in store - and throw in the iphone4 while your at it.

Personally i researched really well before I purchased and agree with reviewers that desire is best at the moment.

The samsung is so ugly I just couldn't. Oh and the one I saw in store was so laggy I was astonished that they would show it in that state.

Iphone 4, was tempted and took a look, was not blown away by the screen. I'm an adult and as such play games on PC and consols.

I want a phone to be good at phone and internet which the desire is great at in both respects.

 

[aardys]

desire is undereated , everyone should have one

 

[anoniemouse]

You will find some phones are supposed to be better at somethings than the desire, but the desire puts all the parts together & ties it all together better.
Best way to describe it is the other phones are like High quality jigsaws not quite done, where the desire is a good quality jigsaw that is complete.

 

[aussienitro]

Wow thankyou for the many and detailed responses.

To be honest I may be jumping the gun a bit, but it was disturbingly easy to write a long list of things where it was outclassed. Hell I've only ever had an L6 thus I'm sure it will blow me away regardless.

The Samsung Galaxy S's biggest downfalls are it's pathetic TouchWiz UI that is nowhere near as good as HTC Sense and the overall feel and build quality is not up to the standard of the Desire, which feels much more solid IMHO. Ben

True, that is more important then all the points in my original post put together. Just seems a shame that they could have done that plus equivalent hardware thus such comparisons wouldn't even be in the same league.

 

[chopsy]

I spent hours deciding between the desire and galaxy and am so pleased I choose the desire.

On paper the galaxy wins hands down but at the end of the day I need something that does what it says it can do quickly and easily.

I have only had a very few minor issues with my desire, and I believe most people are the same. If you look over on the galaxy forum there are far more 'how do I' or complaint threads.

The extra features of the galaxy (screen, tv out, internal storage) are brilliant but how often will you really use them?!

If your really into mobile gaming then the galaxy is better but eve then there aren't many games at the moment which need all the power.

 

[matttye]

Wow thankyou for the many and detailed responses.

To be honest I may be jumping the gun a bit, but it was disturbingly easy to write a long list of things where it was outclassed. Hell I've only ever had an L6 thus I'm sure it will blow me away regardless.

The Samsung Galaxy S was released three months after the Desire, plenty of time for Samsung to add extra features to try to beat it. Same with iPhone 4.

It's the software that makes the Desire so great, but having nice speedy hardware to make sure it runs well is a bonus.

 

[Mushhushshu]

No.

 

[diS]

True, that is more important then all the points in my original post put together. Just seems a shame that they could have done that plus equivalent hardware thus such comparisons wouldn't even be in the same league.

That would increase the cost for the device and as a result that you would pay a lot more for it

 

[nx1977]

Most of the reviews were long before the galaxy s, and then the Desire beat the sock of everything. It was also the 1st mainstream phone you could buy from your local phone store that came with 2.1 Android.

It's still holding its own against several competitors, which isnt bad going. Sure it cant remain top dog forever, but is still one of the best phones out there. The 2.2 update has breathed fresh desirability, hence low stock everywhere.

You can always tell something great when everywhere is always out of stock and cant get hold of them quick enough.

 

[kopkiwi]

Is the Desire over rated?

Short answer - NO

Long answer - HELL NO.

 

[The Great One]

First of all - how can you judge the quality of a physical handset through YouTube videos? You can't get a true feel for the sound quality and such stuff through videos.
As for critics, they just make crap up. If they cant think of a valid issue with the phone, they just rant about how some other aspect of the phone isn't "good" in comparison to another phone. New phones keep coming out and obviously, these other companies are gonna improve on previous phones.

The Desire's speakers are great. I dont understand what more you'd want from those speakers. Their loud, and clear although during phone calls, if the speaker is on, the quality isn't as loud but this may just be a singal issue. For general music playback the speakers are pretty much standard quality and their loud enough.

There isn't a major difference in 3.7" and a 4.0" screen. Why aren't people happy with 3.7? Its not the end of the world. Hell, I think 3.2 itself is large enough. Having a 4" screen is too big in my opinion.

AMOLED, Super AMOLED, Retina etc.
Its just a screen, I from a non-biased perspective say that there is really not much of a difference in Super AMOLED and normal AMOLED apart from Super AMOLED being slightly clearer but come on, who on earth would hold the phone in the exact position that the sun would reflect off it. No big issue.

No internal storage but you get a free 4GB/8GB memory card pre-installed with the handset so once again, no big whup.

No issue with the Desire's multitouch. Infact, its actually dualtouch but either way its super responsive, I'm not sure what all thats about.

I dont think people purchase phones to play high-spec games and even then, 3D games run perfectly from my personal experience. Download one of the demo games off the app market and play it, there all smooth - dunno what the issue once again there is but I do agree that the Samsung Galaxy S has a better processor, but once again - do you really need all that space? I sometimes wonder, I coulda easily lived with a much lower spec phone like the Wildfire itself so we shouldn't really complain.

The camera is fairly standard. It's a 5PM camera and its good. Can't exactly understand how you can compare the Desire camera with the Galaxy's camera cause I dont notice much of a huge difference.

So no, the Desire isn't overrated. New phones come out and when you compare it with older phones, obviously, the newer phone is gonna be improved in some aspects in comparison to the older device. It's no big deal - nevertheless, your Desire is gonna be awesome!

 

[lekky]

My views:

After holding onlto my old motorola L6 for 6 years I just ordered a Desire based on a number of internet reviews showing it at the top, even trumping iphone4 and Galaxy.

But on closer examination of youtube/user comparisons it falls far short of its competitors in nearly every aspect.

By competitors you mean samsung, not iphone yeah? Just to be clear on that

*Video Camera is sub par (slower frame rate, less true colour).

nope. check out youtube for videos taken with the desire. the framerate on 720p vids even look great

*Internal memory is woeful (what were they thinking).

May have been an issue before, but desire has froyo now, so this is not an issue. Not even worth mentioning?

*Processor rubbish (lags 3D games whereas galaxy will not).

Find it very hard to take you seriously when you call the snapdragon rubbish. It will play every game at an acceptable framerate (I should know, i've basically tried them all). Yes the galaxy does does play them with a higer framerate, but dude, rubbish? What have you been taking?

*Multitouch bugs out (cant draw two lines at once).

yawn.. sorry but this was so last year. It has no effect on your usage of the phone at all.

*Screen size smaller.

Personally i agree that larger screen == better, but you have to understand this is personal opinion. Why do you think many people prefer the wildfire over the desire?

*Screen unusable in direct sunlight (samsumg "super" ANOLED is better)

propaganda, only people who say this are those people where the closest they have gotten to a desire is a google image search.

*Speaker is tinny and weak.

I at least agree with you on this, the speaker is poor.

I find it a bit disturbing that I wont be able to download any android app/game and play it on this even though it was said to be a powerhouse,

No, false.

when its clear that the hardware is left lacking when compared to its equal priced competition. I haven't recieved item yet, but have a week to return if not satisfied so I'm up in the air as to what to do.

its cheaper than the galaxy s, and the iphone by far

Am I missing something about the Desire?

everything.

 

[paul5f]

*Processor rubbish (lags 3D games whereas galaxy will not).

Name me one game that will lag on the desire? I have 3d pool running on the best quality graphic settings, the ball are perfect spheres and look life like. I also have 3d golf, asphalt 5 and sandstorm from gamesoft and non of these games lag. Sure the Galaxy has a much better 3d gx chip than the Desire but has anyone made a game to take advantage of it?

As for the Desire having a rubbish processor all I can say is that you are off your trolley. Both phones chips use architecture licensed from arm and if you bother to do a simple web search you will see both chips are very very close in performance (apart from 3d).

If you want to base your phone purchase on numbers wait till next week because there will be a phone out that can move 3 polygons a second more than the galaxy... oh hold on in 2 weeks there's a new phone coming out that can move an extra 15 polygons a second.... and in a month there's a super dooper new phone that has 8 more pixels than the desire...

 

[aussienitro]

*Video Camera is sub par (slower frame rate, less true colour).
YouTube - Camcorder 720p test - iPhone 4 Vs Android
*Internal memory is woeful (what were they thinking).
*Processor rubbish (lags 3D games whereas galaxy will not).
YouTube - ???S vs HTC Desire 3D ?? ??, Galaxy Shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNt1EQYheQ
*Multitouch bugs out (cant draw two lines at once).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhBRMaUn6Ig
*Screen size smaller.
*Screen unusable in direct sunlight (samsumg "super" ANOLED is better)
YouTube - Galaxy S vs X10 vs Desire in direct sunlight
*Speaker is tinny and weak.

 

[partridge]

I can't view those videos where I am, but I guess it's your "evidence" proving the Desire is overated?

Are you just trolling or what? If you don't want the Desire, fine. No one here will lose sleep over it, but it's starting to look like you're on some campaign to make us feel like we've all made a terrible mistake taking this phone. We haven't.

It is a superb handset which is why it regularly tops a number of smartphone reviews.

We actually HAVE the phone, unlike yourself who would rather believe youtube videos posted by people who also seem to have a point to prove.

I considered the Galaxy but dismissed it because it doesn't have a flash and, personally, I think it's too big. I've no interest in the iPhone. So, for me, the Desire was (and is) the perfect smartphone.

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.