Are all Android platforms the same?

[Droidmaniac]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but you guys would know better than anyone...

I am soooooo close to buying a Droid. I've toyed with a co-workers and I've read probably every page on these forums.

The one thing it's missing for me is HD video recording. I see some newer phones coming out, like Bravo and Motoroi, and another from Inbric.

As for the Bravo and Motoroi, they both record in HD, so if they are Android, will they be EXACTLY like the Droid as far as operating system and user experience, differing only in build or possible speed differences?




http://phandroid.com/2010/01/19/motorola-brings-motoroi-to-korea-coming-to-america/

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/The-Inbrics-M1-is-a-thin-Android-handset-with-QWERTY-keyboard-article-a_8755.html

http://mediacenter.motorola.com/content/detail.aspx?ReleaseID=12314&NewsAreaID=2

 

[teschoen]

If they are plain google devices (Droid is, N1 is Eris isn't, Cliq isn't) then yes. Otherwise you have MotoBlur or HTC Sense on the device.

Being 'open' each phone maker has the chance to make Andriod their own and customize it to some degree. Motorola and HTC have done so, however Motorola has released the Droid without their Motoblur.

That said, playing the waiting game for a feature like HD video on a cell phone is kinda a gamble.

I mean, how good will a cell phone video be?

 

[alostpacket]

The bravo will have HTC senseui so the experience will be different, as for the inbrics phone, well I've never heard of inbrics before they announce that phone and I wouldn't buy a phone from a company I Jad never heard of. Others may know more about the inbrics though.

Ultimately however on of the best features of the Droid is its video recording. It a bit weird because the still camera is only Meh. But a bunch of the tech blogs showed the droids video recording dancing circles aroid HTC phones (oddly the HTC still camera would usually beat the Droid).

My advice? Get a Droid. It is arguably the best android phone available even compared to the N1. The screen is better on the Droid too. Though the processor is slower on the Droid, it is the second fastest on the market and the same processor as the 3GS. In other words the processor is still damn fast.

 

[kbayer]

There are a few videos posted on Youtube with Samsung Instinct HD... the videos are actually quite remarkable. I'm curious too, will all Android devices come with all the Google associated stuff?

Samsung Instinct HD clip:
YouTube - Castle Lighting at Walt Disney World.mp4

 

[CRPercodani]

The bravo will have HTC senseui so the experience will be different, as for the inbrics phone, well I've never heard of inbrics before they announce that phone and I wouldn't buy a phone from a company I Jad never heard of. Others may know more about the inbrics though.

Inbrics is a pretty solid company, they do a lot of OEM stuff. The M1 is going to be a BEAST, the processor alone is of the same architecture of the Droid's (cortex a8) and has a 250mhz clock speed gain coming to 800mhz. It will be the first Android phone to have 16GB of built in storage, it has arguably the BEST keyboard of any Android phone with a full 5 rows and some real texture to each key. The custom UI does look nice but I prefer vanilla, and it is said that any carrier who picks this up can choose to remove the UI. I have already contacted them about purchasing a CDMA version but they said it won't work with VZW cuz it isn't in there system, however the day this phone comes to VZW I will be purchasing it.

Now to the OP, everyone already explained it that some Android phones run STOCK Android like the Droid while others have a custom UI like the Eris/Hero/Cliq/MOTOROI and Inbrics M1. If you are into hacking your phone then you will most likely want a stock version as it is harder to customize something with a UI, but if you really like a certain UI then go with it and just wait for a big enough developer community to work on it.

I also say get the Droid, anything else that is comparable is still far off except the Nexus one but it has no keyboard and uses Tmo which has subpa service in many areas.

 

[messenger13]

Besides ... If you buy a DROID you get to come in here and hang with the cool kids.

 

[CRPercodani]

Joe I think you are to old to be considered a kid anymore.

 

[messenger13]

Joe I think you are to old to be considered a kid anymore.

44 on the outside, 14 on the inside. Yea, that's how I roll!

 

[tsaunders]

The droid can record in HD.

Qik Update Adds DVD Quality Video! | Android Phone Fans

 

[kbayer]

The droid can record in HD.

Qik Update Adds DVD Quality Video! | Android Phone Fans

Good find on the Qik... but HD quality and DVD quality are not the same...

 

[sooper_droid12]

Inbrics is a pretty solid company, they do a lot of OEM stuff. The M1 is going to be a BEAST, the processor alone is of the same architecture of the Droid's (cortex a8) and has a 250mhz clock speed gain coming to 800mhz.

This is untrue. The M1 will have the same processor as the Samsung Moment, which is the S3C6410 chip and it is based on the ARM11 core. Sorry, but there are no ARM11 chips that can hold a candle up to the A8 or even soon to be A9 duo-cores coming out later in FY10.

 

[sooper_droid12]

The droid can record in HD.

Qik Update Adds DVD Quality Video! | Android Phone Fans

Do you know what DVD quality means? It means 480p, i.e. NOT HD. HD is 720p or higher. 720 x 480 is 480p. You count the horizontal lines of resolution.

 

[CRPercodani]

This is untrue. The M1 will have the same processor as the Samsung Moment, which is the S3C6410 chip and it is based on the ARM11 core. Sorry, but there are no ARM11 chips that can hold a candle up to the A8 or even soon to be A9 duo-cores coming out later in FY10.

Sorry but your wrong. Engadget got it wrong in the article they wrote. If you go back and watch the video you can HEAR the guy from Inbrics say that it is using the Samsung C100 chipset which is a Cortex A8.

http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/534a0c77

listen up at about 1:08

 

[CRPercodani]

Does anyone have any info on when the inbrics is coming to the us or what carriers might be picking it up?

 

[alostpacket]

Inbrics is a pretty solid company, they do a lot of OEM stuff. The M1 is going to be a BEAST, the processor alone is of the same architecture of the Droid's (cortex a8) and has a 250mhz clock speed gain coming to 800mhz. It will be the first Android phone to have 16GB of built in storage, it has arguably the BEST keyboard of any Android phone with a full 5 rows and some real texture to each key. The custom UI does look nice but I prefer vanilla, and it is said that any carrier who picks this up can choose to remove the UI. I have already contacted them about purchasing a CDMA version but they said it won't work with VZW cuz it isn't in there system, however the day this phone comes to VZW I will be purchasing it.

Now to the OP, everyone already explained it that some Android phones run STOCK Android like the Droid while others have a custom UI like the Eris/Hero/Cliq/MOTOROI and Inbrics M1. If you are into hacking your phone then you will most likely want a stock version as it is harder to customize something with a UI, but if you really like a certain UI then go with it and just wait for a big enough developer community to work on it.

I also say get the Droid, anything else that is comparable is still far off except the Nexus one but it has no keyboard and uses Tmo which has subpa service in many areas.

Thanks for the info about inbrics, I hadn't heard of them but figured someone here might know more

 

[alostpacket]

Does anyone have any info on when the inbrics is coming to the us or what carriers might be picking it up?

According to engadget:

The plan is apparently to get a carrier to bite and rebrand this phone in the US, so price and availability are still pretty hard to pin down, but if this phone can hit the market soon it sure could give the rest of the QWERTY Android sliders out there some body image issues.

Inbrics M1 is the thinnest Android slider we've seen, probably everything we ever wanted -- Engadget

 

[greg72]

Droids may not do HD but the video is impressive for a phone.

 

[CRPercodani]

According to engadget:




Inbrics M1 is the thinnest Android slider we've seen, probably everything we ever wanted -- Engadget

Yea I saw that post, they had some bad info in it about the processor though saying it was a old ARM11 when it is really a cortex a8. Just wondered if any carriers had bitten yet.

 

[kbayer]

How does the Motoroi compare under the hood? Looks like it's may be headed to TMobile... Motorola MOTOROI Might Be Headed to the U.S. After All, Courtesy T-Mobile - Motorola - Gizmodo

Motorola XT720 MOTOROI - Full phone specifications