Look what came in the mail!  Sprint has provided me with a Motorola Titanium to test out for a short time.  The Motorola Titanium is the first Android 2.1 smartphone that has Nextel’s Direct Connect for Push-to-Talk.  I’m very excited as this is my first time to play with an Android powered device.  I’m used to iOS and Windows Mobile 5 from my iPhone 3G and iMate JAQ3.  I have been a long time Sprint subscriber in the past (back in 2000 until 2004).  I dumped them after I grew sick and tired of poor reception with any dropped calls.  I never thought I’d try Sprint again – until a few of my customers raved about just how good Sprint is.  Only time will really tell, but from first calls, the unit has provided excellent call quality much to my surprise.  I’m looking forward to thoroughly testing out this unit and finally get some insight as to just how good or bad Android really is. 

My only immediate complaint about this phone is the inability to play Angry Birds.  The game lags so bad that it is unplayable.  In addition, waiting for the game to load took so long the screen locked.  Try getting back into the phone with Angry Birds on by using the gesture lock….it’s near impossible.  Finally I got back in by using my code word in lieu of the secure gesture password.  Many cool new features to try out….stay tuned for an in depth look at the Motorola Titanium – here in the JAMM labs!

When I stopped using Windows Mobile as my primary device several years ago, I embarked upon a brave new world of mobile technology.  Since that time, I tested, used, and reviewed a myriad of devices and operating systems, including Symbian, WebOS, Android, iOS, and even more Windows Mobile devices.  My favorite so far?  WebOS, by far, was my favorite mobile operating system (though Palm/HP grossly underpowered the hardware it paired with the OS).   Today, I finally received the device for which I have been waiting, the CDMA version of Windows Phone 7 from Sprint and HTC,  the Arrive.  Disclaimer No. 1: My brother works on the Windows Phone 7 team at Microsoft.  Let’s go ahead and get this device out of the box and take a quick first look.

Turn on the phone and you are immediately taken to the start screen, which is the highlight of Windows Phone 7.   In this space, you can pin links to your contacts, apps, services, pretty much anything you want.  Just swipe across for the main screen, which is reminiscent of the Zune’s main screen.  This gives you access to all of your apps and services.   I was really impressed by this interface, which allows you to customize the device to meet your needs, while avoiding overcomplicating, which is a problem I have had in the past with android and previous versions of Windows Mobile.

What I really liked was the job HTC did with the hardware.  One of my complaints in the past with Windows Mobile phones has been the abundance of unnecessary controls.  Only three buttons adorn the face of this device (back, start, and search).  There is also a hard volume rocker on the left and a camera button on the right.  That about covers it.

The main attraction on this phone, which sets it apart from other Windows Phone 7 devices, is the sliding keyboard.  I am pretty sure I have said this before, but I really hate typing more than a word or two with an onscreen keyboard.  So, I was thrilled by the sliding keyboard.  Like the HTC Tilt series, the screen tilts slightly as it opens.  This makes a better angle for typing, and also locks the screen securely when it is open.

It has only been a few hours, but so far I am extremely impressed by both the hardware and the interface on this device.  Over the next couple of weeks, I will be taking this device through its paces and providing you with all of my thoughts.  As an aside, although Sprint sent a review unit, I will be purchasing my own Arrive next week, so my review will be based on both devices.  Stay tuned for more…

Well, my friends at Sprint came through in a big way for me today.  The just announced Sprint HTC EVO Shift showed up on my doorstep.  I have had the phone, which is scheduled to be released commercially on Sprint’s network on January 9, for only a few hours, but it is already quickly becoming my favorite Android based phone.  When I reviewed the HTC EVO, I had two main complaints.  The phone was just too big for me to easily utilize, and there was no hard keyboard.  I am just not someone who likes to use an onscreen keyboard anymore than I have to.  So, stay tuned.  We will be checking out these features and a whole lot more in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, here are the complete specs to tide you over.

HTC EVO Shift™ 4G

As the 16^th 4G-capable device from Sprint, HTC EVO Shift follows in the footsteps of the award-winning HTC EVO™ 4G, bringing customers an attractive, compact design and an impressive list of features with the addition of a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Beyond the highly acclaimed HTC Sense user experience, HTC EVO Shift also boasts the power of 4G, Android 2.2™, a 5MP camera, 720p HD camcorder and a 3.6-inch capacitive touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom capability.

Additional key features include:

• HD Video Recording
• Wi-Fi^®
• Sprint Mobile Hotspot (supporting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices)
• Android Market™ with access to more than 100,000 apps
• Messaging – Personal and business e-mail, IM and text messaging
• Social Networking Integration – Facebook^®, Twitter™, Flickr^® and more
• Visual Voicemail
• Google™ Mobile Services, including YouTube™, Gmail™, Google Talk™, Google Voice™ and Google Maps™
• GPS Navigation
• Stereo Bluetooth^® wireless technology
• microSD slot (supporting up to 32GB memory card)

I have been anxiously watching the category of devices which have optimistically dubbed themselves “iPad killers.”  This is a new category of tablet devices, running operating systems which are typically associated with mobile devices, such as WebOS and Android.  This is a major shift from previous tablet devices, which relied heavily on mutations and adaptations of desktop-based operating systems like Windows7.  The first such device I have had the opportunity to check out is the Android-based Samsung Galaxy Tab, which the folks at Sprint were nice enough to loan me in order to test. 

As I mentioned, the Galaxy Tab relies on the Android operating system, which we have reviewed on numerous occasions here at JAMM.  As such, I am not going to spend too much time on the operating system itself.   I will say, however, that if you are a fan of Android, then this will feel extremely familiar and comfortable…in fact, it felt exactly the same as its mobile phone counterpart.  Even to the point in which the apps in the marketplace were the same…the exact same apps, without even offering any optimization for the larger screen.  The result was that many apps on this device failed to really make use of the larger real estate offered by the seven inch screen.  Otherwise, the device felt to me a lot like a larger version of the HTC EVO, without the HTC SenseUI.  I have to admit  that I have never really been a fan of Android without the extra features offered by HTC’s SenseUI.  It just feels a bit too plain to me, so I was disappointed that Samsung did not do more to dress up the interface on this device.

We have already hinted at it a bit, but let’s go ahead and take a look at the size of this device.  The Galaxy Tab sports a seven inch screen, which puts it nearly exactly in the middle of a large cell phone, like the EVO, and the iPad.   At first glance, I was a bit wary of this screen, which made the device feel too large to be portable, but too small to be effective.  In other words, the perfect compromise which no one was really seeking.  After using it for a bit, however, I found the size of the device worked well for many purposes.  I still felt it was too small to be effective for more than the most basic reading or writing tasks.  Any would be iPad competitor has to be able to accomplish similar tasks such as word processing, ebook reading, and even blog posting.  While some apps do exist for these tasks on Android, I simply did not find the size of this device was well suited for them.   On the other hand, I found myself reaching for the Galaxy Tab more and more often for basic tasks, such as checking email and even looking up websites (though it did tend to default to the mobile versions of most sites). 

The biggest advantage of this device over the iPad and other tablets, was that this one will fit in your pocket.  It is probably the largest device which could fit, and I would not recommend it in a tight pocket like jeans, though it slid right into my cargo pants.

Speaking of the hardware, let’s go ahead and take a quick look around this device.  As is common in many devices, the face is smooth and flat, with no lip between the screen and the surrounding bezel.  This is great in terms of usability, but combine it with the smooth back and you end up with one slippery device.  I never really understood why these devices cannot utilize a more textured or rubberized back in order to make it a bit grippier. 

Back to the face, there are four hardware buttons beneath the screen.  These are also simple touch sensors rather than raised buttons.  This means there is no tactile feedback when you push one of them.  Still, the buttons are well thought, with the menu button, home button, back button, and search button.

The right side of the device (as you are looking at it) has the power button, volume controls, and microSD card.  I was really excited to find the microSD card slot, allowing you to add external memory to the device.  This is one of the biggest failings of the iPad.  I was disappointed, however, not to find a hardware button for the camera.  Fumbling to find the camera icon on the onscreen menus can be a bit tricky at times, especially when you are trying to capture that priceless spontaneous moment.

There is nothing on the left except the microphone.  Likewise, the top contains only a standard 3.5 inch earphone jack.  On the bottom are the speakers, as well as the sync/charge plug.  I was a but disappointed to find a proprietary plug, rather than a standard mini or micro USB.  This means the Galaxy Tab will require yet another cable to be carried around when you travel.

Like the iPad, the back of the device will not open, meaning you cannot replace or change the battery.  That being said, I had no problems with this battery.  I subjected it to my regular daily use, and even a bit more than that, and it lasted more than long enough with a single overnight charge.  Also on the back of the device, you will find the 3.2 megapixel camera.

Speaking of the camera, I found it worked abut as well as any camera I have used in a mobile device.  It will never seriously contend with my Canon camera…or my DXG camcorder.  In a pinch, though, it can handle both still photos and video with relative ease (you can see the results, above).  As I mentioned, it can be a bit cumbersome to find the camera app within the onscreen menus, so you may want to consider adding the icon to your homescreen.  Once you are in the app, however, the controls are relatively easy.  Just point and shoot.  There are some nice large buttons on the screen, giving you full control over the app.  Still, I was surprised not to find a digital zoom here.  Additionally, I was shocked that this device did not have a front facing camera.  With all the emphasis which has been placed, lately, on mobile video conferencing, it was a real surprise to find a device like this without such capabilities.

I have to say though, despite the nice screen size and resolution, I was not terribly impressed by the video watching experience on this one.  First, loading video onto the device is a real chore.  It brings to mind something our own Chris Spera said once about the dominance of the iPad: it is all about the environment.  Apple features iTunes.  Love it or hate it, iTunes offers an easy way to transfer properly formatted videos to your device.  Google does not offer anything like that.  Likewise, I found streaming video online also did not work well.  First, many services, such as Hulu and Netflix are not available on this device.  I was able to test the screen with YouTube, but was fairly disappointed by the poor video playback quality I found there.  On the other hand, the Galaxy Tab does feature Samsung’s media hub (above), which allows you to purchase or rent TV shows and movies which you can download to your device for subsequent viewing.  The nice thing about this one is that the library of available videos is regularly updated, meaning there is a fantastic mix of both classic content and new releases.  I was impressed, for example, to find quite a bit of new content which was not even available on Netflix yet.

Finally, the Galaxy Tab is connected to the Sprint network.  I was a little surprised to find that it was not 4G enabled, but it did connect to Sprint’s 3G network with no problems.  I have to admit that I appreciated having a device which is connected to a dedicated network.  My iPad is the wifi only version, and while this works well enough with the Sprint Overdrive 4G modem, there are a few drawbacks.  First, the Overdrive requires you to carry extra accessories, which the dedicated Sprint device would not require.  More importantly is the ability to connect anywhere.  I do not have wifi at work, and I cannot use my Overdrive in my office.  This means my iPad cannot connect to the Internet during the day.  The Galaxy Tab can connect directly to Sprint’s network anytime…even from my office.

In the end, I have to say that I was a little confused by the market which the Galaxy Tab was targeting.  It is not quite a direct competitor of the iPad, though it does fill many of the same functions.  Ultimately, if you are an Android fan, then you are probably going to appreciate the familiar look and feel of the device and interface.  Still, there are too many missing features for it to seriously contend with many of the latest devices hitting the market today.  The HTC Evo, for example, offers nearly all of these missing features, and is still connected to the Sprint network.  The lack of a front facing camera and 4G connectivity, for example, are significant setbacks for the Galaxy Tab.   I was hoping for more, and was disappointed not to find it.  In the end, the Galaxy Tab is little more than a large-screen version of any other  Android phone, with few advanced features, and nothing which really took advantage of the larger screen size or resolution. 

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is available from Sprint for $299.99 with a two year contract.

I started this article to bring awareness of a smartphone’s TCO, or total cost of ownership.  As I wrote this article, I discovered that quite like banks and all of the fees they charge, many cell carriers make a GREAT deal of money based on consumer ignorance, or more appropriately put, a consumer’s lack of knowledge of the contract terms they agreed to when they signed up and bought a phone.

There’s a lot here, and much that everyone needs to understand in order to keep your checking account in the black (instead of your carrier’s…) so please, read everything carefully and remember that all of the prices and costs here relate to either monthly costs of individual based voice/ data plans and one specific cell phone (my Nexus One).  The numbers will vary somewhat based on the costs (subsidized and unsubsidized) of YOUR phone.

Smartphones. They are EVERYWHERE..

The iPhone, Droid/DroidX/Droid 2, Nexus One, HTC HD2, Samsung Vibrant/Galaxy S, or Sprint EVO and Epic. I walk the streets of Chicago from the Lake Front to Union Station twice a day, and nearly everyone has their nose in their phone. Its truly amazing, as it seems that everyone, everywhere is now addicted. Crackberries be damned!

I saw an interesting article on MSNBC recently, and wanted to comment on and add  a few things. The author, Wilson Rothman, is dead on right about the major push of his article – the cost of your smartphone doesn’t mean squat compared to the Total Cost of Ownership (or TCO) of the device over the life of your wireless carrier contract. 

While its certainly something to consider in today’s budget conscious/expense leery and fragile economy, I think many cell and smartphone consumers are missing one important point – Cell phone carriers aren’t making money on voice plans, unless you don’t use all of the minutes you purchased, and then on AT&T, that doesn’t mean much due to their Roll Over Minutes.

Fees.

Minute overage fees. Data overage fees. Service fees (411, road side assistance, GPS, etc.).

At the end of the day, unless a specific service is provided, and you actually USE the service (like 411 or GPS), your carrier pockets that money and it floats right to the bottom line in the, "free money ‘cuz we imposed a policy or they didn’t use what they bought," column.

So, let’s take a quick look at the base cell plans that all of the carriers are providing, and see how your TCO fares and where the carrriers are really making their money.

Consider the chart below.

Wilson’s article basically lays out the above costs for service on all four major wireless carriers. You’re left to do the math (though he does a great job of adding things up for you). This however, is not the end of the story.

What is?  Great question. Here’s the answer – Overage and other charges, and of course, the cost of the device…

Thinking Holistically
With Verizon’s data plan, you can’t get charged any overage fees for excessive bandwidth.  It is truly the only unlimited data plan left. From a data plan perspective, this is the best and most cost effective data plan available.

While Sprint and T-Mobile call their data plans unlimited, they cap out at 5GB. If you use more data than that, you risk either getting funneled to a slower network segment or up to, and including, having your account cancelled.  Honestly, I’ve pushed and pulled a LOT of data. I’ve hit as high as 3.5GB in month, but I’ve never come near 5GB. At most you need to be careful on these networks. Getting stuck on a throttled network segment can suck, and depending on where you are in your billing cycle, the end of the month doesn’t mean the 1st.

On AT&T, if you have the 200MB plan and you go over 200MB (say 200.01MB) your data charges of $15 are doubled to $30.  I’m not sure what happens if you go over 400MB; but they will likely hit your for an additional $15 bucks that month. 

This is, by the way, the WORST data plan I’ve ever seen for a smartphone. If you do ANYTHING on your smartphone other than make calls and send text messages (though they are DATA, everyone charges for them, separately), I can guarantee that you are going to use more than 200MB of data in a month.  You’re going to come close to that with just simple data syncs when the device turns on and off, let alone e-mail and web surfing (or FB/Twitter/MySpace status updates).  Buying this data plan is a huge mistake. If you are on AT&T and have this plan, don’t be surprised when you get hit with additional fees. You have no one to blame but yourself.

Ok… so how do you think holistically?  Easy.  Add in the cost of the device, the full price, not the subsidized price to the 24 month voice and data plan costs above, and then divide by 24; but… the results can be somewhat subjective.

I use T-Mobile and have a Nexus One.  My costs are also slightly different, as I have an Unlimited Voice plan for $99 per month. To refresh your memory, here is the T-Mo data again; and my TCO related costs are at the bottom:

My Monthly Costs without any taxes or fees

Now, this is where things start to get a little interesting. Most people don’t have the huge down stroke needed to purchase a device without a contract, so the carrier allows you to "save" some money by agreeing to a contract. Everyone knows that… You get a reduced price on the phone you want, and your carrier locks you in to 24 months of service.  Below are my actual costs.

My costs for my current cell service without any taxes or fees

Now, check this out – If you subtract the unsubsidized cost from the subsidized cost and then multiply that times 24 (the life of the service contract) you get $349.92.

The cost of subsidizing the phone over the life of your contract

Keep that number in mind.  Its a very interesting number.  Why?  Simple.  I paid $180 for my Nexus One – a savings of $350 over the unsubsidized cost of the phone.

I actually come out ahead over 24 months

Based on my plan (actually part of a family plan…) I actually come out ahead $1.92 (or $0.08 cents a month) over the life of the contract. So, if I actually come out ahead on the deal, how is T-Mobile making any money?  Easy – fees. Every 411 Call costs me $1.79 per instance. With the way my wife and daughter use that, I regularly give T-Mobile an extra $30-$40 a month, or an extra $480 a year.

Let’s go back to our minimal plan example above. If you have a 500 minute plan, and used 743 minutes, used 411 5 times (with it texting you the number so you could copy it into your contact list for next time), Caller Tunes (callers listen to music instead of ring-ring) at $1.49/month, and downloaded 5 ring tones, 2 applications and 5 wallpapers, you would have incurred the following additional charges on T-Mobile:

The monthly bill (minus taxes, regulatory fees and other required charges) for the T-Mobile example above is $80 per month.  If you incurred the noted charges, which isn’t all too difficult if you think about it, then your bill is nearly 3 times its normal amount. Now, think if nearly every person with that carrier did something like that every month.

Cha-ching.

Honestly, what killed the example above is obviously the overage minutes.  However, at nearly $30, the extras I cited are nearly half the normal bill. This is the carrier’s dirty little secret. Overage charges, extra services – charges and fees that you don’t necessarily see when you signed up. 

What’s worse, is that even if you’re really careful, you can STILL run into unexpected charges.

So… obvious question – how do you stop the unexpected charges?  Good question.  Here’s what I’ve figured out.

1. Read your Bill
   The more you understand it, the easier it will be for you to see the little added extras and gotchas that can creep in when you aren’t careful. Understand what the taxes come out to. Understand what regulatory (and other required) fees you’re obligated to pay.  These aren’t part of your variable bill.  They’re usually constant.
2. Find the Right Data Plan
   Since the iPhone 3G, all smartphones now require a data plan. If you get ANY e-mail on your device at all…If you surf the web even a little bit, AT&T’s 200MB plan is NOT what you want. You’re going to get hit with an overage charge, and then your bill grows. Smartphones are more about data than calls. Get the right data plan on your carrier for your data needs and you’ll save money and headaches.
3. Find the Right Voice Plan
   If you talk on your phone at all (and I don’t know many who have a smartphone and don’t use it for calls…) then you need to take some time and really think about how you’re going to use its voice features too. If you plan to ditch your land line in favor of your cell phone, sticking to the 450 minute/500 minute plan may not be for you.  At $0.45 cents per minute over the allowance, 243 extra minutes cost $109.35, at least as much as minimum monthly charge for the plan WITH data and messaging, and then some. Get the right voice plan for your needs and then use those minutes but don’t go over. If you’re on AT&T and have roll-over minutes, then you’re ok, but you need to find some time to use those too… You DID pay for them.
4. Enough with the Downloads Already
   All smartphones come with a USB cable and the ability to connect to your PC or Mac.  If you want ring tones, make your own.  You can rip your CD’s and use tools like Audacity to cut the tracks into the segments you want for your ringtones. I do it all the time.

   Wallpapers can be found on the internet, many for free, and you can use the free tools that came with your PC to edit them and make them the right size for your phone’s screen.

   The iTunes App Store, the Android Market and all the other application stores have TONS of free applications.  The only thing you need to be careful of is the quality of the app. Don’t use crappy apps.  Hunt around, try some, uninstall those you don’t like or want and keep the ones you do.  Free is good.

   Caller Tunes…really?  REALLY?  Look, ring-ring has been good for more than 100 years.  I’m not gonna die listening to ring-ring. I don’t need to hear the latest tune from <pick your favorite artist> while I wait for you to pick up or get tossed into your voice mail. I’ll live… really.

5. Directory Assistance
   When you’re driving and have a hands free kit, and really need a number, directory assistance can be a big help. If, however, you can pull over; or have another person in the car, most smartphones and their location services can find businesses around you.  In that case, Google Maps (available on most smartphone platforms) can do the trick. It can find what you’re looking for and give you the phone number, address and even directions to the destination… AND guess what..? Its free.  Please stop with the 411 calls… you’re killing me.

So, what have we learned?  Let’s briefly review –

• Managing your bill means understanding it and what is on it. You’re going to get hit with things you weren’t expecting if you don’t watch out.
• Wireless Carriers don’t make a lot of money on voice or data plans.  They make their money on all of the overage fees, service fees and downloads you charge to your account. Make sure you get the right plans for your needs and stop with the added extras if you really need to pinch pennies. You can make your own extras and transfer them your device very easily.
• Smartphone Total Cost of Ownership is more than just the cost of the device. You have to factor in the costs of the data service, messaging service, and voice service and all of the associated charges and fees.

Being connected is great; but in this economy, protecting your checking account is much, much better.