Aria vs. Captivate - Is Sense worth it?

[cyraxx]

Hello all, I will be getting one of these two phones in a few weeks but I have yet to make a decision on which one. I've looked at a lot of reviews and it would seem to me that the Captivate is the better phone. However, I still feel drawn to the Aria simply because I love the way that HTC Sense looks. If I got the Captivate, would there be any way for me to make my home screen similar to that of the Aria (flip clock + weather)? I have no experience with Android apps and widgets, so I don't really know what is offered in the way of customizing the look of a phone's UI. Thanks for any input.

 

[know1]

I'm not sure if Sense is worth it, but the screen real estate on the Captivate sure is.

 

[caliskimmer]

Captivate by far! It just so much more superior to the Aria in literally every aspect! A few people I know had a phone running Sense, checked out the Vibrant running Touchwiz (same as Captivate) and actually loved it.

 

[cyraxx]

After watching the benchmark video for the Captivate, it's making me lean more and more towards it. My main concern now is how customizable the UI is. I'm not in love with the way TouchWiz is set up...how changeable are things/what widgets would you recommend to make it more visually appealing?

 

[Joeybear23]

After watching the benchmark video for the Captivate, it's making me lean more and more towards it. My main concern now is how customizable the UI is. I'm not in love with the way TouchWiz is set up...how changeable are things/what widgets would you recommend to make it more visually appealing?

You could always use a different launcher, like LauncherPro.
The Captivate is a FAR superior device, and a few months down the road you will be kicking yourself if you get the Aria instead.

 

[zthralls]

I currently own a droid incredible and love the HTC sense. But defintely i would go with the Captivate.

To get the same look my roomate (Droid X user) downloaded beautiful widgets and it resembles the HTC clock and weather look. So i would reccommend that.

Sent from my Droid Incredible

 

[experiment 626]

The Captivate is the better phone to get but I still was really impressed with the Aria. Just a shame HTC didn't make the Aria an EVO-class/sized device.

 

[cyraxx]

I think I'm fairly sold on the Captivate now (although it wasn't a very long trip). Now I just need to decide if I want to root. My only worry is messing something up and having it not covered by AT&T.

 

[Lyanheart]

They're both very, very nice phones. Captivate/Galaxy S is certainly the more powerful hardware, but Aria users have been reporting very impressive performance. Unless you plan to play 3D games or get seriously loaded up on widgets and such, I think either would make you happy. Or if you just want the bigger screen, go with the Captivate.

Possible deal breaker, though: Captivate is suffering from inconsistent GPS function. Some are working fine, some don't seem to work at all, others, like mine, work great one day and don't the next. Supposedly there will be a firmware fix for this from Samsung at some point. If you need perfect GPS function right off the bat, get the Aria.

Rooting: Since AC released their sideloader app, there isn't any real need to root the Captivate or Aria unless you just want to experiment or really, really need to delete the ATT apps that you'll just never use and forget are there.

 

[mojonation1487]

captivate. totes. Also if you want that sense like clock there are still ways of getting the "Fancy Widget".

 

[cyraxx]

Rooting: Since AC released their sideloader app, there isn't any real need to root the Captivate or Aria unless you just want to experiment or really, really need to delete the ATT apps that you'll just never use and forget are there.

Yeah, my whole reason to root would be to get rid of the stock AT&T apps. I hate having things cluttering up my screen that I never use. I wish I could delete some of the stock stuff from my iPod touch. Also, if I root, can't I make it so that I can access 3rd party apps from the phone itself? I saw the AC sideloader, but isn't that for use from the computer? From what I understand if I root I can access all apps from the phone itself...is that not the case?

GPS isn't a problem for me because I have an actual GPS that I use it my car.

captivate. totes. Also if you want that sense like clock there are still ways of getting the "Fancy Widget".

Is it called "Fancy Widget" and if so is it on the Market?

Thanks for all the info so far. One other thing I was wondering about, is if the Captivate works with Ford SYNC. I have a Focus, and I'd like to be able to use the phone's bluetooth to interface with the car for phone calls, etc. while I'm on the road.

 

[Lyanheart]

You should be OK using the bluetooth in your car, if you set that up like any other bluetooth device. Rooting the Captivate is extremely simple (I've read about how, have not actually done it) and there are instructions right here in the forum. You will be able to "open up" the phone to 3rd party aps as well as anything else you would want to do.

The Sense-like widget pack is called "Beautiful Widgets" and it's available in the market for about $2.

Sounds like you should be very happy with the Captivate.

 

[cyraxx]

Something else I just thought of...if I root, will it cause any problems for me when the Froyo update comes in Sept?