Thinking of switching from Sprint Palm Pre to Android need advice

[rjbphotos]

Ok I know you probably have heard this before so forgive me for asking again but here's my story.

I have a Sprint Palm Pre and will be at my 1 year date on July 8th I have no intentions of switching carriers but with their premiere program I will be eligible for an upgrade. I have been happy with the Palm Web OS but it does lack a few things that I would like to have and from what I have seen the android does have but the straw that broke the camels back was the crack I have at the USB door that is now working it's way into the screen area.

I have already been to sprint and since Palm does not recognize it as a manufacture defect even though there are hundreds of others with the same crack all of whom myself included claim to have done nothing to the phone that would cause this. Anyway I have decided to get a new phone and have been looking towards the android and have a few questions.

My choices for a new phone are going to be the Samsung Moment or the HTC Hero and I would like some opinions as to which one to get I am leaning towards the Samsung because of the pullout keyboard it's almost a must for me but I have had 3 different Samsung devices fail on me 2 phones and most recently a monitor the monitor was covered under warranty so it did not cost me to get it fixed but I'm am a bit leery of anything Samsung however based on the responses I get from this thread may give Samsung 1 more chance.

My main question is this how close or similar is the Android OS to the Web OS? I love Web Os and how it integrated into Google email, calender, and contacts I know android is made by Google so I can only assume it would be the same or better. I really don't want to re enter all of my contacts into another phone they all currently reside with Google so I am hoping the switch will be seamless.

My next question is this one of my main concerns is the amount of space allotted for apps it seems both phones have an external memory card but neither of them allow for installing apps to it and I am unable to find much info on how much internal memory either phone has so does anyone have any major problems running out of space for their apps?

Any help would be appreciated also if someone could tell me the major differences between Web OS and Android good and bad it would be helpful. I had thought of waiting until Palm/HP come out with a new phone but HP has stated they are not all that interested in smart phones and it seems like they would take second fiddle to whatever else HP would be doing.

Thanks for any help offered and sorry for the long post

RJB

 

[estebancam]

I just recently switched from Palm's Pre to the HTC Evo. I was a launch day Pre owner, back when the App catalogue had 36 apps in it. Wow. Anyway.

Let me tell you that the Android system is far more difficult to use than webOS. I am enjoying it, yes, but webOS is far superior in terms of usability, not features. The user interface of webOS makes Android look like windows mobile 4, in my opinion.

What makes up for this are the OS features. Android is LOADED with very cool, very amazing features that you will definitely wonder how you lived without. Google Goggles, SkyMap, Barcode Scanners, Different sorts of keyboards etc.

If you are one of those, like me, who hacked the pre and used Preware and other cool things like that, you will like (maybe even love) Android's customization features right out of the box. This, to me, is where I will make most of my argument in my recommendation for you later on.

The internal memory of Android phones does hurt quite a bit, since you cannot place apps in the SD card, it is often difficult to download as many apps as you want. I download a lot of apps and still have not run out of room on my Evo, but I am sure that when I download 3D games, I will be running out quickly. Note that Android 2.2 Froyo fixes this issue, which might be a reason for you to get one of the newer phones that Sprint carries such as the Evo.

webOS really good at UI. Android really good at features. WebOS really good with Synergy, as it puts everything you want in one place (this is a biggie, and you WILL miss this). Android has awesome customization for the phone. WebOS=laggy. Android is not so laggy, especially with their high end phones.

The HTC Hero and Samsung Moment are really good phones, however, let me explain my side of the argument. I would have NEVER EVER made the move to Android without HTC Sense. I hate Android as it is stock. It is a very clunky and hard-to-use system. HTC Sense makes things a bit easier in the stock applications, plus it gives you more home screens. The Samsung Moment will run a stock version of Android (almost stock) while the HTC Hero comes loaded with Sense. This makes the phone about a million times better, provided that it doesn't lag. If Sense is not important to you, then Mment is the way to go, as it has a hardware keyboard and a faster processor (800mhz v. hero 550mhz i think).

To be honest, I would just ditch both options and get an Evo. It will cost you about the same as a Moment and will be twice the power and packed with good hardware and software features. If you are coming from a Pre, I would expect that you want the high end smartphone and Evo is the way to go. I am loving mine, even though Android is not as well versed with usability as webOS. Trust me, the features of the OS will make up for that and more. I think the only thing I really miss is Synergy. That was GREAT.

 

[Andrew Ruffolo]

let me chime in about the apps2sd...
It can be done on 2.1 with custom ROMs if the sd card is partitioned for it, it will also be a feature on 2.2 stock, no partitioning, no doing nothing. Plus, if the app maker has any sense, they would stick any large files in a folder of the sd card... like the game manufacturers do. Carry on.

Also, I don't miss synergy as Palm's server took a huge dump on my data. When upgrading from 1.2 to 1.2.1, they lost everything of mine. All my contacts... poof. Since google has more servers than anyone else on the planet that publishes that kind of information, I have faith that my information will not mysteriously disappear.

Also^2 the moment doesn't run any faster with its 800mhz processor. Its put to waste due to it being bottlenecked somewhere else. Plus, they wonderful people at XDA have the Hero OC'd to 768mHz making it a pretty null point.

 

[estebancam]

Ok i'm gonna have to object here.

Who, in their logical mind, purchases a device for what it can do after it is rooted/hacked/jailbroken????? Really? Who? I know I purchase a device for what it can do out of the box.

So basically, custom ROM's don't matter, overclocking doesn't matter, and neither does partitioning.

I want my device to just work. I don't want to have to pay for a device that I have to work at making better. That's like what all the Apple fanboys say "I can do anything. I just need to jailbreak it." That's ridiculous. So no, it is not a "null point" because that is a feature that does not come out of the box. You do it yourself. So it is not part of the Hero's design.

I can tell you firsthand that the Moment does run faster than the Hero with it's stock processor, the way it is supposed to be. Stock. No hacks or roots. I know that it is faster because I sell both phones, thus, I use them both quite a bit.

I will always stand by what I say: webOS is the better operating system. Until google does some major revamp of their UI, it will always be last place in my book. I enjoy my Evo, but this OS is much too clunky to use.

 

[rjbphotos]

Thank you both for your reply's you both have been most helpful. First let me agree with estebancam I am not buying a phone based on having to hack it right away my decision will be based on what it can do straight out of the box.

Now as far as the EVO I have pretty much ruled that out for now I can not seem to justify the extra 10 dollars a month just to have faster services no to mention that 4G is not even available in my area yet so I would just be throwing that 10 bucks away while I wait for it to become available.

It sounds like both phones as with all devices have there good points and bad ones the HTC has sense and while I am have heard of it I am not all that familiar with it. It sounds like you can customize the UI more which is definitely something I like to do while i never rooted my Pre I did use homebrew and have several patches on it. The Samsung Moment on the other hand has that hardware keyboard and a faster processor.

It's a tough decision I have ahead of me as I plan on keeping my next phone for 2 years that's my standard trade in rate only had the Pre for a year and am ready to get rid of it. Then I do keep thinking of the EVO and how sweet it looks maybe they'll have 4G in my area by next month.

 

[estebancam]

Thank you both for your reply's you both have been most helpful. First let me agree with estebancam I am not buying a phone based on having to hack it right away my decision will be based on what it can do straight out of the box.

Now as far as the EVO I have pretty much ruled that out for now I can not seem to justify the extra 10 dollars a month just to have faster services no to mention that 4G is not even available in my area yet so I would just be throwing that 10 bucks away while I wait for it to become available.

It sounds like both phones as with all devices have there good points and bad ones the HTC has sense and while I am have heard of it I am not all that familiar with it. It sounds like you can customize the UI more which is definitely something I like to do while i never rooted my Pre I did use homebrew and have several patches on it. The Samsung Moment on the other hand has that hardware keyboard and a faster processor.

It's a tough decision I have ahead of me as I plan on keeping my next phone for 2 years that's my standard trade in rate only had the Pre for a year and am ready to get rid of it. Then I do keep thinking of the EVO and how sweet it looks maybe they'll have 4G in my area by next month.

Look, realistically, the $10 is actually to offset the cost of the device. I am sure that's why they are implementing it. It would be horrible publicity to say that though. Think about it: the Pre is much cheaper than the Evo, yet both phones were the same price at launch. I mean, it was a surprise to me that Evo would only be $199. That's a LOT of subsidies that Sprint is absorbing. I say those extra $10 are fair.

Anyway, trust me that the Evo is well worth those extra $10 per month. I think you will forget all about that. Remember you can video chat, tether, and have UNLIMITED data with that tethering, so it's well worth the $10.

I use about 6-7GB of data per month, so the unlimited data is worth it for me.

If I had to recommend one pone of the two you are considering, I would quickly say Hero.

But, really, please consider the Evo. I cannot say enough to stress this point. The $10 are well justified.

 

[rjbphotos]

Ok you convinced me I am now considering the EVO I have always thought that if they implemented tethering on the Pre I would have paid 10 dollars a month extra for it. The question is will Sprint eventually charge more for the tethering in the future or will it be free for the life of the phone. the other thing is Sprint is currently sold out of the EVO so I hope they get more in by the time I am able to make the purchase on July 8th when my year is up.

Another thing in am considering doing is dropping the insurance I have it on my Pre and never used it I am extremely careful with my phones I do understand accidents can happen but that would offset the extra 10 bucks a bit too what are your thoughts on that do you have the insurance on your EVO or do you think it's a waist as long as your careful with your phone. I have never broke any phone I owned.

 

[rjbphotos]

decided to take a visit to my local sprint store to ask some questions and confirm when I can upgrade got some good news and some bad.

Good news I can upgrade on July 1st Bad new they are sold out of the EVO but that was to be expected they have a waiting list with 150 people currently on it and there not going to add any more when that's done it will be a first come first serve basis they did say they expect to have it done by July so that would be good.

The really bad news concerns the mobile hot spot I was told it would be an additional 30 dollars a month to enable that so may look for a hack option don't really plan on using that feature all that much so there is no way I am paying the extra 30 bucks.

Also asked on when $G would be available in my area and he said the official word is no later than football season but he seemed confidant it would be by the end of July.

Also got a hands on with it first impressions is it's big but don't mind that at all always thought the Pre was too small for me anyways looks nice too funny thing is I seemed to have forgot to check out the other 2 phones I am considering.

 

[jamex]

If I were you I would wait. Better phones will come along and the EVO isn't as great as many people make it out to be. For one it has a washed out color screen that cannot display true colors unlike the Pre. There are some samsung phones that should be announced soon and Palm even announced today that they are new devices in the works. The problem is because of the merger they cannot say much.

 

[knishknosh]

Also thinking of switching to Android (4g)

I recently had to bring my Pre into the shop for repair (Sprint original, had it since month 1 and love it). Had problem with phone giving a loud crackling static noise (although the MP3, podcasts etc had no problem). Since they may just trash the phone and credit me for the original purchase price (Best Buy does not carry the palm line anymore) i am thinking of switching to either a Evo or Epic (staying with Sprint). I love the Pre, and Web OS. Would most likely miss the UI, although most, if not all of the apps would probably be available on the other line as well. I appreciate your input.

Bob