US Cellular Androids

[Rezabrya#AC]

I will be getting a new Android on US Cellular next week. I can't decide between the HTC Merge, the HTC Desire, or the Samsung Mesmerize.

My main concerns are battery life, and CPU speed. The Desire and Mesmerize have a 1 Ghz Processor and the Merge has an 800 Mhz Processor. With the Merge being newer, will I notice the difference in speed? For some reason, I feel like the Merge isn't as capable as the other two. Can anyone prove me wrong?

Will battery life be about the same on all three phones?

I hope this is the right section to post this in. Thanks.

 

[srkmagnus]

Have you taken a look at reviews for all three devices?

http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-desire-review-us-cellular-version

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-mesmerize-review

http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-merge-review-initial

Honestly, depending on use you may not see a big difference between the 800 and 1ghz processor. I you are the type that will heavily use the phone and take multi-task to it's fullest, then go with a 1ghz device. Your best bet is to stop by a store and play with the devices if possible. Battery life will depend heavily on how you use the device and minimize background syncing.

 

[PvilleComp]

The Merge is "newer" in terms of availability, but it's not a newer phone. Of the three I'd look real hard at the Desire. HTC has a good update track record, Samsung... not so much. Bottom line is before you buy, go to a store where you can play with the phone and spend an hour or so playing with all three. You'll know soon enough which one feels right to you.

As far as battery life goes, a day is good life on any Android phones. If you are a heavy user, consider an extended battery.

 

[Moscow Desire]

The Merge is "newer" in terms of availability, but it's not a newer phone. Of the three I'd look real hard at the Desire. HTC has a good update track record, Samsung... not so much. Bottom line is before you buy, go to a store where you can play with the phone and spend an hour or so playing with all three. You'll know soon enough which one feels right to you.

As far as battery life goes, a day is good life on any Android phones. If you are a heavy user, consider an extended battery.

My sentiments exactly. As a Desire owner, I can vouch for the phone. The one drawback to the Desire tho, is that it doesn't come with exactly the largest amount of internal memory.

Just a couple extra tidbits to add. I would also consider if a person wishes to "root" a phone, and install a custom ROM. Some phones are more root friendly than others. I wouldn't say everybody has to root, but, it will allow a person at the least, to uninstall some of the preinstalled "bloatware", and allow more freedom moving apps to SD, freeing up phone memory.

If HTC holds true to it's word, and delivers unlocked bootloaders either via a software update or from the factory, it's something to think about. And along with a custom ROM/Kernel, one can also oc the processor. Some phones are just more forgiving than others.

And on the same line, battery life is greatly extended as well. 2+ days on a normal basis (no games). But if you opt for an "extended" battery, I would suggest you do this from the start, before buying a "holster" or carrying case. Usually the extended batteries include a new back cover in some cases, making the phone thicker.

 

[Xopher]

USCC is supposed to be getting more Android devices soon as well. I think I saw somewhere they were planning on 7 phones and tablets by the end of the year.

Personally, I love my Mesmerize, but it does have some quirks. At the time (and maybe still), the Mesmerize was the only one offered with a 4" screen, which is something I was looking for. I had to get my BlackBerry mindset turned off and start with a fresh look at things to begin with. After a couple of weeks, I had my Mez tweaked to my liking, and I haven't looked back.

I don't think you could go wrong with any of the devices. I would take alook at what is supposed to be coming out soon, just in case, though.