It's Been 15 Days Without a Phone
Tomorrow marks two weeks since I broke my OnePlus-1. I've spent more than a few hours reading reviews and watching YouTube videos on a number of replacement devices. It's been a whirlwind of a journey as I debated one feature over another, what is most important to me and what will hold up the longest. There were some caveats, of course. Such as, due to financial restrictions, the device couldn't cost too much and it should work well on my cellular provider's network.
The thing is, I like being unique. My truck isn't very common, my motorcycle isn't very common - nothing I do is "follow the pack." When everyone was buying iPhones, I was an early Android adopter. When everyone else had Motorola Razr phones, I had a Blackberry Pearl. Before that the popular phone was the StarTac flip phone and I was sporting the Nokia.
I've also always preferred production devices over entertainment ones. I need a powerhouse that allows me to be functional, not play games. Sure, most modern flagship devices will serve these needs but, in my experience, production devices are usually hardier than run-of-the-mill consumer-grade electronics.
And then there's the operating system. While I've been deeply integrated into the Android ecosystem since the beginning I'm not tied to Android or Google in any way, shape or form. In fact, a bigger selling point for Blackberry would be if they were still producing BB10 and a selling point for Microsoft would be if they were still producing Windows10 phones. But, sadly, we're pretty much reduced to two options: Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Sure there are other OSes out there, but they're generally under-developed or Android forks. Ubuntu has a mobile platform, if I remember correctly, and for a while Samsung was working on their own linux variant: Tizen. And we can't forget FirefoxOS. None of these three ever really made it off the launchpad which means there's very little support out there for them and probably lots of bugs.
As for a replacement device the most important feature for me is something that could easily be typed on. I miss the days of physical keyboards and feel they're better for typing accurately than virtual ones. It's just, with a physical keyboard, the fingers can feel the edge of the keys, letting the mind's muscle memory know if a misspelling has occurred easier than autocorrect. My last physical keyboard was the HTC G2 which had a wonderful keyboard that allowed the user to utilize the entire screen. Since then, I've missed actual buttons terribly. My Samsung Note II was the first device I owned without a physical keyboard and while I didn't notice typing issues right away I did later. Maybe it was the larger screen that made placement of the individual keys in the right locations easier for typing, but once I bought an OnePlus One my typing went to hell. I fully believe it has something to do with the narrowness of the device.
I'd been wanting to go back to a physical keyboard ever since. You see, I'm not a fan bloatware and Samsung seems to love taking up a phone's memory and processing power with unwanted app thus making any current or future ones non-optional for me. And then there's that horrid skin they place over the authentic Android experience. Why can't they leave Android alone and let the user decide which experience to download and install?
Let's face it, I don't game that often. In fact, I haven't downloaded or used a mobile game since Plants vs. Zombies on my Note II. Or maybe it was Plants vs. Zombies 2. I really can't recall, it's been so long. I do, however, use a handful of apps that are processor hogs, such as Google's Snapseed app. That's what I'm more concerned with: how well does the device handle intense processor loads?
And a good camera. You see, contrary to popular belief, I take a lot of photos. Sometimes they're good and sometimes they're not - but I do take them.
So, I'd narrowed down my choices to the Blackberry Priv and the Nexus 6P.. Both are pure (enough) Android experiences with the Priv having some extra security features and the Nexus having fantastic reviews. Even though the Nexus 6P is more powerful on paper it doesn't seem to be that large of a functional leap over the Priv:
After watching a few videos like this one ( as well as the Priv vs. other flagship devices, such as the DTEK60 and the Sony Xperia Z) I was ready to buy the Priv from Blackberry, brand new - full warranty. But then my friend mentioned how much I'd prefer the 6P.
But would I?
Sure, it has better specs, but I'd almost never use the fingerprint scanner, while I would use the physical keyboard of the Priv, even if I only use it as a touchpad. The Nexus' front facing camera is better, but I rarely take selfies. I actually think the lower resolution camera would be better for smoother video chatting. You know, if you're willing to work with the lower resolution. Some people aren't.
The only other feature I dislike about the Priv is the mono-speaker on the bottom instead of a stereo speaker. This may be good enough for a call on speakerphone, but for playing music out loud?
So, what to do? The Priv's price has been dropped to just under $300, brand new. The Nexus 6P can be found for a little less than the Priv, but whether or not it's brand new in the box is questionable. In fact, I currently have the question out to the seller to make sure it's not a refurbished device being passed off as new. I will say, Huewei's customer service (on Amazon, anyway) is impressive. For every complaint about their Nexus 6P device they're there with a personal note asking for the complainer to reach out to them.
Maybe by the time I publish this I'll have ordered a device. Maybe not. All I know is there are afew conveniences I miss having with me all the time: access to news, a camera and recording devices.
The thing is, I like being unique. My truck isn't very common, my motorcycle isn't very common - nothing I do is "follow the pack." When everyone was buying iPhones, I was an early Android adopter. When everyone else had Motorola Razr phones, I had a Blackberry Pearl. Before that the popular phone was the StarTac flip phone and I was sporting the Nokia.
I've also always preferred production devices over entertainment ones. I need a powerhouse that allows me to be functional, not play games. Sure, most modern flagship devices will serve these needs but, in my experience, production devices are usually hardier than run-of-the-mill consumer-grade electronics.
And then there's the operating system. While I've been deeply integrated into the Android ecosystem since the beginning I'm not tied to Android or Google in any way, shape or form. In fact, a bigger selling point for Blackberry would be if they were still producing BB10 and a selling point for Microsoft would be if they were still producing Windows10 phones. But, sadly, we're pretty much reduced to two options: Apple's iOS and Google's Android. Sure there are other OSes out there, but they're generally under-developed or Android forks. Ubuntu has a mobile platform, if I remember correctly, and for a while Samsung was working on their own linux variant: Tizen. And we can't forget FirefoxOS. None of these three ever really made it off the launchpad which means there's very little support out there for them and probably lots of bugs.
As for a replacement device the most important feature for me is something that could easily be typed on. I miss the days of physical keyboards and feel they're better for typing accurately than virtual ones. It's just, with a physical keyboard, the fingers can feel the edge of the keys, letting the mind's muscle memory know if a misspelling has occurred easier than autocorrect. My last physical keyboard was the HTC G2 which had a wonderful keyboard that allowed the user to utilize the entire screen. Since then, I've missed actual buttons terribly. My Samsung Note II was the first device I owned without a physical keyboard and while I didn't notice typing issues right away I did later. Maybe it was the larger screen that made placement of the individual keys in the right locations easier for typing, but once I bought an OnePlus One my typing went to hell. I fully believe it has something to do with the narrowness of the device.
I'd been wanting to go back to a physical keyboard ever since. You see, I'm not a fan bloatware and Samsung seems to love taking up a phone's memory and processing power with unwanted app thus making any current or future ones non-optional for me. And then there's that horrid skin they place over the authentic Android experience. Why can't they leave Android alone and let the user decide which experience to download and install?
Let's face it, I don't game that often. In fact, I haven't downloaded or used a mobile game since Plants vs. Zombies on my Note II. Or maybe it was Plants vs. Zombies 2. I really can't recall, it's been so long. I do, however, use a handful of apps that are processor hogs, such as Google's Snapseed app. That's what I'm more concerned with: how well does the device handle intense processor loads?
And a good camera. You see, contrary to popular belief, I take a lot of photos. Sometimes they're good and sometimes they're not - but I do take them.
So, I'd narrowed down my choices to the Blackberry Priv and the Nexus 6P.. Both are pure (enough) Android experiences with the Priv having some extra security features and the Nexus having fantastic reviews. Even though the Nexus 6P is more powerful on paper it doesn't seem to be that large of a functional leap over the Priv:
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