I’ve been a hard core Android fan since the beginning. Having owned a G1, HTC Magic, Original Droid and now the Galaxy Nexus you could consider me a “believer”. But there was always something lurking in my experience with Android. No matter how much I overclocked my CPU, no matter how many apps I uninstalled, no matter how many “optimized” ROMs I installed – I could NEVER achieve the buttery smooth experience of an iPhone. There are many theories out there as to why this might be the case but the fact of the matter is it didn’t matter. Having previously owned an iPhone – I knew exactly what I was missing out on and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about going back to iOS once or twice.
*flashback* to the release of the Zune HD. Microsoft released the latest iteration of it’s line of (now dead) Zune media players. It was beautiful and it sported Microsoft’s Metro UI (of which I’m a big fan). I am quite partial to minimal design (perhaps because I suck at design so the fewer elements there are to deal with, the less likely I am to screw up) so Metro is right up my ally. I decided to spring for the device and have not been disappointed. It’s a great media player that does exactly what I need, looks great and the battery life is incredible.
*timewarp* back to the present(-ish)…a couple months ago. My original droid was on it’s last leg – battery not holding a charge, apps crashing left and right but I needed a reliable device YESTERDAY. My plan was to indeed get the Galaxy Nexus (then rumored to be called the Nexus Prime – which is a much better name IMHO) but the phone was a little more than a rumor at the time with no release date in sight. I certainly wasn’t about to grab the MotoBlur infested Droid Razr or anything like it. I’m a purist when it comes to Android. If it doesn’t have stock android keep it away (that’s an entirely different rant). Anyway, with no viable Android alternatives I decided to be adventurous and go for the only Windows Phone 7 device on Verizon – the HTC Trophy. After all, I have a Zune HD so I could expect similar satisfaction right?
I have no serious complaints about the device. It had the responsiveness of an iPhone coupled with the beauty of my beloved Zune HD. However, as the weeks progressed I felt something missing from my life. That thing was pure, unadulterated geekness. WP7 was not only minimal in design but in functionality as well. The damn thing just didn’t DO much. I imagine for the average user, this isn’t a big deal but I take pride in controlling every single aspect of my device. The fact that I only had two theme options (light or dark) says a lot. The lack of apps wasn’t as big of a deal as one might think – the major players were there (Spotify, banking apps, angry birds etc). But still, having those “extra” apps available if I wanted them provided a sense of comfort one would be hard pressed to explained to the unenlightened. After weeks of deliberation (and the release of the Galaxy Nexus FINALLY on the horizon – I mean really Verizon, what the hell type of product launch was that anyway?) I decided that the grass really isn’t all that greener on the other side and so I ended my love affair with WP7 and purchase the Galaxy Nexus.
Let it be said that I have much admiration for WP7 as a platform it just has a lot of maturing to do before I can consider it and alternative to the experience I get with Android. Sure, my nexus isn’t QUITE as responsive as WP7 or iOS but dammit I can effortlessly overhaul the UI at my leisure and that counts for a LOT.
