User: Philip Berne
These are the most recent forum messages posted by Philip Berne:
Re: What happened with Philip Berne?
I work for Samsung now. All reviews are now in Eric's more-than-capable hands.
Interesting
I think it's an interesting device. I don't care it's a Kyocera. Sure, they build mostly low-end phones, but so does GM, though every once in a while they put out a new Corvette.
I wouldn't fault Sprint for having an event for this phone, either. I heard some other journalists (okay, just Peter Ha from The Daily) complaining that they didn't want to go because the news was leaked in the WSJ. But this is definitely a phone ...
Re: Actually Phil works for SamSUCK
In the interest of disclosure, I'll just say that I wrote this article while working full time for PhoneScoop. I am now working at Samsung. Samsung does not suck :)
Re: Wow - speculation!
Interesting. If anything, I thought my article would mostly talk people out of buying a new Verizon iPhone :) I would hardly say I'm plugging Verizon Wireless, I make it clear they have very expensive voice plans and a high ETF. Plus, they've recently made it harder for existing customers to upgrade frequently.
However, there has been an ongoing mantra in the tech world that some people are holding out on buying the iPhone until Verizon gets it. ...
Re: When will Microsoft get it together?
I agree on the OS being not ready for prime time. It should have had landscape support from the start.
That said, I don't think this game is a waiting game yet. 80% of U.S. phone buyers don't own a smartphone, but they will eventually. This is a very long game, and Microsoft has plenty of time (so do Nokia and RIM, for that matter).
4G is very exciting, but don't expect to see more than a small handful ...
Re: Wow - speculation!
It's a good critique, for sure. We thought long and hard about this idea, and we've never (to my best recollection) published a story claiming that an unannounced phone is actually true. There is good evidence that Verizon Wireless will launch an iPhone tomorrow, but no hard proof that we can cite.
So, why publish this story? I think it's because we saw a lot of other sites publishing similar stories with no real facts or research. It was ...
Re: This article clearly states that Verizon is #1
Well, first of all, this article clearly states that Verizon Wireless produced the fastest results in my speed tests. Verizon was consistently the fastest in upload and download speeds.
Second, I think my conclusion in The $$$ section was fairly mixed. I think Verizon offers a fine deal, and a solid price per/GB, but Sprint and Clear offer the best value of all the carriers overall.
Third, my response in this thread had to do with the number of ...
Re: So Sprint #1, Verizon #2, then who cares after that..
To what "false information" are you referring? I clearly said I was not sure. I estimated Verizon's coverage footprint. I made no claims about actual coverage numbers.
Re: So Sprint #1, Verizon #2, then who cares after that..
I agree on most of those points. I'm not sure about Sprint's footprint. Verizon Wireless launched LTE in more than 30 huge markets, with more to come very soon. I'll let the carriers sort out who covers the most potential customers.
Otherwise, everything else you said sounds right.
Re: Getro PCS
Metro PCS's LTE network isn't really comparable to these other networks. Metro is going for wide coverage areas in a few select cities, but speeds on Metro's network will be closer to current low-end 3G. That's what I saw in my review of the Samsung Craft on Metro PCS's LTE network down here in Dallas.
Re: Question to the author, Phillip Berne
I use an Apple Time Capsule as my home router. It's running Version 74200.9 of the AirPort software (also described as 7.4.2).
Good luck. The Wi-Fi issue was one of the few flaws I called out on this phone, it would be great to see that fixed.
Re: FM tuner like Optimus One?
Nope, no FM tuner on this device.
Re: No love for webOS?
Okay, in all seriousness, we try to keep the Quickie stories to a minimum of words. I wanted to pick two operating systems to show I wasn't biased toward one or another. When I was picking two operating systems, I chose the top two shipping WebKit browsers in the U.S. Nokia was key to WebKit development, and even called its browser WebKit in the past, but they don't ship as many smartphones in the U.S. RIM has based its ...
Re: Real World Speeds
Yup, positive. I compare against a Nexus One on T-Mo. The G2 was consistently faster. You must have great HSDPA coverage in Charlotte.
After talking with MetroPCS
I talked to MetroPCS about this phone before I wrote the review. The strategy behind it is fascinating.
First, MetroPCS isn't focused on new customers with this phone. They seem to be thinking about their existing base. They imagine folks who already bought the Samsung TouchWIZ 1xRTT folks they offered will be thrilled with this phone. It's got faster networking and the fantastic AMOLED display. Those customers won't mind the interface.
Second, LTE is MetroPCS' 3G. Their network performance ...
Re: What.....?
Absolutely my mistake on the video. In my head, I was thinking it was the first QWERTY superphone, the first since all the recent 1GHz Android phones started hitting the market. But that statement is silly enough that I backpedaled in my head, and ended up with the gaff you see on the video tour.
Still a nice phone, though :D
Re: Doesn't bode well for the Streak....
This phone certainly doesn't reflect well on Dell, but I wouldn't judge the Streak using the Aero as a guide. I haven't seen the Streak in a while, but I know very geeky people who are quite happy with it.
Three Quarters of You Are Using Your Phone in the Bathroom
Samsung passed along these survey results and I thought you folks might find them interesting. Of course, I would NEVER use my phone on the commode, but apparently a lot of people are okay with that :-)
16% use a phone during a funeral. 10% during the throes of passion.
Reprinted in its entirety:
SMART PHONES HELPING TO MOVE BUSINESS FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE BATHROOM
New Samsung Mobile “Work from Phone†Survey Reveals Smart Phones Are Dramatically Changing How ...
Re: No 3G?
Huh!? I can't believe I didn't notice that sticker before now. I can 100% confirm that this phone uses only the Verizon Wireless 1xRTT network. You can see in all of my screen shots that only the 1X network shows reception. I will ask Verizon Wireless about this sticker.
Re: Enough already
If you're tired of hearing about the iPhone, then I certainly understand your frustration, but it is a relevant comparison in this case. I wouldn't compare an iPhone with, say, an LG enV 3, but when comparing two phones with best-in-class touchscreens, fast processors, and similar specs all around, the iPhone is a relevant competitor. I wouldn't say it's comparing a supercar and a speedboat, more like comparing a Lexus with a Mercedes.
Re: So lemme get this straight
It is not "slow as a dog," though my dog outruns me on a bad day. Compared to a small selection of fast Android phones on the market, the Droid 2 is slower, but it's faster than 90% of the smartphones you can buy.
Are you worried about bias in Android phone reviews? Fair enough. Android is a very good platform on which to build a phone, so it's easier for manufacturers to earn (and I do mean EARN) ...
Re: Density...
I'm not saying the phone needs to weigh more. When a phone is large and light, it can feel cheep. If it were the same weight but smaller in size, it would feel more dense, which is a good thing.
Re: So the smart choice would be..........
You know, I don't really see much incorrect in that post. Evo does not have better battery, under any circumstances. I have both phones in front of me and I've been using both on and off for the past few days.
It's fine to talk about how fast WiMAX could be, but I believe that about as much as I believe the LTE predictions, which is to say I'll believe it when I see it. So far, Sprint has ...
Re: browser speed comparison
In my side-by-side tests, the iPhone 4 was always faster than my N1. This could be due to faster networking performance on HSDPA or faster Wi-Fi with 802.11n, or something else entirely.
Re: Review
How did I know someone would say that :twisted:
Re: Didn't Like Design?!
This is definitely a personal thing, and I know that I'm in the minority. I did not like the design, but I think Rich called it an "instant classic." I tried to explain objectively why I did not like it, but ever since we all saw the leak on Gizmodo, I knew I wasn't a fan of the new look.
Re: Maybe...
The browser is the Access Netfront browser, version 3.5. It's a very common browser in feature phones. Access sells it pretty cheap. I've never had a good experience with it. Opera Mini is a much better choice for phones in this class, I think.
Re: Janky!!!
Thanks a lot! I appreciate that. I joined a great team, for sure.
Re: last time i visit this site.
I'm curious why you think that. I will say the Evo 4G, and Sprint's network, didn't live up to my expectations based on the experience I had with the phone when it was originally launched, and my experience using other Clear devices in my area.
I'm also curious about the grammar error. I must admit those squeak through from time to time, but I like to think my reviews are cleaner than most in terms of grammar, usage and ...
Re: Oops, wrong writer...
ol' Phil? But I'm the most recent addition to the site? Okay, I'll take that as a compliment.
Re: If You Keep giving wrong information over and over, someone will believe you.
I don't think I said it was $10 for 4G. It's not. It's $10 extra for all Evo users, 4G or not. Other users, like HTC Hero owners, get unlimited data without the $10. Sure, Sprint does have great plans, even with the $10 addition. But they set a high bar for themselves, so if they're charging Evo users an extra $10 for the privilege, I certainly have the right to evaluate that addition.
Re: What with the fanboys and this review?
Aww, I thought it was a good review. The video is 90% positive, too. Did you hear what I said about HTC Sense? And, for the record, I've been a Sprint customer almost continually since my first mobile phone.
Oh well, we'll see if you're right when the iPhone comes out later this month.
Re: Problems with the Wi Fi...
I blame Apple. I use a Time Capsule as my Wi-Fi router. 90% of devices can connect, but a few have trouble. Honestly, I'm glad I have a difficult router, it proves to be a tougher test for these phones.
Re: Private Video
My sincere apologies. The two YouTube videos should now be available and working properly. Enjoy!
Re: Not that bad...
Yup, right on both counts, so I'll clarify.
I did miss the button on purpose in the video as a way of visually demonstrating my point. But I still think it's too small, and my hands aren't huge. However, that may not be a problem for everyone.
You can post a Tweet from the main screen, but what I said in the video is that you can't REpost a tweet. I listened again, it didn't sound as clear as ...
Re: Not Good, it still requires a GPS signal to work
This is a good point. I've always heard that one reason the GPS sensor is there is to detect whether you're in the U.S. Otherwise, you could take the Airave to Europe, plug it in and use your Sprint service over IP, just as if you were still at home.
Re: Contract?
Right you are, sorry about that. I'm too used to adding that phrase as reflex with the larger national carriers. Fixed.
