HTC Titan (4.7" Mango) (1 Viewer)

We picked one of these up for Bob, an engineer. I had told Sam we are almost entirely now iPhone focused here, more then a few hundred in our enterprise. However, we have a few users who the screen size of the iPhone doesn't match with their needs (be a 67 year old sales guru, and maybe the bigger size matters)


So, I spent the morning fooling with the HTC Titan, AT&T. Here are my thoughts:


(1) The response is clean, smooth, fast.. it runs exactly as I would expect it to, connection to exchange is of course a snap and it moves through the day to day functions completely clean. I make no bones about this, in a game of usable interfaces, IOS and WP7 are so superior to Android it isn't remotely funny, and I would never make a Sr. engineer try and learn Android in a hurry.. but they quickly adapt to this.


(2) The screen resolution is too low. This is going to be a negative for quite a few people. The resolution, qHD, strains against the large screen size and it should be better for most users. At the same time, the resolution will mean nothing for someone who wants very large and utterly readable text at an arm length. Frankly, at elbow's length, the text on the Titan is still bright and big, and looks very good. The color quality is also very good.


(3) Performance is fast and snappy. I never second guessed how performance was going to run on this thing, it just did.


I think the Titan needs a boost in resolution, but it moves quickly from tile to tile, it's a cinch to navigate, and if you have someone who struggles with smaller screen sizes/type, it's fantastic for that. Is 4.7" "too big" maybe for some; but for the right user; this is a perfect device.

Actually, the Titan is 800 X 480, not qHD. WP7 will currently only support 800 X 480 resolutions.

You are correct. My apologies. Still a better experience then I've had with any Android phone in existence (just to tweak you)

Originally Posted by Hanson

Actually, the Titan is 800 X 480, not qHD. WP7 will currently only support 800 X 480 resolutions.

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/t/315449/htc-titan-4-7-mango#post_3859997

Nah, I want a phone that can actually multitask without having to wait a minute before resuming.


Definitely different philosophies at work. With iOS and WP7, there is one single consistent home screen. It's the same for everyone.


Android is about customization. I have my home screen running exactly the way I want. I could never accomplish these customizations on iOS or WP7. It's like the Home Theater Master MX-500 I own --- I know exactly which buttons do what without looking at them. But if anyone else picks it up (other than my wife who has had 8 years to get used to it) it's like, "WTF?"


So when you say "Android experience", my question is, "whose?" HTC? Samsung? Moto? Stock? They all look and feel different.

And that's the problem.

Why?

Because for non-tinkerers, the ability to pickup and go with a simple standard is what they are after. This is true with iPhone, Blackberry, WP7, etc. Users have a good idea of the experience they will get no matter the device. It also means for someone running a support desk you can easily walk someone through almost every major task because you can develop common procedures.


You can't tell users "go out and get an android" because a service desk literally will struggle to support them. Each one is different - at times radically different. So unless your support desk has something on every phone that's out there, supporting them is a bitch. For casual users, who don't happen to be younger kids, it's also annoying experience because you can't quickly "ask a friend" because the answer you might get is 'well, it doesn't work that way on mine, you sure you're android?' I have overheard and been a part of that discussion numerous times.


Android as a smart phone is going to dominate the market share. It's available cheaper, it's kid and trade out friendly, and it has some cool functions.

But for sheer usability, I haven't found a single implementation I found valid at all without significant bugs, clunkiness, and an unintuitive UI.

Androids are like opinions, everyone has one and they all stink =p

mattCR said:

Each one is different - at times radically different. So unless your support desk has something on every phone that's out there, supporting them is a bitch. For casual users, who don't happen to be younger kids, it's also annoying experience because you can't quickly "ask a friend"

Click to expand...

Different perspective. I'm no "young kid" (I'm 56), and I LOVE being able to make my Android behave the way I want, instead of the way Steve Jobs ( or whoever) dictates.

Originally Posted by mattCR

We picked one of these up for Bob, an engineer. ... (be a 67 year old sales guru, and maybe the bigger size matters)


...
(2) The screen resolution is too low. This is going to be a negative for quite a few people. The resolution, qHD, strains against the large screen size and it should be better for most users. At the same time, the resolution will mean nothing for someone who wants very large and utterly readable text at an arm length. Frankly, at elbow's length, the text on the Titan is still bright and big, and looks very good. The color quality is also very good.



...


Is 4.7" "too big" maybe for some; but for the right user; this is a perfect device.

Click to expand...

"With the increase of wisdom comes the decrease of vision." -- my Ph.D. thesis


I love the iPhone 4's Retina Display, but it's a young-man's game. Presbyopia hits us all, generally around 40 to 45. These ginormous screens, even with fewer pixels, may be of increasing interest to an aging market.