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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Calling all Makers - My Dream Smartphone




I have specific needs from a smartphone that are not in a lot of sets. That's why my most satisfying phone to date is Nokia N900. Currently I have Sony Ericcson XPERIA Pro (AKA MK16i, iyokan), which is a 2011 mid-range model.

TL/DR @ the bottom.
 
          (Concept Phone By Nokia. Alas, comes with Windows 8)


So here it goes, what I want in a dream smartphone:

  1. Price: I would pay up to AED 3,200 for this (about $870). It should be cheaper though, since it is less of an engineering challenge (thicker phone = more space for components), and that a new iPhone sells at AED 2,800 at release.
  2. Size: as big as Samsung Galaxy SIII, but slightly thicker to accommodate the sliding full size, spill resistant QWERTY keyboard like the one in my current SE phone. Those with big fingertips are people too.
  3. Screen: Full HD (1920 X 1080), 5", Tempered Glass, with excellent color rendering.
  4. Sound: Stereo speakerphone (like N900), super loud. I would want to get a premium headset bundled with it too, with its best quality directed to psy-trance frequencies. I believe a headset that can play all the fine details, noises, bass lines in a track like Infected Mushroom's Selecta will do great for other genres. I don't listen to a lot of hip hop, so the current range of "Beats by Dre" that is bundled with HTC flagship devices is not exactly my thing.
  5. Storage: 64 GB built-in, decent speed flash. It's about time already, the price of storage is only dropping and this has been around for many years, so it should now be in a mass-production phone like this. Easily accessible USB-OTG that supports all file systems is also great.
  6. RAM: 2 GB. Going to 4 GB now would be ridiculous.
  7. Wireless: Dual SIM, The usual 2G/ 3G bands, 4G/LTE-compatible for future proofing, NFC (just because), WiFi, native WiFi hot spot, Bluetooth, infra-red. Don't bother with the DLNA stack, because it's such a hassle to play stuff from the phone on a TV if you'll have to plug it in. When a sensible over-the-air solution is available this will come to use.
  8. Camera: This is tricky. My current 8 MP is not bad, but the colors are not great. Looks like an aged digital camera. So, I think a better sensor and a lens cover can make things better. Another very nice feature in my SE, touch anywhere to focus and take the photo. Very useful if you're the one holding the phone when taking photos with your friends. Stabilization, 720p video, stereo sound are also pretty standard now. 1080p video is overrated in my humble opinion and I would prefer having a lower resolution with better color depth. Geotagging is a standard too. A 2 MP front camera is okay.
  9. CPU/ GPU: I want something that is just not going to bug me for a couple of years, so the same combination that would go in Samsung Galaxy S4 would be nice.
  10. Battery: The now-released Samsung Galaxy S4 will have a 2,600 mAH battery. So this is the minimum.
  11. Other features: Water and dust resistant (like Sony XPERIA Z), GPS, navigation with no data connection,  Mini-HDMI port. The standard Micro-USB and 3.5mm ports are also a must. No funky ports. One more VERY important thing, the phone should be easily root-able. Nice efforts have been made in that area by both Sony & Nokia.
  12. Preferred device maker: I would love nothing more than this being released as an official Google phone. Maybe made by Asus, who are makers that understand quality at a nice price. A second option is Sony.  No bloatware of any sort. All I will be asking is a gap-less music player that supports ALL formats and supports playing folders.
TLDR:
  1. Form factor: Slide QWERTY Android.
  2. Price: Up to AED 3,200 for this (about $870). 
  3. Size: as big as Samsung Galaxy SIII, slightly thicker.
  4. Screen: Full HD (1920 X 1080), 5", Tempered Glass, with excellent color rendering.
  5. Sound: Stereo speakerphone, a premium headset bundled.
  6. Storage: 64 GB built-in, decent speed flash. USB-OTG that supports all file systems.
  7. RAM: 2 GB.
  8. Wireless: Dual SIM, 2G/ 3G, 4G/LTE, NFC, WiFi, WiFi hot spot, Bluetooth, infra-red. 
  9. Camera: High quality 8 MP with a lens cover. Stabilization, 720p video, stereo sound. Geo-tagging. 2-MP front camera.
  10. CPU/ GPU: Same as the current Samsung Galaxy S version.
  11. Battery: 2,600mAH minimum.
  12. Other features: Water/ dust resistant, GPS & navigation with no data connection,  Mini-HDMI port. The standard power and headset ports. Easily root-able. 
  13. Preferred device maker: Google official device made by Asus or Sony.

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