Now that I’m working again I wanted a good smartphone. But how to choose? I read many articles comparing flagship phone (Galaxy S4, HTC One, iPhone 5, Xperia Z) features.
* benchmark tests
* storage capacity
* camera pixels
* plastic vs. metal
* removable or non-removable batteries
* stock Android or tweaked display
I used to work for Sony Ericsson and once had their Xperia smartphone. I wanted something different. My son has an iPhone; a good phone but I wanted a path less worn. I managed to find a Galaxy S4 at Wal-Mart before it was advertised by getting friendly with a sales person. Did the same with an HTC One. Actually holding the devices in my hand compared to reading about them was like the difference between the map and the place on it. No, I couldn’t tell everything by brief inspection, but now I put a face with a name and engaged the senses always left out of a blind date..
Neither phone is cheap. The S4 was about $70 more expensive than the One. AT&T and Verizon seemed to be the premiere carriers but when I checked prices for the data plan I would need they became carriers of typhoid excess. Sprint ratted me to the credit bureau years back for a mistake they made, not me. So they were out. T-Mobile won by default (but they all leave something to be desired).
I stopped by several T-Mobile stores but none had the HTC One or Galaxy S4 at the time. They said they could order it online. I could do that myself, and did. After having held the devices and simmering for several weeks in the facts as reported by those with and without axes to grind, I made a decision in accordance with the feelings running fastest downstream and ordered an HTC One for overnight delivery.
The phone’s arrival made the next day Christmas day. I opened it on the front porch and had it working in a few minutes. The Blinkfeed function replaces the stock Android screen with news features of your choice (I chose science and technology, NFL and Associated Press). I didn’t think I would like this because I don’t generally follow news. But I didn’t have the prejudice of a stock Android user and I found many articles to be interesting and often enlightening. Also, speakers on a phone carried no weight with me until I heard those on the HTC One. After listening to a couple songs and taking a few calls on speaker, I’m hooked.
I started out with an attitude that Mr. Spock would have approved only to make a Dr. McCoy decision. Not only do I not regret it, I like it.