I’m back! And
what a wonderful world of smartphone joy it is that I’ve returned to! In my
absence we’ve seen an HTC device become (in this humble blogger’s opinion) the
best Android, nay, the best smartphone on the market today with only the mighty
Galaxy Nexus (a very personal favourite and my current daily driver) able to
match it’s greatness. I can already hear the fanboy expletives being screamed
at computer screens across the realm of Geekdom however I stand by the
statement and you’ll see why later.
Since I’ve
been gone we’ve also finally seen the reveal of the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy
SIII, a smartphone which I must admit even had me a little wet around the gooch
in anticipation….I’m sorry. However the unveiling
of Korean manufacturer’s flagship has left more than a few phone groupies
(myself included) a little underwhelmed.
Sure it
does everything it should do on paper and sure, it does it all really, really
well but the antiquated design, Siri imitation and substandard build quality just
fail to show the innovation and ambition that can put a device that one
precious step ahead of it’s peers, something it seems HTC have taken heed of
with it’s One series of smartphones. Sense 4.0 not withstanding, the One X is
one of the most beautifully crafted and considered handsets I’ve ever had the
pleasure of tinkering with. Yes I still feel Sense, even its Ice Cream Sandwich
incarnation is annoying and convoluted however the device illustrates something
that the Galaxy SIII failed to do, and that something is design philosophy.
Now this is
something Samsung clearly knows how to pull of as they managed it splendidly
with the Galaxy Nexus. As we all know a nexus device represents an Android
clean slate, a device free from manufacturer meddling and running Google’s latest
OS as envisioned and that’s exactly what the Galaxy Nexus was through and
through. Even it’s beautifully monolithic design (a feat which in my eyes surpasses
even the iPhone 4’s) with its lack of conventional buttons and its smooth,
sleek chassis spoke volumes about the phone’s design philosophy. This is why I
place the Galaxy Nexus above the SIII and on par with the One X.
In this day
and age, simply making sure your device is outfitted with the best specs isn’t
what matters *cough* LG! *cough cough.* A design philosophy, consistent within
itself, is needed to strike a rapport between manufacturer and consumer. That
rapport is invaluable. Love them or hate them it is something Apple mastered
years ago and is something other manufactures are finally taking on board as
seen in devices such as the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC One series.
It’s just a
shame that Samsung, after showing such promise with the Galaxy Nexus
(questionable build quality not withstanding) then decided to throw the baby
out with the bathwater when they needed it most.
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