Google’s Android platform and the Open Handset Alliance promises to make the end customer truly free to choose a handset for his convenience and not be dictated by the convenience of the carrier company. Sprint and T-Mobile’s agreement with the OHA philosophy of free and open cell phone usage should bring us closer to that goal. What would be a perfect phone then! A compact unit-that goes without saying. But then I’ll need lots of pixels too, well as much as possible at least! A 3 MP camera and a functional keyboard or a QWERTY one would really be nice. But then these hardware resources are not dictated by the software platform even an open one. So let’s concentrate on the software features then.An easy to use OS that’s going to be top of the list. Symbian or the Windows mobile aren’t the easiest one to learn for a new user of the smart phone, though these OS’s have a lot of power. Palm OS is fine but is showing signs of age and not powered enough. Hopefully the Android would be easy to use, as easy as the leopard maybe.
Ability to install and use a wide range of apps is next. But then Google is already coming to help that along. Personally I’ll be happy with just the Google basket alone. I use GMail and Google calendar extensively and thud Google docs would be nice to have. It’d really nice to have apps from the MS, Yahoo and all the others too.
There are nice applications one would want on the phone. A fast and robust browser is a must that supports Java as well as flash. Multiple IM, e-mail POP + IMAP support, compatibility with MS exchange server for connection to work e-mails and may be just may be a VoIP client! A mobile Skype for example or the HotSpot@Home from T-Mobile where you could make free calls via WiFi.
Needs to be fast, well that’s 3G! Need the WiFi too. May be I am getting involved with hardware features again here, but Qualcomm has mentioned that 3G is very much part of the Android move.
Let the Blutooth open up further. I want stereo support, besides why can’t I connect my Pc to the phone working as a modem! With the phone’s 3G support who needs the EVDO or the HSDPA PC Cards.
May be there’s a phone already out there in the universe even with this hefty wish list, who knows. Would be really nice if between Android and the OHA they can create an environment that makes this possible and I could then go out and use some of my hard earned cash to buy such a one.
So what else would you, dear readers, like to see on your phone? Do please comment here.
P.S Wouldn’t it be nice if I could connect to my home computer while on the road! Ok, Ok I am really done, for now.
