iPhone 3G versus Touch HD

[Guest m3100tony]

OK to preface this a little about me. I need 2 phones, and it suits to have 1 on O2 and 1 on Orange for max coverage at work. I have had about 10 or so Pocket PCs over the years. I am also a huge mac fan. Got the iPhone 3G a couple of months ago on Pay & Go with unlimited data, and I have been hugely impressed for the most part. Was moving from the TYTN 2 on an Orange deal with unlimited data so took the opportunity to get a new free phone from them.

So for the last couple of days I have been using both the Iphone and the touch HD simultaneously. They both link to the same Microsoft exchange account (a free mail2web account) to sync my push email, contacts and appointments.

So.... which do I prefer....

Well, I am surprised to say it, but I think on first impressions the HD is a significantly better phone.

We were trecking round the country over the weekend and Googlemaps on both phones epitomises much of what is great about the HD. Firstly the screen is much better on the HD. There are many more pixels on the HD on on an application like googlemaps that uses them all the results are staggeringly different. If you use the same scale map you get much more detail on the HD - another whole level of detail - and you still get more viewable map area.

The 3G performance is also very noticeably different. The HD can keep up with the refreshing the map (even when my wife was driving :-) ), whereas the ipone struggles to update the data fast enough, even when both have good 3G coverage. And then there is the 3G coverage... I know it's comparing 2 different networks but in the north of england it is much better on Orange with the HD than iPhone with O2.

Despite the need to use spreadsheets all the time, I've never really found them useable on a pocket PC because there is just no enoucg screen. That's all changed with the HD. Zoom out to 50% and you have a useable spreadsheet.

One thing that was revolutionary for me on the iPhone was the touch performance with a finger. Frankly, on every phone I have owned before, finger touch use has been so lousy you can barely type in a telephone number when the number keypad takes up the whole screen. That has changed with the HD - finger performance is stellar - on a par with the iPhone (though you can't do clever things like zoom with fingers like you can on the iphone). And the lack being able to use a stylus on the iphone is a drawback..... for fine work, like spreadsheet use, the really accuracy of the stylus is essential. I never thought I would like a phone without a hardware keyboard but the touch screen is so good I can type reliably with fingers on the keyboard.

Ipod performance with professional quality headphones is equivalent on both phones, but I do think the internal speaker on the iphone is much better. The Touch HD one is a little "tinny". Phone performance is excellent with both.

Battery is real issue for me. With 10 or so generations of pocket PCs I have never had a phone that realiably can take 24 hours of heavy phone, wireless and data use and have found myself having a stock of USB cables in various locations for emergency charging. With heavy use, I really cant get the battery to below 50% on the HD... the first impressions of the battery are that is much better than previous HTC devices (with everything turned on) and is also better than the Iphone.

Looks are a personal thing, and I think both are good looking phones. I'm really getting used to the touch flo interface and I think it is a really nice shell to use bar a couple of niggles. The iphone operating system is really very sexy and refined. I really don't like the way that Apple restrict 3rd party apps from running in the background and they need to address that urgently.

So all in all, the HD is a winner and I think has the edge over the Iphone. I think the next 12-24 months is going to be really interesting now that Apple, finally, have some real competition. If I had to go to drop 1 phone, it would be the iPhone.

[Guest m3100tony]

Sorry should have said..... GPS performance is faster and more accurate on the HD, especially with QuickGPS turned on on the HD.

Haven't commented on the cameras because I don't really use them. Obviously the HD can record video whereas the iPhone can't and the HD also benefits from the front camera which means you can video call which I find useful every now and again.

[Guest Neil5459]

That's a great synopsis- hopefully HTC/MS will continue developing the interface more, so that some form of multitouch can be be implemented B)

Good to see an objective comparison from someone who uses both devices!

[Guest MikeWard1701]

Thanks Tony for the comparison, it was interesting to read, especially given that the Touch HD is the best and only real iPhone compoetitor to date.

Funny too, as a friend recently got the iPhone 3G, I'll be getting the HD, and we were planning on comparing them on the features they share. Plus usability over time.

[Guest ptrbee]

that's a brilliant review tony. I'm in the same boat as you & i took out an iphone last week on payg but as I found performance exactly as you mentioned I'm actually returning the iphone tomorrow..

Sorry apple B)

[Guest gibson99]

that's a brilliant review tony. I'm in the same boat as you & i took out an iphone last week on payg but as I found performance exactly as you mentioned I'm actually returning the iphone tomorrow..

Sorry apple B)

HI, very interesting. So you also have a touch HD/have used one....Whilst I like the multimedias uses of a phone, could you also confirm the usability of the touchscreen for text entry and general navigation (eg in Mobile Word/tasks/etc) compared to the iphone (not that I loe it, just that it does have a good touchscreen that many have tried and could compare against). IF it's worse than the iphone, then it's a big no no for me you see.

[Guest m3100tony]

HI, very interesting. So you also have a touch HD/have used one....Whilst I like the multimedias uses of a phone, could you also confirm the usability of the touchscreen for text entry and general navigation (eg in Mobile Word/tasks/etc) compared to the iphone (not that I loe it, just that it does have a good touchscreen that many have tried and could compare against). IF it's worse than the iphone, then it's a big no no for me you see.

I really do find the touch screens equivalent for text entry. Having been bitterly dissapointed with every HTC touch screen to date the HD is to my mind in a different class. As I said, on the TYTN 2 I couldnt even reliably type in numbers with fingers, now I can type on the keyboard (full QUERTY option) as easily as I can on the iphone.

[Guest ptrbee]

HI, very interesting. So you also have a touch HD/have used one....Whilst I like the multimedias uses of a phone, could you also confirm the usability of the touchscreen for text entry and general navigation (eg in Mobile Word/tasks/etc) compared to the iphone (not that I loe it, just that it does have a good touchscreen that many have tried and could compare against). IF it's worse than the iphone, then it's a big no no for me you see.

I would give it a 8.5 out of 10, only because when in word, e-mail, text, etc, the screen/g-sensor doesn't allow auto-rotate into landscape mode so in this case it's exactly like the iphone, for key-presses it is similar, when you press a key there is a black highlight around your finger so you have a visual of the key you pressed. Perfect if using the stylus but for finger use the letter shows beneath your finger so you can't see it.

General navigation is very good, to answer a call you use gestures, slide left to answer, slide right to ignore.

A sweet little feature that some may not spot is when you pull the stylus out it turns the phone on B)

all in all I'm returning the iPhone to O2 tomorrow & keeping the touch. Just I can do much more with the touch than the iphone.

Peter.

[Guest Kaaeed]

Hi Guys

My experience is very similar, so I will not repeat them here.

I tried an iPhone 3G for one day and had to return it, just not flexible enough even though its a great machine its greatest asset is also its biggest weakness.

Frustrating thing I found was that I could not start typing a name on the iPhone keypad and have the name come up which is brilliant functionality on WM devices.

Typing on both devices built in keyboards i found frustrating, but I reverted to Touchpal 3.5 which I had for my Touch and is brilliant on the larger screen.

Aps store does not allow for trials. I find this very frustrating as there is no clear process for getting your money back.

Kaaeed

[Guest markdotpeters5]

Nice comparison. Touch HD is the first device I've looked at as a contender, would really like a play soon B)

If the video recording was higher res (a la X1) and it had a flash of any kind, it would be even harder to resist.

[Guest blewer]

I would give it a 8.5 out of 10, only because when in word, e-mail, text, etc, the screen/g-sensor doesn't allow auto-rotate into landscape mode so in this case it's exactly like the iphone, for key-presses it is similar, when you press a key there is a black highlight around your finger so you have a visual of the key you pressed. Perfect if using the stylus but for finger use the letter shows beneath your finger so you can't see it.

General navigation is very good, to answer a call you use gestures, slide left to answer, slide right to ignore.

A sweet little feature that some may not spot is when you pull the stylus out it turns the phone on B)

all in all I'm returning the iPhone to O2 tomorrow & keeping the touch. Just I can do much more with the touch than the iphone.

Peter.

Have you tried GSen??

It allows most packages to rotate, word, excell, tomtom etc

[Guest markdotpeters5]

On a 'potentially moving from iPhone to Touch HD' note...

How would one sync music from iTunes to the Touch HD, or do you have to just copy over the physical folders?

I don't have WMP as I use a Mac you see...

[Guest WearTheFoxHat]

SyncMate

http://mac.eltima.com/sync-mac.html

[Guest Saif]

Hi peeps,

I'm currently with 3 and have the 1gb/mth £5 bolt on which just about suffices my needs but I really have to monitor my daily usage.

I'm looking at the HD and iphone as real options for my next device but have to take into consideration the data allowance I'm likely to get. At the moment I can either:

1. Go with Orange and then unlock the phone and stick in my 3 sim
   
2. Buy the HD sim free
   
3. Get an iphone on O2 and enjoy unlimited data (what is the limit on this?)
   

problem is that as I only moved to 3 in april on a 18mth contract which means I'm a tad stuck in terms of moving to a new network.

Which deals are you guys on in terms of Data bundles?

Also... how is the HD as just a phone?

Cheers

S

[Guest MikeWard1701]

Go with Orange and then unlock the phone and stick in my 3 sim

Costly if you dont need/won't use the Orange contract. Plus may impact on tech support from Orange if you have problems.

Buy the HD sim free

Would be your easiest option, but costly.

Get an iphone on O2 and enjoy unlimited data (what is the limit on this?)

3Gb per month, but not sure if they allow; streaming, instant messaging, VoIP etc.

[Guest markdotpeters5]

SyncMate

http://mac.eltima.com/sync-mac.html

THANKS!!! B) Anyone used it?

[Guest Saif]

Thanks for your thoughts MikW

Am I the only person who has silly data usage?!? surely not....

if I wasn't stuck to 3 at the moment I would be sorely tempted to go with O2 as the 3GB per month looks pretty good with a half decent handset...

The HD on the otherhand is looking rather nice too...

I might just sit this one out and buy an extra £5 bolt on for the extra GB.... at the moment I get through the 1GB in about 15 days and thats when I am being careful about what I use... I'm sure that when I get a more capable handset that usage will go through the roof (currently on a battered and unlocked M3100)

Cheers

S

[Guest Marcus Reichert]

Hello

I have both

I prefer iPhone - it has the much better OS and the toucscreen with kapacitice is much better

BUT

The HD is the first real Iphone Competitor

Good Display, good Touchscreen, buggy ROM

If HTC gives us updates they will be quite as good

as i like WinMo and apple I have both of them