There was a time when cellular handsets were basic voice devices that allowed us to make and receive calls just as we did with the phones in our homes. I can remember not so long ago, that the first phone I purchased was a refurbished Motorola StarTac from an AllTel dealer. The StarTac worked just fine for me. The call quality was clear and the phone was small enough to fit in the front pocket of my jeans without causing any discomfort. This device was one of Motorola's most popular and beloved productions. Once in a while, when I'm fumbling through my electronics drawer for a replacement charger, I catch a glimpse of the now dusted and retired StarTac. "You were the best", I think to myself.
Fast forward to our present day world and we find that cellular handsets are far more advanced than the days of the Motorola StarTac and other well known devices of that era. Since that time, cellular devices have become faster and packed with convenience features such as calendars, email, text and picture messaging and the list grows on. The development of these devices happened so quickly, that what is new today will be outdated six months from now. There are a plethora of handsets for consumers to choose from and mobile service providers don't exactly make it easy to make a selection. The iPhone 4 and HTC MyTouch 4G are two such devices that have consumers playing the Tug of War game.
iPhone 4
The release of the 4th Generation iPhone device was heavily anticipated. iPhone's loyal enthusiasts waited eagerly to see what Apple's masterminds had created to accommodate their insatiable appetite for more, more, more. More is what Steve Jobs, Apple's front Brass in Charge, spoiled the iPhone's loyalists with.
The iPhone 4 continues where the iPhone 3 left off. This device packs features that makes other handset manufacturers scramble back to their drawing boards. One of the most appealing features of the iPhone 4 is FaceTime. Leave it to the Apple developers to be the first company to offer video calls right from the iPhone 4 handset. The device has a camera on the front of the phone as well as the back that makes video calling possible. An iPhone 4 owner can have FaceTime conversations with any other iPhone 4 owner, anywhere in the world. With one of the highest resolution screens available on a mobile device, the iPhone 4 brings sharper images and text views to the screen. A few other specifications of the iPhone 4 include the following:
-Retina display
-3.5-inch (diagonal) Widescreen Multi-Touch Display
-960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
-800:1 Contrast Ratio (typical)
-500 cd/m2 Max Brightness (typical)
-Fingerprint-resistant Oleophobic Coating on Front and Back
-Support for Display of Multiple Languages and Characters Simultaneously
MyTouch 4G
HTC, another heavyweight in cellular handset manufacturing, wasn't sitting playing poker while iPhone 4 devolopers were hard at work producing their flagship device. The HTC MyTouch 4G was also a heavily anticipated device that is out to tame the growing love for the iPhone 4. One feature that is evident of HTC's focus on out-maneuvering Apple, is the MyTouch 4G's Video Chat. With Video Chat, owners of this device are able to chat with family and friends with Wi-Fi or without. The device operates on what T-Mobile describes as America's largest 4G network.
Just as iPhone 4 boasts significant improvements over the previous device, the same can be said of the MyTouch 4G. This device operates on the Android operating system that continues to inhale rave reviews from tech savvy websites and grows in popularity. Another notable feature of the MyTouch 4G, is the Genius button that allows users to use voice command to make phone calls, reply to text messages, and access Google Maps. Below is a short list of other specifications:
3.8 inch TFT Widescreen Display (800x480 pixels)
5 Megapixel, LED Flash, Auto Focus, Face Finder, Digital Zoom
HSPA+ (14.4 Mbps Download, 5.76 Mbps upload)
8 GB SD Card - Expandable to 32 GB
DoubleTwist PC Sync Tool
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
And the Winner Is
As with any boxing match, survival often goes to the fittest. Ounce for ounce, the MyTouch 4G packs the greatest punch with the Android operating system. The open source magic this system provides allows users to choose from a ton of free applications, to add to the existing functionality of the MyTouch 4G. The Video Chat feature on this device allows users to chat with anyone else who has a video camera and shows you if another party is available to chat, right from your address book. The biggest difference between Video Chat on the MyTouch 4G and the iPhone 4 FaceTime is that users on Video Chat don't have to own a MyTouch 4G. To use FaceTime, both users have to own an iPhone 4.
Manufacturer's such as HTC, Samsung and Motorola, have Android on their devices. These devices are available on all the major cellular service providers including AT&T. The iPhone, in all generations, has been available only on AT&T. There are rumors circulating that the iPhone will be available on another carrier in the near future. In the meantime, the MyTouch 4G will continue to gain ground as the ring leader over the competition.
Darren Spears - null
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