Comments on: What do you want from the next Android device?

Crave asks its readers what they want from the next Google Android smartphone.

[dabs1]

Second Remo- particularly wifi with enterprise support and Exchange support.
The former is important even for a consumer oriented phone. Remember wifi on most college campuses
can only be accessed via the enterprise level wifi.

[cmho333]

I wish Android would focus more on functionality. Android's lacking features that most PDA/phones have nowadays; that is disappointing.

No WPA/WPA2 Enterprise support is one of the biggest disappointment. Knowing that that rooted users simply added a few lines of simple code to make this work, it just makes me wonder if the developers know what's in priority...

Microsoft Documents including powerpoint and Adobe Reader support is a must-have; and unfortunately, google decided to let other developers compete for it instead of including it.

[E54L4BN9]

AM RADIO

[meijerpb]

More speed. Currently, computational Android programs on Android phones such as the G1 run about 5 - 10 times slower than equivalent Java ME programs on Nokia phones, due to Dalvik's interpreter-only processing. The Android reference implementation does not (yet) contain a JIT (just-in-time) compiler to bridge this performance gap. http://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/Compiler.html

[pentest]

Removal of all the Google spyware.

[wenjiun]

I would like Android

i) to support multiple SIM cards, software as well as hardware.

ii) to be available in Malaysia officially.

iii) to have camera with good sensor, good lens, good flash and good autofocus.

[lacfnc06]

"Native Microsoft Exchange support would be a good start as well as Flash support."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10241394-1.html?tag=blgs

Didn't you write this article?

[bonnie.cha]

Hi there. I did write that article but as Google and HTC later clarified, the Exchange support wasn't something native to the Android OS. It was a feature that HTC added themselves since the Asian HTC Magic isn't a "Google Experience" phone so they had a little more freedom to customize the device with Exchange support and other features.

[lacfnc06]

thanks for the clarification!

[HealthyElijah]

sprint, Sprint, SPRINT!

It also must have USB charging/data port. Proprietary charging device is NOT going to earn points with ANYONE. It also needs to have a standard 1/8" stereo out.

I am getting very tired of waiting for this from Sprint. I am "this close" to switching to T-mobile.

[dubbydubby]

Basically a handheld device should be a small computer (sound, wireless network, video streaming), gps/map, cell phone (GPRS, VOIP), video camera, touch screen.
As good as it gets with WiFi for free internet when it is available instead of GPRS internet as well as VOIP at the same point. Bluetooth, Wireless N, all those things like GPRS and the stuff cells have, and an open platform. All these phones come with the OS and thats good but why not make the cell like a computer, reformat try another os don't like it go along to the next. The support for things like outlook and the network types they support is OS related. That would make it so that hardware manufactures press for best hardware, and software developers such as google, microsoft, Ubuntu, me develop the best software they can.
As for the software VPN, outlook, mp3 player, the ability to create and download skins like on Gnome look/compiz for cell phones. A video player is a must, FLASH/Actionscript. Also self made gadgets, if someone can program in javascript and html they should be able to make an "app" for the phone. This means creating a nice development environment (and documentation) for people on their computers to use to program things for their cell phone.

[voodoovoxTech]

Nothing...Android Blows....it will never catch up to Apple OSX for iPhone

[dubbydubby]

RF remote embedded into device, allowing for control of things like TV/DvD players/ controlled Lighting such as lutron.

[iceman721]

I have had my G1 since day 1. It has been rugged & dependable since its long anticipated arrival last October. I usually get a new phone every year as I am a very heavy user. Cupcake when I finally receive it will resolve the biggest annoyance for me which was lack of A2DP Bluetooth stereo support. I have not been able to use the several gig's of music on my memory card thanks to the crappy wired headphones that shipped with my device that were broken within 2 weeks. I think on into the future extended battery life is a must on the hardware side, a 5mp camera with autofocus would be nice, a faster processor with more ram to make Android run smoother. The touch screen should be more capable of recognizing multi-touch commands. A larger internal memory a'la Apple with an option to add even more through a memory card. Here's another idea how about a Android multimedia store with music & video similar to Itunes but that works with any Android device regardless of what cell provider you are using. Android is off to a good start but the hardware in its initial release held the OS back. I like the design of my phone although its not a "sexy" design it is durable and functional. The next design should all of the above sexy, durable & functional. Last thing add in a better way to manage applications. I have no idea if a program is still running in the background or how to stop it.

[WebTed]

Outlook synchronization! I had the G1 had to take it back because of lack of sync. I realize the Google doesn't like Microsoft, but come on, most business people that use their phones to sync need this.

[128shot]

True open source development?

I hear its only semi-open. something to due with how the OS wasn't built on a standard linux kernel

[forever4now]

I don't know where you get your information. The code is all open sourced.

They did make some changes to the kernel, but those changes are expected to get rolled back into the kernel in one form or another. Besides, the nature of open source is to be able to modify it for your needs. If the changes can be shared...fine. If not...fine.

[NYTechie]

I'm sorry, but T-Mobile is in dire need of some love and these phones, once out will be very, very welcome. I'm excited!

I hope it comes in some fun colors or, specifically not in white as white shows all stains, scuffs, scratches etc.

[hameiri]

First, I want it to have Nextel Direct Connect capability. I don't care if the phone and data are on Nextel or Sprint, but I don't think they do the dual thing anymore.

I could go for TV reception and HDMI. But, having an SD slot may be more useful. I definitely think Bluethooth for headsets, stereo headphones and keyboards would be great.

Now to pie in the sky. How about the Skype app WITH video? What about being able to tether a laptop or PDA?

[krootdude]

how about a simple headphone jack?

[Rohan_b79]

I would like to see an android based phone with great Voice-guided turn-by-turn GPS navigation. So far no one has made a cellular phone device that can double up as an effective GPS navigator. Many have tried but none have a comprehensive solution.

I want something that requires no third party downloads, no hacked solutions, just a Android based navigator, that can compete with the likes of Garmin etc. One good feature I saw in a harman kardon GPS was a BMW style rotary knob for controlling the GPS, so no longer does one need to stretch and touch the screen for navigation while driving. Such an accessory would also be very nice.

[Data_Monkey]

Funny how everyone seems to want stuff can be fixed through an app. I?m surprised there is not more issues with the hardware. I know I would like the memory/storage increased. A better layout of the current G1 would be nice (I guess HTC though everyone right hand thumb is an inch longer). Maybe mate a Sidekick with a G1? I would also like see T-Mobile (or any carrier) get over the tethering issue. I know you can hack your phone but it should still be a non-hacked app. Fix the head phone jack for the non-Bluetooth people. Maybe a flash for the camera?

[JohnH_in_OKC]

I imagine I'll have to wait a few years to find an Android phone capable of the following features:
1. Multitouch - Google has yet to implement this latent feature in HTC's G1
2. Large AMOLED high resolution touch screen
3. FM/HDFM radio receiver - will take some load off mobile network bandwidth instead of users streaming music or NPR or PRI
4. MPH tv capable (ATSC mobile DTV) - for American phones - I expect many LG & Samsung phones designed for T-Mobile will implement MPH DTV
5. E-Ink shifting keypad similar to Samsung Alias (expanded so numeric keys occupy a separate row when in landscape mode)
6. Standard 3.5 mm earphone/microphone plug
7. GPS application includes voice/street name, lane info, current traffic with alternate routing around traffic jams, weather, POIs (gas stations need current gas prices, whether station has electric vehicle charging capability & whether it offers diesel)
8. 8 to 12 megapixel camera with HD video capture & upload capable to Youtube, CNN & local tv (hd video) & Picasa (photos), Xenon flash, geotagging
9. Facebook/Twitter/Youtube apps similar to 2009 Sidekick LX
10. Bluetooth 3.0 (uses WiFi to enhance connection speed)
11. 2 ea - MicroUSB 3.0 (so that phone can be recharged while using 2nd for HDMI, tethering or data link)
12. Quad-band GSM with EDGE, UMTS with HSDPA
13. 4G: LTE or WiMax
14. Free tethering - running a laptop internet connection through the phone's USB or Bluetooth
15. Near field Communication (NFC) for making retail payments by swiping phone near a sensor - if NFC becomes a world standard
16. Optional add-on FM transmitter - for car radios without input from bluetooth or RCA plug
17. Music/video player with MPEG-4/H.264/divx/Red Ray 4K decoding
18. Removable Lithium-titanate battery (or Lithium-Ion if Lithium-titanate batteries aren't viable)
19. Micro XCSD memory card compatible (extends HCSD memory card to 2 TB)
20. Microsoft Exchange 2010 compatible
---John Hite, retired, Oklahoma City