why do cell phones suck so bad?

gdconwaygdconway
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited January 2014
serious question. did apple's purchase of all that flash memory cripple cell phone manufacturer's ability to make decent phones? you'd think one of them could manufacture a "smart phone" that has a decent calendar and address book and holds a lot of music. ability to open/edit text docs, emails, and im could be the high-end version. how many people really want to carry around a shitty camera all the time? almost everyone i know would like a decent cell phone/ipod combo, most of whom could also use a calendar. no one i know uses their camera phone for any constructive purpose.



i just ordered a new razr which i'm not really happy about. i'm just going to duct tape my nano to it. my new creation will have a shitty interface, but good specs. why is this the best option?



of course, since i just signed up for a 2 year plan and got a new phone, the iphone will probably come out next week.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    win2mac524win2mac524 Posts: 18member
    Yah. RAZRs are nothing really special. Its a regular phone with a cool shell. I've had mines since september. I paid $199 for it and not a week later it came down to $99. Same situation with the two year plan and the iPhone likely a month away.



    LATER
  • Reply 2 of 5
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    "why do cell phones suck so bad?" Straight and to the point.
  • Reply 3 of 5
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    My gripes:

    #1) Sound quality is teh shitz. Come on! It has got to be better than a 16Kbps MP3 played through a tin can. OK, so I have sensitive ears, but that is no excuse for living with audible compression distortion. That REALLY annoys me.



    #2) Features that can go to hell: Camera phones. Get a camera, or a phone. Either device is better off separated. There may be that occasional time you need a pic, but overall they have caused more problems than they are worth. And what is up with cruddy cameraphone quality becoming a norm? Channel X wants to broadcast your pic on TV because you were some "hero" with a cameraphone wetting himself at the scene of a bank robbery. Think your are sneaky? You had your 15 minutes of fame now go buy some play-dough. Don't subject the rest of use with your washed out abomination of a photograph. Oh, and charging for text messages? WTF Mates? You know how much bandwidth a text message consumes in this EVDO speed world? That is the biggest rip since the day following a five-alarm chili cookoff.



    #3) Features I would like: Universal compatibility. All phones all networks. Swap SIM cards like I USED TO DO. Bluetooth: Check. No more upload-through-our-service -so-we-can-charge-you-more shenanigans. How about a VOIP mode when you are at home with your wireless 802.11 network? You know, less dropped calls and such or better compression ratios because you oversold your networks and screwed with our bitrates to compensate.



    Meh, cell phones suck. The only reason I have one is because my parents gave one to me and pay for it. That way THEY can contact me. I certainly don't need a cell phone. I prefer Skype and land lines.



    Ahh. Rant out.



  • Reply 4 of 5
    dogcowdogcow Posts: 713member
    The only reason I want Apple to release an 'iphone' is to get the rest of the industry off their lazy asses (see ebby's post). Even if the phone costs $500 it at least push the makers and carriers to put a little more effort into their product.
  • Reply 5 of 5
    progmacprogmac Posts: 1,850member
    Anyone here use prepaid? The European model of short calls and lots of text messages makes prepaid work great, and keeps a cell phone from being as expensive as cable internet.
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