Choosing a Smartphone in Belgium

Choosing a smartphone

One of the main reasons we’re expats, is to get out and see the world. Sharing our experiences of new places, through words and photos, is one of the pillars of CheeseWeb.

However, with the rise of social media, her success in art, and her growing websites, Alison has increasingly found herself tied to her office. She has a laptop, which enables her to move around the house, but it’s a bit cumbersome when she’s out photographing, with a backpack full of camera gear.

So how can she stay mobile, but still have ways to interact with all you lovely people anytime, anywhere? The answer: a smartphone.

I emphasize smartphone because it’s not really a phone that is intelligent. It is a micro-computer that happens to have a phone built in. And a GPS. And WiFi. And Bluetooth. And it (sort of) fits in your pocket. In fact, I think people who own smartphones use them more extensively than their regular computers. It’s convenient, always on, has a variety of tools, and can distract you during the next layover.

Canadian vs European mobile phones

We haven’t always been cutting edge when it comes to mobile phones. When we first arrived in Belgium, we bought the cheapest phones available, so we could call each other and, as we got to know people, our friends. We used them purely as phones. Europeans were very accustomed to doing more with their mobiles (texting is a prime example), but eastern Canadian mobile providers were not as advanced. (we got 1-way text messaging in 2004!) Upon arriving on the continent, we quickly adopted text messaging instead of calling, as it was cheaper, but otherwise our mobiles were still just phones.

Then, a little over a year ago, after swearing I would never ever have a Blackberry again, I ended up with a Bold so I could stay on top of work, while traveling.  I still don’t think Alison has forgiven me, but I do think she’s starting to understand the need to stay on top of things. She certainly saw that having the Blackberry enabled me to do some interesting ‘social’ things like checking Facebook, Twitter, uploading photos, etc.  So she bit the bullet and decided that a smartphone made sense.

No iphone for Alison

Of course, being the resident geek, she asked me to provide her with some options.  That turned out to be a good and a bad thing. Good because I love to research the newest technologies. Bad because I always decide on the most expensive option. I was looking for a device that would have a good user interface (touch screen), a nice display, WiFi, and a large list of available applications.

Now, I know you’re thinking, “Aha!  She must have bought an Apple iPhone!” However the iPhone, in my view, is too restrictive. You can only install and run applications that have been approved by Apple and appear in their online store. I don’t have anything against Apple. I know they are trying to maintain the user experience and weed out the malicious or inane applications. But recent changes to their policies make me cringe a little inside.

Google Android – the choice for Social Media

Having ruled out the iPhone, I did some research and decided phones running Google Android were the way to go. At heart, Android is built around the web and social media, so it seemed the best fit for Alison. This also gave her a wide choice of phones and applications. What impressed me further, is Android is still being actively improved and there is a large community innovating around the platform.

At the moment, I would argue the technology leader for Android phones is HTC, although I’m keen to see/touch the Samsung Galaxy S,which should be out now. (To any Samsung reps, I’m happy to test and review!) HTC has a range of phones, but as with all smartphones, they’re not cheap – the least expensive being more than 300 euros!

And the winner is... the HTC Desire

After viewing all that HTC had on offer, I managed to get Alison to agree to the latest HTC model, the HTC Desire.

The Desire is very similar to the Google Nexus One and, importantly to me, has the latest technology which will enable it to be upgraded, (whenever Android 2.2 is released and HTC repackages it) and run even the heaviest of applications (like Swirl, the wine guide ).  This may be more than most people need, but like I said earlier, asking me for options is a good and bad thing!

We brought the Desire home, connected it to the WiFi network in the house, and Alison was off and running (or at least climbing the learning curve).

Next week I’ll discuss what to think about when contemplating mobile internet for your phone. Coming soon, Alison will list some great Android applications for travellers.