[jonay]

Hello, Samsung. Hello, Android.

It's a pity, but right now I'm leaving behing my long history of Nokia handsets. I loved each and every one of them (beginning with a 2110 given to me as a gift, and ending with a X6 now broken). I loved the quality, durability, design, and ease of use. But both the Elopocalypse, the dropping of MeeGo both by Intel and Nokia, and the shrinking services (via Ovi) have forced me to leave.

Now, I'm going for a brand-new smartphone. Nokia doesn't want me to buy a N9 (no way to get it in Spain, I've even contacted them about that). I'll never buy a Microsoft based phone. I don't want either a ultra-locked iPhone. So Android is my only choice, and Samsung will be the brand of it (probably a Galaxy). Samsung seems to be taking the crown from Nokia in a few fronts (most remarkably, Tizen as a fully free O.S. for mobile), so I'll vote for it with my dollar (euro in my country).

So that's all. It was really thrilling while it lasted. I really thought that Nokia could make a big splash with MeeGo and Intel, that they could kick off the mass adoption of free and open source for the masses, but they didn't deliver.

Good luck to all of you, specially Nokia. I'll miss you.

P.S.: I'll be glad to make a "comeback", but I fear that won't be possible as long as Stephen Elop weakens Nokia from within.

[shmerl]

Meego effort is not limited by Nokia. Samsung might as well release some decent and Linux (not Android) compatible handset.

[wicket]

Originally Posted by jonay

I'll never buy a Microsoft based phone.

I don't know your reasons for saying you'll never buy a Microsoft phone but I hope you realise that by going Android, you will be supporting Microsoft as many Android handset manufacturers (including Samsung and HTC) pay Microsoft royalties on every handset sold. Even if you choose an OEM that Microsoft currently does not gain from, they may have to pay royalties later on and you would be supporting a platform which Microsoft are now very much a part of.

[jonay]

Originally Posted by wicket

I don't know your reasons for saying you'll never buy a Microsoft phone but I hope you realise that by going Android, you will be supporting Microsoft as many Android handset manufacturers (including Samsung and HTC) pay Microsoft royalties on every handset sold. Even if you choose an OEM that Microsoft currently does not gain from, they may have to pay royalties later on and you would be supporting a platform which Microsoft are now very much a part of.

Alas, I'm aware that I'll make Microsoft a bit richer by buying a Android based smartphone. But right now, even while I don't like it, there are just three viable platforms in the inmediate future:

a) iPhone.
b) Windows Mobile.
c) Android.

I've discarded totally the iPhone. I don't like their approach, everything is iTunes-based, and you can't do the simplest things (like sending a picture via bluetooth). Also, Apple doesn't need my money, they are already quite rich.

The same could be said regarding Windows Mobile, except that this time is Microsoft the company that ties everything. I've had the chance to play for a while with a HTC Mozart, and I didn't like it. It's as closed as the iPhone, and even when they have some interesting bits, having in mind the business practices of MS, I can't support them.

So there's the best (or the least bad) of the three, Android. Right now there are great hardware (Galaxys, Optimus), Google web services are second to none (and they are improving, just the opposite as Nokia's Ovi services), and (at least the core of) Android is free software.

If I could have bought a N9 in my country, I'd do. But Nokia doesn't want me to buy it. They shut down their online shop, their brick-and-mortar shops, and the N9 is nowhere to be found in Spain's carriers nor shops.

So that's it. Samsung may not be as friendly to free software as Nokia was, but Tizen could become something interesting. So I'll fund them a little with my purchase, and see what the future brings.

[wicket]

Originally Posted by jonay

Alas, I'm aware that I'll make Microsoft a bit richer by buying a Android based smartphone. But right now, even while I don't like it, there are just three viable platforms in the inmediate future:

a) iPhone.
b) Windows Mobile.
c) Android.

I've discarded totally the iPhone. I don't like their approach, everything is iTunes-based, and you can't do the simplest things (like sending a picture via bluetooth). Also, Apple doesn't need my money, they are already quite rich.

The same could be said regarding Windows Mobile, except that this time is Microsoft the company that ties everything. I've had the chance to play for a while with a HTC Mozart, and I didn't like it. It's as closed as the iPhone, and even when they have some interesting bits, having in mind the business practices of MS, I can't support them.

So there's the best (or the least bad) of the three, Android. Right now there are great hardware (Galaxys, Optimus), Google web services are second to none (and they are improving, just the opposite as Nokia's Ovi services), and (at least the core of) Android is free software.

If I could have bought a N9 in my country, I'd do. But Nokia doesn't want me to buy it. They shut down their online shop, their brick-and-mortar shops, and the N9 is nowhere to be found in Spain's carriers nor shops.

So that's it. Samsung may not be as friendly to free software as Nokia was, but Tizen could become something interesting. So I'll fund them a little with my purchase, and see what the future brings.

It's a great shame that the availability of the N9 is so limited. My next choice would be the Pre 3. I recently got a TouchPad and have been very impressed with webOS in general and was pleasantly surprised with how well it integrates with Google web services.

Despite all of the FUD surrounding webOS, development is very active. In fact a webOS TouchPad update was released today. This is better support than you'll get from most Android OEMs!