Android Phone .. Which one to buy?

[sofamensch]

Mike has been very carefull in giving any advice which phones will be suited for Pleco.

I was only waiting on buying an Android until there might be some results on Pleco. Surely some brands have some glitches others dont have now. But the question also involves which one is probably the best value for my money, and the best choice long-term (upgradeability).

Galaxy S - 333Euro
HTC Desire 299
HTC Desire S 395

 

[villagepark]

if you are willing to spend 400 euro just get galaxy S II. Its out in a lot of places in europe and should be available where you are soon. Should be around 400e but im not sure.

 

[kun4]

Where do you want to use Pleco? The bigger screen of a tablet is nice if you're sitting at a desk or in a sofa; but if you rehearse flashcards daily on the subway a phone is handier.

Perhaps, instead of suggesting brands and models, it would be possible to specify what is needed to run pleco.

Right now 609 mb is needed to store Plecodroid data. (This is roughly the same as on iPhone/iPad/iPod). Add some room for text documents and mp3s. A Chinesepod lesson in CD quality occupies about 12 mb on average. This means a 2 gb flash would be sufficient for Pleco and about 100 audio lessons; a 4 gb flash would be Pleco and about 250 audio lessons. That's enough for me.

What I've noticed is that phones (iPhone4, HTC Desire) tend to have around 512mb of RAM, while tablets (iPad2, Samsung Galaxy 10.1 ) have twice that. There are people on older iPhones who can't use OCR because their iPhone doesn't have enough RAM. So I'm wondering: does one have to look at memory requirements as well?

 

[sui.generis]

What I've noticed is that phones (iPhone4, HTC Desire) tend to have around 512mb of RAM, while tablets (iPad2, Samsung Galaxy 10.1 ) have twice that. There are people on older iPhones who can't use OCR because their iPhone doesn't have enough RAM. So I'm wondering: does one have to look at memory requirements as well?

I can't imagine there is an official froyo device out with insufficient system memory, and I can hardly imagine there is a android device without sd expansion for storage.

 

[krothold]

I do not think that memory would be a big issue. Android has still an underlying Linux so adding a swap partition should help, if memory space isn't sufficient.

 

[mikelove]

What I've noticed is that phones (iPhone4, HTC Desire) tend to have around 512mb of RAM, while tablets (iPad2, Samsung Galaxy 10.1 ) have twice that. There are people on older iPhones who can't use OCR because their iPhone doesn't have enough RAM. So I'm wondering: does one have to look at memory requirements as well?

Memory usage is primarily a problem with still-image OCR; the RGB565 bitmap in which we store the color onscreen image plus two grayscale buffers used during processing mean a total of about 4 bytes per pixel in the image right now, so an 8 MP digital camera photo means 32 MB of RAM usage (not counting RAM needed for other parts of Pleco / a few MB worth of OCR character-matching templates / etc). You can drop most of one of those grayscale buffers in the current scroll-around-and-look-up-words-in-the-box still-image mode, but all of the buffers are needed for the whole-page-at-a-time Block Recognizer mode.

So if you want to do a lot of still-image OCR then 256 is probably the minimum amount you should consider, and if you're a power user / like to do a lot of background stuff 512 would be a better bet. Live OCR is considerably less memory-intensive since the images are a lot smaller and we're never processing more than a small portion of even that small image at a time. There isn't really anything else particularly memory-intensive on the horizon that I can think of, but more RAM pretty much always has some performance benefits since it means (or can mean) a larger disk cache and hence faster searches / database accesses.

 

[piranha]

Now that Pleco for Android is out, has anyone tried it on a Samsung Galaxy S II?

I am wondering whether it is still worth getting an iPhone4 for running Pleco or SGS2 is a good alternative.
SGS2 is the most powerful phone out there right now, but its resolution is only 800x480, compared to iPhone4's 960x640. Does this may make a big difference regarding handwriting recognition accuracy and character reading comfort?.

Also, I would like to know if Android (Asian firmware) built in chs handwriting recognition is better than that of Pleco or iOS5. Which one is the best one? If Pleco is the best, can it be used as IME?

Thanks

 

[Loriquero]

Now that Pleco for Android is out, has anyone tried it on a Samsung Galaxy S II?

I am wondering whether it is still worth getting an iPhone4 for running Pleco or SGS2 is a good alternative.
SGS2 is the most powerful phone out there right now, but its resolution is only 800x480, compared to iPhone4's 960x640. Does this may make a big difference regarding handwriting recognition accuracy and character reading comfort?.

Also, I would like to know if Android (Asian firmware) built in chs handwriting recognition is better than that of Pleco or iOS5. Which one is the best one? If Pleco is the best, can it be used as IME?

Thanks

just got pleco on my SGSII... Looks like everything is in order, reading is really confortable... But still have to try it more. Let me use it a little bit more and I will tell you. Is just that I have never seen Pleco running on iphone, so I cannot do a fair bijiao.

 

[piranha]

just got pleco on my SGSII... Looks like everything is in order, reading is really confortable... But still have to try it more. Let me use it a little bit more and I will tell you. Is just that I have never seen Pleco running on iphone, so I cannot do a fair bijiao.

Thanks for reporting . The IPhone comparison would be great, but it's gonna have to be a huge advantage for iPhone on this field to offset the fact that IPhone5 is coming late, expensive and most likely without some important hardware upgrades.

 

[Loriquero]

Again, I could just compare pleco with the HTC touch 2 windows mobile I used to have last year, and there is no word to describe how better pleco is in the sgsII... handwriting recognition is way way better, and it opens inmediatly, in my old phone you had to wait for decades before pleco could start. Now I feel like I'm opening another light app like the google talk... It opens even faster that the 新浪微博 app. But again, this machine is a monster ^^

There is just something I don't like and it's the OCR, Is really hard for me to match a character, I don't know if there is a tutorial for the OCR...

 

[sofamensch]

I was hoping for some hardware advise

Is there anything speaking against a I9000? Its widely spread...

 

[Wan]

And here another request: Sony-Ericsson is going to realease the new Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro in Europe soon. They are small, have a 3 inch screen and half VGA resolution. I very much like the design and do not have an Android device yet. Will it be a reasonable choice for Plecodict? Thanks

 

[mikelove]

Also, I would like to know if Android (Asian firmware) built in chs handwriting recognition is better than that of Pleco or iOS5. Which one is the best one? If Pleco is the best, can it be used as IME?

I think that depends on the device; some devices may have licensed the same handwriting engine that we do (considered by many to be the finest on the market), but most probably use cheaper / less accurate ones. I haven't spent too much time with the iOS 5 handwriting recognizer yet, but almost everybody seems to agree the engine we use is more accurate than the one in iOS 3/4 at least.

Our handwriting system can't currently be used as an IME, and for licensing reasons it's unlikely we'll be able to offer it as one in the future either unfortunately.

Thanks for reporting . The IPhone comparison would be great, but it's gonna have to be a huge advantage for iPhone on this field to offset the fact that IPhone5 is coming late, expensive and most likely without some important hardware upgrades.

Where did you hear that? By most accounts it's going to be arriving in September, it'll likely come in at the same $200-with-contract price point as most high-end smartphones, and it seems almost certain that it'll be dual-core and include the same screaming-fast graphics chip as in the iPad 2 (or something similar anyway). The only real question mark is 4G support, but with all of the carrier's standards-mucking it's debatable whether any of what they're calling 4G nowadays really qualifies as 4G anyway.

There is just something I don't like and it's the OCR, Is really hard for me to match a character, I don't know if there is a tutorial for the OCR...

Have you tried using it in still image mode instead? A lot of people find that they like that better... you can invoke it via the menu, or configure it to come up in that mode by default via Settings / OCR. Also, make sure that the text you're pointing at is well-lit and clear of interference / dark shadows / etc.

And here another request: Sony-Ericsson is going to realease the new Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro in Europe soon. They are small, have a 3 inch screen and half VGA resolution. I very much like the design and do not have an Android device yet. Will it be a reasonable choice for Plecodict? Thanks

It should work but I don't think I'd really recommend it - now that we're controlling mobiles with our fingertips instead of styluses, a 3-inch screen just isn't big enough to hit buttons accurately in any but the simplest apps.

 

[Wan]

Sony-Ericsson is going to realease the new Xperia Mini and Xperia Mini Pro in Europe soon.

It should work but I don't think I'd really recommend it - now that we're controlling mobiles with our fingertips instead of styluses, a 3-inch screen just isn't big enough to hit buttons accurately in any but the simplest apps.

Thanks. I currently use the WM version on a HTC Touch Diamond, which has an even slightly smaller screen. I'm happy with that, but it's stylus controlled. Writing characters with the fingers is not easy at all. You may be right. But even the very high end devices like the Samsung Galaxy SII only have a 4.3" screen. The resolution is higher, too. Is this really that significant? I guess I'll have to try it somewhere as soon as the phone is released.

 

[mikelove]

Thanks. I currently use the WM version on a HTC Touch Diamond, which has an even slightly smaller screen. I'm happy with that, but it's stylus controlled. Writing characters with the fingers is not easy at all. You may be right. But even the very high end devices like the Samsung Galaxy SII only have a 4.3" screen. The resolution is higher, too. Is this really that significant? I guess I'll have to try it somewhere as soon as the phone is released.

It's a pretty big difference, at least to me - I'd strongly recommend trying out a few devices in a store before making your decision. A little extra space on the sides and top makes things feel a whole lot roomier.

 

[benzhen]

if you are looking for a bargain that is a real powerhouse, i would recommend the atrix 4g. its offered in several countries but you can buy the att one for around 325-275 USD and get it unlocked pretty easily. its got a tegra 2 1ghz and 1gb of ram! Not to mention the qhd high resolution screen. i know people really like the SGSII screen but i really like the extra resolution and the smaller 4" size of the atrix. also, the bootloader was recently unlocked so there is a lot of potential with this phone. AND the rounded edges makes it SUPER comfortable in the hand. its half the price of the SGSII, so if you don't need the super amoled + and the 8mp camera of the SGSII its got a lot going for it.

OCR and pleco in general run super smooth from my daily usage.

 

[sofamensch]

Thats acutally nice. If you can unlock it from AT&T its amazingly cheap.

In Germany they sell unbranded only for 530 Euro!! Thats more then double price.

 

[benzhen]

unlock codes are usually around 15-20 USD. xda has some sites that sell them reviewed. you can also get the atrix unlocked on ebay for about 450USD, still much less than 530 euros!

 

[piranha]

I think that depends on the device; some devices may have licensed the same handwriting engine that we do (considered by many to be the finest on the market), but most probably use cheaper / less accurate ones. I haven't spent too much time with the iOS 5 handwriting recognizer yet, but almost everybody seems to agree the engine we use is more accurate than the one in iOS 3/4 at least.

Our handwriting system can't currently be used as an IME, and for licensing reasons it's unlikely we'll be able to offer it as one in the future either unfortunately.

thanks for that info

Where did you hear that? ...

Frankly I dont remember. Everybody is talking. I expected iPhone5 in June, but then I found some news doubting that it will come in 2011 (while others suggested something like September).
I happen to care about the camera, and it is being said that it wont be upgraded.
I was also hoping that they will upgrade to amoled (i have learned recently that that is impossible since not even Samsung devices can have iPhone4's pixel density. I actually prefer iPhone4's sharpness over an 800x480 amoled screen).
When i tried to buy an iPhone4 I could not find an offer under 800eur (after 1.5 years contract). Some apple's products sell here 60% more expensive than they do in the states. (no... I cannot understand why so many people still buy apple)

unlock codes are usually around 15-20 USD. xda has some sites that sell them reviewed. you can also get the atrix unlocked on ebay for about 450USD, still much less than 530 euros!

By all means I do not recommend anyone buying a phone from eBay. Even more, I do not recommend buying a second hand phone unless you buy it from a trusted and legal company. The IMEI of that phone may be blocked if the phone was stolen.

I love the reslotion of that motorola phone (same as iPhone4). I had not heard of it until now, so I ordered a SGS2. I am paying 190eur+19*1.18*18 = 600eur for the SGS2. It is quite easy to root, and seems unlocking too. Price without contract is 685eur.

I am now regretting not buying a contract-free SGS2. I have learned that IMEI is sent to operator at every call and that many apps access this hardware identifies and sent it online.
I do not like this because in the case of a contract phone, the IMEI is related to your real identity, and this is a major privacy issue.
I will be trying to change my IME after I get the phone, now my question is, will I have problems with Pleco if I change the IMEI?

 

[Marc Vermeiren]

I'm currently using the beta on an HTC Desire and I have no issues with memory and/or speed.
But, the Desire is an already older phone. The upside is you can probably pick it up cheap(er), the downside is it will probably get one more upgrade to 2.3 and that will be it. If you can live with that, great phone!