The best smartphones based on Android 2.2-Froyo and Future phones based on Android 2.3-Gingerbread

Android is a mobile operating system based upon a modified version of the Linux kernel. It was developed by Android Inc. which was later bought by Google in 2005. Android has a large community of developers writing application programs that extend the functionality of the devices. There are currently over 200,000 apps available for Android. This article features the some of the Smartphones based on Android 2.2 - Froyo which are now availaible  around the world.

1. Nexus S
Quickglance: The newest device on the block, it packs an absolutely incredible 4-inch Super AMOLED display running at 800 x 480 WVGA resolution, the same as the Galaxy S. Just as beautifully designed, the panel offers incredibly rich color saturation with deep blacks and crisp images and lines. In reality, it’s almost impossible to between distinguish this display and Apple’s Retina Display. Further to the sheer quality of the display, it’s hiding some serious horsepower underneath, with a 1Ghz Processor, 16GB of memory, and also features a curved display which is said to reduce glare by over 70%.
Plus points:  The Nexus S is very fast, and features some cool new tech like Near Field Communications that will most likely be used in the future. Further to this, it has an amazing display, a wonderful form factor, and is the newest and first device to receive Android-Gingerbread-2.3. The phone has both a rear facing 5 megapixel camera, with a flash, as well as a VGA front facing camera. The phone also has a gyroscope, accelerometer, compass, proximity sensor, haptic feedback and a light sensor. It also comes with 16 GB of internal flash memory. Google’s noise cancellation software is also present.
Downfall: No Gorilla Glass on the curved display, some users are reporting significant problems with GPS. No expansion slot for additional storage beyond its internal 16GB memory and this is certainly a issues.
Verdict: Google’s phones always feature next gen tech, and the Nexus S is no exception. Additionally, reports indicate that the battery life is significantly better than the 4.3 Inch behemoths like HTC EVO and the Motorola Droid X.

2. HTC Evo:
Quickglance: It features a jaw dropping 4.3-inch display that offers so much real estate. It feels really good in the hand and put a smile on your face every time you pull it out. It’s surprisingly light and feels solid. The phone’s 1GHz Snapdragon CPU really makes Android snappy too. It also packs HDMI out too.
Plus points: It has a perfect blend of size, function and form. Featuring a fantastic and color pooping screen, it’s very touch responsive and a pleasure to use. Because of the large screen, the keyboard is well spaced out and well suited for tons of textual satisfaction Also has a good quality camera.
Downfall: Terrible battery life which is a deal breaker for many. It has changed the way many people use their phone, and not in a good way.
Verdict: The HTC EVO is a solid phone with amazing hardware running the ever-friendly HTC Sense Android release. It was first to market with many of the goodies people were clamoring for, like a 1Ghz processor and HDMI, but ultimately its battery life prevents most from enjoying its wonderful, plentiful offerings.

3. HTC Desire HD:
Quickglance: The Desire HD is yet another 4.3″ Android 2.2 smartphone with a handsome 8 megapixel camera that features dual LED flash, the latest 1GHz Snapdragon CPU and the very latest HTC Sense UI.
Plus points: Super-responsive hardware, being at least on par with the Galaxy S. Multimedia features abound, with an excellent camera. The latest generation Sense UI is arguably the best-looking user interface of any Android phone.
Downfall: Poor battery life. Large screen not as good as the original HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S.
Verdict: HTC has made a great phone here, with a marvelous combination of hardware and software. The Sense UI is unbeatable on Android. Coupled with the super-fast hardware and the great camera it looks like a real winner. Battery life is unfortunately always going to be a worry for all but the most conservative of users.

4. Dell Streak:
Quickglance: The Dell Streak is a massive Android phone, simply put. It features a 5 inch display, a near bulletproof screen made from Gorilla Glass, and is a device which combines the features of a smartphone and tablet.
Plus points: Giant display, super-tough screen, impressive battery life,super touch screen response and a great office and productivity tool.
Downfall: Camera quality is bad for still as well as for video, screen size a problem for the pocket.
Verdict: It is a superb device. Good for Web browsing, and using navigation with Google, Maps, its large commanding screen grabs the attention of most people right away. The Streak’s substantial screen size lends itself to efficient office work like emails and editing Office docs.

5. Motorola Droid X:
Quickglance: Powerful 1 GHz processor; 8 GB of internal memory in a tight, rugged form factor with a 4.3 inch screen.
Plus points:  Powerful 1 GHz processor with 8 GB of internal storage. It also has a delightful 4.3 inch touchscreen with HDMI video capabilities and an 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording. The DROID X is exceptionally speedy.
Downfall: Like most 4.3 Inch Superphones, the battery life is frustratingly short.
Verdict: The Motorola Droid X is an incredible Superphone. The 1 GHz processor, coupled with the 4.3-inch display and 8.0-megapixel camera, make it an incredibly feature-rich device that will be able to handle everything you throw at it.

6. HTC Droid Incredible:
Quickglance: The HTC Desire HD has a 1GHz processor which is a top of class processor. Camera is an 8MP with autofocus and dual LED flash.  Wonderful 3.7 Inch WVGA AMOLED 16 Million color screen.
Plus points:  For some, the 3.7 Inch WVGA AMOLED touchscreen is a better choice, and despite its diminutive size compared to its larger siblings, is a high-end offering with support for 16 million colors that eloquently pop out for all to see. Also offers a better blend of function and form than the more substantial 4.3 inch offerings.
Downfall: Apart from the screen size, it’s a wonderful device. The HTC Droid Incredible is a good example of why so many people are opting for HTC Phones, and why Android is achieving over 300,000 activations a day.
Verdict: Packing a stunning AMOLED display and amazing Sense UI combined with an “incredible” web browsing experience.

7. Samsung Galaxy S:
Quickglance: The Galaxy S is an all-Samsung Android phone, with the best AMOLED screen on the market coupled with the fastest Hummingbird 1GHz CPU, all making the Galaxy S a really delicious proposition.
Plus points:  Fantastic screen, supersonically fast, and a multimedia monster. Even comes with DLNA, letting you stream your pics and videos to your DLNA-equipped TV, or your PS3 or XBox.
Downfall: No camera flash, so useless in the dark. Seriously. It uses Samsung’s TouchWiz user interface, which leaves a lot to be desired.
Verdict: Fantastic hardware, let down by the lack of flash, and the TouchWiz interface. If I didn’t need the camera, it would definitely be a contender though.

8. Motorola Milestone 2 / Motorola Droid 2:
Quickglance: Android veterans will recall that the original Milestone was hampered by its unique selling point – the slide out keyboard which many users demand their device have – was designed too flat and as such, presented difficulty for the user when typing out long emails or texts. Thankfully, this new phone redeems the previous design flaw, and the keys are raised, separated, and with a bit of practice enables the user to develop some awesome muscle memory that allows them pound out super-efficient emails within no time. Many users claim it is even easier to type on than the HTC Desire Z.
Plus points:  I can tell you from personal experience that this is a great device for getting things done with. It also knows how to take a beating and come back for more. QWERTY – enough said, and a real joy to use. It also has excellent, crisp call quality, and good speakerphone to boot.
Downfall: No HDMI, a bit heavy for some people and not the best implementation of Android 2.2.
Verdict: If a physical QWERTY keyboard is a deal breaker.Unfortunately, If you like having a tough device that is a multitasking monster, and you don’t mind an imperfect implementation of Android 2.2, than the Motorola Milestone 2 / Droid 2 is an excellent choice.

9. HTC Desire Z:
Quickglance: This slide-out QWERTY keyboard phone is a quality built device that’s a nice blend of metal and rubberized plastic. It features a 3.7 inch multi-touch capacitive screen that is wonderfully sharp and clear with 480×800-pixel resolution.
Plus points:  It’s running on the latest Android 2.2 version, which supports Flash video, and has a pretty rocking keyboard. Literally.
Downfall: The HTC Desire Z only has an 800Mhz processor. In reality it’s more than up to the task. The keyboard locking mechanism could potentially present some problems down the road due to the way it is designed. The keyboard is mounted on a hinge rather than a slide, and snaps out quite aggressively after a fairly hefty push. When opening, the two halves of the handset are separated by a good 10mm, exposing the flat cable connecting the two, which could become an issue over time. Also, the cameras quality does leave something to be desired.
Verdict: There’s just something so satisfying about being able to pound out an email in record time without having to look where your thumbs are going.  Ultimately, the Desire Z is a quality Android handset that’s packed with features and does a great job of organizing your life. The addition of the physical keyboard means it’s bulkier than we’d like, but if a keyboard is a necessity, than it’s well worth your time.

10. LG Optimus One:
Quickglance: LG Optimus One is a mid rage Android phone and you can’t really expect it to be having a host of features. It has Android 2.2 Froyo OS and will be updated to Gingerbread 2.3.It boosts a 3MP camera and 150 MB of Internal memory with microSD card support. 1500 mAh Battery is a really good addition.
Plus points: Battery life is decent and features are good considering its low cost.
Downfall: What do you do with a 3 megapixel camera and 150 MB memory altough its expandible.
Verdict: If you want to experience some Android magic and are NOT on a very high budget, this is the one!

Ultimately, it all comes down to personal preferences, budget, and style. What’s more important to you – form or function? Battery life over performance and screen size? 2010 was the year of the Superphone. I hope this article helps you find the phone of your dreams, if not lets take a look at the smartphones which will be released in 2011.


1.The Motorola Atrix:

The Motorola Atrix sports a 4.0” qHD (960 x 540) LCD display. This is an extremely high resolution to have on a mobile device, and should provide the user with unprecedented quality and clarity for everything they choose to look at. The phone itself is a serious technological leap in the right direction. As one of several new Android phones with dual-core processors, and it blows away the best of the competition from HTC, Samsung, or LG for now.

2.The Motorola Droid Bionic:

The next best phone of 2011 is most likely going to be the Droid Bionic which is another Android Dual-Core 1Ghz Superphone.The Droid Bionic will be a 4.3” qHD (960 x 540) LCD display and 1930mAh battery. Physically this phone is a bit larger in all dimensions and heavier than the Atrix 4G. It also has half the memory (512GB vs 1GB on the Atrix) and doesn’t feature any of the webtop capabilities.The screen, at 4.3 inches on the Bionic vs. the 4.0 inches for the Atrix is a nice plus for sure, but both have the exact same resolution. Sure enough though, you can look forward to incredibly crisp, sharp icons and text, and will certainly be a noticeable upgrade for everyone who is lucky enough to own one.
Design wise, the Droid Bionic breaks from industrial inspired design of the Motorola Droid and Droid X. Another plus is that the Bionic offers the same 8MP rear camera as the Droid X and adds a front facing camera to get your video chat on. Unfortunately, most will be sad to learn that the Bionic has lost the physical camera button. That being said, this phone is such a powerful beast that there is virtually no lag when using the camera software in Android.

3.The LG Optimus 2X:

The LG Optimus 2X is an equally impressive device, with a 4.0 Inch screen and 1080p video recording, but will most likely be hindered by its smaller 1500mAh battery, its lower resolution screen at 480×800 pixels, and its lack of experience in producing high end phones.

Either way, it’s going to be an amazing year to have an Android Phone. Most of you, including me, are going to have unquenchable techno-lust for the time being. The only cure will be buying a new phone, and even then, it will only be a temporary fix judging by the rapid advancement of technology these days. Most of the smartphones that will be released in 2011 will be based on Android-Gingerbread-2.3 and Dual core technology. So stay tuned on my blog for full details and specifications on all the smartphones which will be released in 2011...