With four Android phones in its stable, T-Mobile remains the Google Android leader. Its latest model is the Samsung Behold II, which offers a brilliant display and one of the best media players we've seen on an Android phone so far. But just a week earlier, and the same day that it introduced its Motorola Droid, Verizon Wireless unveiled the HTC Droid Eris. Also a touch-screen phone without a physical keyboard, the Droid Eris offers all the features you'd expect from an Android phone, while adding full multitouch and deeper levels of customization with the HTC Sense. The two devices are similar, but they're distinct in their own way. So how will they fare in the CNET Prizefight ring? Read on to find out.
Let's keep it clean, fellas. Ding ding!
Round 1: Sexiness and durability
Design and looks count for a lot when you're shopping for a cell phone, so here's where we examine the look, size, feel, and sex appeal of the devices.
3The Behold II isn't unattractive, but it's not exactly a head-turner either and the world map on the rear side is a bit much. Then again, how much can you really do with a touch-screen candy bar phone?
4Very similar design, but not as sleek as the Droid Eris. And regarding that world map on the back...no thanks. The navigation array detracts from the design, but it's still a nice phone.
4The Behold II has a solid construction and I don't think it's as ugly as some people think. However, its bulky navigation array definitely takes away from the overall aesthetic and sexiness of the device.
4The Droid Eris gets an extra point due to its cleaner profile and sturdier feel. I love me a soft touch battery cover.
5My favorite Android design hands-down. I love the texture, smooth edges, and simple button layout. I wish the screen was a little bigger, but it's still a beauty.
5Even though the Droid Eris is a rebranded version of the HTC Hero, I think the company did an incredible job with the redesign. From the sleek touch-sensitive buttons to smooth soft-touch finish, the Droid Eris is hot.
4.7
Round 2: Navigation
Sexiness is one thing, but are the phones easy to use? In round 2, we examine the design and usability of their user interfaces, keyboards, and navigation controls.
3Though I like the large toggle, the Behold II's navigation feels rather crowded. Also, the TouchWiz interface is distracting and the Cube is unnecessary. Let Android be Android.
3Both phones lack keyboards and run Android 1.5. Samsung incorporates its TouchWiz, but it gets in the way and the OS feels a little slower compared to Droid Eris. On the other hand, the Notifications pull-down menu is sweet.
3The controls on both phones are pretty easy to use, so it comes down to user interface. I understand what Samsung is trying to do with its TouchWiz interface, but it doesn't quite work on the Behold II. The widget tray on the left side gets in the way and TouchWiz didn't provide any new customization capabilities. Also, the 3D cube menu is purely for show and doesn't add any great value.
4I wish that the Droid Eris's trackball was bigger, but on the whole its navigation controls are more comfortable. HTC's Sense interface adds a deep level of customization and I prefer its virtual keyboard.
4I'm in love with the Sense user interface. It's clean and snappy with seven customizable home screens and a lot more useful widgets. The row of touch buttons layout is great.
4HTC's Sense user experience succeeds where TouchWiz doesn't. With seven home panes and various "scenes" for the user, the Droid Eris's customization options are endless. Plus, the user interface is cleaner and HTC's virtual keyboard is easier to use.
4
Round 3: Features
What do these phones offer under the hood? Here we examine the features in each device and rate which phone offers more.
4The Behold II offers everything you'd expect from an Android phone, but it adds the best Android media player we've seen so far.
4All of the core features are here including 3G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Yet, both phones are missing the improvements from Android 2.0 that would put them over the top.
5On core features, the Behold II and Droid Eris are pretty evenly matched--both have wireless options and Exchange support and both are running Android 1.5. However, the Behold II offers an AMOLED display and a higher 5-megapixel camera, so I have to give it to Samsung in this round.
4Outside of the points mentioned above, the Droid Eris offers a wealth of features including full multitouch. Neither phone has Android 2.0 (or even 1.6 for that matter), so I'll call a tie here.
4See comments above.
4See comments above.
4
Round 4: Web browsing and multimedia
These handsets do a lot more than just make calls; they also have Web browsers and multimedia players. We tell you which phone offers a better media and Web browsing experience.
4As I mentioned, the Behold II offers a great media player that leaves its Android competitors behind. It also wins for its photo and video quality.
4The Behold II doesn't have full multitouch, but its 5-megapixel camera has a flash and more customization options. The cube media player interface is unique, but can be more of an annoyance sometimes. The built-in media player is the best I've seen on an Android phone.
4This is a bit of a tough round for me. On the one hand, the Behold II has a more robust media player and the AMOLED screen is fantastic for viewing videos. Plus, the 5-megapixel camera takes excellent photos.
4Flash Lite and the aforementioned full multitouch support add a lot to the browser. On the other hand, the Droid Eris' multimedia quality doesn't quite measure up to its competitor.
3The full multitouch is welcome and the browser overall is solid. There's a 5-megapixel camera with video recording, but no physical camera button. The media player is average. Indeed, the Eris' weakest point is its handling of multimedia.
4On the other hand, the Droid Eris has the more robust Web browser with Flash Lite and the pinch-to-zoom feature. Also, its media player and camera photo quality are average, so in the end, I'd call this round a draw.
3.7
Round 5: Call quality
Cell phones aren't worth much if they don't make good calls. And though both handsets run on the same carrier, audio quality differences may remain.
4The Behold II is a good performer even though audio on our end was muffled at times.
4Sound quality was solid, but the person on the other end of the line heard more of an echo. Calls sounded pretty good on my end.
4The call quality of the Behold II was mostly clear, but there were a few instances where voices sounded garbled. Plus, a couple of my friends said they could hear an echo. Speakerphone quality was quite good with plenty of volume.
5The Droid Eris comes through with admirable voice quality, though I felt that the volume could be louder and the microphone has a sensitive sweet spot.
4Sound quality was excellent, but I was told that the sound level was too quiet when compared with the Behold 2
5The Droid Eris had great sound quality. I heard very little to no background noise during calls, and my friends were impressed by the call quality as well. The speakerphone was acceptable.
4.7
The winner is...
Winner
Runner-Up
Samsung Behold II (3.8 pts)
HTC Droid Eris (4.2 pts)
After
the last cell phone Prizefight,
where the iPhone 3GS beat the Motorola
Droid by the thinnest of margins, this battle gave us a wider
point spread. The Samsung Behold II managed to take the features and multimedia
rounds, but the Drois Eris' victories in the remaining rounds gave it the edge it
needed to take the crown. At the end of the day, the Behold II's display and
media player are its standouts, and the Droid Eris counters with a superior
design and call quality, full multitouch support, and HTC Sense user interface.
Because apple products have recently become the favorite whipping-boy of cnet, and other various anti-apple fanboys that just can't seem to live without dissing on apple, no offense intended.
Thank you for making a prize fight between 2 things that aren't Apple. It's too frequently iPhone vs X or iPod vs Y. I'm glad to see that something was made where Apple didn't make an appearance. Also, I have to admit that I didn't really get the ending to the video, though I did laugh. Thanks!
I wouldve preferred a video for this prize fight because I am actually thinking about getting the Behold II. Maybe we can get a Phone Carrier Prizefight for each cell phone carrier to help others for deciding what phone to get on each carrier because this really came down to Sprint vs. T-mobile.
Overall, I'm still left stumped. I need a visual on this fight.
Just let the whole idea of the Behold go. Don't let getting that handset draw you into a 2 year contract with T-Mobile. I made that very mistake by leaving America's 2nd largest 3G network (Sprint) to go to T-Mobile just because I wanted the G1. At the time Android, unlike now, was simply not ready for prime time. The T939 is cute, but T-Mobile's network is incredibly limited, hence their low low plan prices. Most of their network still operates on an EDGE / GPRS network. 3G is in a few large cities, but it's spread thin, and no where near the performance of Sprint, Verizon, or even AT&T who's 3G network needs more attention paid to it rather than attention AT&T gives to Verizon by counteracting network claims. Long story short, after 3 months and daily dropped calls within T-Mobile's 3G network (often times with full bars and 3G service although when you can pick up a 3G signal, data speeds were speedy), I sold the G1, used the money earned from it to pay the ETF, and I went back to Sprint where slow or unreliable network performance issues are, in my experience, rare. Case closed. PS: check out Hero and Samsung M900 Moment.
After watching the prizefight video, where there saw all the flaws for the Behold II, I really don't see a problem. For instance, the world picture behind the phone and the button setup I really didnt see as a flaw as niether are in the way of user interaction. I admit the Multi-touch would have been a great feature addition
You state, "the Behold II offers an AMOLED display and a higher 5-megapixel camera, so I have to give it to Samsung in this round." Last I checked the Droid Eris had a 5-megapixel camera. Did you mean the Samsung had flash where the Droid Eris does not?
Good job overall on the prizefight. I'm just nitpicking.
I like my Eris and I'm glad it won. I guess I don't think that the music player is that bad. It's harder to make a playlist on my Creative Zen than the Eris. I just wish there was a way to buy video from the phone. It would be great if Amazon would have Video on Demand app for Droid.
And no one mentioned that you can get Eris for free with a two year contract vs. spending hundreds of bucks on Behold II. Sure you get the "cube" that you can't customize, but cmoon, cmooon. Eris is far superior than anything out there; cheap, small and no dropped calls. Take that iPhone, iDroid or whatever other non-sense
I bought the Droid Eris a couple of days ago and am so happy with the purchase. I have owned the T-Mobile G1 and the MyTouch3G, so I am able to compare. The Droid Eris out shines most other Android phones by having the Sense U.I. It has a great 5mp camera but no flash. If your not stuck on iTunes the media player (for music) is tolerable (video, ehh.) The icing on the cake is that it is on Verizon and it will get Android 2.0, When? I don't know. Te only thing I miss is being able to root my phone and really customize it through XDA-Developers. But that will change soon.
Apollo,..i am an HTC Android phone holder,..and i have the hero by Sprint,..and i did my own versions of a prizefight of exactly what u wanted,..service & phone. I told both verizon and At&t to go take a leap..as both of them view streaming and downloading as the same thing , and charge you by the byte..which is absolutley nuts. I was enthralled by Android since i first heard of it and studied it closely,..and was gonna get the Euro version of the hero,..but alas,..i needed a sim card,.and the sprint version doesn't have the 'chin' model,..but i did it anyways,..and i love it. Saved a bundle on the 2 yr plan too. Unlimited everything, ecept from mobile to landline, n vice versa. Try it for 30 days,..it's awesome!.
OOOps!,..one more thing guys,..the HTC Hero doesn't have flash for it's 5.0 camera,..but ididnt consider it a deal breaker,..hopefully they're gonna do it next version,..other than that,..do the Hero!
before I eves saw the prizefight I knew that the Eris was going to win. I just think that the behold 2's interface is just disgusting and that stock android would be better. Plus, that whole cube thing is pointless. HTC's interface is way more practical and it doesn't make you feel like you are trapped in a box.
I like Droid Eris. Try out Google Android OS on your Windows. And then buy a android phone. http://www.zjtechlive.com/try-android-2-0-on-your-windows/ http://www.zjtechlive.com/try-google-android-os-1-5-on-windows/
Nice phones. I hate when these telcos brand these phones with goofy crapple ware like the Behold cube thing. Whos idiot idea was that. Im guessing an engineer not a UI designer.
As a Behold II owner with a small child, I like the cube. Gets me to my pics quickly so that I can show them off. As far as the TouchWiz ui, I've been using a coulple of homescreen replacement apps that cover 99% of Samsung's ui.
IT SAID THAT BOTH WERE ON THE SAME CARRIER. THE BEHOLD II IS ACTUALLY T-MOBILE & ERIS VERIZON. BIG DIFFERENCE. NO BIGGIE BUT I LIKE THE LOOK OF THE ERIS BETTER & UI SEEMS BETTER. HAVENT HANDLED THE BEHOLD THOUGH (NO T-MOBILE DEALERS IN SHREVEPORT).
What they don't tell you is that the Behold II specs blow Eris out the water. Behold II is the 1st Android phone to pack 320 MB of RAM whereas the Eris is still dawdling around with 256 MB. That alone should be enough to knock the Eris of its perch. The beauty with Android is the customization and with a rooted Behold, you can actually run HTC's sense UI better on the Behold II than on the Eris itself. The amount of RAM on the behold would put to shame even the Motorola Droid. If Touchwiz isn't your thing, then just get a home replacement.
The handling of streaming video was the only dissapointment in purchasing the driod eris. I am always on the NBA and NFL sites and I thought I could check out all the highlights on lunch at work or when Iam on the go. I also found out there were alot of other sites I couldnt use. I talked HTC,Adobe and Verizon and no one told me anything positive about this situation. If anyone knows anything could you post it .
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A collection of judges from CNET.com put the Samsung Behold II and the HTC Droid Eris through their paces, pitting the smartphones head to head in five bone-shaking rounds. See who comes out on top in this subjective battle.
Kent German: covers cell phones at CNET and has been following the wireless industry for six years. He's embarrassed to admit he can name almost any cell phone he sees on the street.
Brian Tong: hosts Prizefight and other shows on CNET TV. He's ready to face-off two gadget at any place, any time.
Bonnie Cha: is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
Samsung Behold II
HTC Droid Eris
Overall, I'm still left stumped. I need a visual on this fight.
PS: check out Hero and Samsung M900 Moment.
You state, "the Behold II offers an AMOLED display and a higher 5-megapixel camera, so I have to give it to Samsung in this round." Last I checked the Droid Eris had a 5-megapixel camera. Did you mean the Samsung had flash where the Droid Eris does not?
Good job overall on the prizefight. I'm just nitpicking.
They have a video out for this!
http://www.zjtechlive.com/try-android-2-0-on-your-windows/
http://www.zjtechlive.com/try-google-android-os-1-5-on-windows/