Helio pits Apple's iPhone against Ocean

Let's face it, the comparisons between (insert phone here) and Apple's handset began long ago, and now that the thing is actually in customers' hands, the potshots are likely to start flying at mach speed. Enter Helio, who has already felt it necessary to create a comparison chart essentially showing off the areas in which the Ocean is stronger (or at least more attractive) than the iPhone. Quite frankly, the chart does make a few good points, most notably around the iPhone's lack of GPS, strangely omitted MMS ability, and the obligatory removable battery; of course, we personally aren't offended nor joyous about "MySpace integration," but we suppose it could sway some folks tweens one way or another. We know you're anxious to see just what Helio has to say about the strong competition, and while the chart doesn't seem quite as hostile as the apparently bitter Helio salesman we ran into earlier today, be sure to give it a read after the break.

[rkazemi @ Jun 30th 2007 7:49AM]

exactly go Helio Ocean (which i own)

[Xavier Gill @ Jun 30th 2007 7:50AM]

Wow on paper the Helio looks great. Too bad in real life it looks like crap

[JohnTitor @ Jun 30th 2007 1:17PM]

but this only compared to the Ocean, which is more in-line with Danger's HipTop phones (aka SideKick)
I'd like to see it compared to the likes of PocketPC phones

One thing is though, the iPhone has two things that were lost with the standalone PocketPCs
sharper screeens, and no keyboard to keep it thin

[Jay @ Jun 30th 2007 7:51PM]

I don't see how getting rid of a keyboard makes things better, and you can't even use a stylus for the keyboard!

[rob @ Sep 15th 2007 9:16PM]

it looks like crap?? bhahaha um ok.the ocean blows the iphone out of the water.

[AdvWar @ Jun 30th 2007 7:53AM]

To be fair to the iPhone, most of its standout features are things which can't be expressed on stats sheets.

[Goku @ Jun 30th 2007 4:25PM]

What do you mean? They can just add one more row called "Apple Logo" to the above sheet and that covers it right?

[xxx @ Jul 1st 2007 2:00AM]

i concur. and even with the missing emotional and quality of design/materials factor, there's still quite a few missing stats - memory storage is the obvious one. how much memory does this helio have, anyway? i'm assuming not 4 or 8 gb, since that line is missing.

[Homeboy @ Jun 30th 2007 7:54AM]

When it is finally on sale here in Europe it will be a much better phone. There are still some serious issues which needs to be resoled until I'm ready to buy one. I have found out that:



*bluetooth can't be used to transmit content to other devices.
*music files can't be used as ringtones or as a wake up signal for the alarm clock.
*MMS messages can't be received at all.
*third party Java games can't be installed on it.
*there are at the moment only 10 000 youtube clip available for the iPhone.
*everytime you change SIM card the phone has to be reactivated. This is extremly stupid and annoying. Especially for people who have more than one *SIM card or those you frequently travel to different countries.
*email passwords and user namne can't be saved
*content such a pictures and music from the net cannot be saved on the phone.
*No memory card to increase capacity.



This has always been my problem with Apple. They develop amazing products but then they deliberately put stupid limitations on them to control what the user can and cannot do. As a power user it bugs the hell out of me since I want to be able to to exactly what I want to. If atleast half the big flaws above are resolved when iPhone 1.5 is launched here in Europe, I will happily hand over 500 or 600 euro to Apple for an iPhone

[Flippy @ Jun 30th 2007 8:32AM]

Can you really not send pictures to a friends phone through bluetooth? That's weak!

[Taylor @ Jun 30th 2007 8:54AM]

*MMS messages can't be received at all.

I was thinking about this and I figured in the end that you actually could receive them. When a phone can't recieve an MMS (ie 2G phones), most carriers send a text message saying "go on the internet to find the contents of this MMS" with a URL and a password/ID for the contents of the message. Since the iPhone has internet, you can view the contents of the message from Safari.

I know it's a roundabout way of doing it, and you can't *send* MMS, but just saying. you CAN receive MMS on the iPhone.

I'd have one if a. it was available prepaid and b. if I wasn't in Australia

[theGrin @ Jul 8th 2007 3:07PM]

do you know the coolest thing of the iphone? you can update it. maybe you won't have 3g with a software update but a lot of feature that you ask you could find them in the next update... who knows...

[Steve @ Jun 30th 2007 8:02AM]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but, can you still BUY a Helio after the whole Quacolmm issue?

I had turned a coworker on to the Helio last month - after only 2 days he dropped, broke it, and had to send it in for repair. The shit hit the fan with the ban, and he was told he would be unable to recieve a replacement unit - instead, they offered his money back or an alternate device.

I always thought the Helio looked promising - especially with the dual slider functionality - but knew I was too stuck on getting the iPhone to seriously consider getting one myself.

[jake @ Jun 30th 2007 8:08AM]

hello engadget...lets stop swinging on the apple and make mention of the 8330 coming out in sept for tmobile. it will be @home enabled.

[Don @ Jun 30th 2007 10:10AM]

While I'm on t-mobile... this has to be the dumbest comment I have heard. People don't buy mobile phones they can sit "@home" on them. Besides, how's that differ from WiFi?

[carlo @ Jun 30th 2007 1:26PM]

@don

You're kidding right? Lemme break it down for ya.

"@home" allows you to use wifi for airtime when you're at home. no more having to spend money on minutes talking to people while you are at home, a la voice over ip.

the iPhone has no support, at all, for voice over ip (using wifi to make calls instead of airtime). so, those people, although few, who have horrible reception in their house but great reception everywhere else would benefit because they would have "perfect" reception while in range of their @home router. so would those people who only use a mobile phone and don't use landlines.

all Windows Mobile phones with WIFI can support voice over IP. the iPhone doesn't.

[Chris Flynn @ Jun 30th 2007 8:11AM]

Jees, what have Apple been wasting so much time over worthless pointless stuff like 'ease of use' for...bucket loads of features is what is important. That's what everyone wants - everyone knows this except Apple. They just sooo don't get it - I don't think they ever will. Michael Dell was right - they should just close Apple and return the stockholders money. The Tech world would be so much better off without Apple's perverted vision of simple, elegant and powerful technology...Why don't they understand It really doesn't matter how well it works or how complicated it is - in fact the more complicated the better - just cram it in there...keep these amazing products coming to our attention Engadget - were loving them...

[Taylor @ Jun 30th 2007 9:01AM]

Are you being sarcastic?

People don't WANT bucket loads of features. The iPod doesn't have the bucketloads of features found in competitors: FM radio, voice recording, complete PDA functionality, WiFi (hell the shuffle doesn't even have a SCREEN!), and yet it's the most successful MP3 player out there.

[Don @ Jun 30th 2007 10:16AM]

I want "bucketloads" of features... and for $600 shouldn't I get them? Nope, instead for $300 I got them on a Windows Mobile 6 device.

[SCari @ Aug 30th 2007 6:34AM]

TAYLOR:
guess what? We do want bucket loads of features, also the only reason its popular is because of the hippie apple freaks. Get over it. It is like the Zcavaricci pants from the 80's. Wow you have a tag on the outside of your zipper! Im running to the store!

[Ike @ Jun 30th 2007 8:13AM]

Hold on..I don't ha an iPhone, and don't want no iPhone either but....The Helio doesn't have any GPS chip AFAIK. I may be wrong..but they are using cell towers/anthena to locate your position (depending on you signal quality , position is update every 30s or minute etc..). Companies shoud stop calling this GPS cause it isn't. It's a simple service provided by the netwrok.

[Scott @ Jul 2nd 2007 1:44PM]

Yes you are are. The Helio Ocean uses BOTH radio towers and a GPS sensor. When I'm inside the GPS isn't perfectly accurate and tends to jump around a bit, which is normal for a cell tower fix, but when I'm outside it immediately picks up satellites and knows where I am.

About the How much memory does Ocean have? However much you want it to have, it has removable memory. And 200MB internal. Oh and BTW, that 200MB isn't the memory it uses to load games, Apps and internet data. The 200MB is solely for pics and music. Can't remember exactly what the total "non accessible" memory is.

Also, the AT&T service only allows for 200 text messages. Holy crap I go through that in a week ON TOP of my talking. for only $65 a month I get unlimited EVERYTHING and 500 minutes + Unlimited nights and weekends. AT&T you dont get unlimited nights and weekends only 250 minutes and 200 text messages...man glad I got my Ocean.

Not to be incomplete, the Ocean has bugs in the software, even though the hardware seems to be flawless. But simple over the air updates will eventually fix those. Helio's customer service isn't 100%. That comes with being a tiny company though. I hope as it grows and gets more employees they will get better.

All in All, $200 for my Ocean (rebate) vs. $500 for the iPhone(no rebate even possible) is no contest. I have more features, more service, a better carrier, and it costs less. And personally, the rubberized casing on my Ocean makes me much more confident that i am not going to dorp and break it. so what you will about its appearance but until you actually hold one and play with it, you'll never know the true greatest of the Helio Ocean.

[Scott @ Jul 2nd 2007 1:49PM]

Please forgive my typos. I get a little steamed when people follow hype instead of logic. And my fingers tend to move faster than my brain.

[Martin Sager @ Jun 30th 2007 8:14AM]

Quite honestly helio has a horrible advertising campaign. I'm 29 and I've seen their clever commercials, but I always thought they were prepay or something like that. All they really needed to do was list the features of the phone in a simple matter and what kind of pricing was with each phone.

You could say that they should thank the iphone for all the publicity. They really should run an add with this chart instead of the ones they are currently running. They'd do quite a bit better.

[Goodman @ Jun 30th 2007 8:56AM]

I had an Ocean. A great piece of hardware, terrific features, great price. Unfortunately, the software was crap. I returned it after a couple of days, and now I'm back to using a Sidekick 3.

The iPhone looks interesting to me too, but this time I'm not going to be quite so quick to buy. I'll wait for the next generation version with 3G (presuming I can make the touchscreen work acceptably well for texting).

[bruckwine @ Jun 30th 2007 8:59AM]

Just read from forums at mancrumors that you can't even UPLOAD or DOWNLOAD content when browsing in safari on the iPhone...let's just say i can see plenty updates ala Microsoft style!

As to Helio's chart - fair play isn't it! I don't like how the helio looks (two sliders), but then I don't like how the iPhine restricts both software, hardware and carrier.

[Chris Flynn @ Jun 30th 2007 9:07AM]

Yes, I was being sarcastic...

[Damien Wright @ Jun 30th 2007 9:16AM]

Honestly, the Ocean owns the iPhone in almost every way except hype. That's just the way it is: Marketing will always trump features.

[Peteo @ Jun 30th 2007 9:25AM]

I have an Ocean. all I have to say is:
Bugs, bugs, bugs, bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs,bugs

You get the idea?
maybe if the fix the bugs, which no one knows if they will since there is 0 communication between helio and its users. Then I could see it being a contender. (thought apples interface is WAY easier) if the iphone had 3g and gps I'd sell my ocean now. Going down to the apple store today, might come out with an Iphone.

[artifex @ Jun 30th 2007 2:22PM]

I'm glad you said that, because I'd been looking at the Helio stuff since the iPhone was announced, and I was really thinking one of the models would be better. I even posted a few places like here and TUAW that Helio had GPS, IM, 3G, etc., so why couldn't Apple? You saved me from making a costly mistake, maybe. I'm still not buying v1 iPhone, though. :) Maybe v2 or later, when they add features I want.

[Mikey H @ Jul 6th 2007 6:54PM]

Peteo:

Some Oceans came with some software problems that can be easily resolved by factory default resetting the device. I should know. Mine was freezing up big time in the applications, they did a factory default reset to my device, got my contacts back on within 5 minutes, and everything has been great!!!

[deslock @ Jun 30th 2007 9:30AM]

Sure, the iPhone is missing several noteworthy features and the Helio Ocean is also a really cool device. But a lot of important specifications are strangely absent from this comparison list:

1 Screen size
2 Screen resolution
3 Device weight
4 Device dimensions
5 Battery life
6 Included memory
7 Video playback options and framerates
8 Audio playback options
9 Complete list of bundled software
10 Memory slot

The iPhone crushes the Ocean in the first 9 and I'm guessing they left off the memory slot because they didn't want to call attention to the Ocean's paltry amount of memory.

Also the only mention of the iPhone's most important feature (its touch screen) is in the "Hardware Keyboard" category (as if touch screen doesn't deserve a category). No mention of the multi-touch screen. No mention of the iPhone's gesture-based interface. No mention of visual-voice mail.

[deslock @ Jun 30th 2007 9:36AM]

"I'm guessing they left off the memory slot because they didn't want to call attention to the Ocean's paltry amount of memory."

meaning that's why Helio left the Ocean's memory slot off this list, not why iPhone doesn't have a memory slot (as if that wasn't obvious)

[reuben @ Jun 30th 2007 10:32AM]

I switched to helio and the ocean for 2 days this week. The streaming video and several other features are very cool-when they work. i would jump between 1 and 4 bars sitting still and web pages would not not and the like. it froze on me te first day and had to remove the battery. i returned it and got the iphone last night.
i was skeptical about the lack of 3g, mms, and video recording but must say that i am incredibly impressed. this is the coolest, simplest, most beatiful device i have handled. it is solidly built and the OS is fantastic. i usually spend a few days figuring out how to utilize all of a phones features. i took less than an evening with this. plugged it in to itunes and in a few minutes had contacts, calendar, photos, music, video, everything handled nicely with itunes! if a phone can be worth $600, this one certainly is.

[Alex @ Jun 30th 2007 10:33AM]

That's marketing for you. I think I'd still rather have an iPhone.

[carlos @ Jun 30th 2007 12:14PM]

"*email passwords and user name can't be saved"

Dude, who told you that? I have my iPhone in front of me and my email is setup and my login and passwords is saved.

Where do you people go to for false information? MS?

[SCari @ Aug 30th 2007 6:34AM]

Touchscreen may be appealing to you, however Have you ever tried to use the touch screen keyboard on the Iphone.? its is ridiculous. almost impossible. I would rather pee salt than to use any touchscreen smaller than 4 inches.

GO QWERTY AND GO HELIO!

[Chris Flynn @ Jun 30th 2007 9:47AM]

I wonder what the Helio's ipod and videoplayer is like and it's kick arse PC client s/w and internet store ?

[doctorbiz @ Jun 30th 2007 9:52AM]

You may make a comparison with Nokia N95!

[Todd @ Jun 30th 2007 10:01AM]

Hmmm... it looks like the chart compares everything the Helio has to the iPhone... how about comparing what the iPhone has to the Helio?

[John Benson @ Jun 30th 2007 10:10AM]

I suppose that it matter not that navigating your phone by a joystick is the single most confusing, tortuous and traumatic experience ever undertaken on planet earth on any gadget anywhere...

Thank crap for Apple touch screen...being able to use your finger like it is a mouse pointer - GENIUS!!!!

Being able to click into a text field and just type instead of 'up-up- up-left- left- down- enter' with the crappy joystick...OMFG what a nightmare these joystick phones are

that single touch screen -multi-touch feature alone makes the IPHONE the geius product of the last 20 years.

And it's only just begun - sheet the bed - in 6 months the advances on this piece of kit in S/W will be mind blowing.

Anyone who can't see this reasoning is mentally challenged or on the payroll of a telco/phone competitor...

[Solomon @ Jun 30th 2007 10:57AM]

We need a /full/ comparison. This leaves out storage (where iPhone wins), power saving/life, screen size, and gallery features (that's where iPhone wins hands down).

[Gene @ Jun 30th 2007 11:48AM]

I have both. I love the Ocean and iPhone is a much more elegant, intuitive, and much easier to use. The large iPhone screen and finger-fun interface is a joy and light years ahead of dpad scrolling. Yes, EDGE is slower and I am finding it worth the wait just to see everything on the beautiful large screen and not having to use a joy pad to get around. Ocean is absolutely worth the money and so is the iPhone. They are two completely different experiences. It is like comparing an IPod with other MP3 players; for a price Apple delivers an elegant and easy experience while others may do the job just fine with less finesse.

[purezerg @ Jun 30th 2007 11:53AM]

a phone is a phone. when you cant change the batteries. it's a brick.
i personally own a HP6828 with extended batteries. i can do talk time 8hrs. or max of 100+ real life standby time. heck. i use the phone about 2 hrs talk time a day and i charge it every 3 days. a phone without removable batteries is like a laptop without removable batteries.

[deslock @ Jun 30th 2007 12:11PM]

> purezerg @ Jun 30th 2007 11:53AM
> a phone without removable batteries is like a
> laptop without removable batteries.

Interesting analogy. Know how many times I've removed the battery on my laptops over the last 10 years? Twice, and only to open whatever access panel was under the battery.

Since the iPhone uses an iPod connector, you can use any of the dirt cheap AA battery chargers available on Ebay. Or keep a USB cable at work and charge it there. Whatever... even if it's an issue for you, I really don't see the fixed battery being a big deal for most users.

[B.S. @ Jun 30th 2007 12:28PM]

Read what you wrote. iPhone ALREADY has 8hrs of talk time without the need to lug an extra battery around. Don't tell me it is more satisfying to have 4hr cell and then carrying around an additional 4hr battery. The more things in your pocket, the better, right?

[philipbarrett @ Jun 30th 2007 12:21PM]

The Helio salesman talked me out of the Ocean, claiming that the software was "not really ready yet!" Guess he didn't want to see me back in a couple of days?

[Jamar @ Jun 30th 2007 12:58PM]

Stuck in China- iPhone's coming out here in 2008 last I heard. I'll be so jealous of you in the US... NOT! I have a far better phone that suits my needs (Toshiba 904T- REAL GPS, chip, antenna and everything; QVGA 2.4in screen- it's smaller but it's all I need; 3.2MP camera; video recording and full-screen playback; Japanese-English dictionary; approx 1-2 days of usage per charge for me- yes, for me the dictionary is a pretty big thing) and if I don't like it anymore and want an iPhone I can avail myself to one of the some 5-odd clones out there (unlocked auto-switching dual-SIM and no activation; beat that, Apple- no, Mac OS X Mobile has no appeal to me without third-party Java appli support; I like to access my programs *offline* too thank you very much, and doubt you have dual-SIM).

[Nicholas Marcisso @ Jul 23rd 2007 2:15AM]

Toshiba Makes Phones?

[Jamar @ Jul 28th 2007 6:50AM]

For America, only once on Sprint. For Japan, loads and loads. The 904T is one of the ones that are usable in the States.