Back in October, I wrote about how T-Mobile would be launching a Fender myTouch phone. Well, it’s out, and it’s a beauty. The limited edition phone’s case is designed to look like wood grain, with Fender’s trademark sunburst inspiring the design. It also has the classic Fender logo on the back of the case, along with the myTouch logo. It has all the features the regular myTouch has, and then some. But before you run out and get one, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Although it’s coming out a little later than the carrier planned to release it—it was scheduled for late last year—the Fender edition myTouch doesn’t disappoint. In addition to all the myTouch standard features, it comes with an enhanced music player, with a 3.5mm jack, and a 16GB memory card, as opposed to the 4GB card on the regular myTouch. And hey, it’s got that cool Fender look to it, so if you’re a guitar player, a fan of spokesman Eric Clapton, or just an early adopter, you may be ready to get one right now. The thing is, it costs $179.99, which is $30 more than the regular myTouch. Now, $30 may not really be that much to some people, but is it worth the extra features you get? Sure, four times the memory is nice, and if you frequently use your wireless phone to listen to music, then the enhanced player will really come in handy. But…that’s it. No better camera, no faster connection—it’s still runs on the 3G network—no longer battery life, no other improvements over the original myTouch. If you’re good with that, then by all means, have at it. Conversely, don’t let any rumors about T-Mobile’s 3G network keep you from getting this really cool phone, switching to T-Mobile, or renewing your contract with them. See, the Nexus One has been having some issues connecting to T-Mobile’s 3G network. After looking into the issue, Google is blaming the carrier’s inferior network. To be fair, they did also find a software bug, for which they’ll be releasing a fix soon. But it sure does seem easy to blame the number four carrier for network connection problems, doesn’t it? The thing is, according to SlashGear, some T-Mobile customers have done their own experiments by holding a T-Mobile G1 right next to the Nexus One, and then trying to connect both phones. The G1, also a 3G Android phone, is having no problems connecting while the Nexus One just sits there. Of course, a lot more substantiation is necessary before a true determination can be made as to the source of the connection problem. But it would be a good idea to keep an open mind, and not blame T-Mobile just yet.
1 comment… read it below or add one
I wish the Nexus One looked this beautiful. I almost ran out and bought this because of how great the case looks, and because my first guitar was a Fender. But then I remembered why I’m getting the N1, and the myTouch just doesn’t have much in comparison. Well, *sigh* maybe they’ll release a Jackson Nexus One… one day.