[HTC Amaze 4G] katamari201:
I'm stuck between the Atrix 2, Amaze 4G, and T-mobile's Galaxy S ii. It's been driving me crazy.

The Atrix 2 is nice and ergonomic and all-round good phone, just not stellar in any areas. The price is a main temptation since it is way cheaper than the other two, and has excellent battery life and no GPS, signal, or any other problems as far as I can tell. I have not seen it in person but the draw has also been about the ergonomics, since it looks very grippy and good to hold with minimal cheap shiny plastic. However, it is just merely good in many important areas. The screen is a good LCD, but bested by the other two. The camera is kind of drab and muddy and dark, but the video recording has very good audio recording and smooth motion and auto-exposure, although it also looks drab and muddy and dark like the camera. Still, its better than other smartphones, but far from the top.

The Amaze 4G just looks great. The build is superb and the screen is the best out of the bunch. I don't like the oversaturation of SuperAMOLED nor the lower resolution. The ergonomics are great too. It looks like a premium handset. My biggest downer however has been the video recording. Every since I first started buying cellphones I have always used video recording to make my buying decisions and it is a top priority. I have no idea why, even though I rarely record videos, but I am obsessed about having the best one for that one special moment, and even the best phones plagued with subpar video recording will instinctively be thrown in the NO pile. The Amaze 4G video recording is bad in a lot of ways. Things are sharp and clear, but the colors are VERY gaudy (puke-inducing) and auto-exposure needs some work. HTCs videos tend to crush everything into solid colors with sharp lines, very cartoony. However, I can actually somewhat tolerate these problems. The worst offender is the audio recording. Every time I watch an Amaze 4G video I have to mute the audio because its so scratchy and clippy and hurts my ears. Sometimes its bearable, but those times it usually sounds like its coming from a walkie-talkie or APB, one turned all the way up with lots of distortion. I would be ALL OVER this phone if they would fix the DARN audio recording. I still don't understand how a phone that can make pleasant voice calls cannot record those voices pleasantly! Doesn't make sense! They are using the same mic!

Truth be told, I've owned 3 Samsung smartphone devices already and really really want to jump ship, but that one feature that they excel so well at has shackled me for so long and seems unbreakable. Short of getting an iPhone, Samsung has the BEST video recording around, with sharp details, natural colors, and great motion and focus. The audio recording ranges from good to stellar (seems to vary between even near identical phones) with the T-mobile GS2 being extra good and the original GS2 or Infuse being so-so. The battery life is usually above average as well. Otherwise, I really dislike their builds and their design paradigms, as well as the oversaturated low-res screens. The exception seems to be the T-mobile GS2, which has more rounded corners and a fuller, nicely rubberized and matte backcover. But the overall feel of the phone can't compare to the other two, nor the pocketability.

I wish HTC would just buy or partner with a real camera maker instead of doing frivolous things like BEATS integration. BEATS won't fix the god-awful audio recording even with fancy headphones and equalizers. Or Samsung could start building actual, substantial feeling and ergonomic phones and curb their obsession with saturated displays. That scenario seems even more far-fetched than the first however. Either way, all this is wishful thinking and for the future. Right now I am stuck between these three phones and I can't decide! :eek::eek::eek: