Moto 360

Judge all the things

It's that time of year again. New products from the companies we know and love get shown off, and the Internet instantly becomes divided on whether they are "good" or "bad." We all do it, and I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. Ask me what I think of the Galaxy Note Edge — a phone I've only ever seen in embargoed press release form and hands-on pictures — and I'll happily tell you I don't like it. I'm glad Samsung is doing it so the next version is better, but still, that thing is ridiculous.

But I have no idea what I'm talking about, because I've never touched it.

We put our hands on a lot of phones throughout the course of a year. The one thing we all have come to realize is that most of our preconceived notions are dead wrong. Saying that, I have a few suggestions for everyone (including us here at AC) asking about these new devices and judging them before ever seeing them.

  • Read reviews. Lots of reviews. We'll review the new stuff, and so will other respected online publications. Read everything from every "professional" you can find. But more importantly, read what the consumers who had a chance to see and use it early have to say. Every use-case is different, so pay attention to them all.
  • Ignore spec sheets because they don't tell much of the story. Remember, the Moto E was nice and snappy out of the box. Focus on the user experience and not the silicon and copper.
  • Don't buy something you can't touch. I know, that's almost impossible for a Nexus phone, or something like the One Plus. But when someone else says things like the screen looks great, that doesn't mean you will feel the same. People are all different.
  • Resist the urge to jump on the hatewagon. You'll be a better person for it. It's OK to have a little fun, and I loves me some trolling humor from time to time, but going from website to website and forum to forum just to talk smack about something you've never touched makes you look like a tool to a lot of other people. Don't be a tool.

Now that's out of the way. But it still doesn't change how we might feel inside. We've see new stuff from Samsung, Sony, ASUS, Motorola, LG and a list of others. We all have an idea of whether or not we are liking what we see. Answer the poll below, and if you don't mind sharing why you feel the way you do, the comments are your chance to do so without being that guy or gal. I'll go first.

  • Moto 360: I still think we might see something better. I also think the ASUS ZenWatch could be it.
  • Moto X: Y U SO BIG MOTO X? (T_T) I'll probably buy this one, with the hopes that it will be like the 2013 model I know and love. But I'll probably be disappointed.
  • Galaxy Note 4: Show me that improved S Pen support. A feature nobody else can do as well (though NVIDIA is getting close).
  • Galaxy Note Edge: Samsung Continuum Deux. I sure don't want one.
  • Sony Xperia Z line refresh: Alex nails it. Build a new model just so we can say we built a new model. The Compact looks nice, and the tablet combined with PlayStation remote play may make for the best Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls while on the toilet device ever.
  • ASUS ZenWatch: Hmm. Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. I'm buying this one, I think.
  • LG G Watch R: LG tries to make the GWAR look like an expensive luxury watch, and I commend them for it. But they failed somehow, and it looks a little cheap. And I'm not sure why I think this way.

There. My haterade is all out, and I feel better. Let's hear what you think!