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iPhone Alternative: Helio Ocean

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,494
30,733


While we await "media" coverage for Apple's announcement today, here's a non Apple option to explore...

With all the iPhone hype, there's been some notable criticisms and limitations, and if you are on the fence, there is at least one interesting alternative.


helio_300.jpg



Helio.com offers an interesting phone called Ocean which they describe as "The ultimate mobile machine".

The Ocean offers a dual-slide design, providing both a traditional alphanumeric keypad as well as a full QWERTY keyboard. It also offers 3G network capability, MMS, video recording, built in flash, Google Maps with GPS and Instant Messaging capabilties -- all notably absent on the iPhone. The Helio costs $295.

Helio is clearly positioning the Ocean as an iPhone alternative with their comparison chart detailing the differences between the Ocean and iPhone.

Obviously Mac integration and web browsing can't compare to the iPhone, but if messaging is a high priority for you, the Ocean looks like a viable alternative.

Article Link
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2007/08/07/iphone-alternative-helio-ocean/
Z

Zwhaler

macrumors 604
Jun 10, 2006
7,090
1,564
I read about this awhile ago on mobiledia.com. I don't really think it is a full blown iPhone alternative, but it is nice.

edit: I didn't know iPhone couldn't take video! That really sucks, I take videos all the time on my phone. It is actually quite a nice phone for the price.
 
poppe

poppe

macrumors 68020
Apr 29, 2006
2,242
51
Woodland Hills
It's a nice phone for sure, but a completely different market to me... The ocean is not sleek and savy. It does suck to see all those awesome features for so cheap though....
 
M

massiv

macrumors member
Sep 9, 2006
31
0
Is this a joke?

Hmmm... someone please tell me that this is not blatant advertising money switching hands here. This is straight from a sell sheet from Helio. What's up with this Arn? Am I not on MacRumors.com?

Not sure about all of you guys but I am kind of shocked at MR. I can keep an open mind while on Endgadget but this is not why I read MR. This kinda sucks.

*/ This is lame */

=)
 
Z

zflauaus

macrumors 65816
Nov 19, 2004
1,166
3
I actually got to play with the Ocean two months or so. It was activated or on, but the slider did look pretty good, was stiff so it would slide around a lot when you use it. I'm 6' 4" and have average size fingers for my height. I don't have "sausage" fingers, but for me the keys were a little small, but it typed real well.
 
S

Smurfed

macrumors regular
Apr 2, 2007
239
0
For this case:

Function > design.

awesome phone though, i'd get that over the iPhone.

P.s. Ignore all the obvious apple fanboys above this post.
 
J

jsnyd05

macrumors newbie
May 27, 2006
16
0
the lou
It has nice features but no "wow" factor.

No other phone has the "wow" factor like the iPhone does.

I can't believe how many people have come up to me and have just been in awe of the iPhone, it has great functionality and is the most visually impressive phone ever.

The Ocean will never get that sort of attention.

Nice price tag though for all of those options.

-J Snyd

Sent from my iPhone
 
arn

arn

macrumors god
Staff member
Apr 9, 2001
16,363
5,795
massiv said:
Hmmm... someone please tell me that this is not blatant advertising money switching hands here. This is straight from a sell sheet from Helio. What's up with this Arn? Am I not on MacRumors.com?
Click to expand...

No. No advertising money was exchanged.

Hey... if I were on a plane to SF to report on a certain Media event... then I'd be too busy to explore this sort of thing. :)

(fyi, this is a "real" story. debate the merits of the iphone vs the helio. This site's never been about fan-boy-ism, as much as enthusiasm about apple products. despite what people think, this is not an ad, the timing is not about pettiness, maybe a little bit of humor, and a few other reasons mixed in)

arn
 
P-Worm

P-Worm

macrumors 68020
Jul 16, 2002
2,045
1
Salt Lake City, UT
It doesn't have WiFi, but the comparison chart silently looks past the fact that WiFi provides a significant speed boost to 3G if you are in a WiFi area.

P-Worm
 
caliguy

caliguy

macrumors 6502
Jun 12, 2005
331
1,029
Hopefully some of these comparisons can be addressed through simple software updates. Of course things such as built-in flash camera and 3G are out of the picture, but I'm still hoping Apple will take these software updates seriously.
 
BWhaler

BWhaler

macrumors 68040
Jan 8, 2003
3,788
6,244
Seems like a paid ad.

Arn, any comment? I hope for the best, as I would hate to see MacRumors become what happened to MacDailyNews.com (which is disgraceful in their ad placement at this point.)

Either way, I've used the Ocean, and it sucks.
 
caliguy

caliguy

macrumors 6502
Jun 12, 2005
331
1,029
arn said:
No. No advertising money was exchanged.

Hey... if I were on a plane to SF to report on a certain Media event... then I'd be too busy to explore this sort of thing. :)

arn
Click to expand...

Ah, it all makes sense now :)
I'm with you on this story. Apple should've invited MR.
 
K

kungming2

macrumors regular
May 31, 2007
124
0
I don't get it. This has nothing to do with the Mac at all... Or with the iPod, and only a shred of comparison to the iPhone. I'm really confused now... :confused:
 
chr1s60

chr1s60

macrumors 68020
Jul 24, 2007
2,061
1,857
California
I don't know about Helio. The phone sounds cool, but doesn't have the greatest looks. I have never known anyone with Helio nor have I seen more than one or two people with it in person. I think I would pass on anything with them until they are a bigger company.
 
the future

the future

macrumors 68040
Jul 17, 2002
3,435
5,513
I agree that this "article" looks completely like an advertisement for Helio. And it doesn't belong here in the first place as it's not Mac/Apple-related at all.

What next? "Articles" about Dell boxes - as "iMac alternatives"??
 
Flowbee

Flowbee

macrumors 68030
Dec 27, 2002
2,943
0
Alameda, CA
I agree that this post seems a little out of place on the MacRumors front page (or even as an 'official' MacRumors post).

I also agree that Arn should have been invited to the Apple 'special event.'
 
M

massiv

macrumors member
Sep 9, 2006
31
0
arn said:
No. No advertising money was exchanged.

Hey... if I were on a plane to SF to report on a certain Media event... then I'd be too busy to explore this sort of thing. :)

arn
Click to expand...

Ahhh... a little bitter are we? I can sympathize with you to a degree but I don't appreciate being used as ammunition against Apple. This is pretty low though. You must be pissed.

Now that I think about it this is pretty tacky and juvenile. MR lost some points in my book tonight. Where did that other site go?
 
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