Okay, I’ve talked at length about what I’d like to see in my next computer—I don’t want another laptop I want a tablet that will replace my laptop—but what about other tech gadgets?

Let me just get this out in the open: Smart phone users aren’t getting what they want.

There are a lot of cool devices out there—the iPhone, a dozen Android phones, RIM devices, WebOS phones, whatever else—and none of them offer what everyone wants. The iPhone is cool, but it’s also so limiting—like moving into a high-class prison. Of course most of the inmates want to be there, but still, where is the freedom? Android is more open, but not as good as iOS. Every phone has some virtues and some vices. With that in mind, I’m going to make a list of things the perfect phone will have.

Open

  • Any developer can develop any app for it. This isn't to say that an app store must allow every app, but a consumer may download it elsewhere if he/she wishes.
  • Program and interface interchangeability. I can download Google Voice for use on my iPhone. I can change between the Sense UI or the Vanilla version anytime I want. Those kinds of things. I'm not saying that HTC shouldn't offer the Sense UI, but I'd like it if I got downloads faster and weren't tied to you UI update.
  • Sprint, AT&T, Verizion, GSM, CDMA, let me have a choice! I hate it when the perfect phone comes on the wrong network!

Price

  • Yeah I want a WiFi hotspot!!! What? It's $30 a month extra? ... never mind. Don't gouge.

Choice

  • I read an article a while ago that compared the HTC Evo with Apple's iPhone. The iPhone won one of the writers points because it came with in 16 and 32 GB, even though it didn't have a card reader. The Evo had a card reader but only one memory level. The author said that there was more choices with the iPhone, wrong. You can get an SD card in 16, 32, 64GB, however big you want it, which really has more choice?

Simplicity

  • Let me pinch to zoom or swipe to navigate pages, make things easy for me.

You’ll notice that hardware and software specs are not on this list. Yes, the specifications are important, but when it comes to specs it seems that phone makers are trying, not so with these other points. No phone on the market has all of these things. The iPhone probably does the best job, but it’s still lacking. I realize that the reason that most of these problems exist is because phone makers and carriers are trying to make money, but it still makes for dissatisfied customers.

What are your thoughts? Am I too hard on the phone industry? What do you think is missing from your phone?