Please tell me it's worth the cost to get a smartphone!

[ny biker]

After 5 years with my regular flip-style cellphone, I am thisclose to upgrading to a smartphone. Due to Verizon's superior coverage and the fact that their website says I qualify for new-every-two, I'm seriously looking at an HTC Incredible. (The Incredible's amazing reviews are also pushing me in that direction, and of course HTC'S sponsorship of both a men's and women's cycling team doesn't hurt.)

But, I'm stuck on the significant increase in the monthly cost that is necessary for a smartphone. It will be more than double what I am paying now, what with the added cost of the data plan and texting.

I can think of situations where it would be handy to have web access right in my pocket -- like when I was out riding my bike last summer and saw a huge black cloud in the sky despite the utter lack of rain in the forecast. It might have saved me a soaking if I had been able to check a weather map to see what direction it was going and how fast it was going there. And when the electricity went out at work the other day, people with smartphones were still able to send email to let our clients know that we weren't just ignoring their attempts to reach us. And back to bike rides, how nice would it be to have a phone and camera all in one, since that would be one less thing to cram into my seat wedge when I want to take pics on a long ride.

But still, it will hurt to see my monthly bill go up so much. Can anyone out there tell me how great they are and that they're totally worth the added cost?

Thanks!

[marni]

I refuse to get a smart phone. I have a three year old cell phone that can take pictures after a fashion but I carry a cell for my convenience, not the convenience of others. I have an answeringg machine at home and the few people who DO have my cell phone number can also leave a message as I won't answer it if I am riding. It is handy to have in case of emergency, and often call dh on it simply because it auto dials. People can also send me an email and I will tell them if and when I plan to be home if they need to talk to me in person or my phone.
If I need to get on the web, I will wait til I get homme where I can use my big computer. As for predicting the weather, carry a rain coat and take your chances. Like a pessimist I am prepared for the worse and hope for the best.

I am also opposed to technology that intrudes into our lives, like drivers constantly on the cell phone or texting. It only takes one brush with a careless driver to make a non believer of cell phones under all circumstances except for while standing still on the sidewalk or at the offic or home.

marni

[Zen]

It's not worth it.

You already know this.

[ny biker]

No, I'm going to get one. I'm just looking for people to tell me some of the reasons they like theirs.

[Tokie]

We ditched Verizon and a monthly bill of $80.00 month (with no texting) and are quite happy with our Net 10 pre-paid phones. No monthly fees, texts are 3 cents, and calls are 10 cents a minute. We are saving a bunch of $. Our service is t mobil, and is just fine. tokie

[OakLeaf]

I don't have one yet, but DH has an iPhone, and he uses it all the time for weather, stock quotes and traffic updates.* It's also really, really nice to be able to use a search engine to find a business, etc., when you're in town and wanting to accomplish another errand rather than having to go home or find a WiFi hot spot to look them up. He has a standalone GPS, but for finding something on-the-fly rather than pre-programming it, it's a lot quicker to use the iPhone than find something in the GPS.

Or just simply to be able to look up a phone number when you're not at a WiFi hotspot, to make a phone call, without having to pay $1 for 4-1-1 (or going through the interminable ads on Free411 and then getting the wrong number anyway ).

It's also nice that he doesn't have to have to haul around both a phone and a PDA. Standalone PDAs are nearly impossible to find now. Really, the only one I'm even aware of any more is the iPod Touch, and I don't consider that a workable PDA since it doesn't have a useful alarm. I have to set separate alarms on my basic phone. If the alarm on my ancient Palm hadn't died around the same time as someone gave me my iPod Touch as a gift, I'd probably still be using the Palm.

On a short trip (one or two nights) it's perfectly adequate to leave your laptop at home. That's a huge bonus right there. Again, the iPod Touch or whatever standalone PDA you use now probably has the same browser and email capabilities as long as you have WiFi.

I wouldn't consider any smartphone but the iPhone and the Motorola Droid, just because of screen size. More of an issue for my aging eyes, maybe . But I've felt that way for at least ten years, way before smartphones with big screens ever came out. It's a lot of why I've stayed with a standalone PDA all these years, rather than get a Blackberry or Treo.

The downside, other than the cost, is that you don't have to haul around two devices - and so you do have to haul around one large one in situations when you'd normally leave your PDA at home, like running or cycling. An iPhone is a big stonkin' brick to have to stow in my SpiBelt.

DH's experience confirms all the AT&T network problems you've heard about with the iPhone. Out in the country, connectivity can be weak and 3G service isn't available in a lot of places ... in even a small city like Columbus, Ohio, network traffic can make it just interminably slow.

My contract with Verizon is up next month and I still haven't made a decision. But I'd have had an iPhone the last time my contract with Verizon came up for renewal, had I not dropped my old phone in a portajohn three weeks before the iPhone 3G came out.


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*Before you say anything - when he uses it for traffic updates, it's when I'm in the car and working the phone - or if he's on the moto, when he's at a gas stop. He doesn't surf and drive/ride, I promise!

[Veronica]

Can anyone out there tell me how great they are and that they're totally worth the added cost?

It's only worth the added cost if you need/want the added features and are going to use them.

Thom has a smart phone. I don't. He can check our security system, call up pictures from the kitty cam, get directions, all that sort of stuff. We use it a lot.

He has a 90 minute commute each way into San Francisco and rides about half of it on his motorcycle. I like that I can check to see where he is on iGoogle. I use that feature M - F to decide when to start dinner. Some mornings Ii check it, if he hasn't e mailed me, just so I don't worry.

If I were still doing long unsupported rides or even double centuries regularly, I'd probably upgrade just so he could track me. Maybe next year when I'm eligible again.

Veronica

[OakLeaf]

Any progress on Droid phones syncing with iCal?

That's one thing I keep checking on. I really don't want to use Google Calendar. I'm well aware that there's no real privacy in this world any more and generally not too worried about it, but given Google's express privacy policy, I'd just as rather not give them the names of my doctors, my appointment times, hotel and flight confirmation numbers, etc., etc., etc.....

[Aggie_Ama]

I have a Blackberry but only pay $5 a month to T-Mobile for basic internet. I can't get outlook email (thank god!) but I can get onto any website the will support mobile use. So I can check how big a thunderstorm is on weather.com, check in on TE, check my hotmail and reply, etc. FWIW, Google offers a free text for phone service. Just text what you are looking for the GOOGLE. Works awesome and since I have unlimited texts I love it!

[Tuckervill]

I have a Droid, and it has one major drawback. I can't scale the fonts on email or text. Very annoying, and a serious oversight on Google's part. I hope they change it soon.

I love having it. Like it better than my Blackberry Curve.

Karen