Smartphones

[ny biker]

I switched from an HTC Incredible (original) to a Droid Razr Maxx a few months ago. Somewhere there's a thread about it, including a post with my thoughts on the Razr Maxx.

I considered going with an iPhone but I just prefer Android. I prefer the interface in general, and I really really like the Google maps navigation.

In general I would advise you to go to a phone store and play with phones you're considering.

I remain angry that smartphones have gotten so big. I still think the Razr Maxx is too big for my hand, and I do not have small hands. It does not fit in the pocket of my jeans. And I had to buy a larger top-tube bag for my bike in order to fit this phone inside it, and now the bag is long enough to hit my knee when I pedal.

The other main disappointment with the Razr Maxx is the camera -- colors look washed out. And I keep accidently hitting the back button when I go to take a picture, which closes the camera app and takes me back to the home screen so I have to start over again.

But overall I think Razr Maxx works well, and the battery life is excellent.

[OakLeaf]

The three phones I referenced, while they're slightly bigger than my first generation Droid Incredible, are pretty much the same size as my current phone inside its polycarbonate case. Once I replace it, I'm going to have a decision to make about putting it in a case or not... I really think having the case to absorb impact and fly apart saved the phone from a couple of drops...


nybiker, if I asked you before I don't remember - how easy was the switch from the HTC skin to Motorola? I tried to help my neighbor with her Motorola Android phone last year - not sure the model - and couldn't make heads or tails of it, it was so counterintuitive. But I've read that Motorola is using a lighter touch with its Android skin these days. What do you think?

[ny biker]

I didn't really have any problems getting used to the Razr Maxx. There were a few things that were not intuitive, like how to send a photo from the gallery in a text message. But overall it was okay. Then I had to get used to the ice cream sandwich update, which involved several hours of forum searching to figure out the changes, but I settled into it pretty quickly after that.

[Penny4]

In general I would advise you to go to a phone store and play with phones you're considering.

.

Yes, I will definitely need to do this!!

[GLC1968]

I was a smart phone holdout until my company approved iphones for product engineers a little over a year ago. I got the iphone4 (only one available then) and I've loved the damn thing ever since! A few months after I got it, I changed jobs and now travel a LOT and honestly, life is soooo much easier with a smart phone. I use it for EVERYTHING when I'm on the road (even use the kindle app for reading and leave my kindle at home!). In fact, I've used the browser and another app to do work from it when the hotel wifi was so bad that my laptop was useless. You know it's a bad connection when 3G is faster than wifi! My only complaint is that my calendar does not sync well AT ALL (we use an exchange server). It's ok for the initial sync, but if meetings move or change, the phone rarely gets it right and it's been a real problem for me. So much so, that I'm actually considering a windows phone when the time comes.

Like Oak, I found that things got quicker with the iOS6 download. I don't use google maps (I hate them, actually!) so I didn't hesitate when prompted. I use a mapquest app (free) that works like a charm and has voice navigation which is important to me when I'm driving alone in rental cars and can't be watching the phone all the time. I don't have any battery life complaints, but I'm rarely away from a place to charge it for very long unless I'm on a plane (and battery lasts longer in 'airplane' mode anyway).

[Irulan]

I use a mapquest app (free) that works like a charm and has voice navigation

hmm, must look this up

[smilingcat]

bumped it up.

Finally decided to get a second cell phone with local number. Christmas sale had several models for cheap!!! HTC EVO on amazon had it for $49.95. Then it was on sale at virgin mobile for $99.95.. and several others at $39.95 for LG model.

Ended up getting Kyocera rise with slide out keyboard for less than $50.00 at Target and running android 4.0.4. No contract with Virgin Mobile.

Before activating it I wanted to see what functionality it had. Yes the Google navigation worked using GPS, yes WiFi worked, surfed the web, wrote an e-mail and sent it. Almost tempted to get Freedom Pop 4G connection to create mobile hot spot and use the WiFi on the phone and use google talk on Android... Amount of calls I make is short enough that I would be under Freedom Pop's no charge per month rate.

Nah... Went ahead and activated the phone so now I have a Oregon phone number on the smart phone and a California number on my old cell. Both are pay as you go and my land line at the house is a VoIP free internet phone. My internet is 4G so don't have to bother with a well hated local carrier. thurrppp to them.

Can't tether my devices with this smartphone though... Still have my pay as you go 3G connection for mobile hot spot. May switch over to Freedom pop.

So... very happy with cheap smartphone. Like the slide out keyboard. Now just see how the music player sounds. YES IT SUPPORTS OGG format!! Oh do have fair number of 16G SDmicro so I think I can fit most of my music on it..

Cheap but functional is very good!!
chuffed!!

[OakLeaf]

Very curious about how much data you use, using your phone as mobile hotspot.

DH keeps looking at that, as 4G becomes more widely available.

I personally can't see that the two of us would use less than 60GB a month (probably more) which would be WAY more expensive over 4G than it is on any other kind of plan.

Keep us posted, please!

[goldfinch]

It is amazing how much data you can use. Because I travel all the time I use a mifi device for the internet. I have to use Verizon because of the completeness of US coverage. "Unlimited" data is 5GB a month. That is outrageously low when this is your primary internet access. I really have to think about whether I can watch a video (I have no tv) or download something. I listen to a lot of podcasts and often hunt for a wifi signal to do a download. I pay more to get 8GB, which is about right. Of course, this isn't a phone but a computer. So, because I already pay Verizon a pile of money for the mifi I am resistant to paying them more for a data phone plan. I have a very old cell phone plan with them that is very inexpensive and no longer offered. But it is not a smart phone. My gripe is that it is getting harder to find quality flip phones as everyone moves to smart phones. My other gripe is that Verizon now charges an upgrade fee when buying a new device. I want to upgrade my mifi to a 4G device but am resistant to paying the fee.

I really, really dislike cell phone companies. They promote all these services and then limit your ability to use them by limiting data or forcing you into plans with options you don't want or need just to get one thing you do need.