Smartphones

[carlotta]

I can't offer any input on either the iphone 5 or galaxy offerings, but I wanted to throw windows phones into the mix....

I had an android phone for a few years, and had some issues with the software/os updates as the phone got older and the hardware wasn't so happy with the newer software. This might be better now, but it was a bummer. I also never "needed" to customize my phone that much, so that aspect of android wasn't that appealing.

When it was new phone time last spring, I ruled out the iphones right away (too much $$ and didn't want to change carriers) and wasn't thrilled at the prospect of android again (the old phone was REALLY laggy at that point, would miss calls, etc) so I played with a windows phone for a bit. It's fast, integrates fairly well with google (maps are via bing, but the physical maps seem ok and I'd rather look at a map than follow directions, so it works for me), and I'm really happy with it. If you can hold out until November, the windows 8 phones are coming out, but I'm perfectly happy with the current generation (which may also go on sale with the arrival of wp8). You do have to use microsoft's zune software to transfer files, so no itunes, but I have an ipod for music anyway and itunes/zune seem to play fairly well with the same music library, so no big deal.

[OakLeaf]

I should note that DH's iPhone 3GS is noticeably quicker since the iOS 6 update. FWIW, at least some of the new-found speed is the OS and browser. Normally a major firmware update would not be a good thing for a piece of antiquated hardware, but this is another thing Apple seems to have got right.


I should probably also note that I don't like to be shopping for a new phone when the one I have is only 28 months old, but that seems to be the way of technology these days. A phone is inevitably going to get dropped and wet, and you either get an iPhone with a sealed case and you're stuck with the battery and memory it comes with ... or you take the risk with something else. My phone is still working, but there are some dead pixels in the screen, sometimes it just acts weird, the aftermarket battery is getting long in the tooth and would need replacing anyway, and I don't want to wait until the phone dies completely and possibly be stuck without a working phone for however long it would take me to get a new one.

I've never considered a Blackberry - even when they first came out, I was already in my late 30s or early 40s and there was no way I could see that little screen.

I'm pretty much settled on the HTC Incredible 4G. I need 1X coverage since I don't spend all my time in coastal cities (although I should probably find out whether the Motorola Razr M will roam on domestic AT&T GSM networks ... that might still give me coverage where I use 1X now). It's one of the smallest phones out there, and I'm used to the HTC Android skin already. Now I just have to get past my reluctance to replace a device that's barely two years old. At least there are decent, easily accessible phone recycling programs.

[Irulan]

I should note that DH's iPhone 3GS is noticeably quicker since the iOS 6 update. FWIW, at least some of the new-found speed is the OS and browser. Normally a major firmware update would not be a good thing for a piece of antiquated hardware, but this is another thing Apple seems to have got right.

Did he lose google maps after the update? I've been warned not to do the update for that reason.

[OakLeaf]

Yes, he did. Not a big deal to him, since he has a standalone Garmin and never uses his phone for navigation.

Can you still sync the phone without updating the OS?

And, out of curiosity, can you navigate from Google's web page?



Also out of curiosity, does anyone else have trouble syncing their iPhone calendars? It's weird that iCal seems to work better with Android phones than with iPhones ... but part of why I didn't want an iPhone is that when I was using my iPod Touch as a PDA, I'd wind up with each calendar event duplicated several times ... never could solve that with all the fixes people recommend online ... and now that DH and I share calendars, I have to look at anywhere from two to six duplications of HIS calendar events!

[Irulan]

We have 2 iPhones here, and did not update either one. You get a choice: one of those "do you want to download the latest OS?" and we just clicked on , " no do not ask again"

[Norse]

I finally broke down and got my first smartphone in July - the Droid 4. I insist on a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard; spend too much time backing up and fixing mistakes on the virtual keyboards, which I have on my Blackberry work phone (hate it!). I LOVE my Droid 4. Not too big, not too little, VERY fast, especially with 4g; does almost everything and then some - for example, I was easily able to download my music from Windows Media Player, plus it has all sorts of great free internet music options, takes great pics, so many cool, free apps, has gorilla glass (great for adventuresome types like me) .... I could go on an on. Some friends of mine had Droids, switched to the Apple 4s, hate them and want their Droids back. Caveat: I myself have not tried the Apple.

[Crankin]

I have no trouble synching my calendar between my phone and my computer, Oak. Once or twice I thought there was an issue, but it was just a little time lag or the fact that in my haste, I had put AM instead of PM on my phone and duh, I couldn't find it on my computer.
I upgraded my OS to the new one; like Oak's DH, I have a Garmin and I don't use that function on my phone.

[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!