Smartphones

[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.

[OakLeaf]

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 was just looking at their website, and it looks like all their plans are "share everything." You get one data package for everything, then it's like $10 a month to connect each device.

Verizon now charges an upgrade fee when buying a new device.

That's not new, but if you buy your device directly from Verizon rather than a reseller, they credit it back to you. At least that's how it worked with my last two phones, and my newest one I only got in like October or November. I still would've had a better deal buying online or from a reseller, but because I really wanted to touch and compare two phones with a salesperson's help before I chose, I felt like I owed her her commission.


Still, it sounds like your usage isn't near what I thought ours would be. As far as TV, have you thought about hanging a satellite dish off the top of your RV?

[goldfinch]

I was just looking at their website, and it looks like all their plans are "share everything." You get one data package for everything, then it's like $10 a month to connect each device.

The share everything plan is more expensive than what I pay now because my phone plan is so cheap. Even the Verizon rep said it would not be a good deal for me.

That's not new, but if you buy your device directly from Verizon rather than a reseller, they credit it back to you. At least that's how it worked with my last two phones, and my newest one I only got in like October or November. I still would've had a better deal buying online or from a reseller, but because I really wanted to touch and compare two phones with a salesperson's help before I chose, I felt like I owed her her commission.


Still, it sounds like your usage isn't near what I thought ours would be. As far as TV, have you thought about hanging a satellite dish off the top of your RV?

I'll call on the credit to see if that is the case for the mifi device they sell. At Target they did not mention a credit. I used to use a satellite dish and had tv service but I watched so little tv that I cancelled it. I have this aversion to monthly bills.

[goldfinch]

Just talked to Verizon. They now have a $30 upgrade fee for phones and devices you buy from them at the discounted price you get for continuing your contract. This is relatively new. They say it won't be waived. The fee to activate the phone is waived. Too many types of fees!

I also Googled about and the consensus is that the fee will not be waived and it is against Verizon policy for a rep to waive the fee.

You can avoid the upgrade fee by buying the phone/device outright from someone else but odds are you won't get the price you would get from Verizon. At least, I won't with a 4G mifi device. And, you might have to pay a fee to activate anyway.