Cell phone info please

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Monty

Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,587
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
OK, I'll be the first to admit I know next to nothing about all the new cell phones. My current contract with Verizon is up in about a month and I'm debating on getting one of these "new fangled" smart phones. Now I don't even use all of my 400 "free" minutes on my current plan, but I'm sure if I got a smart phone, I'd be using it more to check email, my web site and such. I would also probably get an app to take credit cards (and change from ProPay). If I decide to get one, which is the better one to get, Android, Blackberry, iPhone or something else? I'm also debating about changing from Verizon to one of the pay-as-you-go carriers such as Cricket or Boost Mobile. I know this may limit my phone choice. Are these carriers any worse than the major contract players?
 
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I have the iPhone and love it! It has changed how I do things because you can use it for SO much! Alarm clock, daily planer, weather, internet, email, games, music, calculator, stocks, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Andrew
 
Blackberry vs. iPhone:

How do you get your e-mail?

Outlook? Get a blackberry.

Web Based? (yahoo, aol, etc) Get an iPhone.

I prefer Blackberry, but for web-based applications and variety of aps, iPhone is better.

Blackberry will do everything Andrew mentioned for the iphone (Alarm clock, daily planer, weather, internet, email, games, music, calculator*, stocks) and some of them better, some of them worse.

*note: The calculator on the iPhone is much easier than on a blackberry, as it's laid out in true calculator fashion. Held verticle, basic calculator. Held horizontal and it becomes a scientific calculator.
 
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I have an android based phone (Motorola Droid) on Verizon and love it. I would suggest you wait a few months if you can. AT&T and Verizon both are rolling out 4G and new phones (including iPhones) to go with it.

I think if you are going to opt for a smartphone you need the service of one of the big carriers like Verizon or AT&T to get the most from the phone.

Asking which phone to get is asking how to use CA. You are going to get different answers from everyone.
 
Verizon Android X...no question.... and to Grim Spirit, I use an applet called Touchdown for Outlook email, which allowed me to get rid of Blackberry.

Tom
 
Mannie I have had an iPhone for 2 years now. It is a great phone! Had the Blackberry before. It aslo is good. Be sure to ask about ALL the details with the iPhone/Blackberry plans. I have heard the new contracts limit you with 2GB of download in the new iPhone Data Plans. You need a Data Plan to access the net and of course get your email, unlimited text and so on. You and I are in the same neighborhood so if you want to check mine out get in touch.

My plans have changed for Saturday so I'm not sure if I can make the Houston Pen Turners gig. I'm really bummed out about it but.........stuff happens!
 
Android through whichever service. Great system.

Mine is on ATT and is an Sony-Ericson Xperia X and I'm loving it. I get work emails (had the IT person set it up), and three gmail accounts all at hand.
 
Mannie, you're gonna spend $20 a month more for a smartphone regardless of carrier. If I were you I'd determine which cellular carrier has the strongest signal inside your house.

ATT sure has lousy signal strength on iPhones inside homes and businesses. Might be better to have an iPhone on Verizon.

But if you rarely use a cell phone and you're not addicted to games and facebook and texting, that pay as you go plan may be the cheapest and best route.

I've got an iPhone 4 with ATT and love it, but I'm totally tech addicted, and Apple tech addicted at that.
 
I've had just about every phone made. Nothing compares to my Iphone 4. I am with ATT and love their service. I can surf the web, collect pushed e-mail (works flawlessly with outlook or Outlook Express), talk on the phone (with call waiting and Id), use GPS directions all at the same time.

No other phone or service has even come close to the efficency of this phone and service.

I currently have phone/data plans with both Verizon and ATT (some shows we do, Verizon doesn't have signal and we run the credit card machine via internet). In most cirmstances, my ATT service is NOTICABLY faster than my Verizon service. But either service works most places. I've had very poor experiences with T-Mobile/Sprint. Virgin doesn't work at all here and only a few places in Atlanta.

Your area may be different, So I'd see if ATT or Verizon has the biggest service area near you and buy that carrier's Iphone. One thing that may or may not be important to you, the new Iphone 5 will be available to AT&T in July. It will not be available in the Verizon format until much later.

The ONLY issue that I have encountered with Iphone is that Flash Player is not yet available in either the Verizon or Att model. (Apple vs. Adobe fight).
 
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Mannie

I will not use an iphone I am an android user. therefor I would say DROID!!!!. But if you look at the iphone with Verizon make sure you research the att vs Verizon. THEY are NOT the same due to the companies operating systems not being the same. Also the current Verizon phone is NOT a iphone 4. Verizon does not have that yet.

I love my Droid. It can do the internet, it can visit your web sit, I can read emails, PDF, edit pictures, take pictures, videos, turn by turn GPS system, visit IAP more now with forum runner (thanks Curtis, everyone blame Curtis haha), listen to music, watch a movie.
What you cannot do is what Andy (PenMan1) talks about, "I've had just about every phone made. Nothing compares to my Iphone 4. I am with ATT and love their service. I can surf the web, collect pushed e-mail (works flawlessly with outlook or Outlook Express), talk on the phone (with call waiting and Id), use GPS directions all at the same time.". Again Verizon's system is set up differenty then ATT and does not allow that unless you are somewhere that has a wifi signal going.

But I still love my driod

edited to add you might also check to see if either company offers you a discout for your employer. Verizon gives me a 25% discount on my montly bill, I think ATT only offered us a 19% at the time. I don't remember if they raised it now.
 
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Tom is exactly correct. If you want to do all of the things I mentioned in my previous post, you must have the ATT service. With Verizon, (due to their operating system), It is one function at a time. If the phone rings....you lose internet, GPS, etc.
 
Virgin Mobile offers some Android smartphones with a $25/mo plan for unlimited data and unlimited texting, and 300 anytime minutes. No contract required. My daughter just bought a new VM Samsung phone at Target for $160. So far so good...
 
PenMan1 said:
Tom is exactly correct. If you want to do all of the things I mentioned in my previous post, you must have the ATT service. With Verizon, (due to their operating system), It is one function at a time. If the phone rings....you lose internet, GPS, etc.
Click to expand...

but the ATT droids can do it all at the same time too.
 
Steve Busey said:
Virgin Mobile offers some Android smartphones with a $25/mo plan for unlimited data and unlimited texting, and 300 anytime minutes. No contract required. My daughter just bought a new VM Samsung phone at Target for $160. So far so good...
Click to expand...

Steve, I really wish we could get Virgin Mobile here. Virgin has the best rates going. My sister lives in Marietta and it works flawlessly there. Unfortunately, once you get a few miles outside the perimeter, not so well. You and I live less than 75 miles apart and Virgin is not even available here and apparently will not be available. That's a shame for Virgin, they are missing the whole East half of the state.
 
PenMan1 said:
Steve, I really wish we could get Virgin Mobile here. Virgin has the best rates going. My sister lives in Marietta and it works flawlessly there. Unfortunately, once you get a few miles outside the perimeter, not so well.
Click to expand...

Good point. They (VM) use the Sprint network, but I don't leave the major city coverage map, so yea, I'm sure "your mileage may vary." Anyone researching Virgin Mobile should check on Sprint coverage in their area.
 
Russianwolf said:
PenMan1 said:
Tom is exactly correct. If you want to do all of the things I mentioned in my previous post, you must have the ATT service. With Verizon, (due to their operating system), It is one function at a time. If the phone rings....you lose internet, GPS, etc.
Click to expand...

but the ATT droids can do it all at the same time too.
Click to expand...

You are right Mike. I should have been more clear.

My point was that it is the SERVICE that makes the difference. In fact, on the ATT net, The Droid could be a better choice. If I am not mistaken, Droid can use Flash Player, that's not going to happen (likely EVER with Iphone because of Apple and Adobe's history).

You'd be surprised how often flash is needed, until you don't have it available and your best friend jsut sends you a fall down funny that requires flash!
 
I forgot to mention the Flash player.

For me it would be the droid with the Verizon reliability (at least here in my area) but ATT's net. Too many pilots and coworkers have the iphone and are so upset with the unreliable ATT net.
 
I have had a droid for about a year and a half and love it..does everything you can imagin and all the apps are free..downloaded tons of books, music and the best radio ever(gets just about every station in the world). Mine runs off of wifi at home so internet is great..just make sure you get an unlimited data plan
 
I have a Verizon account and I have a Sprint business account. If money is an issue the Sprint account is a real deal costs me $69/month for unlimited phone, data and texting. Great phones are available and at a good price. My Verizon account is much more expensive and when that contract is up I will switch to sprint for my personal account.
 
I had a Blackberry Storm 9530 on Verizon, upgraded to Motorola Droid X and do I mean upgraded. Man I was missing out. Won't look back to Blackberry at this point.
 
Love my iPhone. I have several friends constantly giving me grief about choosing the iPhone over Droid, but I'm not the one getting my phone replaced every few months because it keeps dying and I'm not the one having apps lock up all the time. My iPhone just works and it works very well. I finally talked my brother in law to switch to an iPhone two weeks ago. He's been thanking me and praising his iPhone ever since. He says it's better than his Droid in every way. His Droid was yet another that needed to be replaced on a regular basis.

Everyone is going to have a different opinion based on a large number of factors. It's up to you to figure out what your needs are and how each device works to fulfill those needs. The lack of Flash support is a small irritation to me but far from a deal breaker. Application support, dependability, and usability were high on my list and the iPhone meets those needs better than any other... in my opinion.
 
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