Smart phone recommendations
 

My cell phone contract with AT&T is up in May. I do not have a smart phone now. I have been researching smart phones for a few weeks.

At first I was thinking about going with Virgin Mobile's no-contract plan, but now I'm considering getting an I-Phone or one of the higher end Android smart phones.

For those of you who have a smart phone, which one do you have, and if you could list the pros and cons of your phone, I would appreciate it.

I would like to learn to download apps. I text a low to moderate amount each month - usually send about 120 text messages per month, so I need a phone with an easy to use virtual keyboard.

I have heard younger people like my nieces and co-workers (under age 30) rave about both Android and I-Phones, but just want to hear what the age 50+ population on TOTV has to say about smart phones. Thanks in advance for feedback and opinions.

I was a beta tester for one of the first smartphones - the Sidekick in 2002. Our son had some patents on the device. I then went to the Blackberry. I love love love my Android Samsung Galaxy Sii which is the T-Mobile phone. There are similar versions for Verizon. I thought I was going to get an Iphone but prefer this one. It is thin and light weight but with an oversize screen that is great for surfing the web. I see people on planes watching movies on it. Apps are fun and comparable to the Iphone.

jojo, Thanks fior the recommendation. I will put this phone on my "to be researched" list.

Well, I'm "was" iPhone user, who went rogue and got an Android phone, but now I'm back to an iPhone...

I had my first iPhone in Germany, when I lived there from '08 to '11. It was the iPhone 3G and was on the Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile) network. Was a great phone and a fantastic network, in Europe. With a 2 year contract, I paid 1 Euro for the iPhone, but sold it for 200 Euros when I left... Good deal, for me ...

Once I got to the States, I was not able to wait until Verizon got the iPhone, so I got a Motorola Droid X smartphone. For the first few months, all was well. Then, Google decided to push out an updated Android Operating System (OS). Once the upgrade hit my phone, the camera stopped saving photos and video stopped working completely. The camera would appear to function, but when you'd go to see the photos, they weren't anywhere to be found. I went to the Verizon store and talked to their representatives and all they knew to do was "reset to factory defaults", which means I lost everything on the phone and/or replace the phone. In my case, they did both. Once the new phone arrived, I not only didn't have a functioning camera, I also couldn't access the memory card for anything...photos, videos, music, etc... I go back to the Verizon store and they performed another Factory Reset, which didn't help, but they did inform me that they wouldn't replace the phone again...so, now I'm stuck with a $200 smartphone that isn't very smart anymore.... OK, whatever! Then, Google decide to start rolling out their newest OS, Ice Cream Sandwich, so I thought it might fix some of my issues, but I was informed that my phone would not get the update...it was too old at 10 months old...OK, whatever! ...again

Pros:

• Google Turn-by-Turn Navigation (free)
• Lots of apps in the Android Marketplace

Cons:

• No real support from Verizon
• Fragmented OS (Google lets Verizon add their own stuff to it)
• Phone rebooted itself regularly, without warning
• Short battery life (~ 8 hours)

Once I was able, I upgraded to the new iPhone 4S, which I have had no trouble. Apple has created an entire ecosystem, where all of their products compliment each other. The iPhone is also on the Verizon network, but if I were to have trouble with the iPhone, I would go to the Apple Store, where I could get help.

Pros:

• Apple ecosystem
• iOS Stability
• Hundreds of thousands of apps in the app store
• Good battery life (> 10 hours)
• Apple iClub in the Villages

Cons:

• No free Turn-by-Turn navigation

These are my experiences and they may or may not be typical. There are lots of Android phones out there, by lots of different manufacturers. Apple controls every aspect of Apple products, from manufacture, to the iOS, to testing the apps in the apps store. I like that; some folks don't.


Good luck, in your quest to get the best smartphone.


Mike

Oh wait....so what did I do with the Droid X ??? Well, it's now a permanent part of my stereo system; connected to my WiFi network and streaming music from the net using Pandora or Tunein Radio.

Mike,

Can you buy an app for the iPhone for turn-by-turn navigation? My GPS is almost 3 yrs. old, and I haven't downloaded any updates to it, so when I go to TV, and I get to one of the newer villages (anything built after 2009), my GPS is no help. It's fun to just drive around, but I like to be able to get somewhere without driving around too long... :)

Yes, there are lots of GPS apps in the app store. But like everything else, the newer areas of TV are not mapped yet. Especially the areas south of 466A.

GPS routing for the golf cart just doesn't work. I put most of TV cart paths in Google Maps, but getting it to reliably route you on those paths is impossible. In the end, I got tired of working with India on this issue and abandoned any further development on that front.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the feedback. I have a couple of months before my contract is up, so I can browse for a while.

jojo, I went to Best Buy today to check out the Samsung Galaxy Sii. Clerks at Best Buy recommended I wait until Galaxy S3 comes out -- Best Buy clerks said S3 is being released in April; web sites I checked today said anywhere from April to June/July. Since my AT&T contract is up on May 8, I will hold off until then unless the S3 comes out in April then I will may bite the bullet and take the early termination fee. But I did like the Sii. If the S3 wasn't coming out supposedly so soon, I would probably be getting the Sii in the next couple of weeks. Thanks for the tip.

Totally happy with my Verizon Bionic. I got it last September. Motorola has a Razr out now that has gotten really good reviews. The Bionic is available at a reduced price. I can't say enough about this phone. 4G Service is available. Outstanding apps. Very good signals just about everywhere. EXCELLENT customer service. I've been with Verizon Wireless Internet since 2003.

Xavier

love my I-phone
 

When I purchased my Iphone about a year ago, I too, was very confused over which phone to buy. As this was my first smart phone, I quickly learned that there are many choices.

After some research, and speaking with several "young people" who work in the phone stores, I decided the Iphone was right for me. My other considertion was the Droid.

The deciding factor for me was ease of use. While the Droid may do more, than the Iphone, I was told the Iphone was a bit more user friendly. I think the Droid would be more appropriate for my 30 year old daughter who has had several smart phones.

I wanted to be able to use all the functions of a smart phone without being too overwhelmed with the learning curve.

IMHO- the Iphone would be a good 1st smart phone choice

Iphone, it just works. Yes there are NAV application. I use navagon and also was able to replace my skycaddie as there is a great golf course app. I use AT&T with my iphone and so far have no dropped calls, and no problems anywhere in TV. I know other complain about AT&T, but for some reason it works on my work blackberry and my personal iphone just fine.

A few weeks ago I finally upgraded from a 4 yr old flip phone to an iPhone 4S on my Verizon plan. I'm a retired systems guy, so I felt comfortable with the phone right away. I am sure that I would have felt comfortable with an Andriod operating system, too. But, what sold me on the Apple product is the simplicity, expected reliability of operation and the huge support base, in terms of both OEM and aftermarket apps. So far, I don't plan to watch movies or even download music. Based on more simple usage, I felt that I could get along with the 3G download speeds instead of the emerging 4G LTE performance.

BY THE WAY, THE FREE MAPQUEST 4 APP GIVES TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS, JUST LIKE A GARMIN GPS, AND DOES NOT REQUIRE VZ NAVIGATOR. Also, Google Earth looks great on the screen.

iPhone
 

Love my three year old HTC Droid. But after having a iPad since Christmas and a new Mac Book 13 I can't wait for the new 4G 5 iPhone release.

Ready to retire! Apple just works! Done staying up all night playing PC man!

H

My husband and I both have the iPhone, our first smart phone, so we don't have anything to compare it with. I like it because it is user friendly. My husband likes it because he does not have to use the keyboard to send a text...he just talks into the phone and his words are magically sent as a text! If we have a problem with our phones, we just head over to the AT&T store at LSL. The personnel over there are very helpful and always have time for you. Good luck!

I agree completey with your opinion. Ease of use, for a first timer was what drew me to the iphone.