Phones / Plans / Etc.,

[Broin]

So I guess I am going to be getting a smart phone, or family type plan thing for myself and the wife.  

Yea, I have no idea where to even begin.  Anyone suggestions on phones, providers, plans, etc.,

[Lithium]

Verizon, and then either wait another couple weeks for the new Nexus phone or go with the Razr if you don't want to wait.

[Mharz]

Personally I'm with Sprint for unlimited everything (calls, texts, data, and whatever else I want basically) for $99/month.  A little expensive but it's my only phone and coverage is pretty good if you're near a major city.  I could add an additional line for another $30 so basically I could support two lines on the same plan with unlimited everything I want for about $130+ taxes.  

For me unlimited everything (data especially) is what means the most.  I don't care for limits or surprises on bills so I pay a little more so I don't have to care about those things.  Think about what matters most to you (and the wife) and focus on those aspects.

Other carriers have a little better coverage and more 4G coverage for data.  Most carriers have a pretty robust 3G coverage area but 4G is excellent for data and about 10xs faster than 3G.  Make sure you check your area if you're considering data intensive use.  And check coverage maps for your area.  You're going to communicate with the phone (voice, data, text, web, whatever) you better have good coverage.  When you pick a carrier you can then drill down and look through the models that are offered by that provider.

As far as phones go I tend to stick to Android platforms but the iPhone 4s looks super sexy and comes with Suri (a voice activated assistant).  Again this comes down to the same old Apple v. Android debate and I'm partial to Android but the new iPhone 4s really starts to close the gap in my opinion.  

My only caution is DO NOT, DO NOT, get anything Blackberry.  RIM, the company that makes Blackberry is lost.  They have little to no vision at this time and the best thing they can hope for is to have Microsoft buy them and absorb their technology.

No matter which phone you think you want (do research) don't get set on one until you go to a store, pick it up, and use it a little.  Tap the keys, check how easy it is to dial.  Test drive it like a car.  You're probably going to have it for at least 2 years so you better like it.  Also don't pay more than $200 for any phone.  That's just insane.

Good luck!

[likwidtek]

Do you have a preference over iOS or Android?  If you don't care, go with iOS.

Personally, I feel the iPhone 4s is the best choice out there.  It's sort of ford vs chevy in that there's a lot of simple brand loyalty and fanboism in play out there.  I think there are compromises on both sides but the iPhone will have the best battery life, the best quality apps, the best consistent speeds and will be the most future proof as far as software updates and will be the least headache.

Depending on your city... it's a toss up of Verizon and AT&T.  AT&T gets a bad rap, and in some cities maybe it's true but here in Phoenix the HSPA+ speeds are amazing and I get great coverage everywhere.  If you get the iPhone on AT&T you can voice and data at the same time as well.  The verizon iPhone is nice but their CDMA network is dated and the speeds reflect it.  The inability to look something up while on the phone is a deal breaker for me personally.  As far as network speeds, the Verizon iPhone will only do about 1.5 - 2 Mb/s where you can get between 9-14Mb/s on AT&T.  Siri is also seriously seriously awesome.  I use it every day.  If you spend a good amount of time in the car or on the go, it's a must have.  There are Android alternatives but none of them measure up.

If you just hate Apple for some reason or simply because it's fashionable, I would wait for the Galaxy Nexus.  It's a sweet phone and since it's a Google "Nexus" phone you'll get software updates for a long time direct from Google which is awesome.  There's a lot that's unknown about the phone though still and we may find out specifics on Friday or maybe even as late as Christmas.  Only time will tell.

Regardless.  Your choice should be between the iPhone 4s or the Galaxy Nexus.  waz_here and Milhouse are good people to ask too as they both are Android fans who recently picked up the newest iPhone.  They might have some good perspective to add.

[likwidtek]

My only caution is DO NOT, DO NOT, get anything Blackberry. RIM, the company that makes Blackberry is lost. They have little to no vision at this time and the best thing they can hope for is to have Microsoft buy them and absorb their technology.

OH GOD THIS.

Also, don't buy a nonflagship phone.  There are 900,000 free or cheap Android phones out there and on the flip side they're pushing free iPhone 3gs and 4 phones.  Get top of the line as you'll be married to it for 2 years.  Don't settle for last years tech.  You'll be irritated later.

[Maglorius]

I was an iPhone user until I graduated to the Android platform. I purchased the Samsung Infuse. I never liked the restrictions that iPhone (Apple) put on their products. I paid 78.00 for the Samsung Infuse with a 2 year contract through AT&T. I paid more for the iPhone I had and it was smaller and slower.

Mharz, you gave great advice. I would research and actually go into the stores and touch, feel, play with etc.

You will have people that love iPhone, Androids, Blackberry, and Window mobile. It really comes down to what you are going to use it for. My dad bought a Samsung Infuse when I bought mine and I think he plays Angry Birds on it more then use it for a phone, lol.

[Fuse]

What Mharz said...

I test phones for a living, and both the android and iOS are solid platforms.

Android is awesome if you want to customize your phone and tweak it. iOS is great if you want something that just works, and you will use it the way it is out of the box. Android allows you to install more free apps, or customized apps. iOS you are limited to what is offered on the App Store, and that's pretty much all. Use Google products a lot? Android is all your Google stuff in your pocket - Docs, Mail, Voice (Especially on Sprint), Picasa etc...
SIRI is cool, but you won't use it much after the first week except to get silly answers. The 4s is solid.

Blackberry is dead. Don't bother unless you are a very heavy exchange user limiting your use of a phone for business only.

Windows Phone might have potential if MS can get it's marketing and features "head" out of their asses, but I wouldn't bother with it yet.


Don't put too much stock into buying based on what's about to come out. There is ALWAYS a better device about 2-3 months away.

[Heironymus]

I work for AT&T so I'm biased but I agree whole heartedly when they say research. Ask your friends about reception in your area. Sometimes AT&T is better. Sometimes Verizon. Sprint is a leaking ship. They sold the rights to their towers to Sony and their data service is through Clear and we all know how well that's doing. I cannot stress enough though that if you have the option of a corporate store vs an authorized dealer GO corporate. The reps are held responsible for quality of their service to you at a corporate store and although they make commission it is not but maybe 1/3 their pay. Where as agents are almost completely reliant on commission so they will have no problem setting you up with a crap phone if that is where their bonuses lie.


On a different note. In Atlanta 4G LTE on AT&T my roommate clocked his new HTC phone at 30mbps down and 7 up. Mostly probably because so few people have 4G LTE devices so the network isn't congested yet. But it is still nice.

[Tbone]

You'll see people lobbying for all types of phones and services, but I know Broin, so here's what I think:

The least complicated smartphone is going to be the iPhone. Apple has a very simple, user-friendly interface that focuses on ease-of-use rather than customization. For Broin, this is the phone he's going to want. Everything is simple to get, install, run, etc. You'll probably want to get the iPhone 4S or at least an iPhone 4. For most carriers you get a steep discount on the phone for starting a new plan.

I'm still with AT&T because I'm grandfathered into their unlimited data plan. Since I know you can afford it, if you can find a carrier that offers an unlimited data plan and has good reception in  your area, I would go for that. Even if you don't think you'll use much bandwidth now, our world is quickly moving into a cloud/streaming society, so if you can get locked into a cheap unlimited plan, you'll hopefully be future-proofing yourself down the road at the very least.

[NoCry]

iPhone 4 or 4s old boy. One for you and one for the trouble and strife. Great thing is that it just works. Works well and allows constant and easy communication (SMS between iPhone  users tends to be free too).

Also, FaceTime is a great way to keep in contact with friends and family (perhaps those at college or beyond).

Finally, easy to use web interface and great camera.

All in all, no doubt, I fear an android and Broin would not be a happy marriage.

As to plan - no idea;)

[Amarantus]

I love my droid but if what Tbone says is true then definitely go with the iphone. I personally use Verizon because they have phenominal coverage here in Texas. However, verizon had terrible coverage back in Reno. So I would recomend going with the suggestions in this thread and find out who has the best coverage in the places you will mostly be using it.

[likwidtek]

I'll copy and paste this from the other Android iOS thread that was going on:

I have the 4s. It gets out of your way, is retarded fast and siri isn't a gimmick. I was worried that the novelty of Siri would wear off but I'm constantly barking orders at my phone: "remind me when I get home to give Lilly her medicine" "Wake me up at 7" or for an extended snooze "Wake me up in 15 minutes" "Text Jessica Hey dummy, I love you" "How do I get home" "find me a taco bell" "What am I doing next tuesday?"

While in the car "read my messages" "Reply to so and so - get bent!". "Text Joe, Hey where are we meeting again?" The future is awesome.

Aside from just siri it's weird how great the screen is. I still have my old 3gs that I let my daughter use as an ipod touch now. It's crazy now that I pick that phone up and look at the screen how disgusting is looks. Seriously, pixels, pixels everywhere. Perspective is a weird thing. I used to look at that 3gs screen and think how amazingly gorgeous everything looked. It's a night and day difference now. Those who say that pixel density doesn't matter simply hasn't spent any time with this screen. In my opinion, from now on (well since the iPhone 4) screen resolution and size mean nothing without a high pixel density. That said, I can't wait for my friend to get his Galaxy Nexus so I can oogle at it. I wonder if we will be able to tell a difference.

The overall speed of the phone is amazing. I haven't played any 3d games but everything in the phone loads instantly. No complaints there at all. Super super fast. If you're a gamer, the android game options are pretty meh compared to iOS. There are some really outstanding games in the Apple app store.

The camera on the 4s is pretty dang awesome. Not only is it pretty much instant on but you can rapid fire pictures like no other. Very very fast with outstanding picture quality.

Facetime for me is now a must have. My Dad and my daughter's mom both have the iPhone. Being able to facetime my daughter every other night is amazing. I understand there are third party apps that do this but having it baked into the phone app is great. We'll talk before bed like we normally do (my daughter is 5) and she'll ask me, "Daddy are you at home?" I'll say yeah and she'll say "Yay! Facetime!" All she has to do is hit the facetime button and I get to see her little face. All seemless through a standard phone call. Her favorite thing to do is facetime me and read me stories and play show and tell. It's super super awesome.

Lastly is battery life. There are some who are complaining about some battery life suckage since iOS 5 however the worst of it is still better than the best LTE phone battery life. Do I wish I had LTE in my phone? uhm, heck yeah. But would I be willing to deal with a 3-5 hour battery life phone? LOL no. I'm plenty happy with my 6 - 10mb HSPA+ speeds that I get here in Phoenix without sacrificing battery. Hopefully LTE antennas / chips become more power efficient. Once they do, I'm sure Apple will adopt it.

Obviously if you hate Apple don't get the iPhone 4s. But if you don't, I can't see a reason to compromise.

As far as what Fuse said

Android allows you to install more free apps, or customized apps. iOS you are limited to what is offered on the App Store, and that's pretty much all. Use Google products a lot? Android is all your Google stuff in your pocket - Docs, Mail, Voice (Especially on Sprint), Picasa etc...
SIRI is cool, but you won't use it much after the first week except to get silly answers. The 4s is solid.

I really disagree with most of this.  The iOS app store has crap tons of free apps.  Granted I've found way more spammy crashy and half assed apps in the Android market place.  Apple doesn't put up with that crap.  Every app is QA'd and if it doesn't cut the mustard it gets booted.  If you aren't happy with what's in the app store, you can always jailbreak and get apps from the Cydia app store which are not authorized by apple.  At that point you have nearly as much customizability as Android.  If you want it that is.  You're also wrong about not getting the google experience on the iphone.  I have google docs, mail, google voice, maps all of that..  The only thing we don't get is google nav but there are plenty of apps out there that do that.  Also siri's totally something usable every day.  Maybe it's just me but I find a use for it every day.  Setting reminders, dictating, checking my calendar, texting, calling.  yeah.

[Lithium]

This is simple terms that Broin can understand.

Communism: Apple, Steve Jobs, iPhone, iOS.

Capitalism: Google, Larry Page, Andoird, Microsoft, Bill Gates, Windows.

[likwidtek]

ROFL. Sigh.

[likwidtek]

Glenn Beck owns an iPhone. Just sayin.