At the risk of starting a huge war....

ziegl027 · 04-23-2010, 09:18 AM

What do you think is the best "smart" phone out there? What do you use yours for? What do you love about it? What drives you nuts about it?

I'm on the fence as to whether I need to get one or not--I'm not away from an actual computer very often so don't forsee using it to websurf or email. I don't text with the phone I have now (a Katana). But I have to say some of the smartphone apps seem pretty cool, so I'm tempted. Some of the apps I'm tempted by are ones that I would need (I presume) the cellphone capabilities rather than just wireless, so getting an iPod Touch would probably not be ideal. For instance, some of the GPS-dependent ones.

I am not totally anti-Apple, but I do not and have never owned an Apple device, and the inability to have more than one app run at once is a bit off-putting.

pshrynk · 04-23-2010, 09:24 AM

I have an HTC Hero that runs on Android. I love it. I had a Treo 800w which ran on Windows Mobile and hated it. The Android OS is way more stable and does not insist on running the MS Thumb Twiddle (TM) app constantly in order to shorten the battery life to about ten minutes.

Getting apps to the phone is a breeze. There are thousnds in the apps store. If you buy one, it goes on your telecom bill.

There may be newer versions of the phone out by now, but I recommend Android, no matter what the hardware.

beppe · 04-23-2010, 11:24 AM

I used a Treo 650 until September of last year. There was a small interval 3 years ago when somebody gave me a QT9090 (running under Windows: charge lasted few hours) that was promptly passed to my wife, than to my dentist than to the son of his collegue that has passed it to ...

I still use the Treo as a back up. I switched to a 29 $ no frills cell phone that just makes and receive calls and SMS's. It weights few ounces and I can put it in any pocket.

I still use the Treo as Calendar (the best ever), as Secret Holder, for reading ebooks (back up), for navigating with TomTom, to listen to music through a blue tooth headset. I had to change the battery some time ago, but overall it has been an excellent PA. Those smart ***** of Palm stopped making it few years ago. The engineering and the firmware are unsurpassed. The look is almost vintage.

The reason I down graded theTreo is that it is too bulky. It is OK when I wear a back pack, but without something to carry it, it is a nuisance. The new small modest cellphone, I can carry it to the beach.

The juice of my story is: use a simple phone for your calls. It's trendy.

wodin · 04-23-2010, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pshrynk

I have an HTC Hero that runs on Android. I love it. I had a Treo 800w which ran on Windows Mobile and hated it. The Android OS is way more stable and does not insist on running the MS Thumb Twiddle (TM) app constantly in order to shorten the battery life to about ten minutes.

Getting apps to the phone is a breeze. There are thousnds in the apps store. If you buy one, it goes on your telecom bill.

There may be newer versions of the phone out by now, but I recommend Android, no matter what the hardware.

I have a Samsung Moment (Android) on Sprint, and

what he said. Also where I am, Sprint has the most bang for the buck, but results may vary where you are. I do a lot of reading on my Moment with FBReader, which is a free download from the App Store.

If I had it to do again, I'd wait for the EVO to come out in the next month or two because it has a much larger screen, thus easier reading. Come to think of it, I might just activate another line, and get the discount on the EVO anyway.

rock · 04-23-2010, 05:06 PM

I had the iPhone, and I really liked it, but..

I now have a Droid, and my iPhone is now my alarm clock. I thought I still use it (as you can it is just an touch then) but I really don't. Best thing about the Droid is the free voice GPS.

It is really a great phone, and the recent update gave the ability of multi-touch (at least in the browser, I am seeing apps updating their software to follow suit). The display is really nice, comes with a full keyboard too.

But the real question is, what service works best in your area.

Still I love the Droid, their app store is not as good as Apples, but still it is open source, and there will be great things to come. I have played NES games, SNES games, gameboy advance, and others on it for free. Streamed a movie, and tonight will watch the NFL draft while at work.

hnoto · 04-23-2010, 08:00 PM

My husband has a google phone and has really loved it. He doesn't read on it. My dad just got a droid and is having a good time playing with all the apps.

I personally just have an "older" blackberry and no internet plan. I already spend too much time surfing the web. (My 15yo is saving up for a new phone with an internet plan on it. I reminded him that A. he is at school 6 hours per day where he is not allowed to use his phone. B. The remaining time he is at home where he has a computer with, ya know, THE INTERNET on it.

)

cheerio6414 · 04-23-2010, 10:11 PM

I have only had an Iphone so that is all i know

Jonas777 · 04-25-2010, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziegl027

I am not totally anti-Apple, but I do not and have never owned an Apple device, and the inability to have more than one app run at once is a bit off-putting.

Also, remember that an iPhone has to be activated thru iTunes before you can use it at all.

A problem with these phones (iPhone, Android and such) is battery. If you use all of the fancy features the battery won't last a day. If you turn off the features like wifi, gps and auto updating like weather gadgets then it will last a few days but why get such a phone then?

That said, I got an Android type recently and likes it.

BenG · 04-25-2010, 01:01 PM

I've had the Motorola Droid for about 4 months now. At first I was a little disappointed with it compared to what I knew about the iphone from having a ipod touch with WiFi. But after the recent 2.1 update I'm much more satisfied with it. The update introduce the pinch and zoom to the browser and photo gallery and add a voice recognition key to the keyboard.

Still the apps seem to be a little rougher and cruder than those on the iphone, even the same apps adapted from the iphone. Apple has had more time to polish theirs up so I hoping the droid's apps will get better.

thinkpad · 04-25-2010, 02:57 PM

I've got a HTC Hero and couldn't be happier. I use NewsRob and get all my Google Reader feeds right on the phone. HTC:s built in email app is also nice. As for games I've installed chess by Aart J.C Bik. For navigation I use CoPilot Live. For reading I use Aldiko. For music I use spotify (unbeatable) and for magazine reading I use Issuu. For podcasting I find DoggCatcher to be the best. With the Android market its endless of possibilities of apps to install. Most of my work colleagues have gone for the new HTC desire with a bigger screen and Android 2.1 but I'm holding out for a phone that will get the new SiRFstar IV GPS chipset that's said to have huge improvements over the old one.

My previous mobile was not a smartphone so it took some time getting used to the Hero (especially since there's no physical keys) but now I wouldn't turn back to a regular mobile. One thing though, smartphones drains a lot more battery. I can use it actively for a day but then I have to charge it. If I don't use it as much the battery usually lasts me over the weekend.

phenomshel · 04-25-2010, 03:36 PM

Chris and I both have BlackBerries. I have a Storm 2, and he has the Tour. We both like the BlackBerry o/s, and in my case, it runs all the reading apps I want.

However - that being said, the iPhone is still tempting to me. I think it's the "shiny gadget factor" kicking in, that and the amount of screen real estate available. If it ever shows up on Verizon, I'll have to give it a really serious amount of thought.

jenieliser · 04-26-2010, 05:07 PM

I've had a centro and/or palm treo 755 for, goodness, a while. I like it, I don't use the calendar nearly as much as I thought I would. I end up reverting to paper and pencil (Franklin Covey addict). If I were to get another smartphone I'd opt for the pre. My brother in law has it and loves it. It's small, looks like a large pebble. Plus my brother in law is a programmer and has been working on apps for the pre since he got it. So I can use those.

ShortNCuddlyAm · 04-26-2010, 06:03 PM

I've got an iPhone, which I think is great - especially on the apps side. Especially those apps which either sync with my macbook (eg OmniFocus) or with the cloud (eg Evernote). As far as the phone goes, it's OK, but I'm not a great mobile phone user!

beppe · 04-26-2010, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenieliser

I've had a centro and/or palm treo 755 for, goodness, a while. I like it, I don't use the calendar nearly as much as I thought I would. I end up reverting to paper and pencil (Franklin Covey addict). If I were to get another smartphone I'd opt for the pre. My brother in law has it and loves it. It's small, looks like a large pebble. Plus my brother in law is a programmer and has been working on apps for the pre since he got it. So I can use those.

Please, what is a pre?

Wetdogeared · 04-26-2010, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beppe

Please, what is a pre?

I'm assuming it's the palm prē.

04-23-2010, 09:18 AM	#1
ziegl027 Addict Posts: 264 Karma: 764 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minnesota Device: Sony Touch, Kindle DXG	At the risk of starting a huge war.... What do you think is the best "smart" phone out there? What do you use yours for? What do you love about it? What drives you nuts about it? I'm on the fence as to whether I need to get one or not--I'm not away from an actual computer very often so don't forsee using it to websurf or email. I don't text with the phone I have now (a Katana). But I have to say some of the smartphone apps seem pretty cool, so I'm tempted. Some of the apps I'm tempted by are ones that I would need (I presume) the cellphone capabilities rather than just wireless, so getting an iPod Touch would probably not be ideal. For instance, some of the GPS-dependent ones. I am not totally anti-Apple, but I do not and have never owned an Apple device, and the inability to have more than one app run at once is a bit off-putting.

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04-23-2010, 09:24 AM	#2
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	I have an HTC Hero that runs on Android. I love it. I had a Treo 800w which ran on Windows Mobile and hated it. The Android OS is way more stable and does not insist on running the MS Thumb Twiddle (TM) app constantly in order to shorten the battery life to about ten minutes. Getting apps to the phone is a breeze. There are thousnds in the apps store. If you buy one, it goes on your telecom bill. There may be newer versions of the phone out by now, but I recommend Android, no matter what the hardware.

04-23-2010, 11:24 AM	#3
beppe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,161 Karma: 81026524 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Italy Device: Kindle3, Ipod4, IPad2	I used a Treo 650 until September of last year. There was a small interval 3 years ago when somebody gave me a QT9090 (running under Windows: charge lasted few hours) that was promptly passed to my wife, than to my dentist than to the son of his collegue that has passed it to ... I still use the Treo as a back up. I switched to a 29 $ no frills cell phone that just makes and receive calls and SMS's. It weights few ounces and I can put it in any pocket. I still use the Treo as Calendar (the best ever), as Secret Holder, for reading ebooks (back up), for navigating with TomTom, to listen to music through a blue tooth headset. I had to change the battery some time ago, but overall it has been an excellent PA. Those smart ***** of Palm stopped making it few years ago. The engineering and the firmware are unsurpassed. The look is almost vintage. The reason I down graded theTreo is that it is too bulky. It is OK when I wear a back pack, but without something to carry it, it is a nuisance. The new small modest cellphone, I can carry it to the beach. The juice of my story is: use a simple phone for your calls. It's trendy.

04-23-2010, 05:06 PM	#5
rock Addict Posts: 240 Karma: 18772 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Nook, Astak EZ Reader Pocket, iPhone 3g, Droid	I had the iPhone, and I really liked it, but.. I now have a Droid, and my iPhone is now my alarm clock. I thought I still use it (as you can it is just an touch then) but I really don't. Best thing about the Droid is the free voice GPS. It is really a great phone, and the recent update gave the ability of multi-touch (at least in the browser, I am seeing apps updating their software to follow suit). The display is really nice, comes with a full keyboard too. But the real question is, what service works best in your area. Still I love the Droid, their app store is not as good as Apples, but still it is open source, and there will be great things to come. I have played NES games, SNES games, gameboy advance, and others on it for free. Streamed a movie, and tonight will watch the NFL draft while at work.

04-23-2010, 08:00 PM	#6
hnoto Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 177180 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Device: Sony PRS 505	My husband has a google phone and has really loved it. He doesn't read on it. My dad just got a droid and is having a good time playing with all the apps. I personally just have an "older" blackberry and no internet plan. I already spend too much time surfing the web. (My 15yo is saving up for a new phone with an internet plan on it. I reminded him that A. he is at school 6 hours per day where he is not allowed to use his phone. B. The remaining time he is at home where he has a computer with, ya know, THE INTERNET on it. )

04-23-2010, 10:11 PM	#7
cheerio6414 Addict Posts: 210 Karma: 36 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Kindle 2	I have only had an Iphone so that is all i know

04-25-2010, 01:01 PM	#9
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	I've had the Motorola Droid for about 4 months now. At first I was a little disappointed with it compared to what I knew about the iphone from having a ipod touch with WiFi. But after the recent 2.1 update I'm much more satisfied with it. The update introduce the pinch and zoom to the browser and photo gallery and add a voice recognition key to the keyboard. Still the apps seem to be a little rougher and cruder than those on the iphone, even the same apps adapted from the iphone. Apple has had more time to polish theirs up so I hoping the droid's apps will get better.

04-25-2010, 02:57 PM	#10
thinkpad David Posts: 1,808 Karma: 8916183 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Norway Device: Kindle, E.Edge (sold), Irex Iliad (retired)	I've got a HTC Hero and couldn't be happier. I use NewsRob and get all my Google Reader feeds right on the phone. HTC:s built in email app is also nice. As for games I've installed chess by Aart J.C Bik. For navigation I use CoPilot Live. For reading I use Aldiko. For music I use spotify (unbeatable) and for magazine reading I use Issuu. For podcasting I find DoggCatcher to be the best. With the Android market its endless of possibilities of apps to install. Most of my work colleagues have gone for the new HTC desire with a bigger screen and Android 2.1 but I'm holding out for a phone that will get the new SiRFstar IV GPS chipset that's said to have huge improvements over the old one. My previous mobile was not a smartphone so it took some time getting used to the Hero (especially since there's no physical keys) but now I wouldn't turn back to a regular mobile. One thing though, smartphones drains a lot more battery. I can use it actively for a day but then I have to charge it. If I don't use it as much the battery usually lasts me over the weekend.

04-25-2010, 03:36 PM	#11
phenomshel ZCD BombShel Posts: 4,793 Karma: 8293322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA) Device: iPad, STB Kindle Oasis	Chris and I both have BlackBerries. I have a Storm 2, and he has the Tour. We both like the BlackBerry o/s, and in my case, it runs all the reading apps I want. However - that being said, the iPhone is still tempting to me. I think it's the "shiny gadget factor" kicking in, that and the amount of screen real estate available. If it ever shows up on Verizon, I'll have to give it a really serious amount of thought.

04-26-2010, 05:07 PM	#12
jenieliser Groupie Posts: 165 Karma: 2136526 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Tampa, FL Device: Kindle PW, Kobo Libra Color	I've had a centro and/or palm treo 755 for, goodness, a while. I like it, I don't use the calendar nearly as much as I thought I would. I end up reverting to paper and pencil (Franklin Covey addict). If I were to get another smartphone I'd opt for the pre. My brother in law has it and loves it. It's small, looks like a large pebble. Plus my brother in law is a programmer and has been working on apps for the pre since he got it. So I can use those.

04-26-2010, 06:03 PM	#13
ShortNCuddlyAm WWHALD Posts: 7,879 Karma: 337114 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mitcham, Surrey, UK Device: iPad. Selling my silver 505 here	I've got an iPhone, which I think is great - especially on the apps side. Especially those apps which either sync with my macbook (eg OmniFocus) or with the cloud (eg Evernote). As far as the phone goes, it's OK, but I'm not a great mobile phone user!

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