3G Smart Phones-need advice

[Stepjam 118]

Finally, I get to upgrade my cell phone, which is a six year old Motorola V3 Razor (Verizon). The wife/kids already ate up a couple of the upgrades that I would have been entitled to. Oh well.

Anyway, I want one of them there new-fangled "Smart Phones." I want to surf the internet, check and send email, get directions, etc.

I will probably stay with Verizon. I used to keep up on technology, back when it concerned watts per channel on your stereo, Dolby-C vs. dbx, and comparisons of Audio-Technica vs. Empire phono cartidges. Get the picture?

So. My questions are:

1. Is the iPhone the hands-down phone to have?

2. Would an EVO or HTC be a better choice?

3. I kind of like Samsung products, but not LG. What do you think?

4. How about the Motorola Droid X?

Thanks!

[joshlost818 6]

Heard amazing things about the EVO and the Droid. Verizon will probably have some problems when they switch over at first there will also be no multi-tasking feature for the iphone on verizon

[Guest Photounit]

To answer your questions:

1.Is the iPhone the hands-down phone to have? No, Not anymore..... They were basically the only choice before the Droids were released.... Now that the various Droids are out, they are every bit as good IMO opinion.The Google navigation rocks! Don't get me wrong, the IPhones are great phones it's just now there are some alternatives that are almost every bit as good and in some ways better....

2. Would an EVO or HTC be a better choice? I think the EVO is Sprints version of an HTC 4G Droid OS phone????

3.I kind of like Samsung products, but not LG. What do you think? Samsung has good Droid phones such as the Fascinate...... I stayed away due to people reporting that their screens were more easily cracked (Probably due to their larger size).

4. How about the Motorola Droid X? The Moto Droids are good phones worth a look.....

I always wanted an IPhone but never got one because I didn't want to be saddled with AT&T's service..... I looked at all the smart phones and ended up getting the Droid Incredible with Verizon on the day the phone came out...... I don't regret it at all..... It is a great phone and I have no desire to ever get an IPhone now..... I just bought another for my wife and my sister and niece each just upgraded to the Incredible as well and they all love the phone..... What ever phone you get, I would stay away from the "4G" phones (Which BTW don't even meet the 4G specs)as the data rates are IMO, a RIPOFF.... I find the 3G web surfing experience to be more than adequate.....

Edited January 30, 2011 by Photounit

[38ff 250]

I love my Driod 2.. Works great, I can check email and surf the web all on my phone! Im a "phone abuser" (not on purpose, but I've dropped my droid a BUNCH of times, and it keeps on working)

The only suggestion I have is go for the bigger extended battery that Moto offers for the Droid. I can get a day and a 1/2 of out one if I forget to charge it at night with heavy use. The regular battery that it comes with lasted me only 3/4 of a day's of heavy use.

[M' Ave 1,466]

If you're due for an upgrade, I would hold off for a month or two. Verizon will be releasing their new 4G LTE phones very soon. They will all be Android powered from HTC, Motorola, Samsung and LG. If you've made it 6 years, you can probably hold out a little longer, no? If they're going the keep the same data plan pricing, I'm going to get one for sure.

If you can't wait, then definitely look at the Droids. The iPhone is nice, but certainly not the MUST HAVE phone anymore. The Droid X is awesome and I've heard that all of the HTC phones have the best user interface, however the battery life is supposedly poor. Maybe it's been improved.

There is definitely an Android phone in my future so I've been shopping around a lot. I've had various Blackberry's for years, but they've clearly lost their edge and I'll be moving on.

FYI: The EVO is an HTC phone. It is available only on Sprint, however. The Verizon equivalent is the Droid X

Edited January 31, 2011 by M' Ave

[FDNY 10-75 640]

Go for the EVO, you will not be disappointed!

[ny10570 745]

Wait a few months. You've made it 6 years, in less than 6 months the 4G phones will be out and you can wait for the initial verdict on them in that time. While photounit is correct that the 4G network being rolled out is not actually a 4G network, it still will be. They changed the definition of 4G because none of the networks were going to be able to meet the specs any time soon. 4G was conceived well before the iPhone and no one foresaw the data demands exploding like they did. All that aside, 4G is the future. LTE (the network Verizon and AT&T are building) is an intermediary between 3G and 4G, is fully compatible with the real 4G network(LTE advanced) and being used as a stepping stone. It is also the European standard for future cell networks.

Everyone is going 4G with the next round of phones Apple, Motorola, Samsung, etc. Everyone but apple is promising 4G phones after March and I believe apple does their iPhone roll outs in July. If you like android (like I do) I'd say give any new phone a month or two on the market and enjoy. if you go apple you might as well pre order and get it out the gate. Their tech stuff is pretty bullet proof.

If you're not streaming movies, heavily cruising the web, or using much data you can get some great prices on full featured 3G phones. Because there are still so many 3G phones out there providers are still expanding their 3G networks and the biggest data hogs will be rapidly moving on to the 4G servers as they become available so your download and upload speeds should increase in urban areas.

[ny10570 745]

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Edited February 1, 2011 by ny10570

[Oswegowind 17]

The "G" in 3G and 4G stands for "generation". It is the operating system that the devices are capable of handling and also relates to real time location generating information. Our old nextels and such were 1st generation phones. Then the networks and the devices becaming more intense and so on. 3G and 4G have nothing to do with cell tower infrastructure. It has all to do with the OS in the phones and their capabilities as technology advances. For instance, on a 1G or 2G device, there is no GPS info unless downloaded via upgrade. 3G GPS is pretty good, however the newer devices aka 4G the GPS is pretty much dead on. The networks are basically all the same except some minor differences. The device is what is important. The android OS is cool, however I use blackberry and have never had a problem with RIM and all their capabilities. It basically comes down to "what are you going to use it for?" If you wants games and internet, integrated calendars such as google and google/connect, IM such as BBM or "facetime", social media integration, gps mapping and directions, then a smart phone is for you. If you just wanna text and talk, don't waste the money on the extra $15 - $30 a month for a data package.

[OoO 24]

The "G" in 3G and 4G stands for "generation". It is the operating system that the devices are capable of handling and also relates to real time location generating information. Our old nextels and such were 1st generation phones. Then the networks and the devices becaming more intense and so on. 3G and 4G have nothing to do with cell tower infrastructure. It has all to do with the OS in the phones and their capabilities as technology advances. For instance, on a 1G or 2G device, there is no GPS info unless downloaded via upgrade. 3G GPS is pretty good, however the newer devices aka 4G the GPS is pretty much dead on. The networks are basically all the same except some minor differences. The device is what is important. The android OS is cool, however I use blackberry and have never had a problem with RIM and all their capabilities. It basically comes down to "what are you going to use it for?" If you wants games and internet, integrated calendars such as google and google/connect, IM such as BBM or "facetime", social media integration, gps mapping and directions, then a smart phone is for you. If you just wanna text and talk, don't waste the money on the extra $15 - $30 a month for a data package.

The "G" has nothing to do with GPS or operating system. 3G vs 4G is about network internet speed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G