Calling all smartphones

Its that time of the year again, when our cellphone contract expires and the quest for a better phone begins.


Smartphone market
Smartphone market

There must be clues in this picture.

Right now, I use my phone for making calls, and not much else. Things I'm looking for- telephone, PDA, ability to check my email/browse the web, storage capacity, in that order. Oh, and a GPS would be great.

Advice/opinions would be much appreciated.


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Robbbiedobbbie
[this is good]
Gosh. Wish I could help -- never use mine. Had the same phone since the summer of 1997. I don't think it does anything but make calls and cost money.
Purplesque
Lol..thats all I do with mine, but decided to take the plunge this time.
Robbbiedobbbie
I saw some on TV yesterday that are coming out (or are out... not certain) that are 3 megapixel cameras and when "closed" as phones, look and act exactly like very very thin cameras. Didn't hear of they did the other things or not.

It's a technophile's dream, the phone/web/camera/PDA thing - lots of neat stuff!

Now if only they could microwave food and dispense clean clothing..........
Purplesque
lol..and they would then be marketed as 'life solutions'. All that we would have to do is remember to breathe!
Karen
Our cell phone bill, family plan for shared minutes for calling and texting was 520.00 this past month. I almost fell on the floor. 1 20 year old, 1 15 year old and 2 grown ups. Every thing you add on ie: gps, web browsing, etc, costs and extra 7 or 8 bucks a month. All we do with ours is phone calls and texting for over 500 a month (thats 125.00 each average). I was just asking DH "how do people afford cell phones". The phone bill for our practice (business land line) last month was 300.00. We have 4 lines. wtf?

That being said, I'd get the iphone. hehehehe :))
Purplesque
oh Lord, now you're scaring me. But then its just two of us, and no texting (why bother, when you have free calling) so it should be a little more affordable.

I'm such a sucker for hype I desperately want the new iPhone, A keeps telling me to look beyond the looks! :)
Karen
Me too...I wanted it bad when it first came out. If Verizon had been the carrier, there would be one right here on the end table. hehe Imagine, all those devices in a package the size of the ipod video. :::nudge:::
Dai
Mines the blackberry pearl red. It's cute, not big and clunky like the other models, and does everything those other clunky ones do. The only draw back is that with blackberries, you need to get two separate plans for that one phone, one regular plan, which include calls [+voice mail, texting, caller display, etc...but I had to get this separately as well, my carrier/service provider likes to make extra money] and this can be from 25 to 65 dollars [Canadian], and a blackberry data service plan. with out which you can't browse the internet, send picture messages like in any ordinary phone, and includes, maybe, blackberry email, gps, accepting bluetooth stuff [you can send through bluetooth with out the data service, but can't receive], and this can add $40+ [Canadian].

SO as you can see, blackberry is a great phone, if you can afford it, I currently can't...but oh well. But it all depends on your service provider/carrier.
Purplesque
Oh, I know..there is a part of me that hates just collecting technology (unless I really need all of it), and a part that wants the sexiest toy on the market.

Take a guess at which one is going to win. :)
Purplesque
Thanks for the info! I do like the Blackberry pearl..the cell+data service might be a little more expensive than the iPhone; I will look into that. Need to make some calls tomorrow.
Scott

I've got a Palm Centro...tons of features for the money ($100), good PDA. I use Sprint and am getting a minimal calling plan (I don't talk much) plus unlimited Internet and texting for $60 a month. The Palm OS web browser is a little anemic, however, and doesn't work well with some sites. It sounds like you're looking for something more slick.

If you want a really good surfing experience, the iPhone is supposed to be great, although the inital cost is higher. The built-in iPod is a plus. (The Centro has a media player that looks powerful, but I carry a separate iPod so I haven't bothered with it.)

The one area you might scrutinize on the iPhone is how good the PDA stuff is...I've heard it's more about phone and media than PDA, but don't hold me to that.

Purplesque
Thanks! I would prefer a slick PDA more than a slick web browser..and my current provider is Sprint, so that would be a plus. They just came out with 'everything for 99.99' plan that sounds interesting.

I just wish the iPhone wasn't that hot looking. :)
Scott

AT&T also has the Centro...you should be able to visit an AT&T store and see it side by side with the iPhone. I didn't look that closely at the iPhone before choosing, so you may find things that I didn't. It does beat the Centro hands-down in hotness!

Purplesque
Now there's an idea..thanks!!
LeendaDLL
I've had one of those for over a year. Samsung A990 (verizon service). LOVE it. I use it as a camera why more than a phone. But the original benefit was being able to take a good camera into venues that allowed cells but not cameras. Now that's not such a big deal. And I'm waiting for the 7megapixel phones that I've heard area already all over Japan.

Can't help you on the service. Verizon's pricing & service drive me UP A WALL but they still have the best coverage in my area (Calif) and no one else's prices were any better.
LeendaDLL
ps: The my Samsung came with all the other standard features - mp3 player, txt msging, email, web browsing (I'm not super happy with that part but I also haven't tried it much - just know that Vox crashes it), video player - PLUS a port for an expansion memory card. I'm currently sporting 2GB of added memory - can record (video) entire concerts and still have room to spare.
Purplesque
Wow..that sounds really good. I have a basic camera phone now, but its no good for taking 'proper' pictures. 7mp would be quite a picture.

Being able to Vox from work would be Such a plus (especially when the attendings are doing one of those interminable interviews). Verizon might be a good choice coz I will get free calls to my sister. I'm checking the phone out right now..thanks!!
LeendaDLL
I don't even own a traditional camera anymore. Everything on my blog has been taken with my cell phone.

My phone is supposed to work with Vox (per Vox) but never has. It tries to load, it stalls, and then I get a "reboot" message on the phone. Frustrated the hell out of me so I had to finally stop trying. The only other time I've used the phone for web was when in the hospital (in fact, that's when I enabled the feature). Even then, I was really only checking yahoo mail but I would have lost my sanity without it.

I've been thinking about a crackberry, for all the great features, but really don't want to become that attached to a phone. Plus they're too bulky for me.
Karen
Hi, just popping by to see if you chose one yet :))


Purplesque
I wish..barely keeping my nose above water at work. Maybe this weekend..I miss you already! :)

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