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Recommend a Smart Phone for Me

Orphia Nay

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Orphia Nay
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May 2, 2005
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Mostly I use a mobile phone for texting, phone calls, Googling, posting on forums, and taking photos.

I'm leaning towards the iPhone because I could use iMessage to talk to Kid Nay on his iPhone, like I do using my iPad2.

Plus, I'm familiar with the iPad and iTunes.

I never really got the hang of all the software that came with my current phone, the Nokia E71.

However, Mr Nay says nobody's buying iPhones anymore (?!), and that they're crap.

What else should I get?
 
Just get an iPhone. :) Ignore Mr Nay, he is obviously confused.
 
I lvoe my Blackberry Torch 9810 but am waiting for BB10 in February.
 
i went iphone... since i already had all the accessories and chargers from the ipod that work with it. (and as a bonus that the bookbook case is just too cool :D )
 
Meh, break out of the Apple trap, be adventurous. There are so many options out there and iphones are boring. But in the end its your money.
Im considering getting a padfone 2 for Christmas.
 
Orphia Nay said:
Mostly I use a mobile phone for texting, phone calls, Googling, posting on forums, and taking photos.

I'm leaning towards the iPhone because I could use iMessage to talk to Kid Nay on his iPhone, like I do using my iPad2.

Plus, I'm familiar with the iPad and iTunes.

I never really got the hang of all the software that came with my current phone, the Nokia E71.

However, Mr Nay says nobody's buying iPhones anymore (?!), and that they're crap.

What else should I get?
Click to expand...

I think you answered your own question.
 
Well with all due respect to Mr. Nay, he's wrong - the phone is a beast. I got mine not too long ago and I love it so far. I do have some knocks against it though such as:

It is easily scuffed and scratched. Even though I've taken great care with it so far, I've still managed to put two scuffs on the back case, so into an otterbox it went.

Purple lens flare does occur in a few (certainly not all) photographs. Yes you do have to take care when shooting around lighting. I haven't had lens flare happen in natural light yet.

Maps, though getting much better, is still buggy. Not good if you use your device as a GPS.

On the plus side the phone is wicked fast on an LTE network. It loads image heavy web pages in a blink. Picture threads that I avoided here with my iPhone 4 because they would bog down the device are no trouble at all with the 5. If LTE is not available, the phone is still plenty stout on a 3G network.t

And Siri, though not perfect, is very useful. I do like that I no longer have to type out a text- just tell Siri to. And another plus - she can be a bit of a smartass sometimes . :)

But if I were to recommend something other an iPhone it'd be the Samsung Galaxy S3 which is every bit as good as the iPhone if not better, or the Galaxy Note II if you like a nice big screen - the damned thing is huge.
 
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I really like my LG P970.
Afaik, has the brightest screen on the market. Battery lasts forever.
 
Orph, from years of supporting mobile products and having seen the debate about usability, cost, and general opinions about which ones "rock" and which ones "suck", my own advice is to go with what you're comfortable with. If you're used to IOS paradigms and functionality, then you should stick with iPhones. My only advice would be to get the latest model available so as to not get stuck too far behind when the inevitable technological advancement happens.

Can I drill things down further? Yeah, but it would depend on use and situations. If we're just talking general purpose phones, then I strongly suggest that people stick with what they're comfortable with.

That said, I actually urge the teams I design support for to actually have their user bases outright test their comfort levels. In my organization, we loan out devices to our user base, and we encourage them to try models they've not tried before: Blackberry users to iPhone and Android, iPhone users to either of the other, etc., dedicated Motorola Android users to try Samsung and LG, etc. That way, they actually do realistically compare the different models via real world use and end up having a real base of comparison rather than the vagueries of everyone else's opinions.

However, that's not the easiest thing to do for other people. It's not like cell stores will give out loaners. So the next best thing is to go to one of those stores and do some real extended testing with one. Any device can be wiped clean, so it should be no big deal to actually download freeware apps and configure other things (I'd even go so far as to configure my email on a test model, but I'm also damn sure to be the one to wipe it clean afterwards). Hell, make phone calls on it, if you've got a favorite headset to use, bring that along, and make a list of everything you do regularly so that you actually do it when you've got the phone in hand. And actually do it, and measure your comfort level with doing those tasks on other phones. You might find that you really do like other models better than your current device.

Whoops, this accidentally got long :o. Anyway, I'd counsel sticking with what you're used to, but testing yourself to see if you're more open than you think you are to change. You might be surprised, and even if you're not, at least you will have seen the alternatives for yourself. So just make time and go to a store for some extended testing, even if it's on the order of a half hour or more. I'm hard pressed to see any store denying you that.
 
AJM8125 said:
But if I were to recommend something other an iPhone it'd be the Samsung Galaxy S3 which is every bit as good as the iPhone if not better...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I test drove an S3 for a month. I'm 90% certain that's what I'm getting next spring; I'm only holding out that 10% in case my upcoming test drive of a Razr Maxx HD ends up swaying me towards that. It's a durn good phone in my opinion.
 
ElMondoHummus said:
Yeah, I test drove an S3 for a month. I'm 90% certain that's what I'm getting next spring; I'm only holding out that 10% in case my upcoming test drive of a Razr Maxx HD ends up swaying me towards that. It's a durn good phone in my opinion.
Click to expand...

By next spring there may be a Galaxy S4 on the market. Stay tuned.
 
AJM8125 said:
By next spring there may be a Galaxy S4 on the market. Stay tuned.
Click to expand...

I've read it both ways: That it's rumor, and that it's truth. Thank you industry press and internet blogs :boggled:. I'm sort of suffering the problem of being too immersed in the field to be able to separate the truth from the hot air and not having the time to actually look in depth into the news/rumors.

But, since I'm waiting anyway (Spring would be tax refund time), I lose nothing by sitting on the fence as to whether it'll really come out or not. If one does come out, bonus for me. If it doesn't, I already know I like the S3.
 
Hungry81 said:
Meh, break out of the Apple trap, be adventurous. There are so many options out there and iphones are boring. But in the end its your money.
Im considering getting a padfone 2 for Christmas.
Click to expand...

I think this is a valid point. If you want an easy to use phone that you won't think twice about it seems that the iPhone is a good fit for you based on your current device usage. But, if you want a phone that opens you up to new technology and broadens your technological horizons you may want to step out a bit.

If it were me, and it soon will be, I would get the iPhone because I like my phone to be something I don't think about. Like my belt, or my shoes. But I understand those who like to branch out more. I just would rather think more about other things.

All that being said, my sibling recently convinced my mother to buy an iPhone and she is completely befuddled. Of course her last phone was ancient and she often had it in speaker phone mode without realizing it and never figured out how to retrieve text messages. She is the one exception to the mantra that "apple is intuitive".
 
Samsung Galaxy S3. Hold one in one hand and hold an iPhone in the other. You'll never use an Apple product again.
 
Sounds like iPhone would be the way to go, Orph.
You'd instantly feel at home with the OS, so it's the obvious choice.

(I say that as an Android user, not one of those peculiar fellows who do unpaid promotional work for Apple.)




carlitos said:
Unless it's too big for your hand.
Click to expand...

Quite.
I have big paws but I think the S3 is a wee bit too big.
 
The Note 2 fits my hand well.

But if you're used to Apple services, the iPhone is a good choice. Go to a store and play with a live one. Visit your favorite forums and use the on-screen keyboard.

I personally dislike Safari, if my clenched jaw every time I use it is any indication. In fact web browsing is one of the reasons I'll likely never have an iPhone personally. You didn't say which carrier you're on, but if you've on Verizon and like the size of the iPhone, try the Razr M. I enjoy the hell out of that phone even though it is tiny.

However, I really hate looking on JREF and some other pages with any of the phones. That's because of the stupid force play video ads, normally for Macy's, that play ever time you open a new page or even go back to a previous page AND won't let you scroll down till it's been done a good fifteen seconds. /rant

There are a lot of excellent phone options out there right now, so take a look, but I'd still point you toward an iPhone of some sort. While I don't think they are nearly as competitive as they once where, they are by no means out of the fight.

EDIT: Don't ever buy from a carrier store without first doing your homework. A great place to play with live units, but commissioned (and sometimes quotaed) sales people can be driven to, I'll say 'stretch', the truth. The Apple units are basically the same price everywhere (except for being an entire $1 USD less at Sam's Club for some reason) but the prices of the other phones varies wildly between places. Make sure if you do get promised something like a bill credit or a waived activation fee (you know about those right?) from a carrier to get the person's name. Hold them to it.
 
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another plus for the iphone would be that any compatible apps that you have already bought for your ipad will be on your iphone too.
 
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joobie said:
another plus for the iphone would be that any compatible apps that you have already bought for your ipad will be on your iphone too.
Click to expand...

This would be my recommendation for exactly this reason. I just became the last of my tribe to get an iPhone, and I love it.
 
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