Recommend me a phone and/or plan

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Recommend me a phone and/or plan

Sizzlechest: May 7, 2007

BTW, I saw this thread on T-Mobile's site that the Asurion insurance plan may not replace a broken/lost Nexus One with another Nexus One.

http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Nexus-One/Asurion-doesn-t-support-the-Nexus-One-anymore/td-p/410259

# ? Jul 7, 2010 17:27

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# ? May 14, 2024 13:30

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

Sizzlechest posted:

BTW, I saw this thread on T-Mobile's site that the Asurion insurance plan may not replace a broken/lost Nexus One with another Nexus One.

http://forums.t-mobile.com/t5/Nexus-One/Asurion-doesn-t-support-the-Nexus-One-anymore/td-p/410259

Try going with Squaretrade. Their warranties are pretty good for what I've heard.

# ? Jul 7, 2010 17:32

heat: Sep 4, 2003; The Mad Monk

Godzilla07 posted:

Try going with Squaretrade. Their warranties are pretty good for what I've heard.

Not really, since they don't cover any damage or loss/theft. All they are good for is if the phone suddenly stops working past the coverage of the manufacturer's warranty.

# ? Jul 7, 2010 21:40

Seat Safety Switch: May 27, 2008; MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.; Pillbug

I'm looking at getting an Android phone. I've got two strikes against me:

I'm planning on using it with Wind (AWS, like T-Mobile as previously discussed in this thread).
To buy new, I'm assuming that I'd have to get the phone either direct from Google, in the case of the Nexus One, or get a plan-less phone sent from the T-Mobile online store to my Canadian address. Historically, doing this has been a pain in the rear end for me - I'm hoping that T-Mobile is OK with shipping to a Canadian address.

I figured, hey, Google made the OS, I'll just buy the Google phone. Not so much!

My specific problem with the Nexus One is that it seems to only support "two finger" multitouch. Does this seriously inhibit applications/games? I was seeing someone complain that an NES emulator doesn't work very well with it because of the lack of multitouch, and since the Nexus One doesn't have a physical keyboard there's no real alternative.

I think this is the same problem with the MyTouch 3G from T-Mobile; I can't seem to find any simple list of "does this phone actually implement proper multitouch?"

So far my forerunners are the Nexus One, Motorola CLIQ (with keyboard), the Motorola Milestone (keyboard) or Motorola Backflip (keyboard). The latter two require me to drop Wind and pay an extra $25/mo for less featureful service with Telus.

My usage is mostly going to be web browsing and Google Maps lookups, but I don't see the point in dropping a ton of money on a phone if it can't run a majority of Android software should I decide suddenly that I want to play NES games on the bus.

Thanks in advance!

edit: It seems like I can only buy from the T-Mobile online store if I add a plan along with the phone. I suspect the phone is locked too.

edit 2: ~~At the very least I can buy Motorola phones from their online store (like the CLIQ). I don't know if their "for T-Mobile" phones are locked, though.~~ Motorola only ships to the US.

Seat Safety Switch fucked around with this message at 17:18 on Jul 8, 2010

# ? Jul 8, 2010 16:49

ExcessBLarg!: Sep 1, 2001

Seat Safety Switch posted:

To buy new, I'm assuming that I'd have to get the phone either direct from Google, in the case of the Nexus One, or get a plan-less phone sent from the T-Mobile online store to my Canadian address.

Not necessarily. You can probably buy an unlocked T-Mobile branded phone from a third party retailer at retail price, e.g., Amazon or Best Buy. I'm not sure which of those are willing to ship to Canada. Look on Google Shopping.

Seat Safety Switch posted:

My specific problem with the Nexus One is that it seems to only support "two finger" multitouch. Does this seriously inhibit applications/games?

The Nexus One is literally the Android development prototype phone. Granted, there might be some older apps that were designed for a G1 that assume use of a hardware keyboard, but it would be silly for developers to not make games touch-screen (and specifically, Nexus One) compatible unless it was impossible to do otherwise. Actually, I'd make the argument that modern apps are most likely to be compatible with the Nexus One, any other carrier-specific riff-raff Android phone that deviates too much from its specifications are a crapshoot for compatibility.

An NES emulator might be the best example of an application that wouldn't work well on a Nexus One. Perhaps that specific task might be best left for home.

Seat Safety Switch posted:

So far my forerunners are the Nexus One, Motorola CLIQ (with keyboard), the Motorola Milestone (keyboard) or Motorola Backflip (keyboard).

Have you taken a look at the MyTouch 3G Slide? It's a solid mid-range slider that came out not long ago on T-Mobile. It's probably a better option than the CLIQ if you want a slider.

# ? Jul 8, 2010 19:48

Seat Safety Switch: May 27, 2008; MY RELIGION IS THE SMALL BLOCK V8 AND COMMANDMENTS ONE THROUGH TEN ARE NEVER LIFT.; Pillbug

ExcessBLarg! posted:

Not necessarily. You can probably buy an unlocked T-Mobile branded phone from a third party retailer at retail price, e.g., Amazon or Best Buy. I'm not sure which of those are willing to ship to Canada. Look on Google Shopping.

Neither Amazon nor Best Buy are willing to ship these phones to Canada. I'll take a look at Froogle.

ExcessBLarg! posted:

Have you taken a look at the MyTouch 3G Slide? It's a solid mid-range slider that came out not long ago on T-Mobile. It's probably a better option than the CLIQ if you want a slider.

Good tip, I actually kind of like this device but confused it in my mind with the other "myTouch" devices.

Thanks for your help so far.

# ? Jul 8, 2010 20:57

The Grumbles: Jun 5, 2006

I got a call for a free upgrade from T-Mobile today, and it sounded like I could pick pretty much anything off their (UK) webstore for smartphones. I asked them to ring me back in a week or so, so I could have a look at the site. I've had a G1 for the last year or so, and am looking at the HTC Desire, maybe? They've also got the Iphone 3GS tucked away on their site, and I'm tempted to see if they'll give me one of those.
I've heard the HTC desire is good, but is it iphone good?

Should probably also mention that my current plan sits at about �30 a month

# ? Jul 9, 2010 14:14

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

The Grumbles posted:

I got a call for a free upgrade from T-Mobile today, and it sounded like I could pick pretty much anything off their (UK) webstore for smartphones. I asked them to ring me back in a week or so, so I could have a look at the site. I've had a G1 for the last year or so, and am looking at the HTC Desire, maybe? They've also got the Iphone 3GS tucked away on their site, and I'm tempted to see if they'll give me one of those.
I've heard the HTC desire is good, but is it iphone good?

Should probably also mention that my current plan sits at about �30 a month

Android vs iPhone is really a personal choice, but the Desire is a pretty stylish Android so beyond having a larger app store and much better gaming, i can't think of much that the iphone 3GS would do better. Not sure what hardware the Desire is running though.

# ? Jul 9, 2010 14:55

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

The Grumbles posted:

I got a call for a free upgrade from T-Mobile today, and it sounded like I could pick pretty much anything off their (UK) webstore for smartphones. I asked them to ring me back in a week or so, so I could have a look at the site. I've had a G1 for the last year or so, and am looking at the HTC Desire, maybe? They've also got the Iphone 3GS tucked away on their site, and I'm tempted to see if they'll give me one of those.
I've heard the HTC desire is good, but is it iphone good?

Should probably also mention that my current plan sits at about �30 a month

Get the Desire. It's a huge upgrade over your G1. There's pretty much no reason for the 3GS as the Desire is certainly bettter in every way in terms of hardware. Also, the Desire is running the latest in smartphone hardware while the 3GS is a year old.

Maybe if you were offered the iPhone 4, it would be fair but the Desire is definitely better than the 3GS.

# ? Jul 9, 2010 15:17

The Grumbles: Jun 5, 2006

Anyone know what the new android phones like the Desire are like for music? One of the main factors tempting me toward the iphone has been that I don't own an mp3 player. I've been using spotify on my G1 but it's a little fiddly, drains the battery, and requires an adapter to use headphones. How would a phone like the Desire + an SD card hold up against the iphone musicwise?

# ? Jul 9, 2010 15:35

Medical Ninja: Oct 16, 2005; "I found the cure for cancer but the FDA didn't like the 'fatal stab treatment' clause in my proposal."

I have an unlocked HTC Desire from England.

Which wireless provider in CA will sell me a SIM card/number/plan?

EDIT: Reading the thread says T-Mobile's EMP+ plan is the way to go.

Medical Ninja fucked around with this message at 16:23 on Jul 9, 2010

# ? Jul 9, 2010 16:07

Lyric: Dec 16, 2008

Country: USA (Midwest)

I'm currently an AT&T customer, and have been since they took over Cingular. My antique phone from 2005 finally died, so I've been forced into the market for a new one. I've never really needed much from my phone, using it only to text, take pictures, and make calls. I've never really been a gadget guy, and have yet to be sold on the dazzle of a smart phone.

If I drop AT&T, something I'm not at all hesitant to do, I can get a 24% discount through work from Sprint on every plan but their most extremely basic or expensive. Similarly, AT&T would offer a 21% discount to stay, and my work discount with Verizon is 20%. I have a few hundred dollars to spend on the phone, if there's an advantage to doing so.

I've had my current phone since April of 2005, so other than the sticky threads in this forum I'm completely clueless on all things phone. I don't want to go into the store being the helpless housewife.

# ? Jul 10, 2010 13:48

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

Lyric posted:

Country: USA (Midwest)

I'm currently an AT&T customer, and have been since they took over Cingular. My antique phone from 2005 finally died, so I've been forced into the market for a new one. I've never really needed much from my phone, using it only to text, take pictures, and make calls. I've never really been a gadget guy, and have yet to be sold on the dazzle of a smart phone.

If I drop AT&T, something I'm not at all hesitant to do, I can get a 24% discount through work from Sprint on every plan but their most extremely basic or expensive. Similarly, AT&T would offer a 21% discount to stay, and my work discount with Verizon is 20%. I have a few hundred dollars to spend on the phone, if there's an advantage to doing so.

I've had my current phone since April of 2005, so other than the sticky threads in this forum I'm completely clueless on all things phone. I don't want to go into the store being the helpless housewife.

What do you want and what is your usage? If you just want calling and texting you can get a decent "feature" phone on a messaging plan with sprint for $49.99 before your discount, 450 mins, unlimited texting, N&W at 7. LG Lotus Elite is a great buy and goes on sale Monday July 11th. Internet Plans on Sprint start at $69.99, so that's up to you, but you can get any smartphone but the Evo on it.

Check coverage in your area, if Sprint is good they are the lowest price by a good bit (especially with data plans).

# ? Jul 10, 2010 13:58

Lyric: Dec 16, 2008

Duckman2008 posted:

What do you want and what is your usage? If you just want calling and texting you can get a decent "feature" phone on a messaging plan with sprint for $49.99 before your discount, 450 mins, unlimited texting, N&W at 7. LG Lotus Elite is a great buy and goes on sale Monday July 11th. Internet Plans on Sprint start at $69.99, so that's up to you, but you can get any smartphone but the Evo on it.

Check coverage in your area, if Sprint is good they are the lowest price by a good bit (especially with data plans).

I'm currently using an antique Cingular 400 minutes with rollover plan, which I've stayed within on every month but two over the last five years. I consistently go over my 200 texts per month, so I'd pick up unlimited text on whatever plan I end up selecting.

# ? Jul 10, 2010 14:08

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

Duckman2008 posted:

What do you want and what is your usage? If you just want calling and texting you can get a decent "feature" phone on a messaging plan with sprint for $49.99 before your discount, 450 mins, unlimited texting, N&W at 7. LG Lotus Elite is a great buy and goes on sale Monday July 11th. Internet Plans on Sprint start at $69.99, so that's up to you, but you can get any smartphone but the Evo on it.

Check coverage in your area, if Sprint is good they are the lowest price by a good bit (especially with data plans).

The Lotus Elite has been out for a while now. It is a pretty nice featurephone.

# ? Jul 10, 2010 15:15

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

Godzilla07 posted:

The Lotus Elite has been out for a while now. It is a pretty nice featurephone.

Its been out 6+ months yes, but its still my personal favorite Sprint feature phone, and its price is dropping $50 tomorrow (probably free online). I don't like the new Rumor Touch that much, touch screen is resistive and kinda sucks. Both phones actually work decently with Opera Mini.

# ? Jul 10, 2010 18:30

Lyric: Dec 16, 2008

At the opposite extreme, it seems that the dedicated sprint store portal I use at work would let me order the EVO using only their basic 450 minute unlimited messaging plan. I understand from reading the EVO thread that this isn't supposed to be the case. Would this be a better idea?

# ? Jul 10, 2010 18:56

davepsilon: Oct 12, 2009

# Country/Provider: USA / virgin mobile
# Current contract status: pre-paid month to month 6.99 for .10 / minute
# Budget (phone/plan): cheap total cost of ownership smartphone. I've been looking at sprint and with employee discount I can get the everything 450 plan for $56 / month.
# Features I know I want:
I want to be able to check my gmail and prove people wrong with google and wikipedia on the fly. I currently use a very small cheap phone - it is about 4" x 1.75" x 0.33" and it cost me $15 to replace when I lost it. This phone lives in my pocket with my keys and has survived very well.

I am trying to figure out which sprint smartphone is a reasonable size to carry with long battery life. Also is sprint's insurance program worth buying?

# ? Jul 11, 2010 01:11

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

davepsilon posted:

# Country/Provider: USA / virgin mobile
# Current contract status: pre-paid month to month 6.99 for .10 / minute
# Budget (phone/plan): cheap total cost of ownership smartphone. I've been looking at sprint and with employee discount I can get the everything 450 plan for $56 / month.
# Features I know I want:
I want to be able to check my gmail and prove people wrong with google and wikipedia on the fly. I currently use a very small cheap phone - it is about 4" x 1.75" x 0.33" and it cost me $15 to replace when I lost it. This phone lives in my pocket with my keys and has survived very well.

I am trying to figure out which sprint smartphone is a reasonable size to carry with long battery life. Also is sprint's insurance program worth buying?

Sprint kind of has a void of "mid-range 3G phones" right now. The Samsung Moment and Intercept are awful, the Hero is a great phone but the hardware is really old, and the Evo is frickin fantastic but its an extra $10 a month and for you, a really big phone size wise.

If you aren't willing to or liking the Evo, I'd recommend either the HTC Hero with Android at $79.99 pricing online (maybe $29.99 at Best Buy) or probably the Palm Pixi at $0-50 at Best Buy (or $149 with $100 mail-in rebate at Sprint). Pixi doesn't have all the apps that android has, but it plays mostly nice with Google and you could do Wikipedia. Its mad small, just remember its a bit fragile, you'll want at least a case and probably screen protector with it.

# ? Jul 11, 2010 01:17

Captain Geech: Mar 14, 2008; I've made a huge mistake.

# Country/Provider: Canada (Vancouver)
# Current contract status: Currently in my fourth year of an originally 3-year contract with Bell, so I'm free to go elsewhere.
# Budget (phone/plan): Looking for something relatively cheap. $30-40 a month would be great.
# Features I know I want:
-Custom mp3 ringtones (that I can import from my computer; not forced to buy from provider)
-Mac-compatible

As much as I would love to have a cool, trendy smartphone like a Blackberry or an iPhone, I don't use my cellphone nearly enough for that (and I can't really afford a data plan that expensive anyway). I use my cellphone for both calls and texting, but not excessively for either. I don't need apps or cameras or anything fancy like that.

# ? Jul 11, 2010 04:59

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

davepsilon posted:

# Country/Provider: USA / virgin mobile
# Current contract status: pre-paid month to month 6.99 for .10 / minute
# Budget (phone/plan): cheap total cost of ownership smartphone. I've been looking at sprint and with employee discount I can get the everything 450 plan for $56 / month.
# Features I know I want:
I want to be able to check my gmail and prove people wrong with google and wikipedia on the fly. I currently use a very small cheap phone - it is about 4" x 1.75" x 0.33" and it cost me $15 to replace when I lost it. This phone lives in my pocket with my keys and has survived very well.

I am trying to figure out which sprint smartphone is a reasonable size to carry with long battery life. Also is sprint's insurance program worth buying?

You're going to be making a compromise wherever you look. The Hero is a nice phone, but it's outdated and I expect it to stop being supported in about 6 months from the aftermarket community. The Pixi is small, but it's underpowered. The Pre would be the best option for you if it weren't for the bad to horrendous battery life.

You can use the Hero for a year, then with your Sprint Premiere upgrade a year later, check out something else. It's a full upgrade too.

# ? Jul 11, 2010 05:12

Tangent: Nov 9, 2005; All meat eaters are evil and support killing babies and retards.

# Country/Provider: USA / Sprint, but not tied to a provider. I'm in NYC.
# Current contract status: My phone was via a friends employee plan, though he no longer works there.
# Budget (phone/plan): Budget isn't much of an issue, I've been using a Sanyo mm-7400 for years and I'd like a phone that'll last a while.
# Features I know I want:
- Nice phone with a decent lifespan
- Android
- Almost exclusively data, very little voice
- Suppose I'd prefer no contract, but not sure if that is doable in the US.

# ? Jul 12, 2010 16:47

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

Tangent posted:

# Country/Provider: USA / Sprint, but not tied to a provider. I'm in NYC.
# Current contract status: My phone was via a friends employee plan, though he no longer works there.
# Budget (phone/plan): Budget isn't much of an issue, I've been using a Sanyo mm-7400 for years and I'd like a phone that'll last a while.
# Features I know I want:
- Nice phone with a decent lifespan
- Android
- Almost exclusively data, very little voice
- Suppose I'd prefer no contract, but not sure if that is doable in the US.

T-Mobile and their Even More Plus plans sound right for you. You have no contract, cheaper pricing but at the cost of no phone subsidy. $59.99 for 600 minutes, unlimited texts and data.

The phone you should get is the Nexus One. It's $529 unlocked from google.com/phone. Make sure you get the T-Mobile version. It's a well-built, solid phone that should definitely last you a long time. The Nexus One is Google's baby so you get Android updates first and you'll have a great aftermarket community to keep the phone running for 2 years more at least. It's the best phone you can buy for T-Mobile right now.

# ? Jul 12, 2010 17:40

heat: Sep 4, 2003; The Mad Monk

Tangent posted:

# Country/Provider: USA / Sprint, but not tied to a provider. I'm in NYC.
# Current contract status: My phone was via a friends employee plan, though he no longer works there.
# Budget (phone/plan): Budget isn't much of an issue, I've been using a Sanyo mm-7400 for years and I'd like a phone that'll last a while.
# Features I know I want:
- Nice phone with a decent lifespan
- Android
- Almost exclusively data, very little voice
- Suppose I'd prefer no contract, but not sure if that is doable in the US.

Do you still have the line with Sprint?

# ? Jul 12, 2010 17:54

Tangent: Nov 9, 2005; All meat eaters are evil and support killing babies and retards.

heat posted:

Do you still have the line with Sprint?

Yeah, my current plan is still with Sprint. I will take a look at the T-Mobile/Nexus One. If I was looking to go for a contract phone is the Evo worth it?

# ? Jul 12, 2010 20:36

heat: Sep 4, 2003; The Mad Monk

Tangent posted:

Yeah, my current plan is still with Sprint. I will take a look at the T-Mobile/Nexus One. If I was looking to go for a contract phone is the Evo worth it?

Since the line is still active you can switch to another plan without getting a new contract if you want, you would just have to buy the phone outright from ebay or whatever. Depending on what sort of account you have you might be able to roll it into EPRP (employee referral plan), if not you could switch to a normal Everything Data plan. And yes, the evo is awesome.

# ? Jul 12, 2010 20:43

Can I Phaser You: Dec 8, 2006; fuk dis moss covered rock

Country/Provider: USA/ Verizon (Charlotte)

Current contract status: Locked into my 2 yr contract until 5/11 (inherited the contract from my parents--just got out on my own). I am open to paying the ETF, or waiting until next May.

Budget (phone/plan): I currently have a Blackberry, and Verizon is killing me with the bill, 99 dollars a month after tax. I have GOT to find something cheaper.

I want a smartphone, doesn't matter what kind, as long as it gets the internet at a reasonable speed. I live in Charlotte, so network coverage hopefully isn't an issue for any provider.

I use my phone almost exclusively for texting and web. I need unlimited amounts of both of those. I could probably have the lowest number of "talk" minutes that they offer and still be ok.

I wish I could just take my blackberry to Sprint, but from what I understand that isn't possible. So what do you guys recommend? I also need guidance on whether to just cut the contract now and pay the ETF, or wait until May to make a move.

Can I Phaser You fucked around with this message at 02:23 on Jul 13, 2010

# ? Jul 13, 2010 02:20

Tarq: Apr 25, 2008; by Ralp

Country: USA, Nashville and South East region
Current provider: AT&T

I'm changing jobs and need a new work phone. I want something loaded with features. My current phone is on a family plan with my wife, and I probably won't change it.

I'd go with an iPhone but the lack of an unlimited data plan bothers me. I've often used my current work phone (T-Mobile Rhodium) in tethered mode and I would burn thru the bites fast.

So what can you reccomend for business and pleasure, lots of features with an unlimited dataplan. WinMo prefered since I do lots of work with MS products but Android would probably work as well. Talk minutes and texting are secondary to data.

Thanks in advance.

# ? Jul 13, 2010 02:40

Belligerent Monk: Jul 29, 2006

Country/Provider: USA/T-mobile

Current contract status: 10 months remaining

Budget (phone/plan): $50-100 for phone, ~$80 per month for internet & poo poo

Features I know I want: big hard drive for text message storage, cool internet functionality, mp3 player, decent camera

I want to buy a new phone that will tide me over for the next 10 months until my t-mobile contract expires. I have a motorola razr and this thing is a piece of poo poo. It holds a maximum of 30 text messages in the inbox and has no toys to play with other than an awful camera. What i want the most is a virtually infinite text message storage. Just text, i don't give a poo poo about picture or video texts.

I have never owned a smartphone but I love the internet and I love the idea of having the internet in my pocket. At the moment I don't own a decent camera. I don't know how all of the various smartphones compare but I imagine the phone I'll end up with is an oldish model google phone or mytouch or whatever t-mobile has been hawking to try and compete with iphones for the last couple years.

Thanks.

# ? Jul 13, 2010 03:34

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

Belligerent Monk posted:

Country/Provider: USA/T-mobile

Current contract status: 10 months remaining

Budget (phone/plan): $50-100 for phone, ~$80 per month for internet & poo poo

Features I know I want: big hard drive for text message storage, cool internet functionality, mp3 player, decent camera

I want to buy a new phone that will tide me over for the next 10 months until my t-mobile contract expires. I have a motorola razr and this thing is a piece of poo poo. It holds a maximum of 30 text messages in the inbox and has no toys to play with other than an awful camera. What i want the most is a virtually infinite text message storage. Just text, i don't give a poo poo about picture or video texts.

I have never owned a smartphone but I love the internet and I love the idea of having the internet in my pocket. At the moment I don't own a decent camera. I don't know how all of the various smartphones compare but I imagine the phone I'll end up with is an oldish model google phone or mytouch or whatever t-mobile has been hawking to try and compete with iphones for the last couple years.

Thanks.

If this guy is still selling his MyTouch 3G, it's a good deal. You can also get a G1 for similar pricing on your local Craigslist most likely. The MT3G and G1 are still serviceable, and will probably get you through a year. They just got an unofficial update to Android 2.2, you may want to read up on that in the Rooted Android thread under Magic/Dream or something like that.

Switch to Even More Plus too. It's a $35 one-time fee, and you'll still be on your contract. But you'll be able to switch to the $59.99 500 minute, unlimited text and data plan. Keep in mind that you will be losing your phone subsidy in a year if you want something on T-Mobile's lineup.

Tarq posted:

Country: USA, Nashville and South East region
Current provider: AT&T

I'm changing jobs and need a new work phone. I want something loaded with features. My current phone is on a family plan with my wife, and I probably won't change it.

I'd go with an iPhone but the lack of an unlimited data plan bothers me. I've often used my current work phone (T-Mobile Rhodium) in tethered mode and I would burn thru the bites fast.

So what can you reccomend for business and pleasure, lots of features with an unlimited dataplan. WinMo prefered since I do lots of work with MS products but Android would probably work as well. Talk minutes and texting are secondary to data.

Thanks in advance.

T-Mobile, Even More Plus and a Nexus One. EMP is $59.99 for 500 minutes, unlimited texts and data. You have a 10 GB data cap, and you will get throttled down to EDGE if you somehow get past that.

You don't need Windows Mobile because you do work with MS products. All you will need is Exchange sync and the Nexus One handles that just fine. The Nexus One is the best phone you can buy for T-Mobile right now. It includes USB and Wi-Fi tethering out of the box. It's built very well and gets Android updates first.

Can I Phaser You posted:

Country/Provider: USA/ Verizon (Charlotte)

Current contract status: Locked into my 2 yr contract until 5/11 (inherited the contract from my parents--just got out on my own). I am open to paying the ETF, or waiting until next May.

Budget (phone/plan): I currently have a Blackberry, and Verizon is killing me with the bill, 99 dollars a month after tax. I have GOT to find something cheaper.

I want a smartphone, doesn't matter what kind, as long as it gets the internet at a reasonable speed. I live in Charlotte, so network coverage hopefully isn't an issue for any provider.

I use my phone almost exclusively for texting and web. I need unlimited amounts of both of those. I could probably have the lowest number of "talk" minutes that they offer and still be ok.

I wish I could just take my blackberry to Sprint, but from what I understand that isn't possible. So what do you guys recommend? I also need guidance on whether to just cut the contract now and pay the ETF, or wait until May to make a move.

If you've got one year left on your contract, you should have an ETF of $105. Go to Sprint with their EPRP plan. 500 minutes, unlimited texts and data for $59.99/month. Look in the OP of the Sprint thread on how to get it. It's not very hard.

Now while you're at it, you have to get a new phone. Dump that lovely BlackBerry and get the Evo 4G. It has an extra $10/month charge but you're still saving $30/month compared to Verizon. If you have a Tour, you can probably fetch $100-$150 so the Evo wouldn't be that expensive anyways.

# ? Jul 13, 2010 05:37

jassa: Nov 7, 2005; "He's so awesome!"
He really is!

I have a buggy, unresponsive old HTC Touch Pro at the moment which is out of warranty and driving me insane. I'm wanting to upgrade to a HTC Desire, a Nexus One (I know it's almost identical to the Desire), or a Dell Streak. I'm currently weighing the pros and cons of each and could use some fresh opinions.

Country/Provider: Australia/3 Mobile

Current contract status: Currently 19 months into a 24 month plan with 3 Mobile, who don't have anything worth upgrading to. As a result, looking at unlocked phones.

Budget (phone/plan): No budget, though the pro of getting a Desire ($818.95 AUD) is it's cheaper than a N1 (~~$968.95 AUD~~*), which is cheaper than a Streak ($1058.95 AUD).

Features I know I want: 24-month warranty (included in above prices), a screen that won't scratch as easily as the Touch Pro, fast UI response time, regular OS/firmware updates, good to use for texting/email/IM/web browsing (I don't use voice much).

So far I have the following pros/cons about each phone.

Desire Pros: Cheapest option. Better battery life than the N1 (I think). AMOLED screen, high res (and therefore high PPI).
Desire Cons: Smaller screen. More prone to screen scratches.

N1 Pros: Same as the Desire. May have gorilla glass (haven't been able to find a definitive answer regarding this). Doesn't use Sense UI, therefore should be faster and more responsive.
N1 Cons: Android's default UI seems unpopular, not sure why. ~~$150 AUD more expensive than Desire.~~* Battery reportedly less good than Desire. Overpriced and out of stock with preferred retailer, meaning I can only get 12 month warranty on it.

Streak Pros: Huge 5" screen. Great for non-voice use (texting/email/IM/web browsing). Uses gorilla glass. Good battery life.
Streak Cons: Huge phone (though I'm ok with this). Resolution same as Desire/N1, less PPI. Expensive. Not in stock yet.

Any new insights and/or corrections would be appreciated. Cheers.

* Edit: It appears the Nexus One can be bought for around $700 AUD elsewhere. It's still unlocked, but only comes with a 1 year warranty. So I guess the price difference between that and the HTC Desire isn't so notable.

Edit 2: Decided on the HTC Desire. Yay.

jassa fucked around with this message at 03:44 on Jul 14, 2010

# ? Jul 13, 2010 05:41

Turra: Oct 28, 2006; Help! A guinea pig tricked me.

The Grumbles posted:

I got a call for a free upgrade from T-Mobile today, and it sounded like I could pick pretty much anything off their (UK) webstore for smartphones. I asked them to ring me back in a week or so, so I could have a look at the site. I've had a G1 for the last year or so, and am looking at the HTC Desire, maybe? They've also got the Iphone 3GS tucked away on their site, and I'm tempted to see if they'll give me one of those.
I've heard the HTC desire is good, but is it iphone good?

Should probably also mention that my current plan sits at about �30 a month

I'm in exactly the same position, their site does say the iphone 4 is coming "soon" so I've signed up to hear when they have it available, I was looking at the nexus one though but it looks like I'd either have to just buy the handset unlocked myself or switch to vodafone, but all their mobile internet plans have a 1GB limit apart from one which is just blank. Is that an unlimited plan or do you get no internet at all?

# ? Jul 13, 2010 15:39

davepsilon: Oct 12, 2009

Godzilla07 posted:

You're going to be making a compromise wherever you look. The Hero is a nice phone, but it's outdated and I expect it to stop being supported in about 6 months from the aftermarket community. The Pixi is small, but it's underpowered. The Pre would be the best option for you if it weren't for the bad to horrendous battery life.

You can use the Hero for a year, then with your Sprint Premiere upgrade a year later, check out something else. It's a full upgrade too.

Thanks for the thoughts. Went to bestbuy and checked both phones. It was a tossup between the moment with a keyboard but also with an AMOLED screen that may suck in daylight and without multitouch, and the smaller hero with sense UI.

Went to put the order today, bu noticed a new phone, the Samsung intercept. It is billed as the moment 2, and I was sold until I noticed it has a rev o EVDO radio. Never having a smartphone it is hard to tell if that is a dealbreaker.

Anyone have thoughts on the Samsung intercept?

(edit: or a launch date for the epic 4G...I'd spend the extra $$ to pick one of those up)

davepsilon fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Jul 14, 2010

# ? Jul 14, 2010 00:35

Belligerent Monk: Jul 29, 2006

Thanks for the advice Godzilla, that phone sounds like a good deal. I posted in the thread but I can't seem to PM the guy. I would be so happy if I could get my hands on a Nexus One but it'll have to wait. $60 for unlimited text/data is a good deal.

# ? Jul 14, 2010 01:10

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

davepsilon posted:

Thanks for the thoughts. Went to bestbuy and checked both phones. It was a tossup between the moment with a keyboard but also with an AMOLED screen that may suck in daylight and without multitouch, and the smaller hero with sense UI.

Went to put the order today, bu noticed a new phone, the Samsung intercept. It is billed as the moment 2, and I was sold until I noticed it has a rev o EVDO radio. Never having a smartphone it is hard to tell if that is a dealbreaker.

Anyone have thoughts on the Samsung intercept?

(edit: or a launch date for the epic 4G...I'd spend the extra $$ to pick one of those up)

The Moment is terrible. The Intercept is somehow even worse than the Moment without EV-DO Rev. A. That's been a standard CDMA smartphone feature for 2 years now.

If you're going to get the Epic 4G, you might as well get the Evo. It's about the same size, and the Evo will be supported for a long time. The Epic is a risk in terms of support while the Evo is going to be a sure thing for a while.

# ? Jul 14, 2010 01:45

Duckman2008: Jan 6, 2010; TFW you see Flyers goaltending.; Grimey Drawer

davepsilon posted:

Thanks for the thoughts. Went to bestbuy and checked both phones. It was a tossup between the moment with a keyboard but also with an AMOLED screen that may suck in daylight and without multitouch, and the smaller hero with sense UI.

Went to put the order today, bu noticed a new phone, the Samsung intercept. It is billed as the moment 2, and I was sold until I noticed it has a rev o EVDO radio. Never having a smartphone it is hard to tell if that is a dealbreaker.

Anyone have thoughts on the Samsung intercept?

(edit: or a launch date for the epic 4G...I'd spend the extra $$ to pick one of those up)

As Godzilla mentioned, the Moment is terrible, and I cringe at the thought that people are billing the Intercept as the Moment 2, given that its specs are worse than the Moment (the biggest features of the phone are all interent related. Why pay the same for slower internet?).

Epic 4G launch is still a month+ away, Evo is at the least equal, and most people prefer HTC over Samsung due to HTC having better quality.

# ? Jul 15, 2010 14:07

Dudebro: Jan 1, 2010; I TO UNDERAGE GYMNASTS

Okay, this is a stupid question, but how does e-mail work on Blackberry vs. Adroid vs. iPhone?

Are they all equal in terms of access and speed? Do they all use an app to access mail? Is it super easy to use gmail on each one?

# ? Jul 16, 2010 18:53

Prof. Ann Mary Ann: Mar 13, 2008; ♫ ^♪ He’s a hypnotist,
hypnotist of ladies _♪ ♫

Hope this is the right thread to ask:

Country/Provider: USA/AT&T
Current contract status: none, using Pay-as-you-go

I want to get an iPhone 4. Can I cut down my current SIM (I've bookmarked instructions) and have a paygo iPhone? I would use data on wifi only and not pay for a data plan.

Part two: My in-laws are currently on an AT&T family monthly plan. I'd like to be cheap and have one of them get the phone for the lower price. What gotchas are there to this tactic?

# ? Jul 16, 2010 22:25

Godzilla07: Oct 4, 2008

Dudebro posted:

Okay, this is a stupid question, but how does e-mail work on Blackberry vs. Adroid vs. iPhone?

Are they all equal in terms of access and speed? Do they all use an app to access mail? Is it super easy to use gmail on each one?

The BlackBerry and iPhone will get it instantly. On the BlackBerry, you just get the e-mail. You can't archive, can't do anything with it really other than read. The iPhone, you can get your labels and it's instant. On Android, I'll get things within 5 minutes but I have all the features of Gmail. I have threaded conversations, I can star, archive, look at all my labels.

On another note: don't get a BlackBerry. They're dumbphones that do e-mail well and that's it. If you want a smartphone, go with an iPhone or an Android device.

Prof. Ann Mary Ann posted:

Hope this is the right thread to ask:

Country/Provider: USA/AT&T
Current contract status: none, using Pay-as-you-go

I want to get an iPhone 4. Can I cut down my current SIM (I've bookmarked instructions) and have a paygo iPhone? I would use data on wifi only and not pay for a data plan.

Part two: My in-laws are currently on an AT&T family monthly plan. I'd like to be cheap and have one of them get the phone for the lower price. What gotchas are there to this tactic?

You cannot get an iPhone on a prepaid plan. There's no way around it. The next-best thing is to wait 2 more months for the iPod touch refresh and have a regular phone.

From what I remember, you were able to take data off in the past on an iPhone line. But with AT&T these days, I don't know if it's still possible.

# ? Jul 16, 2010 22:36

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# ? May 14, 2024 13:30

Furb: Apr 17, 2001

Country/Provider: USA/ATT

Current contract status: Contract ends February 2011

Budget (phone/plan): iPhone 3G / 450 Minutes+Unlimited Text+Unlimited Data

Features I know I want: I am really conflicted between getting and iPhone 4 or moving to a different carrier and getting and Android Phone. I'm a little tired of Apple's walled garden but ATT has set my account for a full discount on a handset so it'd be relatively painless to get an iPhone 4. In my area ATT and Verizon are the only carrier with 3G here. Verizon has what appear to be some good Android handsets and being able to root one of them would be neat. I could live without 3G and I've even considered going back to a basic feature phone to save some cash. I use Google Maps for navigation a lot and I'm not sure how well other carrier's navigation features work.

Any suggestions on what a good way to go would be?

# ? Jul 16, 2010 22:57

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Inspect Your Gadgets > Recommend me a phone and/or plan

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