Smart phones!

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Last week I asked about Verizon phones - which ones you like and why. At the time I wasn’t interested in a smart phone ($40/ mo data fee), but since I learned there may be family shared data plans, I’m considering the possibility of a smart phone.

What kind of smart phone do you have? What are the top 5 things you use it for? (I no longer assume calling is #1 :p)

I’m just not sure I need that much phone. I make calls and text my dh and kids. My current phone, while not a smart phone, can get on line and I have used that feature.

So, what smart phone do you have and what do you use it for?
 
KCT said:
Last week I asked about Verizon phones - which ones you like and why. At the time I wasn’t interested in a smart phone ($40/ mo data fee), but since I learned there may be family shared data plans, I’m considering the possibility of a smart phone.

What kind of smart phone do you have? What are the top 5 things you use it for? (I no longer assume calling is #1 :p)

I’m just not sure I need that much phone. I make calls and text my dh and kids. My current phone, while not a smart phone, can get on line and I have used that feature.

So, what smart phone do you have and what do you use it for?
Click to expand...
I have a HTC Windows 7 smartphone and I use it as a phone (of course), e-mail, surfing the web. Occasionally I use it to get from Point A to Point B. I have T-Mobile though not Verizon.
 
I’ve had virtually every smart phone platform at some point, from Palm, to Apple, Blackberry, to Windows, to Android. Recently, I switched from an Android based phone to the new Windows Phone 8 platform. So far, I like it a great deal. The pluses are the way that it integrates with my desktop and ease of use. Android is far more complex, which can be good or bad depending on the user. However, one thing that Android does not do well is integrate with your desktop, particularly if you use Microsoft office applications. With Windows Phone 8, things like calendar sync, e-mail, contacts, etc. work well and intuitively right out of the box. The downside of WP 8 is that it has far less apps than either Android or Apple.

Peace,
 
KCT said:
Last week I asked about Verizon phones - which ones you like and why. At the time I wasn’t interested in a smart phone ($40/ mo data fee), but since I learned there may be family shared data plans, I’m considering the possibility of a smart phone.

What kind of smart phone do you have? What are the top 5 things you use it for? (I no longer assume calling is #1 :p)

I’m just not sure I need that much phone. I make calls and text my dh and kids. My current phone, while not a smart phone, can get on line and I have used that feature.

So, what smart phone do you have and what do you use it for?
Click to expand...
I have a Motorola Droid 4, and I positively love it! I got the model because, like my original Motorola Droid (1), the screen slides to the side to reveal a full keyboard… which is useful if you’re not used to using on-screen keyboards to type.

I think you’ll be amazed at what you use a smartphone for. I was a hold-out for a long time on classic phones because 1) I detest Apple and their vicious policies and 2) I thought that a smartphone was basically a shiny toy to compete with the neighbors. I was wrong, and now I consider a smartphone to be an essential tool. Basically, a smart phone replaces a whole beevy of other devices…

I use my smartphone for the following as a top 5:
  1. Phone (obviously)
  2. Texting
  3. Web/facebook-browsing (I don’t care what any old style phone can do, it can’t do this as well as a smart phone)
  4. Camera
  5. GPS Navigation
Other interesting things I can do with my smartphone:
  • Laudate App - Catholic resource with the LOTH, readings for the day, latin prayers, complete DR and NSV bible, etc
  • Confession - secure app for examination of conscience, tracking reception of the sacrament, and contains applicable prayers for “how to”
  • Level App - does exactly what a level tool does… useful for hanging pictures without digging through my toolbox
  • Wikipedia, youtube, dictionary.com, and webmd apps are useful for references on the go
  • Out of milk - shopping lists
  • Games - entertainment for when just sitting around
  • Netflix/Youtube/etc - video on the go! particularly useful because I have an unlimited data plan and like to listen to documentaries while I drive (with the screen hidden, so that I can only hear… this way I learn while I drive rather than listening to garbage)
  • Spotify/Pandora/etc - Replaces mp3 player and/or satellite radio… makes them totally obsolete
  • Flixter - can look up movie theatre show times anywhere, any time, and even buy tickets
  • Banking apps - can deposit checks on mobile, using only my phone
  • Alarm clock - easier to use than the old one sitting by my bed
  • Calendar (tied to gmail calendar and facebook calendar) - notifies me of all birthdays of my friends listed on facebook. Also useful as a scheduler, replaces PDA functionality in this regard
  • Visual Voicemail - converts voicemail to text format so you never have to dial up and listen to voicemails… allows call and txt back to messages from the screen.
  • PDAnet - depending on your provider, this might violate their TOS, but it allows you to turn your phone into a mobile hotspot which gives you internet access for your computer wherever you get data coverage.
Depending on your area, however, you might want to look into a service like boost mobile rather than a mainline provider. With boost you pay for the phone outright, but you get unlimited data, text, and voice for only around $50 TOTAL, and there’s no contract for the service. Disclosure: I use verizon, and you can’t get the motorola droid 4 with boost, but the Samsung Galaxy SII is a good option from them (even though it doesn’t have the physical keyboard).
 
jwinch2 said:
I’ve had virtually every smart phone platform at some point, from Palm, to Apple, Blackberry, to Windows, to Android. Recently, I switched from an Android based phone to the new Windows Phone 8 platform. So far, I like it a great deal. The pluses are the way that it integrates with my desktop and ease of use. Android is far more complex, which can be good or bad depending on the user. However, one thing that Android does not do well is integrate with your desktop, particularly if you use Microsoft office applications. The downside of WP 8 is that it has far less apps than either Android or Apple.

Peace,
Click to expand...
The bright side is that Windows 8 phones are a new contender, and app development is skyrocketing for them (just as it did for android when it first came out)… so new apps are screaming to the market and will be available soon. The other aspect of this is that in some ways a smaller app market is better, because the iPhone and Android markets are clogged with garbage apps. I can’t speak for Apple, but google has made great strides in limiting the “chaff” of the app market via the new google play model, and the nice thing is that you can surf the appstore on your computer, purchase apps there, and send them to your phone without ever touching your device.

I’ll also echo that android is not the easiest operating system to learn, but it is by far the most powerfully customizable. In terms of user-friendly nature, I’d say that Apple is the easiest (it just works right out of the box), Windows 8 is the middle ground, and Android is the hardest (I leave out blackberry because until they can prove that they’re not irrelevant no one should buy a blackberry device). Seemless integration between android and desktop windows OS can be done, but it requires a bit of research into how to do it, and then some work to set up. I’ve done it with my facebook, google, and android calendars… updating one updates all of them.

That ease of use has trade-offs, however… Apple grossly controls what consumers are able to do with their phones. They can delete files and apps off of your phone without permission, and do so whenever they like. There is no support for widgets and very limited customizability. If you don’t want customizability and the ability to decide what you do with the device that you own, and if you support open application peer-reviewed development, then you don’t want an apple.

Windows 8 phones have even less customizable appearance, but they have widget support and windows at least lets you do some more powerful things with your phone. The phone comes out of the box with most of it relatively set up for you.

Android comes out of the box with a bare-bones homescreen, and only the apps/widgets that your service provider determined to install. To get the most out of the phone, users will probably need to google search good apps and methods of using the phone. Furthermore, android phones are fully customizable and have full widget support. If you like the way an iPhone looks and functions, you can actually download skins that will make the screen of your phone look EXACTLY like an iPhone (complete with refusing to show widgets). The cost of having to learn how to use the device is offset by the powerful means of using the device. My dad had an iPhone, made the switch to android, hated it for awhile (until I showed him how to use his phone and helped him set it up how he wanted it) and now swears by android as the best phone OS to have.
 
I’ll believe it when I see it regarding Apps and Windows Phone. So far, Android and iPhone are still adding apps at a higher rate than WP is, not to mention that the majority of apps in Windows Phone’s marketplace are garbage apps or knockoffs of other apps as well. There are some quality ones in there, but there is a ton of junk as well.
 
I have an Android, Its nice. I mean for a 17 year old, It suffices certainly.

I use mine for texting, I got a lot of Catholic apps on it, Laudate being one of them, and I use it for other game apps as well. So its my time killer when I got nothing else to do. It is also my main source of communication with my Parents and friends outside of school e.g texting and sometimes calling.
 
KCT said:
Last week I asked about Verizon phones - which ones you like and why. At the time I wasn’t interested in a smart phone ($40/ mo data fee), but since I learned there may be family shared data plans, I’m considering the possibility of a smart phone.

What kind of smart phone do you have? What are the top 5 things you use it for? (I no longer assume calling is #1 :p)

I’m just not sure I need that much phone. I make calls and text my dh and kids. My current phone, while not a smart phone, can get on line and I have used that feature.

So, what smart phone do you have and what do you use it for?
Click to expand...
Have you looked closely at the “shared data” plans, yet? They require each line to purchase unlimited minutes (despite waning minute usage for smartphone users) for up to $40 each.

source

Personally, I think Ting is the only “true share everything” plan. Ting uses Sprint’s network with Verizon as a backup.

(Note: I use AT&T because my discount is very steep, but if I ever move to a smartphone, prepaid - either Ting or T-Mobile’s value plan is very likely in my future as data becomes optional with them).
 
SonCatcher said:
Have you looked closely at the “shared data” plans, yet? They require each line to purchase unlimited minutes (despite waning minute usage for smartphone users) for up to $40 each.
Click to expand...
Just a quick look. Thanks for the link.
 
I have an iphone 4, but only because I had it free from work because I found this way too expensive.
Anyway I use in that order : Text messaging, surfing on internet, camera, I have 2 apps that I use regularly and Facetime.
 
I should add I suppose, since the OP asked specifically, that I also use my phone in various ways.

First and foremost, it must be a good phone and PDA. That means that call quality should be good and the calendar, planner, task manager, e-mail client, etc. needs to be top notch. After that, I use various apps to include news, games, sports, and Catholic ones. Windows Phone has several Catholic apps, and one (Catholic Companion) that I use regularly. I also surf the web, check Facebook, send texts, check the weather through a weather app, and keep track of news, blogs, and podcasts through an RSS reader app which I then read at my leisure or listen do when doing other things such as mowing the lawn or waiting in a doctor’s office. I use a navigation app with good regularity when I drive in unfamiliar places. I even have one that tells me whee the speed trap cameras are in a given town :eek: Finally, I have my entire CD collection downloaded to my phone which allows me to listen to that when I travel, work out, etc.

In short, my phone has become an extension of my desktop and virtually everything I can do there can be done on the phone in a very similar manner.
 
I have an iPhone, and I LOVE it!!

I can obviously make calls. But I don’t know anyone’s number anymore, I just got to my list of contacts and touch that.

I LOVE the camera on it. Great pics. In fact, I don’t even use a camera anymore. Sometimes I take videos without knowing I did it…:o

I can do video iChat with my grandson. Awesome.

I love the apps. Just downloaded Google maps and was able to find my way all across Phoenix, while visiting AZ. I like the way the app TALKS to me and says stuff like ‘stay in the right hand lane’. I brought my Garmin with me, but that is now obsolete.

I can check my flight status on the Delta app.

I also have Ave Maria Radio app that I can hear Catholic stations no matter where I am.

I can receive and send emails.

I can watch videos on it.

I look stuff up on it, like nearby restaurants, movies, etc…

I text my kids… it’s the only way I hear from my 25 yr. old… Also, I have Siri, so I can just ‘talk’ my text, which is faster than me typing it.

Oh yeah, and my songs are all on it. I can listen to MY music while on a plane.

It’s amazing how much this little device has become such a part of my life.
 
I have the Motorola Photon 4G. I use it for telephone calls, texts, internet, and movies (Love that it has a “kickstand”) However, I am also proof that stupid people should not own a smart phone. My telephone knows more than I do.😃
 
twopekinguys said:
Not exactly sure I completely trust a bunch of “hackers” who are the source for the article.

They tend to be less than trustworthy in most things. If they were trustworthy, they wouldn’t be “hacking” into things now would they?
Click to expand...
Well, anonymous is not actually a hacking “organization”, and they tend to laugh at people who view them that way. It’s more a collectivist group of people with computer skills (hacking being one of them) who sometimes rally around a cause and go to town trying to “defend” it.

Sometimes this is bad news, like a sector claiming to be anon attacking chik-fil-a simply because of a difference which was clearly freedom of speech (but again, Anon has no official organization, so it’s easy for people to hijack the name for their personal and nefarious causes). Other times, anon has done some very good things… such as knightsec’s aggression regarding a 16 year old rape victim whose perpetrators were being protected by a corrupt justice system surrounding a football team (they recovered deleted videos of the perpetrators laughing about the crime and exposed the fact that the county prosecutor who was talking the family out of pressing charges was the mother of the boy who threw the party where the rape occured).

At it’s best, Anon takes up causes to defend basic freedoms online. At it’s worst, Anon is aggressive about demonstrating their ability to bully others into submission. So any given job you can take with a grain of salt as to whether or not you want to view their actions in a favorable light… but I don’t think it’s fair to say that all hackers or all hacking action is necessarily WRONG and necessarily exposes FALSE information (examples: attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, exposing a science institute’s coverup of opposing view information regarding global warming, etc)
 
I’m in the UK. so the Data-Charge structures are totally different. the modifications made to the phones by the networks also vary. (far less here for main smart-phones)

I have had : Old Windows Mobile 6.1 phone by HTC. (HTC Kaizer) Dreadful. didn’t work.
Nokia E72 Dreadful Didn’t work
HTC Desire HD. Loved it. Very poor battery life. (4.3" Android phone from 2 years ago)
Samsung Galaxy Note II: My current phone. Brilliant. Love It. Amazin Battery life for a big screen phone ( it can last all day. I needed to carry spare batteries with the HTC)

Pro’s and Con’s

Smart phones need to be re-charged far more often than the old phones. An acceptable battery life is one that means you only need to charge it when it is convenient to you. That will mean every night. I also have chargers on my desk in my car, and in my living room. The old phone idea of charging a couple of times a week is pure fiction in the smart phone world, and is a couple of years away at best.

My Note II is “Amazing” with light use I have gone 48 hours between charge. my previous phone couldn’t go more than 12 hours.
I can still drain it’s battery in a few hours of intensive use.

“Talk time” and “Standby time” are totally irrelevant. they use nothing compared to screen time and data time. You wnat to know the time it will last when streaming a video. a 10" tablet can normally last in the region of 8 - 10 hours. this should be a benchmark for your phone too. - otherwise the smart-phone features will not be sufficiently useful as you’ll constantly be worried about running out of battery life.

Samsung Vs HTC: I much prefere Samsung. For reliability. for the quality of their interface and their specific apps. and for their battery life.

Android Vs: iPhone:
Only compare top android pones like the Galaxy III / Note 2 or the HTC 1X (or other makes equivalents.
These easily go head to head with the iPhone.
Cheaper android phones are a different league. you cant pitch a little league team against the pros.
I believe Samsung make the best Android phones in every price bracket compared against HTC Sony Motorola and all the others.

Big Screen phones: Great for actually reading full web-pages. photos. videos. email and all the other smart phone features… need physically big pockets or a hand-bag.

I love My Note II but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. the Galaxy III comes in 2 smaller sizes, with the smallest being similar to an iPhone.

My android phone links great with my work’s MS Exchange Server for email calendar contacts tasks etc. It also works great with other server based calendar systems like Google, Facebook etc. We can synchronise the whole families calendars from any members device depending on settings and permissions.

Windows phone: I have no recent experience. I don’t want it. I don’t know anyone who likes them.

iPhone: Love/Hate brand. Many users swear by them. I haven’t used them. I do things on my Android that iPhone isn’t as good at. (GPS Navigation, viewing Flash Videos… using the huge screen)

Data use:

For “normal” use I use less than 1GB per month.
Listening to internet radio in the car a lot that goes up to over 3GB per month.
Streaming videos on Netflicks used 6.5GB in one evening.

so~: if u use streamed services watch out for the definition of “Unlimited Data”. in the UK many networks have a “Fair Use” policy which can vary from 750mB to 1.5 GB. Im on a truly unlimited data plan.
Here they start from £25/month for unlimited data and minutes and text allowance that are in the 5000 mins/month region (that’s just under 3 hours of phone time every day of the month).
For my current phone I’m paying £40 - but that’s because I signed up the week it came out If I’d got a Galaxy SIII I would have paid about £32 for the same plan- and it’s cash price was similar.
 
twopekinguys said:
Not exactly sure I completely trust a bunch of “hackers” who are the source for the article.

They tend to be less than trustworthy in most things. If they were trustworthy, they wouldn’t be “hacking” into things now would they?
Click to expand...
Ok, whether you trust them or not, any phone can be hacked and monitored remotely by either private or government folks. And that can be accomplished anytime the battery is in the device. That includes monitoring of the camera and the microphone. This is one of the reasons why secure government facilities are cell phone free zones, and computers within those zones do not have microphones or cameras attached to them accept when in use.

There have been cases reported of iPhone apps which remotely activate both the camera and microphone without the knowledge/interaction of the user.

The Patriot act and the regulations/policies under the former and current administration have given much greater authority to officials to conduct warrantless electronic monitoring. How they’re actually using that authority is anyone’s guess. If they’ve ever monitored any of my communications they’ve probably just fallen asleep…
 
For the OP:

You’ll need to assess the shared data plan carefully. I have verizon and it was a far better deal, given my kids actual data usage, to keep them on their current unlimited data plans vice combining them. A combined plan providing enough data would have been more expensive.

They use their phones for text, calling, web-access, playing music, videos, accessing the local wi-fi network, taking pictures and videos, face-time conversations etc.
 
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