[Skywalker]

I use a Motorola Milestone which I bought after extended research spread over six months when my Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 *died* because I held it in a damp hand. My wife uses a Nexus One.

The deciding factor for me was the hardware keyboard on the Milestone, so based simply on that I would heavily recommend either the Droid 2/ Droid X/ Milestone/ Droid, whatever is available where you are and what network you are on. Evo I am hearing good things about but I also hear it has sucky battery life (even for a smartphone, where you don't expect it to last beyond 24 hours anyway with heavy use)

ETA: BTW my Milestone has better touch response than the Nexus One - and its about 400MHz slower in processor speed! Try before you buy!

One thing I will say though - the hardware keyboard is overrated. Once I got to my software one, and especially once I installed Swype (a s/w that lets you type without lifting your finger from the touch keyboard, for the uninitiated), I hardly used the h/w one.

So yeah - I like my Moto Android, but have great fondness for any HTC high-end phone (the low end ones are junk that you'll get bored of and want to upgrade soon after you buy them)

This post has been edited by Skywalker: 21 July 2010 - 04:18 AM

[Mentalist]

heh
I've got a Samsung Propel.

it has web mail built in, a small music player, and a Rogers web Browser, which is the worst POS crap ever.

however, if I don't use a data plan on it (and I only use that for stuff like google maps, or, very occasionally, mafia on the forum), the phone is very convenient. intuitive, decent-sized screen, cheap, and fairly good for texting.

[Mentalist]

heh
I've got a Samsung Propel.

it has web mail built in, a small music player, and a Rogers web Browser, which is the worst POS crap ever.

however, if I don't use a data plan on it (and I only use that for stuff like google maps, or, very occasionally, mafia on the forum), the phone is very convenient. intuitive, decent-sized screen, cheap, and fairly good for texting.

[Tarcanus]

I'm with cf on this one. Smartphones are ridiculous and no one 'needs' them. People buy them for the bells and whistles more often than not. They're as bad as some of the icrap. Plus I don't trust where Google and their Android OS is going with their multiple sketchy abuses of privacy. I like my enV3 just fine - even more so because I got in before they started charging mandatory data packages for anything better than an old flip phone.

[Flashwit]

i just picked up the droid x. its pretty sick. i just wish it had the front and back cameras. other than that its better than my friends iphone 4 it every respect

[bubba]

I have an EVO...... My life is now complete. I LOVE IT!!!!

[Fist Gamet]

I really want to get a smart phone, like, say, an HTC, but (and I might be way off the mark), are they not all 4G phones? And we have no 4G network in the UK and won't for a long time???

Blackberry 9700 anyone?

This post has been edited by Fist Gamet: 22 July 2010 - 07:40 PM

[Hellian's Keg Lid]

My Blackberry Bold was slain by a stray cherry tomato. I shall say no more.

Buttttt now tossing up between Android and the new one when my contract runs out. If it is tomato proof.

[Silencer]

Fist Gamet, on 22 July 2010 - 07:20 PM, said:

I really want to get a smart phone, like, say, an HTC, but (and I might be way off the mark), are they not all 4G phones? And we have no 4G network in the UK and won't for a long time???

Blackberry 9700 anyone?

They certainly aren't 4G - the Nexus One, Motorola Droid/Milestone and so on are all, at the the least capable of if not native to, 3G. The only 4G smartphone I know of is the HTC MAX 4G, which was only available in a select few countries last time I looked. I know this because we have them down here in NZ, and NZ is even further away from a 4G network than you guys.

I'd like a smartphone, but they're too expensive, and that's without the data plans which are basically what makes them smart - without a net connection they lose a lot of their awesome features, you know?
I'm fairly happy with my Samsung S5600V, though. Touch-screen, no lag, calls and texts like it should, expandable memory (what phone with a media player doesn't these days?!?!?) and decent sounds off the earbuds for my music. Only negative is, as with all touch-screens, fingerprints. Seriously, the man who invents a fingerprintless touch screen will be my god. :S At least they don't show up when you're using the thing. Just looks terrible when it's got the screen off. *sigh*

[bubba]

My EVO is the only 4G phone out at the moment in the US. I bought it for the actual phone more than being able to use 4G when I go somewhere that it is up and running(Chicago meet up?). The 1Gig snapdragon processor rocks. The only down fall so far is battery life.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

My problem with smartphones isn't with what they can do, they are very useful tools. My issue is what they do to the people who buy them. Everyone I know who has gotten a smartphone has become a less interesting person to be around. Car rides that used to be filled with conversation have become me driving people around who are checking their email. Back when I still smoked, standing outside for a smoke went from five minutes of talking and joking to five minutes of me watching someone check their facebook in silence. I understand there are compelling things on the internet, but having constant access is making people into boring zombies.

This post has been edited by Raymond Luxury Yacht: 23 July 2010 - 06:02 AM

[alt146]

Bubba, on 22 July 2010 - 08:37 PM, said:

My EVO is the only 4G phone out at the moment in the US. I bought it for the actual phone more than being able to use 4G when I go somewhere that it is up and running(Chicago meet up?). The 1Gig snapdragon processor rocks. The only down fall so far is battery life.

To be pedantic there aren't ANY 4G phones anywhere in the world - By definition 4G has to have 100+mbs downlink speeds. The networks currently being rolled out (WIMAX and LTE) will eventually be 4G, but at the moment they are technically 3.9G, since they are only capable of 10-20mbs down speeds. So in the case of the Evo, the 4G label is a little bit misleading (I think some of the other networks are complaining about Sprint's use of 4G in the naming of its new network); although it is still by far the fastest mobile connection you can get. And the phone itself looks great from what I have seen of it.

[alt146]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 23 July 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

My problem with smartphones isn't with what they can do, they are very useful tools. My issue is what they do to the people who buy them. Everyone I know who has gotten a smartphone has become a less interesting person to be around. Car rides that used to be filled with conversation have become me driving people around who are checking their email. Back when I still smoked, standing outside for a smoke went from five minutes of talking and joking to five minutes of me watching someone check their facebook in silence. I understand there are compelling things on the internet, but having constant access is making people into boring zombies.

The majority of my friends have smartphones in some flavour or another. The only time they come out when we are together is when something needs to be googled to settle an argument (this happens a lot), or when someone wants to show everyone a comic/article/whatever that is relevant to the current discussion. Personally I won't check my phone if I am talking to someone, and I'll just put my phone back in my pocket and carry on what I was doing later if someone wants to talk to me.

[Silencer]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 23 July 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

My problem with smartphones isn't with what they can do, they are very useful tools. My issue is what they do to the people who buy them. Everyone I know who has gotten a smartphone has become a less interesting person to be around. Car rides that used to be filled with conversation have become me driving people around who are checking their email. Back when I still smoked, standing outside for a smoke went from five minutes of talking and joking to five minutes of me watching someone check their facebook in silence. I understand there are compelling things on the internet, but having constant access is making people into boring zombies.

My friends check their phones regularly just for texts, lol. The thing with smartphones is that I don't even check Facebook that often during the day on my computer. I can go for a day or two without checking, and even then it's a "oh, I haven't checked, wonder if there's anything new" rather than "oh shit I haven't chekced OMGOMGOMG /deprived". I don't understand how people are so obsessed with it and other social networking. And I honestly don't get enough emails to justify checking it that often, either, lol.

That being said, it's probably the reason I don't have or feel a *need* for a smartphone. If I did want to check shit that often I'd have one.

[Tsundoku]

My Nokia is almost indestructible, is like 6-7 years old, sends texts, has an alarm and does voice calls. I have absolutely no idea what model number it is. What else do I need to know?

It is so old Toby returned it to me after picking my pocket when we met. He seemed embarrassed, and I originally thought it was because he probably couldn't fence it, but then again most people who meet me seem that way. Wonder why that is?

La Sombra, keeping it real, 20th Century style

This post has been edited by Sombra: 23 July 2010 - 09:23 AM

[Fist Gamet]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 23 July 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

My problem with smartphones isn't with what they can do, they are very useful tools. My issue is what they do to the people who buy them. Everyone I know who has gotten a smartphone has become a less interesting person to be around. Car rides that used to be filled with conversation have become me driving people around who are checking their email. Back when I still smoked, standing outside for a smoke went from five minutes of talking and joking to five minutes of me watching someone check their facebook in silence. I understand there are compelling things on the internet, but having constant access is making people into boring zombies.

Jebus, this very thing happened to me TODAY! Driving back from my friend's wedding and the gf's friend's bf is sitting in the back, hungover and focused on the goddamn iphone.

Well, things are now a little clearer on the 3g 4g thingymijig, but I am stuffed if I know what phone to upgrade to. Must do more research.

[cerveza_fiesta]

Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 23 July 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

My problem with smartphones isn't with what they can do, they are very useful tools. My issue is what they do to the people who buy them. Everyone I know who has gotten a smartphone has become a less interesting person to be around. Car rides that used to be filled with conversation have become me driving people around who are checking their email. Back when I still smoked, standing outside for a smoke went from five minutes of talking and joking to five minutes of me watching someone check their facebook in silence. I understand there are compelling things on the internet, but having constant access is making people into boring zombies.

exactly. Fuck smartphones.

Fist Gamet, on 24 July 2010 - 04:12 PM, said:

Well, things are now a little clearer on the 3g 4g thingymijig, but I am stuffed if I know what phone to upgrade to. Must do more research.

Here are some examples of way better things to waste money on.

Example 1

Example 2

Example 3

I wish you the best in your decision NOT to buy a smartphone and instead use the money on a flat of beer and one of the above examples.

Seriously...

[Traveller]

Sombra, on 23 July 2010 - 09:13 AM, said:

My Nokia is almost indestructible, is like 6-7 years old, sends texts, has an alarm and does voice calls. I have absolutely no idea what model number it is. What else do I need to know?

It is so old Toby returned it to me after picking my pocket when we met. He seemed embarrassed, and I originally thought it was because he probably couldn't fence it, but then again most people who meet me seem that way. Wonder why that is?

La Sombra, keeping it real, 20th Century style

Yay to that. My phone sends messages and takes calls. I also use it as an alarm clock, and have had it for years. Smart phones might be fun but I really don't need one - like most people don't.

[Gothos]

Aight, this country is a bit backwater, and my budget is rather low, so I'm thinking about going for Nokia 5530 XpressMusic. Does anyone here have any experience with the phone?

[cerveza_fiesta]

if Makita made a smartphone I might buy it.

but only if it had a built-in screwdriver or power-saw or something.