buying a smartphone

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patrick
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buying a smartphone

Post by patrick »

I'm beginning to think it is time for me to enter the 21st century by replacing my old fashioned cell phone with a smartphone. So I'd like to ask if those of you with experience using them could give me some ideas. General parameters would be:
- My current phone is with AT&T which seems to have inadequate network quality in my area, so I would prefer some other service.
- I am fairly certain I want an Android based phone (still plenty to choose from though!)
- As someone who grew up using old fashioned computing devices that actually have keys on them, I'd prefer a phone that has a keyboard too.
- I will expect to use a fair but not extreme amount of data. I know that's pretty vague but until actually using it a while I can't really say more, but I do expect at least to refrain from streaming Netflix onto it all day.
- I would expect to use the data in areas where no Wi-Fi is accessible.
- Little if any texting.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, both as to phone model and service provider.
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cjackson0
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by cjackson0 »

How many minutes do you currently use and/or do you intend to use?

My quick recommendations:

"Normal" post-paid phone company: T-Mobile. Otherwise, use one of the recommended pre-paid carriers like Virgin mobile (http://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=76072)

P.S. I am a relatively happy T-Mobile customer
natureexplorer
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by natureexplorer »

As far as Android phones are concerned, I can only recommend a Nexus device like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus as they are ensured to always have the latest software updates.

As for service, you may want to give T-Mobile Monthly4G a try.
Last edited by natureexplorer on Thu Apr 12, 2012 9:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
JCom
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by JCom »

As far as carrier, I've mainly been with Verizon.

For a phone, in short, go with the iphone.

My first smart phone was a regular Droid which I loved...at first. After installing just a few programs I started noticing some slow downs and freezing up. I then had issues with apps conflicting with each other - I had to delete two apps just to get my GPS to work. I started getting enough instances like this that made me want to switch.

My next phone was an iphone 4S. I like the look, but wasn't in love with the fact that it can't be customized as much as an Android based phone. My iphone never has any hiccups or conflicts though. I prefer a phone that works.
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patrick
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by patrick »

Hard to say how many talk minutes would be used, but probably not that much. Wild guess would be 150 minutes per month. On my old phone over the last month I only used about 50 minutes but that was after moving to where it has poor reception -- I used to use more than that!
natureexplorer
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by natureexplorer »

patrick wrote:Hard to say how many talk minutes would be used, but probably not that much. Wild guess would be 150 minutes per month. On my old phone over the last month I only used about 50 minutes but that was after moving to where it has poor reception -- I used to use more than that!
There is a $30 T-Mobile Walmart plan that comes with lots of high-speed data but only 100 minutes.
inky
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by inky »

Check out https://ting.com for economical a la carte plans where you only pay for what you use. Their cheapest Android phone is the LG Optimus S for $190 (this includes the $35 activation fee). I have this phone and I like it - no slide-out keyboard though.
Last edited by inky on Thu Apr 12, 2012 10:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
KyleAAA
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by KyleAAA »

For those requirements, almost any phone will do. If you can get a deal on an older model android or iphone, I would go with that. I think AT&T is giving away the iphone 3gs for free these days.
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daytona084
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by daytona084 »

JCom wrote:As far as carrier, I've mainly been with Verizon.

For a phone, in short, go with the iphone.

My first smart phone was a regular Droid which I loved...at first. After installing just a few programs I started noticing some slow downs and freezing up. I then had issues with apps conflicting with each other - I had to delete two apps just to get my GPS to work. I started getting enough instances like this that made me want to switch.

My next phone was an iphone 4S. I like the look, but wasn't in love with the fact that it can't be customized as much as an Android based phone. My iphone never has any hiccups or conflicts though. I prefer a phone that works.
Not sure what your problem with the "regular Droid" was. If they all worked like yours did, I don't think they would sell very many.

My Android phone (LG Optimus V) works fine with lots of apps, including several GPS-based. Carrier is Virgin Mobile. I'm grandfathered in @ $25 for unlimited data + 300 voice minutes per month. Currently that plan costs $35 which I believe is still an excellent value.
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daytona084
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by daytona084 »

Also I would suggest you be open to phones with a "virtual" or screen based keyboard. You get used to them quickly. And they tend to be much thinner than those with slide-out keyboards.
boglestan
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by boglestan »

I'll throw in another recommendation for the $30 T-Mobile Monthly4G plan. 100 minutes are included, and extra minutes are 10 cents. So at 150 minutes, you'd spend $35, which is still hard to beat. Unlimited web and texts are included, and you have your choice of a huge array of Android phones that work with T-Mobile. You don't get the "discount" on the phone given to people signing up for contracts, but in the long run it's a far better deal. Plus, you can switch to another provider whenever you want without getting hit with an early termination fee.
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FrugalInvestor
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by FrugalInvestor »

I use Page Plus on the Verizon network. You can find good Page Plus phone advice on Kitty Wireless (a Page Plus dealer) - and they provide good service as well (Page Plus direct customer service is spotty). You'd probably want to go with a Motorola Droid X2 phone. If you travel internationally there's also a Droid Global model. I believe both have keyboards. You can buy various plans either pay as you go or monthly.
Have a plan, stay the course and simplify. Then ignore the noise!
Sidney
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by Sidney »

boglestan wrote:I'll throw in another recommendation for the $30 T-Mobile Monthly4G plan. 100 minutes are included, and extra minutes are 10 cents. So at 150 minutes, you'd spend $35, which is still hard to beat. Unlimited web and texts are included, and you have your choice of a huge array of Android phones that work with T-Mobile. You don't get the "discount" on the phone given to people signing up for contracts, but in the long run it's a far better deal. Plus, you can switch to another provider whenever you want without getting hit with an early termination fee.
I was looking at that recently at Walmart. I use very few voice minutes -- maybe 20-30 a year. The problem I had was that there were not many choices of phones at Walmart and the clerk didn't know if you can buy a phone separately and get this plan from T-Mobile.
I always wanted to be a procrastinator.
pochax
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by pochax »

wjwhitney wrote:
JCom wrote:As far as carrier, I've mainly been with Verizon.

For a phone, in short, go with the iphone.

My first smart phone was a regular Droid which I loved...at first. After installing just a few programs I started noticing some slow downs and freezing up. I then had issues with apps conflicting with each other - I had to delete two apps just to get my GPS to work. I started getting enough instances like this that made me want to switch.

My next phone was an iphone 4S. I like the look, but wasn't in love with the fact that it can't be customized as much as an Android based phone. My iphone never has any hiccups or conflicts though. I prefer a phone that works.
Not sure what your problem with the "regular Droid" was. If they all worked like yours did, I don't think they would sell very many.

My Android phone (LG Optimus V) works fine with lots of apps, including several GPS-based. Carrier is Virgin Mobile. I'm grandfathered in @ $25 for unlimited data + 300 voice minutes per month. Currently that plan costs $35 which I believe is still an excellent value.
+1 LG Optimus V (with or without keyboard - the slideout keyboard version is called Optimus Slider but costs more) with Virgin Mobile. i too have the $25/month grandfathered rate but the current $35/mo rate is still pretty good (btw, here in NJ there is only $1 in additional taxes/fees so the monthly rate really is pretty much the monthly rate). no contract. the only issues i forsee with the optimus V is that the internal RAM is minimal (256MB) so an microSD card is a must if you plan to store any video/photos/mp3 music or podcasts on there. also battery life is not great (but i do not know of one smartphone where the battery life is great). b/c of the internal memory issue i upgraded to the Morotola Triumph to get 1GB internal memory and snappier processor, but i really liked the Optimus - it is GREAT VALUE for what you pay.
pochax
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by pochax »

Actually if you can wait a few months you should consider the HTC EVO V 4G which is coming to Virgin Mobile soon:
http://androidcommunity.com/htc-evo-3d- ... -20120402/

currently VirginMobile only has a 3G network so either the 4G just means it's 4G compatible or perhaps VirginMobile is planning to utilize 4G network in the near future.
bourg
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by bourg »

I would recommend re-thinking your Android choice. If you do not currently have a smartphone, it likely means you're not into the latest electronic gadgets nor love to tinker with technology.

Android out the box takes a decent amount of customization to make it do what the iPhone does.

iPhone out the box is much more robust but you can't tweak it up as much as with an android.

I think you would be much happier with an iPhone. I personally have an android phone and tablet and love them but I love to tinker.

And I agree with no physical keyboard, I was a blackberry user for 8 years before moving to touch screen and I don't regret the move one bit - it was very easy to catch on.
ClaireTN
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by ClaireTN »

Sidney wrote:
boglestan wrote:I'll throw in another recommendation for the $30 T-Mobile Monthly4G plan. 100 minutes are included, and extra minutes are 10 cents. So at 150 minutes, you'd spend $35, which is still hard to beat. Unlimited web and texts are included, and you have your choice of a huge array of Android phones that work with T-Mobile. You don't get the "discount" on the phone given to people signing up for contracts, but in the long run it's a far better deal. Plus, you can switch to another provider whenever you want without getting hit with an early termination fee.
I was looking at that recently at Walmart. I use very few voice minutes -- maybe 20-30 a year. The problem I had was that there were not many choices of phones at Walmart and the clerk didn't know if you can buy a phone separately and get this plan from T-Mobile.
You can buy the phone separately. Then you go to Walmart or to the online T-Mobile store to buy the start-up kit. I did this with the HTC sensation 4G. I've been very happy with the plan and the phone.
The Wizard
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by The Wizard »

I'm reasonably happy with my Droid X2 on Verizon Wireless. Would be nicer if it was 4G capable like my son's Droid is, but I'll get that when I upgrade at some point. I use WiFi much of the time anyhow.
Virtual keyboard, yes, but it's functional enough that I even use it to make small posts here during the evening when I've got a sports event on the big screen in the background.
For someone like Chaz, it would be IDEAL...
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centrifuge41
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by centrifuge41 »

I agree with the posters who suggest buying based on plan first and foremost. That's where the bulk of the cost of ownership lies. Afterwards, you can choose the appropriate phone.

Here are some plans that may fit your usage needs.

Unlimited text and data. 300 anytime minutes: Virgin Mobile. $35/month (Sprint network).

250 minutes, 250 text, 10MB data. 10c for additional minutes, 10c for additional text, 20c for additional MB of data: Page Plus. $12/month (Verizon network).

1200 minutes, 3000 text, 100MB data. 10c for additional minutes, 5c for additional text, 10c for additional MB of data: Page Plus. $30/month (Verizon network).
Unlimited talk, text, and "unlimited" data. Just keep your data under 100MB/day and 2GB/month. Straight Talk. $45/month. (Sprint network if you buy one of their Android phones, AT&T or T-mobile network if you buy a sim card).

100 minutes, unlimited text, unlimited data: T-Mobile. $30/month.

Once you choose a network, you can choose the phone. Virgin Mobile has some nice choices, ranging from the LG Optimus V to the Motorola Triumph. Page Plus lets you bring any postpaid Verizon android to the game. Straight Talk lets you pop that AT&T/Tmo sim card in any AT&T/Tmo phone. This is your best choice if you are going for an iPhone. And as for T-Mobile, I'm not too familiar with their prepaid options.
Saphomd
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by Saphomd »

My girlfriend and I both have Motorola Droid 3 phones which are nice but a little heavy because of the slide out keyboard. However, I believe Verizon is ripping us off since our monthly bill is $192.55. We have a $30.00 monthly access charge, unlimited text, but we get charged $9.99 for 'premium messaging', in addition to other surcharges and fees.

My bill seems complicated and I will have to review it in more detail to see what is going on. :annoyed
To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you are overdoing it.---Josh Jenkins
The Wizard
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by The Wizard »

Saphomd wrote:My girlfriend and I both have Motorola Droid 3 phones which are nice but a little heavy because of the slide out keyboard. However, I believe Verizon is ripping us off since our monthly bill is $192.55. We have a $30.00 monthly access charge, unlimited text, but we get charged $9.99 for 'premium messaging', in addition to other surcharges and fees.

My bill seems complicated and I will have to review it in more detail to see what is going on. :annoyed
Easy answer with smartphones is to eliminate texting from your plan and just use email instead.
Texting is leftover from the old days and a total cash cow for VZW...
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KyleAAA
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by KyleAAA »

The Wizard wrote: Texting is leftover from the old days and a total cash cow for VZW...
Interesting. Most people my age would say email is left over from the old days. Nobody I know communicates any way but via text. If you call or email them they probably won't answer, but if you text they will answer immediately.
mikep
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by mikep »

pochax wrote:
wjwhitney wrote:
JCom wrote:As far as carrier, I've mainly been with Verizon.

For a phone, in short, go with the iphone.

My first smart phone was a regular Droid which I loved...at first. After installing just a few programs I started noticing some slow downs and freezing up. I then had issues with apps conflicting with each other - I had to delete two apps just to get my GPS to work. I started getting enough instances like this that made me want to switch.

My next phone was an iphone 4S. I like the look, but wasn't in love with the fact that it can't be customized as much as an Android based phone. My iphone never has any hiccups or conflicts though. I prefer a phone that works.
Not sure what your problem with the "regular Droid" was. If they all worked like yours did, I don't think they would sell very many.

My Android phone (LG Optimus V) works fine with lots of apps, including several GPS-based. Carrier is Virgin Mobile. I'm grandfathered in @ $25 for unlimited data + 300 voice minutes per month. Currently that plan costs $35 which I believe is still an excellent value.
+1 LG Optimus V (with or without keyboard - the slideout keyboard version is called Optimus Slider but costs more) with Virgin Mobile. i too have the $25/month grandfathered rate but the current $35/mo rate is still pretty good (btw, here in NJ there is only $1 in additional taxes/fees so the monthly rate really is pretty much the monthly rate). no contract. the only issues i forsee with the optimus V is that the internal RAM is minimal (256MB) so an microSD card is a must if you plan to store any video/photos/mp3 music or podcasts on there. also battery life is not great (but i do not know of one smartphone where the battery life is great). b/c of the internal memory issue i upgraded to the Morotola Triumph to get 1GB internal memory and snappier processor, but i really liked the Optimus - it is GREAT VALUE for what you pay.
Suggest to buy the refill at callingmart.com, get a 5% discount using code ca3p-1207 (1% standard discount on virgin mobile, code gets additional 3%, and 1% back in rewards toward next refill) and also avoid the taxes.
bungalow10
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by bungalow10 »

I have a Droid on Verizon. It's old, but I still like it.

I'm with others suggesting that you skip the keyboard. I used the keyboard for maybe a month... I haven't opened it on forever now, but it adds a lot of bulk to the phone. I'd rather have a bigger screen and no keyboard :)
An elephant for a dime is only a good deal if you need an elephant and have a dime.
The Wizard
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by The Wizard »

KyleAAA wrote:
The Wizard wrote: Texting is leftover from the old days and a total cash cow for VZW...
Interesting. Most people my age would say email is left over from the old days. Nobody I know communicates any way but via text. If you call or email them they probably won't answer, but if you text they will answer immediately.
Lotta 2nd generation phones had SMS capability but were not smoothly internet functional. In a few years most folks will have smartphones.
So long as there's no extra charge for texting, it hardly matters.
Otherwise email offers cost savings...
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bungalow10
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by bungalow10 »

The Wizard wrote:
KyleAAA wrote:
The Wizard wrote: Texting is leftover from the old days and a total cash cow for VZW...
Interesting. Most people my age would say email is left over from the old days. Nobody I know communicates any way but via text. If you call or email them they probably won't answer, but if you text they will answer immediately.
Lotta 2nd generation phones had SMS capability but were not smoothly internet functional. In a few years most folks will have smartphones.
So long as there's no extra charge for texting, it hardly matters.
Otherwise email offers cost savings...
Are there any cell companies that don't charge extra for texting?
An elephant for a dime is only a good deal if you need an elephant and have a dime.
The Wizard
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by The Wizard »

bungalow10 wrote:
The Wizard wrote:
KyleAAA wrote:
The Wizard wrote: Texting is leftover from the old days and a total cash cow for VZW...
Interesting. Most people my age would say email is left over from the old days. Nobody I know communicates any way but via text. If you call or email them they probably won't answer, but if you text they will answer immediately.
Lotta 2nd generation phones had SMS capability but were not smoothly internet functional. In a few years most folks will have smartphones.
So long as there's no extra charge for texting, it hardly matters.
Otherwise email offers cost savings...
Are there any cell companies that don't charge extra for texting?
Dunno, but using gmail on a Droid seems pretty good.
I get maybe one unsolicited text message a month anymore.
Part of what's driving the change is that with an Android phone, you MUST link it to a gmail account.
It's part of Google's way of taking over the world...
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E-M-H
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by E-M-H »

Many people with 4G phones set them to 3G. The reason is that with current chipsets, 4G drains the battery much faster. I use 3G most of the time for this reason. I don't really need the download speed as I don't watch videos on my phone. I recently bought my daughter a used Droid-X (3G only) on Ebay. I was surprised at how nice this older model (1.5 years old!) is. I paid less than $80 for the phone, two batteries, home and car charger, and other accessories.
Saphomd
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by Saphomd »

I dont mind not having 4G at the moment. My 3G droid is fast enough for everything, except for the app for the San Francisco Chronicle.
If 4G drains the battery even faster, then no thanks for now.
To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you are overdoing it.---Josh Jenkins
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jpsfranks
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by jpsfranks »

bungalow10 wrote:Are there any cell companies that don't charge extra for texting?
Assuming you have a data plan, adopting Google Voice will essentially convert your texting to data, bypassing text fees. I have since dropped my text plan. Other benefits are that you can access your voicemail/texts from any computer, send texts from any computer, and route calls to any phone number you like. It's definitely my favorite Google Product.

To switch to Google Voice you either have to:
1. Get a new Google Voice number and get everyone to use that new number.
2. Port your existing number, which can be somewhat of a pain (less of a pain if you are changing carriers anyway).

Google Voice doesn't support MMS is most cases, but I'm not sure that is much of a drawback.
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patrick
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by patrick »

bourg wrote:I would recommend re-thinking your Android choice. If you do not currently have a smartphone, it likely means you're not into the latest electronic gadgets nor love to tinker with technology.

Android out the box takes a decent amount of customization to make it do what the iPhone does.

iPhone out the box is much more robust but you can't tweak it up as much as with an android.
Probably not right for my case. While I don't have all the latest gadgets I do plenty of tinkering on my various older gadgets, and would expect to do so with a new phone as well. That said, I would be outraged if (for instance) I had to perform extensive customizations on the phone before I could use it to read this forum, but I hope no one would dare to market something as a "smart"phone if it were that bad.
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patrick
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by patrick »

natureexplorer wrote:
patrick wrote:Hard to say how many talk minutes would be used, but probably not that much. Wild guess would be 150 minutes per month. On my old phone over the last month I only used about 50 minutes but that was after moving to where it has poor reception -- I used to use more than that!
There is a $30 T-Mobile Walmart plan that comes with lots of high-speed data but only 100 minutes.
If you are using this sort of service, is it practical to get around the minutes limit by using something like Skype that sends your voice communications over the Internet instead?
boglestan
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by boglestan »

patrick wrote:
natureexplorer wrote:
patrick wrote:Hard to say how many talk minutes would be used, but probably not that much. Wild guess would be 150 minutes per month. On my old phone over the last month I only used about 50 minutes but that was after moving to where it has poor reception -- I used to use more than that!
There is a $30 T-Mobile Walmart plan that comes with lots of high-speed data but only 100 minutes.
If you are using this sort of service, is it practical to get around the minutes limit by using something like Skype that sends your voice communications over the Internet instead?
I'm pretty sure Skype is set up to deduct from your minutes.

There's an app (GrooVe IP) for free VOIP calling over wifi (that doesn't deduct from your minutes), but my wife tried it and her call dropped on the first try. Didn't bother trying it again.
The Wizard
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by The Wizard »

patrick wrote:
bourg wrote:I would recommend re-thinking your Android choice. If you do not currently have a smartphone, it likely means you're not into the latest electronic gadgets nor love to tinker with technology.

Android out the box takes a decent amount of customization to make it do what the iPhone does.

iPhone out the box is much more robust but you can't tweak it up as much as with an android.
Probably not right for my case. While I don't have all the latest gadgets I do plenty of tinkering on my various older gadgets, and would expect to do so with a new phone as well. That said, I would be outraged if (for instance) I had to perform extensive customizations on the phone before I could use it to read this forum, but I hope no one would dare to market something as a "smart"phone if it were that bad.
Androids don't really REQUIRE customization to do basic stuff on the internet. You can read bogleheads forum just fine on one out of the box using the default already installed browser. Just have to learn how to resize text nicely.
Customization has more to do with finding and downloading a few dozen relevant 3rd-party apps for your situation to make your smartphone meaningfully smart for you...
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ClaireTN
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by ClaireTN »

boglestan wrote:There's an app (GrooVe IP) for free VOIP calling over wifi (that doesn't deduct from your minutes), but my wife tried it and her call dropped on the first try. Didn't bother trying it again.
I've used this app and find that it works well in exactly one situation. If I am in a wifi and talking to someone on a landline, it's perfect. I can hear them with clarity, and the call never gets dropped. Any other situation -- I'm using data, my conversation partner is on a cell phone -- and the app is pretty much useless. Still, I use it a lot to talk to family members who still use landlines.
FedGuy
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by FedGuy »

bungalow10 wrote:Are there any cell companies that don't charge extra for texting?
Virgin Mobile doesn't, as Centrifuge41 noted above.
Rowdy
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by Rowdy »

inky wrote:Check out https://ting.com for economical a la carte plans where you only pay for what you use. Their cheapest Android phone is the LG Optimus S for $190 (this includes the $35 activation fee). I have this phone and I like it - no slide-out keyboard though.
+1. I just ordered a simple flip phone from Ting to check out their service. It has been great so far. About to place an order for 3 Android phones.
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linuxuser
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by linuxuser »

Samsung Exhibit II 4G for $199 + tax (it's an Android phone)
$30/month unlimited text + web + 100 minutes on T-mobile

The battery lasts about a day with me checking my emails through the Yahoo Mail, Gmail, and Hotmail apps.
wander
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Re: buying a smartphone

Post by wander »

The Wizard wrote:Easy answer with smartphones is to eliminate texting from your plan and just use email instead.
Texting is leftover from the old days and a total cash cow for VZW...
+1. Also, if you have Google Voice, you can send text messages using Google Voice for free.
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