Smartphone newbie, phone help???

[Huskie]

Our 2 year agreement with Verizon is up and both my wife and are want to go the smartphone route. Being mature and frugal, okay old and cheap, we want to pick out one that's free or which is close to free with our $50 credit. Mostly used for calls, texting and internet use while on the road, We do have wi fi router in our home so we are good to go there. Choices seem to be the I4, I4s or a droid that fits the $$$$. Any thoughts, ease of use is a consideration. Another question would be is there a difference if we deal with a corporate store 50 miles away or a smaller one 10 miles away, thanks.

[Scott M]

I got a Droid Incredible at the local store this past fall, same situation as you, got dragged kicking and screaming into the smartphone era by my wife. Haven't looked back but I could live without it. I think I got the Droid Incredible for $50, plan goes up but we cut out Dish as we just weren't watching it enough to justify it. I think our combined data is 2GB and we haven't used much of it, probably from all the WiFi.

Good luck...Try the phones out and see what you like.

[bobbymalone]

to each their own, but I'm so glad I shook Steve Job's grip on my balls and went with an android phone.

[upnorth]

Right now the Droid is the rage. There are many apps that are free and good at that.

Two of my coworkers got the samsung 3 and love it.

[Bueford27]

I just got the droid razr m and love it. Very easy to use. It was $50 with the mail in rebate. The only thing is it uses "data" with no real way to turn it off from using it(not very much). I have heard good and bad things about the comando phone. Its a phone that you can throw against the wall without hurting it. In my opinion DO NOT go to a local store. You said "when your on the road", if you get your phone at a local store and then something happends on the road...cause you bought it there, another store can't help you. Only the store where you bought it. If you buy it at a corporate store, it breaks, you can go to any other corporate store and they will fix the problem. Happened to me while i was in iowa. Glad i went to corprate

[bobbymalone]

The only thing is it uses "data" with no real way to turn it off from using it(not very much).

hmmm.... you should be able to shut down the mobile network from the settings menu. I'm certain there is a way to stop data traffic.

I have soaked enough phones that I don't bother with buying them new anymore.

Get a gently used one for half the price. As soon as the newest model comes out, folks dump their perfectly fine phones on that big e-auction site.

[upnorth]

I can disable the data packet network on my samsung.

Settings>Wireless and Network>Mobile Networks>and uncheck Use Packet Data.

[Mid-Lake Rock]

to each their own, but I'm so glad I shook Steve Job's grip on my balls and went with an android phone.

Sage advice. I feel like Apple is the Church of Scientology of the electronic world. My old Droid died this past week and I was in a panic to get a new phone. My employer uses Mac for desktops and we have office issued iPads. All of my co-workers have iPhones. I'm the lone employee who refuses to go iPhone. I got the pressure from the "Apple Zombies" in my office and still refuse. More free apps on Droid and if you are a fisherman, the free apps on Android are fantastic.

Anyway, I got a Razr HD for $100 with my upgrade and a credit. Fantastic phone, great battery life and really easy to use. In my opinion, it is more intuitive than the iPhone.

[rmkod]

I personally wouldn't go with anything but an Iphone. I have had a few droids in the past, so yes I have used both. All of the droids I had and my friends had got really slow and had multiple problems as they got older. My girlfriend now has a samsung galaxy S2, she still grabs my Iphone 4s to surf the internet/facebook all the time because it actually works. Her's lock's up, force closes all the time, as I have found most droids do as they get older. I know a lot of people like the droid because there are more free apps. Apple has a lot of free one's and most are no more than a dollar. The nice thing about Apple is all the apps actually work like they are supposed to. There is a reason 88 percent of Iphone users make a repeat purchase VS 48% of android users. To each their own, but I know I will never ever own another android.

[tsande00]

I own both (and like both). A 4s and a newer Razr M with the latest OS.

If I were you I wouldn't even consider the Android. The iPhone is much more user friendly and as stated above tends to be less buggy. I was excited for all the "Free apps" when I got my new Android but was quickly disappointed to learn that while yes they do have more free apps...most tend to have hidden costs after you download. Also the apps that are only $1 on Apple tend to be up to $3.00 on the android phone. Apple has much more quality apps.

Again, I like both phones and one reason I like my android is because it is more customizable (mine is also rooted)...but that aspect isn't going to be enjoyed whatsoever by somebody who just wants to make calls, text, email. My parents are 70 and both just got iphone 5's and love them. They find them easier to use then their old flip phones. I don't care what anybody tells you, the Android phones have a much steeper learning curve then the iPhone does.

The android is not nearly as user friendly which isn't a problem for me, but might be for others, especially our elder friends.

If I was recommending a phone to a techy young person I may push the Android...otherwise go Apple.

[PierBridge]

How does Siri and Google voice compare with one another? Are they about the same or does one have an edge?

[LMITOUT]

Quote:

In Q4 of last year, 70-percent of all smartphones shipped were running some flavor of Android on them.

[tsande00]

How does Siri and Google voice compare with one another? Are they about the same or does one have an edge?

Google Voice works well but it isn't as much of an "assistant" as Siri. In other words Siri is fun to play with. I pretty much just use Google Voice for internet searches. I actually use Robin (free Android app) more than the other two. Robin is a lot like Siri but even better in some aspects.

[tsande00]

In Q4 of last year, 70-percent of all smartphones shipped were running some flavor of Android on them.

And what is the best selling smart phone?

[PierBridge]

and thanks for the info!

[LMITOUT]

And what is the best selling smart phone?

You can't use that as a meaningful measurement due to the fact that the Android OS is installed across many smart phones. There is only one iPhone.

[Bueford27]

Thanks but i dont have that option. Idk but i went into my apps and shut down the camera and it took it off my home page. It seems everything is using data. But its not very much

I can disable the data packet network on my samsung.

Settings>Wireless and Network>Mobile Networks>and uncheck Use Packet Data.

[upnorth]

iPhone is losing market share steadily to Droid. iPhone users are similar to a Mac users, would never even consider something else.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

First off, they are android phones, Droid is a brand of android phone.

Regarding ease of use, there is no difference once they are set up properly IMO. The android phone has more customizable options and you can use some apps to replace the stock ones. For example, I hated the texting app that came on my phone. No problem with android, I just installed a free one from the market and I love it.

If you use gmail, android works better there too. Yes iPhone works with gmail, but it is native to android and performs better.

Maps? Don't get me started on that... Apple cares more about what they want you to have vs what works best and what you want.

Having said all this, either one is good. You are less likely to get mugged for an android phone then an iPhone

[Huskie]

Thanks for the input. We ended up staying with Verizon and picked up two of the i4s iphones. With the credits we had, only had to pay 20 bucks for one and 50 for the other. After playing with both types, the iphone seemed to be easier for us to use, plus that's what our daughter and hubby have so we have additional tech support a call away. Pro's and con's of each I suppose, at least we will have a basis for comparison when need to upgrade again.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Very nice. You will be happy