Smartphone Advice

[Phraust]

Looking for a phone to relace my ancient Nokia 6800.

Been poking around, but every phone that seems to meet my requirements everyone and thier mother shoots down... So I guess the real question is, which phone sucks the least?

No iPhones please, I live next door to Apple HQ and have to deal with thier kind on a daly basis... And I don't feel like signing up for the plan that's required in order to get one...

Looking for something that has:

- a full keyboard,
- preferably Windows based, if anything just to see the apple dicks vomit thier purple Kool-Aid...
- Camera's ok, but not required,
- Wi-Fi, as in 802.11b/g Not strictly 3G.
- Decent to good battery life.
- Has to work on AT&T networks.
- Bluetooth is pretty standard, but may as well list it...
- Memory card slot. (some phones don't have em)

Any help would be apreciated, I'd prefere not switching to Verizon if I can help it, their customers seem to be the only people that seem to complain about thier service. And Sprint is out of the question after the bullshit my Ex had to go through with them and thier service.

Most of the complaints I hear are along the lines of crashing phones, failed hardware/screens, really low battery life, horrible reception, etc. So if you got any experience with a particular phone good or bad it'd help. Mostly the only thing i read is bad experiences or fucking idiots that taut the merits of a phone but have absolutely no actual experience with it, or they ramble on constantly about the networks.

Thanks.

[The Stig]

Not sure what's in the US but:

HTC Touch/SEX1 (Sony Ericsson X1) were (and still is) popular.

[hagun]

iPhone

It's best that you just give in. Resistance is futile and the iPhone defines what a phone should be capable of doing. I am using my iPhone as we speak. It's glorious.

[Cephius]

iPhone

It's best that you just give in. Resistance is futile and the iPhone defines what a phone should be capable of doing. I am using my iPhone as we speak. It's glorious.

Except for being able to copy and paste, sharing the internet connection to your laptop, or being able to use any kind of removable storage.

And oh yeah, you can't replace the battery without sending it back to Apple and paying their Buttrape Charge™

[0ni0n]

Except for being able to copy and paste, sharing the internet connection to your laptop, or being able to use any kind of removable storage.

And oh yeah, you can't replace the battery without sending it back to Apple and paying their Buttrape Charge™

You can gain access to copy and paste, sharing internet connection with your laptop (tethering), and acting as a USB drive as soon as you unlock your iphone. It takes 10 mins and it gives you a unparalleled access to a wide collection of applications that aren't listed in Apple App store. What's good is that your iphone can also be restored with standard Apple firmware at any time should you regret later. Mine's unlocked and it's working flawlessly.

[Cephius]

I'm aware you can unlock the phone to do anything you want, but I was responding to the comment about how an iPhone "defines what a phone should be capable of doing". IMO, you shouldn't need to jailbreak a phone to get it to do things that almost every other phone can do by default.

[0ni0n]

I'm aware you can unlock the phone to do anything you want, but I was responding to the comment about how an iPhone "defines what a phone should be capable of doing". IMO, you shouldn't need to jailbreak a phone to get it to do things that almost every other phone can do by default.

By some measure, the iphone did define the functionality and interactive experience a smartphone should have since all the new smartphones are benchmarked against the iphone. I share your sentiment on the notion that we shouldn't have to jump through hoops in order to have access to basic function such as copy and paste, but it's also my opinion that the iphone's capability and beauty should be judged independently from Apple's managerial decisions on software restriction. Unlock your iphone and you can have the cake and eat it too!

[Phraust]

Does the iphone run the Zsnes emulator???

No?

'nuff said.

=P

[Appie]

Nokia N97? Not released until april-june though. And also not sure if it's released in the USA then. Import? XD

[0ni0n]

Does the iphone run the Zsnes emulator???

No?

'nuff said.

=P

Well, the name jesus-phone is more or less a metaphor.

[Phraust]

On the topic of iPhone, while I am not completely resistant to the idea, I have seen them, used then, and my brother currently has one as well as a good portion of my friends... Kool-Aid drinking "Cult of Apple" aside, they aren't that great to me.

Holding them when you want to actually use it as a phone is kind of annoying and uncomfortable, the touch screen is horrible for typing, specifically its really made to use your finger tips, and I prefer to use my thumbs to type.

Also, holding it in general is akward, unless you're doing iPhoney stuff like annoying your friends with some bullshit app like the David Lee Roth soundboard... It's too thin, and too slick, I WILL drop it and break it. On that note; throw in the repair costs of swapping out something simple like a battery or a screen cover....

No Memory card slot, and you have to void your warranty to do anything with it that most smartphones do out of box. And then you have to sign up for a ridiculous plan to get one, or pay an insane amount of money for one if you don't want to do the plan.

Stig's Sony/Ericson X1 seems to be reallllly what I am looking for. For some reason I have never heard of it until now. I been waiting on a really good Nokia, but they really have gotten expensive, nothing too out of range of the competition, and every time they release a new one, they're already advertising for the next one lol... So I am stuck in a perpetual state of waiting for the next one. The N97 is a really impressive phone and the stats on battery life are definitely believable, My current phone even after liek 5 years still only needs to be charged once a week.... And it really begs the question, realistically how often would I use the feateures of the Windows Moble OS? Would a Nokia N97 be good enough? Too much?

[Rhinox]

I like the keyboard. while there are times that you have correct what you type the autocorrect feature is awesome and I find that I type faster with my Iphone then when I had any other phone. Unless you type like a retard and do things like OMG OMW BRT BFF JILL you shouldnt have any problems.

at first it my seem annoying but I promise you the more you use it the easier it gets when it comes to texting and what not. btw I use my thumb exclusively to type.

[Phraust]

You know...

You're just illustrating my point about iPhone users... They're like religious fanatics. I understand that you got use to your iPhone, and that you like it. I understand that you don't have any problems with it lol. I did I am not interested in an iPhone, nor joining the cult.

It's been stated 3 times now. Did the iPhone suddenly remove your ability to read? Or are you so proud of your "Apple Religion" that you have to force yourself on others?

Until someone figures out how to make an iPhone app that converts your iPhone into a pregnancy test, I'm not interested. (Even then I am not sure I would be) Looking for a phone, not a lifestyle. besides i don't look good in thick glasses, Mock Turtle necks, nor Faux-Hawks...

[Spekkio]

i know the OP said he's not willing to go to verizon but this seems like a good chance to ask a question i've wanted to know a while. does anyone have any strong opinions for or against the storm? ideally i'd have gone with a G1, but since i'm sharing a plan and i use almost no minutes on my cell phone as it is, i'm not paying for a huge voice plan when i'll use maybe 20 min a month of it, so i've got to pick a phone in verizon's suite. my biggest interest is a phone with a good screen since a major component of what i'm after is web access on the go. i'm forced to move around a lot and even my new netbook is too bulky and cumbersome to be used in many of the situations i'm finding myself in, much as i love that little laptop. due to the large screen on the storm, it seems like a high caliber competitor (especially after some firmware that doesn't suck ass comes out of RIM) for what phone to switch to, but something like the omnia also seems viable (the latter is a windows based smartphone). is there anything anyone has to suggest that would sway me either way or possibly in the direction of another phone verizon has?

[fren.]

You know...

You're just illustrating my point about iPhone users... They're like religious fanatics. I understand that you got use to your iPhone, and that you like it. I understand that you don't have any problems with it lol. I did I am not interested in an iPhone, nor joining the cult.

It's been stated 3 times now. Did the iPhone suddenly remove your ability to read? Or are you so proud of your "Apple Religion" that you have to force yourself on others?

Until someone figures out how to make an iPhone app that converts your iPhone into a pregnancy test, I'm not interested.

What's with this cult bullshit you keep moaning about? You asked for advice on a smart phone and people gave you the option of the smart phone. I don't think the guy who responded above you was trying to sell you into anything, quit being such a butthurt douche.

If you're looking for a smart phone, get a BB Storm, it's a clunky piece of shit which requires double tapping to get to where you want, but hey..it's not a lifestyle nor a cult!

[0ni0n]

You know...

You're just illustrating my point about iPhone users... They're like religious fanatics. I understand that you got use to your iPhone, and that you like it. I understand that you don't have any problems with it lol. I did I am not interested in an iPhone, nor joining the cult.

It's been stated 3 times now. Did the iPhone suddenly remove your ability to read? Or are you so proud of your "Apple Religion" that you have to force yourself on others?

Until someone figures out how to make an iPhone app that converts your iPhone into a pregnancy test, I'm not interested. (Even then I am not sure I would be) Looking for a phone, not a lifestyle. besides i don't look good in thick glasses, Mock Turtle necks, nor Faux-Hawks...

What a hater. You're worse than apple fanbois.

[Phraust]

I asked for advice on smartphones and specifically excluded the iPhone due to a certain expertise and or experience with it. GG reading... And one of the first things that happens is peopel came in waving their iPhone flags with little to no regard to the content of the original post.

Of coarse I am 'butthurt' because every conversation gets interupted with some douche with an iPhone trying to "convert the masses" as perfectly illustrated here. iPhone users are fanatics, and they are exceptionally sensitive when you try to get OTHER information. Most mac users are like that too. Listen, I know how good and how bad an iPhone is. I wanted a real phone that met the requirements stated above.

Does an iPhone meet he following requirements:

- a full keyboard NO
- preferably Windows based, if anything just to see the apple dicks vomit thier purple Kool-Aid... NO
- Camera's ok, but not required, Yes
- Wi-Fi, as in 802.11b/g Not strictly 3G. Yes
- Decent to good battery life. Yes
- Has to work on AT&T networks. Yes
- Bluetooth is pretty standard, but may as well list it... Yes
- Memory card slot. (some phones don't have em) NO

A 60% hit rate, my lord that's a D- Would you recommend a Diesel Tow Truck to someone that's looking for a Luxury Sedan just because it meets the Price, has 4 wheel drive and good safety rating requirements? No... C'mon man, You know what I was asking, don't be a fucking idiot.

[Spekkio]

the iphone is a major defining piece of hardware for the market because it brought the idea of a smartphone more to the mainstream than anything palm or windows has delivered. yes, this is partially caused by the cult of apple promoting it and pushing it so hard, but while iphone ownership may be nearly mandatory for members of the cult of apple, not all or likely even most of the owners of iphones are amongst their ranks. everyone's familiar with the steve jobs lackeys spoofed in the simpsons episode "mypods and broomsticks" (good episode if you've never seen it, btw) but they do not represent the iphone owners as a whole.

despite this though, the iphone has taken the throne of the "phone plus" marketplace and is the benchmark all other phones released are measured against in the same way that portable MP3 players used the ipod as their metric by which they measured all other devices. every review of a new smartphone asks if the phone is the "iphone killer" further reinforcing this point that the iphone is used as the gold standard despite the obvious shortcomings of the phone. the bottom line is though, that with the exception of perhaps the G1, no phone in practice has been able to reach parity with the iphone in any review i've seen to date. goodness knows everyone's trying but unless you're looking for particular business applications that only the bb or windows mobile offers, the iphone is the answer for many people.

since you're after a keyboard and a few other features (plus i'm guessing you like being able to replace your OWN damn battery!) the iphone is obviously off the table for you. a good place to start might be this wikipedia link: Comparison of smartphones - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and you can narrow down from there what will work on AT&T's network (i'm not TOO up on cell tech anymore, any phone marked 3G compatible would be good for their network, right?) to get a shortlist of candidates. then from there you should have few enough possibilities to start researching which ones fit your needs best.

[Rhinox]

What a douchebag. I didn't once tell to buy an Iphone just responded to some of the retarded reasoning behind your hatred for Apple/Iphone. For one i'm not in any cult in fact the Iphone is the only apple product I own. You don't like the advice given to you? Then do yourself and all of us a favor and stop asking for advice you douche. If I wanted to be an asshole I could've said something in the likes of use the fucking search function theres at least 5-10 threads with a similar question


Or you can go to Cnet.com and similar sites and stop posting redundant questions before you even search

[Phraust]

Well thanks Stig and Appie for being the only people that actually read the post. I think the X1 fits everything I was looking for.

To the rest of y'all sorry I offended you. But the next time people ask for "Motorcycle advice" and explicitly tell you they're not interested in "Scooters" and you ramble on about scooters, don't be shocked when your information is pointed out as invalid.

Thanks.

Late Edit:
@Spekkio, thanks for the links, I had seen them, I was more or less looking for people with actual experience with the phones. As stated previously I been only hearing the bad about all phones, and little about any merits.