Smartphone Advice

Technology and Gaming Help and Support
#1

Hellos!

I have decided that I am going to think about joining the 2010s, technology-wise, and I’m thinking about buying a “smartphone”. There’s a problem, though: I don’t really know the first thing about smartphones (that’s what the kids are calling them, right?). I currently have a 3rd-generation iPod Touch but I want to upgrade to something a bit more useful.

I don’t know the jargon they use or anything. I don’t know a 3G from a 4G or an “Edge” or whatever. I know that these are wireless technologies and can do things like get on the Internet when you’re on the bus or whatever…

In short, what I’m looking for is a simple “crash course”, as it were, into the world of smartphones. What is the best carrier for me as a U.S. customer that does not really get out in the sticks that much? Should I care about the differences between 3G, 4G, “Edge”, or maybe others? What are the differences?

Mainly here’s what I believe I want out of a smartphone: The ability to make and receive calls (of course), the ability to get on the Internet (web, email, etc), take pictures (and send them over the Internet [web, email, etc]), download some apps such as the ability to tally a list of expenses and whatnot (as “Accounts” does from Apple’s Appstore), store and listen to music (MP3s, videos), and possibly some GPS navigation. Oh, also, if I could get the smartphone without a contract (not that I wouldn’t LIKE to get on a contract, but I don’t believe my credit-rating would allow it), where I possibly pay a monthly fee, would be ideal.

OS advice, brand advice, carrier advice, and everything else you smart folks can think of would be superb. But, again, I’m not well-versed in the lingo so if you could “talk down” to me, that would be great!

Thanks in advance!

#2

keep away from the ipad minis previously known as iphones

#3

Agreed. If you could get your hands on a Galaxy S III, that’s what I would recommend. I have an S II, but my girlfriend has an S III, and both are really great phones for just about anything you can think of.

#4

Iphones are easier to use, but the Galaxys are way better for almost everything else

#5

I made a similar thread last month:

https://forums.blackmesasource.com/showthread.php?t=15433

Have a read through it, there might be some helpful advice in there you can take away. I’ve done a bit of research and I’m leaning towards an HTC One V, not a top of the line phone but still meets my needs and is fairly inexpensive.

#6

True, but I’m still confused over things like terminology, pros and cons of each, and such like that. I have heard good things about the Galaxy and HTC, but I’d like to get a bit more in-depth than that. :slight_smile:

#7

Read this first: https://www.theverge.com/2011/11/16/2565102/smartphone-buyers-guide

And this second: https://www.theverge.com/2012/6/21/3048763/best-smartphone-what-to-buy-us-carriers

My advice: if you want/ need to be off-contract then it’s not going to be cheap. You’d have to get an unsubsidized phone and that’s really expensive (an iPhone 5 goes for about 750 bucks, a galaxy s3 for 650). On a plan, they would cost you about 200 dollars.

If you DO buy an unsubsidized phone, afaik t-mobile is the only carrier that gives you a discount for their plans if you bring your own phone. The cheapest good phone you can get off contract is google’s nexus 4. It’s an awesome phone, but have in mind that it doesn’t have LTE (can get up to 20 mbits of download speeds) and it only has Hspa+, which in theory can be as fast as that but it isn’t, except if you’re on t-mobile and in a not too crowded area.

My pick for a new phone would be a galaxy s3 or an Htc one x+ on Verizon, of you could get on a contract.

#8

In terms of features, definitely go with some sort of Android. As mentioned, Samsung and HTC make great phones. The thing about my phone that is most valuable to me is the fact that it is almost completely open. It has an amazing GPS navigation and map app, customizable lock screen and homescreens, expandable memory, and just a ton of really cool usable features, like the recent Google Now which is like Siri but better, I would argue. It has true multitasking with a process manager just like Ctrl alt del on Windows, you can start loading a web page, check a message, and come back and it will be done. Android has a really useful notification window that you can access anytime at the top of the screen that i use all the time. It has an incredibly useful file browser for managing documents, pictures, etc. You can use it as an external memory device on a PC, just plug it in and press a button and you can access ALL the files on your phone. As opposed to Apple products, which depend on specific apps to store documents, or online solutions such as Dropbox. There is no support for local file management, if say you were out of the service area and couldn’t be online. I just find Apple products to be very restrictive and ‘locked down’ when compared to the customization options and usability of Android phones. As an example, I used my phone while I was in class to torrent BlackMesa and simply copied it to my computer and installed it when I got home. iPhone’s simply aren’t capable of that. And for that reason alone, I would buy my phone again and again and again.

As mentioned, getting a phone off-contract will be expensive, regardless of iPhone or android. If you are going to get a smart phone at all, you are better off getting a powerful one such as a Galaxy, if you are wanting smooth operation, and to take advantage of the latest versions of Android. I’m running Android 4.12 aka Jelly Bean on my phone right now, and it is smoother and more functional than any iPhone I have ever used. As for networks, my phone uses HSPA+ and gets a download speed of around 7Mbits and upload of about 3Mbits on average. I have had it go up to 15 but its not consistently that fast.

As a final thought, I have practically replaced my laptop with my phone for all of the things I used my laptop for (browsing, email, downloading music, etc.) with my Galaxy S II.

Ps this is coming from someone with an iPad (practically the same as an iPhone but bigger. Apple, how boring is that), which I HATE compared to my phone.

Also, you’ll have to be more specific about what you want to know about. Feel free to ask anything about what my phone can do, I’d be happy to answer to help keep another person from an iPhone. :slight_smile:

#9

Thanks, everyone. Based on everyone’s advice (especially thank you, acade365!), I’m looking into quite probably getting a Galaxy Nexus. I know that getting a phone off-contract is going to up the price tag pretty substantially but I’m prepared for that. If the store runs my credit and finds that they can’t get me on a contract, I’m ready to pony up the dough to get an off-contract phone. :stuck_out_tongue:

Now, to figure out the carrier. I’ve heard good things about Verizon but I’ve also heard good things about T-Mobile. The website acade365 provided has me leaning a bit more towards T-Mobile but I’m still not sure.

I can say this: I’m currently on an AT&T GoPhone and I hate it with the heat of several white hot suns. Can you say “dropped calls”? I knew you could. Eef…

#10

my advice about that is, go with the carrier that generally has more signal in your area, by signal I don’t mean bars, I mean consistency(fewer dead zones=fewer dropped calls)

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