Finally getting a smartphone [Archive] - The Gemstone IV Players' Corner

Liagala

11-20-2012, 12:14 PM

Not having a smartphone is starting to make me feel old (as well as being a pain in the ass), so I'd like to get myself one for Christmas. I'm not sure which carrier to go with, how much data I want available in the plan, or which phone I want. I don't want an iPhone because I don't like Apple, and I don't want Sprint because we've had absolutely horrible service from them at work. Beyond that, I'm open to suggestion. What do you use, who is your contract with, are you happy, what would you change if you could... all that good stuff.

Specific Questions:
Verizon (who I currently use for cell phone) tells me that 1-2GB of data per phone per month is average usage. True?

T-Mobile offers an assortment of data plans that are "unlimited on the T-mobile network." Am I correct in assuming that this is effectively unlimited, and would only cause trouble if I went somewhere T-Mobile doesn't have service (thus off their network)? Or is it something dumb like "unlimited but only if you're on this list of 5 websites that we own and call our network?"

Back

11-20-2012, 12:19 PM

If you have Verizon upgrade to the iPhone.

If they still offer it get the Unlimited Talk, Text, Data Plan.

Verizon has the best plan, the best coverage, and the best pricing.

Bobmuhthol

11-20-2012, 12:27 PM

I don't want an iPhone because I don't like Apple
If you have Verizon upgrade to the iPhone.Brilliant.

I like T-Mobile, mostly because they actually have the best pricing (Verizon? Really?). I currently use republic. It's not for everyone, but it is unlimited everything, a reasonable phone, and $19/mo. It's still in development so it's not perfect, and there's no MMS.

AnticorRifling

11-20-2012, 12:39 PM

I've got an android and I like it. I know Ryan got the new HTC windows 8 phone last week and he's loving it you might want to ask him about it that could be a viable option for you. As far as carriers I've been with sprint since high school so I'm no help there since their coverage sucks for you.

4a6c1

11-20-2012, 12:49 PM

Got the galaxy iii last week and loving it. With an otterbox its pretty sturdy.But AT&T sucks. I'm looking for something else.

msconstrew

11-20-2012, 12:55 PM

I have two androids - personal (Verizon) and work (T-Mobile). I've had some issues with Verizon's coverage lately, whereas T-Mobile's has been really consistent. Otherwise, I am happy with Verizon.

Tgo01

11-20-2012, 12:55 PM

Specific Questions:
Verizon (who I currently use for cell phone) tells me that 1-2GB of data per phone per month is average usage. True?

If you're going to be streaming movies/shows/music/whatever that sounds about right. If you're going to be doing a lot of streaming it might be more. If you're mostly just going to use the web and assorted apps that use the internet it shouldn't be anywhere near that high. Also depends on how much wifi access you have. I have wifi just about everywhere I use my phone so I don't use much data.

Allereli

11-20-2012, 01:19 PM

I have an HTC Evo 3D on Sprint, it's really held up well in the year I've had it, but since you don't want Sprint, I've also spent the last month upgrading the partners' phones at work. We have a business T-Mobile account and have had it for 8 years. They all got the MyTouch Q, an android phone with a keyboard. I think it's really good for a basic user and the slide out keyboard works very well and has big keys, especially compared to a BlackBerry. I put them on 5GB plans, but 2GB is good enough for most users, unless you plan on watching a lot of video or download extremely large files over a 4G connection.

Most people don't have data issues because all phones have wi-fi, which doesn't use up any contract plan data.

If you stick with Verizon I would definitely go with the Samsung Galaxy SIII. Everyone I've met with one has liked it and it's gotten great reviews (http://reviews.cnet.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-review/).

Also, if you do a lot of international travel, you might want to consider T-Mobile.

Liagala

11-20-2012, 01:30 PM

As far as carriers I've been with sprint since high school so I'm no help there since their coverage sucks for you.
I meant customer service sucked, not coverage-service. They somehow managed to unhook a couple of the company phones from our calling plan so that every single call cost $0.40/minute, even if it was to another company phone. After 3 months (!!) of getting bounced around from one person to another who said they were fixing the problem immediately and would investigate how it happened (no one ever did either), we cancelled service with them. No one would issue a refund because they swore up and down we had made that change in our contract, despite the fact that they couldn't produce any details about who made the change or when it was done.

Is Ryan all unbannificated?

Bob - Do you have any issues with that Republic thing when you're somewhere with no handy Wi-Fi? No MMS would be bad, but it's hard to argue with $19/month.

Rojo - what's awesome about your Galaxy III, and WTF is an otterbox?

Anyone who uses a carrier other than Verizon - How are they with changes to your contract? If I start with a low data allowance and find I'm going over, will they let me up it with no hassle and no extending the contract?

Tgo01

11-20-2012, 01:42 PM

Anyone who uses a carrier other than Verizon - How are they with changes to your contract? If I start with a low data allowance and find I'm going over, will they let me up it with no hassle and no extending the contract?

Everyone here seems to hate AT&T but that's who I have and they let me change text and data plans all the time without extending the contract. The only time I've had my contract extended was when I got a new phone and they even waived the upgrade fee. One time I accidently went over my minutes by quite a few and they gave me 500 free minutes as a courtesy so I wouldn't be charged by the minute for all those minutes I went over.

I've never had a problem with AT&T.

Parkbandit

11-20-2012, 02:02 PM

If you're going to be streaming movies/shows/music/whatever that sounds about right. If you're going to be doing a lot of streaming it might be more. If you're mostly just going to use the web and assorted apps that use the internet it shouldn't be anywhere near that high. Also depends on how much wifi access you have. I have wifi just about everywhere I use my phone so I don't use much data.

Yea, I tether for a hotspot most days and I never come close to 5 gig data usage, but my oldest kid has to be warned every single month that she is going to go over her 3 gig data plan. She is constantly on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.. so it's really on how you personally use your phone.

RSR

11-20-2012, 02:05 PM

Samsung Galaxy S3 has been an amazing phone. I wholeheartedly endorse it.

Parkbandit

11-20-2012, 02:10 PM

Everyone here seems to hate AT&T but that's who I have and they let me change text and data plans all the time without extending the contract. The only time I've had my contract extended was when I got a new phone and they even waived the upgrade fee. One time I accidently went over my minutes by quite a few and they gave me 500 free minutes as a courtesy so I wouldn't be charged by the minute for all those minutes I went over.

I've never had a problem with AT&T.

Ditto.

I moved from Sprint to AT&T about 5 years ago and have been happy with them.

Back

11-20-2012, 02:11 PM

Brilliant.

That what I get for skimming.

Whirlin

11-20-2012, 02:14 PM

I JUST got the new Nokia Lumia 920. It's a physically large phone, but by far the best screen resolution (1080x768), ridiculously overpowered camera (8.6 Megapixles), HD video (of course), and it's Windows 8 mobile... so it interlocks well with Windows 8 and that whole infrastructure. It also gives access to your Microsoft SkyDrive, which is a free 8 gigs in their cloud. Can't complain. I keep my Tsoran Trainer spreadsheets there. And since it's a windows phone, it has Excel on it, so I can access my training plan from anywhere (CLEARLY YOU NEED THAT!!).

As far as carriers are concerned, it's VERY regional. In some pockets, ATT is better, Verizon in others, and areas have local carriers like Bob's. It all matters on what's best in your area. I'm sure friends with phones can just check how many bars they have at your apartment/house/wherevers, and you can decide who to go with from there.

Archigeek

11-20-2012, 02:16 PM

I used to have T-mobil, but had coverage issues in one specific area that I go to for vacation during the summer (no coverage at all), so I switched to Verizon, which has good coverage there. Verizon has bent over backwards for me when I needed to make a single international call on my domestic phone in an emergency situation. Their customer service has been good for me that one time I needed them to step up.

On the other hand, I pay $104/month for 900 minutes and unlimited data, which seems like too much to me.

audioserf

11-20-2012, 02:29 PM

I would love to have unlimited data for $100/mo. I got my iPhone 4 and AT&T in fall of 2010, which I guess was right after they stopped offering unlimited data as an option.

That said, I have not had any issues at all with AT&T service.

SpiffyJr

11-20-2012, 03:10 PM

I use just over 300 mb / month (and have a 3 GB / month plan). The majority of my phone usage is at home, the gym, and on the road to stream Pandora. 1-2 gigs of usage is a *ton* of data and you won't come close unless you do a lot of streaming video. Most places have Wifi now days so unless you're in a tiny town or on the road a lot you'll generally have Wifi nearby.

Whirlin

11-20-2012, 03:11 PM

which I guess was right after they stopped offering unlimited data as an option.

So, it turns out, AT&T has two 'regions' of service. Corporate accounts, and personal accounts. A company I worked at for approximately 18 months offered to pay for my cell phone, so AT&T had to swap my phone number and my account into their corporate system. When I left that company, they were unable to migrate me back into the personal accounts, and as a result, I'm now a personal corporate account.

What does this impact? Nothing really, but I do have additional options on data/texting/international plans than the average consumer. It's a nice way around their limitation on unlimited data on the individuals. However, I am also probably paying around $100 a month for service, unlimited data, etc.

SpiffyJr

11-20-2012, 03:13 PM

I have a coworker in London, England and our 4G compared to them is shit. He showed me his speedtest.net of ~40mbps down and 16mbps up on 4G. I'm sitting around 10-15/5 in St. Louis.

Warriorbird

11-20-2012, 03:39 PM

SpiffyJr

11-20-2012, 03:40 PM

Just get a Samsung Galaxy S3 or a Note 2. Android trumps any other mobile OS right now and it's only improving.

Warriorbird

11-20-2012, 03:50 PM

Android's great. I'm happy with it. Windows Phone has its virtues though, certainly more than Windows 8.

Latrinsorm

11-20-2012, 04:52 PM

I have a Samsung SGH-A667 with one of the slidey keyboards and it (the keyboard) is wonderful. I used to have an iPhone at work and typing on it was just stupid. The phone I have is really old but without loss of generality I will assume that all Samsung phones with slidey keyboards work the same way: brilliantly.

I don't have a data plan so can't offer any info there.

Whirlin

11-20-2012, 04:55 PM

I agree. I wouldn't recommend windows 8 on a desktop without having a Windows 8 smartphone and/or tablet... just to leverage the same purchases and consistent layout and stuff. The phone is nice though. I've gotten used to it a lot faster than I would have anticipated.

Mobile games interlocking with an XBox Live account to earn achievement points is nice... it would be like if Gemstone gave you Steam achievement points or something... Not material to influence anything, but just a nice side feature.

And Warrior. They will be releasing the Lumia 922 and 822 on competitors' services soon, from what I saw, there was just a few weeks head start on AT&T.

Keller

11-20-2012, 05:40 PM

I would get an iPhone.

My step-mom works for Sprint, so if you go with them I can get you a good deal.

Warriorbird

11-20-2012, 08:20 PM

4a6c1

11-20-2012, 08:41 PM

Rojo - what's awesome about your Galaxy III, and WTF is an otterbox?

A plastic film protects your screen and a shock absorptive poly shell provides defensive mechanism against drops. If you're like me and one of the reasons you've kept your dinosaur phone for so long is because you see people using cracked screen smart phones all over the place and you know you drop yours at least once a week (run on sentence) then get an otterbox or something similar.
Mine:
http://cdn-store.smartphoneexperts.com/images/product_images/accessories/additional_images/11557/large/6.jpg

I like the galaxy 3 because it's completely customizable, quick, uses all competing applications, can be an ereader, can be an ipod, has comparable operations to my ipad such as 5 swipable screens for apps etc. My main reason for choosing the galaxy 3 was for the camera. The camera is far superior to many things on the market right now and I needed a phone with a great camera.

SHAFT

11-20-2012, 08:46 PM

Just get an iPhone

Taernath

11-20-2012, 09:28 PM

I got a Droid Razr HD earlier this month, and it is absolute sex. As far as plans, yeah, 2gb is more than enough for the average person if you're not streaming or have decent wi-fi coverage. I'm using Verizon.

Latrinsorm

11-20-2012, 09:34 PM

A plastic film protects your screen and a shock absorptive poly shell provides defensive mechanism against drops.Also it's primarily made out of melted down otter bones. Usually from baby otters for optimum resistivity.

BriarFox

11-20-2012, 09:58 PM

Just get an iPhone

This. I had an iPhone 3G for a couple of years, broke it, got the HTC Vivid I have now, and I rather hate it. I'm switching back to the iPhone when this contract is up.

Tgo01

11-20-2012, 10:02 PM

I say Iphone too. Maybe I'm just bias though because I've only owned 2 smart phones and both were iphones. I love my iphone now, it's the newest model. As I said I don't know how it compares to other smart phones but it's pretty nifty, and you have to admit, Siri is pretty sexy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-SVvtxHJGU

BigWorm

11-20-2012, 11:12 PM

I have a coworker in London, England and our 4G compared to them is shit. He showed me his speedtest.net of ~40mbps down and 16mbps up on 4G. I'm sitting around 10-15/5 in St. Louis.

The UK got LTE literally days ago and currently has but a single carrier with extremely spotty coverage. In general I envy their wireless systems, but we have vastly superior LTE coverage in the US.

I am in St. Louis as well and the 4G you are describing sounds like T-Mobile pretend 4G. I can consistently get 30-40/15-18 on AT&T and 15-25/10-15 on Verizon. Sprint is my wife's primary carrier but they only have WiMax coverage in STL which is 6-8 under the best of conditions and much worse typically. T-Mobile's coverage is so bad I only consider them an afterthought. I would like to take another look at US Cellular since I haven't test their network in a couple years.

Bobmuhthol

11-21-2012, 02:31 AM

Bob - Do you have any issues with that Republic thing when you're somewhere with no handy Wi-Fi? No MMS would be bad, but it's hard to argue with $19/month.The phone uses Sprint when it's not on wifi, and it's a 3G phone. I use the data all the time and it's good for what I need. The cell calling is actually clearer than the wifi calling from what I've experienced, which I'm hoping will improve with new firmware updates, but for now I generally turn off my wifi to make a call.

Gelston

11-21-2012, 03:11 AM

I had up to the iPhone 4, then switched to the Galaxy S II... Gotta say I prefer the Galaxy. Planning on getting the 3 soon.

Allereli

11-21-2012, 08:36 AM

The phone uses Sprint when it's not on wifi, and it's a 3G phone.

Don't even bother with a non-4G phone

Warriorbird

11-21-2012, 09:11 AM

Don't even bother with a non-4G phone

Some of us aren't in 4G areas. I think he is though.

Bobmuhthol

11-21-2012, 09:39 AM

Don't even bother with a non-4G phoneWhy?

Allereli

11-21-2012, 10:12 AM

Why?

do you still use dial-up at home? Why buy out of date technology? If you're reading the news, 3G is ok, if you're watching a movie, forget about it.

Liagala

11-21-2012, 10:30 AM

So the general consensus seems to be that Galaxy is a really good phone, AT&T has good customer service, and Keller is going to hell. That looks like a decent starting place to me. Thank you all!

Buckwheet

11-21-2012, 10:46 AM

I have the new Nexus 4 from Google on Straight Talk using the T-mobile sim. $45 a month unlimited, no contract, ATT Sim is available, phone was $349.

I ported my old cell number to Google Voice and have not looked back. The integration of the Google service along with an unlocked phone so I can jump between any GSM provider has saved me about $1600 since I switched.

Parkbandit

11-21-2012, 10:52 AM

do you still use dial-up at home? Why buy out of date technology? If you're reading the news, 3G is ok, if you're watching a movie, forget about it.

This.

I also wouldn't buy a phone without a camera, call waiting and voicemail.

Ashliana

11-21-2012, 12:33 PM

do you still use dial-up at home? Why buy out of date technology? If you're reading the news, 3G is ok, if you're watching a movie, forget about it.

My (AT&T) iPhone 4S' 3G (which the phone claims is 4G) is significantly faster than my roommate's 4G speed on a Droid with Verizon. And Netflix and Crunchyroll both work fine. I suppose it varies by the area, though.

Bobmuhthol

11-21-2012, 12:55 PM

Why the fuck would I watch a movie on the street with my cell phone?

Tgo01

11-21-2012, 12:58 PM

Why the fuck would I watch a movie on the street with my cell phone?

Yeah he watches his illegal downloads at home.

Allereli

11-21-2012, 01:05 PM

Why the fuck would I watch a movie on the street with my cell phone?

I was watching one in the waiting room of my dr's office the other day. Is your phone only with you on the street?

edit: also, you can tether any android phone to your laptop using EasyTether (available on Amazon app store). So if you're somewhere without internet, you can turn your phone into a modem without the extra monthly service charges from your provider. You'll definitely want 4G for that, unless you're fucking weird.

Parkbandit

11-21-2012, 01:12 PM

Yeah he watches his illegal downloads at home.

IT'S NOT STEALING!!!!

Bobmuhthol

11-21-2012, 02:47 PM

I was watching one in the waiting room of my dr's office the other day. Is your phone only with you on the street?

edit: also, you can tether any android phone to your laptop using EasyTether (available on Amazon app store). So if you're somewhere without internet, you can turn your phone into a modem without the extra monthly service charges from your provider. You'll definitely want 4G for that, unless you're fucking weird.I don't go to doctors very frequently. When I do, if I want to watch a movie I'll put it on my Nexus 7and not stream it, or I'll use Wi-Fi. There is no situation I've been in where I really needed a fast connection and didn't have Wi-Fi. Saying not to bother with 3G is crazily narrow minded.

Allereli

11-21-2012, 03:09 PM

I don't go to doctors very frequently. When I do, if I want to watch a movie I'll put it on my Nexus 7and not stream it, or I'll use Wi-Fi. There is no situation I've been in where I really needed a fast connection and didn't have Wi-Fi. Saying not to bother with 3G is crazily narrow minded.

lol whut? You still carrying around the Sony Walkman and watching Betamax movies?

edit: you do realize that all 4G phones come with 3G built in as well?

Parkbandit

11-21-2012, 03:46 PM

Oh god.. I see where this thread is going.......................................

Allereli

11-21-2012, 03:51 PM

Oh god.. I see where this thread is going.......................................

he probably stole his Betamax movies, too.

Parkbandit

11-21-2012, 03:57 PM

he probably stole his Betamax movies, too.

http://forum.gsplayers.com/showthread.php?76609-Finally-getting-a-smartphone&p=1473986#post1473986

Bobmuhthol

11-21-2012, 04:30 PM

lol whut? You still carrying around the Sony Walkman and watching Betamax movies?

edit: you do realize that all 4G phones come with 3G built in as well?I like the implication that I don't understand technology, especially when it comes packaged in the phrase "4G phones come with 3G built in." Your knowledge of ITU standards puts me to shame.

Were you the one that said that you took an undergrad political science class, and therefore no one else could possibly understand political science at your level? I'm going to assume you are. I'm not telling you how to be an acrobat; don't lecture me on networks.

diethx

11-21-2012, 04:51 PM

AT&T having good customer service... lol.

Gelston

11-21-2012, 05:04 PM

Never had a problem with ATT customer service. Sprint was horrible though.

Allereli

11-21-2012, 05:05 PM

don't lecture me on networks.

How about stealing?

Bobmuhthol

11-21-2012, 05:07 PM

So what you're saying is that you have nothing useful to say about cell phones.

Allereli

11-21-2012, 05:23 PM

So what you're saying is that you have nothing useful to say about cell phones.

i contributed plenty about two different services and reviews of phones that normal people get. You stick with your 3G phone which I'm sure you built yourself and developed some app with the MIT hackers club to get yourself free service. She is a normal consumer, I think I contributed more realistic suggestions.