Phone Opinions Wanted!

[Antares]

I've got a Samsung Epic. It is my first smartphone and I love it. That said, it's crap.

In early 2011 I upgraded to the Epic.

About 6 months later, the battery wouldn't hold a charge through the night. It was replaced under the insurance.

A couple of months later, I took the phone in for a manufacturing defect. The front facing camera was partially blocked by a piece of plastic that was misaligned during manufacture. The phone was replaced under insurance.

The space key on the replacement phone only worked some of the time and the charging port was loose. It wouldn't charge unless the plug was in just right. The replacement phone was replaced.

That lasted about 9 months. While in Montana this summer the display died while using it. The phone still worked, but it was difficult to use because I couldn't see to dial. When I got to the nearest Sprint store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the store replaced the phone.

That replacement phone had problems right from the start. It would lock up while using it requiring me to pull the battery.

When I took the phone in, they said that their diagnostic equipment didn't even recognize it. The phone was replaced yet again under insurance.

The battery is now failing again, barely holding a charge for 6 hours of no use.

My next phone will probably be a Samsung because they're pretty much the only name in the game other than Apple.

It may sound like I abuse my phone. That couldn't be further from the truth. I take care of it. Its an expensive piece of equipment and it took a lot for me to decide to drop the money on it. Even though I have insurance, I'd rather not use it if I don't have to. Unfortunately, I've had to use it quite a bit.

[PepperElf]

I may have gotten the name wrong but buddy beam is when you can share photos with other Samsung users.
Google Sky is basically an augmented reality app that shows where things are and what they're named in the night sky.

pretty much. You point your phone at anything and it shows you what is in the sky there.

It's one of the few apps I really wish was available for my ipod touch. The equivalent ones keep requiring i tell them where north is. I look at the app and say "fuck that's what you're here for!" but alas. sigh.

oh and if you like military stuff there's an app called "name that plane". i do better on the older planes myself.



as for what phone to pick, i'd recommend handling them at the stores - while they're on. i hate those non-working displays

i was looking at some for a while and wanted a kick i think. i liked the idea of individual keys and didn't want a phone that entirely slid up.

but im cheap and stayed with tracfone. although i did upgrade to one with a keypad after i dropped the old one in a parking lot and the top broke off. i bought the new one from my old store with a protection plan on it cos... yeah they actually had some for tracfone.

[Jester]

oh and if you like military stuff there's an app called "name that plane". i do better on the older planes myself.

I've had an app like that since the mid-Eighties. I call it "stepfather and stepbrother."

[Andara Bledin]

My next phone will probably be a Samsung because they're pretty much the only name in the game other than Apple.

Except for HTC, which are 6 of the top 10 phones in a tech mag line-up. Sprint only has a couple of them on offer, but I believe the EVO is the one I want to upgrade to, unless they come out with something fancier before my contract is up in February.

^-.-^

[Dilorenzo]

I'd advise staying away from Sony Ericsson (though from what I understand that isn't an issue anymore, I think the partnership dissolved), just in case you're looking at older models. I got an Xperia play as it was the cheapest I could get with my discount, and while it's okay, I certainly wouldn't call it durable.

[BlaqueKatt]

What's a buddy beam?

And while durability is a very important factor to me, I'm a klutz, I know I'm a klutz, and I take measures to protect against my klutziness--I plan on buying an Otter Box for my new phone, whatever it is. If I'm spending that kind of money on a new phone, damn it, I'm gonna protect it from me!

Otter box saved my SIII, 3 foot drop onto a sidewalk from my pocket-phone's fine, small scratch in the otterbox.

and "buddy beam" is confusing two different features.

The S Beam feature transfers photos, videos, documents between two Galaxy S III phones, just by placing them back to back.

Buddy Photo Share recognizes faces, so you can share photos with friends right away. Or capture the party and instantly share to the entire group with Share Shot.

I've had mine a little over a month, as has Mr Katt, we are quite happy with them. I love having access to netflix, and after some minor tweaking of programs* my battery lasts around 12 hours or so.

*it was lasting less than 8 hours but the phone will give you a listing of what's draining the battery, I just used task manager(like a computer has) to end the draining programs.

[Antares]

Except for HTC, which are 6 of the top 10 phones in a tech mag line-up. Sprint only has a couple of them on offer, but I believe the EVO is the one I want to upgrade to, unless they come out with something fancier before my contract is up in February.

^-.-^

I'd forgotten about them. I'll definitely check that out when I upgrade.

[AccountingDrone]

My next phone will probably be a Samsung because they're pretty much the only name in the game other than Apple.

My first gen Motorola Droid would like to differ ....

I put my poor phone through hell, I have the alarm function set for all 4 of my pill times, my insulin time, my aerogarden manual turn on and off times, and any other alarms I need [I also set the calendar with all my appointments.] I read on it at least 4 hours a day, frequently 12-18 hours a day. I have around a thousand ebooks crammed onto it. I have a couple movies on it as well. Only thing I don't do is listen to music. I have had this one since the first gen droid came out Christmas '09[Verizon] and have had no problems with it at all. Still on its original battery as well.

[fireheart]

Only issue with the HTC is that they tend to drag their feet on Android updates. So while my boyfriend got Ice Cream Sandwich, I wound up getting the Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense on the side

[Jester]

I'd advise staying away from Sony Ericsson (though from what I understand that isn't an issue anymore, I think the partnership dissolved), just in case you're looking at older models.

Nope. Going all in this time, looking at the iPhone 4S, the Samsung SIII Galaxy (I think that's what it's called), and the HTC whatever-the-hell-it-is-that's-comparable-to-the-other-two-I-just-mentioned.

Interesting development: I had decided to ignore the iPhone 4S because it was not customizable and I would have to go through iTunes and pay money to put music on it.

Well, according to some people, you CAN actually put your own ringtones and screensaves on the iPhone. Can anyone tell me more about this?

As for the tunage, apparently if you're dealing with your own music, i.e., uploading CD's to your computer and then to your phone, the iPhone is just as happy to take them for free as any other phone. Yes, you have to go through iTunes, but it doesn't cost you any more to do this.

These were the two big STOPs for the iPhone for me, but they may or not be stops....can anyone comment? I ask because the iPhone 4S is a full $75 cheaper than the Samsung, so this has definitely caught my interest....

[PepperElf]

I've had an app like that since the mid-Eighties. I call it "stepfather and stepbrother."

I have that one too! Only I've had it since the early 70s and call it "Dad".


screensavers: i thought mine was a photo of my dog but i'm not sure anymore. still you should find some links on it if you want to change and use different screensavers. i just updated mine so it seems a bit different and i may have to change things around...

ringtones: i prefer garage band to make them, but you also can download apps (free ones too) that let you make them.

[BlaqueKatt]

These were the two big STOPs for the iPhone for me, but they may or not be stops....can anyone comment?

only thing I can find about that is jaillbroken phones.

Another possible STOP for the iphone 4s, you are limited to the internal memory of
16GB for OS, photos, apps, and music, that's it, you can't add more memory. While the Samsung Galaxy SIII has 16GB or 32GB models and both support up to a 64GB micro sd card for more storage(useful if you use it as a primary music player or e-reader), especially as a 32GB micro SD card runs $13.50 at amazon. I have 20GB of music, which isn't much, but it fits on my phone, and I don't have to choose, I have all of it.

[Andara Bledin]

Re: Storage. The HTC Evo can have up to 32GB as well.

My phone only has 16GB, but I haven't come anywhere close to hitting the limit. But, it's worth noting that I don't use it for music unless I'm playing Pandora, so the only storage I really use is when I take pics or videos.

^-.-^

[Jester]

I think I'm gonna go get the phone today. I think I'm gonna go for the Samsung. Purely on my gut instinct. Even though it's more money than the iPhone.

And I can't wait to get my ringtones loaded on to it. My favorite one is the one I use for text messages: Tubular Bells from The Exorcist. Freaks people out all the damn time.

[Jester]

Got the Samsung! It's sweet....but I still have a lot to learn about how to use the damn thing. Luckily, my bartender today knew enough about it to turn off the auto-correct for me, as I HATE it. And now....it's as dead as my dating life! Take that, auto-correct!