Help with buying first smartphone
I'm looking at getting my first smartphone, but am having trouble deciding. I've had bad experiences with touchscreens in the past (friends' Dare and EnV Touch - maybe resistive touchscreen was the problem). When I test them I try to text something fairly quickly and see how close it came out. I tried the Storm2 (better accuracy with Surepress maybe?), Moto Droid, HTC Droid Eris, and the Imagio. I am not a business user so the Blackberry and WinMo platforms probably wouldn't be the best for me, and the S2 didn't seem very accurate anyway. That leaves the Droid and the Eris. When I tried the texting test the Moto Droid seemed a lot more accurate and moving through the menus the Droid seemed more stable (Eris seemed a little more jittery) so I...
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Verizon is way behind the times as usual, they don't have any good smart phones.
If it was me I would wait and get the EVO 4G or get the HD2 today!
If it was me I would wait and get the EVO 4G or get the HD2 today!
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That would be fine if that was even a consideration. Sprint only offers service in the lower corner of my state and Tmob isn't here at all. Even if they did, I'm not sure I would switch. The few times I do travel, for the most part I have service. But friends of mine in those areas I travel to who have other carriers seem to have spotty coverage. As this is my first smartphone, I think what is available will be fine for me, I just have to pick the right one out of what's available.
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You should move then! 😁
I wonder if someone has moved just so they could have a cool phone.
I wonder if someone has moved just so they could have a cool phone.
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Yeah, or move to get cheaper cell service. The cost of moving against $20/mo. You'll recoup the costs in only 15 years. lol The way the country is going nothing would surprise me at this point!
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Keep one things in mind: Nexus One is a phone you get from Google on a new line. It's not going to be available for upgrades. It's not going to have NE2.
I'd wait to see what Incredible holds. Actually, I AM waiting, so there you go.
I have the Droid, and it's a good phone for me. There's not much that I'm unable to do with it.
I'd wait to see what Incredible holds. Actually, I AM waiting, so there you go.
I have the Droid, and it's a good phone for me. There's not much that I'm unable to do with it.
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That's kinda what I was thinking too but was just hoping someone on here had maybe had a chance to fool around with an Incredible and could provide some more insight. A friend of mine has a Droid also and he said he loves it. By the way, love the avatar you use. Christopher Walken rules! "What'd you say? You're Talkin to me all wrong, it's the wrong tone. You do it again, I'll stab you in the face with a soldering iron." classic 😁
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I see the Droid eyes, but not the Droid antenna.
I have had my Droids for a full week now and I'm happy, as you may know I am also new to Vzn.
I have had my Droids for a full week now and I'm happy, as you may know I am also new to Vzn.
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I'm not new to Verizon, been here since '97 when they were Commnet Cellular and analog. Took a 2 month vacation in 2000 to CellularOne (Alltel now but crap service either way which explains why they let me out after 2 months of a 2 year contract). So not new to VZW, just to smartphones. My NE2 date is 4/21 so I'm gonna agree with epik and hope to Incredible comes out before then so I can try it out. Otherwise with all of the people I've talked to who use the Droid I haven't heard anyone say anything bad about it, 'cept voyagerboy of course. But I usually stick with what folks like epik, menno, & cellenator have to say. They seem very knowledgeable and only put the smackdown when the poster's being a tool.
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I believe the HTC Incredible doesn't hace a physical keyboard, that doesn't bother you, huh? The Droid is the 1st smartphone I have ever owned that has a slidout keyboard, it's a nice feature to have. And I really like that my Gmail comes directly to my Droid.
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That's the other stopping point for me on the Incredible but I forgot to mention it in my first posting. I know Moto has been taking alot of flack for the physical keyboard because the keys are flat with no rounding but those same people then say that Moto should eliminate it completely. If you don't like the physical qwerty you don't have to use it. It would be different if they only offered the physical but you can always use the touchscreen one instead. Personally I don't really think the weight is that much of an issue and I'd rather have something to hold onto (the depth added by the qwerty) rather than making calls on something with the depth of a credit card. That's one of the reasons I didn't get the V3 Razr, really wide and thin jus...
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I use a holster also, nice brown leather one that I bought on Pocket Solutions website. I don't know if you know this or not but the Moto Droid is the slimmest qwerty smartphone. And well in my opinion it's comfortable to hold in the hand while talking on the phone.
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I don't use the keyboard on my Droid all that much. I like using my phone vertically, anyway. But the biggest thing for me is the error correction on the virtual keyboard, which the physical one just doesn't have.
I've also been playing with Swype on my Droid.
I've also been playing with Swype on my Droid.
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you can get the auto correction on the physical keypad with a couple of the alternate keypads. (legally, the smart keyboard pro, not-so-legally, the HTC-IME keyboard side-loaded to your phone)
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I came from Palms and Blackberrys and was very leery of buying an Eris because it had no physical keyboard. I have no issues typing on it, much faster than my BB, and HTC has one of (imho) the best virtual keyboards out there. I did have more issues typing on (both) the Droid keyboards and I do prefer the Sense UI. Maybe try out the Incredible, but I have many friends and family who have and LOVE their Droids. Also remember the Droid has a proven track record. Nothing new will for awhile...
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the HTC keyboards is one of the best. The only one I like more is the Smart Keyboard Pro from the marketplace.
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What does the Smart Keyboard Pro have to offer as far as being better? I may have to try it out...
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it will.. My guess is they'll do it right before/after the incredible is officially announced (kinda like BBerry updates)
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I tried the Eris and Droid and I seemed to be more accurate on the Droid. I think it comes down to the point where you just have to try it out for yourself and see what works for you. I tried a friends Dare once and hated it, but he swore by it. Also, I went into a VZW 3rd party store (authorized retailer) and tried to see what they could tell me about the Incredible. He was at Las Vegas & he said the HTC guys showed them/ let them play with the Incredible a bit. He said it was extremely fast and had a great camera, which I kinda knew from the leaks/ rumors. He said when they were invited over to look at it the HTC guys told them that it was not going to be shown at the show, and that even the VZW reps hadn't seen it. If true that's kind of ...
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You sound like you have two things that matter to you: Device reliability and typing accuracy.
You don't use the phone for business, so you don't NEED the small suite of Blackberry features that Android is incapable of.
You are concerned that the Droid is "already 6 months old, but just from reading your posts here, you don't sound like the early adopter type. You're asking a bunch of goons on the internet detailed reviews of a device that has only been seen in youtube links...
Early adopters need to EXPECT problems with the latest and greatest wares on the market, and be willing to deal with them personally. You don't sound like you have the stomach for that. You need to touch down with something that has been on the market 2 ...
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You don't use the phone for business, so you don't NEED the small suite of Blackberry features that Android is incapable of.
You are concerned that the Droid is "already 6 months old, but just from reading your posts here, you don't sound like the early adopter type. You're asking a bunch of goons on the internet detailed reviews of a device that has only been seen in youtube links...
Early adopters need to EXPECT problems with the latest and greatest wares on the market, and be willing to deal with them personally. You don't sound like you have the stomach for that. You need to touch down with something that has been on the market 2 ...
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Good points.
Your first Smart-phone doesn't have to be "the best."
If you decide to wait for the next greatest thing, you'll always wait - something better comes out every month/every other month.
Just pick something that's known, and well reviewed.
Your first Smart-phone doesn't have to be "the best."
If you decide to wait for the next greatest thing, you'll always wait - something better comes out every month/every other month.
Just pick something that's known, and well reviewed.
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Yeah trust me....I been waiting for the HTC Incredible for the longest time and will keep waiting cause its the phone I want badly....Not sure when its coming to Verizon but ya know when it does come I'll be happy. As people have said here man dont wait cause you'll be waiting forever
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I agree completely. Even if I want the newest smartphone, I wait several months.
Why? Because, no doubt, countless issues will be resolved, updates will be pushed, and the models manufactured at that point will fix defects that weren't known on the device's release day. Also, the price typically drops after 6+ months, which is always a plus. Also, user reviews will be abundant at that period.
Unless you're looking to impress friends, it's always good to get a 6m-1yr tested smartphone as opposed to something fresh out of the factory. You'll be happy with the functionality, and even happier with the reliability.
Why? Because, no doubt, countless issues will be resolved, updates will be pushed, and the models manufactured at that point will fix defects that weren't known on the device's release day. Also, the price typically drops after 6+ months, which is always a plus. Also, user reviews will be abundant at that period.
Unless you're looking to impress friends, it's always good to get a 6m-1yr tested smartphone as opposed to something fresh out of the factory. You'll be happy with the functionality, and even happier with the reliability.
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That's kinda what I've been leaning toward, but I would like to see the Incredible first so I can at least make an informed decision. I'm an electronic tech and kinda self taught on computers (built my last two) so if/ when problems come up I can deal with them (just gotta keep up on the forums). But at the same time it'd be nice to know if the potential device has been a problem child for the developers from day one and I'm going to be spending all my time trying to keep the thing running. The problem I have that relates to HTC is the Sense UI and how devices with this will most likely be waiting longer for OS updates (Eris). If the Incredible comes out fairly close to my upgrade date, I would like to see if any improvements over the Droid ...
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vzw76 said:...
That's kinda what I've been leaning toward, but I would like to see the Incredible first so I can at least make an informed decision. I'm an electronic tech and kinda self taught on computers (built my last two) so if/ when problems come up I can deal with them (just gotta keep up on the forums). But at the same time it'd be nice to know if the potential device has been a problem child for the developers from day one and I'm going to be spending all my time trying to keep the thing running. The problem I have that relates to HTC is the Sense UI and how devices with this will most likely be waiting longer for OS updates (Eris). If the Incredible comes out fairly close to my upgrade date, I would like to see if
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The Droid still holds it's own against the n1 though, and it was/is plagued by significantly fewer issues. It's also more than capable of handling anything anyone's thrown at it, even Google Earth BEFORE it had 2.1
That's the thing about technology. it's always a gamble if you jump on the "newest" thing when it launches. The Droid was insanely stable for being a "first of it's kind." especially considering it's a Moto (I mean seriously.. this was the same company that made the RIVAL which sucks)
There will always be a "next greatest thing." but that doesn't mean that you should always jump on it. and if you're waiting on it, you'll never get a new phone.
That's the thing about technology. it's always a gamble if you jump on the "newest" thing when it launches. The Droid was insanely stable for being a "first of it's kind." especially considering it's a Moto (I mean seriously.. this was the same company that made the RIVAL which sucks)
There will always be a "next greatest thing." but that doesn't mean that you should always jump on it. and if you're waiting on it, you'll never get a new phone.
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Menno said:
The Droid still holds it's own against the n1 though, and it was/is plagued by significantly fewer issues. It's also more than capable of handling anything anyone's thrown at it, even Google Earth BEFORE it had 2.1
That's the thing about technology. it's always a gamble if you jump on the "newest" thing when it launches. The Droid was insanely stable for being a "first of it's kind." especially considering it's a Moto (I mean seriously.. this was the same company that made the RIVAL which sucks)
There will always be a "next greatest thing." but that doesn't mean that you should always jump on it. and if you're waiting on it, you'll never get a new phone.
Menno said it best. For the ...
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As far as personal preference on a device, nobody's wrong because it's there preference. I'm saying that to me an extra ounce here or there is not much of an issue to me. When you think about what some of these devices can do, while being smaller than a pop can and weighing less than half as much, if I'm looking at two devices and there's an ounce difference between the two that will not be the deciding factor of me. I'm not saying it's wrong for someone else to feel this way, but it's a just non issue for me.
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vzw76 said:
As far as personal preference on a device, nobody's wrong because it's there preference. I'm saying that to me an extra ounce here or there is not much of an issue to me. When you think about what some of these devices can do, while being smaller than a pop can and weighing less than half as much, if I'm looking at two devices and there's an ounce difference between the two that will not be the deciding factor of me. I'm not saying it's wrong for someone else to feel this way, but it's a just non issue for me.
I misunderstood. Bottom line is you can say your gonna buy this or that but for me...I like the option of being to get my gmail to my phone with no issues and surf the speed at highspeed...
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Also you talk about how you used to come on here and ask about what phone you should get. That's just asking an informed individual their take on the subject. I've never had a smartphone and never dealt with HTC. I guess when I started this thread I should have also asked what do you think of HTC's reliability rather than asking about a specific model (and one that hasn't come out yet). One of the questions I had asked that has never been addressed yet is about the Sense UI. I asked is it just more home screens and better looking, or is there more to it than that. Does it have more tendency to cause lag or run more smoothly than stock Android? Now I know they say some people love it and some people hate it, but without nowing anything about ...
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sense makes android more widget friendly. What I mean by this is they created this AWESOME pack of widgets to access core parts of the phone. Favorite contacts, calendar, email, etc, This makes the UI a lot more "unified" in feel. When placing icons and widgets on a homescreen, the UI grays out areas where you can't place the item, which is nice with oddly shaped widgets.
The keyboard on HTCSense phones is also second to none (though smart keyboard pro comes first.. that one costs $4) both with the responsiveness and the auto correction feature.
If they phone is optimized for sense, it also doesn't really slow down the device all that much (the typical user will not notice it)
the scenes feature allows you to configure a "profe...
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The keyboard on HTCSense phones is also second to none (though smart keyboard pro comes first.. that one costs $4) both with the responsiveness and the auto correction feature.
If they phone is optimized for sense, it also doesn't really slow down the device all that much (the typical user will not notice it)
the scenes feature allows you to configure a "profe...
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I am a fan. My daughter had the predecessor to the HTC Mogul - a bulky, boxy Windows Mobile phone with a slide-out keypad and touchscreen/stylus (I learned to love Bubble Burst on that phone....) that she could not KILL. We bought it off Ebay because she was young, and she actually completely submerged it in water, we took out the battery, dried it out and the thing worked fine for another year until she had to have something new. I'll go with reliable. 😎
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Hey thanks again everyone for the info, about the Sense and HTC reliability, I myself have had very good luck with Moto, so hearing about HTC doing well tells me I probably wouldn't go wrong either way. I kinda had my mind made up for me however. I read on the Verizon Android forum about a couple pieces of info a guy got outta Verizon. The Eris 2.1 update is looking like end of April at the latest, and the Incredible is still being tested by HTC but needs to be finished by June. Verizon also has not actually committed to selling the Incredible, and if they do won't guarantee it'll be available as an upgrade. This info was under a Incredible update thread towards the end. Now I don't know if this is the kinda thing that normally happens when ...
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Yeah the more I think about it the more I wonder if the Incredible will be out or not. If its something not being offered by Verizon then maybe the Moto Droid is the way to go for me...Does anyone have any idea about the Incredible?
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If the only thing keeping you from going with an Eris is the jitter that you experienced, then I'd recommend taking another look. I have an Eris, and I bought it because - from my own experience - it runs smoother than the Moto Droid.
If you're messing with the phone in a store, then you may want to make sure that it doesn't just have a bunch of extra apps installed and running in the background. I use Advanced Task Killer, personally, but the phone still runs smoothly if I don't. You may, however, notice slight delays with the virtual keyboard appearing or rotating.
Trust me: With a new Eris out of the box, you won't have these issues.
If you're messing with the phone in a store, then you may want to make sure that it doesn't just have a bunch of extra apps installed and running in the background. I use Advanced Task Killer, personally, but the phone still runs smoothly if I don't. You may, however, notice slight delays with the virtual keyboard appearing or rotating.
Trust me: With a new Eris out of the box, you won't have these issues.
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Kevinski, does the Task Killer interfere in any way with your email programs or Facebook notifications, etc.? I have yet to download it because the phandroid forums seem to say it is not something you want interfering with the way the Android OS works. I'm very confused but I'd like to improve my battery life if I can. (Plus my phone seems to use up all kinds of data at night when all I'm doing is charging it...) Thanks...
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I had the Eris for about 2 weeks when it was first released, I liked the idea of the phone for some reason or another it was just sluggish for me. Can anyone actually tell me whether or not the Droid by Motorola runs faster, the same, or slower than the Droid Eris?
Thanks
Thanks
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