I've never had a smart phone before

[Jskid]

I'm buying a smart phone tomorrow and if anyone has any tips that would be awesome. Question: do I need a data plan if I've got wireless internet 99% of the time?

Also some people tell me Blackberries don't have apps, but that's just a technicality they just call it something different right?

 

[Oyeve]

I'm buying a smart phone tomorrow and if anyone has any tips that would be awesome. Question: do I need a data plan if I've got wireless internet 99% of the time?

Also some people tell me Blackberries don't have apps, but that's just a technicality they just call it something different right?

Yes, you will need a data plan just to get the phone (on contract). You can get the cheapest data plan as you say you will be on wifi 99% of the time. Yes, BB has some form of an app place but it is light-years BEHIND apple and android and even wp7.

 

[vshah]

OP, have you decided which phone you are getting yet? We may have some suggestions based on what you're looking to get out of it...

 

[Jskid]

OP, have you decided which phone you are getting yet? We may have some suggestions based on what you're looking to get out of it...

I haven't decided. What information is relevant that I could give?

I'm moving for school in the fall: is it easier to change area codes with certain phones/plans? I would like nation wide (or province wide) texting. I hear BBM is free nation wide, is it really better than texting?

I would like a phone that integrates well with facebook e.g. I want to do "Josh and Matt are at 1234 fakestreet"

 

[Jester666]

What's the hurry in getting one tomorrow? There are so many options out there, you might want to take a little more time to figure out what features are important to you. I would also consider buying online from maybe Amazon, you can usually save some $.

 

[Ravynmagi]

First thing you should decide is if you want an iPhone, Android, or Windows Phone 7. I doubt you'd want a Blackberry, it's mostly a business oriented device still.

I can't speak much about WP7, I don't really follow it. My impression is it's a locked down OS like iPhone, but with only a fraction of the apps.

iPhone is nice because it has tons of apps, is very polished and smooth. But it's a walled garden and there are less freedoms with it.

Android is nice for almost opposite reasons. It's very open, you have lots of choices in hardware configurations and styles, and even without rooting (hack to give yourself full access) you can still do so much with the OS. And Android has a lot of apps too. But it's not quite as smooth and polished and because of the big fragmentation in different versions of Android, different hardware configurations, and different custom UIs, the app experience is not uniform and sometimes stuff just doesn't always work like it should.

As a tech person I love Android because it allows me to do so much with it. While Apple's philosophy is to make technology hidden to the end user (boring).

If you decide on a Android phone, then you still have a big challenge of deciding which Android phone, as there are tons of them. But I'd probably look at only phones with dual core processors, that should help narrow down your focus.

Of course you'll want to decide on a carrier too, probably before trying to figure out which phone you want.

 

[vshah]

if you can wait a couple months for the galaxy S 2 to hit the US, that would be a top choice if you want android.

 

[Jskid]

First thing you should decide is if you want an iPhone, Android, or Windows Phone 7. I doubt you'd want a Blackberry, it's mostly a business oriented device still.

What makes it more a buisness oriented device? I'd like a phone that keeps track of my schedule/appointments.

 

[vshah]

What makes it more a buisness oriented device? I'd like a phone that keeps track of my schedule/appointments.

what service do you use now to keep track of your schedule? If you are a google calendar user, then Android is a solid choice as the google calendar/gmail integration is seamless. just sign in with your google account on the phone, and within seconds your email and calendar are synced.

windows phone 7 is naturally geared more towards microsoft's services.

 

[s44]

I hear BBM is free nation wide, is it really better than texting?

It was a nice idea when people actually used Blackberries, but that day is past. The only people still getting Blackberries are those whose jobs won't support other, more advanced smartphones.

If you're in Canada, you unfortunately can't use Google Voice, which is a lot of the fun of Android. But with most people having cell service and no long distance fee, no one bothers to change area codes any more -- at least in NYC.

 

[DivideBYZero]

It was a nice idea when people actually used Blackberries, but that day is past. The only people still getting Blackberries are those whose jobs won't support other, more advanced smartphones.

So much disinformation in this post.

 

[NetGuySC]

If you decide on an Android, consider the Virgin Mobile LG Optimus V

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/lg-optimus-v-phone.jsp

It will cost you $199 up front at Wal_Mart target etc. It connects to wi-fi without even having to pay for a virgin mobile plan every month.

Being that you have wi-fi 99% of the time, if you download this $10/month app called Line2...

http://www.line2.com/ - you will be able to quality phone calls and text, again with no monthly plan from a wireless carrier.

I use this exact setup on my wife's phone.. She's on wi-fi in korea and I use either the wi-fi mode or 3g mode here. We tal;k and text with no extra charges other than the $10/mnth on each phone.

I use the line 2 app on my work phone also so that I can make personal calls.

 

[Dulanic]

If you decide on an Android, consider the Virgin Mobile LG Optimus V

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/lg-optimus-v-phone.jsp

It will cost you $199 up front at Wal_Mart target etc. It connects to wi-fi without even having to pay for a virgin mobile plan every month.

Being that you have wi-fi 99% of the time, if you download this $10/month app called Line2...

http://www.line2.com/ - you will be able to quality phone calls and text, again with no monthly plan from a wireless carrier. She is now in South Korea visiting and we use the line2 app to talk with each other. She's on wi-fi in korea and I use either the wi-fi mode or 3g mode here. We tal;k and text with no extra charges other than the $10/mnth on each phone.


I use this exact setup on my wife's phone.. and I use the line 2 app on my work phone also so that I can make personal calls.

I'd 100% agree with this. It sounds like you just want texting and other crap like that but not a ton of calling/data (outside of wifi). This is one of the cheapest options and you don't NEED a fancy ass phone half the people here will recommend. Other option is boost mobile also.

Also their plan with 300 minutes is all of $25, you can't go wrong.

 

[Jskid]

If you don't have a Blackberry there's no way to send BBMs (for example no app for Androids) right?

 

[Jskid]

If you decide on an Android, consider the Virgin Mobile LG Optimus V

http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phones/lg-optimus-v-phone.jsp

It will cost you $199 up front at Wal_Mart target etc. It connects to wi-fi without even having to pay for a virgin mobile plan every month.

Being that you have wi-fi 99% of the time, if you download this $10/month app called Line2...

http://www.line2.com/ - you will be able to quality phone calls and text, again with no monthly plan from a wireless carrier.

I use this exact setup on my wife's phone.. She's on wi-fi in korea and I use either the wi-fi mode or 3g mode here. We tal;k and text with no extra charges other than the $10/mnth on each phone.

I use the line 2 app on my work phone also so that I can make personal calls.

To download the app in the first place wouldn't I need a data plan? Line2 can be used on other phones right, you were just suggesting the LG Optimus V?

 

[vshah]

If you don't have a Blackberry there's no way to send BBMs (for example no app for Androids) right?

bbm is only on the blackberry. there are apps for android that will accomplish many of the same features, like google talk for chat which is on all android phones.

bbm has more group features and ability to send pictures etc. there may be 3rd part apps like "whatsapp messenger" that will do these things on android.

but really it comes down to what chat service most of your friends/family use. if most of them are on bbm, that may push you towards a blackberry, if you find yourself on google chat most of the time, that would push you towards android.

 

[dpodblood]

I have used Blackberry, Android, and WP7 myself. If I were you I wouldn't bother with Blackberry. Their main advantage is integration with MS exchange and BBM, and BBM only helps if your friends and family also have Blackberries. Android is very customizable, the app market is starting to mature (it's actually competitive with iOS now), and the gmail/google calendar integration is great. That said if you do choose an Android device, make sure it's a high end device with a 1GHz CPU, or better. Running Android on a low end device isn't an enjoyable experience IMO.

 

[dpodblood]

what service do you use now to keep track of your schedule? If you are a google calendar user, then Android is a solid choice as the google calendar/gmail integration is seamless. just sign in with your google account on the phone, and within seconds your email and calendar are synced.

windows phone 7 is naturally geared more towards microsoft's services.

Actually I have a WP7 phone now, and it ties in with Googles services just as well as my android phone did!