I hate phones... But the time has come

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Small_Fryz

Small_Fryz

But why is the Rum gone??
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Small_Fryz
Ok well, my phone plan is up for renewal and currently I have a basic Nokia 6120. However I would love to be able to access my work emails and even our work system. All possible on an Iphone. We have lotus notes and can use VPN to log into our AS400 Customer database thingo.

Anyway I was heavily leaning towards an Iphone even though i hate apple, simply because almost everyone else has one here at the office and the directors (all 3) own them, so if any new cool features come out, they come out for iphone. Also I dont actually own a mp3 player so I would use it as an Ipod as well.

So considering I dont actually use any apps (but only because i have none) I might if i had the choice, but unless some are really awesome I cant see that swaying my decision. But honestly as long as i can access the road maps (which i can already on my 6120) / txt / call and see lotus notes easily Im 95% happy.

Of the below phones (ones available on the plan I want) is any better than just getting the Iphone 4? and why?

To be worth the effort to go against the grain (everyone else runs iphone) the phone will have to be able to justify it. I don't blindly follow the crowd when such a better option exists, hence why I have bothered to make this thread. However if the Iphone 4 isnt the devil and is half decent and the other phones dont really stack up in my case then I will feel better jumping on the bandwagon.

Selection:

iPhone™ 4
HTC Desire
HTC Wildfire
HTC 7 Mozart
LG Optimus GT540f
LG Optimus 7Q (coming soon)
Nokia E72, Nokia N8 (coming soon)
Nokia N97 Mini
Samsung Galaxy S
Samsung Omnia ICON
Samsung Omnia PRO
Samsung Wave
Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10
Sony Ericsson Xperia™ X10 Mini Pro
 
Galaxy S user here...

Personally, I don't understand the attraction of smartphones... I only got mine because it was free with my plan (hell... I spend enough on phone bills to buy a new Galaxy every year)... but it's not a bad phone. Has a complete set of Google Apps, including Google Maps, with a GPS locator, Wifi, 3G and mobile tethering (I sometimes use it as a wireless modem for my laptop in a pinch).

It does a lot of things almost as well as an iPhone and some things better. The one thing it doesn't have over the Apple is battery life. It sucks when you've got a lot of things going on, and the phone can get incredibly hot when you're using it as a modem.

Against the iPhone 3, it's better. Against the 4... I've used the 4 a bit, and I think it may be a better device... Apple touchscreens simply rock. My brother traded up his Galaxy S for one.

As I use my phone for work, I only use mine when I'm at the office, and after playing around with the available apps (on this, on the iPhone3 and the iPhone4), doing work on a cellular device really isn't as good as doing it on a netbook. When I go out in the field or on tests, I fall back on my waterproof/shockproof Samsung B2100. Easier to call on, easier to text on, has a powerful flashlight, and it's a lot less scarier to drop in the dirt... :lol: ...hell, I bought another one as a back-up. Damn useful phone.

Anyway... it's a well-loaded phone, Android market has lots of free apps, the map function is useful, and things like the "Layar" enhanced reality function (which overlays icons over your phone's video screen using GPS data... with everything from the location of the nearest pizza place to a full-on virtual map) are mind-bogglingly cool. But the battery life, lack of flash/flashlight and the easily scratchable case (the screen is scratchproof) count against it.
 
So it would be between

HTC HD2
Samsung Galaxy 2
Iphone4

Of those the Samsung is the most expensive while the other 2 I can get on a lower plan (which suits my call habits better).

Edit, thanks Niky, awesome reply mate.

I just dont think I would use much of the "smart phone" features and the ones I will use will be all work related, which will probably be better to have what everyone else has, since the systems and things are already in place. Iphone 4 really does seem to be a decent phone.
 
No opinion to add, but interested in what you find out.

I'm due to update my cell phone too. I rarely use my current one (by rare I mean no outgoing texts and maybe 5 calls a month), but I do like to keep one around for emergency purposes. On top of that, my Ipod recently died... so, ya, trying to kill two birds here.
 
If you get a iPhone 4 I will shoot you in the face.

HTC HD2. I think the Galaxy but the kid icons ruin it.
 
Small_Fryz
I just dont think I would use much of the "smart phone" features and the ones I will use will be all work related, which will probably be better to have what everyone else has, since the systems and things are already in place. Iphone 4 really does seem to be a decent phone.
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Did some digging, All the "work stuff" works on Andriod anyway. Lotus notes and the AS400 customer database VPN.

Boundary Layer
No opinion to add, but interested in what you find out.

I'm due to update my cell phone too. I rarely use my current one (by rare I mean no outgoing texts and maybe 5 calls a month), but I do like to keep one around for emergency purposes. On top of that, my Ipod recently died... so, ya, trying to kill two birds here.
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I txt and call a bit, but thats all. However if i had extra features i might tend to use them. Would be cool to have the net on the go or while out drunk to prove my point.

Casio
If you get a iPhone 4 I will shoot you in the face.

HTC HD2. I think the Galaxy but the kid icons ruin it.
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But the Iphone is also a decent MP3 player... I dont know.. its a hard choice...

HTC HD2 or iphone4
 
Another Galaxy S user here.

I'm not sure on the battery life compared to the iPhone4. The battery life of a smartphone surely is short compared to standard phones (mainly due to constantly-held data connections and the big, bight screens), but in the reviews I read, the iPhone4 was exactly on par with the Galaxy S in terms of battery life.

As for which one to choose, it depends on what you want to do. The big advantage of Android is the openness of the system and the appending configurability. You can change pretty much anything to your liking and fiddle around with it endlessly. However, from what I read, you're rather looking for something that just works well out of the box and does what you want, so you might be better off with an iPhone4.
 
If you are looking for a solid MP3 player the iPhone is not going to let you down. The iPod player on my 3GS is the thing I love most about it.

I'm not quite getting the ridiculous high price on the iPhone 4, though. All it has over the the 3GS is basically a higher resolution screen, and that's probably about it. I don't know about everyone else, but the design on the iPhone 4 is also not that great. The original iPhone easily stays the cleanest looking smartphone out there. Although I also really, really like how the HD2 looks, and it has an immensely big screen.
 
Audio quality on the iPhone is laughable if you are concerned about that.

The HD2 would be great but it is running WinMo6.5 last I checked, which is less than ideal.

The Galaxy S is amazing in terms of performance and numbers, vastly better than the iPhone 4. And it isn't locked into the Apple Eco-system. And virtually any app Apple seems to get, Android gets a similar type of app. And its usually cheaper and easier to install :p

Honestly, a bit surprised that your work uses the iPhone for work stuff. I've heard ups and downs on their security for business networks.

Do you guys get the HTC EVO 4G or any other devices using Froyo at the moment? Or the HD7 with Windows Phone 7.
 
The only thing that stopped me from getting the AT&T version of the Galaxy S (Captivate) was the fact that AT&T had some features removed such as the front facing camera and the dual LED camera flash. I ended up going with the iPhone 4, which was the same price anyway ($200USD). So I personally would go with the Galaxy S if I had the option myself.
Also, the new Windows Phone 7 devices will be heavily restricted, even more so than iOS. Lots of features from WM6.5 were removed, and stuff that even iOS has isn't there. At the moment, I'd say Android remains the best phone OS.
 
I love my iPhone 4 and would definately reccomend it - i'd check the 3G signal in your area in advance for the operator you would be buying from.

I hate lotus notes, its slow, havent ever tried to sync it with my iPhone, my work also uses VPN so wouldnt have a clue how to set it all up !

EDIT: my certificates on VPN have expired so no chance (dont have a laptop in work anymore so no need for it really).
 
*Holy double-posting wireless networks, Batman...*
 
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RE: Apps... that's something... most of the iPhone apps eventually make their way to Android... and there are some Android apps that Apple doesn't have... gotta love open source. But free apps are a hit-or-miss thing... there are some compatibility issues with various Android phones for certain free apps... but I haven't found any yet on the Galaxy.

RE: OS... definitely would go with the Apple (stability) or the Android (configurability)... I've got some tweaks on mine to improve battery life and to turn off wifi/3G selectively to minimize running costs (not on an unlimited data plan... yet).
 
Android is just far more versatile. But here's the bottom line...

Cell phone minutes are a dying concept. I don't know what you have in Australia, but here in the states you can't get an iphone4 without a 2 year contractual obligation to buy minutes. Beyond that, the iphone apps are regulated carefully by apple. I imagine apple will be one of the last to leave the old "minutes and data" paradigm.

Right now you can buy an android phone with no carrier and all and still use the hell out of it. You can forget sprint, att, or any of the other carriers. It's a useful device all by itself. It can connect to wifi signals everywhere and you can run skype to make unlimited local or even international calls. It's still a GPS receiver, it's still an MP3 player, it's still an internet browser when within wifi, and it's still a phone when within wifi. $0 monthly.

That's what I mean by versatility. I just bought a t-mobile g2 last weekend - primarily for its ability to make calls over the wireless networks because I have very little signal at my house. This is something iphone cannot do (and I don't see it happening soon). The g2 can also run skype, even over 3G. The only reason I buy minutes at all is because the skype app needs to mature a bit. Once it does, I'll drop minutes altogether and simply buy a $40/month data plan so that I can make calls over 3 or 4G and wifi.

That's the future of phones. No minutes, no cellular, just data - seemlessly transferring connection to the fastest available internet. If I were to get signal at my house, I could even set my phone up to tether my computers to and drop my DSL connection. All of this is coming, and iphone and even blackberry will be dragged to it very slowly.

This is why I recommend android.
 
I have had an iPhone since the 3G. I love the phone and every now and then an update comes along and increases usability. Android phones too can be very handy but the hardware for me let's the OS down.

Either way you can't go wrong with iOS or Android.
 
Azuremen
Audio quality on the iPhone is laughable if you are concerned about that.
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You're being absurd now.

Either your music files have some very bad quality themselves or you are listening through a crap headphone. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the audio on the iPhone. Unless you are talking about listening to music without anything plugged into it, in which case there is no phone delivering the sound.
 
I don't know how iPod's / iPhones sound now but I have to say the 2004 iPod I have has pretty poor audio quality. I haven't had a chance to listen on the newer ones but I would have hoped they have improved since then.

As for the phone choice I personally would go with something running Android. Sony Ericsson does a good job personalising it with eye candy like Timescape.

Robin.
 
Bram Turismo
You're being absurd now.

Either your music files have some very bad quality themselves or you are listening through a crap headphone. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the audio on the iPhone. Unless you are talking about listening to music without anything plugged into it, in which case there is no phone delivering the sound.
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No, quality headphones comparing 320kbps Mp3s. There is distinctly less clarity on the iPhone and iPod touch products than from, say, my Sansa clip. Most reviewers will agree with this, that iPods/iPhones generally have inferior sound reproduction compared to other manufacturers.
 
Ok, So i got confused with the HTC HD2 and the HTC Desire HD....

Here are the phones available running Andriod. So I guess its between either of those or the Iphone4. Which leaves the Samsung Galaxy S vs Iphone4. The Issue being that the samsung is more expensive and will require me to jump to a higher plan or fork out more money upfront. That being said, Danoff makes some great arguements in his post. At that same site you can see the "cap" plans that are offered. I would prefer the $49 plan and AT MOST the $79. In Australia with Telstra we are a long long long way off getting "unlimited" data/calls for a decent price so the ability to skype / call over wireless is really outstanding. I could just use my own internet connect at home which would save me a lot of money on calls.
 
Small_Fryz
Ok, So i got confused with the HTC HD2 and the HTC Desire HD....

Here are the phones available running Andriod. So I guess its between either of those or the Iphone4. Which leaves the Samsung Galaxy S vs Iphone4. The Issue being that the samsung is more expensive and will require me to jump to a higher plan or fork out more money upfront. That being said, Danoff makes some great arguements in his post. At that same site you can see the "cap" plans that are offered. I would prefer the $49 plan and AT MOST the $79. In Australia with Telstra we are a long long long way off getting "unlimited" data/calls for a decent price so the ability to skype / call over wireless is really outstanding. I could just use my own internet connect at home which would save me a lot of money on calls.
Click to expand...

I pay $54 a month for my X10, which includes $350 of any calls, 180 free Three-to-Three minutes and 500MB of Data.

You can always just buy outright from the US and not worry about all the nonsense?
 
I want to get telstra though, Due to the coverage.

And Telstra cap plans are pretty decent.

I want to know more about this Calling and receiving calls over the wireless.... I have a 100gb a month Internet plan that would easily handle some calls from my mobile if it meant they weren't counted towards my mobile plan.
 
Small_Fryz
I want to get telstra though, Due to the coverage.

And Telstra cap plans are pretty decent.

I want to know more about this Calling and receiving calls over the wireless.... I have a 100gb a month Internet plan that would easily handle some calls from my mobile if it meant they weren't counted towards my mobile plan.
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I don't know if it can be done here. I assume people are talking about Google Voice?
 
Nope, not talking about google voice. What I'm using right now from t-mobile is feature that routes your normal calls through wifi if available (http://support.t-mobile.com/doc/tm24195.xml). The minutes still count toward your plan though. In order to avoid using minutes you have to make the call with some other app - like skype. The only thing stopping me from going this route is that the skype app is a bit underdeveloped at this point. But I do plan to go to it when it becomes a more mature product.

Neither of these options are available on iphone - nor will they be any time soon. Also missing from iphone are widgets (seems like an obvious problem), and proper multi-tasking for things like automatic downloaders (like, say if you want to download a podcast overnight without having your phone connected to your computer). I also really hate that, if it exists, you absolutely have to use apple software to do what you want - because any app that "duplicates functionality" (ie: is better than apple software but does the same thing) is banned from the market.

The ultimate goal for me is this:

- Skype account and phone number that can make/receive to/from other phones or skype users - $5/mo
- Skype app that can make/receive calls over the data connection or wifi - free
- Google voice to control voicemail and forward calls to my skype number - free
- Data-only plan from my service provider - $40/mo

So for $45/mo I'd have unlimited data and unlimited minutes. Right now I pay $50/mo for limited minutes and unlimited data, which isn't too bad. I'm basically just waiting on the skype app to mature.
 
So I has an iphone 4...

Australia has no decent Andriod phones for a good price, so considering how much extra i would pay its not worth the benifits. Considering our plan structure in Australia I was happy with my deal.

$59 a month for 3gb of usage and $400 worth of calls using Telstra, which is by far the best network for coverage and speed.

Thanks a lot for your input guys.

Maybe by the time I need an upgrade again I can make use of Danoff's suggestion ^^
 
Small_Fryz
So I has an iphone 4...

Australia has no decent Andriod phones for a good price, so considering how much extra i would pay its not worth the benifits. Considering our plan structure in Australia I was happy with my deal.

$59 a month for 3gb of usage and $400 worth of calls using Telstra, which is by far the best network for coverage and speed.

Thanks a lot for your input guys.

Maybe by the time I need an upgrade again I can make use of Danoff's suggestion ^^
Click to expand...

You'll learn why people, like myself, swear by the iPhone 4.

Take a few minutes of your day to go and research the tip and tricks of the iPhone, some of the keyboard shortcuts are exceptionally handy. I cannot remember the specific site, but google is bursting with sites dedicated to teaching the different tips.

As for apps, go and see if any of your favourite retailers have a dedicated app. They generally are a lot quicky than thier mobile websites and have tons of great features.

Any problems getting used to the phone, PM me anytime.
 
You've brought the devil into your home.

Soon you'll start hanging out in a Starbucks and talking about art.
 
Azuremen
You've brought the devil into your home.

Soon you'll start hanging out in a Starbucks and talking about art.
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I thought Starbucks would be too conformist. Probably some underground coffee place that no one knows about.
 
irnbrutwinturbo
You'll learn why people, like myself, swear by the iPhone 4.
Click to expand...

What he said.

Seriously I'm on my iPhone continuously thoughout the day since I can do a majority of my work on it. You should be happy with it and the just released a Google Voice app for it the other day so if you can (and have a Google Voice number) pick it up!
 

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