Smartphones...

[Ethan]

You might want to look at the HTC One before making purchases aswell.

It's an awesome phone, but he said he doesn't want to drop a whole lot of money on one. 

 

 

But I can also wait, save some more money, and get something proper. /shrug

 

I like my iphone.

 

Yes its apple, but I like my music on itunes and I dont want to waste time putting songs on an android or other shenanigans.

 

Plus siri is my new bff, you can ask her anything, random stupid shit like "how many miles are in 5k" or "Drive me to 42 wallaby way sydney" or whatever address, anything you can think of, "whats the score for the packers game?"  "call Bleedblack"  "text mom that I'm coming home now"

 

 

Plus the apps are very easy and the interface is simple to use.  I had a dumb phone like you before I got an iphone last year, and I couldn't tell you how I managed.  I can soundhound any song I hear on the radio and screenshot it to remember what I want to download, check my emails, spam the boards from work, take kick ass pictures because the iphone has probably the best camera out there for a phone (and I know you like your photography), and you can find an app for just about anything and everything imaginable.  The screens are extremely easy to use, that was my big thing when texting, since I have pretty manly hands and the autocorrect is astonishing and what I like to call drunk proof.  Theres no reason I'd switch over to a google phone or a galaxy or whatever, my iphone works perfectly fine a year later like I got it yesterday.

 

Plus the otterbox literally saved its life about 6x since I got it and adverted countless opportunities for cracked screens.

 

 

And you don't need the iphone 5, just get an iphone 4s, its cheaper and basically the same thing with a slightly smaller screen.

 

(screen size to me is stupid, the bigger the easier it is to crack in my opinion they are fine the way they are now)

Okay. Good points on the siri bit. Is it weird that I think it'd be weird talking to an AI? I guess it is 2013... and I think my mom has an 4S. I should play around with it.

[Veggie]

Voice detection has and always will fail

[Memphus]

Just avoid Apple at all costs. Their proprietariness makes me vomit.

[Rafi]

Voice detection has and always will fail

I just got siri on Saturday and it's been super effective at everything from dictating texts to getting search results.

----

 

On Saturday Best Buy had a promo to trade in your iphone 4 or 4S for $150, so I upgraded from a 4 to a 5 and saved $150.  Not too shabby!  I assume they are doing this because Apple will be releasing a 5S (or 6 if they skip S) in the next few months and wanted to clear out stock before the price of the 5 gets reduced to clearance, but I don't care about having the newest and greatest so I took advantage cause I needed a new phone anyways.  

I've had to use Android phones many times (primarily my bosses' at events, who I think has one of the galaxys), and I just find them much less user-friendly and less intuitive to use.  Apples "proprietariness" is what makes their products work more smoothly and effectively overall.

 

In any event, presumably you will take the time to learn to use any smartphone you buy.  Features and aesthetics aside, the real difference in the app store, since the whole point of having a smart phone vs a flip phone is to have and use apps.

 

Pros and Cons of each app store for you to consider:

- iTunes boasts a bigger store (though the gap closes a little every year)

- Some apps cost $$ on iTunes that are free in Android Stores

- Many apps are developed and released first for iTunes (primary market) and then for Android (secondary market), though this gap closes more every year too as software companies are spending more on smartphone app development.  

- Android store has a 24 hour trial period for $$ apps, iTunes store does not.  ***This is often the biggest criticism of the iTunes store.

- Apple vets all new iTunes apps for minimum quality and security.  Android does not.  ***This is often the biggest criticism of the Android store.

--->This means that although the "app count" is getting closer, a significant chunk of those apps are crapola, and some possibly even malicious if you aren't careful.  

 

When it comes down to it, you should go into the store and play around with both phone interfaces and check out both designs to see which feels right for you.  Both phones/companies will be effective for everything that you said you'd like to use the phone for, so it'll just be a personal aesthetics choice in the end.  

[Dan G]

I've owned quite a few and the iPhone 5 is the best I've ever used.

[Moira64]

we us  Iphone 4 and it is really wonderful to use.  Certainly for apps and all the simple possibilities.

The only negative is ....Apple when something is broken it's freaking expensive to fix and one has to charge all the time, but that might be depending how much one uses.

 

Many here(at work)  use Nokia 800 (and higher)  but that might be out of price rang.

[Dan G]

Forgot to add that I've owned a blackberry, 2 android phones and an iPhone. I too hate apples business model but I honestly can't tell you to get anything other than an iPhone.

[Evil 4ever]

I hate touchscreen, so I do not own a smartphone. If I had to choose one, I would go for Sony, because I've always used their products (first was Ericsson, then Sony Ericsson, now it's just Sony).

[Chewy]

My opinion.

Was not valued.

You used to be sincere and nice. :@ No need to seem like an ass hole.

[Sheckky]

I have an iPhone 5 and it has never let me down for anything. 

 

The only small gripe I have for it is the charger is different from any older apple charger. The plug-in is small and dual sided so you don't ever run into the problem of putting your charger in upside down and then having to flip it over.

 

It being different however, I always have to bring my charger along because if I am somewhere where someone doesn't have specifcally an iPhone 5 then their charger won't fit. Also, if your charger breaks unlike previous apple products where I have tons of back ups from Ipods, I have to go out and buy another charger.

 

The charger is good just troublesome if you break it or lose it. 

 

P.S Tim mentioned it but whatever phone you get, GET AN OTTERBOX CASE.

It isn't the coolest looking case and adds bulk to your phone but it will safe your life. I have dropped my phone in all sorts of ways, from tall distances and my phone doesn't have a scratch on it. My iPhone would be in pieces without it. 

 

tldr: If you don't have an otterbox case, you have the wrong case.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Sheckky

[Pyrolord]

If you're seriously looking for an good smartphone, you're best bet is with either the LG Nexus 4 or the Samsung Galaxy 4. 

 

I'd personally chose the Nexus simply because I love the Nexus brand and line

 

Pros/Cons for the Nexus 4:

 

Pros:

1) Pure Vanilla Google/Android

2) Sturdy construction

3) Very good screen resolution

4) Decent screen size while still usable with one hand

5) Good battery life

6) Updated solely from Google so you get updates pretty quick when they're released

 

Cons:

1) The back is made of a glass-like material. You can easily buy a bumper case or a Zagg Invisible shield for it and you'll be fine though

 

If the Nexus is not your cup of tea, and you said you're looking at the S4 (which is a great phone) I'd get the Google Edition of it. What that means is basically it's all the quality of the S4, but without TouchWiz which is the UI that Samsung puts on their phones. So basically your S4 would be running, close to, pure vanilla Google. This means you get the benefit of #6 of the Nexus pros. 

 

 

The Nexus 4 and the Google Edition of the S4 aren't on AT&T, however you can purchase them the Google's Play store directly and you can still use them with AT&T. 

[Hess]

all this horse bologna about nexus and galaxy and shit is too confusing, there's no OS arguments or inconsistencies with the iPhone and its the most reliable and user friendly.

 

I'm pretty stupid and I can use an iPhone to its full potential.

[Veggie]

hahahahahahhahahahahhaha @ apple moving away from their single good point in being consistent in chargers

[Ethan]

@Moira, hi!

@Chewy, that's because I had a reason to!

@Everyone and the iPhone; I understand that siri and whatnot is nice, but I honestly don't see myself using it. I realize I sound like a tool, but I just can't see myself talking to my cellphone. It's fucking weird.

@Rafi, I don't use the iTunes store. And why did you feel like you needed a new phone? It doesn't seem like the iPhone 4 lasted too long for you before you felt the need to upgrade.

@Sheckky, I certainly will not be fucking around when I get a case. I'm near water too often to not get something that will be waterproof.

@Jason, Verizon doesn't have the Nexus, but it certainly looks intriguing.

[Deathstar]

I've never owned one, have hardly held one, and don't even know that they fuck they do. But I'm pretty sure I want one.

There are a thousand of them to choose from. Normally I've had to decide whether I wanted it to flip open or slide open. In my opinion, the original Motorola Razr was the best phone in existence. I miss that thing so much. Do any of you guys have a testimonial on yours? I don't want an iPhone because Apple, so unless you think you can convince me, don't worry about that.

All I want to do is read my email, occasionally get a phone number, browse Wikipedia when I'm bored, and possibly use directions. And I don't want to spend more than a weeks pay.

help

get something with a ginormous screen. like gs4, gs3, htc one or something. I wanted the galaxy series because I dislike the new windows fones. I think the lumia has big screen too. My gs3 is a workfone so it's usefull with doing stuff like email and typing and tethering. Eventually we're switching to the GS4 but idk when i'll let you know!

[Rafi]

@Moira, hi!

@Chewy, that's because I had a reason to!

@Everyone and the iPhone; I understand that siri and whatnot is nice, but I honestly don't see myself using it. I realize I sound like a tool, but I just can't see myself talking to my cellphone. It's fucking weird.

@Rafi, I don't use the iTunes store. And why did you feel like you needed a new phone? It doesn't seem like the iPhone 4 lasted too long for you before you felt the need to upgrade.

@Sheckky, I certainly will not be fucking around when I get a case. I'm near water too often to not get something that will be waterproof.

@Jason, Verizon doesn't have the Nexus, but it certainly looks intriguing.

You don't now because you don't have a smartphone.  I'm referring to the "App Center."

 

And I had my iPhone 4 for over 2 years.  My case broke about 6 months ago and I never bothered replacing it (like an idiot). I of course did not stop dropping or beating up my phone just because my case broke, and I eventually busted the sound output so the headphone jack got damaged and the telephone speaker was super crackly.  I think I could have had the component replaced for $50, but the phone was already over two years old so I took advantage of a $150 discount and got an upgrade.  If the 1 day deal hadn't come out I was otherwise just waiting for the 5S or 6 to come out later this year.  

 

@Sheckky + Vig, a little annoying now, but having the same universal charging input for 12 years is easily an industry record, likely by half a decade.  Within 6-12 months it will no longer feel like a "new" charger because it will be all over the place as something like 100 million ipods/iphones/ipads sell a year. 

[Andrewski]

i bought a brand new galaxy ace for $80, no plans or contracts or anything. It has google maps, emails, facebook, browsing and can make phone calls. pretty basic for a smart phone but covers all the bases for $80.

[James]

i bought a brand new galaxy ace for $80, no plans or contracts or anything. It has google maps, emails, facebook, browsing and can make phone calls. pretty basic for a smart phone but covers all the bases for $80.

That's not a bad way to go, Ethan. It will at least get your feet wet until you can decide for yourself which features you can and can't live without. 

[Rafi]

@Everyone and the iPhone; I understand that siri and whatnot is nice, but I honestly don't see myself using it. I realize I sound like a tool, but I just can't see myself talking to my cellphone. It's fucking weird.

Also, the only thing I ever intend to use siri for is to "read" and dictate texts while driving.

[Ethan]

i bought a brand new galaxy ace for $80, no plans or contracts or anything. It has google maps, emails, facebook, browsing and can make phone calls. pretty basic for a smart phone but covers all the bases for $80.

That's not a bad way to go, Ethan. It will at least get your feet wet until you can decide for yourself which features you can and can't live without. 

 

I don't think Verizon has that. But they have a Galaxy Stellar which is cheap. But I think I'm going to get a Galaxy 4 because... yeah.