My current cell phone is ancient. Its time to update but I have no idea what to get. Many of my clients us Blackberry. Should I just get that so I can us BBM with them? My tech savy associates say I should get an Iphone - but are they just being trendy? Other better options?
if you're going to use it as a phone and for clients then go BB, if you want music, games, and video go Iphone.
also, if you want to hurt barristerboy get a droid platform phone. Like the Iphone in many ways, but with the added bonus of not giving money to apple.
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-cell-phones/?tag=centerColumnArea1.0;buyAdvice (http://reviews.cnet.com/best-cell-phones/?tag=centerColumnArea1.0;buyAdvice)
What do you want to use your phone for?
If you want it to sync up with your email and calendar at work, odds are your best set-up is a BB. I have a government-issued BB and while I'm not a huge fan, the way it does seemlessly sync my emails and calendar is pretty useful for setting dates.
BBM - well its locked in to Blackberry's obviously. I use it a little bit, but you inevitably have to use other means of communicating for people without it.
Your associates are certainly being a bit trendy, but the iPhone does sem like a really powerful phone. Largest base of apps by a wide margin. things to consider is - do you use any apple products? iTunes? If so the iPhone is a pretty obvious choice as again it will sync up with everything quite easily. I gather the iPhone can also sync your email and calendar, but only if your IT people allow it to happen. Mind you, you probably have a lot more power over your IT people than I do over mine.
Finally there's Android. If you hate the notion of being restricted in what you can do with your phone, or if you want to tinker with it, an Android phone is the one for you. There are dozens of models for sale - speiss is the one to go to on that front.
FWIW, in court I see tons of BBs and iPhones, but not too many Androids.
Quote from: HVC on November 04, 2011, 01:07:23 PM
also, if you want to hurt barristerboy get a droid platform phone. Like the Iphone in many ways, but with the added bonus of not giving money to apple.
*NOT* giving money to apple? What a strange thing to say... :wacko:
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 01:14:43 PM
Quote from: HVC on November 04, 2011, 01:07:23 PM
also, if you want to hurt barristerboy get a droid platform phone. Like the Iphone in many ways, but with the added bonus of not giving money to apple.
*NOT* giving money to apple? What a strange thing to say... :wacko:
if it makes you feel any better i gave money to apple for my iphone4. Like the phone, still dislike their computers.
Windows Phone. They've put more real thought into the user interface than RIM, Apple, or certainly Google have; it syncs seamlessly with all my Office apps, and the social media integration is amazing.
I'm not really a big fan of the UI on my wife's Windows Phone (Samsung....uhhhh....Focus, I think), although as the updates have come out, it has gotten better.
My favorite interface is still HTC's Sense, although I'm currently using a phone (Atrix) with Motorola's Blur, which is okay, but just not as slick as Sense IMO.
I use my telephone as a telephone.
Quote from: The Brain on November 04, 2011, 02:03:06 PM
I use my telephone as a telephone.
Me too.
And a GPS device. And for sending emails and texts. And for jotting down notes. And for working with documents when I'm not in the office. And and and.
Quote from: fahdiz on November 04, 2011, 01:24:26 PM
Windows Phone. They've put more real thought into the user interface than RIM, Apple, or certainly Google have; it syncs seamlessly with all my Office apps, and the social media integration is amazing.
Hey, I tried to stick up for Android against my better judgment, but I could not in good conscience suggest a Windows phone. It has miniscule marketshare, I've never seen one in real life, and the app catelog is puny. A Windows Phone might be an interesting option in 2012 when Nokia makes a big push, but in 2011 you'll have trouble even finding a Windows phone to purchase.
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 02:46:32 PM
Hey, I tried to stick up for Android against my better judgment, but I could not in good conscience suggest a Windows phone. It has miniscule marketshare, I've never seen one in real life, and the app catelog is puny. A Windows Phone might be an interesting option in 2012 when Nokia makes a big push, but in 2011 you'll have trouble even finding a Windows phone to purchase.
:mellow: There is at least one Windows Phone on all four major carriers, right now as we speak.
The catalog contains all the apps I ever used when I had an Android phone and I don't feel like I'm missing a single thing.
Android marketshare was "miniscule" at the very beginning, too.
NB: I loved my iPhone, just hated AT&T. So I'm not one of those "Apple sux lol" guys. More competition in the smartphone market improves all the products.
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 02:46:32 PM
A Windows Phone might be an interesting option in 2012 when Nokia makes a big push, but in 2011 you'll have trouble even finding a Windows phone to purchase.
:huh: This isn't true at all.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on November 04, 2011, 03:14:09 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 02:46:32 PM
A Windows Phone might be an interesting option in 2012 when Nokia makes a big push, but in 2011 you'll have trouble even finding a Windows phone to purchase.
:huh: This isn't true at all.
Yeah, I was scratching my head too. Maybe the situation's different in Canada?
Quote from: fahdiz on November 04, 2011, 03:15:16 PM
Yeah, I was scratching my head too. Maybe the situation's different in Canada?
Oh yeah, could be. The things are definitely all over the place here though. My wife got that Focus of hers a couple months after launch, and there were already three or four models available.
Edit: Well a quick Google search comes up with this, dated 11 Oct 2010:
http://www.techvibes.com/blog/windows-7-phones-coming-to-canada
QuoteIn Canada, Microsoft announced the following partners and devices, available later this year.
Telus: HTC 7 Surround and the LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone.
Bell: LG Optimus Quantum.
Rogers: Samsung Focus.
Looks like the same ones that were available here. That Surround seems/ed stupid.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on November 04, 2011, 03:18:29 PM
Oh yeah, could be. The things are definitely all over the place here though. My wife got that Focus of hers a couple months after launch, and there were already three or four models available.
:yes: I've used a couple of feature phones, an iPhone 3G, an HTC Hero, an HTC EVO 4G, and an HTC Arrive. The Arrive's my favorite of the bunch, by far. People can say anything they like about marketshare - and it is absolutely possible that Apple and Google will be able to drive MS out of the phone business - but it can't be denied that the Windows Phone development team has given us the most thoroughly-designed user interface in the smartphone market to date.
Quote from: fahdiz on November 04, 2011, 02:50:14 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 02:46:32 PM
Hey, I tried to stick up for Android against my better judgment, but I could not in good conscience suggest a Windows phone. It has miniscule marketshare, I've never seen one in real life, and the app catelog is puny. A Windows Phone might be an interesting option in 2012 when Nokia makes a big push, but in 2011 you'll have trouble even finding a Windows phone to purchase.
:mellow: There is at least one Windows Phone on all four major carriers, right now as we speak.
The catalog contains all the apps I ever used when I had an Android phone and I don't feel like I'm missing a single thing.
Android marketshare was "miniscule" at the very beginning, too.
NB: I loved my iPhone, just hated AT&T. So I'm not one of those "Apple sux lol" guys. More competition in the smartphone market improves all the products.
crazy canuck is, by some shocking surprise, in Canada.
I just checked. Rogers has one Windows Phone (Samsung Focus) and I had to dig to find that on the web site.
I can't find one for Bell.
And there is one (LG Optimus 7) for Telus.
And that's availability off the website. If you go into a store you're going to have to hunt to find either one of those phones.
Like I said - Windows Phone might be an interesting option down the road. But today it's probably a bad bet unless there is some specific feature you really like about it. You mentioned early Android phones - well from what I read early Android phones weren't very good, and didn't allow you to upgrade to the latest version of Android for the most part.
[For what its worth, remember RIM is a Canadian company and all of the carriers push RIM to a much greater extent than in the US. That perhaps has the effect of pushing out room for Windows]
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:25:39 PM
You mentioned early Android phones - well from what I read early Android phones weren't very good, and didn't allow you to upgrade to the latest version of Android for the most part.
That's still a problem.
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:25:39 PM
I just checked. Rogers has one Windows Phone (Samsung Focus) and I had to dig to find that on the web site.
I can't find one for Bell.
And there is one (LG Optimus 7) for Telus.
And that's availability off the website. If you go into a store you're going to have to hunt to find either one of those phones.
I have a chap coming to my office. I am told I just have to choose what I want and he will make it so. I just cant choose what I want.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 04, 2011, 03:30:01 PM
I have a chap coming to my office. I am told I just have to choose what I want and he will make it so. I just cant choose what I want.
You should go up to a store and play around with all the smartphones to see which ones you like. Does Best Buy in Canada have a cell phone section where they have stuff from every carrier? Might be a good place to start before you go heading out to individual stores. Unless the stores are closer than Best Buy or whatever.
What I found amusing was when I went to the Telus page, all the Android phones are indicated by the Android symbol, and BBs and iPhones are pretty obvious, but there was nothing at first indicating that the Optimus 7 was a Windows phone! :lol:
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:36:05 PM
What I found amusing was when I went to the Telus page, all the Android phones are indicated by the Android symbol, and BBs and iPhones are pretty obvious, but there was nothing at first indicating that the Optimus 7 was a Windows phone! :lol:
Look at the screen. The Windows phone interface looks a lot different (there aren't little icons or anything like that, for one). No little icon necessary, except for the tards, who probably shouldn't be on anything but the iPhone page in the first place. ;)
I did notice they had it up at the top ("Windows Phone" on the screen) though. Wonder why they didn't have it with the product itself.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on November 04, 2011, 03:36:22 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:36:05 PM
What I found amusing was when I went to the Telus page, all the Android phones are indicated by the Android symbol, and BBs and iPhones are pretty obvious, but there was nothing at first indicating that the Optimus 7 was a Windows phone! :lol:
Look at the screen. The Windows phone interface looks a lot different (there aren't little icons or anything like that, for one). No little icon necessary, except for the tards, who probably shouldn't be on anything but the iPhone page in the first place. ;)
I did notice they had it up at the top ("Windows Phone" on the screen).
When you look at the page for the individual phone, yes it is clearly labelled a Windows Phone. I meant the page where it listed, together with pictures, all the phones available.
I dunno - other than Blackberries all these phones kind of look the same to me...
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:43:09 PM
I dunno - other than Blackberries all these phones kind of look the same to me...
30 seconds spent messing with a Windows phone would disabuse you of this notion.
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:43:09 PM
When you look at the page for the individual phone, yes it is clearly labelled a Windows Phone. I meant the page where it listed, together with pictures, all the phones available.
I dunno - other than Blackberries all these phones kind of look the same to me...
I know what you meant. I went to that site (I told them I live in BC heh) when I was looking to see what they have on the market up there. Just spun the scroll wheel until I saw the green grid, since I am completely unable to keep up with the names of the things anymore.
OPTIMUS...right next to the DEFY :rolleyes: Totally dorky names. I don't know what the hell an "Atrix" is either. The name of my previous phone, Aria, was a little interesting at least.
No one can be told what the Atrix is.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on November 04, 2011, 03:46:08 PM
I know what you meant. I went to that site (I told them I live in BC heh) when I was looking to see what they have on the market up there. Just spun the wheel until I saw the green grid, since I am completely unable to keep up with the names of the things anymore.
OPTIMUS...right next to the DEFY :rolleyes: Totally dorky names. I don't know what the hell an "Atrix" is either.
I am just waiting for the CHUCK NORRIS.
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on November 04, 2011, 03:35:19 PM
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 04, 2011, 03:30:01 PM
I have a chap coming to my office. I am told I just have to choose what I want and he will make it so. I just cant choose what I want.
You should go up to a store and play around with all the smartphones to see which ones you like. Does Best Buy in Canada have a cell phone section where they have stuff from every carrier? Might be a good place to start before you go heading out to individual stores. Unless the stores are closer than Best Buy or whatever.
Yeah, that is some good advice. By chance our IT guy was in the office and I asked him his opinion. He uses a Samsung Windows phone. I tried it but my hands are too big to use the on screen key board. He told me the same thing as you - "go get some hands on play time with the various phones".
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 04, 2011, 03:49:37 PM
Yeah, that is some good advice. By chance our IT guy was in the office and I asked him his opinion. He uses a Samsung Windows phone. I tried it but my hands are too big to use the on screen key board.
You'll have trouble with the iPhone, too, then - actually you'll have trouble with any touchscreen phone except possibly the over-4"-screen phones.
Quote from: fahdiz on November 04, 2011, 03:47:04 PM
I am just waiting for the CHUCK NORRIS.
:lol: They'd only have a one word name for it though. The Samsung Beard. Competitive offerings: the HTC Dragon and the Motorola Nunchuck.
Quote from: ccHe uses a Samsung Windows phone. I tried it but my hands are too big to use the on screen key board. He told me the same thing as you - "go get some hands on play time with the various phones".
Galaxy S II's are pretty big. Might want to check one of those out. The Droid X and EVO are also over 4".
Edit: Actually, apparently Telus up there has one that's called a Galaxy S II X, which has an even bigger 4.5" screen. That's huge.
Comedy/frustration option: HTC Aria. 3.2" screen. :P
Quote from: fahdiz on November 04, 2011, 03:44:10 PM
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:43:09 PM
I dunno - other than Blackberries all these phones kind of look the same to me...
30 seconds spent messing with a Windows phone would disabuse you of this notion.
Really?
They're all big screens with black trim. I'm including the iPhone in there as well.
I'm sure they function differently, but in terms of basic appearance, they all kind of look the same (which they are, since they're all iPhone copies).
Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on November 04, 2011, 04:00:27 PM
:lol: They'd only have a one word name for it though. The Samsung Beard. Competitive offerings: the HTC Dragon and the Motorola Nunchuck.
:lol: Samsung Beard rules.
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 04:02:18 PM
Really?
They're all big screens with black trim. I'm including the iPhone in there as well.
I'm sure they function differently, but in terms of basic appearance, they all kind of look the same (which they are, since they're all iPhone copies).
Sigh.
I have both a Blackberry Bold 9780 and a Motorola ATRIX (Droid). The Droid is like a billion times better.
Quote from: Caliga on November 04, 2011, 04:23:15 PM
I have both a Blackberry Bold 9780 and a Motorola ATRIX (Droid). The Droid is like a billion times better.
What makes it better?
I really love the look of the Nokia N9, but until they give in and start using Android I don't see the point of getting another Nokia.
I'm currently split between Samsung Galaxy II and HTC Sensation which I presume is the next gen HD.
Quote from: Slargos on November 04, 2011, 04:51:51 PM
I really love the look of the Nokia N9, but until they give in and start using Android I don't see the point of getting another Nokia.
The Lumia 800 *is* the N9, but with Windows Phone instead. By all accounts so far it's a fantastic phone.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myessentia.com%2Fblog%2Fberkeley%2Ffiles%2F2011%2F10%2Fold-cell-phone.png&hash=48cdfc61d0da4f8abae1e85d8f12378ec6f81e7b)
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 04, 2011, 01:02:54 PM
My current cell phone is ancient.
Is this a picture of you?
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F__Mo_s0xjPHk%2FS4b6kxpDSgI%2FAAAAAAAAAi0%2FsTz2iTR0Wj8%2Fs1600%2Fold-cell-phones-get-cingular-fee.jpg&hash=16ab0d425b9cfd07f5a65341412d3e3ba15e8963)
Not tall enough.
I think that's Camper.
I drank the cool aid and got the iPhone 4.
Quote from: crazy canuck on November 29, 2011, 03:41:41 PM
I drank the cool aid and got the iPhone 4.
Please tell me you got the 4S.
The 4s only has a better camera and speech rec, doesn't it?
Quote from: HVC on November 29, 2011, 05:07:37 PM
The 4s only has a better camera and speech rec, doesn't it?
Pretty much. There is some kind of voice activated system on the 4s which is nice I suppose.
Quote from: HVC on November 29, 2011, 05:07:37 PM
The 4s only has a better camera and speech rec, doesn't it?
"only"? :yeahright:
It also has a much stronger processor (same one as iPad2).
Unless CC plans on needing more detailed phone pictures the 4's camera is more then enough. As for the processor are there even games out there that need it? And even if there was I don't see him playing them. For calls and the Internet it's unnecessary. You did good CC :) also, FaceTime is pretty cool.
Quote from: Barrister on November 04, 2011, 03:25:39 PM
Like I said - Windows Phone might be an interesting option down the road. But today it's probably a bad bet unless there is some specific feature you really like about it.
I think WP7 is a pretty safe bet right now. MS is *very* committed to developing the platform and for many things, it's already "there". It has by far the most innovative interface of any mobile OS, the best Exchange support for email, calendar, tasks, etc., best office apps, Zune music/video and Xbox Live.
I can't give up Android just yet because the freedom of a rooted Android device is just too addictive. My ideal phone would dual-boot Android and WP7 :)
MS has a cool WP7 web demo you can do with your iOS or Android device. Just go to this URL on your mobile browser: http://aka.ms/wpdemo
QuoteYou mentioned early Android phones - well from what I read early Android phones weren't very good, and didn't allow you to upgrade to the latest version of Android for the most part.
Android phones are better than they used to be, but the first generation wasn't bad. And I wouldn't say OS version compatibility was any worse than it was/is for early iPhones.
Android snooping on you? (http://news.yahoo.com/smartphone-spying-204933867.html)