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Smartphone?

aktallguy

Monkey
Aug 31, 2006
117
0
Puget Sound, WA
Ok, my cell phone is old and the screen on my Palm TX is dying rapidly. So I'm going to combine the two and get a smartphone. Who likes what and why? iphone, Treo, Blackberry, etc...
 

?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
I like my iphone. I don't do business on it and don't need to, so for me it's just a toy and a really convenient one at that.

To me it's my phone and ipod combined into one with the ability to use internet when I don't have my laptop or where I can't pick-up a wifi signal.

To be honest, I don't know what the others offer as added business tools, but if you are some sort of salesman or some other profession that is capitalizing on your business degree, then one of the others may be more useful for work.
 

Sherpa

Basking in fail.
Jan 28, 2004
2,240
0
Arkansaw
iHave an iPhone. Its cool but I'm probably going to buy a Moto Q9h to compliment it, and just switch out the sim card whenever I need one or the other.

Windows Mobile 6 is customizable and useful, and with the iPhone your stuck unless you hack.
 

kev211

Monkey
Jan 22, 2008
320
0
San Diago
Moto Q for sure. My first one had problems (but it was 1st gen) and now Ive got the black one. AMAZING phone! really nice. And Windows Mobile 5.0 works surprisingly well. Id definitely recommend it. What network are you with?
 

Austin Bike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 26, 2003
1,558
0
Duh, Austin
I use a blackberry, but it's tied into corporate mail.

If you do not have an IT staff and are not running exchange it may not make sense. Works great in every country except japan and korea (not on GSM), but the phone is only mediocre.
 

aktallguy

Monkey
Aug 31, 2006
117
0
Puget Sound, WA
Right now I'm with Verizon, but my company gets discounts with AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, & T-Mobile so I can choose from a variety of carries. Besides their crappy online account management I've been pleased with the service I get from Verizon.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Blackberry makes the best smartphones on the market. Even in the US (iPhone's strongest market) it easily outsells the iPhone by almost double. Steve Wozniak, the creative founder of Apple doesn't use an iPhone, he uses a Blackberry Pearl. You can get them on every major GSM or CDMA provider with a variety of configurations - full keyboard, suretype mini smartphone, bluetooth, GPS, Wifi, UMA, and/or dual cellular radios (GSM and CDMA) and some providers even offer them free after rebate with a 2 year plan. They come with a mature well established third party software selection - for example iPhone full webpage zooming style browsing was available at the same time from Opera on the blackberry when the Iphone was released. Another cool app is Google maps - it supports cell tower based GPS-like functionality if you have no GPS in your model.

I use a blackberry, but it's tied into corporate mail.

If you do not have an IT staff and are not running exchange it may not make sense. Works great in every country except japan and korea (not on GSM), but the phone is only mediocre.
GSM/CDMA radio varies by model and provider but they work on virtually all cellular systems worldwide including Japan and Korea. The phone quality varies by model just like any cellular handset maker. Blackberry Internet Email is included for free by all the major providers usually on the cheapest email plan (BES server support cost extra) and supports most POP/IMAP/webmail accounts providing push email access:

BlackBerry Internet E-mail is an Internet-based e-mail service that can bring together up to 10 personal and work e-mail accounts all on your BlackBerry handheld. Your e-mail is automatically delivered to the palm of your hand so you can read, reply, and send e-mail on the go. It's fast, simple, always on, and always connected.

BlackBerry Internet E-mail is included as a basic part of any BlackBerry e-mail service plan, and supports many popular e-mail accounts such as AOL®, Yahoo!®, Earthlink®, Comcast®, and many more. You also get your own new BlackBerry Internet E-mail address (username@tmo.blackberry.net).
I have had the Curve 8320 for about a month (my corporate rep gave it to me for free to test for the company I work for - before I had a Pearl [and various others before that on Verizon]. My first blackberry was a cingular grayscale data only blackberry a long time ago). Anyhow, the Curve is teh best smartphone evar - WiFi with UMA calling - turns any internet WiFi access point in the world into a virtual US based cell tower (no roaming fees from UMA anywhere plus you can get unlimited outgoing UMA calling for $10/month):

 

aktallguy

Monkey
Aug 31, 2006
117
0
Puget Sound, WA
Thanks for the heads up. FYI to the post. I just was reminded by my wife that my whole family is on Verizon so if I go somewhere else it costs them minutes to call me. So whatever the final choice is, it's Verizon. I think I'm just going to go to a Verizon store and play with the phones.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Thanks for the heads up. FYI to the post. I just was reminded by my wife that my whole family is on Verizon so if I go somewhere else it costs them minutes to call me. So whatever the final choice is, it's Verizon. I think I'm just going to go to a Verizon store and play with the phones.
Verizon has the 8130 Pearl (rev2 Pearl - suretype mini smartphone, GPS, BT, 3G, 2MP camera/with video recording, MP3/video player, etc), the 8830 (worldphone - dual radio CDMA/GSM, 3G, BT, full keyboard, video/mp3 player), and the entry level 8703 (full keyboard, BT, 3G).

Since they are all 3G, you'll get excellent data rates in Verizon's large nationwide data network - like most blackberries they support tethering via USB or BT which turns the phone into a broadband modem for your computer.

Although coverage varies by market, overall Verizon has the best coverage and cellular service nationwide. Verizon's customer service isn't very good and they like to charge you to use certain features the blackberry (and on other phone models) that other providers give for free (for example tethering cost extra in addition to a data plan).
 

aktallguy

Monkey
Aug 31, 2006
117
0
Puget Sound, WA
So I went to a Verizon store to check things out. I'm pretty sold on a Windows Mobile 6 phone after reviewing what I want to do with it. And I'll be sticking with Verizon (bummer cause I liked the Blackjack II I saw at AT&T). So that narrows it down to the Motorola Q or the Treo. I can't quite figure out why the Treo costs so much more. There are too many $(&)#$@$@ phones out now.
 

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
I love my treo 750, for what it is worth. Feel free to PM me any questions you may have. WM6 is pretty damn good. No serious crashes yet. I did have to reinstall the os awhile ago as it starting acting sort of weird and refused to shut off the screen.

The default alarm settings are robust, but do not allow you to use an MP3 file, only the wav files, so I am using a second app to deal with that.
 

Acadian

Born Again Newbie
Sep 5, 2001
714
2
Blah Blah and Blah
I have had the Curve 8320 for about a month
I so want one of those...but AT&T/Cingular doesn't have it :(

my girlfriend has an iPhone and I don't like it. I played with it a bit and I absolutely hate the touch pad on the iPhone. I rather have keys like on the Treo and Blackberry's.

and before people get on my case about the iPhone and start telling me "it's just a matter of getting used to it" about the keypad. I know several people that has had the phone since it came out and to this day say they prefer a keypad. I also did all the online apple tutorial on how to get used to the touch pad...and no matter how much I practiced, I type faster and more accurately on my current phone's key pad (with 3 characters per key)
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I so want one of those...but AT&T/Cingular doesn't have it :(
RIM is coming out with an new Blackberry model, but I kinda doubt UMA will move to other carriers.

The next best thing to UMA (not as integrated - doesn't allow calls in on your regular cell number) looks to be this but it only works on some Nokia phones right now - I think they are developing a client for the iPhone but its going to be pay service:

http://www.truphone.com
 

Austin Bike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 26, 2003
1,558
0
Duh, Austin
I have the blackberry with the non-standard keyboard with the "smart type" feature (not one letter per key).

If you type in "california" the two options are "california" and "validpenis".

The problem is that if you ever send someone a message to tell them this humorous fact, the thing thinks that "validpenis" must be the word you want to use from now on and that becomes the fault.

Unfortunately our headquarters is in validpenis, I mean california, so that gets typed a lot.
 

Toshi

Harbinger of Doom
Oct 23, 2001
38,031
7,550
i love my iPhone. i can answer any specific questions. :)
 

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
I have the Blackberry 8830 worldphone on Verizon.

Hate it. Need to update the software all the time, lose emails and text for no apparent reason, half the time I have a f*cking echo of my own voice when I'm talking.

I would rather go back to a flip phone with my Palm II
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I have the Blackberry 8830 worldphone on Verizon.

Hate it. Need to update the software all the time, lose emails and text for no apparent reason, half the time I have a f*cking echo of my own voice when I'm talking.
Well I only have a few Verizon users with 8830 out of the 89 nationwide BB units we have deployed on three different carriers (majority on Verizon). Most Verizon users have 8703 or 8130s but none of them or any other the other BBs out of the 5 years I've administered blackberry enterprise server have ever reported lost emails. Perhaps you didn't RTFM - message options - general settings - keep messages: 15d, 30d, 2m, 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m, forever:



As I said they make many handsets from different carriers and quality varies for a number reasons. There is no corporate management server in place for the iPhone so it has nothing there.

I have never had a problem with my 7250 (verizon), 7130(verizon), 8100(tmobile), or 8320(tmobile) - before those that I had a Motorola (verizon) phone when my BB was data only on cingular. I use both my corporate exchange account and several webmail accounts.

Apple has had their share of problems, including texting:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/16/iphone-v1-1-3-causing-major-issues-with-sms-message-order/

The iPhone you would not be any better off as ATT has widespread data outages much more frequently than research in motion does and you aren't locked to carriers. Hell it hasn't even been a week between the last two - its been over 4 months since any RIM outage of any size:

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/03/more-atandt-wireless-outages/

http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/31/atandt-wireless-data-outages-hit-the-midwest-other-areas/

The blackberry is not a flavor of the month trendy toy, its a mature solution that gets the job done in the real world and still manages to outsell the iPhone by nearly 2 to 1 in the iPhone's strongest market (US).

PS - my current employer switched from WM to RIM devices a few years ago and not one user has ever said they wished to switch back or liked WM better.

 

Slugman

Frankenbike
Apr 29, 2004
4,024
0
Miami, FL
Well I only have a few Verizon users with 8830 out of the 89 nationwide BB units we have deployed on three different carriers (majority on Verizon). Most Verizon users have 8703 or 8130s but none of them or any other the other BBs out of the 5 years I've administered blackberry enterprise server have ever reported lost emails. Perhaps you didn't RTFM - message options - general settings - keep messages: 15d, 30d, 2m, 3m, 4m, 5m, 6m, forever:
I know they don't stay on there forever - what has happened to me is I get a text on Tuesday night about where to meet someone the next day. Go to bed, wake up and check - that message is gone. Some from before and after are still there, but not the ONE with the important info. That happened on SEVERAL occasions.

They had me download new software and reinstall it. Has not happened since then (one month ago), but reinstalling the software took like 2 hours. Plus the problem just showed up one day... so now I'm waiting for the next 'bug' to strike.

Additionally I put in the extra memory card, but it doesn't recognize it. I downloaded the google tools – they crash.

I’m not saying it’s all BlackBerry products – just this POS
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I’m not saying it’s all BlackBerry products – just this POS
I don't doubt there are flaws in software. It happens on all platforms and as I noted the iPhone had texting flaws too and after they posted their 1.1.3 they had to update it again for the texting problem. RIM releases update software all the time as it has dozens of providers even in the US with different issues and needs.

The more complex they make cell phones the greater the chance for bugs.

It will be real fun when malware writers lock on a smartphone platform more regularly. Consumer platforms like the iPhone are usually the ripest target.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,861
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
Just like the BlackBerry is the perfect tool for some people the Iphone is for other. I on the other hand just need a more regular cell phone as I spend most my time at home or in the office where the PC is still king.

At the moment I got my eye on the new Sony Ericsson W890i but I do not know if it will be for sale in the US. Its small, light, should have good battery life, music and a camera and good Outlook synchronization. Size/weight, battery hold time and Outlook sync is the most important features. If anybody has any other suggestions let me know.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Just like the BlackBerry is the perfect tool for some people the Iphone is for other.

At the moment I got my eye on the new Sony Ericsson W890i but I do not know if it will be for sale in the US. Its small, light, should have good battery life, music and a camera and good Outlook synchronization. Size/weight, battery hold time and Outlook sync is the most important features. If anybody has any other suggestions let me know.
Well sales reflect RIM is more often the perfect tool - almost twice as often as the iPhone. RIM makes the best selling smartphones in the US:

Canalys said:
Q4 smartphone sales
Worldwide
Nokia (52.9%)
RIM (11.4%)
Apple (6.5%)

US
RIM (41%)
Apple(28%)
Windows Mobile (21%)
That would depend on provider, but RIM still has a good offering in small. Verizon's Pearl v2 (8130) does all those things pretty well plus push email sync but if you are traveling outside of the US, CDMA only isn't a good option.

The Pearl is one of the reasons we opened our ATT account a few years ago - executives valued a small phone more than smartphone vs. our people in the field who need to input lots information with a full keyboard.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,861
4,159
Copenhagen, Denmark
Yes, I travel outside the US so it has to be a GSM.

Well if something outsells another products that does not equal it necessarily being the better tool a lot more goes into that equation.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Well if something outsells another products that does not equal it necessarily being the better tool a lot more goes into that equation.
Yes well Apple is a newcomer, so we'll see what their sales look like in a year or two after the trendy novelty factor wears off and battery issues or what not creeps up on them - Newton didn't last. WM, RIM, and Symbian are are mature smartphone platforms...
 

?????

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2005
1,678
2
San Francisco
Yes well Apple is a newcomer, so we'll see what their sales look like in a year or two after the trendy novelty factor wears off and battery issues or what not creeps up on them - Newton didn't last. WM, RIM, and Symbian are are mature smartphone platforms...
My guess is that the iphone will become as common as ipods in the coming years once they develop more options and lower prices. Soon everyone will have an iphone... or 2.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
My guess is that the iphone will become as common as ipods in the coming years once they develop more options and lower prices. Soon everyone will have an iphone... or 2.
Except its not even close to that popular and isn't priced to be mass market. They would need more models and it would need to be subsidized like all other cell phones are in the US marketplace. Not to mention there are many people who would never pay for/need/afford data service on any device.

It its not the success the iPod (is) or RAZR(was). The RAZR did about 35m units in 06 and today its a has been - Motorola has been trying to sell off their ailing cell phone division and both LG and Samsung turned them down. If we double first six months of worldwide iPhone sales (since thats all we have to work with) you only get 8m - 1/5 of RAZR sales in their heyday.

Soon everyone will have an iPhone like everyone had a Newton (I'm sorry to say I had one):wait:
 

BigMike

BrokenbikeMike
Jul 29, 2003
8,931
0
Montgomery county MD
I have a Blackberry 8830 on VZW. Don't believe what anyone tells you, Verizon CRIPPLES THEIR PHONES. Yes, their Blakcberrys have a GPS built in, but no, you cannot use it. You can't even hack them to use it.

If you want email, Blackberry is bar none (well, except yesterday, but thats another story for another thread) My Gmail, and Corporate mail hits my phone before it hits my desktop. Besides that, its a pretty good device with a mediocre calendar. It also sucks syncing it with a Mac.

I've had about 4 Treos, and they each had different problems. I liked the UI, but I couldn't stand them always breaking. The only reason I got the BB was I threatened to leave Verizon, so they gave it to me for free.

I am thinking about jumping ship for an iPhone anyway, as they are so much easier to sync with a mac, they have a much better calendar, and come Feb. 26th, the SDK will be released, so hopefully that will mean big things.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I have a Blackberry 8830 on VZW. Don't believe what anyone tells you, Verizon CRIPPLES THEIR PHONES. Yes, their Blakcberrys have a GPS built in, but no, you cannot use it. You can't even hack them to use it.
Yes Verizon cripples their phones and charges extra for things other carriers provide for free. Google maps has the pseudo cell tower based GPS functionality on the blackberry - have you tried that?

Missing Sync for Blackberries for Mac: http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_blackberry.php

A free option for calendar sync is Google Sync if you switch to the Google Calendar: http://www.google.com/mobile/sync/index.html
 

BigMike

BrokenbikeMike
Jul 29, 2003
8,931
0
Montgomery county MD
Yeah, I have tried the Google Maps, its neat.

I shouldn't have to buy an extra program to make something work like it should out of the box.

I have not tried google sync, I'm Downloading it now.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I shouldn't have to buy an extra program to make something work like it should out of the box.
Well Verizon, ATT, and Apple want to make money.

Verizon for the various features of the phone and Apple/ATT for locking their phone.

RIM is concerned with their primary customer - corporate which are on PCs for the vast majority. Now that they are doing more consumer oriented BBs they might get around to OSX client but since they allow third party apps and big names like Yahoo, Google, etc offer sync for free consumer web PIM apps its not as big of a deal. Apple purposely breaks third party software with every software revision - RIM doesn't.

Yahoo also has the calendar in their yahoo mobile app but they are view only on the BB.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
FYI I finally made the leap and I bought the Blackberry Pearl (8130 from Verizon). Functionally, I LOVE everything about it.

Mechancially, the trackball is loose and I'm going to bring it back today or tomorrow. WTH? It's me, right?
Loose how - does the ball rattle around - how does it compare to the floor model at the store? I've never seen problems with trackballs but the older scroll wheel design sometimes break from abuse.

The great thing about the Pearl is that its actually a cell phone instead of a huge brick like most smartphones...
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
I have a Motorola Q music version (black rubberized coating with bigger square buttons)

Good: Simple to use, pretty easy interface, nice size, the rubberized coating stands up to abuse, buttons are F'ing sweet.

Bad: Battery life, It's a Motorola so the software always seems to lag. Unless you get into the OS files it's difficult to customize to exactly how you want it.

This is actually the 2nd Q I've had and I bought it because it's not an overly complicated phone with a huge amount of features but it has just enough to make it easy to use and they do exactly what I want to use it for.
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
FYI I finally made the leap and I bought the Blackberry Pearl (8130 from Verizon). Functionally, I LOVE everything about it.

Mechancially, the trackball is loose and I'm going to bring it back today or tomorrow. WTH? It's me, right?
My wife just got that and she loves it.

IT's not really a track ball though, it's more like the button in the center of an IBM Thinkpad.