What the hell phone should I get?!?!

[ImprobableJoe]

Here is another option:

Don't get a phone.

How is that possibly an option?

 

[Gunboat Diplomat]

My last two phones have been the original Droid and the Thunderbolt, so I'm a smart-phone, Internet and podcast-listening kind of user.

Do you often use your phone as a music player and, if so, do you have a large library of music on it? Do you do somewhat non-phone computer stuff with your phone, like transferring files to and from a network drive? Are you satisfied with keyboard input or do you prefer more novel input methods?

Perhaps we can cull the field if you answer this question: what do you think of iTunes?

 

[Gunboat Diplomat]

Here is another option:

Don't get a phone.

How is that possibly an option?

I agree. It's the twenty-first century already. Get real!

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Actually, the more I think about it the safer I think it is to say that I will not be buying a fruit-related phone any time soon.

Do you often use your phone as a music player and, if so, do you have a large library of music on it? Do you do somewhat non-phone computer stuff with your phone, like transferring files to and from a network drive? Are you satisfied with keyboard input or do you prefer more novel input methods?

Perhaps we can cull the field if you answer this question: what do you think of iTunes?

I don't use iTunes much. I'm a Google guy, I use Gmail and Picasa and Google Reader and Blogger, and the Android podcatcher is decent enough, and I can sync by wifi.

 

[Gunboat Diplomat]

Actually, the more I think about it the safer I think it is to say that I will not be buying a fruit-related phone any time soon.

I'm not sure I share this opinion. It is quite possibly the best phone on the market. At the very least, the hardware is unparalleled as is the software integration. The only thing that detracts from the phone are some of Apple's software paradigms and policies...

Do you often use your phone as a music player and, if so, do you have a large library of music on it? Do you do somewhat non-phone computer stuff with your phone, like transferring files to and from a network drive? Are you satisfied with keyboard input or do you prefer more novel input methods?

Perhaps we can cull the field if you answer this question: what do you think of iTunes?

I don't use iTunes much. I'm a Google guy, I use Gmail and Picasa and Google Reader and Blogger, and the Android podcatcher is decent enough, and I can sync by wifi.

Maybe I'm just out of touch with modern technology but... how are any of the Google services you mentioned a replacement for iTunes?

One of the problems (or benefits, depending on your needs) of the iPhone is the requirement of iTunes. While the consolidation of all your phone data makes state synchronization easy, it's also rather limiting to have that be the only way to add data to your phone...

If the use of iTunes is unacceptable (such as in the case where your OS of choice is Linux or some flavour of BSD), then you can write the iPhone off. In which case... go with a decent Android phone. They're kind of all the same so it's hard to go wrong...

Do you live in an area with 4G (really, it's more like 3.5G) access?

 

[nasher168]

Well I've got an Android HTC Wildfire S which I'm very happy with. It's a comfortable size and was definitely the best value for money in terms of computing power compared to the other phones on offer. I'm not sure if they have the model in the US, though. Or whether they've given it a different name or something.

 

[Your Funny Uncle]

Well if you're a Google user who's had two previous Android phones, the logical choice would seem to be to get the best specced Android-based phone that's available on your network. To me the manufacturer is of limited importance, although I've heard that Sony in particular can put a bit too much proprietary rubbish on their phones and make it hard to root them should that be your wont.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

... and then I just bought the most expensive Android phone they sell. Say hello to my little friend!

 

[Your Funny Uncle]

Looks purdy!

 

[Welshidiot]

Do you get wafers with it?

 

[ImprobableJoe]

Not much choice... I'm moving to Virginia this month, and if I don't have a phone I'm not sure how I make it work.

Anyone want to help me move? There will be rum and vodka and tequila!

 

[nasher168]

I'll give moral support! You can ship the tequila to the UK.

 

[Welshidiot]

I'll give moral support! You can ship the tequila to the UK.

I'll help!

Ship us some limes as well, Joe...

 

[ImprobableJoe]

I'll give moral support! You can ship the tequila to the UK.

How about I drink it, and I send you the hangover?

 

[nasher168]

I don't get hangovers I only ever feel a bit bleh, but a drink of water and a shower clears that up literally in ten minutes.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

...kids today.


GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!

 

[nasher168]

In fairness, though, it probably takes a lot less alcohol to get me drunk than it would an older person. A 35cl bottle of Southern Comfort to myself is enough to knock me out. :|

 

[)O( Hytegia )O(]

Maybe I'm just out of touch with modern technology but... how are any of the Google services you mentioned a replacement for iTunes?

One of the problems (or benefits, depending on your needs) of the iPhone is the requirement of iTunes. While the consolidation of all your phone data makes state synchronization easy, it's also rather limiting to have that be the only way to add data to your phone...

If the use of iTunes is unacceptable (such as in the case where your OS of choice is Linux or some flavour of BSD), then you can write the iPhone off. In which case... go with a decent Android phone. They're kind of all the same so it's hard to go wrong...

Do you live in an area with 4G (really, it's more like 3.5G) access?

iTunes - a cloud service of registry-edited downloading that exists outside of your own actual ownership and control and is actually under the control/ownership of Apple Inc.

:I

No one ever think of that when they fantasize about Cloud services.

Anyhow, the Droid has a music and video player on it capable of rendering 5.1 Ch audio output and HD/Blueray equivalent display.
The camera on it is so sophisticated that I can make a moving action shot by just taking one picture, and it does the rest (great for those Parkour shots for Facebook and Urban Freeflow). Actually, it has a shit-ton of options to optimize your video/picture experience. The videos and pictures always come out the highest of quality.
AKA I can flip through pictures of my girlfriend and it is "she's-about-to-pounce-out-of-my-phone" quality.

Plus the Droid has less useless applications - and the ones you have are usually the best ones. Such as Wolfram Alpha.

 

[ImprobableJoe]

In fairness, though, it probably takes a lot less alcohol to get me drunk than it would an older person. A 35cl bottle of Southern Comfort to myself is enough to knock me out. :|

Right... that's what I had for breakfast. Seriously, it is 2:14 local time, I'm through about .350L of rum and I feel... whatever. I could drive if I had to. I can type without typos. I'll finish the bottle, plus some vodka and triple-sec. Anyone else like kamikazes?!?!

Worst cell phone thread ever...

iTunes - a cloud service of registry-edited downloading that exists outside of your own actual ownership and control and is actually under the control/ownership of Apple Inc.

:I

No one ever think of that when they fantasize about Cloud services.

Anyhow, the Droid has a music and video player on it capable of rendering 5.1 Ch audio output and HD/Blueray equivalent display.
The camera on it is so sophisticated that I can make a moving action shot by just taking one picture, and it does the rest (great for those Parkour shots for Facebook and Urban Freeflow). Actually, it has a shit-ton of options to optimize your video/picture experience. The videos and pictures always come out the highest of quality.
AKA I can flip through pictures of my girlfriend and it is "she's-about-to-pounce-out-of-my-phone" quality.

Plus the Droid has less useless applications - and the ones you have are usually the best ones. Such as Wolfram Alpha.

Yeah, and better resolution cameras, front-facing cameras, brighter displays, quick sync between my camera and Picasa and my blog/Internet. I can take a picture in my bedroom, press two buttons and by the time I walk to my office to start typing my photo is ready to put on my blog or a website.

I don't know about all that ownership of music stuff... nearly every one of the 5000+ songs on my computer is connected to a real physical disc in my closet, and the rest were free samples. I do know that I find the Windows manipulation of my library to be much simpler than iTunes garbage, especially since iTunes refuses to recognize half of my library.

 

[nasher168]

35cl of Southern Comfort is equivalent to about 4-5 pints maybe, so yeah...
Meh, I always without exception thing everything is wonderful when I'm drunk, so if I can do that cheaply and without hangovers, then that's all the better.