Need your opinion about smartphones!

My wife and I are still using dumbphones, however, the competition right now is so heavy that the incentives are about as good as they were leading up to Christmas. Admittedly we probably don't need smartphones (we're kind of old) but lately we've been going over or right on the border of our text and phone usage. All the SP plans are unlimited in that regard. So since I own nothing Apple should I go with droid if I do this? Verizon, our carrier has iphones and droids for free. We've been eligible for upgrades for well over a year. Thank you!

 

I prefer android (even though I own 1 imac and 1 macmini).

But, if you can select the device you want go for the iphone. Apple values more their customers since they continue to provide upgrades several years later compared to all the android manufacturers that usually provide only 1 major upgrade (and some not even that); only exception are the nexus devices that are directly supported by google.

Panagiotis

 

I'd recommend you wait. There are some interesting up and coming smartphones like the Ubuntu smartphone and the Jolla smartphone.

I would steer clear from Android like the plague unless you like the Nexus series of devices which are very good and should really be the only choice when it comes to Android.

If you really want a phone now I'd say WP as its a good middle ground between iOS and Android but I'd personally wait.

 

In my opinion Android is a much better (and cheaper) alternative to the iPhone.
There is an almost limitless choice of phones, and there is a wide range of sizes to choose from. Unlike the iPhone which only comes in one size, and the budget model has a premium price tag.

 

i too prefer android, and my samsung tablet and old samsung phone did and do offer to update every now and then. my newest phone hasn't offered to update yet, but i'm sure there'll be one. anyway, google nexus 5 (from google directly) has great specs and price. samsung is probably the biggest android competitor to apple, and very stable. i bought samsung MEGA because i wanted a huge sreen (6.3 inches), but most people these days seem to feel 5 inches is the best compromise between screen real estate and compactness of the phone.

iphone gives you a little less freedom in terms of apps and customization, but they are considered more stable and polished (not sure i agree though).

 

Using the iPhone 5s myself, and love it

 

Best avoid:

Avoid I-anything.

For one, Apple pretty much sold us all out to the NSA, and has been implicated in some pretty serious spying on their customers. Apple requires purchase/download from their store, which means it is a closed-loop product. Rooting is an option, but is difficult at times, can brick a device, and voids warranties. Not to mention iOS development is stagnant, and feels almost arcane compared to the latest Androids.

Android allows you to source your apps from anywhere you choose, without rooting. Android doesn't lock you to anyone in particular. Android is vastly more customizable, ground up.

Price.. You can snag a Samsung S3 for $260, then toss a 64GB card into it, drawing it up to 80GB of memory for under $300! Iphone 5 with 64GB, unlocked is $850.00.. S3 is better, bigger screen, Quad Core, etc. No comparison.

Apple is highly overrated, and there is a reason Apple lacks popularity in places other than North America. It doesn't make much sense for discerning customers. I wish people in this country would get over their I-Infatuation..

 

At least these days Android phones, particularly the Samsung Galaxy series have become very popular and many people see them a viable alternative to an iPhone. I remember three years ago when I bought my first Android phone, and people tended to think that Android phones where garbage compare to an iPhone. Most of these people had probably never even used an Android device and owned an iPhone to be "cool" like all their other friends who owned iPhones.

 

Absolutely agreed. Stay away from i. It traps you in the expensive and eccentric Apple ecosystem. The Samsung recommendation is good. Or, just go for another dumbphone plus a Win netbook. Why not?

 

Most people go with apple because of the:
- aesthetic appeal
- product "hype"
- light weight
- small form factor
- smooth UI
- wider selection and earlier access to popular apps
- wider selection of iPhone accessories

Both of my parents are grandfathered iPhone 3GS users on AT&Ts network. They love their phone for the aesthetic appeal, light weight, small form factor, and smooth UI. My parents swear that the iPhone is simple to use, but I notice they don't use it for anything particularly advanced. They use the camera app to take pictures, but have no comprehension of how to use the camera's settings or filter options. Similarly, they can check and write e-mails and messages, but have difficulty with tasks like switching between different e-mail account. They are probably the least technical people that I've known with exception to a few clients.

My sister bought the new iPhone 5, which is not grandfathered. She has to be very conservative with her usage because of the data rates. My parents didn't like the change in form factor, but didn't mind the new OS and UI design. They did notice her battery life was worse, but again subjective as each user does uses a phone differently. That being said, the Cellular and WiFi is much better on the newer phone in terms of performing tasks like browser searches and launching apps.

What I've observed about apple, that might explain why folks like my parents like apple:
- Apple doesn't tend to air its laundry. When an application crashes it closes very smoothly back to the home display. My parents didn't realize it was crashing at all on their phones. Surprisingly this happens a lot, even on newer devices, but you wouldn't guess it because of the lack of alerts or pop-ups common to windows. Instead you have to dig through settings to find the crash reporter.

- My parents are use to older Windows machines, where laptops and dumb phones are bricks. Apple really won them over with its light weight and small form factor. Plus the polished aluminum looks better than the grey and black plastics used on most other devices.

- They aren't tech literate, so specs aren't something they really glance at beyond memory capacity and price. That being said, they do key on to "hype" words like "cloud" and creative commercials like Samsung's next big thing or apples dreamer dribble guides their attention when they shop electronics.

As a new android convert, my experience with stock android hasn't been terrible. In fact, I love my new Nexus 4 and the fact that updates roll out to nexus devices first. That being said, the GIII and the new iPhone performed the same when I used them at my carrier the other day. I couldn't distinguish between them. Both equally smooth. They had great WiFi at the store, so speeds were pretty good for launching apps, surfing the web, etc. Samsung's messaging app even copies the bubble chats you'd see on my parents iPhones.

Summary, I don't think you could go wrong with either one. You should spend some time with the devices at a stores, preferably a retailer with good connectivity. Nexus devices are nice for the updates and android over all seems evenly match. If you want open (more control) then I'd suggest going with android, but the new OS for apple makes its a bit more tolerable with the quick access controls and so called 'multitasking". The closed ecosystem and lack of a larger, true HD display is a true off for me personally. Probably the only argument you could make is the color saturation on iPhone may be more appealing to some over that on an Android device. But honestly, I don't see a difference. Perhaps I lack that sixth sense that comes hand in hand with matching clothes with phones cases.

 

I just learnt a new word. I had to Google the meaning.

 

I use a Nokia Windows Phone. I love it. I strongly recommend Nokia Lumia phones. Excellent hardware with top-notch cameras. Windows Phone OS is strong in security. No malware. The OS is encrypted and malware can't infect. MS checks every app in the marketplace. Windows Phone 8 is as safe as it gets. It is the most secure mobile OS (maybe after Blackberry 10), and the Lock screen password can NOT be bypassed with any method. The bootloader is locked for every Windows Phone 8 device out there, and the OS uses Bitlocker technology to secure its internal storage. One can safely store any documents on one's phone and protect them with just a single lockscreen password. Even if one loses his/her phone, one can use the 'Find my phone' feature on windowsphone.com to locate/wipe/lock/ring your device. Also the Windows marketplace is growing day by day. And while it's still a kid compared to Google play or Apple marketplace, it has most of the necessary apps.

 

Or is the lack of the malware due to the tiny market share? The more popular an OS is, the more malware is written for it. It has always been the case that operating systems with a small market share have little malware.

I may be wrong about Windows Phone, but I can't help but think of an article I read some time ago about how OS X is better than Windows which stated that there was virtually no malware for OS X, because it was much harder to write viruses for it then for Windows. Which is course, is not the case, it's all about market share for the OS.

I've installed hundreds of apps from Google's Play Store, and not even once have I got malware. I've also installed lots of apps from 3rd party (most Chinese) app stores, and haven't got malware from them either.

Since I've never used a Windows Phone, I will probably buy a cheap Nokia Windows phone at some point (they are on special quite often from vendors on Aliexpress) to try out with and see if I like it. However I really do not like the look of the tiled interface one bit, but maybe with use I will change my mind.

 

Thank you for all the input! It is kind of mind boggling reviewing the phones, especially since a SM with the least features and specs would be miles ahead of a DP. However, despite that reality I'm shopping away. So Verizon and AT&T have similar perks with many free phones plus $100 credit toward your bill with each activation. I'll probably stay with Verizon. The one thing I'm obsessing about is the IP67 certification standard. Verizon isn't carrying the Galaxy 4 Active (only S4 mini) right now, which meets that standard. I like the specs of the LG G2, although it doesn't appear to be waterproof, plus the iPhone 5c is/are free. The 5c perk is good until 3/17 and the activation perks all month, so I do have ample time to make a decision!

 

I think you should visit Radio Shack, Walmart, Best Buy and other places that cater to all the major carriers. That is, avoid the Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T stores. You don't get the best deals, choice of carriers or as many phone options.

Take your most recent bill and show them how you use your phones (phone calls, texts, and/or Internet). And tell them what you want to do with your phones and see what they suggest.

I just (like yesterday) went to Best Buy to see what was out there as my old HTC Hero is, well... ...old. I work out of my home and have a home phone so I really only use my cell when in my truck for emergencies or other rare occasions - and to stream tunes from my phone via Bluetooth to my truck's BT interface.

Two salesmen immediately started to circle, and feared I was about to be pressured into something I didn't need that would cost me dearly. The salesman asked me what my phone doesn't do for me and I said nothing. It does everything.

He said, "You don't need a new phone!" And he was right.

Kudus to BestBuy!!! They didn't try to sell me something I don't need. They lost the sale, but not the customer!

 

this

i like to leave tinkering to PC's only

 

Yeah you could say that. Nothing is 100 full-proof. Cyber criminals will find new ways to exploit and create malware for OS' no matter how strong they are.

That being said, at least MS has tried to tighten up the WP OS in many ways to prevent infection. This coupled with the lack of interest from malware creators make WP OS an ideal choice in terms of security at least for now.

I strongly recommend Lumia 525. It's the same price as L520 in my country. They're similar prices in most countries. L525 has same spec as L520 except it has 1GB RAM. It's very cheap. Awesome phone.

 

I also vote for Windows phone. I have had 3 different Lumias in the last 2 years (I upgrade often) and have been very pleased with the security, stability, and simplicity of Windows Phone. On Verizon the 928 is still a nice phone that should be pretty cheaply obtained. With Windows Phone 8.1 coming very soon the feature set will be excellent.

 

Oh I didn't know you were a WP user. Good going. May I ask which Windows phones you have used? Any Nokia Lumia phones? I use Nokia L520.

Oh yes. And the set of features will hopefully wash out most of the user complaints and frustrations with the current WP 8. Just take a look at the list here.

 

If you're going android I'd definitely go for the Nexus 5. I switched from an iPhone 5 to a Nexus 5 and I'm very happy with my decision. Nexus devices get all Android updates too. Plus there's the price, you're paying mid range money for a flagship device.

 

The OP mention.....

Meaning the price doesn't matter in this case if above is correct.

Anyhow I would get the iPhone too.

 

I've had every iPhone from the 3gs to the 5, Since switching to the Nexus 5 I can honestly say that this device is leaps and bounds ahead of the iPhone. Larger FULL HD display, faster cpu, more ram and KitKat on my N5 runs a lot faster than iOS did on my iPhone 5. I'm not anti Apple, I have an iPad air which I love and my computer is also Apple. But as far as iPhones go Apple really need to step up their game, which I'm sure they will. Why would you settle for a cough cough "Retina display" when you can have full HD?

iOS is a great OS and iPhones are well built, but it's time Apple released something truly special, which we all now they're capable of. The 5s was a joke for anyone who already had the 5.

 

I don't really want or need a bigger display, possibly a half inch to 4.5 but not more. And then as you say iOS is the other reason why I would chose it. Yes some wanted more than what they got with the 5s, in the OP's case though he uses a dumbphone so he won't compare it to previous models so i'm sure he will like it a lot. And I don't get the feeling he's one of those who upgrade their phone every year to a newer model.

 

Well we disagree on screen size, but to be honest if this is the OP's first smart phone he may be better suited to iOS.

 

Yes it seems we do, but I can say that I DO think Apple should offer the iPhone with bigger screens too for users who want that, losing current customers or potential new customers over something as silly as the screen size is just stupid.

But on this point we agree