Buying new phone...advice?

[Kevin Seitzer]

I need a new phone for work. It needs to be on the AT&T network, and I have to be able to read and send email. Those are the only must-have requirements.

In addition, I would like the following:
1. web browser
2. GPS/Google maps
3. small enough to easily fit in my pants pocket

My wife has the iPhone4, and I'd be okay with that, but it's a little bigger than I want, and it has a lot of bells and whistles that I don't particularly care about, plus it costs an arm and a leg.

I'm not sure whether I want a touch screen or an actual keyboard as I have no experience using any of those to type. So any thoughts on that from frequent phone emailers would be appreciated. I assume I'll not be writing essays on the phone, but since email is the main application for me, I want the typing to be as good as it can without making the phone too big.

Thoughts/advice? Thanks!

[Judge Jude]

I am a Luddite, while the [younger] Mrs bought an iPhone the day it came out years ago. She now has the latest model.

I only bought my iPhone so I could hand it to her whenever I was confused, frankly. But I have had no trouble using the touch screen at all, to my surprise. I don't write lengthy email responses on it, though.

Should you also have an iPad for your work now? I'd think so, no?

[cardboardbox]

The iphone is actually one of the smaller smartphones and I'd expect the iphone 5 to grow a little.

Dont the Astros pay for your phone expenses?

[Kevin Seitzer]

Dont the Astros pay for your phone expenses?

They do, but I pay for the phone. I'm used to the world where AT&T (or whoever) gives you the phone in exchange for signing a two-year contract. I think I may actually have to care about price for a smartphone, though I dunno.

[Kevin Seitzer]

iPhones kick ass even for luddites. Easily the best phone I've ever owned and I'm not a mega fancy phone type of guy, either.

When it comes to gadgets, I am very much a luddite. Perhaps I should have mentioned that. I'm quite fine with computers, but consumer electronics are not my thing.

[virgonomic]

Android phones support Swype. You slide your finger around the keyboard instead of typing. It's awesome.

I made the jump from QWERTY to touch screen last May and don't miss it a bit.

If I needed to buy a new phone today it would be the Samsung Galaxy. It's about the same size as an iphone but weighs 1/3 as much.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Android phones support Swype. You slide your finger around the keyboard instead of typing. It's awesome.

Ah, great. That's what I wanted to know about. The iPhone is okay for typing but it's not my favorite. I had heard of the term Swype but had no idea that's what it was. I'll have to read up on that.

[johnnya24]

My 24 month contract is up in about 20 days, but I'm not going to upgrade. I'm perfectly content with what my HTC Desire can do. That said, if I was going to upgrade in the near future, I'd wait until Samsung release the S3, and then look for a good deal on the S2. The S2 is a better phone that the iPhone4, and cheaper ... although slightly larger (which is a good thing).

Depending on your home operating system, you might want to wait and look for a phone that will be Windows 8 compatible. Windows 8 is designed to be cross platform compatible, so if you are a Windows user, a Windows 8 mobile might be a great extension for your Home PC. I'm really impressed by what I have seen so far ... Microsoft ahead of the game ... now that's a surprise! When was the last time that could be said. This is the other reason I'm not upgrading right now. I don't wanna commit myself to another 24 months on Android or Apple, and miss out on something really impressive emerging here. I've already used the Lumia 800 and 900, with Windows Mobile 7, and it's a very impressive OS. Windows 8 should be better ... and the cross platform compatible thing could be a real winner for me.

I'll keep playing a waiting game ... now is not the best time to upgrade if you ask me ... the market will move very fast when the next gen of quad core phones come out on mass, and the previous gen will drop in price.

As for the size issue. I've never found this ti be a problem. In fact, I prefer the feel of my HTC in the pocket as opposed to older smaller, but thicker mobiles. Even if I'm wearing tighter trousers, you can't even notice it. The Samsung Galaxy 2 is larger but thinner than the iphone ... and it fits very nicely into the pocket as well IMO.

I would also seriously experiment with the typing on your wife's phone. It doesn't matter which way you cut it, typing on a touch screen can be annoying. It's made easier if you are using a good app i.e. I find making posts on RJ is a real pain in the ass, but writing emails on the gmail app is a bit easier. Something with a slide out keyboard would be a good option if you are going to be writing a lot of emails etc. But these are bulkier, and won't help with your desire for a small feeling phone.

You'd be best going to your local dealer and trying out how some of the slide-out keyboard Android phones feel in your hand. If I were writing a lot of messages, and possibly long messages, that's where I might be looking.

[Kevin Seitzer]

I was hoping you would chime in on this thread, Johnny.

I have three Windows PCs, two on Windows 7 and one on Vista.

Unfortunately, I don't have the option to wait. I need to buy something before opening day, really probably in the next two weeks. When the boss says I need a phone with email, I need a phone with email. (I can probably get them to contribute toward the cost of the phone itself if that becomes an issue for me, but I'm at least starting with the assumption that I'm paying for the phone.)

I've written some emails on my wife's phone. I find it annoying. I've wondered if I would just get used to it eventually, or whether it's fundamentally a problem I have with the app or with the iPhone touch screen itself.

I plan to go to the local AT&T store and try out some phones, but right now I'm starting from almost zero knowledge of what's available, so I wanted to educate myself as much as I could so that I could be a bit more intelligent in the store about what I wanted to look at and what was even a possibility.

[Kevin Seitzer]

The S2 is a better phone that the iPhone4, and cheaper ... although slightly larger (which is a good thing).

Why do you say slightly larger is better? Because the screen is bigger? Or some other reason?

[Kevin Seitzer]

IShould you also have an iPad for your work now? I'd think so, no?

1. I'm a Luddite when it comes to consumer electronics.

2. I have a laptop that I prefer to use for most of the stuff that I could envision doing with an iPad.

I'm comfortable with PCs. I can make them do what I want. Consumer electronics make me do what they want. I'm not comfortable with them. Bloomberg has a nice app for the iPad where you can pull up video for any pitch. Okay, cool. But I can do that from my PC, too. The only advantage the iPad has over the laptop is that it can connect over the cell phone network, but I'm not sure I want to be pulling hi-def video over that connection anyway.

I can see that maybe down the road when I'm demonstrating something to a minor league coach out in the bullpen in his park, I don't want to have to lug a laptop with me. I'll want a tablet that has a connection to our database and our video library. But we're not there yet and probably won't be for a year or two.

[bryanbutler]

Even if I'm wearing tighter trousers,

ooooh, johnny, stop, i'm getting all excited :O...

[bryanbutler]

Why do you say slightly larger is better?

ask fresno bob.

[bryanbutler]

but, more seriously, and just to get a three-peat post, i'm extremely happy with my iphone 4. the *only* thing i'm unhappy about is the coverage, as mine is also AT&T; my wife has verizon on her iphone and it kicks my ass in terms of coverage. but since you said you're locked in to AT&T, that's not an issue.

tons of apps - things from real work utility (i have one where i can ssh in to my work computers remotely, for instance) to daily life utility (maps, clocks, etc.), to just plain fun (plenty of games).

and as for swype - i'm not convinced i'd like or need it anyway. it's mainly targeted at the texting (read "younger") crowd, and i simply don't send enough of them for that to matter. and the whole concept has always seemed odd to me. so, frankly, unless you try it and love it, i'd not use that as a consideration.

[JudeBaldo]

but, more seriously, and just to get a three-peat post, i'm extremely happy with my iphone 4. the *only* thing i'm unhappy about is the coverage, as mine is also AT&T; my wife has verizon on her iphone and it kicks my ass in terms of coverage. but since you said you're locked in to AT&T, that's not an issue.

That's exactly what my girlfriend and I have going. I'm jealous of her Verizon connection.

Another vote for the iPhone. I have the 4s and I love it. I was an early adopter so I don't have much experience with Android phones. Though they are much easier to hack and they have an easier time acquiring viruses because of the nature of the open source software and the app store.

I take a lot of pictures on my iPhone which has a good camera. I send out a lot of e-mails and it is an excellent work and life phone as Bryan Bulter noted.

Though Windows 8 has me intrigued.

By the way KS, I find it kind of ironic that you are a Luddite when it comes to consumer electronics. :-)