A couple of questions for smartphone owners

[propita]

We're on iPhones. Hubby resents having a phone at all and calls it a leash. I love my iPhone 4S, but as others have posted, I don't use it to its full potential.

Big advantage for us is that Hubby also wanted to get away from Windows and move to Apple, so everything's compatible (iPhones, iPad, iMac, macbook).

 

[RoJoHen]

That is my favorite thing about Apple. Everything works together so well. I can buy music from my iPhone and it automatically downloads to my MacBook library as well.

 

[Captain Ice]

One note regarding Motorola: They are terrible about pushing out operating system upgrades to their phones. Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, has been available since October, and the Droid RAZR has been out since November, but Motorola is only starting to push out the 4.0 update this week (and that's only to RAZR / RAZR MAXX phones). The Droid 4 and Droid Bionic will receive it "sometime" in Q3, and no other Motorola phones on the market (on Verizon, anyway) will receive the update.

It was actually quite a surprise to me to learn that only one phone currently on the market has Ice Cream Sandwich at all right now. But, after playing with Ice Cream Sandwich last night and then reading the reviews this morning, I decided i had to have it and ordered it. The other surprising thing is that this phone costs about half of what the iPhone 4S is priced at.

 

[Spot's Meow]

Congrats on your new and exciting purchase!

There is one thing I forgot to mention before that will be a big change from a non-smartphone; battery life. My old phone would stay charged for at least two full days, sometimes even three or four. My smartphone, and it seems like pretty much ALL smartphones out there, has to be charged nightly. It's not a huge deal, I've gotten into a routine now, but that was an irritating change for me.

ETA: Also, let me know how Ice Cream Sandwich is! My phone is slated for the upgrade, though there is no specific date set as of yet. I guess you won't be able to compare much to Gingerbread, but I'd still like to know your opinion!

 

[trekkiedane]

There is one thing I forgot to mention before that will be a big change from a non-smartphone; battery life. My old phone would stay charged for at least two full days, sometimes even three or four. My smartphone, and it seems like pretty much ALL smartphones out there, has to be charged nightly. It's not a huge deal, I've gotten into a routine now, but that was an irritating change for me.

True enough: it used to be that you only needed to charge a phone weekly (allright: maybe twice a week), but with 'smart'phones you need to charge them daily! -and this despite the better batteries available today (of course; smartphones couldn't even exist on NiCd-batts (for more than a couple of minutes anyway)).



I still remember -with horror- the first time I ran out of charge on my fancy new device: I had been visiting my sister (out in the countryside where the net was as fine and flimsy as a spider's) and sat on a bench at the station, waiting for the next train -I had come too late for the one I was hoping to catch and had fifteen minutes to kill.
It came to me that I could just pass the time by watching the news (what else was a smartphone for, I thought)... but no, not for me; my phone had been using A LOT of energy doing on-line stuff while I was at my sister's!

The very next day I bought a re-chargeable phone-charger to bring along when I knew I might need it (very much cheaper than an extra battery (and usable for other things as well!).

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I have an LG Thrill 4G. In Europe, it's known as the Optimus 3D. It's a 3D phone, in fact. I will admit, the 3D feature swayed me, but I hardly ever use it now. It runs Android 2.2, Froyo, but I just got upgraded to 2.3.5, Gingerbread. I love my phone, and my phone's operating system. It's fast, powerful, and can pretty much do whatever i want it to do. I would definitely buy it again.

 

[trekkiedane]

I have an LG Thrill 4G. /.../ It's a 3D phone, in fact. I will admit, the 3D feature swayed me, /.../

I saw that and wanted one!

 

[Timby]

My smartphone, and it seems like pretty much ALL smartphones out there, has to be charged nightly. It's not a huge deal, I've gotten into a routine now, but that was an irritating change for me.

That's the thing about 4G data -- it's incredibly intensive on the battery, especially if you don't have a strong signal. I actually set my phone to run on CDMA-only during the workday, since my office's walls are murder on cell signals.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I have an LG Thrill 4G. /.../ It's a 3D phone, in fact. I will admit, the 3D feature swayed me, /.../

I saw that and wanted one!

It's a really cool phone. And, it's a powerhouse of a phone too, moreso now that it's been upgraded to Gingerbread. I love my phone.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I have a hollowed out horn, and when it's time to go a Viking, I blow it to let the boys know it's time to ship out to Europe.

You go, Sven!

I've had an iPhone and a Droid, and I'm going back to an iPhone for the stupidest of reasons. I have Pepper Pots sized hands, and really the Droid is too big for me to use comfortably.

Plus, I don't like not having a functioning phone/ iPod when I go running. If someone tries to attack me on the trail, I want to be able to call 911 and get them to haul him off for me after I beat the living *$&^ out of him.

 

[Emher]

^I haven't felt truly comfortable with a smartphone until upgraded to my Desire. The Hero that I used to have just a tad too small and the screen was one of the first of it's type and not nearly as sensitive as the one on the Desire is. So it didn't function all too well with my big fingers.


Now let us ship off and plunder Konstantinopel!

 

[Holdfast]

If someone tries to attack me on the trail, I want to be able to call 911 and get them to haul him off for me after I beat the living *$&^ out of him.

haven't seen you on the board in a while (at least, not the parts of hte board I read these days)... I see you haven't changed...!

 

[Crusher Disciple]

If someone tries to attack me on the trail, I want to be able to call 911 and get them to haul him off for me after I beat the living *$&^ out of him.

haven't seen you on the board in a while (at least, not the parts of hte board I read these days)... I see you haven't changed...!

Why change perfection?

I'm mostly in the Old Folk's Lounge these days.

^I haven't felt truly comfortable with a smartphone until upgraded to my Desire. The Hero that I used to have just a tad too small and the screen was one of the first of it's type and not nearly as sensitive as the one on the Desire is. So it didn't function all too well with my big fingers.


Now let us ship off and plunder Konstantinopel!

I'll go get my club and my Meow Meow.