Need new phone...but can wait a bit if needed

Mt_Goat

I have been with ATT for over a decade now and have liked the C.S. quite well. But I have some issuses with coverage when traveling. I travel the U.S. extensively but don't cross any int'l borders. Currently using a standard phone and air card. I do have the desire to go back to a smart phone and like the option of using the phone for web access on my lappy.

So, I ask if any carriers are better across the board since I travel all over? And what is or will be the best phone by sat the end of summer? I am also maxing the 5GB on my air card almost every month. Not by alot but rather consistently.

mertesn

The best carrier really depends on the region and phone. I've been with Sprint (but it's been over 10 years), AT&T, and (currently) Verizon.

I've had a bunch of dropped calls and/or bad call quality with AT&T (iPhone), but BuddyJ's experiences may be different. Haven't had many issues with Verizon since switching over a year ago. T-Mobile isn't the greatest in my area, nor is Sprint, but I know in other places their coverage is fantastic.

Thrax

Verizon legitimately has the highest coverage in the US, 3G or otherwise. If you want a reliable carrier, it's the place to be. As for the best phone by summer's end? Outlook hazy.

Mt_Goat

mertesn wrote:

The best carrier really depends on the region and phone. I've been with Sprint (but it's been over 10 years), AT&T, and (currently) Verizon.

I've had a bunch of dropped calls and/or bad call quality with AT&T (iPhone), but BuddyJ's experiences may be different. Haven't had many issues with Verizon since switching over a year ago. T-Mobile isn't the greatest in my area, nor is Sprint, but I know in other places their coverage is fantastic.

I am looking for the best of all areas combined. I may be in Texas one day, Ohio the next and Kansas before the week is through as my work takes me all over constantly.

Thrax wrote:

Verizon legitimately has the highest coverage in the US, 3G or otherwise. If you want a reliable carrier, it's the place to be. As for the best phone by summer's end? Outlook hazy.

If I were to switch within the next month or so, what would be the hands down recomendation? Or is it still more complicated then that?

primesuspect

If nationwide coverage is critical, then Verizon is definitely the way to go.

Thrax

Of course, "best" in smartphone land is very subjective. A lot of people feel strongly about their platform of choice. For example, it's well-known that I am an Android fan; that ecosystem has the strongest/newest hardware and offers the most customization to end users.

Apple people like their build quality, and the virtually seamless experience. It's basically curated smartphoning, and a lot of people appreciate that.

So on and so forth with BlackBerry and WinMo.

Really it comes down to the same question as a PC: what do you want to do with this phone? What do you want out of the next two years with it?

Mt_Goat

Thrax wrote:

Of course, "best" in smartphone land is very subjective. A lot of people feel strongly about their platform of choice. For example, it's well-known that I am an Android fan; that ecosystem has the strongest/newest hardware and offers the most customization to end users.

Apple people like their build quality, and the virtually seamless experience. It's basically curated smartphoning, and a lot of people appreciate that.

So on and so forth with BlackBerry and WinMo.

Really it comes down to the same question as a PC: what do you want to do with this phone? What do you want out of the next two years with it?

The biggest things I 'NEED' would be quite simple. I use calendar, day planner, notes, alarms and appointment reminders, music, voice recorder that can record for long periods at a time.

I am totally sold on touch screens as I hate the friggn little buttons on a phone keyboard. I like the as you put it "seemlessness" of the Apple system and the Android phones I have seen have caught my attention. I think that pretty well sums it up. Some guys at work like their Android phones and a lot of the apps for them. I would likely dabble in extra activities if they were there. I am feeling the urge to explore! I also would like as large a screen as I could get but be thin and lightweight.

Thrax

I think you should compare the iPhone 4, HTC Incredible 2 and HTC Thunderbolt after April 28.

Mt_Goat

Thrax wrote:

I think you should compare the iPhone 4, HTC Incredible 2 and HTC Thunderbolt after April 28.

Why after April 24?

Thanks

Snarkasm

I believe that's the Incredible 2's release date. It's the only one not out yet.

Thrax

Snark is correct, and the 28th was just confirmed today.

MAGIC

For me, if you have a good carrier, all smart phones can more or less do the same thing. If they cannot do something out of the box, more than likely you can download an app to do it.

The real important thing to me is the input and in my experience Apple touch screens are the most accurate, responsive, and natural feeling of any phone I have picked up.

Also, when you get your phone, instantly get a matte screen protector. It's makes the touch screen so much more comfortable to use.

Kwitko

$200 seems kind of steep for a phone with year-old technology.

MAGIC

Kwitko wrote:

$200 seems kind of steep for a phone with year-old technology.

Yeah, you could argue that. It still stands up with recently released phones in terms of quality and capability. Want a supercomputer phone? Maybe not, but if you want a very well finished phone that has very few issues it is what it is.

I think it has held its value and I think they priced it well as it is exactly the most I was willing to pay for it.

Thrax

Not that old. The Super LCDs are pretty new (and looking fucking awesome), and the MSM8255 ("Snapdragon") is actually a second-gen part that just launched in October, 2010. Much, much faster than the "Snapdragon" CPU in products like the EVO 4G, particularly on the GPU front.

Actually, I think it's a huge failing on Qualcomm's part to not adjust their branding to identify newer generations of the Snapdragon SoC. Everything from the Nexus One to the Sensation just use "Snapdragon," even though the latter has a second core and is two generations newer. At least the AMOLED makers have kept up with branding like "Super AMOLED" or "Super AMOLED+" to differentiate from older, inferior versions.

Hell, even calling it the Qualcomm Snapdragon 2 would be sufficient. Maybe the dual core parts could be called the Qualcomm Snapdragon 3 Duo (or something) as they're 3rd-gen dual core parts.

Kwitko

Thanks for the clarification Thrax. It makes more sense now.

MAGIC

Phone Wizard.

Mt_Goat

This place is effin awesome!

Mt_Goat

It looks like I will go with the Thunderbolt on Verizon. I like a lot of the features, dual core proc, 4G and after getting my hands on one would say it had a similar feel of seamlessness as the IP4. I got the feeling that the IP4 has a lot of "bloat" to it in comparison to the Thunderbolt. I am waiting till next Friday to 'sleep on it'. In the mean time I will continue to do my usual research it to death routine.

Thrax

Just be aware that the TBolt is only single core, even if it's a very, very fast one at that.

Mt_Goat

Thrax wrote:

Just be aware that the TBolt is only single core, even if it's a very, very fast one at that.

Oh Oh
Thank you, it seems that I got confused. Overall I liked the features of the Tbolt better then on the Incredible 2.

Mt_Goat

Still haven't done it. I understand that you can not make or receive calls while using the mobile hotspot. So does any phone 3G or 4G have this ability?

Snarkasm

Just tested with my phone (Desire Z, aka T-Mo G2 in the US) and was perfectly able to maintain wifi sharing while receiving a call. If it's a restriction, it's an artificial one that the carriers inflicted. (I'm in Europe, so that's entirely possible.)

shwaip

When laura and I picked up her g2x, the t-mo rep said that's a 4g feature. I think the trouble is that the 3g network doesn't work at the same time as the phone network. I didn't get all the details, but that's what the rep said.

Mt_Goat

Thanks for the replies. I will just keep waiting and looking. At least its not critical right now and more of I wanna do it. Maybe some now phones will show up in the mean time.

Mt_Goat

Revival:
I finally got a new phone and carrier. Since I no longer travel as much since being promoted back in October I kept my options more open and decided to get something relatively recent but proven. So I got the latest itteration of the GS2 (1.5 GHz dual core) on T-Mobile. T-Mo according to an article I read had aquired tower leases on att in prep for the takover that didn't happen as well as several more new towers of their own completed last year. Call quality is far better than att and so far no dropped calls like I had all the time before. In the 3 weeks since I switched I couldn't complain.