Recommend me a new phone

1516 Views 34 Replies 20 Participants Last post by Mr Bear, Mar 16, 2009

guyladouche

Discussion Starter · Mar 5, 2009

I'm looking for a new phone, use the term "smart phone" if you wish.

I'm looking for the following features:

-wifi (b or g, doesn't matter)
-bluetooth
-competent/good GPS interface
-competent web browsing (tired of the simple browser on my samsung A717)
-ideally, flash videos-compatible
-decent media player (video/audio)--this isn't a big deal on phones nowadays.
-acceptable audio quality (I'm not toooo much of an audiophile/sound snob, so basically something that can playback 128kbps mp3's without distortion is fine). Don't care about the on-board speaker quality.

I would say I'd prefer something not bulky, but given the fact that I'd like a usable screen size, that's out of the question. I don't so much care about weight, and it seems like battery life on most phones is acceptable these days (like, 5+ hrs talk/data time).

I'd prefer not to do any firmware/software modification to the phone, so I'm not considering getting an iphone and jailbreaking it (so iphone is out). Maybe I'll be convinced differently later.

I'd prefer to spend $350 USD or less--I might get a discount on a new phone if I get it through at&t with a service extension, though I'm not holding my breath, and don't mind paying retail for a phone. Prefer unlocked of course, but that's something I can take care of later. I saw a very nice new sony phone (don't remember the model), but it was going for about $650.

Mostly, I don't know much about this area, and am wondering what my options are.

EDIT--Another thing I'd like is calendar synchronization, preferably with google calendar. I don't use outlook, so having a phone that only sync's with outlook is worthless. But if the phone has a good organizer, I wouldn't need any sync compatibility as I'd only use the phone's calendar)

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yabo

· #2 · Mar 6, 2009

I can't say this enough... Keep an eye out for the Palm Pre. Seriously. If you can hang, I'm sure unlocked ones will trickle in once they're released. Otherwise, swapping to Sprint is an option if they're in your area and you'd like it when it's released stateside.

Me? I'm with Sprint and I'll be camped out in front of the store.

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guyladouche

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 6, 2009

Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I looked into it. It seems to be a promising phone, but one source I found said it will lack Flash support.

I hesitate to switch to Sprint--unfortunately in my area, Sprint has worse coverage, and their phone plans are more expensive than AT&T, and their contract not as flexible/has fewer offerings. Not that I love giving my $$$ to AT&T each month either.

I looked into speculative prices--some say $250 with a 2 year contract with Sprint, some have said $300+ with a 2 year contract with Sprint. Ouch...I was hoping for an unlocked, no-contract phone for $300-350-ish...

But I will definitely keep my eye out for it--it really looks like a promising phone, and I like how it has a large screen much like the iphone and G1. Downside of a lot of the WM smartphones is the integrated (non-slide-out) qwerty keyboard on the phone's face, which takes up a ton of room, causing smaller screens to be used (don't care for that much).

Thanks again!

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yabo

· #4 · Mar 6, 2009

I'm not too sure about that... a similar plan with AT&T to what I have is 60 more a month. And want calender sync?

"Speaking in an interview, Elevation Partners investor Roger McNamee shares some more information about the capabilities of Palm's webOS. McNamee said, "So when you wake up in the morning, it has taken your calendar...and downloaded the maps for your whole day." He also said that, because the Palm Pre has a calendar, GPS, and a clock, webOS can take specific actions. McNamee continues, "It not only knows where you are, it knows where you're supposed to be and when. So when it realizes you're going to be late, it says 'Hey, not only are you going to be late, but I can take care of it for you. I'll send an email to your assistant or to the people in the meeting, which would you prefer?' And oh, by the way, here's the map." These details weren't shared by Palm's executives during the CES debut of the Palm Pre and webOS."

-source

But for your needs, I'd say look into some of the HTC's coming out.

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flak4

· #5 · Mar 7, 2009

Look into Nokia's Nseries phones. Nokia N78, N79 and N85 are all excellent phones that can do it all. You have to buy them unlocked and most of them go for around $400 USD or less.

If you are willing to go a bit higher, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic is also a good pick. It is $399 unlocked.

Just know that these phones have screen sizes that range from 2.4" to 2.8", and the 5800 has a 3.2" screen.

I've had an N78 for almost a full year and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a multimedia smartphone. It is a fantastic smartphone for the price and has every feature you listed and plenty more.

Some E-tailers list the N78 below $300 USD. Here's a link to the specs and features:

http://www.forum.nokia.com/devices/N78

Just remember there is a european version and north american version. The only difference is support for the different 3G frequency bands.

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06si

· #6 · Mar 7, 2009

5

the upcoming samsung omnia has an 8mp camera, HTC touch pro2, or iphone (wait till they announce the new successor to 3g)

Samsung omnia= great camera phone with micro sd expansion, tv phone, decent gps, good speakers

HTC touch pro 2= sexy phone, win mo os (a lot of free apps including music ones), micro sd expansion, good gps, loud speakers

Iphone=great music phone, large enough storage, 3g web browsing, lots of apps, one of the best touch phone, supports 3.5mm jack

It's really up to your personal preference, but honestly, i wish there's 1 company that will combine all of this in one SUPER SMART MUSIC CAMERA WEB BROWSER TV PHONE...lol

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HappycoreDJ

· #7 · Mar 8, 2009

I love my iPhone 3G. Best phone I've owned. I've owned lots, trust me. Yeah you have to jailbreak to get cool features, but you're here on OCN, so I'm sure you wouldn't mind.

mattdowns

· #8 · Mar 8, 2009

i say get an iphone. it's just simply amazing.

mattdowns

· #9 · Mar 8, 2009

and it's only like 150 with a 2 year contract.

06si

· #10 · Mar 8, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattdowns

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i say get an iphone. it's just simply amazing.

if only they increase its memory to 80-120g i would buy it or add an sd or micro sd slot, but i like how u can use your regular headphones with it.

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xxicrimsonixx

· #11 · Mar 8, 2009

Even though I refuse the popularity, I say iPhone, it is basically designed for all of those uses.

HappycoreDJ

· #12 · Mar 8, 2009

Yeah, I'm the last person that's an apple fanboy. But, I've been a cell phone junkie for the longest time. From modding Sony Ericsson's to Motorola's. I can honestly say that the iPhone is the best phone I've ever owned.

For everything I do with my phone, it's perfect. Music, Movies, Internet, and SMS.

flak4

· #13 · Mar 8, 2009

My main issue with the iPhone is iTunes. I hate using iTunes.

Also, my music is encoded in several formats, many of which the iPhone doesn't support.

That's why I got my Nokia. The iPhone is a great phone though - if it meets your needs then yeah, get one.

It isn't for me, however.

Sylon

· #14 · Mar 8, 2009

Nokia and their N series, take a look at the N95. It's dated but still one of the best handsets around. You would have alot more choices if you would be willing to spend a bit more. I use a Samsung Innov8, best phone I've used.

xxicrimsonixx

· #15 · Mar 8, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sylon

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Nokia and their N series, take a look at the N95. It's dated but still one of the best handsets around. You would have alot more choices if you would be willing to spend a bit more. I use a Samsung Innov8, best phone I've used.

nah, N series is going down the drain... I have the N73 (bought it from my friend for 100$), and idk, there is small problems with it... One thing with it, off topic is that I lost the little joy stick thing in the middle, now it is a pain to use... However, there are small things with the OS that are kinda buggy, my phone will randomly turn off, sometimes it will go for a month or more, and then turn off, other times it will randomly turn off in a week, really annoying (but for 100$, I cannot really complain).

I might need to buy new casing for it...

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flak4

· #16 · Mar 8, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxicrimsonixx

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nah, N series is going down the drain... I have the N73 (bought it from my friend for 100$), and idk, there is small problems with it... One thing with it, off topic is that I lost the little joy stick thing in the middle, now it is a pain to use... However, there are small things with the OS that are kinda buggy, my phone will randomly turn off, sometimes it will go for a month or more, and then turn off, other times it will randomly turn off in a week, really annoying (but for 100$, I cannot really complain).

I might need to buy new casing for it...

Have you ever used Windows Mobile?

If you ever used it, doesn't matter the phone, you wouldn't complain about Symbian at all.

The N73 was certainly a great phone...and I agree with you, Symbian isn't perfect. But it is very fast given the hardware that pushes it. The features it packs in for the price unlocked is most certainly worth taking a look at.

My friend owns a Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and he completely regrets buying it. Not because of the phone, hardware or features - but the OS. Windows Mobile is giving him so many problems.

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sabret00the

· #17 · Mar 8, 2009

Looking at the requirements mentioned by you I would recommend you a Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. I wont get into arguements such as it's an Iphone killer or anything but all I can say is that the phone is overall a good phone except for the fact that like the N-Series phones this one's also got a low "Max Volume". It might be low for me and might not be so low for you. Sound quality is very good though. The interface is nice but the touchscreen is a bit tacky and takes a little time to getting used to. This is not an Iphone and I think we'd be better off by not comparing the two. It's GUI is'nt that good as the Iphone but it's more practical and reliable as any other Nokia. I think it's worth checking it out before opting for something.

OT: Just out of curiosity I wanted to know if you can buy standalone phones off the shelf in California and then just insert your existing GSM sim to be good to go or if you have to buy a phone + plan kinda thing.

flak4

· #18 · Mar 8, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabret00the

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OT: Just out of curiosity I wanted to know if you can buy standalone phones off the shelf in California and then just insert your existing GSM sim to be good to go or if you have to buy a phone + plan kinda thing.

If you buy the phone unlocked then you can just put the SIM card in and you're good to go.

Most high-end Nokia phones are not carried by the larger U.S. carriers but you can buy them unlocked from a Nokia store or other handset enthusiast stores.

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captthunderpnts

· #19 · Mar 9, 2009

Since you're (from what I gathered) with ATT and pending a contract renewal, go for the HTC Fuze (Touch Pro, ala ATT).

I had one a couple months ago through my company, and it was just amazing.

Zzyzx

· #20 · Mar 9, 2009

Well, I have an HTC Mogul, it's an older generation Windows Mobile phone. I really love the hardware QWERTY keyboard, though. I had an older Windows Mobile phone, but I couldn't stand it due to having to type everything on the screen, but that's probably just me. Anyway, the phone performs nicely and does just about anything I want, though the calendar is Outlook. It does look like Google makes an application for syncing with Google Calendar, though: http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/200...r-windows.html I've not tired it. At any rate, I think something like the HTC Fuze would do you well if you wish to stick with AT&T.

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