Android phones

[zoebartlett]

For those of you who have a Droid or are looking at them, what impresses you about them? Does it have too many bells and whistles (things you don't want/need) or do you love what it has to offer? I'm asking because my husband can upgrade his phone through our Verizon plan, and he's looking at the Droid X.

I'll be looking at upgrading in November, and while I like the Droids, I'm not sure I really need (well, want) all the bells and whistles of that phone. I have a basic texting phone now (the ENV2), and I like it. I like the bigger buttons, and I like that the buttons on the QWERTY keyboard are separated. It was having a hard time holding a charge, but they sent me a new battery and it seems to be doing better. I have VZ Navigator and it generally gets me from place to place when needed. I'd like to have real internet and e-mail access (instead of limited, which is horrible), but it's not a necessity. If my husband and I are together and I want to check something online, I can always just use his phone.

I realize posting about this now when I won't upgrade til November may be silly. But if my husband decides to upgrade soon, I figure I'll show him this thread if any other recommendations and/or suggestions are made.

So, all that to simply ask, what do you think of your Droid phone and would you consider something else instead?

 

[poshpepper]

I have the Droid Incredible from Verizon and I love it.

I will say that I have had "smartphones" for the past 5 years, so I am used to having a lot of features.

One thing to note is that you do not have to add anything ("apps" for instance) if you don’t want to, and you do not need to use all of the features of the phone unless you need them.
I find the phones basic functions (phone, sms, mms, email, internet) easy to use and simple.

Another cool thing about the Droid phones is that they come pre-loaded with Google maps (with navigation) so you would not need to pay for your verzion navigation any more.

Just keep in mind that you will have to pay $30 per month for the mandatory data package and the ETF (early termination fee) is increased to $350 on smartphones.

HTH, and please don't hesitate to ask any other questions, I would be happy to answer

 

[Tuckins1]

I have a Droid and I LOVE it!!! I can use GPS, Google maps, tons of apps for games and cool stuff. I even have a cardio trainer app that will track your workout by GPS, adapts for various exercises, tracks calories, etc... Seriously. This phone changed my life

I used to think that smart phones were a waste, but now I can't be without it!

 

[Diamond*Dana]

A few months ago I upgraded from my Blackberry Curve to the Motorola Droid. I loved everything about the phone except for the actual phone itself. What I mean is, people had a hard time hearing me during calls, and I had a hard time hearing them. I went so far as to exchange it for another Droid in hopes that maybe I just got a dud...no such luck. I ended up selling it on ebay and getting a Blackberry Bold, which I absolutely love!

 

[zoebartlett]

Clearly, I know nothing about technology. Is it "Android" or just "Droid"? Anyway...

I'm so behind the times. I don't have an iPad, iPod, Kindle, Nook, or any tech thing available, and smart phones are such a new concept to me.

SDL - I'll have to look at the phone you have. Neither one of us has experience with smart phones. The world of apps is so foreign to me!

Poshpepper -- can you tell me more about apps? My husband wanted me to ask you if there's a kindle type of app. Even if if there was, I don't see him using it at all, but he wanted me to ask anyway. Why did you choose the Droid Incredible over other smart phones? The guy at Verizon we spoke with recommended the Droid X. Of course, it's the most expensive of the Droids I think, so it didn't surprise me that that's the one he suggested. We are aware of the Google Maps app, and we wouldn't need VZ Navigator anymore. Oh, another question I had was, if you won't need to use all the phones features and/or apps, then would it be worth getting tht particular phone? It seems to me that if there are a lot of things I/we wouldn't use, then it might be better to go with a different Droid or a different smart phone altogether.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what else I should know or what else I should ask but I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

Tuckins -- I'm glad you like your phone! The cardio app sounds fun! I'm amazed at what phones can do these days.

Diamond Dana -- I was looking at Blackberrys the other day because I know they have a good reputation. I'm really picky about the keypad on my phones, and my hesitation on the BB was that the keys seemed really tiny. Do you think so too or are you used to it? It doesn't bother you?

Thanks so much for your replies! I appreciate the feedback and suggestions.

 

[Sabine]

My dh is very tech savvy, and just got the droid x. He LOVES it. It's a lot like the iphone in that you can get apps and stuff for it. He's a dr. and he uses medical programs to look up stuff to help him diagnose, figure out dosing and meds, etc. He uses the voice command a lot, and he uses the GPS feature a lot.

I've tried to use it, and I can't even figure out how to send a text message from it. I'm not tech savvy at all though.

I just got the Samsung Reality and I love it so far. It has a touch screen, but then also slides out to a full keyboard with real buttons, which I found I really like since I text a lot.

The other thing you want to consider is your data plan. You HAVE to pay $30 a month for the data plan for a phone like the droid x or blackberry or any other smart phone. You can't get them without getting the data plan (and you need one per phone, you and dh can't share one).

With a texting phone (like mine, or sounds like the one you have), you can get a cheap $10 a month data plan so you can do basic things on it, but the ease of doing stuff online isn't there. I use mine to check email, and I like being able to look up an address or phone number while I'm out if I need to, but I don't use it for much more online stuff. And you don't HAVE to get any data plan with those type of phones if you won't use it at all.

 

[Clio]

My husband has a Droid Incredible, and he loves it. He went to it from a Blackberry, so it's a huge step up in functionality. He uses it for email, maps and directions, news, etc. He also loves the Pandora app, and he has tons of fun little games that the kids like playing.

I'm tempted by the Droid X, but between my regular cell phone and my iPod Touch, I can do about 95% of what I want. I just don't think I can justify the cost of the data plan to myself. The Droid X looks pretty sweet, though.

 

[star sparkle]

I just got upgraded my phone yesterday, and got a Droid for the first time! I considered the Droid X and the regular Droid, and chose the regular Droid. The Droid X is enormous and wasn't comfortable to hold (but I have small girl hands, so this probably wouldn't be a problem for your husband), while the Droid was smaller and easier to hold. Also, the Droid has a full QWERTY keyboard that you can use in addition to the touchscreen keyboard, which I like. I wasn't ready to go full-on touchscreen only.

They're both awesome phones, though, and I'm in LOVE with my new Droid. I've had it for less than 24 hours, and I've already used a bunch of the apps. The maps and navigation seem awesome, and it's just amazing to me how much stuff I can actually do with my phone now.

 

[Tuckins1]

A few months ago I upgraded from my Blackberry Curve to the Motorola Droid. I loved everything about the phone except for the actual phone itself. What I mean is, people had a hard time hearing me during calls, and I had a hard time hearing them. I went so far as to exchange it for another Droid in hopes that maybe I just got a dud...no such luck. I ended up selling it on ebay and getting a Blackberry Bold, which I absolutely love!

Interesting. I have a Droid and have never had this problem.

DH has a Samsung moment and has had nothing but trouble. The any time he tries to use the data, the phone locks up and restarts. He has had it replaced 4 times and is now and is trying to get an upgrade to a different phone all together. Apparently this is an issue with the Moment for which there is no fix.

 

[lknvrb4]

I got a droid x a couple of weeks ago and I love it. I can do everything from this phone. The pictures it takes are also great. I am not tech savvy but found the droid x prettg easy to navigate. DH has the regular droid and he loves his as well. I like the larger screen on mine because it makes blinging easier.

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks Sabine! We found out about the required $30 data plan last weekend, and even though it would be an added cost, it actually would end up being cheaper somehow than what we're paying now. Right now we share minutes under a family plan. I guess there's a way to be under the same account but have our own separate minute plans. For whatever reason, that winds up being cheaper, so when we get new phones, we'll do that. I think my husband has the $10 data plan for his phone, and honestly, the web capability is horrible. We've both tried checking oru email or doing a simple google search using his phone (the original ENV), but it doesn't really look. He can't wait to get the "real" internet on his new phone.

Clio -- what made your husband choose the Droid Incredible over the X?

Star sparkle -- yeah, I'm not sure if I'm ready to go to a touch screen but it's something I'll have to play around with. I think my husband's fine with it though.

Tuckins -- hopefully your husband will be able to get a new phone that doesn't have those problems. How frustrating, especially if he uses his phone a lot.

Lknvrb -- I'm glad you like the Droid X. I was wondering how pictures look. Some phones (probably older ones like mine) take crappy photos. Getting good pics will be a bonus!

 

[Clio]

He got his Incredible right before they announced the Droid X. I think if he were buying today, he'd go with the X.

 

[Tuckins1]

Clearly, I know nothing about technology. Is it "Android" or just "Droid"? Anyway...

I'm so behind the times. I don't have an iPad, iPod, Kindle, Nook, or any tech thing available, and smart phones are such a new concept to me.

SDL - I'll have to look at the phone you have. Neither one of us has experience with smart phones. The world of apps is so foreign to me!

Poshpepper -- can you tell me more about apps? My husband wanted me to ask you if there's a kindle type of app. Even if if there was, I don't see him using it at all, but he wanted me to ask anyway. Why did you choose the Droid Incredible over other smart phones? The guy at Verizon we spoke with recommended the Droid X. Of course, it's the most expensive of the Droids I think, so it didn't surprise me that that's the one he suggested. We are aware of the Google Maps app, and we wouldn't need VZ Navigator anymore. Oh, another question I had was, if you won't need to use all the phones features and/or apps, then would it be worth getting tht particular phone? It seems to me that if there are a lot of things I/we wouldn't use, then it might be better to go with a different Droid or a different smart phone altogether.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what else I should know or what else I should ask but I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

Tuckins -- I'm glad you like your phone! The cardio app sounds fun! I'm amazed at what phones can do these days.

Diamond Dana -- I was looking at Blackberrys the other day because I know they have a good reputation. I'm really picky about the keypad on my phones, and my hesitation on the BB was that the keys seemed really tiny. Do you think so too or are you used to it? It doesn't bother you?

Thanks so much for your replies! I appreciate the feedback and suggestions.

To clarify- Android is the operating system on the phone. Many smart phones use this operating system, which is based off of Linux.
Droid is the name of a specific phone.

 

[treefrog]

I just got the Incredible (Verizon). It seemed to have everything I liked and I wanted to get it before it got discontinued due to the new offerings. I knew about the Droid X when I ordered my phone but it was just too big for me. The size of the X may not be an issue for women that carry a purse but I'm a guy and I like to carry my phone in my pocket. Oh, and I don't see myself as a "man purse" kind of guy. Nor do I like those belt clip/pouch things.

I think I'm actually the one person that is not on Facebook. However, if you have Facebook, I hear the new Verizon Droid's integrate pretty well with them. There is yet another Verizon Droid coming out in a few weeks. I forget what it's called though. It has a sliding text pad if you like them. I've always had a fairly basic phone but I must say, I love all the features of the Incredible. It has a pretty decent 8MP camera with flash too.

I think what I like most about it is the 6 virtual screens it has. I can easily slide from one to another. On one of them, I have Google Map links to some of my frequently visited places. I just slide to that screen, press a single button I custom named, and it will navigate me there... and can do it as a color satellite road view and even can show a street level color picture of your next turn. Very cool.

Treefrog

 

[zoebartlett]

Thanks Clio!

Tuckins -- thanks for clarifying!

Treefrog -- good point about the size of the Droid X. I thought it looked kind of big but it's doable. I don't usually carry a purse or a bag and neither does my husband so we'll either keep the phones in our pockets or just carry them around. If needed, I guess I could start carrying a bag... Anyway, thanks for the heads up!

As for FB, we're both on it but not a lot. We don't update our pages with pictures or anything else too often, but it is kind of cool to think how far technology has come and what integrates with what these days.

We're definitely going to check out the Incredible and the X soon, possibly this weekend. If either of us gets a new phone now, it will be my husband. I'll wait until November, when I'm eligible for the "new every 2" plan.

 

[Steel]

Ii just clicked on to post a question about phones a few mins ago and had not seen your thread.

We both upgraded because we know we need to move with the times. I would have loved a Blackberry but the Co. I'm with does not sell them, or the iphone so I got the nearest with a QWERTY; the Nokia E72. So far so good. I'm confused but gettin placed. I still have not gone online and am clueless about most of it but I love the camera and think a dictionary on the phone is tres cool .

I bought DH the Sony E. x10 minipro (with the fold out QWERTY) so it is 1/2 touch and 1/2 non touch. He is not convinced but we are getting there. Both have 5MP cameras which is cool.

I wish there was a 'phones for dummies'. What are apps? DO you pay for them? Where do you get them (and why would you want them)?


I'm so lost.....

 

[Steel]

Okay...deep breath. Since I posted I have been trying to get to the 'edit' page. I have had internet not responding (it is ignoring me) been thrown off and just sit there doing nothing. I hate technology today...

I came back because I realised in all my twittering I forgot why I wanted to reply in the first place... So hold on to your knickers for a worthless bit of randomness that has taken me 10 mins of dedication to post. Sigh.


I like the andorid thing. I have an ishuffle that sits in a drawer because I cannot use itunes. At all. I have my music on CD, have a computer and that is as far as it goes. So I wasn't keen on getting another device that needed specific software.

That it is. My fantastic thought that took me forever to post. God knows why I wanted to write it in the first place. But I started so I finished.

Oh yeah, anybody want a computer going cheap? It is about to be thrown against a wall. It is a compaq thing; possibly in need of slight 'thrown against a wall' damage repair. Just let me know. I highly un-recommend it.


Carry on...