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makaveli8x8
Stranger
Registered: 02/28/06
Posts: 21,636
Last seen: 7 years, 9 months
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help me pick a new phone
#11382548 - 11/04/09 09:48 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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im heavy into computers but i don't know crap about phones. i already know what carrier im going with so it needs to work with att.
i know they try to scam the shit out of people with these phones. so here's a few questions/concerns starting off here.
do any phones have GPS that works for free?
do any phones let you use WIFI for free, like say i have wifi in the house or starbucks can i access the internet free? i was looking at a few details on some phones and i seen some of them said something about a data plan was required, but it was confusing because they mentioned att's wifi hotspots in the same sentence.
so yah im basically looking for a phone hopefully with gps and free wifi, other than that i would like a nice camera on it as well, and last but not least it must be open access. and what i mean by that is i must be able to hook it up to my computer, and put anything i want on it, including downloaded games. i refuse to use their "service" to download games when people make them for free. and i read something about that LG vu where you can put apps on it, but then it pops up a message saying it can't contact att every second or something stupid like that. crap like that is unacceptable.
anyways yah i guess im wanting it all and for cheap lol. i get a free phone so yah. so far ive determined sony most likely has the best camera. HTC has a nice touch interface and huge screen, and comes with win mobile 6.5, and then there's blackberry.
i dunno they make this shit so complicated, these phone companys are like leeches, they say one thing but its like there's a price tag on everything and you never really own the dam phone its all so stupid
-------------------- We were sent to hell for eternity Øh® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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Polk_Audio3
Moon Cricket
Registered: 02/16/09
Posts: 7,163
Loc: Amsterdam
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: makaveli8x8]
#11382572 - 11/04/09 09:52 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Blackberry I can drive my car with my phone, nothings free in life.
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visions
Registered: 11/08/08
Posts: 2,253
Loc: utopia
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: makaveli8x8]
#11382576 - 11/04/09 09:53 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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If you're getting AT&T get an iPhone
This message was sent via my iPhone
you can get gps/map apps, google earth, 3gs Internet speed (about as fast as good dsl) wifi, mp3 player. A 16 gig 3gs can be bought with a plan for $200
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Rocker232
Stranger
Registered: 10/17/08
Posts: 6,631
Last seen: 12 years, 7 months
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: visions]
#11382584 - 11/04/09 09:56 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
visions said: If you're getting AT&T get an iPhone
This message was sent via my iPhone
you can get gps/map apps, google earth, 3gs Internet speed (about as fast as good dsl) wifi, mp3 player. A 16 gig 3gs can be bought with a plan for $200
To get Wifi is needs to be jail broken though.
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With Allure I Look to the Sky With Awakened Eyes
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frith
God
Registered: 10/27/09
Posts: 7,512
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: makaveli8x8]
#11382609 - 11/04/09 10:00 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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youre probably not going to find all of what youre looking for.
all wifi is free as long as you are within range of an open access point. did you want something without a data plan? thats going to really limit you if you want something more along the lines of a smart phone.
i believe you need a data plan with ALL blackberry and win-mo devices.
adding applications without going through the network is probably not going to happen. you can do it with win-mo. not sure about the blackberry. you might be able to there. you could get an android phone also. dont think you can load software through the microsd card though. although the android market on the phone is really well done.
but if you wanted an android phone you would have to buy a tmobile one and unlock it as att doesnt offer any (probably dont want to compete with the iphone).
i just bought the Motorola CLIQ that runs android. i love it. i bought the first android phone (the G1) when it first came out and returned it but this is really nice.
the verizon droid is supposed to be really nice also. havent gotten my hands on it yet.
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tiny_rabid_birds
Nocturnal
Registered: 11/08/05
Posts: 15,653
Loc: estados unidos
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: visions]
#11382644 - 11/04/09 10:05 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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well... you could consider waiting a few weeks for the nokia n900. it does all the things you specified and then some. http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/ however, it's nowhere near cheap. $650. but it doesn't require plan activation or anything. open for whatever service, just pop in the SIM card. it's basically a tiny computer with a phone. nothing else on the market can touch it in overall functionality.
other than that.. well.. most smart phones will allow for downloadable GPS apps. free ones, if you do your research. i'm pretty sure that most phones wifi connectible do so for free as well. for cheap AT&T specific smartphone, there's nokia's e71 http://www.wired.com/reviews/product/pr_0508_E71x
and of course the iphone. i don't generally like to support ipod, but if you're hellbent on going with AT&T, it's probably your best option. btw, fuck AT&T
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tiny_rabid_birds
Nocturnal
Registered: 11/08/05
Posts: 15,653
Loc: estados unidos
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: frith]
#11382667 - 11/04/09 10:09 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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yeah, i've heard good things about the droid as well. but it's $200 with a T-mobile plan. so that means it'd be like what... $400 or $500 without?
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frith
God
Registered: 10/27/09
Posts: 7,512
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
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Quote:
tiny_rabid_birds said: well... you could consider waiting a few weeks for the nokia n900. it does all the things you specified and then some. http://maemo.nokia.com/n900/ however, it's nowhere near cheap. $650. but it doesn't require plan activation or anything. open for whatever service, just pop in the SIM card. it's basically a tiny computer with a phone. nothing else on the market can touch it in overall functionality.
that is honestly my dream phone. i wish i had the cash to throw down and get that. i have an n810 now and wish it was a phone..
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frith
God
Registered: 10/27/09
Posts: 7,512
Loc: Philadelphia, PA
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Quote:
tiny_rabid_birds said: yeah, i've heard good things about the droid as well. but it's $200 with a T-mobile plan. so that means it'd be like what... $400 or $500 without?
yeah around there.
att kinda sucks man. id try switching.
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Edited by frith (11/04/09 10:11 AM)
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jds
Registered: 10/06/08
Posts: 3,083
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: frith]
#11382690 - 11/04/09 10:12 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Nokia smartphones are awesome. E71 is a great one, so are some of the N-series.
-------------------- “No sympathy for the devil; keep that in mind. Buy the ticket, take the ride...and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well...maybe chalk it off to forced conscious expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten.” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
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visions
Registered: 11/08/08
Posts: 2,253
Loc: utopia
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: jds]
#11382713 - 11/04/09 10:18 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I'm happy with AT&T however my bill is nearly double what I payed with tmobile
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dxharms
Confidential Informant
Registered: 05/09/09
Posts: 698
Loc: Low Places
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: visions]
#11382773 - 11/04/09 10:36 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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get that new blackberry tour. i ust got a 1130 and im ready to get a better one.
-------------------- <----obeys all laws and never questions authority. mystery mush n ?
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makaveli8x8
Stranger
Registered: 02/28/06
Posts: 21,636
Last seen: 7 years, 9 months
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: visions]
#11382775 - 11/04/09 10:37 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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well it was either att or sprint and fuck sprint lol. verizon might have been an option but they've dicked me in the past too.
anyways my last phone was a sony and i did manage to get free games on it, i just connected it to my computer and just drag and dropped them over, but im guessing they got that blocked on alot of these phones now.
and yah im really trying to stay away from data plans...i just have no use for it. as long as i can use wifi spots for free thats all i need. but that begs the question is a data plan required for GPS? because most solo gps units don't need any monthly payments
-------------------- We were sent to hell for eternity Øh® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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Gumby
Fishnologist
Registered: 06/13/01
Posts: 26,656
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: makaveli8x8]
#11382832 - 11/04/09 10:46 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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My experience with HTC is as follows: Had the old 8125, went through 3 of them in the course of 4 months. They all broke, none of the times it broke was it my fault. Touch screen stopped working, USB charger port broke off inside the phone, and the last one just decided it didn't want to turn on even with new battery and charger. Then I got the 8525, touch screen stopped working. Did I mention both of them were slow as fuck? Both had WiFi, neither had GPS.
After that I got a Samsung Blackjack I and II (long story). Both were slow as fuck, cheaply built. Bottom line: Windows Mobile is garbage.
I have a BlackBerry Bold now. Awesome phone. The BlackBerry OS is surprisingly efficient and easy to learn. The build quality is solid... I've dropped it quite a few times and no problems other than a few dings and dents.
It has both WiFi and GPS, both work awesome. The WiFi gets better signal strength than my laptop does in most places. The GPS you can use for free with GoogleMaps. The GPS on the BB Bold is amazing compared to the GPS on the Samsung Blackjack II. With the BJ II it would take almost 5 minutes to acquire a single satellite, if one was acquired at all. With the BB Bold I can acquire at least 3 satellites within 1 minute, even when cloudy.
The camera is pretty decent for a cell phone cam and it does have a BRIGHT LED flash. If I can't find my way around in the dark I open up the camera and switch it to video mode with the flash on... Instant flash light.
As far as apps and games goes, there's a ton to choose from, BB has a thing called "app world" where you can browse different apps. Some you have to pay for, some you don't. I haven't looked into pirated apps but I'm sure they're out there.
You can put anything you want on your BB via computer and vise-versa.
I only have a few complaints about it. First of all, if you leave the 3G network connected (default), your battery life sucks ass. I'm talking not even a full day if you use the phone moderately. With the new OS there's an easy fix: switch the network mode to 2G only, I can get 2-3 days out of it that way. Wifi and GPS also drain the battery.
Another thing I like: it charges and transfers data through a universal mini-USB port. The headphone jack is a standard 3.5mm headphone jack
I also can't stand that BlackBerry didn't include any basic photo editing software. Being able to adjust the brightness and contrast of an image isn't that much to ask.
Other thing that drives me crazy is the placement of the latch that opens the battery cover. It's right in the middle of the bottom of the phone and I will push the latch on accident sometimes which causes the cover to fall off. Also, the cover doesn't have a very snug fit... kinda wiggles around a tiny bit.
Only other thing that someone might bitch about is the size. It's a pretty big phone, but I have big hands so I actually bought it for that reason.
I'd say check out the Bold and other Blackberries. I think Bold is their most powerful model right now but I could be wrong. Definitely avoid Windows Mobile. The only thing I liked about it was you could hack the shit out of it... And I often had to in order to fix problems that spontaneously popped up. Avoid Samsung too. They make shitty cheap plastic phones with proprietary connectors for everything.
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TrancedShroom
Mr. Hanky
Registered: 03/08/06
Posts: 8,002
Loc: Rippin Waves
Last seen: 12 years, 6 months
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: Gumby]
#11382931 - 11/04/09 11:05 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I had the HTC Fuse and it was spectacular, but doesn't mean all of the others are good quality.
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Gumby
Fishnologist
Registered: 06/13/01
Posts: 26,656
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: makaveli8x8]
#11382941 - 11/04/09 11:06 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
makaveli8x8 said: well it was either att or sprint and fuck sprint lol. verizon might have been an option but they've dicked me in the past too.
and yah im really trying to stay away from data plans...i just have no use for it. as long as i can use wifi spots for free thats all i need. but that begs the question is a data plan required for GPS? because most solo gps units don't need any monthly payments
Verizon is going you dick you over no matter what phone you get. They purposely cripple their phones so that they can make more money. By cripple I mean they block almost 50% of functionality. You can't transfer stuff from your computer to the phone. In most cases, you have to use their network to transfer it which means you pay them money to transfer the files. Can't even transfer ringtones. They even disable bluetooth on some of their phones.
As far as a data plan being necessary for GPS? Technically no... But you have to have an application with the maps predownloaded. Otherwise the phone has to use the data connection to download the maps. I know they make TomTom for Windows Mobile, but fuck Windows Mobile.
Getting a phone with the features you want without a data plan is going to be pretty much impossible. If you're getting the phone through a service provider they require you to get one. If you buy the phone from a 3rd party vendor and put a SIM card in, you must be on some kind of mission to wrack up a thousand dollar phone bill.
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makaveli8x8
Stranger
Registered: 02/28/06
Posts: 21,636
Last seen: 7 years, 9 months
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: Gumby]
#11383027 - 11/04/09 11:22 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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well that sucks, thanks for all the info everyone
-------------------- We were sent to hell for eternity Øh® We play on earth to pass the time Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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P-O
#AnyoneButHarper
Registered: 05/13/09
Posts: 13,636
Loc:
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: Gumby]
#11383120 - 11/04/09 11:34 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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Crack berry's are where its at...
i got the curve.
The BB messenger is wicked... and where most drug talk takes place.
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Gumby
Fishnologist
Registered: 06/13/01
Posts: 26,656
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: P-O]
#11383154 - 11/04/09 11:38 AM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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I only have 4 people on bbm... and one of them is my dad. Lame.
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P-O
#AnyoneButHarper
Registered: 05/13/09
Posts: 13,636
Loc:
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Re: help me pick a new phone [Re: Gumby]
#11383356 - 11/04/09 12:06 PM (14 years, 4 months ago) |
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i got 11..
my dealer will only talk on bbm... he even sends me pics on there of the "new stuff"...
Edited by P-O (11/04/09 12:09 PM)
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