GardeningGrad Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 So, it's cell phone contract renewal time. I'm wavering between getting a free, minimal cost flip phone (again) or graduating up to a smart phone. Oh, smart phones... so convenient, so cool, so nice to be able to read PDFs on the bus and access my google calendar pronto. I would love to have a mini computer at my fingertips at all times. But a minimum of $60/month for two years makes me a little queasy. Those sturdy flip phones - so middle-school, but they call and text. That's what phones are for, right? Any thoughts from grad school (and smart phone) pros? How useful is one of these little beasts in grad school, where people carry their ultraportable laptops everywhere anyway. Advice? Needless to say, I'm not an early adopter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luce373 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I love my iPhone, I don't know what I would do without it. I tend not to carry around my laptop unless I'm working on a paper or something, so being able to check my email for urgent-ish class cancellations/updates/etc. has been really nice. And having my calendar always available is really helpful. I'm not sure where you're getting the $60/month number? Unless you mean the whole bill. The only monthly difference between a regular phone and the iPhone is the $15 data charge (200 MB is plenty for basic use, especially if you often use it at home/school where you have access to wireless). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hejduk Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Regarding the bill: Jump on a family plan if you can. I'm on my wife's mother's plan. Knocks our bills down to about 70/month per line. Still expensive? Yes. More bearable than 120/month a piece? Hell yes. I use my Iphone like crazy, but honestly any platform will work (Android, Windows Mobile, etc) as long as you have access to the apps and functions you need. Checking email is absolutely vital in grad school, as well as scanning Internet news and such as the day goes on. My laptop can do all this, but it's not always handy to lug-out the laptop while in the happenings of everyday life. If you can afford the bill and see the necessity in the device, then get it! If it's just another piece of technology you don't need, or can't afford, then don't get it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 So, it's cell phone contract renewal time. I'm wavering between getting a free, minimal cost flip phone (again) or graduating up to a smart phone. Oh, smart phones... so convenient, so cool, so nice to be able to read PDFs on the bus and access my google calendar pronto. I would love to have a mini computer at my fingertips at all times. But a minimum of $60/month for two years makes me a little queasy. Those sturdy flip phones - so middle-school, but they call and text. That's what phones are for, right? Any thoughts from grad school (and smart phone) pros? How useful is one of these little beasts in grad school, where people carry their ultraportable laptops everywhere anyway. Advice? Needless to say, I'm not an early adopter... Ha, I've been asking myself the very same question today! And browsing AT&T and Verizon websites, looking at their smartphones. I would certainly love to have WiFi always with me. And some of them can be used for Skyping - cool! But I was confused by prices. Seems like for some of them I can get into 2 yr. contract paying minimum 15/month - for talking/texting(?). But there is also this data charge... So the internet is not unlimited, right? I wonder if will be enough if I, say, Skype a lot with my smartphone... By the way, could anybody tell me, which one would you choose - AT&T or Verizon - as a cell phone operator? Are they more or less the same of there are some important differences I need to know of?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cogneuroforfun Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Yup, I can't imagine going back to a phone that didn't have access to email, calendar, PDFs, internet, Wikipedia, ebooks, etc. etc. But it is also an expensive toy, with lots of short, time-waster games, console emulators (SNES on your phone!), and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cogneuroforfun Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 By the way, could anybody tell me, which one would you choose - AT&T or Verizon - as a cell phone operator? Are they more or less the same of there are some important differences I need to know of?? Verizon has one of the best networks, in terms of coverage and call quality. AT&T typically gets very bad ratings. I've got T-Mobile, which seems somewhat in the middle, probably leaning towards poor. Another big difference is the actual hardware the carriers carry. Lots of the specific Android phones are only sold by a specific carrier or two. You may be able to root/unlock/jailbreak phones and use them on any service provider, but I'm not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Verizon has one of the best networks, in terms of coverage and call quality. AT&T typically gets very bad ratings. I've got T-Mobile, which seems somewhat in the middle, probably leaning towards poor. Another big difference is the actual hardware the carriers carry. Lots of the specific Android phones are only sold by a specific carrier or two. You may be able to root/unlock/jailbreak phones and use them on any service provider, but I'm not sure. Ok, I was leaning towards Verizon (for some reason) - I guess it was intuition! I will use them, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzylogician Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) Ok, I was leaning towards Verizon (for some reason) - I guess it was intuition! I will use them, then. Just keep in mind that verizon phones don't have sim-cards, only att and t-mobile do. If you think you may want to change devices or use different sim-cards in the same phone, you should choose one of those two companies. I use both my American sim and my sim from my home country with the same phone, for example. fwiw I have an att phone and I'm happy with it. But then I don't have a monthly plan, only a prepaid one. I have a smartphone with wifi which gives me coverage at home, at school and at any other place that has free wifi like coffee shops, etc. Most of the time I don't think it's all that terrible not to be able to check my email when I'm traveling--which is mostly when I don't have accessible wifi--but in case I do need to use the internet, my prepaid plan covers that too and the rates aren't too high. It takes me an average of about 10-12 months to go through $100 worth of credit (I mostly have to use the phone when I have visitors or when I'm away from home on a conference or trip, otherwise I get by just using skype). I think that's better than any plan I could find, no matter how good the rates. In general, though, I vote for the smartphone too, just for the convenience it provides. Edited June 21, 2011 by fuzzylogician TeaGirl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeLight Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 i have an iphone. at $75/month (i'm still on the old unlimited data plan) it is expensive for me. but i really do get my money's worth given how much i use it. i check email compulsively (maybe not a good thing), i have my calendar with me at all times, and i have googlemaps, complete with bus routes and driving directions, at all times. stumbling out of a bar downtown and being able to open my phone to find the bus stop and know exactly when the next bus is coming has been an absolute godsend, especially moving to a city i didn't know very well. i had some home internet problems a few years ago so i jailbreak'd the phone and used it as a wifi hotspot for about 6 months. absolutely great. i would've been without internet at home that entire time, which besides driving me mad would have derailed my research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newms Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Just keep in mind that verizon phones don't have sim-cards, only att and t-mobile do. If you think you may want to change devices or use different sim-cards in the same phone, you should choose one of those two companies. I use both my American sim and my sim from my home country with the same phone, for example. fwiw I have an att phone and I'm happy with it. But then I don't have a monthly plan, only a prepaid one. I have a smartphone with wifi which gives me coverage at home, at school and at any other place that has free wifi like coffee shops, etc. Most of the time I don't think it's all that terrible not to be able to check my email when I'm traveling--which is mostly when I don't have accessible wifi--but in case I do need to use the internet, my prepaid plan covers that too and the rates aren't too high. It takes me an average of about 10-12 months to go through $100 worth of credit (I mostly have to use the phone when I have visitors or when I'm away from home on a conference or trip, otherwise I get by just using skype). I think that's better than any plan I could find, no matter how good the rates. In general, though, I vote for the smartphone too, just for the convenience it provides. I'm definitely getting a smartphone when I arrive in the US. A prepaid plan sounds like a good idea for me- I didn't know that AT&T had them. I'll have to check out what's available in my school's city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hejduk Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) As for the ATT vs. Verizon debate, honestly, all the carriers are the same. It's basically picking the least of the evils. I used to work for Cingular, which is now ATT, and while there are days I curse them, I know how to work the system and get what I need. ATT is in the process of purchasing TMobile, and they will overtake Verizon as the biggest carrier in the US. With pricing plans, there are no set things really. Each carrier charges different rates for voice and data. "Unlimited" internet is not really available anymore, or at least headed that way. The best practice for finding rates is to just head to their website, or give them a call. A final note: Just because a carrier says they have coverage in specific geographical area, you can't guarantee you'll have coverage. Coverage depends on topography, season (fall/winter mean better service due to less foliage for signal to go through), type of band (900 vs. 1800, etc). Check with students in the area you're headed to, to get the real truth about which carriers are actually good in the area or not. Edited June 21, 2011 by hejduk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hejduk Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 (edited) I'm definitely getting a smartphone when I arrive in the US. A prepaid plan sounds like a good idea for me- I didn't know that AT&T had them. I'll have to check out what's available in my school's city. Most major carriers have prepaid. I believe ATT's current prepaid is still called "Go Phone". Also, I'd not recommend Sprint at all. They lease their system out to other carriers, including Boost and Virgin Mobiles. This means even more customers on an already taxes system. The concept of leasing out a system is known as a MVNO, or Mobile Virtual Network Operator. Edited June 21, 2011 by hejduk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eklavya Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Also, I'd not recommend Sprint at all. They lease their system out to other carriers, including Boost and Virgin Mobiles. This means even more customers on an already taxes system. The concept of leasing out a system is known as a MVNO, or Mobile Virtual Network Operator. been a sprint customer for 5 years, and i find this assumption to be inaccurate. going back to original discussion: +1 for smartphones. although you will probably be paying 20-50$ more (compared to your 'flip' phones), they do make your life much easier. fwiw, i pay $50 for free data and all added bonuses on a 4g network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eigen Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I don't have one, and don't intend to. I'm nearly always at work (where I have wifi) or at home (where I have wifi), and even most of the places I go out in the evening have wifi. Other than the ability to make calls/text, an iPod Touch will do all of your e-mail, browsing, and document viewing... You just have to have wifi. So when you're weighing the benefits, ask yourself how often you need to check your e-mail or look something up online when you don't have wireless available, and then decide if those times are worth the cost of an iPhone. Otherwise, just get an iPod touch. garibaldi and Strangefox 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poco_puffs Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Throwing my hat in the pool for the old-fashioned flip-phone, in part because of the reasons Eigen has just offered-- I check my email enough on computers at home and on campus. I also don't need all the added distractions that apps and games can offer. I survived my first year just fine without a smart phone and all of the little things that supposedly make life easier for everyone else. On the one hand, I do worry that not being up to date with the latest apps and tech might put me at a slight disadvantage when compared to my cohort. On the other hand, I'm banking on being judged on my scholarship and personal skills, not whether I have the latest Android. Also, while times have changed a bit, my standby for updating technology is always this: People survived without it 15 years ago, and I can survive without it now. It's saved me a lot of money. gellert 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Safferz Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Smartphone -- they're much more affordable than people think and I can't imagine life without my Crackberry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eigen Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Yeah, I actually don't even have a flip phone. I've got one of the old brick style phones. Limited colors on the display, highly pixelated, no camera... But nigh indestructible. And it makes calls, which is what I like my phone to do. I think I've had it close on 8 years now. rising_star and poco_puffs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthan Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Smartphone: LG Optimus V (phone cost: $200) OS: Android Carrier: Virgin Mobile (Sprint network) Plan: Unlimited Data, Unlimited Text, 300 talk minutes Price: $25 per month Contract: No What more could you ask for? psych21 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Behavioral Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I was an iPhone user for 3 years (had the original 2G, 3G, and 3GS) and I recently made the switch to Android 1.5 months ago to the Samsung Infuse (review found http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/13/samsung-infuse-4g-review/) The increased speed due to the HSPA+ "4g" connection is such a big improvement over the iPhone. I do way too much on my phone (I actually never really play games either!) to ever go back to a 'dumb'phone. I check my multiple email accounts in one place, talk/text as needed, and have numerous productivity apps (smart alarm to wake me up after REM sleep, RTM as a to-do list, Yelp for when I need to eat something after spending all day in lab, EasyTetherPro to tether internet to my laptop when there's no Wi-Fi, Google Maps, and Mint.com to keep track of finances (all of them: two checking accounts, one credit card, one b&m savings account, one online savings account, and Paypal) all in one place. It's also cannibalized a lot of my other media players' functions--I no longer use dedicated mp3 players because of this (the fact that you can download mp3s at will for free using a free app that's in the Android store is amazing), nor do I have to rely on the horrible iTunes app to add/remove songs; with a 4" screen (I believe the iPhones is around 3.4"), I can feasibly stream movies on Netflix without squinting; and when necessary, I just use my phone instead of my Kindle or iPad to read books using iBooks or some other PDFreader. All this along with the fact that battery endurance is actually great (due to a single processor 1.2GHz Snapdragon instead of ones like the dual-process Tigra2 that's on the ATRIX4G)--enough that I don't have a dead phone with a full day's worth of use, including surfing online all day, watch the occasional Youtube vid, and having my display on most of the day. Recently on a trip when I noticed I forgot my phone charger, I never used my handset except to pick up or make calls, and it lasted me a little over 3 days with no charge (though battery was on red). That's enough of my spiel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studentaffairsgrad Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I recently got a Droid. I had a flip phone for 6 years. I was so old school I didn't even had texting on my plan! I thought it was stupid, and if something was really that important, someone could call me. I was so wrong. Aside from now experiencing the world of texting (I'm guessing you already have texting) I love being able to get my email. It was especially helpful when waiting to receive grad school offers - I didn't have to get on my computer 10 times a day. I love being able to check out my news app first thing in the morning so I know what is going on in the world, as well as having Twitter at my fingertips. I used to think Twitter was pointless, until I got it on my mobile. Now I love it. It is also nice to use to kill time when you are waiting for class, meeting, etc. Facebook and Angry Birds keeps me occupied I also love being able to use the GPS app on my phone, b/c I am extremely directionally challenged. It is just really nice to be able to jump on the web when I need to find something out quick, vs. having to go boot up my computer. Lastly, I live out in the country, and was never able to get cell service with old phones. My droid has wireless on it, so I can connect to my wireless at home to get service. Now I can actually receive phone calls at home! That alone is worth it. You really don't know what you are missing out on, until you get one. Also Behavioral - that REM sleep alarm sounds so cool. I am going to get it now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eklavya Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I was an iPhone user for 3 years (had the original 2G, 3G, and 3GS) and I recently made the switch to Android... YESS!!! you are my new favorite person now! and good to see other android lovers on this board! i had a winmo phone but flashed it to android, and life's been so much fun! my contract was up recently, so am waiting for the evo 3d that comes out on friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hejduk Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Also, if you think your service is "4G", it most likely isn't. The carriers use terminology to label their services as "4G" in an attempt to woo customers to their service. http://www.bgr.com/2011/06/22/new-bill-could-force-carriers-to-tell-the-truth-about-4g/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyjin Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 I was spoiled in Japan last year (even the cheapest phones there are smart phones, so I got used to being able to check email/twitter/train schedules all the time), so I upgraded to an iPhone when I got back to the states. Just being able to check email everywhere is a wonderful thing, and I also agree that it's a lot nicer than dragging your computer around everywhere. I'm on an unlimited plan with Verizon (which they're getting rid of next month, yikes), but you really shouldn't use too much data if you're just checking email. Plus attaching to wifi means you don't use data at all, so the cost shouldn't be too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Just keep in mind that verizon phones don't have sim-cards, only att and t-mobile do. If you think you may want to change devices or use different sim-cards in the same phone, you should choose one of those two companies. I use both my American sim and my sim from my home country with the same phone, for example. fwiw I have an att phone and I'm happy with it. But then I don't have a monthly plan, only a prepaid one. I have a smartphone with wifi which gives me coverage at home, at school and at any other place that has free wifi like coffee shops, etc. Most of the time I don't think it's all that terrible not to be able to check my email when I'm traveling--which is mostly when I don't have accessible wifi--but in case I do need to use the internet, my prepaid plan covers that too and the rates aren't too high. It takes me an average of about 10-12 months to go through $100 worth of credit (I mostly have to use the phone when I have visitors or when I'm away from home on a conference or trip, otherwise I get by just using skype). I think that's better than any plan I could find, no matter how good the rates. In general, though, I vote for the smartphone too, just for the convenience it provides. Thank you! One thing I am trying to understand about WiFi in the US. If I get a smarphone with WiFi and use it only in places that have free WiFi like Starbucks - will I have to pay Verizon for the internet? I mean that data charge. Or do I pay this data charge only when I am in places where there is NO free WiFi?? In other words, is there a chance of having WiFi on your smartphone and not paying for internet if you are using it in the right places? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strangefox Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 i had some home internet problems a few years ago so i jailbreak'd the phone and used it as a wifi hotspot for about 6 months. Hm, could you explain that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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