Techies, I need smartphone advice!

[themadscientist]

I need some help from our more tech-savvy guys. I don't own a smart phone. The phone that I have now doesn't even have texting turned on.
Pause for gasps of shock evolving into screams of outrage, torches lighting and chasing the troglodyte back underground.

I'm sorry, I don't have the obsession to have the latest gizmo simply because it's new like almost everybody else. I never gave a crap because it wasn't crucial to my life. That has changed and now I must grudgingly increase the level of my connectivity. Between 24-hour a day email traffic, monitoring a multitude of news sources, updating my Twitter, yes I have that now too, and tweaking my website, having access to the web in my pocket is now a must.

Being a mad-come-lately, I would value the critical opinion of those that "been doin dis" for a while to help me select the right smartphone for my needs ONCE. If it does what I need it to do, I'll rock it till it breaks like every other cell phone I ever had.

I need the web to present just like a scaled-down page with full function and compatibility. No software conflicts are acceptable. This is THE singular reason I am stepping up to a phone like this so I cannot sacrifice any quality here.

I want the most current "normal" features. I keep phones for a while so an older design on its way out would be pennywise, pound foolish.

I don't text, I probably won't start. It's not at all important so I think any phone that can text reliably (all of them?) in some fashion would be fine.

I don't need a kickass native email client. I have dozens of site-based accounts I am happy to access through the browser. If it has one great, but if not, it's fine.

I don't care about games, I don't care about goofy apps that do neat and fun but meaningless crap that everybody else can't live without; I can. It isn't important.

I don't like Microsoft....I don't think I can avoid it though; my cell phone carrier doesn't have i-phones.

I would like a real keyboard with buttons but I accept that I may have to settle for a touchscreen to get the crucial features.

These are my potential choices from my carrier:

Blackberry Bold
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/prod ... index.html



Blackberry Bold 9700
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/product/foma ... index.html



Xperia SO-01B
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/prod ... index.html



It's the X10 over there.
http://en.gigazine.net/index.php?/news/ ... ia_so_01b/

Toshiba Dynapocket T-01B
http://www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english/prod ... index.html



It's the K01 over there.
http://en.akihabaranews.com/46985/phone ... cket-t-01b

From what I have been reading, the Blackberry does email awesome, and I love the keyboard but web surfing is less than stellar. The Xperia is running android 1.6, the Toshiba, Windows Mobile 6.5.3. I love the Toshiba's slide out keyboard, but as I said, if the Xperia kicks its butt in websurfing and reliability I can live with a virtual keyboard.

Feel free to beat the crap out of each other over this, I know people get passionate about these things and with price tag in the neighborhood of $700 please get blood on the floor if that steers me to the best phone!

[StephenG]

Android = Win. However, 1.6 is getting a bit outdated these days. Wont support flash on websites(not that anything else will though). If thats your choice to get an android handset, make it happen.

[ADDirishboy]

I love my motorola droid. Does everything you listed, and can be had pretty damn cheap. The 2.2 update will be released soon as well. It has a slide out full QWERTY keyboard and works like a charm. The keyboard buttons seem small at first, but I got used to it very quickly. Web browsing is pretty awesome as well.

Another phone to think about is Sprints evo 4g. Its a sweet phone. A few drawbacks would be no physical keyboard, and also its sheer size.

What service provider do you have though? And do they have all the current US phones in jdm land?

[ADDirishboy]

Also, I forget the exact date of the release but I know the Droid 2 is coming out soon. Same as the first moto droid, but has a faster processor and faster web browsing. Might want to look into that as well. Again though, not sure what you guys have over there.

[themadscientist]

I use DoCoMo. The four phones listed are the only phones I may choose from.

[Jesda]

Blackberry Torch resolves the multimedia/browsing issue, so if youre going to get a RIM device wait for that to become available on carriers other than AT&T. Does your version of the Bold have both CDMA and GSM for travelers? I don't know if that matters to you.

Of the items listed, I like the Sony phone best.

[themadscientist]

I travel to the states every two to three years. World service is not that crucial.

[RobPaulson]

I need the web to present just like a scaled-down page with full function and compatibility. No software conflicts are acceptable. This is THE singular reason I am stepping up to a phone like this so I cannot sacrifice any quality here.

as far as i know (i dont keep up with random proprietary device OS's, so i'm speaking in generalities, aka BB, android, iphoneOS) the only way to browse the web exactly as it is on your PC is with an android device running 2.2 with the dolphin browser.

i can load up youtube pages, pr0n, flash, gifs, basically anything in the browser window exactly as it'd be on a PC with very usable performance (i say usable, because a lot of haters will tell you flash slows down the browser to an unusable state, this is very untrue.)

now the only way to get 2.2 is via the high end brand new android devices. so go with an android based OS. there is basically any option you want now-a-days (physical keyboards, vitrual keyboards, big screen, compact, high resolution, etc etc)

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Anyone wanna chime in on the droid X? Will also be my first smart phone.

[wingFeather]

Pause for gasps of shock evolving into screams of outrage, torches lighting and chasing the troglodyte back underground.

No worries here. I avoided texting until 2008. Now I prefer to text (fair warning- it gets adictive).

The best phone I see is the HTC EVO. It beats iPhone & Blackberry in ever way possible, and is only $199 with a new plan.

so go with an android based OS.

and the HTC EVO is the best implementation I've seen of this to date

[nissangirl74]

I have the Blackberry Bold 9650. It has a lot more features than I will ever need but it does what I need very well. I have all of my e-mails and social networking linked to it, access is easy, it is NOT touch screen (I hate a touch screen phone), it has a slot for a memory card, you can back up all your files and settings to your computer at night, etc. It also has all of the stuff that you don't need but there is nothing that says you have to use it. The keys aren't tiny. The phone feels good in your hand. It's big enough to be easy to read but not so big that it seems bulky. Easy to use and manipulate. Call quality is superb. I have never had one of those "huh?...what'd you say?....dude, you're fading out...." issues when making calls. I've had one dropped call in over a year and that was in the middle of the desert on the way to Vegas. (More of a provider thing I know, just throwing it out there.)

[AZ89two4Tsx]

As far as internet browsing goes, nothing really beats the Iphone. It has the best and easiest to use browser. Droid phones are really nice too. Not quite as good as the Iphone, but still really easy to use. Since you're going to be on the web ALOT, I would try finding the biggest screen you can. Web browsing on any phone can get just plain annoying because of the screen size.

Every other phone is about the same. Windows mobile sucks, I've hated every phone I've used that had it. It's slow and confusing. I have a temporary BB Storm right now (until I order an X), and it's OKAY. It really doesn't even compare to the Iphone/Droid because you can't use the multi-finger motions to zoom in/out, which is a must to me if you're always on the web. Speed is way slower as well.

[USMCgetsome]

DROP DOCOMO AND GO SOFTBANK!


You can find an unlocked 3g phone here in the states and get a softbank sim card and be on your way. If they won't let u do it there you can simply pick up a sim card at one of the airports at a softbank like a rental and be on your merry way.

Btw i am dissappointed in you because since 2000 they already had texting and multimedia, streaming video, ringtones, yahoo keitai. I was in okinawa from 01-02 at mcas futenma and i was blown outta the water with JPHONE's techy phones.

Anyhow, mad the last time i was there in 2008 that's what i did to use my iphone over in mainland in SHIZUOKA. I rented my softbank sim.

[USMCgetsome]

you can try lookin on RINKYA.com for phones as well

[RobPaulson]

reposting for hilarity

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7yD-0pqZg[/youtube]

[USMCgetsome]

I DON'T CARE!

[Otto.]

As far as internet browsing goes, nothing really beats the Iphone.

Anyways TMS, I don't know enough about your choices to give a good answer. I would go with the Blackberry, personally.

[wingFeather]

As far as internet browsing goes, nothing really beats the Iphone.

Except that the iPhone is the WORST for web browsing. You cannot view Flash websites or videos. That is a huge chunk of the internet that is off limits!!!

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Think he meant the ease of use...
Anyone have a droid X yet? I'm up for an upgrade on my verizon account and it's that or the EVO. I have a waterproof Razor now.

[themadscientist]

DROP DOCOMO AND GO SOFTBANK!


You can find an unlocked 3g phone here in the states and get a softbank sim card and be on your way. If they won't let u do it there you can simply pick up a sim card at one of the airports at a softbank like a rental and be on your merry way.

Btw i am dissappointed in you because since 2000 they already had texting and multimedia, streaming video, ringtones, yahoo keitai. I was in okinawa from 01-02 at mcas futenma and i was blown outta the water with JPHONE's techy phones.

Anyhow, mad the last time i was there in 2008 that's what i did to use my iphone over in mainland in SHIZUOKA. I rented my softbank sim.

Softbank has the absolute s*** service of any phone company. They have some of the nicer platforms and I have a coworker with a hacked iphone like you describe, but with all the trouble people have with them, they could offer me Eva Mendez's vagina for a low monthly fee and I would still never sign up. I've been using Docomo for 13 years and they treat me great. So much so, the stunted phone selection is workable.

[RCA]

Man, TMS I would try to contact Marlin. He is a phone nerd.

This is difficult because based on the type of email resources you use depends on the phone or at least the browser. This is really tough to answer.

If you could transfer all the email sources to Gmail then Android based phone would be perfect. But if you are into modding, I would go Android or Win Mobile.

Also doen't help that outside of BB, none of these phones are popular in the US.

[themadscientist]

I use web-based emails like hotmail and accounts on my website. I will not use Gmail. Google is in that game to harvest information about me and I help them enough by using their search engine. I love modding cars and I love building computers but when it comes to software I am in no way interested in screwing with hacks and mods. I want it to work out of the box and continue to work without constant maintenance. I have no tolerance for that BS, one of the reasons Linux keeps pushing me away.

[poems2beats]

Dude, it seems like you need an EVO. However, you should know that battery life is not very good. I'm constantly on my phone so I bought an extra wall charger and car charger. That way my phone can stay alive the whole day.
And iphone does NOT have a better browser. I used to have an iphone...... I know first hand.

[RCA]

Evo is very overkill for what TMS needs.

Also if he has a on the go lifestyle, that last thing he needs is bad battery life.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Avoid Windows Mobile like the plague it is.

Some things to note about WinMo:
Up until VERY recent updates, it did not support modern capacitive (ipad/evo style) touch screens. Only resistive (old palm style, incapable of multitouch recognition). Even with the hardware support added for capacitive screens, the OS is NOT designed with modern touch behavior in mind. Things that just "make sense" on any other phone made in the last couple of years won't work on a WinMo phone. My roommate has an HTC HD2...it's a shiny, fancy-looking, beautiful phone with a massive screen. And functionally it makes my obsolete G1 look like the Columbia Supercomputer. HTC has skinned a port of Sense over the top of the home screen, so at first glance it looks quite slick. But doing anything with it requires digging past Sense and into the real Windows Mobile 6.5 beneath it, and at that point the phone becomes just plain unenjoyable to use.

Windows Phone 7 won't be any better. MS is taking a page out of their Xbox Live playbook while also copying from Apple's homework and the end result is an OS covered in BIG, SHINY items to interact with but a serious lack of versatility. Locked market and a lack of a lot of critical features means it ends up feeling just like the iPhone and Xbox it wishes it was: pretty and easy to use, but extremely limited in functionality. And WP7 integrates your contacts with social networking garbage, which means you have to dig through facebook s*** just to find the number you want to call...because it has NO PHONEBOOK. Just a "People" page, which encompasses anyone you have contact info of any kind for any reason for. Which means Windows Phone 7 is yet another PHONE OS that fails pretty hard at doing PHONE stuff.

BB or Android. Android isn't restricted to Gmail, it just supports it most seamlessly. You can still set up any normal POP email accounts you might have with an Android device.

DON'T forget about Palm's new WebOS either (found on the Pre and Pixie). It does a lot of things really well.

I wouldn't use a WinMo phone unless I was paid well for it. The operating system is last-gen to its core, and cramming it into modern hardware only serves to highlight its many weaknesses.

Oh, and if you buy a Microsoft Kin I will never EVER stop laughing at you.

[Eikon]

Android phones are awesome!!!! Go that route.. you won't regret it.

[confused9]

i have the droid X! i absolutely love and verizon is doing early upgrades. $300 with $100 mail in rebate lol. the internet is amazing. this is the only phone i have seen that can have more than several windows opened at once and still not slow down. i'm not sure but can the iphone do that?

[confused9]

i was seriously crying laughing because of the iphone vs htc evo

[Jesda]

Battery life matters too. RIM devices emphasize constant connectivity. I'm currently in the passenger seat on I-44. Just watched a 90-minute BBC Documentary and listened to hours of music. Now I'm posting this message. Battery has 65 percent remaining.

The EVO would never deliver that kind of performance for travelers.

[marlin29311]

Man, TMS I would try to contact Marlin. He is a phone nerd.

I'm not a nerd

I would recommend the Blackberry Bold 9700 - it's an improvement in processing power and memory over the original bold, and it gets rid of the silly trackball that can lock up on you.

You have basic needs. WinMo is garbage on anything. Andriod is probably too much for what you are looking to do.

At this point, there is no real mobile browser that can do the web in it's entirety. No flash support right now, and mobile browsers cannot render all pages in their entierty.

You're really best off with the bold - you have a rock solid keyboard, a well supported platform, tried and true email, and excellent battery life. IIRC, the Bold 9700 will get the OS6 update, which greatly improves the browser too.