Basic Versus Smart Phone

[TheresaThoma]

My over 2 year old phone is on the verge of dying, so it is time to get a new one. 

My question is what one to get? I figured you lovely people will have opinions about this. Here are my must haves/non-negotiables

-Physical keyboard. I haven't had one for the last 2 years and I really miss it

 

(- Must be sold by verizon

-Must be at or under 50 dollars with new 2 year contract)

 

My other dilemma is should I stick with a basic phone or go with the Smart phone?

 

Opinions?

 

 

[Deus te Amat]

You can get iBreviary on a smart phone.

[AnneLine]

TheresaThoma, once again, you and I are sharing the same pain.  I've had a physical pull-out keyboard for messaging, and I don't want to go back... but my phone is sputtering as well.

 

It looks like we are stuck with these: 

 

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/smartphone

 

EXCEPT when I did a search for 'smartphone' and 'keyboard' I found this... and it looks very interesting...

 

http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=6955&NaNEnactâ„¢ by LG

 

Anyone have this one or any better ideas for us?

[TheresaThoma]

So I have been informed that the screen technology is better now and you can use the phones in full sun. That is my main concern, my current phone has a virtual keyboard but when I am outside I can't see a thing on it which makes it pretty useless.

[Nihil Obstat]

IMO a smart phone only makes sense if you're also willing to pay for a data plan. So you're looking generally at $40 a month bare minimum, likely more like $60+, rather than $30 ish.

[TheresaThoma]

For the plans I would just be adding onto my mom's plan I think she has a pooled data plan. To add a basic phone it is 30 and to add a smart phone it is 40.

I'm now slightly leaning towards a smart phone for the GPS capability. I will be moving to a new city and expected to be able to get around and drive people places as part of my job. I have lived in my current city (in a suburban area) and I still have issues finding my way around downtown (unless it is using the light rail I can use that just fine). I don't even want to think about trying to navigate in a different city.

[arfink]

I'd go with a smartphone from Republic, if you ask me.

 

https://republicwireless.com/

 

I used to think a physical keyboard was a necessity on a phone, but not anymore. I use Swype for on-screen typing in newer versions of Android and find I prefer it to a physical keyboard when using a phone for texting. It's much better than the state of on-screen typing even a couple years ago. If you go with a phone old enough to have a physical keyboard, you're very likely to find the software is slow and buggy, because manufacturers don't update them anymore.

[TheresaThoma]

I'm looking at the Galaxy S III, it looks pretty decent. Any thoughts on this phone?

[Nihil Obstat]

I'd go with a smartphone from Republic, if you ask me.

 

https://republicwireless.com/

 

I used to think a physical keyboard was a necessity on a phone, but not anymore. I use Swype for on-screen typing in newer versions of Android and find I prefer it to a physical keyboard when using a phone for texting. It's much better than the state of on-screen typing even a couple years ago. If you go with a phone old enough to have a physical keyboard, you're very likely to find the software is slow and buggy, because manufacturers don't update them anymore.

 

Agreed. I thought I would never be able to get used to a touchscreen, but the Swype program made it really easy. I still can't handle Apple's touch keyboard though.

 

I'm looking at the Galaxy S III, it looks pretty decent. Any thoughts on this phone?

I have the older Samsung Galaxy phone. I think it's really well made, and should last you a while. Batteries are easy to find if you want spares, it lasts about as long as comparable phones, the Android OS runs just fine. Samsung makes good electronics right now.

I have a couple issues with a few apps, but I think it's more because my phone is getting a bit old now.

[AnneLine]

You guys are making me think twice about skipping the physical keyboard.  I really have LOVED the physical keyboard... and it is still one of the things that works well on my cell.   I had one o fthe early swipe phones and had such a horrible experience I took it back and paid $50 for the privilege... it was THAT BAD.  And it really soured me on the swipe screens. 

 

My husband took almost 3 months to figure his out... and I still can't answer it.  And can't figure out how to move from screen to screen...every time I touch it, I do something wrong with it....  And I am a total equipment idiot... and I know that....

 

So I am REALLY reluctant....  but it could be the technology is just finally going away. .   :cry: :(

[brandelynmarie]

I swype on a Galaxy S...the first model...it's a borrower phone til I figure out what to get next. Still wanting an iphone for some reason...

[Nihil Obstat]

You guys are making me think twice about skipping the physical keyboard.  I really have LOVED the physical keyboard... and it is still one of the things that works well on my cell.   I had one o fthe early swipe phones and had such a horrible experience I took it back and paid $50 for the privilege... it was THAT BAD.  And it really soured me on the swipe screens. 

 

My husband took almost 3 months to figure his out... and I still can't answer it.  And can't figure out how to move from screen to screen...every time I touch it, I do something wrong with it....  And I am a total equipment idiot... and I know that....

 

So I am REALLY reluctant....  but it could be the technology is just finally going away. .   :cry: :(

Samsung's Swype software is really amazing. You have a qwerty layout on your screen, and you swipe your finger from one letter to the other as if you were typing normally. The predictive software then uses that pattern to determine what word you typed. You occasionally get autocorrect slipups, particularly with words that are typed similarly to other words, but IMO no more often than you make typos on such a small physical keyboard. In some ways it is more forgiving than a physical keyboard because you can trace a pattern that is close to what you want, and the predictive program will still know what you meant.

[AnneLine]

ARFink said this same thing to me a while back, Nihil... and I am ... dubious.  Because I HATE HATE HATE autocomplete features on almost everything.  Even on Phatmass, the silly correction 'feature' half the time corrects words to the wrong word... and that can create REAL problems if it is not caught.  And how would one catch it on a text?  

 

Makes me really wary of this feature.  :covereyes:

 

  :idontknow:    I is a luddite... :paperbag:

Edited November 13, 2013 by AnneLine

[Nihil Obstat]

I guess it's just a cost-benefit thing then. If you think of it, pay attention for a day or so how many typos you make using your physical keyboard. I know when I had one I made a few, just because my fingers are bigger than the keys. Swype autocorrect errors are annoying for sure, but IMO they are just as annoying and just as frequent as physical typos. They just frustrate me in different ways. :P
For instance, with Swype I might accidentally send a message that says "Ink on the wat home not" (I'm on the way home now), but with the same lazy amount of effort with a physical keyboard I might have just as easily said "imn on teh wat homr now."
Especially if I were both drunk and on the way home, but c'est la vie. :detective:
Know what I mean?

[AnneLine]

ROTFL. 

 

Yup.  :notworthy: LOVED your examples!!!!

 

Except I have tiny fingers, and USUALLY don't make too many mistakes on the tiny pullout keyboard.  BUT lots on the big keyboard.  So... but.... I think they are going away... :cry3: