Smartphones

[TinCow]

I'm in the market for a new phone. I currently have an iPhone 4, and it's time for a new one. I know the iPhone and I love the iPhone, but I'm not so blown away by the iPhone 5 that I'm not even thinking about something else. So, help me out here, what are the other good phones out there and what are the advantages/disadvantages of both the Android and Windows Phone OSes? I do very much like the idea of a larger screen than the iPhone offers, but there's also the annoyance factor of having to re-purchase all my apps on a different OS. Plus, Gabe Newell has given me an innate dislike of Windows 8, which has prejudiced me against Windows phones of all kinds, so there's also that to overcome. I love me some Google, but what is it about Android exactly that is so great?

Educate me, good sirs.

[Whacker]

Who's your carrier?

[TinCow]

AT&T, don't even mention any kind of phone that requires a change to Verizon. I love me some Verizon Fios, but their wireless service sucks.

[spankythehippo]

Androids are easier to root. So you can have all sorts of homebrew apps on it. They are also a lot less troublesome than an iPhone, in terms of functionality. Trying to delete/add something on an iPhone has to be one of the hardest challenges I have ever faced. Androids offer access to the data directory, so you can delete any files without having to plug into a computer. And they can used as data storage with a simple USB cord. iPhones can not (to the best of my knowledge).

I personally have an Android. And I would rather die than own an iPhone.

HTC One X is pretty good.

[Whacker]

The good part with AT&T is that you can use essentially any cell phone that takes a sim card. If you don't mind the contracts (I don't) and want the phone cheaper, then take a gander at the Galaxy S III, which has gorilla glass.

The thing about android is that it can look like whatever you want. Most all of the phones ship with that I call the "lowest common denominator interface options" enabled. It looks and behaves the same way the ios does, with that mind-numbing one click, one button ease of use. Apps can be found that range from the same mindless one button ease to fairly complicated apps for power users. You can also root the device if you're so inclined, and there's dozens of custom firmwares to be had for most all phone models. Some are stable, some aren't. If you want to root your phone you certainly can, if not then you don't have to worry about it at all. In short it can do whatever you want it to do and act however you want it to act.

[Vladimir]

AT&T, don't even mention any kind of phone that requires a change to Verizon. I love me some Verizon Fios, but their wireless service sucks.

Well then, so much for my idea. I switched from AT&T to Verizon just for the Razor Maxx. I'm very impressed with that phone and everything seems to work well. I've also had fewer dropped calls, the GPS works brilliantly every time, and the battery life is phenomenal.

[Furunculus]

if you want a large screen, 4.3" and larger, then you really are limited to Android now, Win8 in a few months, or Blackberry10 in early in the new year.

iphone will stay at 4" for at least a few generations, apple are conservative in that way.

the better half has just got a samsung galaxy ace 2 running gingerbread, and i have to admit that it is a nice piece of hardware and a competent smartphone. However, i still can't bring myself to like the UI especially for multitasking after using an N9 and Playbook.

i won't touch Win8 for laptops or computers, not interested, but it could end up being a very competent smartphone OS. depends whether you can learn to love the UI, and certainly the Nokia N920 is a lovely piece of hardware!

for me, i am waiting for Blackberry 10 as i believe it will give me the UI i am accustomed to from my N9 and Playbook.

and yes, i want a larger screen too than the 3.9" on my N9.

[Xiahou]

Well then, so much for my idea. I switched from AT&T to Verizon just for the Razor Maxx. I'm very impressed with that phone and everything seems to work well. I've also had fewer dropped calls, the GPS works brilliantly every time, and the battery life is phenomenal.

Ditto on the RAZR Maxx- it's a great phone. Before that, I had the DroidX2, also a great phone. IMO, Motorola makes some of the best Android phones out there... and since Google bought Motorola Mobility, I'd expect that to continue.

Edit:
Rooting is worth it if for no other reason than AdAway.

[TinCow]

I've decided to go with the iPhone 5. I've played around with the droid phones and there are advantages to them, but they do not seem to outweigh the disadvantages of switching away. The thing that was most significant for me was simply usability. I picked up a Galaxy S3 and the thing took a while to figure out how to use. Settings were not located in intuitive places and controls were not easy to understand. While I was able to get the hang of it within a few minutes, I'm really not looking for a PC experience on my phone. I don't spend time fiddling with my phone, it just lives in my pocket and I want it to work when I need it without any fuss. The S3 and similarly sized windows phones are also just too large. I really like the larger screens, but I think I would get annoyed having something so bulky in my pocket. I'm actually very surprised by how noticeable the reduced weight on the iPhone 5 is. I expected it to be not distinguishable, but after holding the 5, my current 4 feels like a paperweight.

That said, I'm not going to buy the 5 until the Google Maps app is available. Even ignoring the heavily publicized issues with the new Apple maps system, the thing doesn't look as good as the old Google maps version and there's (obviously) no Streetview. Since the maps app is one of my most used utilities, I'm not going to shift phones until I can retain access to Google.

[CBR]

Windows Phone 8x by HTC might be an alternative. 4.3 inches, so slightly smaller than most of the new phones. http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/19/w...n-mobile-os-p/

[Lemur]

That said, I'm not going to buy the 5 until the Google Maps app is available.

There is a hack that should be available shortly (jailbreak required), or you can wait until the Google App gets approved.

[TinCow]

Yeah, I know. I'm going to wait for the app to be approved. If I wanted to jailbreak the thing, I'd just get a droid phone. I don't want fiddly crap with my phone, and I also don't want to void my Apple warranty. Apple have given me superb customer service in the past and I'm not keen on losing it. I dropped my iPad 2 and cracked the screen all the way through only a month after I bought the thing. I took it into an Apple store, and they replaced it on the spot with a new iPad 2 for free, even though the damage was my fault and not covered by the warranty. That kind of customer service weighs heavily in my decision. If I went for a windows phone or a droid phone, my customer service would be through my phone company, which means it would be horrible.

[Lemur]

Understood re: customer service. That said, my brother never met a device he didn't root, and he loves the iPhone for its sheer hackability. When he needs to take it into Apple for some reason or another, he just reloads the original firmware. Seems to work out. Your mileage may vary.