What is one more G worth?

August 2, 2011 7:44 AM

Time to get a new smartphone, and I'll have a data contract for the first time. I'm a power user of computers, who carries 2k+ contacts and appointments around, and occasionally programs my own apps (what we oldtimers used to call "programs"). I'm really attracted to the dual screen of the Kyocero Echo, but it's 3G-only. I don't intend to tether/hotspot my phone. Will I miss the 4G, a/o "limitless" data plans?
posted by IAmBroom to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

Best answer: 4G coverage is still no where near as good as 3G coverage and there are still loads of places especially inside of building in urban areas that don't even have 3G coverage. So it all comes down to where you plan on using your phone to determine whether or not 4G would be useful for you. Your best bet is to talk to co-workers, friends and neighbors to see how happy they are with coverage in the places where you are likely to use your phone and use that knowledge to see if you should hold out for the faster connection.
posted by mmascolino at 10:11 AM on August 2, 2011

FWIW, if you're going android, contacts are somewhat moot. If you're not a gmail user, you'll become one if for no other reason that badass contact syncing. It's so rad to root and wipe my phone randomly, like while driving in the car, and then as soon as it comes back on and I relog, all my contacts are back pretty as a button.

I don't see anything in your profile or question about where you are. FWIW, AT&T's 4g is fake 4g, Sprint's is WiMax (and awesome but with extremely limited coverage) and if you have a 4g phone you have to pay the $10/month 4g surcharge even if you don't ever touch their 4g network.

I'm unfamiliar w/ Verizon/Tmobile/etc because we don't have them near me.

But---if you're going android, there's no reason not to go as bleeding edge as you can afford. You don't *intend* to hotspot, and neither did I, but now I do it all the time just because I can. (And because it's faster than hotel wifi.)

Also, imo, Kyocera makes junk. Very much imo, the go-to's in Android-land are Samsung and HTC.
posted by TomMelee at 11:55 AM on August 2, 2011

Kyocera makes junk. HTC and Samsung are good, but the former has the better UI. I have a Sensation and it's badass.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 4:49 PM on August 2, 2011

Just to offer a counterpoint, people either love or hate the Sense UI---there are few who are tepid about it. It's popular enough that it's been taken apart and ported to just about every major market android device out there.
posted by TomMelee at 6:21 PM on August 2, 2011

Response by poster: OK, despite some claims here that Kyocera makes junk, I went with the (3G) Echo. Loving the full screen, although some apps won't take advantage of it. Makes checking stock quotes and charts hella easier. Bonus: double-wide GPS maps!

And - I forgot - Sprint (the Echo's partnered phone company) offers a (comparatively) cheap limitless data/text/call-to-cellphones package for $70/month (really $90 after tax and BS charges).
posted by IAmBroom at 1:32 PM on August 9, 2011