Anything is better than this brick I've been carrying around

November 22, 2011 9:43 AM

Phone gurus: help me pick a new cell phone! My sad, sad Blackberry Curve is on its last legs, and I'm more than ready for an upgrade. Should I go with an Iphone, Samsung, Motorola, HTC or...[insert your great suggestion here]?

I'm with Sprint, and because we're on a good friends and family plan, I'm not looking to change. I'm eligible for a phone upgrade, and I'm willing to spend about $200 on top of that. For that price, it seems like the best options are:

Iphone 4S
Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G
Motorola Photon 4G
HTC Evo 4G (only $100)

Any of these would be a huge improvement over my 3-year old Blackberry, but is one a standout winner? All but the Iphone are 4G--any thoughts as to whether that will make a huge difference? I've heard the iphones are slower on Sprint but how noticeable is the difference?

I already have an ipod and am a PC user, so integration with other mac devices isn't an issue, and I don't plan on using my phone to store my music library.

I expect to use the phone mostly for calls/email/light web surfing/driving navigation stuff. I have a point and shoot I like but if the camera's good enough I'll use it for a replacement camera too. I don't expect to do any heavy video streaming or anything like that. Because I'm not coming from an app-friendly phone, I don't have any experience with the various app marketplaces or have any "must haves" that sway me toward Apple or Android.

So please, phone nerds, help a sister out. Which phone would you recommend for me?

posted by Bella Sebastian to Technology (16 answers total)

I would suggest going to the store and physically try out the phones. One thing that people miss coming from blackberry family is the keyboard. Touch screen only phones might require some getting used to.

I do not know the details on Sprint 4G but I do know they are switching from WiMax to LTE. You might want to find out how your 4G phone manages that.

As for speed, Sprint 3G maxes out at ~3Mbps. Which is typically about 300kbps on average more or less. 4G could easily gets 10 times that value. So you'll notice it during heavy downloads but light web surfing? Not so much.

No specific phone recommendation but hopefully there is useful info. At least not more confusing :)
posted by 7life at 9:59 AM on November 22, 2011

I expect to use the phone mostly for calls/email/light web surfing/driving navigation stuff. I have a point and shoot I like but if the camera's good

The camera on the iPhone 4S is stupidly good. I promise you you will not carry around a dinky point and shoot once the 4S is in your pocket.

I hate to be that guy, but right now in this moment in time it's a little hard to beat the iPhone.
posted by pmv at 10:28 AM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

I have an iPhone and I love it. Almost everyone I know has iPhones, and everyone I know who has an iPhone loves theirs and wouldn't try a different phone.

I know a couple people with various Android phones and they're perfectly happy as well, but not as in-love with their phones.

So, I'd go with the iPhone.
posted by insectosaurus at 10:38 AM on November 22, 2011

Maybe it's calmed down a bit but asking this question on the internet is like placing Michele Bachmann and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the same room and asking for the one true religion.

I personally have liked a few of the Android phones I've had the opportunity to play with, but stay with an iPhone for one major reason: OS upgrades on Android phones are a complete mess compared to the iPhone. See this link for detailed description.
posted by TrialByMedia at 10:57 AM on November 22, 2011

I had a Blackberry Curve and I'm with you: unspeakably horrible.

I have an iPhone now and like it. However it is a 3G and I have never upgraded the OS. I am hearing a lot of bad things about the newer ones, like google "battery drain issue" for one. If you're not looking for the latest and greatest features, you're always safer going a generation or two back.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:03 AM on November 22, 2011

I am in a similar situation (just swap out Sprint for At&t and add teh fact that I'm going to have data capabilities for the first time).

You should definitely go to teh store and play with the phones. I'm still not completely decided, but so far I've liked the iPhone 4S followed by Samsung Androids. I don't have a specific model because there's so many of them and they seem to change all teh time (and I take liek a month minimum to commit to a purchase like this). Teh iPhone to me feels the most intuitive. The Samsungs with teh AMOLED screens are a lot easier to read (i plan on reading a lot on a smartphone). HTC phones felt the most solid, but there always seemed to be something missing (liek a front facing camera) that put the Samsungs ahead.
posted by WeekendJen at 11:05 AM on November 22, 2011

I have the 4S on Sprint and have not experienced either the "battery drain issue" or slow loading with normal internet usage. I was upgrading from a very old iPhone and Sprint gave me a pretty sweet trade-in deal on it, which made the cost of the phone pretty reasonable. Specific things I like about the phone: the HD photo/video is super high quality, the integration with my other Apple products (iTunes, macbook), integration with my friends (facetime, other iPhone to iPhone stuff, not sure if it works outside the iPhone universe), I got the big daddy 64G, so it's good off-site storage for my huge music collection. (You did not ask about this, but it is worth noting that Sprint is also really good with discounts, so if you're not already taking advantage of a government, senior, or one of the other 500 discount programs they have, it's worth looking into.)
posted by *s at 11:24 AM on November 22, 2011

As a new iPhone owner, I do recommend it, but note that the maps app does NOT have built-in navigation (it will give directions, but not turn-by-turn navigation). However, I understand there are apps for that.
posted by Chris4d at 11:37 AM on November 22, 2011

The question is difficult to answer: iPhone users will suggest iPhone. Android users will suggest Android.

So I'm suggesting Android (I'd go for the Photon because the EVO is already fairly old and the Photon has a better screen, although either would work for your needs).
posted by coolguymichael at 11:50 AM on November 22, 2011

I have a blackberry that I'm pretty attached to, AND I am pretty firmly in the "screw apple" camp, and I still think you should get an iPhone. They are obnoxiously awesome.

i feel dirty now
posted by elizardbits at 11:59 AM on November 22, 2011

I nth going to look at them in person. I went through this last month. I have AT&T and knew I didn't want an iPhone, so it was between the newest Samsung Galaxy & HTC Inspire. After playing with them in store, I decided I liked the HTC's version of Android better.
posted by bluesapphires at 12:52 PM on November 22, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks to everyone who's chimed in so far. I will definitely be going in to give them a spin in person before committing to buy. I have very little patience for researching things like this so it's helpful to be given pointers about potential problem areas like the iphone battery drain and the switch from WiMax to LTE.

I admit before asking the question I was leaning toward the iphone, but I think that's mostly because, as insectosaurus mentioned, iphone users are passionate about proclaiming their love and I'm a little bit brainwashed-slash-jealous.

Would love to hear more opinions/personal anecdotes, especially from fellow Sprint users!
posted by Bella Sebastian at 2:38 PM on November 22, 2011

A friend of mine recently got a new Sprint phone. There are basically 3 high-end phone options.

iPhone 4S - Runs you $199, has standard iPhone things to say about it. Personally not a fan because of my history of easily-broken Apple products, but it's probably the best put-together phone OS at the moment.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch - Runs you $199, is the highest-specced Android on Sprint's network at the moment. You have to deal with Samsung's weird Android skin, which I really didn't like. Is due to be upgraded to Android 4.0... at some point.

HTC EVO 3D - Runs you $199. The 3D is a pointless gimmick, but it's the best-specced HTC Android on Sprint. Sense 3.0 is fantastic. It has very, very, very awful battery life (without optimization). Also due to be upgraded to Android 4.0... at some point. My current phone, and also the one my friend decided on.

I'm not counting the Motorola Photon cause when I picked it up it felt like a really, really poorly made hunk of plastic.
posted by billybunny at 6:56 PM on November 22, 2011

If you were all mac all the time I would definitely say iPhone and the integration that comes with hit. Since you're not, I'll just chime in and say you're smart to try phones out before making your choice.

I am biased, and I think unless you love doing a lot of tinkering to your phone, the iPhone is simply a more mature product. And several of the features of Android that were ahead of the iPhone are now gone.

But if, as an example, you prefer a bigger screen, then you might opt for something other than the iPhone.
posted by justgary at 7:05 PM on November 22, 2011

I really like my HTC Android phone (Droid Incredible 2) especially the highly convenient Google integration. The camera on the DI2 is extremely good for a phone camera. I am biased against Apple however.
posted by Lobster Garden at 7:08 PM on November 22, 2011

I am typing this on my cracked and scraped 18-month old Evo 4g. I love this phone, love love love it to death (hence the scrapes.) It does exactly what I wanted it to do when I got it on Evo launch day 2010. The screen is big and bright and beautiful. The choice of web browsers is great. Dolphin and Opera let me surf almost any site in desktop not mobile mode. I can switch keyboard programs daily if I want. I read rss feeds on it whenever I am standing still and use the google reader app as easily as the desktop version. The google maps and gps are great. I love having seven home screens to fill with widgets and shortcuts.

There are some things I don't like. First, battery life is not good. (To be fair, I use it all the time.) Sprint's 4g is lousy where I live, and I live in the center of a big city. Umm... That is the extent of my complaints. The Samsung GSII looks gorgeous, but not enough of an upgrade to make me switch. For a new contact though, there is no reason to get an 18 month old phone. Have you looked at the Evo Design?

That said, my coworker who was the first person I knew with an android phone now has a shiny new iphone 4s. There aren't many people I know who dislike the iphone. The good thing about sprint is that whatever you get, you can return it in 30 days if you change your mind. The forums at Sprintusers.com are full of helpful information, too.
posted by schweik at 7:14 PM on November 22, 2011