Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with smartphones

Choose my next phone: BlackBerry 8830 or Samsung Saga?

sesquipedalia — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:35:01 -0800

Choose my next phone: BlackBerry 8830 or Samsung Saga? Here's the deal -- I can choose one of these two Verizon phones via work. Major advantages to the Samsung (Windows Mobile 6) are camera and ability to edit Word / Excel docs, neither of which the BlackBerry has. (I know the latter can be solved via an expensive software purchase, but I'm cheap.) Major disadvantage to the Samsung is, well, Windows Mobile. Work email works fine on both phones, no problem. The Blackberry's trackball and the Samsung's 'optical mouse' seem equally good for navigation. That much I know.

Here are the things I'd like to do with the phone, in rough order of importance:

* Basic, clean, non-frustrating Web browsing
* Gmail account access (via dedicated app)
* Evernote access (via dedicated app)
* Ability to sync basic info (contacts/calendar/tasks) from my Mac (IN ADDITION TO the Exchange sync via work without hopeless sync confusion, if possible)
* Ability to write notes / text docs and sync them with my Mac in some semi-intuitive, useful way
* Ability to transfer video from my Mac (via iTunes if possible but not necessary) and view it using a decent media player; stereo audio if possible (I think this requires a particular Bluetooth profile?)
* Instapaper access (via dedicated app if possible)
* Facebook access (dedicated app would be nice but not necessary)
* NewsGator feed access (via dedicated app if possible)
* A decent library of stable, appealing, useful shareware/freeware (apps, games, etc)

And, of course, an interface that's reasonably attractive, intuitive and responsive (and won't cause me to throw the phone out the window) would be nice too.

Is either phone a clear winner? Am I asking for too much, even this far into the 21st century?

Samsung f700 vs AT&T Tilt

Nickel — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:43:13 -0800

Smartphone Comparison: Samsung f700 vs AT&T Tilt After 3 years on a Sidekick 2, I'm ready to make the move to a better smartphone. I was looking at the iphone and the n95, but didn't like the lack of qwerty keypads. Now I'm trying to choose between the Samsung f700 and the AT&T Tilt (8925). They're similar phones - both have touchscreens, slide out qwerty keypads, fast HDSPA and the rest of the normal smartphone capabilities (music, camera, video, gps). Prices for unlocked versions of the phones seem similar on ebay, with the Tilt being slightly cheaper. Does anyone have any information about comparisons between the two?

My main interest is the overall "feel" of the phone. Does it feel solid and comfortable in your hand? Is it clunky and awkward? Do the keys feel good and easy to type with or are they small and cramped?

I will be buying an unlocked phone for use with T-Mobile in the US, will one phone have better functionality or service than the other? I understand that there are certain codes I need to use to connect to internet and MMS. I also understand that the samsung f700 is a triband (no 850 mhz). However, T-Mobile seems to use 1900 mhz exclusively, so will that be a problem?

Are there any other differences between the two?

Nothing clever here. Just point to a phone that will work puhleeeze.

typewriter — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:31:59 -0800

Smartphone that plays best with Thunderbird? I don't currently have a smartphone, but am considering it since my cell contract is ending and I may be looking at a much longer commute within the next year. I have the option to switch providers, so open to the best options.

Boring details: I'm freelance and so I work on 3 different computers: 2 PCs (XP), and my personal ibook. (OS X). The best email solution for me has been to gmail/IMAP everything so that it all syncs up on Thunderbird on each computer. Works great. I want to be able to have the same functionality that I get on my desktop Thunderbird clients on a smartphone. (The only other thing that I need to have is the phone. If it comes with anything else I will probably use it, but there is nothing else that is a dealbreaker.)

Googling around it seems like Thunderbird hardly plays nice with any smartphone, but does anyone have a personal experience of any phone being better than another?

And I'm in Canada, if that makes a difference. Thanks.

Help me get smart about smartphones

shallowcenter — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:17:04 -0800

I'm looking to make the switch from a cell phone and PDA to a smartphone. You are not my personal IT department, but I'd love to hear your recommendations anyway. The specifics:

* My current PDA is a Palm Tungsten E2. I'm very comfortable with the Palm OS, but if I could transfer all of my stuff (see next bullet) easily to another OS, I could be persuaded to leave Palm.
* The PIM aspect is important to me: I like having contacts, task lists, and notes combined into one device.
* I've recently switched my e-mail to Gmail for my domain, so strength in Web browsing would be a plus as far as e-mail is concerned.
* I still have a year left on my AT&T Mobile contract, so I need something that's AT&T-friendly.
* I'll definitely be using the device for its calling capabilities; much less so for IMing.

What do you use? What would you use if you were me? Thanks, as always, in advance.

Mobile Office for MotoQ?

GhostintheMachine — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:18:15 -0800

Can I buy Microsoft Office Mobile? Where? My work just bought me a MotoQ, which is great. But it doesn't include Office Mobile, which would be a real benefit (as would being able to Sync to Mac, but that question's been asked elsewhere). Trouble is, the oh-so-helpful Microsoft site doesn't seem to indicate if it can be bought separately, and Google's been no help to me.

Is it even possible to buy it when it doesn't come pre-installed on the smartphone? If not, does anyone have any recommendations for equivalent software? I really only need something that can edit .doc files, and sometimes .xls (but I can live without that). Any ideas?

Wireless Internet without HotSpots

IndigoRain — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 02:19:22 -0800

I want an anytime, anywhere Internet connection without having to worry about finding a WiFi hotspot. What devices can I use besides a Blackberry? I want web browsing, e-mail, and instant messaging. I know a Blackberry is capable of this through cell-phone providers. What other devices can do this? I'm not familiar with smartphones - do they have fully-functional web browsers? At home, I do have a wireless router - will I be able to connect through that (when I am at home) for faster surfing? Ideally I'd like a device carried by Cingular, as I'm currently locked into them for cell phone service for another 18 months or so.

Treo 600 IM client?

bDiddy — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 12:13:55 -0800

I am looking for a good IM client for my Treo 600. [MI]