Which cell phone should I choose?
April 20, 2012 8:27 AM   Subscribe

I'm switching my cell phone service from Bell to Koodo. I'd like a smartphone but I've never had one before. Which phone should I get?

The only smartphone capabilities I really want are occasional email and maps and an app that will tell me when the next bus/streetcar (TTC) is coming.

I am concerned with durability - on my last three-year contract I had two phones simply stop working. I'm not rough on them - no dropping, no water damage, just faulty products. And I want a full keyboard - I've been using a flip-phone from about 2005 for the past three months to finish out my contract and I am so sick of T9. Something easy to text on would be great.

My siblings, parents and boyfriend all have Blackberries, so I am leaning toward one of those for BBM but given the way RIM is going these days I don't know if that's a good choice. As far as cost, I don't want to put more than $150 (the default) on the tab and I'd like to keep my upfront cost $150 tops.

Given the selection of phones available, which one should I choose?
posted by kyla to Technology (5 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I have a Samsung Galaxy S II on Mobilicity which is fantastic. Koodo doesn't offer that but they do have a Galaxy Ace. You might want to check reviews on that one or Wikipedia. It'll run the Next TTC Android app.

Also, none of my business, but are you aware that Koodo is just rebranded Telus? If you're trying to get away from BigTelco, they're not your answer.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 9:03 AM on April 20, 2012


Seconding the thought that you might want to look at Mobilicity or Wind instead of Koodo. My daughter had a Koodo phone for a while and managed to ring up enormous charges a few months. I also found dealing with the Koodo support staff very difficult. Switched her to a Mobilicity account and it is literally a flat rate. She is now signed up for a $40/month plan which is unlimited talk, unlimited long distance in province, unlimited text and data. If your phone hasn't paid for something it can't do it and cost you more. Period. If you want extras you can put some extra cash in a "wallet" that will charge against per-use and then those extras just stop working when the wallet is empty. Brilliant stuff if you're trying to keep the phone's cost a constant.

As for the phone itself, she got a Blackberry Curve smartphone and seems pretty happy with it, if you go with Mobilicity and want a physical keyboard that seems to be the only option for a smartphone. They have a $99 slideout keyboard Samsung phone but it isn't a full smartphone, more like what passed for a smartphone 3-4 years ago so I doubt it would have maps or access to TTC schedules except through a rudimentary web browser. If you go with Wind, they have a Huawei U8350 Android smartphone with a physical keyboard.
posted by barc0001 at 10:14 AM on April 20, 2012


Response by poster: I know that they're with Telus, but everyone I know with Koodo has good things to say about them. Wind and Mobilicity don't have coverage at the two places outside the city where I go. I'm leaving Bell because they have been terrible to me, I'm not interested in Rogers because they do they same thing. Koodo plans are more affordable and match my needs better than the contracts offered by Telus.

I have looked at phone reviews, but none of them really address my concerns. They'll tell you the camera quality and how it compares to the previous model and how big the screen is. I don't really care about that, I just want something that lasts and performs basic functions easily.
posted by kyla at 11:17 AM on April 20, 2012


Well I haven't used the Galaxy Ace, I can attest to Samsung's general build quality and and excellent interface. You can see the features of the phone in this video.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 1:04 PM on April 20, 2012


Maps are an important feature for me, so I go for an Android (best for Google maps) with a big screen.

I like the onscreen swiping-type keyboards, none of this tapping nonsense for me!
posted by Idcoytco at 10:05 AM on April 21, 2012


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