Help me match my wants/needs to a Droid, please.
dkmxkflm
Newbie

I'll be eligible to buy a new phone in a month or so. Thought I'd better start figuring out what I want now. Here's how I currently use my phone and what (I think) I want my new phone to do.

 

I currently have an LG enV Touch with mobile web. I use it constantly to check my web based email, update Facebook, read the news & weather. I like to text, send pictures to friends, take video and take quality pictures with my phone. I like using the touch screen qwerty keyboard and rarely open my phone to use the physical button keyboard.

 

I'd like to be able to store and listen to music on my phone, which I can do now. Also, a friend listens to some cool radio stations on his Droid, would I download an app to do that?  Can the Droid be hooked up to external speakers similar to an MP3 player?

 

I have a portable GPS device in my car, what's the advantage to using the Droid's GPS?

 

Is there a Droid phone that can be used to connect a laptop to the internet? If so, does the laptop require any certain type of wireless card or something else to make this happen? I'm also in the market for a new laptop so this information would be helpful as I shop for that.

 

I'd like the ability to use some nifty apps but I don't want to spend a lot of money every time I download something. Are there lots of cool free apps available for Droid users? And about how much do the non-free ones cost? Are we talking $5? $20? $1? I have no idea. Where can I go now to see what is available? Is there just one central place to find applications?

 

Battery life is a concern based on what I've already learned about the Droid phones. Is it logical to purchase a spare battery and change them out as needed?

 

I'm tough on phones. Is the Droid more delicate than most others or about the same? I've dropped my enV Touch many times and it's still working fine. Obviously, I'd buy a protective case for it. What types are available that are the least intrusive while using the phone?

 

So... which Droid is right for me?

 

Gosh, that's a lot of questions, any advice is appreciated. Looks like I may also need to make a visit to the Verizon store and start playing with phones.

 

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Re: Help me match my wants/needs to a Droid, please.
dabubbakin
Contributor - Level 3
If you don't use the keyboard then I'd stick with the "candybar" style phones like the Moto X, or Incredible. Both have built it radio tuners, mp3 players, audio out jacks, and plenty of free apps for all categories. Most apps are a dollar or two. Think the most I've spent is 6 bucks on a really nice mp3 player that does way more than the stock one. Besides, even if you don't like an app you paid for you get 24hrs to get a refund. Apps are searched on the phone program called Market. You can't miss it.
Hooking up to a laptop or other device is possible by tethering, and hotspot. Both are priced out on your plan as options.
Battery... power power power is the name of the game. Light to moderate users can slide for a day. Heavy web browsing, downloading, gps, music... a few hours to a third of a day. I'd suggest putting the money aside and plan to get one. Mandatory purchase? No, but the more you use that thing that's all you'll want. Grab a case and don't drop these puppies. These things are durable but not as much as the old phones from a few years ago. And, the days of battery life going for 3-5 days uncharged are gone too.
Finally, gps.... its great! Very smart and handy. Turn by turn like a garmin. Short story; my check engine light came on while driving on vacation. I needed to figure out what was wrong fast, and in an area that I knew nothing about where the closest help could be. I quick grabbed my phone, opened the maps app, typed in autozone, it found the closest one and directed me right to it! It took all of 2 min to type and reach my destination with a picture of autozone on my phone when I was within a block or so. I gained a whole new respect for my phone that day. It literally saved the day!
BTW nothing serious wrong with the car.
And I'm rocking the incredible. But all droids have Google maps app.
Happy hunting!
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Re: Help me match my wants/needs to a Droid, please.
EliC
Newbie

The only difference based on your criteria for the different droid phones will be battery life.

 

The Samsung Fascinate should have the best battery life as it is the only phone with the latest technology for both the processor and the screen.

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