Smart Phones
jakecat
Newbie

I'm considering buying my first smart phone.  In viewing the products from Verizon, The Droid by Motorola, The Droid Incredible by HTC and the LG Ally are at the top of my list.

 

From folks who are familiar with smart phone, which one would you recommend to a friend and why.

 

Thanks.

 

JakeCat

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Re: Smart Phones
gerio
Specialist - Level 2

At this moment in time, you are in a tough spot. It would be best to wait for a few weeks or even months, if at possible. Here's why...

 

There is supposed to be a Motorola Droid II on the way sometime this fall, For as much as I like my Moto Droid, I'm anxious to see how the Droid II looks. It will certainly be worth a look.

 

The HTC Incredible is supposed to be the ultimate Android phone. However, there are reportedly issues going on with the phone. It's worth consideration, but I'd wait until later in the summer to see how it shakes out. You've most likely seen the threads here about the problems that some folsk are having with the Incredible, so tread carefully. It's not available for another several days anyway and there's no word on whether the issues discussed at length here have been addressed. Note that many folks have reported NO problems at all with their Incredible

 

I'm certain to be shot down over this statement, but if you have to have an Android phone RIGHT NOW, I'd go with the Motorola Droid. Just be aware that you'll be married to it for 2 years before you can get a more recent model phone at a decent price. That's the fix I was in when I decided that I couldn't tolerate the Samsung Omnia II any longer. I walked in the local store with $600.00 in my pocket all set to shell that out for a Moto Droid (which in retrospect, is what I should have done last November). I got lucky and got a refurbed Moto Droid for $289.00. And I couldn't be happier.

 

Good luck, Geri O

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Re: Smart Phones
Kranky77
Newbie

The only one of the three I am familiar with is the HTC Eris, which my wife and I both have. Have had them since Nov 09 and have had little or no problems with them. I love mine and would have no problem recommending it to a friend or family member. From reading these forums I know a lot of people may disagree with me, but I can only speak from my experience.

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Re: Smart Phones
gainesville
Enthusiast - Level 2

In choosing between those three phones Jake, the first question you have to ask yourself is do you REALLY need a slide out physical keyboard. If the answer is no, as an Incredible owner for 5 days now I would highly recommend it. Well worth the wait.

 

My daughter has the MOTO Droid, good phone with a so so cam, not the quality I would expect from a 5MP cam. I have no experience with the LG Ally, although I do know that LG puts out quality phones, I had an LG Dare for 2 years prior to getting the Incredible.

 

Before you make your decision, three words, read, read, read!

 

Seek out as many reviews as you can online on all three phones, but apply your BS filter when reading reviews, understand some will be written by dedicated fans of certain products and written with a definite slant, Others will be written by people who can't be pleased by anything, and still others will be written full of factual errors.

 

Go down to your local Verizon store and physically spend time with each phone, and don't allow the sales associates to bother you,  cloud your judgment, or attempt to steer you toward a particular model. And DONT buy one THAT day, evaluate them, walk away, read some more, then make up your mind.

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Re: Smart Phones
gerio
Specialist - Level 2

Gainsville, has your Incredible shown any of the issues that we see written about ad nauseum around here? Because I was all set to plunk down my money and wait for it until I started reading what some folks were saying about it. The wait would have been excruciating considering what I was dealing with at the time.

 

I don't ever think about the camera when I'm talking about phones, my girlfriend and I have several good digitals. That's definitely something to consider.  I will say that the Moto Droid's radio is, IMHO, waaay better than most phones I've dealt with. And that alone will make me happy.

 

If the Incredible pans out to be, I might have to walk in with another pocket full of money and get one off-contract. Just gotta figure out which pocket to find that money in....

 

Cheers, Geri O

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Re: Smart Phones
M91-30
Contributor - Level 1

samsung omnia 2.

 

2 of the devices you mentioned are brand new (ally) and still heavily teething it's so new (incredible), I would wait for ally problems to creep up (or not) and the incredible to get worked out.

 

as far as which one is best for whom, the ally and moto droid have QWERTY hard keyboards, and the incredible (and imagio, omnia 2, droid eris) does not.

 

it would be best if you could spend between 30 minutes and an hour using (or playing with) each phone that interests you so you can get a feel for what will work best for you.

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Re: Smart Phones
gainesville
Enthusiast - Level 2

None what so ever, except for having to recharge it every night like I mentioned in a previous post.  The features that the phone gives me during the day are well worth the nightly recharge.

 

I was the same way about the camera thing, but the camera in this phone takes such good shots that I leave my digital camera at home and just carry the phone. The other thing that got me using the Incredibles camera is the geo tagging. I can snap a pic, the phone geo tags the location to the pic and I can then upload it to g***gle picasa and share with friends and family. When you look at the picture on the Picasa web site there is a map on the side with a pinpoint of the exact location you took the photo from. You can then switch to g**gle earth view and zoom in even closer! I tested all this last week to see how accurate it was. Dead on! Had me down to the EXACT parking spot of a local supermarket I was in when I snapped the pic!

 

I have pretty much put this thing through the paces since receiving it last week, heavy use every day and can honestly report no problems at all.  (I hope this post doesn't jinx me) LOL

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Re: Smart Phones
MsJulie
Enthusiast - Level 2

Jake, another phone to consider (depending on your needs) is the palm pre plus.  I looked at it before I bought my incredible.  I really liked it but the incredible was a better fit for me.  I agree that you should really do your homework first.

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Re: Smart Phones
TheGreatOne
Master - Level 1

 


MsJulie wrote:

Jake, another phone to consider (depending on your needs) is the palm pre plus.  I looked at it before I bought my incredible.  I really liked it but the incredible was a better fit for me.  I agree that you should really do your homework first.


 

Also depends on which features you want. I don't think the Pre offers a market like all the Android phones have. 

 

To the original post though, you can compare the phones side by side HERE.I'd say try out the LG Ally. You do have a certain amount of days to try out any Verizon phone. If you don't like the phone you get you can then exchange it. 

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Re: Smart Phones
jakecat
Newbie

Thanks to everyone for your input. It was most helpful.

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