Making the move to a smart phone
Over the last year or so I’ve started to realize that I use my phone for much more then just making phone calls. My text message plan had to be increased from 200 per month to unlimited. More and more of my friends communicate via texting and often times it makes simple things easier, especially if one can’t answer a phone. Additionally, the fact that I no longer have to worry about how many texts I send in any given month has allowed me to take more photos with the pitiful camera on my phone and send them to friends, as they do to me.
There are a bunch of reasons I’d like to go to a smart phone as well as several reasons that are making me question the jump. Positives are:
- Faster texting
- Better camera (Currently looking at the Motorola Q9 due August 24th)
- Ability to check mail
- Mobile blogging
- More robust calendar
- Web browsing from nearly anywhere
- Streaming satellite radio
The downsides to the switch are:
- New phone cost
- Renewing my contract to get the phone at a discounted rate
- Added cost for a data plan – possibly up to another $20 per month
- Larger size – I’ve been accustomed to my RAZR
Right now the biggest thing holding me back is the added monthly fee of the data plan. I’ve made it this long without the need to check email and browse the internet from my phone, but it would be nice. Renewing my contact isn’t much of an issue for me, I mean I need a cell phone, I haven’t had a land line in years.
Ask the readers time. At what point did you make the switch to a smart phone and why? For those who haven’t or won’t make the switch, why not?
Comments
Neal McQ
Hi,
I used a smartphone extensively while working for one of the large international mobile telco operators in Ireland and made extensive use of everything from Google Maps, Gmail, blog posting, photo posting, file backup to the web (for all items stored on the mobile).
I went through everything from the latest Nokia’s, to the HTC Windows devices.
If you’re a big web user (which you obviously are!), it’s great having the connectivity.
I was in the enviable position of having an unlimited phone and data bill so extensively made the most of it while I had it.
Little things like having your mobile phone address book synced are fantastic but be realistic about how much you’ll blog from it (for example), those keypads aren’t the most user-friendly. And if you’re willing to put the effort in, you can get it set up so that your mobile calendar gets synced to your laptop/pc, which syncs with Google Calendar for example – one version of everything basically.
In Ireland, we’re the highest users of text messaging worldwide (outside of Japan) anyway so I find it hard to imagine that texting is still only properly taking off in the States. I can vouch for a friend how had 15,000+ texts a year!
size is definitely an issue with the phones, although the iphone has proved what can be done with a compact device for functionality – it’ll be interesting to see other companies answer to it.
I’ve since left the company and have suffered major withdrawal symptoms. I didn’t realise how useful it was till it was gone. Having said that, I didn’t realise how expensive it would be either
hope that helps!
Mike Panic
Thanks for the input Neal. Only 15,000 texts a year? I did 6,600 last month alone!
Neal McQ
Jeebus, that’s impressive – I’m not even going to work out how much time that takes up in typing!
That’s probably the main reason I don’t miss the phone (I’m currently traveling so have completely gone cold-turkey without a mobile in over 5 months) as it ended up taking up so much time…..
Mike Panic
Heh. I use the Motorola Phone Tools software to hook my RAZR to my computer via USB cable and can text through the computer =)