What is the best cell phone / smart phone for an old fart?

ripped · 12-31-2009, 07:36 PM

My old razr phone battery is toast, contract is up, so I am in the market for a replacement.

My son (who is in the army) cannot use his blackberry curve, but the buttons look too small for me, to be practical for calling phone numbers.
I could take over his digital plan, if I wanted to.

I was thinking if I was to get a smart phone, I'd need something with a touch screen or larger buttons.

Otherwise I'd just replace the razr with something similar.

I'm pretty computer literate, but I don't do anything in the way of IM / facebook /twiiter etc.

Email might be handy, because it's my business phone, but I've never had it on my phone before.

What are you guys' experience with the smart phones etc?
Feedback, and ones that you like the best?

Thanks for your help

**obsidianspider** · 12-31-2009, 07:36 PM

Or just get a new battery.

I replaced the battery on my Nokia 6230 last month for $10

fonebooth · 12-31-2009, 07:43 PM

the best overall fone is a blackberry-- i used to use exclusively Nokias-- and used a 6230 with a built in carkit for over 2 years.. but nothing is comparable to a berry for email and i need email.

the ifone is a good media device and we have sold lots (both my kids have it) but the actual "phone" part isnt as good as a blackberry IMO.. nothing can take the beating a BB can. speakerphone on a berry is better than an ifone..

if you want a good basic handset look at samsung-- the numbers are larger and the fonts on the screen are huge.. we have about 30 different handsets in stock that will work on rogers.. from $60 new to $700 ..

so if your in Van---- WIND is coming to BC within a few months -- pricing will change ..

i have a retail store in surrey as well -- just bought a warehouse in Langley retail up front and auto in the back-- a block from where canadian mustang used to be...
renovating now and moving there by march 2010 --

undecided but likely Cartel Classics..
might seem a weird combo to many for a business but i have lots of experience in both-- will be doing mustang parts and mods for the lower mainland- and Blackberry and Ifones..now that Bell and Telus are simcard based.. and windmobile is going to be like the old city fido was.

Tungsten · 12-31-2009, 07:56 PM

My wife has a IPhone and loves it. I have a Black Berry Tour and am pretty happy with it so far. My phone is through work so it is free. With that being said, I would have a Iphone if I was paying for it.

aslan · 12-31-2009, 08:00 PM

2nd on the iPhone. I'm 60 and it was a cinch to get used to.
Stan

guruatbol · 01-01-2010, 01:13 AM

I'm with Verizon and I like the Droid. I plan that as my next phone. I'm no young guy either.

Mel

TJFASTBACK66 · 01-01-2010, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aslan

2nd on the iPhone. I'm 60 and it was a cinch to get used to.
Stan

GO for the iPhone - Got one last March and since then my laptop PC took a crap, so I ended up with a MacBok Pro - Apple just does it right, you won't be disappointed.

guruatbol · 01-01-2010, 12:15 PM

The reason I don't like the iPhone is the coverage from ATT is bad for me. I travel all over the West and the guides I have who have ATT don't have coverage much of the time when I have coverage with Verizon.

Now I like ATT better than Verizon to deal with but you have to go with coverage first and then if ATT is the one, the iPhone is the one to get, if Verizon is the one for you then the Droid. I am told the Droid out performs the iPhone anyway. But since I don't have either and have just played with both, I am not the expert.

My daughters all have the iPod Touch with a decent phone and that works well with them.

Mel

lemonshindig · 01-01-2010, 05:02 PM

You old people have more $#!T than i do. I use a 6 year old flip phone that still works great. I don't have an mp3 player at all. I listen to the radio in the garage and the car, and music on my computer when home. The rest of my time I spend talking to people. I feel sorry for the people who sit at the bus stops in pullman with earphones in with 20 strangers around them. Get some social skills and live life.

But, iphone is definitely easy to use. Haven't had much experience with the others.

daves67ss · 01-01-2010, 06:55 PM

I'm 51, does that qulaify as an "old fart." Use the Blackberry. I just got one about a month ago and love it. You don't need to dial any numbers once you get all you contacts entered. You can search thru your contacts and call from there. I use speed dial for my most common numbers.
Dave

MarkStang · 01-01-2010, 09:02 PM

Go Iphone with Tmobile

erzyhazel · 01-01-2010, 09:47 PM

i think it's sony ericsson Pseries

guruatbol · 01-01-2010, 09:47 PM

OK, if you are in the West, Tmobile and Sprint are the worst for coverage. ATT is close behind them. I drive in most of the western states and have had many people with all carriers and the only one that has coverage in 90% of the areas is me with Verizon.

My guides ask to use my phone all the time. Customers get upset all the time saying things like, their map says I have coverage.

I had a work phone at the last bus company I worked for and it was Sprint. It had nearly zero coverage unless I was in a big city. It was so bad that I had to use my personal phone instead of the work phone more times than not.

The company before that switched from verizon to Tmobile.....All I can say is it was totally useless in 90% of the areas we went to. If I was in San Francisco or LA or a large city like Rapid City or Idaho falls it was OK, but go into a Motel room and watch the signal dye!

I tell you this so you can be educated about the signals and coverage offered by the different carriers. The smart phone you get will likely depend on the service you choose. If you go with ATT, you will likely want the iPhone, if Verizon, the Droid, If sprint or Tmobile the blackberry.

The signal and coverage will depend on your needs and taste.

Mel

autoxsteve · 01-01-2010, 10:14 PM

Friend of mine is a field engineer with AT&T. He said best phone for signal reception and transmission is hands down Nokia.... My kid's got an iphone and he loves it. My cell recently died and I replaced a base model Nokia with a Motorola and I hate it....

gotstang · 01-02-2010, 11:40 AM

FWIW, they are working on a new chip for the next model iPhone that will allow them to sell the same phone at Verizon/Sprint and at&t. From what I hear, they plan to make Verizon and att the 2 iPhone carriers. That might be the ticket for people like guruatbol.

The best ones as far as the "phone" capabilities go are the HTC smartphones (Touch, Droid, etc.) and the good old Nokias. Motorola and SonyEricsson suck.