Choosing a new phone

[DaMadFiddler]

One thing I would say you have to try is swype. My friend let me try it and that is now the one thing I wish the iphone had.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCWwuIXxBuI[/youtube]

That looks pretty nice. And yes, it does seem like it would be far preferable to the iPhone keyboard, or probably any "normal" onscreen keyboard. Kinda brings back the whole issue of Android feeling like a bunch of disparate pieces stuck together, though.

[Zealous zerotype]

Yeah, not gonna lie I'm on verizion right now and am in kind of the same situation as you (wanting a new phone) and I'm really considering getting a palm. Just a question for you since I'm sure you've been looking into all of this, but about what would I be looking to spend if I got a smart phone (monthly wise) I spend about 50 right now, but wouldn't want to spend /that/ much more.

[DaMadFiddler]

Depends on what you want. With any smartphone, you need to sign up for a $30 unlimited mobile data plan. The individual voice plans are $30 for 450 minutes, $50 for 900 minutes, and $70 for unlimited. Texting plans are $10 for 500 texts (and unlimited to/from Verizon phones, just like calls), or $20 for unlimited texts.

If you get a phone that can be tethered or used as a mobile hotspot, and you want to do that, that's an additional $40 with a 5GB per month cap. Except with the Palm Pre, in which case they give you the mobile hotspot/tethering function for free. (You can always cheat and use a hack/3rd party app on other phones to achieve this, but they'll bill you for the use if they find out you're doing it).

I don't talk on the phone much, and most of my friends/family are on Verizon, so I'd be getting the 450 minutes plan. I'd get an even lower plan if I could.

[Prophet][]

Wish that HTC one was available here, looks awsome

[DaMadFiddler]

Wish that HTC one was available here, looks awsome

[nods] Oh, the Incredible actually lives up to its ostentatious name in terms of both the hardware and the feature set. My main concern is that I have come to expect a certain degree of synergy in my devices; it's important to me that the different functions be well-integrated.

For example: if I open a contact, I want to be able to tap the address field and have it call up that address in Google Maps, with a one-click option to get directions there. If there's a phone number, address, or date in a text or email, I want to be able to click on it and add it to my address book or calendar respectively. I want my text messages threaded, and tied into the other contact info for that person (IM, email, phone) so I can easily carry the conversation to another medium. I want to be able to just start typing, and have it show me relevant results in my contacts, my music, my email, or give me the option to carry the search over to things like Wikipedia or the web or Google Maps. The iPhone does these things to a certain degree, and the Palm Pre does this sort of thing really well.

But the Pre has fewer software features than an Android phone, and with such a small user base, it's not as likely to have applications written for it to add that functionality.

Android is sort of like Windows to the Pre's Mac: It's a lot more flexible, and you can tweak it a million different ways to suit your taste, but in the end it's a loose conglomerate of a hundred separately made pieces vs. a smaller, more centralized feature set that really focuses on integrating its core functionality into a consistent experience.

My dilemma is that I start to lean toward the Pre, both because of the major deal (Amazon is selling it for a *penny*, and it's the only phone Verizon will let you tether for free).

But then I start thinking about how many features are missing (the Google Maps implementation is pretty basic and doesn't have Street View or favorites; the phone doesn't have voice dialing; you're pretty much committing to the idea that the core functionality will be enough for the life of the phone, as the Palm app catalog is pretty sparse and doesn't show signs of getting any better).

So then I start to lean toward the Incredible. But then I start thinking (1) do I really want to spend $200 on a phone that won't even fully replace my iPod? and (2) I *really* hope I don't end up hating the interface. I like the Pre's a lot better; I just wish it had a few more of the Incredible's features.

[Specially Cork]

Paying for phones then still having to sign a contract.

[JuddWack]

Either are really great choices. Its just Verizon I don't like.
I have a G1 and can't wait to upgrade for something a bit faster with a better camera, like the Incredible. I'll probably get Android phones from here on out. I do have a friend though that I used to work with at THQ Wireless. He works at some small-time mobile service provider now that uses the Sprint network. We got our hands on a lot of phones, and he swears WebOS is the best smartphone OS out there and is a big supporter of the Palm Pre.

[Roofus]

I still think Android is the way to go. Even if HP decides to enter the mobile phone market, I just don't see the Pre taking off. One advantage of Android in general is the active user community. Every Android phone gets rooted eventually and there's always many user-created ROMs (think Linux distros.) The one I use on my G1 is CyanogenMOD. One thing all the ROMs have in common is tethering support, so that shouldn't be an issue. Plus, the handsets never really become obsolete (or at least they become obsolete more slowly.) Google and T-Mobile quit offering updates for the G1 at version 1.6, But Cyanogen recently released an almost-perfect ROM based on 2.1 and there's a sort-of working 2.2 out.

Now I'm sure you're going to say you don't want to go to the trouble of rooting your phone, but believe me when I say it's worth it and something to consider when you make your choice.

[AuroEdge]

What kind of issues do you run into when tethering i.e. not letting your carrier find out?

[DaMadFiddler]

What kind of issues do you run into when tethering i.e. not letting your carrier find out?

[shrugs] Frankly, I dunno. I've known people who've gotten away with it just fine, and others who've gotten caught and slapped with a rather nasty bill. I suppose it depends on your usage habits.

[Roofus]

What kind of issues do you run into when tethering i.e. not letting your carrier find out?

I don't know about Verizon but one (the only, really) nice thing about T-Mobile is they don't really give a crap about what you do with your data. In fact, they're the only carrier in the US whose unlimited data is actually unlimited. (Yes, I know AT&T's iPad plan is also unlimited.)

[shrugs] Frankly, I dunno. I've known people who've gotten away with it just fine, and others who've gotten caught and slapped with a rather nasty bill. I suppose it depends on your usage habits.

I do know Verizon's unlimited plan is only unlimited until you hit 5 gigs. My best guess would be that the people you know simply maxed out the data.

[DaMadFiddler]

All right... after a week of hand-wringing, I think I've settled on the Incredible. I really do like the Pre's UI better, but it's just missing too many features. The camera is decent but doesn't give much of anything in terms of user controls. The Google Maps implementation is barebones. There's no voice dialing (or any other voice control), no visual voicemail, and the camera is fixed focus.

As much as I'm wary of the lack of UI consistency under Android, and as hard as it is to choose an expensive phone over one that could be had for nearly free, I just can't get past the missing features.

It's been said that a more robust Google Maps and voice features will both make their way to the webOS platform eventually, but I don't want to buy a platform with nothing more than the hope that the features I want will show up someday. I've done that before, and it never works out entirely right.

So, as much as I will miss the cleanliness and seamless experience of webOS, I think I'm going to have to go with the Incredible. I entered this whole thing strongly leaning toward the Pre, but I just can't get past the missing features. The lack of built in features combined with the lack of a strong development community make it little more than a really nice featurephone.

[DaMadFiddler]

Pulled the trigger today. I went down to the Verizon Store and got everything arranged. Just in time, too; my old carrier disappears as of tomorrow.

The Incredible is back-ordered at the moment, but since I *had* to switch phones RIGHT NOW, they put me at the top of the wait list. In the meantime, they set me up with the voice part of my new plan, transferred my number, and gave me a temporary loaner phone. I'll update once I actually get the Incredible and spend some hands-on time with it.

[Code-Red]

You should buy a phone that makes phone calls.