<p>Hi everyone - looking for advice. I’m a Verizon customer, I have no interest in switching to another carrier. I have, however, been coveting an iPhone for the past year or so (I don’t have a smart phone now). Rumors swirl about an iPhone for Verizon, then go away. A month or so ago, I finally decided that I would STOP waiting for the Ver iPhone, and would go with a Droid Incredible when I’m up for a new phone (in August). Reviews are great, looks really cool. I can’t put my finger on why I think an iPhone would be better than the Droid (except for the “name” factor). Granted, there are more apps for the iPhone, but the droid list is growing and I can’t see myself needing too many non-basic apps anyway.</p>
<p>Today - more rumors swirling about the iPhone for Verizon in January. They’re killing me!</p>
<p>My son was just showing me a cartoon which I probably can’t link to making fun of iphone fans. Basically, it says that they think they want an iphone because that’s what they hear. They have no idea why it’s better, or not.</p>
<p>My son who has Verizon has a Droid. Both his brothers who have AT&T admit that it’s better than an Iphone. One has the Nexus and the other the iphone.</p>
<p>I’d say if you have Verizon, that you get the Droid.</p>
<p>bigtrees - that is my problem! I was all set to be happy to have a droid, and now they announce the iphone for Jan! They’re trying to make me crazy.</p>
<p>3bm, what do your boys say is better about the droid? are they comparing to the NEW iphone or the old?</p>
<p>Another rumor. Don’t live your life on rumors. From PC Mag on line:
“At this point, Verizon users might want to examine some of the fairly decent smartphones now available from their carrier. If you hold out for a nonexistent Verizon iPhone, you’ll be missing out on the excellent Web browsing you could have on the Palm Pre Plus, or the 18,000 apps for the Motorola Droid, and at the end of the day, you’ll have nothing,”</p>
Problem is he was explaining it to me in language that I barely understood. He was comparing it to the new iPhone 4. All I got out of it is that for me, the iphone was great. It was user friendly and intuitive. But for his brother who is a computer geek and a nerd, the Nexus was much better. For one, it uses Flash technology which apparently they can’t live without. Also, his girlfriend, who has an iPhone4, somehow has to attach to his Nexus while in the car to be able to use some of the feaures. Other son has no internet in the apartment he’s in during the summer, but can use his smart phone to give his laptop internet access. Both boys who have the Nexus, and the iPhone agree that if they had Verizon, they would get the Droid Incredible.</p>
<p>
Like Big Trees says, get the iPhone if you want to impress people, but get the Droid if you are really into gadgets and need the best technology.</p>
<p>Android-based phones are popping out at a pretty quick clip - if you need to have the latest and greatest, you’ll need to spend a lot of money upgrading phones.</p>
<p>Motorola is coming out with the Droid X in july. It will have a larger screen than the iphone (big enough that you can actually read). It will be much better than the iphone. Droid X will serve as a mini-wifi hub so you can have your laptop hooked up to your own phone instead of the airports wireless network that might not be secure. Iphone can’t do that. </p>
<p>Apple has shown resistance to Google Voice which is now open to the public. You can select a free telephone number. Calls made to that number will ring to all of the phones you want. You can have personalized ring tones to identify callers. Callers can leave voice mail that is transcribed into text which is emailed to you so you can read the voice message without having to listen to it. You can use Google Voice to make calls without using your assigned minutes under your plan. </p>
<p>Google is about to send out version 2.2 of its Android software. The speed on this will be amazing. </p>
<p>The big problem with the iphone is that once you get sucked into that environment you are stuck with only the technology Steve Jobs wants you to have and nothing more. Droid on the other hand has several companies making handsets and far more developers making applications. If you are looking to the future, the Android system will take over because it is an open software system and developers can make more money with more creative apps. </p>
<p>The iphone has had problems with its antenna reception. They might fix it or they might not.</p>
<p>In many ways, this reminds me of the Mac vs PC debate which pop up on CC on a regular basis. Many of the same posters, lining up on the same sides of the religious debate.</p>
<p>Personally I’m a iPhone user and have been since it first came out. I also prefer Macs to PCs. So my bias is out on the table. </p>
<p>However, as part of my job, I also get to use the various Android based phones as well as the various Blackberries, Nokia’s and other smart phones. (My company makes software for the telecom industry - not for the handsets but for the core network. We test all the various hand sets to make sure they operate properly with our software). So I get to play with all of them.</p>
<p>The real question, which always gets overlooked in this debate, is what do you want to do with the phone? </p>
<p>If you are looking for something that does makes phone calls, surfs the net, has location based services, and does email, frankly they all do that very well - especially compared to the phones of two years ago. The question then is more of user interface preference - thus the religious wars.</p>
<p>If, on the other hand, there are specific additional capabilities that you are looking for, then let those guide your choice. I personally really value the integration that the iPhone has with Contacts, iTunes and iPhoto. Seamless integration and easy backup are things I care about. The other phones do those things also but imo not as well. So I carry an iPhone.</p>
<p>Love my Droid. I had not upgraded my phone for 4 years. I got a great deal on the Motorala 3G four months ago. Two only cost me $195 total.(online orders only) I believe this was in anticipation of the newer Droids about to be released.
D gave up on her IPhone after having so much trouble with ATT. She loves the Droid as well and will not switch back, even when Verizon IPhones become available.</p>
<p>I’ve used Google Voice for quite some time and it works just fine with my iPad using the Google Voice web page. Perhaps Apple doesn’t allow the Google Voice app (if there is one, I don’t know) but I think that you can still use Google Voice on the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad.</p>
<p>Apple tried to stop Google Voice as an application because it has to give permission for an application to be used. You can use Google Voice through a link in the Safari browser to circumvent Apple’s arbitrary restrictions. It still does not have all the ease of using the Android application for Google Voice. This is an example of how Apple is trying to stop advancement in technology that isn’t of its own making. Apple is taking Microsoft’s playbook and that is not a good thing for consumers.</p>
<p>I’ve got a google Nexus, and for the most part I’ve found it very easy to use. I am not a techie person by any means. We have t-mobile and I think often the problems we have are with their coverage and nothing to do with the phone. Sometimes things don’t work the way I think they should work - but I have that problem with my iPod too.</p>
<p>I use it for calendar, email, phone, contacts, web-surfing (but not a lot because it’s slow), maps, GPS directions, Pandora radio, notes, weather, camera and to open pdfs. I love how easy it is to upload photos to email or facebook. I keep meaning to stick my music on it, I know my son has.</p>
<p>I think the one advantage of the i-phone is that the applications are vetted by Apple.</p>
<p>You can just do an icon on the home menu for Google Voice. That’s what I do. The Google Voice page actually works quite well on the iPad. Probably not as nice on the iPhone given fewer pixels.</p>
<p>You go with Apple and you have to accept their limitations. I really don’t get the idea of a smartphone so I just use my Motorola RAZR. I like the iPad, but I looked at the new iPhone and couldn’t see myself using it as a phone.</p>
<p>“Droid X will serve as a mini-wifi hub so you can have your laptop hooked up to your own phone instead of the airports wireless network that might not be secure.”</p>
<p>Sorry if this is a dumb question but how would that work in terms of phone minutes or a data plan if my D spends hours on her computer? Right now we’re sharing a Verizon family plan with no smart phones, very few minutes and a huge number of text messages.</p>
<p>The Droid X probably shouldn’t be used to replace your monthly internet service because although it can handle a lot of data 2GD per month for a pretty low fee, I suspect you could surpass that limit if everyone in the household began using Droid x as the internet source. The real benefit of mini wifi is when you go to places like Starbucks or the airport or the local mall food court and want to use your laptop, you won’t have to worry about people stealing your confidential information and passwords. </p>
<p>What some people have done with google voice is make is one of their friends and families numbers so that someone with ATT or TMobile who calls the google voice number the call is counted as a free call to the verizon person. If the ATT or TMobile caller called the verizon number directly, the verizon person would have to use up minutes. </p>
<p>Google voice would not affect text messages.</p>
<p>As to what I will do with the phone, I don’t even KNOW, since I don’t have a smartphone NOW. I suppose basics - until I find something fun! Not to worried about the techie aspect of it, I’m pretty good at figuring stuff out. I use Windows at work so have not wanted to switch to Mac. I guess I do worry about the itunes interface (although I KNOW I’d be able to figure out the alternatives)…hmmmmmm</p>