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31 August 2009
Ask Mecha: Phonies For reasons beyond my control, I've got to get a new Verizon cellphone. Which one should I get?→[More:]
well, what do you like to do with it? text? take pictures? I have a Samsung flipshot, which takes good pictures and looks cool, but it sucks for texting/web surfing. I think my next phone will be an LG enV3 because it has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
If you want a touchscreen, my husband likes his Samsung (can't remember the model, but it looks just like a narrower iPhone).
Blackberries are good, IMO, though some aspects of web browsing can be painful. Pretty much universal opinion of the Storm is that it's like teenage suicide -- don't do it. The Bold and the Curve have been pretty well received, I think, though the Curve very much less so. I've got a buddy who's got a Bold and he loves it. I'm about to be supplied with a Curve by my work, so I'm eager to see how it performs.
I have the verizon brand smartphone with the slide to the side front for a full keypad inside. I like it, but I've had it about a year and I'm starting to have issues with the camera not initializing and the screen freezing. Now, I did drop it into a glass of red wine the very first day I had it, so I'm not sure if that's why it's only lasted about a year. Maybe.
At any rate. I like the full horizontal keypad for texting and mobile browsing (entering passwords, search terms &c) much more than than using the squashed keypad on the blackberry. The voice dials work really well, although you have to push the voice dial key first, but--since I've never been able to figure out the speed dial function--it's helpful.
Basically, I like many many aspects of the verizon brand smartphone, but find some of its phone functionality to be fiddly and difficult. But I use my smartphone more as a mobile device than a phone, so I am okay with it.
I send an occasional text or picture message, but I mostly just use it as a phone, and not even a whole lot of that. I would like a half-decent camera, though. Beyond that, I'm mostly interested in something small and durable.
I don't really want a touchscreen or a QWERTY keyboard. Although it's kinda out of fashion these days, I like clamshell/flip phones pretty well, though I'm not in love with 'em.
Well you can get cheaper stand alone cameras but will you remember to bring them? This is a great spontaneous camera to have. Might as well check reviews. Also verizon could have an upgrade deal you can use, talk to them