I currently have a Blackberry Storm2, but my 2 year contract expired a few weeks ago. Blackberry has fallen far behind Apple and phones using the Android operating system and I've been wanting to upgrade to one or the other. I didn't want to do anything before today's announcement because I thought Apple would announce the iPhone 5 with a bigger screen and 4G. They didn't and I'm disappointed. I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with a droid, but which one? Right now I'm leaning towards the Motorola Bionic, but there are things about it that I don't like. For one, it's big, bigger than I'd like. There's a shutter delay in the camera that seems too long, and the screen can't compare to those on the Samsung smartphones. And most important, I wonder about Motorola's quality.

Does anyone have any experience with any of these phones or any suggestions?

 

Rob, I don't have a smart phone, so I probably shouldn't even be responding. However, my daughter has an i-phone that she dearly loves. She uses it for EVERYTHING and finds it invaluable. OTOH, my grandson has an Android and he wouldn't leave home without it. I'll be interested to read other discussion about this issue as I will be in the market for another phone when my contract with Verizon is up in March of next year. I'm not convinced I need a smart phone as I use a laptop for email and web-browsing, etc. We seldom travel anymore so I do not believe a smart-phone is worth the cost for us.

 

I've got the droid X.
I love it.
it does have a few weird issues, mostly to do with heat.
it doesn't like to get hot and gets rather confused when it does.
of course if you don't take it into the desert where there is no cell coverage this is less likely to happen. but that's another story.

 

I'm with you on this one, Val. I have not been hooked into getting a smart phone. Our travel is not that frequent and my netbook has been more than sufficient to stay in touch when we do travel.

I know people in both the iphone camp and the droid camp. They don't leave home without it.

My cell phone contract can be renewed at any time. When my current phone gives out, I'll think about moving up at that point, but not sure it's worth the cost as my cell phone rarely gets used.

 

That's a bummer to hear about the iPhone... I won't be upgrading my 3G soon but I do hope to upgrade at some point...

I wonder why no 4G? I see no point in upgrading my phone until one becomes available with faster network.

On a related note, Sprint will soon be offering iPhones as well joining long time AT&T and newcomer Verizon. One could hope that would drive prices of plans down but I have my doubts.

I love my iPhone even more than I thought I would but the $85 a month is twice what I used to pay for my regular cell.

 

^^ You're lucky your plan is so cheap. My daughter pays over $100/month for hers. Our Verizon plan is grossly overpriced at $121/month for two phones with NO Internet. I can't wait to ditch the plan, but need to have Verizon because it is the only provider in our outback location with decent service. AT&T's service is spotty and totally nonexistent at my house. T-Mobile (or whoever they are now) is okay, but not great either. If we want working service, we have to have Verizon but I'm opting for a cheaper plan next go-round.

 

I've got a rather inexpensive cell phone plan at $29.99/month. They don't even sell my plan anymore. It is more than adequate since my cell phone is generally buried in the bottom of my purse. Of course that prices does not include texting or internet. I know I'm in the dark ages without those two things, but I can't justify it at this time. I'm not on the road, I have internet access all day at the office and when I'm at home. I don't need to waste any more time on the internet that I do already. Truth be told, I really could get by with a "pay as you go" plan.

I can get a free iphone (one of the older versions) and add internet access for $15.00/month. That is the low level internet access, but I'm sure I would not use more than that. However, I've still not made the leap.

 

You probably shouldn't. Based on what you've written an upgrade in service would only be a waste of money for you. When your current phone comes to the end of it's usable life, you should probably consider renewing your contract with a free phone. Oftentimes, that point is when your battery no longer holds a charge. It's cheaper to renew and get a new free phone than it is to replace the battery, and you get a new phone in the deal.

Smartphones and data plans aren't for everyone. If you don't have a use for them they are a waste of time and money. However, for those of us who do use them for business and or pleasure, they are very valuable. With my smartphone, my office is wherever I am, my clients can remain in touch with me even after I've turned my computer off and I have access to information when I need it. That, of course is a double edged sword, but for me the benefits far outweigh the costs.

 

The +1 has the Thunderbolt (Verizon). He really likes it. But then he had to get a Blackberry (the one without a camera) for work and uses that more often.

 

Rob, I have a Droid 2 which I have had for over a year and +1 has a Charge. The Charge is 4G, which is actually faster than 802.11G (Wi-Fi), at least in my house. It's a great phone with a wow display that is quite good in direct sunlight. My phone is a bit older and recently was updated to Android 2.3.3 Honeycomb. It started to get a little glitchy before the update, but has been rock solid again, after the download. I am a real fan of Android (Disclaimer: I a not a fan of Apple, except their stock, and that love affair could be ending soon).
Android has a gazillion apps at this point, but it's still less than iOS. That said I have not found anything that I could not get an app for.

As for reliability of Moto products, I have no issues with my Droid, nor with a previous phone which was a Razr, nor with the 3-4 other Moto phones that I have had, including the venerable Flip-Phone with car dock.