Posted on 06/17/2010 4:31:50 AM PDT by discipler
Are you considering an Android phone. A friend who has a Verizon phone came up to me last week and said that the Verizon Incredible is basically the same as the Sprint Evo. Here are some things to consider:
Why Sprint Evo surpasses Verizon Incredible
Evo has 4.3" screen vs. 3.7" screen. Evo has 1Gig Rom vs. 0.75Gig Rom (3/4 the size of Evo). Evo is 4G and Incredible is not! Evo comes with 8Gig Micro SD card, Incredible nothing. Evo has 50% higher Video Recording resolution. Evo has front facing camera, "Incredible" doesn't. Evo uses micro HDMI out cable, "Incredible" uses micro USB for video out. Evo battery is 1500mAh and "Incredible" is 1300mAh. Oh, and the Sprint Evo has Adobe Flash (lite version).
The "Incredible" has the same processor as the Evo, the 1Gig Snapdragon, but the smaller battery, smaller ROM, no forward facing camera, smaller screen, no SD card provided, and lower video recording makes the "Incredible" just one more example of Verizon taking what could be an awesome phone and paring it down to something less than incredible.
I highly recommend a MiFi, available on both Sprint and Verizon. However, unlike most broadband companies, both Sprint and Verizon have a 5 gig data cap. Meaning, you should be OK on FreeRepublic and watching Youtube movies, but don’t start streaming movies from Netflix or expect to play online video games.
I’m still a Blackberry fanboy myself, but you’re right - I have a charger at home, in my car, and at work. I guess that’s the cost of modern technology!
I might as well throw myself into the lion’s den :-) and recommend a long look at the iPhone 4.
No OS version or app compatibility issues, long battery life, the most apps, and incredible hardware including hands-down the best screen of any phone, period.
You do have to live with AT&T for the time being, but in my experience it’s not bad at all - the most overall coverage of any network including Verizon, and a growing 3G footprint.
Like it or not, Apple is producing the flagship smartphones these days.
Do you know if AT&T will be offering the Evo?
"Not interested in waiting until the 23rd for Verizon's big announcement? Don't worry, we've got you covered right now! The Motorola Droid X has probably been one of the worst kept smartphone secrets in recent memory, but after spending two hours with the phone we sort of see why. In short, it's pretty awesome."
“And Sprint gets a bad rap but I don’t get it. I have been a Sprint customer for years and years and love it.”
Sprint is evil.
My wife had to call every month to get random unrequested features and charges removed from the bill.
6 months after buying new phones for their new all digital system, they suddenly stopped working. Sprint had “upgraded” their system again giving users no option other than buying new phones or signing a 2-3 year contract. We left and never looked back.
>> I highly recommend a MiFi, available on both Sprint and Verizon.
Thanks; I’ll look into it.
>> However, unlike most broadband companies, both Sprint and Verizon have a 5 gig data cap
I don’t stream a lot of stuff so I may be OK. What happens when you exceed the five gig cap? Your service stops working? They take your firstborn child?
>> Like it or not, Apple is producing the flagship smartphones these days.
Can you replace the battery?
Ha nope, they just raid their college fund. From their Mobile Broadband Plans page, Verizon Wireless' footnote is:
* 5 GB overage rate is $0.05/MB and 250 MB overage rate is $0.10/MB
Sprint's is identical:
3G coverage nationwide: 5GB/mo. in total or 300 MB/mo. while off-network roaming. Additional monthly usage over 5GB costs 5¢/MB.
Whoa! That adds up pretty quick.
Thanks.
Just wait until you are forced into a battery powered car! You will have a trailer with a generator for your electricity! LOL
I have the new Sprint EVO. So far so good. I believe there is a $10 charged for unlimited usage. I have the family plan with 5 phones(4 Sprint and 1 Nextel) and the bill is about $230 for unlimited everything.
Cell to any company cell unlimited. Cell to landline is 1500 minutes.
“Can you replace the battery?”
No, although that’s an engineering trade-off that also allows for more capacity for a single charge.
There is a clever solution though - clip on large capacity rechargables that both allow use of the phone and recharge it at the same time. I’ve never seen the need myself, I just use a car charger with my current 3G.
>> No, although that’s an engineering trade-off that also allows for more capacity for a single charge.
That “engineering trade-off” ALSO forces obsolescence after two years, give or take.
Little known fact: while rechargeable lithium batteries have a number of strengths in portable applications, they have a short lifetime relative to other chemistries, which is essentially guaranteed by the nature of the lithium battery chemistry.
I don’t care for planned obsolescence products myself. Your mileage may vary.
I believe the spec is that the battery is to maintain 80% capacity after 300 charges with a sharper drop off after that. I charge my smart phone every night, I expect I will need to replace my battery sometime this winter which I can do myself. If I had an iPhone, I would need to send it in for service.
‘That “engineering trade-off” ALSO forces obsolescence after two years, give or take.’
I think two years is quite on the short side of reality myself. You can get Applecare for a reasonable price that covers any eventuality including water damage etc. for three years. There is also a pay-as-you-go battery replacement program. Of course, the clip-on batteries I mentioned would continue to work regardless.
Given the rate of improvement with these phones, a few years of useful life is probably sufficient for the moment. Perhaps the next generation will use the carbon nanotube supercapacitors for batteries which will feature both nearly instant charging and nearly unlimited recharge cycles.
“I believe the spec is that the battery is to maintain 80% capacity after 300 charges with a sharper drop off after that. I charge my smart phone every night, I expect I will need to replace my battery sometime this winter which I can do myself. If I had an iPhone, I would need to send it in for service.”
You might consider Applecare, which would cover a faulty batter for three years, at no additional charge (so to speak;).
With the iPhone 4, 80% of capacity would still be better than any comparable phone on the market. It will probably take me 3-4 years of use to exceed 300 charge cycles, but I only do it when necessary.
>> Given the rate of improvement with these phones, a few years of useful life is probably sufficient for the moment.
Like I said, your mileage may vary. I realize I am a late adopter, and I typically hold on to a phone until it crumbles into dust.
I chose my most recent phone because it has a really sturdy hinge on the clamshell (remember what “clamshell phone” means? heh heh) and because when I’m dialing, the numbers are big bright orange old-peep numbers that I can read in the sunlight without my bifocals. ;-)
I’ve got the Moto BackFlip running Android on AT&T.
Superior touch-screen plus real keypad interfaace compared to my old BlackBerry Bold.
Thousands of free games for my kids to play.
Free Google Maps and GPS sensing.
Read all of your home/work PC’s email, downloaded automatically by the cell phone.
Use all Google Aps/software, as desired.
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