Need your help - which phone for a WinMo convert?

[Rumblur]

Hey gang, I've been using a Samsung Omnia for about a year and half, and it's starting to drop calls and generally mess up. So, it's time to get another phone.

I'm using PagePlus, so I have to buy my own. I'm looking to spend $100-150 max. I've seen all sorts on the local Craigslist, but I have no idea what Im looking at.., which is why I turned here.

What I want - at least a 2nd gen Droid, 3rd maybe? I dont even know where they are gen wise.

What I need a smart phone for is surfing basic websites (facebook, email, google etc), picture taking and minor editing, calculator, note pad, wifi, GPS would be nice if I dont have to pay extra for it, a good txt keyboard, good video playback (vid recording too), and MP3 player that actually works with ease.

Games would be great, but not a huge necessity.

I was looking at a DroidX but damn that thing is huge... I need a smaller phone, one that goes well in the pocket. I'd also like one with decent 3rd party accessories, as in a good vertical belt case or something.

I hate all things apple, so no iphone4 for me.

What do you recommend? (many thanks ahead of time for any and all feedback)

 

[TisMyDroid]

I am surprised you have not received any responses yet. Maybe because there are so many great android phones out there that it is hard to recommend just one.

I can not imagine using an omnia for that long. My omnia listed me about 6 months before I need something more. I think you would be happy with any droid.

I had the original moto droid. Great phone but it got too bogged down with all I wanted to do with it. I went from that to the HTC incredible. An excellent phone, probably almost as good as the incredible2 with a slightly smaller screen. (My incredible and all its accessories are for sale). It has a beautiful display, lots of memory, more phone storage than you will ever need and libre has always worked flawlessly for me.

If you buy off of craigslist, you have to make sure it has a clean esn. And do not take the sellers word for it (sometimes they don't even know what that means). How do you make sure it has a clean esn? Before you hand over the money for the phone, tell the person you want to make sure it has a clean esn and then dial *228, option 1 to activate it. If it is clean, it will take you through the activation process. If it is not, then it will tell you that the phone can not be activated.

Hope this helps in your search.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using DroidForums

 

[ABQNM]

On PagePlus I don't believe it matters if the ESN is flagged with Verizon, but I could be mistaken. The Droid 2 is a great phone and will do everything you need. Obviously things will be different from WinMo, but most features are integrated or can be recreated with an app. The Droid 3 was just released, but you will not find one in that price range. If you want a physical keyboard the Droid 2 is a great option. And as to the Droid X, it looks daunting at first, but with how thin it is, it is very pocketable. More so than the Droid 1 (or 2) in my opinion since it is much thinner. After having my X, the Droid seems too small to me. I really love the larger screen, especially for the onscreen keyboard. Much easier to use on a larger screen.

Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for!

 

[Rumblur]

thanks for the replies...

I really like the Droid X, features wise.... I've heard horror stories of it dropping calls, any truth to that?

But, the sheer size of that model.... doesnt look real pocket friendly.

I think I want a 2nd generation Droid. I do not want a 'real' keyboard, virtual is fine. The less moving parts the better IMHO.

So with that said, would ya'll recommend the X, Incredible, or? I know NOTHING about the various models, other than walking by the verizon store and looking at them... but those people have no clue about features or why one is better than the other.

I dont want to go back to WinMO, it's just a dying platform. I see the droid being the new standard.

 

[ABQNM]

I have not had any issues with dropping calls on my X.

If you don't need a physical kb the Incredible is a great very capable phone with a great developer base. I love motorola androids and I really love the X, but I would get an incredible over the D2.

Posted wirelessly from the magic handheld forum machine.

 

[wicked]

I have not had any issues with dropping calls on my X.

If you don't need a physical kb the Incredible is a great very capable phone with a great developer base. I love motorola androids and I really love the X, but I would get an incredible over the D2.

Posted wirelessly from the magic handheld forum machine.

Same here, have had my DX since Sept. last year and have never had a dropped call.

The Droid Incredible and Incredible 2 would be good choices IMO. if you want a smaller phone.

 

[Rumblur]

Thanks, sounds like it's down between the X or Incredible, size depending.

I've been thinking about how I use my phone, and what is most important to me.

I live out in the country, so I need the best reception possible. The Omnia drops a lot of calls, and rarely ever shows more than 1 bar.

The other thing that I hate about the Omnia is it's virtual keyboard - I like the virtual part, but hate the "z" and "a" keys, as they rarely ever work because they are nearest the edge! I end up having to turn the phone sideways and using the tip of a nail to hit them.

A perk would be GPS, if it's free. Using PagePlus, I get 20mb of web data, so I if I could use GPS without having to hit the web, it would be great.

 

[jfriend33]

I would honestly say any droid is gonna be a walk in the park for you coming from your omnia. Even the OG Droid (first droid) you would like, even without the keyboard slid out, its very compact and easy to type on. Not to mention easy to play with and tweak! You can easily find one for under 100 if you look hard. And it does NOT need a clear esn (which I think is a little ridiculous personally but at least it benefits you)...

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[Rumblur]

I would really like something from at least the 2nd generation of Droid, plus I dont want anything that slides. But thanks for telling me about gen 1 stuff, I did play with one when they came out, it was a little big and I didnt like the keyboard.

I went with the Omnia because I was coming out of a WinCE PDA and flip phone. The Omnia has served me well, but I see it as a dying platform and the Droid is growing daily.

Looks like the choice is between an X and Incredible. Any other thoughts?

 

[densetsu86]

My brother has the DROID x and never has had a problem with it. Plus you get the a good amount of space for apps and comes with a 16 gb card. Also the 1 bar issue could be just where you live and not the phone. I recently moved and before the move I always had 3g and 4 bars now where I currently live I get 1-2 bars and 3 if im lucky and I live less then a mile and a half from two Verizon cell towers and there are 7 in a 6 mile radius of where I live its just a ****ty dead zone that can only be rectified by buying a $250 signal booster that feeds off of your isp.

Even though I like my DROID x2 I can' t recommend it. To Manny stupid problems but this.much is nothing compared to my old ****ty lg env touch.
Sent from my DROID X2 using DroidForums

 

[jfriend33]

I really think I'm not the most qualified to comment on this aspect, but... as far as I know, the signal extenders are basically free if you call verizon.

Also, I must say I would give you major props if you are able to consume < 20 MBs of data a month on a newer droid. I'm sure its been done, but it has to be difficult. Google maps does use data. There may be a way to cache a map area from wifi though. There are a few gps options that actually download the map directly to your sd card.

Pandora and Slacker let you cache your fav stations over wifi, which saves your battery too. You would have to be really good with using certain widgets on the phone. Even out of the box, a droid x doesn't have a widget for 100% disabling all internet but it has one to disable syncing of certain apps etc.

I'm sure you already have explored this but you could also consider going with virgin mobile. They have a plan for 35 a month that has unltd data but only 300 mins of calling. I think the other carrier alternative would be boost mobile only because the plan price decreases with consistent payments. I need the best coverage so I stick with verizon.

Sent from my DROID2 using DroidForums

 

[Rumblur]

Thanks JFriend. I usually use about 5mb of web on my Omnia these days, but all I do is the usual - facebook, fark, craigslist etc. I'm never far from a PC so I rarely use my phone for web use unless I'm in the road or away. The GPS thing bothers me, as I'd like to use it if I could just cache all the data to the phone and not have to rely on internet connectivity for it to work.

I talk on my phone probably 200 hours a month (so says the phone) and do maybe 300 or so texts. Where I live (out in the boonies), Virgin has no service. TMobile and ATT arent bad, but I prefer the pre-paid plan ideas... I like knowing exactly how much my bill will be without the carrier having any sneaky ways of adding fees or taxes etc.

 

[hbsurfer]

DInc2 WITHOUT HESITATION!!!

I am rooted and have the GB update and it rocks!!!
speeds like lightning! and everything is working awesome!!!

I'm thinking of going to use the Cynmod7....i'll see!

camera is better @ 8mp! world phone! nice med size screen @ 4"!
etc, etc, etc....!

HTC is way better in my opinion! And it got me away from Blackberry after YEARS of faithfully being a crackberry!

Don't hesitate!!!
GO GET IT!!!!

 

[hbsurfer]

And coverage you won't beat Verizon!!!
You REALLY SHOULD go with the DInc2!!!
For ALL reasons!!!

 

[Rumblur]

lol... I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I dont want to spend that much money. Remember, I'm buying the phone used from Craigslist or ebay possibly. I was planning on spending $100-150 max unless it's got a lot of accessories. Also, I'm realistic... I will be using the phone for about a year or two, so I need something I'm going to actually use for 50% PHONE and 50% everything else (pics, movies, word processing, calc, music etc).

Someone offered me a Droid 2 Global today... never heard of it. I googled, but it doesnt seem comparable to the X or Incredible. I handled an Incredible today, it was nice, but I think I want the better camera of the X.

The camera is important to me, especially audio recording - any thoughts on that?