I know there is the issue on VzW that you can’t talk and surf at the same time (excluding skype and the like). How does that play out.
If you are surfing and get a call, does it just go to voicemail, or does your surfing end and the phone rings, or something else?
If you get a email, how are you notified, does it automatically check periodically or do you have to manually log in?
Any other things about them I should know and what smartphone are you using?
I’m using Android.
When a call comes in, your phone rings and if you answer it, you temporarily lose internet connectivity. Not a problem, generally, because when you’re talking you wouldn’t be streaming media anyway. And apps like Pandora are smart enough to cache the whole song so that playback resumes as soon as the phone call ends.
As for email, it depends on your email provider. If you use Gmail, email gets pushed to you immediately. For other providers, you can set it up to check every X minutes or go with other third-party push solutions for immediate delivery.
I should note that Android multitasks, so your phone call appears as a separate program… and it when it’s over, you just go right back to what you were doing before.
iPhone might do something similar, if you want to wait for it to arrive on VZW next year.
On my Blackberry there’s no input needed for refreshing the inbox. It’s constant. I can assign a tone for every time an email arrives if I wish (but I don’t). It acts pretty much like a regular desktop/laptop.
If there’s something you do all the time on the internet like check out the headlines on the NY times, or see what’s on TV, there’s probably an app for it that makes it easier to read and navigate as opposed to doing it through the browser where everything’s small and you have to zoom in and out. It seems like as time goes along though smartphones optimize the browser content so it’s better than simply a full screen that been shrunk to oblivion.
I have a Blackberry tour but the screen cracked, it’s out of warranty and uninsured, and I don’t get an upgrade until March, so I’m getting a HTC Eris (droid) in the meantime (should be there when I get home tonight).
I have a Droid X with Verizon and you can talk and use other apps at the same time. When you’re on a call, simply press the Home button to minimize the call window to the taskbar, then just use whatever app you want to use. To hang up, simply pull down the taskbar, and tap on the red phone icon. The call will end and you’ll go back to your app. I do this all the time at home since I like to use a retro handset to talk rather than holding the phone to my ear.
Sorry, forgot to mention that you can only talk and use the web at the same time if you’re connected to wi-fi. If you’re not connected to wi-fi and a call comes in while you’re browsing the web, just take the call, and when it ends you’ll automatically go back to your browsing.