It’s funny; I was at the doctor the other week and, for the first time, wasn’t mildly annoyed during the 15-20 minute gap where the assistant checks your blood pressure and a physician actually comes through the door. I was almost disappointed he showed up so soon since I wasn’t yet done with my episode of Parks & Recreation.
As for the OP, I have a Samsung Galaxy S II and am quite happy with it. I don’t know how the III differs but if you can find an S II it might be cheaper and still very suitable for you.
Thanks for the replies and sorry it has taken so long to get back. I have had limited time here due to the flu.
China Guy, I mentioned above (I think - it is a few days now ) that i use my current phone for text and calls and so a dumb phone is fine. However, I’d like to explore if I limit it to those things because it is a dumb phone or whether I would get a lot more use from a smart phone.
DCnDC, yes, I looked at the Galaxy II and it looked nice and is about $300 cheaper. The difficulty is there is a new 4G version out here and it is as hard to get as the Galaxy III. The only place I can see it is a Telstra store (National Carrier) and they can’t sell it outright within three months of release. I don’t want to sign an expensive plan.
It’s getting crazy.
My phone (an android) had a really neat video guide the first time I started it up–although it was used, it had been reset to factory defaults. Also, read the manual front to back. You’ll be set
Congrats, you now own one of the best consumer devices on the planet.
I’m due for a free upgrade, and am considering an SIII, or an HTC One X. The thing is though, they are bloody massive! I’m a tall man, with big hands, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to get used to the size of the things. How are you managing that? I like to text or whatever with my phone in one hand, using my thumb. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do that with a big handset.
I got my first smartphone three months ago - A Motorola Razr M 4G. It has been great. It’s small compared to most similarly-powerful phones and has really good battery life. I don’t have anything to compare it to, but all the reviews I read said that it is a great all-around phone unless you’re a super-user with very specific requirements in a phone. I’ve had a Verizon account for over 10 years so it was less than $100 for this one.
I have an LG Optimus, which is, I think, the same size as the Galaxy III.
Turning it on is a two handed operation for me (smallish female) because you have to press the on button at the top of the device, then swipe up from the bottom to unlock.
However, I find I can text quite easily with one hand, especially when the device is in the vertical position so the keyboard is narrower. So you should be fine.
Cicero, I resisted smart phones for the longest time, but I’ve come to love mine. I rely on it for a lot of handy little tasks. I don’t use it to go online a whole lot, but when I do, 4G is really fast. I previously had a CrackBerry with whatever non-4G plan it came with and going online was slow and cumbersome.
Phones are getting smarter, while their owners are getting dumber. I’d be quite lost without mine (I haven’t had a landline for over ten years.)
That’s pretty reassuring, thank you. The things just seem awfy big in the hand Just a size adjustment I guess.
Mine is quite an old device, as these things go. It is worth it for standing at a bus stop, or preparing to stand at a bus or train stop, and getting updates when the next bus or train is coming. That’s not really a smartphone thing, it’s a mobile data thing, it just happens that smartphones and data combine to do that stuff.
I have the Samsung Galaxy III now and might be upgrading in February. Is there much difference between the III and the 4G model worth jumping on it earlier? To me, it looks the exact same (perhaps .001 cm larger) and in a quick discussion with a salesperson, I didn’t hear of any great leaps and bounds in features.
Rachel, I also have an Optimus and am quite happy with it making allowances for its rather small internal memory. Have you substituted a larger SD card and rooted* the OS yet?
BTW coverage maps are useful, but they don’t always disclose small dead zones of a block or less.
*“Rooting” - gaining full admin control over your phone, allowing you to uninstall carrier bloatware. You can also flash a custom ROM especially designed for this phone. Google Android Central and find the specific subforums for this phone; you’ll find a lively and highly knowledgeable group of users.
Sorry Dmark, have been a bit crook and haven’t posted much.
The phones are so similar I couldn’t tell them apart aside from colours. I didn’t upgrade just to get a flasher phone- my wifes phone died and I needed a new one. I loved the Galaxy III and as my carrier is supporting 4G they are pushing the new model. So I get the new one and my wife gets the 6 month old pass me down.
Doubtless connectivity is faster and something inside is different but apart from that- no, not much that I can see,
) that i use my current phone for text and calls and so a dumb phone is fine. However, I’d like to explore if I limit it to those things because it is a dumb phone or whether I would get a lot more use from a smart phone.
I’d be quite lost without mine (I haven’t had a landline for over ten years.)