Phones etc

DonovanB · 2012-06-18T11:49:47+00:00

So what's a good phone nowadays? I've got a Blackberry Curve currently but I want a bigger screen. Also not keen to pay a span for over rated gadgetry and d...

Phones etc

Warren

MikeM wrote: I am by no means a fanboy, I use android and IOS devices.. After my 3 or 4 years on BB I have realised just how crappy they are.

I really don't mind a utilitarian type phone, but then make the thing work well and stable and have great functionality (battery life in particular). There's a reason RIM has been in decline for however long.

(This reminds me of Gibson vs Tokai, and me bashing Ibanez)

Of the points you quoted about your new phone, only the battery life is really meaningful, to me. A snazzy screen is cool, but it's not a deal breaker, depending on what you use the phone for.

I do think that RIM BB in its current form will cease to exist against the onslaught of iOS and Android, and that ultimately those are the stronger technology platforms at the moment. But things can turn around in a few months, so who knows?

(the reason that this is similar to Gibson VS Tokai is because so many people can't play the ball instead of the man ?)

MikeM

I disagree that battery life is the only meaningful point there.

In the month or so I have had this phone, I have not had a crash or a loading screen (besides the obvious ones from games etc). Can't say I ever went that long with such stability on my 9800 or 9900.

That said I am fussy about the performance of my PC, phone etc. I don't like waiting for things to load, buffer, cahce etc.

Squonk

I think I need to clear up this yet again

BB has it's Market, it's user friendly, BIS is great, no worrying about DATA, BBM is streets ahead of any other similar app
Just visit any high school (and primary school) and see all the BB users. Its an economical option. You cannot say that the DATA usage on Android can beat BIS. Come and monitor my daughter on FB, Twitter etc, there is no way R50 bucks per month will cover this ?
I use between 500 MB to 1 GB per month on Data and don't pay any extra. So one goal to BB

Android/Apple has it's own market. It is a more sophisticated and YES the SGS3 is much faster than a BB, has a greater screen, more apps etc
One goal to Android/Apple

But my Father in Law, advancing in years, does he need a SGS3, just to make calls and and the occasional Text or Mail. He prefers the BB, Android is a bit scary for him.

No need to bash BB or any other phone. I could start on Nokia and Pee off huge amounts of people who swear by all things Nokia.

I have seen plenty Samsung, Sony, Nokia and Apple devices fail miserably alongside BB in the last 10 years, but the standards of these devices are improving.
HTC was shocking when they first came out, but are quite jacked now. Motorola has also improved

Can we call it a draw?

Bob-Dubery

Here's a thing. I'm up for a replacement phone. Now I could just say goodbye to BB, but even if I get a new BB I have problems because of all the people who BBM me using the current PIN. Now what?

MikeM

@David, I agree. Different tools for different needs. My main point is that RIM needs to seriously pull finger or they're going to fall further behind. BB is hugely popular in SA because it's much cheaper on a monthly basis, but with uncapped wi-fi at home becoming more popular and data becoming cheaper, that big advantage is slowly dwindling.

@Bob, that is an issue. However in my case it was one of the things to initiate my switch over. I don't want to be so accessible to so many people, if it doesn't warrant a call or sms, I don't want people contacting me any hour of the day (Save 10 or 15 people who can get a hold of me by other means). Again, it boils down to what works for you.

DonovanB

X-rated Bob wrote: Here's a thing. I'm up for a replacement phone. Now I could just say goodbye to BB, but even if I get a new BB I have problems because of all the people who BBM me using the current PIN. Now what?

I've changed BB with no hassle

step 1: Backup contacts to PC (or Blackberry protect)
Step 2: restore contacts and setting so new phone.

All done.

Squonk. You win one internets. Redeemable on any smartphone. Although It sounds like you don't need it so you can donate it to a poor Galaxy owner. ?

Sean

lol I can't wait for the "I'm buying a car thread"

sharonzaz

X-rated Bob wrote: Here's a thing. I'm up for a replacement phone. Now I could just say goodbye to BB, but even if I get a new BB I have problems because of all the people who BBM me using the current PIN. Now what?

Chat apps like whatsapp pick up you contact list.

Easy. ?

ShreddySmurf wrote:
nicovlogg wrote:

The kind of apps that it can run, the ease of use of android (admittedly not IOS level) and the fact that it doesn't break as easily or often as the BB's do.
I buy a R50 data bundle every month that covers all the data use I have, and it's still cheaper than a BIS contract. I'm not trying to make people with BB's (or strats ? ) look like tools, just trying to correct the misconception that all android phones are pricey, complicated affairs.

Fair enough.

For me, I'm not really interested in Android (or iOS) apps. They're fun for a little while to mess around with, but none of them are indispensable (at least for my purposes). I use a Galaxy tablet and an iPad for work related things, and although some apps can be handy, there's nothing that I absolutely can't live without, day to day. Standard stuff like mail, calendar, camera / video, multimedia playback i.e. the things you actually use all the time are available and functional on all the platforms.

I find the BB very easy to use. Difficult to say if it's better or worse than Android or iOS, but they're all pretty easy from an interface perspective. BlackBerry's penetration of the cheap-end of the market is a solid indication that the devices are no difficult to use.

I haven't had any reliability problems with my BB (any more than other phones I've had before). That said, I think that all mobile phones are actually pretty rubbish when it comes to reliability and longevity: they're built to last a couple of years, before users upgrade to something new. And by the end of that they look like absolute crap. The possible exception is the iPhone, which is very nicely built and pretty durable, for a phone.

In any case, the point I'm trying to make here is: I still don't buy the argument that any of the entry level devices is miles better than any other. You can argue various bits of functionality, and if there's some Android or iOS app out there that you can't do without, then subjectively those platforms will be infinitely better for you. But there has been a lot of stuff said on this thread about how crummy BlackBerry phones (and users) are, and that just doesn't hold up.

Until you hold a unit with a great screen and responsiveness, speed etc then you cannot compare that to a BB.
Screen makes you whole user experience, and seeing things good and clear is one big issue.
Speed and responsiveness is a huge thing if u want to even browse the net.
(ever tried to pinch to zoom on a BB????)

BB's are said to be crap by most ppl who use them, not by most droid/iPhone users.
However, the few time I've held one (different models) I honestly saw how bad they are as smartphones.

If you're a person who ONLY uses a phone to make calls and send and read a MSG here and there it
Makes no difference what it is.
An old Nokia from 7 years ago will also do.

Camera- I have yet to to see a decent (and I mean really decent) pic from a BB as opposed to an iPhone
Or upper level droid such as sgs family.

The lower level droid are catching up but so are BB's and even the ever so crappy Windows phones
Are slowly getting almost fair to use.

Reliability is a big issue.
Although the is no such thing as a solid as a rock phone from any make
There are so many ppl who complain about freezing issues and such with BB.

I myself is on my 3rd iPhone 4 as I did end up having 2 duds, but this all happened on initial use
And I gave them back and got a new a couple of hours later.

I also know of a couple of guys that's their BB just decided to erase every bit on info on it without warning.
Not an issue if u sync your unit to your Pc or Mac or to the cloud or google.

I've had phones stolen in the past, what a pain to get your info taken from you.
Now every single pic I snap gets uploaded immediately to the cloud.
My wife's iPhone 4 stolen out her bag while she had it under her arm a month ago.
Got a new 4s and with a sync to her laptop got all her info back.

This is not only about quality but also about features and possibly a big one
Is messaging and I see so many ppl MSG while they drive.
I mean wtf!?!?!?
There newer phones offer some sort of dictation, even the windows phones that
I dislike much have a great dictate button built right into the keyboard when
U open up your SMS app.
Sure Siri can open up your app for you and send the text to the person
You told her to, but even a simple dictation is better than driving and clicking away....

I'm not against BB, I just think there are way better and not much more expensive if at all
other options with way better extra options built in should u need them.

a few years back the BB would have been the star of this thread no doubt.

Bob-Dubery

Guys, we're talking about cell phones here. There's no need for the sort of personal remark I have just deleted. We all have opinions, and in cases like this there is no single one-size-fits-all solution. State your opinion, but respect somebody else's right to differ.

Also think twice about how you make your point. There are posts in this thread that could plausibly be construed as "if you use a [whatever phone] you're an idiot." I don't believe that's necessarily the poster's intent, but it can LOOK that way. There is what we have to say, and there is the way we say it. We can control the latter without compromising the former.

SnapcaseZA

For you BB fans...I'll just drop this here - a real interesting read, and quite scary how cut-throat the mobile market is.

http://www.yellow-llama.com/the-death-of-rim-infographic/

DonovanB

I think I need to drop a small review in here. I've had this Galaxy S3 for a short while now and there are some drawbacks.

Data is not one of them. it's very light on data. about 27Mb a week

of the things that annoy me;
The touch Screen
I love the resolution and the ease of use, but it's TOO easy. I often find myself out of an app or, even worse, navigating back and forth on the browser cos the "back" button is poorly placed and my palm keeps touching it ever so lightly.

Keyboard
Auto-correct is a pain in my ass. It doesn't ask/warn it just changes. I type rather fast and now I have to always check what I've written. Admittedly you can turn it off but then I'll have more spelling mistakes than incorrect words. Six of one/half a dozen of the other.

The keyboard also takes up most of the screen. So if I'm typing on the forum, the text box is hardly visible. Especially if the post gets a little long. Then if I have to go back and change the auto-corrected word it is nearly impossible. last time it took me 4 minutes to change one word because you can't just select it. and with my pork sausage fingers fine selections aren't easy.

The access to really cool apps though is a major plus. Added to that the speed of the phone (1.4GHz processor!) I shmaak it stukkend. My 6 year old plays games on it and I've added an app that helps him with his reading too.

The GPS, being run by google, also makes searching for an address super easy (although search by voice doesn't really support Souf Effrikken yet) and when you reach your destination the screen shows the street view. Completely unnecessary cos you can see it for yourself but very cool nonetheless.

And I've charged it every day. Battery life is ok, but I use the GPS a fair amount and I can't resist playing certain games. Its almost like my old PSP... lotsa fun.

Bob-Dubery

Donovan Banks wrote: The touch Screen
I love the resolution and the ease of use, but it's TOO easy. I often find myself out of an app or, even worse, navigating back and forth on the browser cos the "back" button is poorly placed and my palm keeps touching it ever so lightly.

I'm not wild about touch screens. I had a touch screen phone once. ONCE. I'd had it about two days when my then boss phoned me up and engaged me in a robust discussion. I was getting out the car at the time. As I was grabbing stuff I tried to wedge the phone between my shoulder and face as one does - only for the touch screen to assume that I wanted to put the call on hold. Which it did. The boss thought this a bit rude and didn't entirely buy my explanation that it's a touch screen phone and I'm really sorry but I think my ear must have put you on hold by accident.

MikeM

Swiftkey X ? That'll help with your keyboard woes.

Also there is a place you can change the voice recognition to English (South African) which might help.

Can't help with being ham fisted though ?

Nitebob

@Donovan, okay...gotta ask...

They purport that the Galaxy S3 knows who you are going to phone, just by lifting it to your ear...WTF?

DonovanB

MikeM wrote: Swiftkey X ? That'll help with your keyboard woes.

tried it, the predictive elements were awesome, but still too involved in what I was typing. It tries to finish my sentences... not cool.

Nitebob wrote: They purport that the Galaxy S3 knows who you are going to phone, just by lifting it to your ear...WTF?

If you are looking at a contact, or a message from them, you lift the phone to your ear and it dials the number. It doesn't read your mind, just your screen. ?

The motion elements of the phone are very clever. If you are in a list, you tap it twice on top to go to the top of the list. Turn it over to silence (not new though), and shake to update.

It also has a feature that looks for your eyes so it won't dim if you are looking at the screen.