Should I get an iPhone and give up my unlimited data?

[arthuruscg]

Originally Posted by Albort

honestly, i think its fair to put on a cap. I would rather have cap internet than to have a slow internet...

what i find unfair is having to pay an additional $30 to share my data with my other devices. I pay for a cap line of 2GB, i should be allow to use it with anything else...

its weird that Verizon been getting beat up for everything and not att. Hence why Verizon iPhone 5 are unlocked...

The difference is Verizon using the public spectrum for their 4g and with using that spectrum there are different rules.

Download FoxFi and teather for FREE. You are paying $30 per month to use VZ's teathering program not $30 per month to teather. Think of it like using Google maps for free compared to using VZ Navigator for $4 per month.

[arthuruscg]

Originally Posted by jlewisinsyr

Navigation maps for both iPhone and Android devices (at least the integrated/base systems) are not stored on the device, they are downloaded on the fly as you are driving, which can increase data usage a lot, which is why when you are entering areas with bad 3G, the mapping can end/stop. Try using navigation with data turned off, you won't get any maps.

There are navigation applications that you can install maps for, but they tend to be more limited in POI and if you travel outside the map zone, you're stuck. I've used these on my phone when traveling to Canada where I don't like to use data because of the cost.

The latest Google Maps allows you to predownload sections of maps. If the wireless providers would provide detailed coverage maps to Google, they would have Gmaps automatically download the maps in bad coverage areas.

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally Posted by arthuruscg

You can still use your Itunes and use Doubletwist to sync your collection (even playlists) with any Android device.

Doubletwist comes in 2 flavors, wired is free and wifi is $5.

http://doubletwist.com/

Welcome to the open eco system.

Hey you seem to be in the know!!!

I have my Itunes account on my desktop and I want to use my laptop if I get an android phone.

So can I transfer my iTunes songs using wifi with doubletwist, from desktop to laptop? Or do I have to manually close my account on my desktop and put iTunes on my laptop.

[arthuruscg]

I don't know that much about Itunes because I don't have an account. I have had friends that have used double twist and I think it is just for syncing to your phone.

I would think Apple would make it easy to transfer Itunes libraries from one machine to another.

[Albort]

Originally Posted by arthuruscg

The difference is Verizon using the public spectrum for their 4g and with using that spectrum there are different rules.

Download FoxFi and teather for FREE. You are paying $30 per month to use VZ's teathering program not $30 per month to teather. Think of it like using Google maps for free compared to using VZ Navigator for $4 per month.

It may have changed now but it used to cost you $30 a month to tether. Verizon recently lost a lawsuit about this so it may have changed rules recently...

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/31/ver...-fcc-declares/

Verizon has been slapped with a $1.25 million fine for charging customers to use their cell phones as a mobile Internet hotspot, and has declared that it must allow tethering for free.

Originally Posted by The Mystery Machine

Hey you seem to be in the know!!!

I have my Itunes account on my desktop and I want to use my laptop if I get an android phone.

So can I transfer my iTunes songs using wifi with doubletwist, from desktop to laptop? Or do I have to manually close my account on my desktop and put iTunes on my laptop.

u just have to move that music folder on your desktop and have your itunes read the folder on your laptop... not sure if thats what your asking...

[pixiewings71]

Originally Posted by lsyorke

I've heard conflicting reports on the "losing unlimited data". We upgraded recently, got the upgrade and kept our unlimited data.

When I asked Saturday I was told I would lose my unlimited data if I upgraded to a new phone at a discount, then he told me I only use about half a gig so I'd be ok getting a 2 gig cap. lol

Originally Posted by Janepod

I hate Google Play. I only want to use iTunes. That's a dealbreaker.

So I may just pay full price for the phones and keep the unlimited. Thanks all!

Why don't you like Google Play? It works great for me.....I find all the apps I want/need on GP and have no problems downloading them. DBF had an iTouch so he has iTunes so I have been able to compare.

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally Posted by Albort

.



u just have to move that music folder on your desktop and have your itunes read the folder on your laptop... not sure if thats what your asking...

So you are saying I have to manually do this?

I guess what I am asking can I use "double twist" on my desktop, put it on my Samsung Galaxy 3 phone (if I decide to go that route) via wireless without even moving it to my laptop?

And does the iPhone 5 do things wirelessly?

Bottom line, are Google Play and iTunes "computer specific" in order to sync your phone and update with the "new wireless" direction that they are going.

I hope that makes sense.

[arthuruscg]

Originally Posted by The Mystery Machine

So you are saying I have to manually do this?

I guess what I am asking can I use "double twist" on my desktop, put it on my Samsung Galaxy 3 phone (if I decide to go that route) via wireless without even moving it to my laptop?

And does the iPhone 5 do things wirelessly?

Bottom line, are Google Play and iTunes "computer specific" in order to sync your phone and update with the "new wireless" direction that they are going.

I hope that makes sense.

Well, there is a big difference with Google Play and Itunes.
Google keeps everything in the cloud (on there servers) and you keep a copy on your pc/mac, so you can access your stuff anywhere.

From what I have been told about Itunes, you get to download the item, 1 time and after that, you have to deal with syncing and making sure you don't loose your media. So, if you loose your iphone and your laptop, you are SOL.

Both Google Play and Itunes can be accessed from both PCs and Macs.

I don't know if you can sync your desktop to your GS3 and then sync it to your laptop. That sounds like it will take a long time if your media collection is any size. Assuming you have the new "N" wifi router you are limited to 54mb, the older routers are lucky to pull 10mb continuous. So it would be an all night operation.
It would be a lot quicker to connect your desktop and laptop with wires to your router and transfer your media library. Most recent routers allow for 1GB transfer.

[The Mystery Machine]

Originally Posted by arthuruscg

Well, there is a big difference with Google Play and Itunes.
Google keeps everything in the cloud (on there servers) and you keep a copy on your pc/mac, so you can access your stuff anywhere.

From what I have been told about Itunes, you get to download the item, 1 time and after that, you have to deal with syncing and making sure you don't loose your media. So, if you loose your iphone and your laptop, you are SOL.

Both Google Play and Itunes can be accessed from both PCs and Macs.

I don't know if you can sync your desktop to your GS3 and then sync it to your laptop. That sounds like it will take a long time if your media collection is any size. Assuming you have the new "N" wifi router you are limited to 54mb, the older routers are lucky to pull 10mb continuous. So it would be an all night operation.
It would be a lot quicker to connect your desktop and laptop with wires to your router and transfer your media library. Most recent routers allow for 1GB transfer.

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.

Apple is using the iCloud as well as far as I know. Maybe someone else can comment?

I was wondering if they were doing the same thing as Google yet. I know they will eventually, they have to in order to compete.

Right now I am leaning toward the Samsung Galaxy 3 phone to upgrade.

So far I see nothing to draw me to keep using Apple. It doesn't help that I have a 3G phone which is a dinosaur.

Again thanks for the info. It was helpful.

[arthuruscg]

I have had 2 friends now that have converted to iCloud and upgraded OS and have lost everything on their phones (contact, pics, music, everything). Now, they are electronic illiterate iPhone users, so, I am sure they could have messed something up.

Google has been backing everything up to their cloud for years. One thing to be careful of, is Verizon forced OEMs to default backuped data to "VZ Backup Assistant". So, you need to go thru and change the defaults to Google.

From Cnet:
Go to Settings > Privacy, and make sure that "Back up my settings" and "Automatic restore" are checked off. Go to Settings > Accounts and sync, open your Gmail account, and check off all options. With these settings in place, your contacts, system settings, apps, calendar, and e-mail will be restored whenever you set up a new Android phone with that same Gmail account.


You also need to make sure your "Contacts" or "People" backup to your GMail account. That way you can change phones or phone companies and your phone will automatically load your contacts off of your Gmail account.
Open "People". Menu > Settings > Contact Storage > Change to your Gmail account and click Remember this setting.

Also, if you add Google+ you can have your pictures/ videos automatically backed up. Once again VZ used "Backup Assistant" but if you change phone companies, you will lose the data.

If you do all of this, you will leave the VZ sales man speechless when your new phone automatically loads your contact, wallpaper, ect. Usually the VZ rep will activate your phone and then hand it to you to enter your gmail account info. After that, I recommend not letting them touch it.

I showed the VZ rep how to change the setting on her phone so she can do the same for her customers and allow for easy transfers for customer buying new phones. I wasn't sure if the manager was joking when he asked me to teach an Android class.

[Albort]

i can say for iPhone, itunes wont let you go from iPhone --> laptop... However, 3rd party itunes like applications can do it. Only issue is that you may need to relabel the songs again.

I didnt realize that my computer needed to keep a copy of the music, so i deleted them and when itunes wanted to sync because i wanted to add new songs, it would need to copy over my library which basically had nothing in it. I ended up using media monkey to pull off the music.

as for iCloud, i believe iCloud will update your photos, notes, contact list, and calender but nothing on music.

I had the debate on iPhone or SGIII. I really dont want to repurchase all my apps again so im gonna stick with the iPhone. Besides, with an iPad and Macbook, the syncing comes in handy...

[RitaE]

iTunes will let you re-download purchased songs now but I honestly haven't messed around with the iCloud that much. Unlimited downloading of purchases is great but it only gets you so far if a large percentage of your media library comes from CD rips or other sources.

They are about 2 years late on that idea and all my media is already backed up to another Cloud server so I just haven't gotten around to looking at the new iCloud features.

[vicki_c]

Originally Posted by RitaE

iTunes will let you re-download purchased songs now but I honestly haven't messed around with the iCloud that much. Unlimited downloading of purchases is great but it only gets you so far if a large percentage of your media library comes from CD rips or other sources.

They are about 2 years late on that idea and all my media is already backed up to another Cloud server so I just haven't gotten around to looking at the new iCloud features.

I think iTunes Match found about 80-90% of my music (which is like 14,000 tracks). Many of those came from CDs.