iphone or smart phone

[dpratt68]

I want to enter the new generation without breaking the bank. I am stuck with At&T due to the 4 lines we pay for being very spread out with upgrades and contracts. I can do iphone 3g for $99 but would have to get the highest plan $25/month for data...or I could do a windows phone and start at $15/month data last choice regular phone and add data plan for $10/month. I'm told internet is not so good with this package.

Can anyone offer input?

 

[skw444]

We just got the Samsung Captivate for ATT from Walmart. They are on sale for $48.88 with a 2 year contract. Data plan is $15/mo. We are happy with them...very much like the iphone only it's a Droid.

 

[dpratt68]

We just got the Samsung Captivate for ATT from Walmart. They are on sale for $48.88 with a 2 year contract. Data plan is $15/mo. We are happy with them...very much like the iphone only it's a Droid.

Does it limit your usage? can you go anywhere on the net? download apps?

 

[skw444]

Does it limit your usage? can you go anywhere on the net? download apps?

The $15/mo plan offers us 200MB of data. For an additional $10/mo you can increase it to 2G. 200MB is enough for me though, so it's not a problem. I use my phone to check my email, store my google calendar, and surf the internet when I'm out. You can download apps. They are Droid apps, so not the same ones that you see on iphone, but I see that there are a lot of similiar apps on the Droid.

 

[springandmac]

Go for the iPhone. My husband was eligible for an upgrade over th summer and I kept telling him to get an iPhone but he kept saying no it was too much phone & he wouldn't be able to use it. Fast forward to football season and he wants to use my iPhone to check the scores & then the comments start about how he hates his phone, and my phone is so nice etc, etc. Luckily, Santa brought him an iPhone for Christmas but instead of being $99 it was $299 since he used his upgrade discount this summer.

I was offered a $15 data plan though, not sure how much you plan on using the Internet but it may be worth it to look into that.

 

[dhardawa]

I went from a super basic phone to an iPhone about two years ago. I'll never go back! Get the iPhone.

 

[gracie1]

Smartphone here!

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I got my iPhone for Christmas last year. LOVE IT! Seriously, one of my favorite presents EVER! =)

 

[Disney_Freak56]

I had a "regular" phone up until September. I was thinking Smart Phone because of the commercials, but when I went to AT&T and compared it to the Iphone, the Iphone won. They were the same price. The pictures you can take with the Iphone won me over the Smart phone. The videos are great. I have some phenomenal videos of the Osborne Lights from this year. The apps are great. My 2-year-old granddaughter is constantly asking to play the games I've downloaded for her on my phone. It is the best gift I ever bought for myself.

I can't speak totally about the Smart phone as I have never owned one, but I am so happy I chose the Iphone. Love it!!!! If something happened to it, I would go out the next day and get another one. Before the Iphone, it was just a phone. I didn't care what I used. Whatever was the least expensive. But I figured at this age, I deserved an Iphone.

There is very little I can't do on the Iphone. I even placed an order at Amazon.com for some Christmas gifts a few weeks ago. Maybe no big deal for others, but it was a big deal for me.

To the OP, if you're leaning at all towards the Iphone, I'd say go for it. I don't believe you'll be disappointed.

 

[ssawka]

I would go to an AT&T store and try out different phones. I went with the Droid X back in September because

1. I didn't want to switch providers. (Verizon has the best coverage)
2. I needed the bigger screen for my stubby fingers.

Like with most things, my wife thought getting a smart phone was a waste of money, but now she wants one. Need to wait until March though for another upgrade.

BTW, the're all "smart phones". Your choices are iPhone, Android, or Windows.

 

[dpratt68]

The $15/mo plan offers us 200MB of data. For an additional $10/mo you can increase it to 2G. 200MB is enough for me though, so it's not a problem. I use my phone to check my email, store my google calendar, and surf the internet when I'm out. You can download apps. They are Droid apps, so not the same ones that you see on iphone, but I see that there are a lot of similiar apps on the Droid.

do you go on facebook? not sure if that uses a lot of MB.
Thanks everyone for the input heading out later today

 

[Mom2SamandJames]

I am not sure what is available in your area, but in ours, you can get refurbished iPhones for inexpensive. They have the 3 and 4 version iPhones refurbished for not much at all. This might be an option. I think you can only order those on ATT.com. My hubby has one, and it has been working for over a year. I am getting one. It has been shipped, and I should get it by Friday at the latest. I think mine was $49, and it's the 3 version with 16gb on it. The 8gb version is only $29. Just an option to look at.

 

[racechick8293]

iPhone!

I've used the Android phones, and IMHO, there is NO comparison. The iPhone is a vastly superior product.

 

[quagmire0]

If you don't consider yourself tech-savvy, the iPhone is your best choice. I'm an Android loyalist, but what I do recognize is that the iPhone is far and away the best experience for those who want to keep it simple.

 

[ssawka]

iPhone!

I've used the Android phones, and IMHO, there is NO comparison. The iPhone is a vastly superior product.

In what ways?

1. Picture Quality - Yes
2. User Experience? - Yes
3. App availablity? - Yes
4. Accessories? - Yes
5. Multi-tasking? - No
6. Free Apps? - No
7. Acess to web sites? - No (No Flash)
8. Giving users control of their own phones? - No

Saying "The iPhone is a vastly superior product" is a very broad statement and it depends on what is more important to the user. They all have their pluses and minuses. Right now I think the biggest minus for the iPhone is AT&T, but since the OP is stuck with AT&T then the iPhone probably is the best choice, but as I said in my previous post, I would try the demo models of each of them before making a final decision. For me, the iPhone was just too small.

 

[skw444]

do you go on facebook? not sure if that uses a lot of MB.
Thanks everyone for the input heading out later today

Yes, I go on facebook too. One thing to remember...if you get a wifi connection that you don't have to worry about data usage. So, for me the $15/mo plan is okay because there a lot of places where I can connect to wifi. So, I guess it depends on when/where you plan on using the data.

 

[descovy]

I want to enter the new generation without breaking the bank. I am stuck with At&T due to the 4 lines we pay for being very spread out with upgrades and contracts. I can do iphone 3g for $99 but would have to get the highest plan $25/month for data...or I could do a windows phone and start at $15/month data last choice regular phone and add data plan for $10/month. I'm told internet is not so good with this package.

Can anyone offer input?

Just to clarify... you CAN have the $15/mo data plan with the iphone... no need for the $25 one. Especially since it has wifi, you can connect at wifi areas without using data at all.

One thing (and maybe you have already checked) do you qualify for any corporate discounts? For example I work a part-time retail job and get 21% off our monthly minutes plan. Shoot, my dad is self employed and gets a corporate discount... sounds like they hand them out like candy!

Anyway, there is no corporate discount for the $15 data plan, but there is for the $25 data plan. Which brings it down to $19.

So one thing I am toying with, is paying a mere $4 more a month to have 10x the data, and not have to worry about checking it constantly. Like when dd was playing with it in the car & was looking at you-tube! I didn't go over, but good gawd, I was scared!

 

[luvdisney00]

There is no DIS app for droid

I have a droid(Samsung Facinate Galaxy S phone) and an ipod touch and there is no comparison, the touch is so much better, faster smoother, more user friendly. If I wasn't a diehard Verizon customer, I'd get the iphone in a second.

 

[sluggozmom]

I don't know anything about the others..
but I can say that I LOVE my iphone. I have a 3gs. I got it for myself last year for Christmas.
With the increasing speeds of apps and technology I would say to at least go for the 3gs... and if there were anyway at all to swing it I would go for the iphone4

Have fun stepping into the future... I would never go back now!

 

[momto2inKC]

I've had my iPhone for almost 2 years. I've been looking at other smart phones since i'm coming up on my 2 year upgrade. Honestly I haven't found a phone yet that I like as much as the iPhone. It's just *so easy to use. The camera takes really great pics, I love all the aps I can get through iTunes, and I love the ease of putting all my music, movies, podcasts from iTunes on my phone. I'm fairly certain that i'll be upgrading to the iPhone 4 next month