Verizon Smartphones?

[Gary73 8]

I want to stay with Verizon for their coverage, but would like to upgrade to a more capable phone. They offer a lot of different models - are there any that I should definitely avoid or consider? I apparently need texting, e-mail, speakerphone, GPS, qwerty keyboard, and Web access. Thanks!

"Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." - Carl Sagan

[ridestrong 1]

They pretty much all have a qwerty key board, either on screen or physical. If you need a physical key board get the Droid2, it's undoubtedly their best phone with a physical key board. Otherwise the Droid X and Incredible are also sweet phones.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[lauraliscious 0]

Hey Gary, I finally gave in and upgraded to a smartphone but wanted to stay with Verizon also. I was trying to hold out for the iPhone with Verizon, but now that I have a Motorola Droid (the Droid 2 wasn't in stock when i bought it) I really love it! Especially if you're already using Google stuff, which I was...it's great if you're already using gmail, google calendar, picasa, etc.

I was a little confused when I first started looking at phones, because Android is the OS, not the type of phone. So I belieive Samsung and other manufacturers make a phone that is also called the Droid, but I really like my Motorola one....

Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091

[kawisixer01 0]

Love my moto droid 2. I want an X but prefer a physical keyboard so I'm sticking with what i got for now.

[wildcard451 0]

I hated the way the droid2 fit in my hand, and the X was a little too big for what I needed. SO I found a happy medium in the Incredible. I had the physical keyboard on the droid2 for about a week, and I don't miss it one bit.

[TiaDanger 0]

I also have the Incredible and have been extremely happy with it. Its fast, highly customizable, very convenient with my Google accounts.

And for the record: the appropriate ranking of cool modes of transportation is jet pack, hover board, transporter, Batmobile, and THEN giant ant.
D.S. #8.8

[Nightingale 0]

I have the Blackberry Bold. I've been really happy with it!

Work just gave my dad a droid. He hates it. And so do I, because he's always handing me the damn thing to figure it out for him. He doesn't have any issues with his blackberry though (he also has a BB bold for his personal phone).

[NWFlyer 2]

As you can probably tell from the thread there are a lot of different opinions. Sounds like you're doing preliminary research, which is good. Next step is probably to get yourself to a Verizon store and try out a few different models that have the features you want and see which one "feels" right for you. I have both a Blackberry for work (an older model) and a Motorola Droid for personal use. The Blackberry does what I need it to do for work - handle email and phone calls reliably. I don't use it for much of anything else.

The Droid interface takes some getting used to if you've never used a touch-screen interface, but in general I found it pretty intuitive and easy. My biggest problem is switching back and forth between the keyboards on the Blackberry and the Droid because they're just different enough that I make mistakes.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Gawain 0]

Quote

I want to stay with Verizon for their coverage, but would like to upgrade to a more capable phone. They offer a lot of different models - are there any that I should definitely avoid or consider? I apparently need texting, e-mail, speakerphone, GPS, qwerty keyboard, and Web access. Thanks!

All the smartphones offered by Verizon have everything you listed, the main differentiating factor is the keyboard - physical versus on-screen; portrait versus landscape.

If you do a lot of texting/IM-ing/email and desire a physical QWERTY keyboard, it is very hard to beat the design on a BlackBerry Bold 9650 - its keyboard is the gold standard. Its form factor is such that you just pick it up and start typing for the most part.

The Motorola Droid Pro is also a portrait QWERTY keyboard, but the thin edges in my opinion make it difficult to be really productive on.

If you want a physical landscape keyboard, the Motorola Droid 2 is pretty much your only option. It's it a capable device, but I find the Android OS to be too busy, and it's not nearly as productive as a BlackBerry. If you're not using it for work the Droid 2 will definitely get it done. Make sure you know what you're getting: There are two versions of the Droid 2 - The "Droid 2" and the Droid 2 Global".

If you want a touch screen, but don't want a huge screen, the Droid Incredicble (built by HTC) is probably your best choice. Beyond that, there is the Motorola Droid X, and the Samsung Continuum, the Samsung Fascinate, the LG Vortex the Motorola CITRUS...lots of devices with "Android OS".

Next thing to consider is your time-line and how soon you want/need to get a new device - there will be new devices rolling out on VZ from all the big players and platforms - BlackBerry, Android OS, WebOS (Palm/HP) and there's even a rumor that a Win Phone 7 device will be rolling out earlier than expected.

Other items to consider - if security is a major concern then BlackBerry is your best option. If you'll be tying it in to a work email server, again Blackberry is your best option (assuming they have BES). If you want to take advantage of the "cloud" computing, then Android is a good option now, but Win Ph 7 takes it to a whole new level. If you want ease of use, then I think Blackberry is the best of the bunch. If price is an issue, the BlackBerry Curve 9330 is a killer deal at $50, and for the money, it's hard to find a more capable phone. If web-browsing is a priority, then pick any Android OS device over a BlackBerry (HOWEVER, once BlackBerry OS 6 is available on VZW, that won't be an issue anymore).

If none of this matters and you want the absolute best whiz-bang-toy - with the latest processor, etc., and you got to "get it now" - then the Samsung Continuum or the Motorola Droid 2 Global are the latest and greatest. If you want to wait, the upcoming LG Tegra supposedly has a dual-core processor and will do 1080p video capture.

Devices to avoid would be whatever current offerings for the Palm Pre Plus, or Palm Pixi Plus - the WebOS is really neat, but the hardware isn't up to the task. Also, don't bother with any old BlackBerry Tour 9630 (if it's still offered).

In the end, you'll serve yourself well by going in to a VZW store and touching everything and giving it a good look over. I'm not objective, and recommend a BlackBerry (then you could join in on the BBMessenger DZ.com group...tons of fun!!).

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[murrays 0]

The much-rumored Verizon iPhone should become real or stay a rumor by year end or shortly thereafter if you can wait that long and are interested in an iPhone.

--
Murray

"No tyranny is so irksome as petty tyranny: the officious demands of policemen, government clerks, and electromechanical gadgets." - Edward Abbey

[ridestrong 1]

Quote

The much-rumored Verizon iPhone should become real or stay a rumor by year end or shortly thereafter if you can wait that long and are interested in an iPhone.

I'd wait until they come out with the next new iPhone anyway... because the Droid/Android platform makes for better phones currently.

*I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.*
----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

[Gawain 0]

Quote

The much-rumored Verizon iPhone should become real or stay a rumor by year end or shortly thereafter if you can wait that long and are interested in an iPhone.

Bear in mind that all these rumors, from supposedly serious forward-looking Wall Street analysts who look at supply line orders, etc. of various component makers for Apple products have been 100% wrong in EVERY instance when they've guessed about Apple products coming to VZW. The closest they got was a couple months ago when VZW started selling iPads in their corporate stores.

It has gotten to the point that I have more credibility about predicting when VZW might get an iPhone - I have a very good source too - iPhone is being released by VZW TOMORROW! Apparently Steve Jobs is going to ride a unicorn into an invisible Verizon warehouse (created by witches and warlocks of course), and hand deliver them. The best part, it wont be a phone for 4g LTE, its actually a 5G phone with speeds 100 times faster than LTE!

I'll even leak the spec sheet!
4 inch screen
5 mp front facing camera
15 mp rear camera
SUPER advanced AMOLED 3-d display
128 GB internal memory
2.6GHz dual core processor

(copied from another site - in fairness to his/her humor)

Truth is, neither AT&T or Apple have stated how long the exclusivity contract for the iPhone is. If it is a five year deal, then AT&T has one more year with the device as an exclusive. Even if it's a four year deal, that four years would be up the summer of 2011, and Apple has a method to their madness about introducing products the same time every year. Other factors to consider are the when VZW started selling the iPad, it wasn't even equipped with a CDMA/EV-DO chipset (like the 3G one available for use on AT&T's network. Instead, VZW sells it with the Mifi devices if you want internet access outside of established HotSpot wifi areas.

Now, Apple has, in fact, been hiring CDMA and LTE-centric engineers, so it's clear that Apple wants to get business done with VZW (and vice-versa), but what progress has been made from that is anyone's guess.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!