New Smart Phone

[Cheerio]

I' going to be getting a new phone due to my plan running out in November, and I'm leaning towards either getting the Palm Pre or the Iphone 3GS does anyone here have either or could help explain a lot of the differences between the 2?
T.I.A.

[kermitology]

First of all.. iPhone.

Second, go try them out.

The Palm Pre is neat, but when I tried it I wasn't all that sold on it. I thought that the keyboard was a little flimsy.

I've been using an iPhone since November of 2007, so I'm pretty familiar with it. I don't really understand the big deal that people make over not having a physical keyboard since I have issues with the keys on physical ones, so I prefer the iPhone way of doing it.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by kermitology

First of all.. iPhone.

Second, go try them out.

The Palm Pre is neat, but when I tried it I wasn't all that sold on it. I thought that the keyboard was a little flimsy.

I've been using an iPhone since November of 2007, so I'm pretty familiar with it. I don't really understand the big deal that people make over not having a physical keyboard since I have issues with the keys on physical ones, so I prefer the iPhone way of doing it.

I have a Blackberry for work and have been using it for a couple years now. I am okay on the physical keyboard but not particularly fast.

I tried a friend's iPhone the other day and attempted to type out a sample email on its keyboard. Frankly, it took a few minutes to get used to it but after that I was typing much faster than I ever could on the physical Blackberry keyboard.

I'm sure your results may vary but if you are at all concerned about the lack of a physically keyboard, do yourself a favor and check out both to see if it is going to be a problem. My guess is that it probably won't.

[Igottago]

I'm debating between a Blackberry and Iphone (I'm on Telus, Iphone comes out next month). Won't be much for business use, but the biggest thing i'm debating over is the physical vs touchscreen keyboard. I used to have an ipod touch and it was difficult to type on. However the media capabilities of the iphone would be a big plus for me, particularly having it as a music player.

Does anyone know if I can use standard headphones with either blackberry or Iphone, or do I have to use a proprietary headset?

[HalifaxDrunk]

Originally Posted by Igottago

Does anyone know if I can use standard headphones with either blackberry or Iphone, or do I have to use a proprietary headset?

I've never used an Iphone, but you can use standard headphones on a BB.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Igottago

I'm debating between a Blackberry and Iphone (I'm on Telus, Iphone comes out next month). Won't be much for business use, but the biggest thing i'm debating over is the physical vs touchscreen keyboard. I used to have an ipod touch and it was difficult to type on. However the media capabilities of the iphone would be a big plus for me, particularly having it as a music player.

Does anyone know if I can use standard headphones with either blackberry or Iphone, or do I have to use a proprietary headset?

Recent iPhones/iPods use standard headphones. I use these guys with my both my iPod and iPhone:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...12&catid=21272

...but if you want to actually make and receive calls on your iPhone via your headphones, I'd suggest picking up these babys for $80

http://www.apple.com/ca/ipod/in-ear-headphones/

(The iPhone obviously comes with the pair of headphones that have a mic built in for use with the phone, but these upgraded ones are a lot better sounding.)

[User Name]

First, I'd decide what you want to use the phone for... (disclaimer I have the iPhone)

Media? My vote goes to iPhone (32gigs is sweet)

Storage Space? Not Palm Pre... there are other smartphones that take micro sd cards up to 32gigs

Apps? So far its the iPhone, but I have little doubt the others will flourish as well.

I wouldn't limit yourself to just the iPhone / Pre... I think there are other good ones out there as well, just can't recall the names off hand.

[Lithium]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

...but if you want to actually make and receive calls on your iPhone via your headphones, I'd suggest picking up these babys for $80

http://www.apple.com/ca/ipod/in-ear-headphones/

(The iPhone obviously comes with the pair of headphones that have a mic built in for use with the phone, but these upgraded ones are a lot better sounding.)

Do you have these upgraded ones? I lost the set that came with my phone a week ago, and I've been using $19 skullcandies, but it sucks taking them out to make/receive a call.

[kermitology]

Yeah, see I'm great with the iPhone keyboard because I'm light with my fingers. I don't use a lot of pressure so I have a harder time with physical ones, plus the buttons are so small I just don't get it.

[Russic]

I'm an iphone fan, so allow me to present to you this beautiful single grain of salt.

The lack of physical keyboard takes a little while to get used to, but most people I've heard from have very little trouble with it after some practice. I was garbage with it at first, but once I started trusting the predictive text I started hammering out emails very quickly.

Nextly, the app store is a real deal sealer imo. Have you taken a tour of the app thread? There are some very impressive things in there, and as the iphone market grows developers are focusing more and more on it.

Edit: I also use the $80 in-ear apple ear buds that Fanin80 mentioned. I love them because they have the mic/remote feature of the standard ear buds but they don't hurt my ears like them.

[Cheerio]

I have an 8 gig iPod touch already, and I don't particularly like the keyboard on it (the auto-correct never has the words im trying to use), and when i first got the Itouch all i used it for was the apps, but im not really using them at all anymore.

Does anyone know what plans would cost on each of them? and when the Iphone will be available on Telus, because Telus is the only provider that gets service at my house.

[ah123]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

Does anyone know what plans would cost on each of them? and when the Iphone will be available on Telus, because Telus is the only provider that gets service at my house.

I think the plans for any smart phone will be very similar. Rumour has it that Telus will be rolling out the iPhone early November (Nov 3rd/4th) -- you might want to check the Telus forum at howardforums.com

[Madman]

Keep in mind the new Blackberry Storm 2 is coming out as well.

Like its predecessor, the Storm, the new device has a clickable touchscreen. However, the mechanics of the screen have been redesigned to overcome some of the major flaws of the first iteration — namely the noticeable gap around the screen and the user's inability to press more than one virtual button at a time.

I hated the first Storm and bought a Curve instead, but it sounds like they might have worked out the big problems with the new phone.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Madman

Keep in mind the new Blackberry Storm 2 is coming out as well.



I hated the first Storm and bought a Curve instead, but it sounds like they might have worked out the big problems with the new phone.

The thing is, I'm not sure they're going to overcome the physical "limitations". I was really hyped about the first one and was going to be first in line to get it...then the reviews came in. They simply cannot compete with the limitation that it takes that split second for the screen to lift and then you have to push down again for the next letter (if texting). Just makes typing slightly slower. That's where you're limited with the speed of typing itself. I know they're putting different sensors on all 4 corners and the centre rather than just the centre like the first one, but the limitation is still there regardless (just improved upon). Secondly, the browser speed compared the iPhone was less, which didn't help considering they're competing against it (not to mention no WIFI in the first one). If they're going up against Apple, they have to improve that browser. If anything, they should have rebranded this phone. The Storm has a stigma attached to it now. The original name of Thunder would be a nice one, but that's not my decision. Personally, if anything, I'd just stick to the keyboard blackberry's such as the Tour.

[HOOT]

Is the iPhone really that great?

I'm looking at getting a new phone and it is one of a few that have a program I want.

[tussery]

Well I had an iPhone for about two years, and the latest 3.1 update almost made my phone practically useless. It would randomly stop loading pages or getting e-mail when I had full 3G service, would crash to the point where any non factory apps would not start. I was resetting the thing about 3 times a day just to keep the thing working.

Last month I had enough of my iPhone and went and got my Palm Pre. The app store is overrated IMO. Most of the apps I actually used there are already a Pre equivalent. Also Palm actually supports outside development of their device using open source. The CDMA network in the US is also faster than the GSM network.

I am biased also as I have used Apple everything up until the Palm Pre. My opinion really doesn't mean much. But to me the Palm Pre is the better phone hands down.

Edit: At my place of work Palm Pre's have been adopted much better than the iPhone. In the short time they have been out they already out number iPhones 2 to 1. Of course we work in a place that works with alot of Linux development.

[Cheerio]

Thanks Tussery, who are you with?

[tussery]

I work for a Texas A&M Corpus Christi department. The Division of Nearshore Research that runs many of the NOAA tide stations and PORTS stations along the Gulf Coast. I work on a number of water quality monitoring stations in the Bays of Texas.

Shameless plug. lighthouse.tamucc.edu

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by tussery

Well I had an iPhone for about two years, and the latest 3.1 update almost made my phone practically useless. It would randomly stop loading pages or getting e-mail when I had full 3G service, would crash to the point where any non factory apps would not start. I was resetting the thing about 3 times a day just to keep the thing working.

Last month I had enough of my iPhone and went and got my Palm Pre. The app store is overrated IMO. Most of the apps I actually used there are already a Pre equivalent. Also Palm actually supports outside development of their device using open source. The CDMA network in the US is also faster than the GSM network.

I am biased also as I have used Apple everything up until the Palm Pre. My opinion really doesn't mean much. But to me the Palm Pre is the better phone hands down.

Edit: At my place of work Palm Pre's have been adopted much better than the iPhone. In the short time they have been out they already out number iPhones 2 to 1. Of course we work in a place that works with alot of Linux development.

This may explain a number of your concerns with the iPhone. You probably don't like Windows Mobile either.

[tussery]

Originally Posted by fredr123

This may explain a number of your concerns with the iPhone. You probably don't like Windows Mobile either.

The only good thing Microsoft has made IMO is mice and Windows 2000...