Cell phone is packing it in

[kgcayenne]

... and my carrier is putting forth a fairly decent offer. Tell me about your favourite cellular technology. I like and am completely familiar with how an iTouch operates, is it worth having an iPhone? Is the 4 really that much better than the 3Gs? Anyone have the BB Torch? What about the Samsung one?

[Captain Awesome]

Just keep in mind that data plans for iPhones and Blackberries are quite pricey these days.

[Loed]

If you are familiar with the iTouch interface then there's really no reason to go elsewhere. All the current android solutions we get in Canada really suck and Blackberry is far behind.

For a solid phone/everything else, in a package that if taken care of will last you quite some time(my 3Gs is still looking/working as new from release) I'd say go for the iPhone 4. It really is a good little unit and honestly for multipurpose usage, it's the best thing out there.

Data plans will get you, so try and shop for a flex plan, or a very low usage plan(500Mb - 1Gb or some such). I use my phone online ALL the time, but I am usually near wifi access points. The most I have ever used in a month was about 300Mb on the cellular network.

[Jonrox]

I'm not sure if the phone plan pricing is similar but most carriers charge around $15/month for 250MB or $35/month for 5GB.

(As a side note, it annoys me to see people call it the iTouch. There is no such device made by Apple. It's an iPod Touch. You would be familiar with the Touch interface, not iTouch. I don't know why that one bugs me so much, but it does!!! lol.)

I'd go with an iPhone 4 myself if I could, but I've seen some of the new Andriod phones and they are really cool too.

[kgcayenne]

(As a side note, it annoys me to see people call it the iTouch. There is no such device made by Apple. It's an iPod Touch. You would be familiar with the Touch interface, not iTouch. I don't know why that one bugs me so much, but it does!!! lol.)

ahhh so it is, so it is.

iPod Touch.

Habits being what they are, I'll try to remember that.

I'd go with an iPhone 4 myself if I could, but I've seen some of the new Andriod phones and they are really cool too.

What have you heard about the screen strength etc, I have heard a couple of people saying that they are less sturdy than the 3GS. I think I am leaning towards the iPhone, but not sure whether I want the 3GS or 4. I could have used it a few times this weekend looking things up on-the-go (What was in that recipe again? Oh! what's that house listed at?)

[Loed]

The stupid thing with most smart phones these days is the longevity you get out of the unit will be determined by a good case.
With the iPhone 4 a good case will make all the difference. Same with the 3Gs.

All the people I've seen with either or the only issues ever really crop up from being, well from being idiots. There's been a couple accidental drops but nothing serious. The worst dmg has been from throwing/stepping on/dropping off of an apartment building... So ya, I'd say for the most part they are pretty reliable in the hands of a person that respects the money paid and takes care of their investments.

[Captain Awesome]

I'm getting myself a Blackberry Bold 9780 fairly soon and I've requested a bullet-proof case for it.

Cause it will get destroyed if I don't.

[Jonrox]

What have you heard about the screen strength etc, I have heard a couple of people saying that they are less sturdy than the 3GS. I think I am leaning towards the iPhone, but not sure whether I want the 3GS or 4. I could have used it a few times this weekend looking things up on-the-go (What was in that recipe again? Oh! what's that house listed at?)

I just got a 4th Gen iPod Touch and the "retina display" is amazing. Add in Facetime and that's enough for me to recommend the 4 over the 3GS.

As far as screen strength goes, you shouldn't have many more problems than you would with a 3G as long as you're reasonably careful with it. Plus, a Google search of "iphone 4 screen strength" doesn't yield much for results. If there was a problem with it, there would be many more results.

[strwbrrydvl]

Just keep in mind that data plans for iPhones and Blackberries are quite pricey these days.

I went from a regular cell plan to a data plan when I got my iPhone3GS a little while ago and to my surprise my bill actually went down. I got a fave 10 with unlimited texting instead of the fave 5 I had and was able to get rid of my additional long distance package because of putting those LD numbers in the fave 10. Hubby and I together with iPhone55 plans (caller id we added on) pay about $170/mo versus the $200/mo we paid when I wasn't on a data plan.

I also know someone who just switched to a Blackberry and their bill went down by 5$. It all depends on what kind of promotional plans they have at the time.

[strwbrrydvl]

... and my carrier is putting forth a fairly decent offer. Tell me about your favourite cellular technology. I like and am completely familiar with how an iTouch operates, is it worth having an iPhone? Is the 4 really that much better than the 3Gs?

For me, everything is better with an iPhone lol. I have the 3GS and have a friend that recently got the 4, aside from "facetime" and supposedly better picture quality (I can't see the difference) I don't think that the 4 is any better than the 3GS.

[Scadam]

I was just looking at the same kind of info, comparing iPhone 3GS to 4G. Here is the list I came up with of features/advantages with the 4G (the 3GS is in brackets):

LED backlit IPS, 326 pixels per inch (non-IPS, 163ppi)
512MB ram (256)
wireless n (g)
5mp camera, led flash, takes faster pictures (3mp, no led flash, slower)
720p video, led video light (vga, no led video light)
1Ghz A4 ARM Cortex (ARM 600 Mhz)
Push email (no)
vga front facing camera (no)
1420 mAh Li-Po battery, 40 hrs music play (Li-ion, 30 hrs music play)

[eMeM]

I just got the iPhone4 and I absolutely love it!

[kgcayenne]

[kgcayenne]

It's that time again. The update to iOS 7 on the '4' has bogged my phone down worse than a 3 yr old's snotty nose. For those of you who have renegotiated your contracts in the last month, how did you beat them down, or were you lured into an insane $70 or $80/mo?

I'm sorely cheezed with the 'Big 3" and their synchronized price hike. I called my provider and expressed how I was not favourable toward my plan having to go up by $25/mo and pay for services I will not use, the best they would do was $15/more each month. Not good enough. The new $80 plan minimums, only they call it a 'minimum monthly spend' (ohhhh-lah-freeekin-lah), are 64% higher now (after you strip off the 'device balance' amount) than the minimum $50 that was required three years ago---across all three main carriers, who also control three smaller ones: Virgin, Fido, and Koodo (who have also increased pricing as of this very week).

I just keep thinking: SIXTY-FOUR PERCENT WTH.

The way I see it, it’s fair for my bill’s increase to match the difference between spreading the ‘device balance’ over 24 months rather than 36. No dice with these people so far; I’m working on it, though. I told them I would pay for a device outright, but then I want my bill to drop by the $13/mo that had been going towards the 'device balance' on my previous contract. Nope.

So, another question: Who uses Shaw's anywhere Wi-Fi? Is it covering enough to make it worthwhile to reduce the data to 200MB or so on a prepaid account? (I use data to track runs, bike rides, hikes etc)

[JLives]

Costco had a deal on Samsung S3 on Virgin recently, not sure if it's still on. It was a free phone on a 2 year plan with $100 in Costco gifts cards. The plan was $55 per month for 1000 anytime minutes, unlimited evenings and weekends starting at 5 and 1GB of data. All the calling features like Caller Id and voice mail were free.