[Matsu]

It's for my business/personal. I am literally a one man show, and I have a day job. We currently have an iPhone 4s (for my wife) a BB for my job, and a wireless mobile hotspot for our condo - which also follows me on the road sometimes.

The iPhone is fabulous, I'd get another one in a second if I could get a monthly plan that works for me. Hers is loaded, but not unlimited, 750 incoming + 750 outgoing + evenings and weekends + 6GB data covers her and then some.

I don't use land lines. My work phone doubles as personal, a lovely perk, and I use a lot of airtime between my various obligations. However, I don't want anything associated with my private business going through that phone - it's not a related area, or a conflict of any kind, but I'd rather not just the same.

In Canada, currently, WIND operates on AWS band - so no iPhone, but they have the best plans. $40/month unlimited talk & data or $25/month for unlimited talk+100MB data.

Pros/cons.

BB - 100MB data is probably sufficient for the way BB handles email, so cheaper plan - but I won't have a network administrator to sort stuff out, and not sure how user friendly the set-up and back-up of a BB really is outside the corporate environment. I'll want to keep a personal gmail account on it - that I've had for a long time - as well as an @businessname.com box from my website.

Android - maybe a little easier to self administer - just simple stuff, keep my contacts and such in the cloud in the event of a future change in carrier, lost phone, etc etc... check my website, and other stuff. But should I really trust Google's cloud for safe back-up of my data? Will my iTunes collection play nice?

Lots of other stuff I haven't thought of, I'm sure. So, who's using what, and does it play nice with your OSX stuff?

[Bonn89]

Just get an iPhone. The Blackberry is as good as dead, and if you want something to integrate perfectly with OS X, Android isn't it.

[Matsu]

I can't get enough airtime on an iPhone. No unlimited talk, comparable airtime would cost me 3-5X more per month. Not an option unless more carriers get it.

[Bonn89]

Oh. I assumed it was a viable option, given that you asked about it in your post title.

[Matsu]

If I could get an iPhone on WIND, I'd get it. Rumor strongly suggests that there'll be a AWS support in iPhone 5, but that's a way off and I need to get the number set up in the next 2-4 weeks. I can always change or update at a later time, especially if I take a cheap BB for now.

Ideally, I'd like to get my whole virtual office into my laptop and phone. Basic phone, personal email, business email, and some sort of virtual fax solution if this exists - for getting order forms, payment and fax-back forms filled and stored. Something I can view, verify, print and file, so there's no misunderstandings.

Helpful too if it's all stable and not changing every other month. See website, see same phone, fax and email day after day, year after year. I hate it when i contact someone who's got ever changing contact information, and/or unstable lines, it screams fly-by-night operation and makes me look elsewhere.

[Partial]

Originally Posted by Matsu If I could get an iPhone on WIND, I'd get it. Rumor strongly suggests that there'll be a AWS support in iPhone 5, but that's a way off and I need to get the number set up in the next 2-4 weeks. I can always change or update at a later time, especially if I take a cheap BB for now. Ideally, I'd like to get my whole virtual office into my laptop and phone. Basic phone, personal email, business email, and some sort of virtual fax solution if this exists - for getting order forms, payment and fax-back forms filled and stored. Something I can view, verify, print and file, so there's no misunderstandings. Helpful too if it's all stable and not changing every other month. See website, see same phone, fax and email day after day, year after year. I hate it when i contact someone who's got ever changing contact information, and/or unstable lines, it screams fly-by-night operation and makes me look elsewhere.

I would get a used, cheap phone for a few weeks. Sell it. Determine if iPhone 5 will work on network. If yes, get that. If no, get something else.

[Kraetos]

Steer clear of BB... they likely won't be an independent company 12 months from now.

I'd recommend Windows Phone but the current Windows Phone models will be obsolete (as in: not supported) by the end of the year.

So that kinda narrows it down to an Android phone... and the top of the line Android phones are hilariously oversized these days. If you don't mind having a Jumbo phone, then the obvious answer is the Galaxy Nexus because it's version of Android hasn't been mangled by the carriers or the handset makers.

Unless you wanna root your phone, the non-iPhone smartphone market is really ugly right now. There's BB 7 and WP 7.5, both of which are on the brink of being completely unsupported, and then there's Android. Most Android phones are still shipping Android 2.3, and all Android phones except the Nexus are infested with bullshit from the hardware maker, the carrier, or both. The damn shame of it is that everyone says ICS and Jelly Bean are pretty cool, but there's exactly one phone with ICS and just ICS: the Galaxy Nexus, which, because of it's size, is not for everyone.

So, yeah. Either get a Galaxy Nexus, or get some other Android phone that meet's ICS' hardware requirements, and be prepared to root it to get rid of the trash.

[addison]

I'd recommend WP too. You could probably pick up a Lumia 710 cheap and use it till the next iPhone comes out. Yes it will max out at WP 7.8 but it's not the end of the world and Nokia has been good about updating. Just an FYI, the Galaxy Nexus gets hideous battery life.

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by addison I'd recommend WP too. You could probably pick up a Lumia 710 cheap and use it till the next iPhone comes out. Yes it will max out at WP 7.8 but it's not the end of the world and Nokia has been good about updating. Just an FYI, the Galaxy Nexus gets hideous battery life.

Galaxy Nexus' battery life is as good as iPhone's if you turn 4G off.

But you're right, with 4G on, forget about it.

And to be clear I was not recommending WP, the fact that WP 7.8 support will end when 8 comes out is a dealbreaker for me. But maybe it isn't for Matsu. If you're cool with buying a phone with an OS you know will be unsupported within 6 months, then the $49 on-contract Lumia is a great deal.

But that said, I'm with Partial. You might just want to get a used BB to hold you over until October. It's really ugly out there right now w/r/t non-iPhone smartphones. Intuitive OS, current hardware, will be supported into next year: pick two.

[El Gallo]

Originally Posted by Matsu It's for my business/personal. I am literally a one man show, and I have a day job. We currently have an iPhone 4s (for my wife) a BB for my job, and a wireless mobile hotspot for our condo - which also follows me on the road sometimes. The iPhone is fabulous, I'd get another one in a second if I could get a monthly plan that works for me. Hers is loaded, but not unlimited, 750 incoming + 750 outgoing + evenings and weekends + 6GB data covers her and then some. I don't use land lines. My work phone doubles as personal, a lovely perk, and I use a lot of airtime between my various obligations. However, I don't want anything associated with my private business going through that phone - it's not a related area, or a conflict of any kind, but I'd rather not just the same. In Canada, currently, WIND operates on AWS band - so no iPhone, but they have the best plans. $40/month unlimited talk & data or $25/month for unlimited talk+100MB data. Pros/cons. BB - 100MB data is probably sufficient for the way BB handles email, so cheaper plan - but I won't have a network administrator to sort stuff out, and not sure how user friendly the set-up and back-up of a BB really is outside the corporate environment. I'll want to keep a personal gmail account on it - that I've had for a long time - as well as an @businessname.com box from my website. Android - maybe a little easier to self administer - just simple stuff, keep my contacts and such in the cloud in the event of a future change in carrier, lost phone, etc etc... check my website, and other stuff. But should I really trust Google's cloud for safe back-up of my data? Will my iTunes collection play nice? Lots of other stuff I haven't thought of, I'm sure. So, who's using what, and does it play nice with your OSX stuff?

In my family we have two iPhones and the kids have a Blackberry and LG Vortex (cheap Android) as that is what I could find for them on the cheap and activate in prepaid for them.

No one else here will recommend it but I'd say go for the Blackberry for sure. Your needs are clearly not the norm for most cell users in this day and age where they prefer little talk, a lot of text and a ton of data. You basically want the reverse of that.

Android is a data pig. It is always hitting servers either just to check up on stuff, download ad or search related results to pay for free apps and what have you, or whatever. I use a pretty solid half a gig a month on my iPhone and everyone with Android seems to use 2-4x's that for what doesn't appear to be any additional use.

Blackberry is great with battery life, the built in apps are really good for what they do, and as you note, it is very good on data. My son has a little Curve 8530 and he can stretch the whole 10 megs a month he gets quite far on it.

Blackberry has desktop software for the Mac. It will sync your contacts, calendar, back up applications and will even copy across movies and other media assuming it it isn't copy protected. It also deals very well with iTunes and will copy over music and playlists. It isn't iPhone smooth but it does a very good job given the non-Apple status.

Android is a chore. People are constantly fussing with it from screwing around with launchers, keyboards, all in some effort to get the phone to a manageable state.

[Matsu]

Ten years ago, my first BB had 6MB of data. I'd get hundred of emails a week, I don't think it ever went over unless I opened attachments a lot of attachments directly on it.

I guess what I have to figure out is, absent a corporate support network, where will my email live? On a BB server somewhere? How will my gmail, or business email get pushed?

[janey99]

Even if more carriers pick up the iPhone, I would not get it because the battery life is so terrible. Even if you use the iPhone moderately, it will run out of batteries pretty much every day. You should go with an Android phone because they are cheaper and they have much better battery life. While the iPhones are hip, cool, and fun, the Android phones are not only comparable, but they also have longer battery life, so you will not have to be charging your phone all the time, which is quite annoying with the iPhones.

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by janey99 Even if more carriers pick up the iPhone, I would not get it because the battery life is so terrible. Even if you use the iPhone moderately, it will run out of batteries pretty much every day. You should go with an Android phone because they are cheaper and they have much better battery life. While the iPhones are hip, cool, and fun, the Android phones are not only comparable, but they also have longer battery life, so you will not have to be charging your phone all the time, which is quite annoying with the iPhones.

Hear that guys? We don't know anything about technology! We're just "hip, cool and fun!" And if only we could find these magic Android phones which somehow get better battery life than iPhone despite every review to the contrary, we wouldn't be having to charge our iPhones all the time!

[Ryan]

Yea, I see this going over well...

[Majost]

Wow, are Android OEMs trying to use forum spambots on Apple forums to increase sales?

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by Majost Wow, are Android OEMs trying to use forum spambots on Apple forums to increase sales?

Maybe shes a 13 year old girl (hence the 99) who just discovered the internet and is simply parroting what a family member or friend told her about smartphones.

[thegeriatric]

I use a Windows phone!!.....................rrun for gods sake they're coming.....

[Asher]

If i recommend you to purchase new phone then you should be purchase Android phone because
iPhone have also latest apps but the trend is Android phone and the demand of this phone
will be increase in coming days...

[pscates2.0]

Good enough reason for me...sold!!