iPhone, Blackberry or Android?

[Romeo]

Looking at getting one of the above, mainly for emailing but occasion internet access, small file downloads etc.

 

Big fan of the iPod so the iPhone appeals, I've used Blackberry several years ago, very impressed from email prospective but interface not so good.

 

Android phone/handheld pc etc. is the third alternative.

 

Can anyone advise on what works/doesn't work in Shetland? The 3G maps say no coverage for vodafone but semi-decent coverage for T-Mobile.

 

Appreciate any advice.

 

Many thanks in advance

[Frances144]

All I know is Vodafone does work in parts here.

 

Vodafone and iPhone are teamed up but do not have Pay-as-you-talk scenario so I can't have an iPhone coz I don't want to be tied up into a contract.

 

That's all I can say.

[Spinner72]

Selection of individual phone is a purely personal thing, combined with a good list of what you need and want it to be able to do.

 

In my experience, none come close to blackberry in ther email handling, especially attachments, but then that could also be down to the interface "clicking" with me.

 

Network selection is a bigger thing here, and have to suggest T-Mobiles map is telling rather big porkies! I don't know anyone locally who uses that network, and have had heard a few visitors complain about lack of signal in town, so that can't bode well.

 

Vodafone coverage is by far the best with decent 3G in more built up and geographically "lucky" areas.

[david]

Android gets my vote.

 

As someone who replaced my phone on a yearly cycle, I've had my Android phone over a year and it still feels new.

 

Yes the Iphone has more applications, but Android is catching up and it has everything that you really need.

 

It's also a fraction of the price.

[Romeo]

Many thanks for the replies

 

I was hoping to try them out on PAYG to see how they worked but it appears only T-Mobile will do this.

[sleepychef]

I have use macs for a long time but never did like the iphone I use android first on a HTC Hero now on a Xperia 10. It has a fantastic interface and timescape and mediascape do all the work.

[Roachmill]

I say none of the above. iOS and Android are both as bad as each other in terms of usability. Android has things lumped on the top to try and make it better (^like the X10) but, underneath it all, it's still a hodge-podge of an OS. Also, the apps for Android are a collection of some good ones and a whole lot of half finished (or worse) ones.

 

iOS is just as cumbersome to use and you enter apple lockdown central as soon as you go that route. I prefer to be able to do what I want to do... and not what apple tells me

 

I've never had a BB device - and I never will at the rate they're going.

 

Windows 7 phones are due out next month... but you really don't want any Microsoft 1.0 version of anything

 

Nokia aren't going to produce a good smartphone until they get their MeeGo OS sorted out. It rips enough usability features from webOS to actually look promising. but that's going to take some time.

 

webOS, as it stands right now, is my recommendation. The Palm Pre / Pixi on O2 (they do 3G in Lerwick) has been floating my boat for almost a year now. There's new handsets due soon and the next version of webOS is absolutely fantastic. Using anything else now is just frustratingly slow and annoying to do.

[DamnSaxon]

Another one worth keeping an eye on is Openmoko. It's still at this stage a bit of an enthusiast's machine (for which read: you may have to make it work sometimes), but the goal is a phone with open source hardware and software, and a licence which says "Do whatever you like with it". And for small downloads (already, on the existing early model) you can pop in a 16GB SD card, which should hold quite a few d/ls. A cool thing, IMO, and worth watching.

[Askelon09]

Android gets my vote, got the HTC Desire about 2months ago,

and although i haven't used the e-mail yet, i have found it to be fantastic. Plenty of apps out there for any occasion, it's fast, responsive and i thought very easy to use...

 

 

... Oh, and it makes and takes calls too!!!

[david]

Can't fault Android's email capabilities.

 

Gmail works like a charm and even Microsoft Exchange mailboxes usually appeared quicker on my phone than they did on my work pc.

 

 

WebOS does look promising but it's probably at the bottom of the pile in regards to number of applications available for it at the moment?

 

The new version of symbian looks nice. Will be interesting to see how well it performs.

[JordanKZ]

I say none of the above. iOS and Android are both as bad as each other in terms of usability. Android has things lumped on the top to try and make it better (^like the X10) but, underneath it all, it's still a hodge-podge of an OS. Also, the apps for Android are a collection of some good ones and a whole lot of half finished (or worse) ones.

 

I'd agree with the whole custom UI stuff. In particular the X10's TimeScape. All it's done is delay updates and nothing else. Not to mention it's a lag-tastic piece of crap... :-/

 

It has to be said, at the moment Android OS (without sense, which is what most HTC phones are running) is a bit of a mess UI wise. Design for applications is literally all over the place. But the core OS is steady as a rock. I've had my N1 for around 6 months now, never a hiccup, never a crash. Sure, apps crash, but that's the developers fault nothing to do with Android OS.

 

As a platform Android is still growing and it's only been with us for 18 months. Let's see what 3.0 shows at the end of the year.

 

... Then again I am SUPER tempted by Windows Phone 7! >_>

[Roachmill]

WebOS does look promising but it's probably at the bottom of the pile in regards to number of applications available for it at the moment?

That depends how you like yer piles Numbers wise, yes. Quality wise, no. I don't understand why, but when you look at a webOS app you usually tend to see a very polished and fully featured one. Go look for the same thing for Android and you find a half finished buggy piece of junk. And that's if you can find it for which ever version of Android your phone is running (another nail in Androids coffin).

 

If you like 3D games then webOS is second only to iOS. Google really dropped the ball on that front.

 

... Then again I am SUPER tempted by Windows Phone 7! >_>

That will have everything to do with your belief in Microsoft releasing a perfectly usable 1.0 version of something and nothing at all to do with the Xbox Live integration then

[Romeo]

Great replies guys, many thanks.

 

I found my old BB 7290 so popped a T-Mobile PAYG sim in to see how I got on around Shetland. Emails are fine in most areas, coverage, dare I say it has even been better side by side than my Vodafone...phone.

 

I can't open up internet urls though, I reckon it's just the TCP settings but trying to get support from T-Mobile is like pulling teeth.

 

Anyone use T-Mobile PAYG Blackberry? If so, can you share settings please?

 

Thought I'd try this before going down any of the discussed routes first.