Best smartphone value?

[gzsfrk]

So I'm really almost embarassed to admit this, but I have still yet to jump on the smartphone bandwagon. For my mobile phone, I actually have a tiny little Net10 handset that's served me well, lo these past 3 years. But seeing as I'm going to be heading out of the country the first week of August for a week-long training session in Prague, I think it would behoove me to quickly decide on and purchase a decent smartphone that will provide me things such as a translation app and GPS-based walking directions.

Despite being what I consider to be rather tech-savvy (I've built every computer I've owned since I was 14), I honestly don't have a clue about smartphones. That being the case, I would very much appreciate any advice you all have to offer. Here's a list of what I'm looking for:


CHEAP! Despite its limited functionality, I've gotten spoiled by NET10's 0.10/minute, no contract plan. Fact is, I don't talk on the phone a lot, although I do text a fair amount. I don't think I would be a data hog, unless I'm near a WiFi hotspot, so data plan doesn't need to be too beefy either. No contract is a definite plus; in fact, I have a heavy aversion to 2 year contracts, having been burnt by them before. I've heard that the best cheap option is to simply buy your own phone and then join T-Mobile. Is that still the case?
APPS! I don't need a ton of apps, but I would like to be able to play some fun games every now and then. Plus, for the purposes of my trip, I'll obviously be needing a good English->Czech translator. And, as I mentioned, I'd like GPS support with a good walking guide that supports international locations.
LONG BATTERY LIFE! I know with any kind of decently-capable smartphone that I'm not going to be able to go 2 weeks between charges like I currently do with my tiny NET10 dealio, but it would be nice to not have to plug it in every single night.
GRAVY! Anything else is just fluff, but I'm open to cool features.


I don't really have a platform preference between iOS, Android, and WP7 (although I might be worried that the WP7 phone may not have as many useful and/or fun apps and games to choose from).

Alternately, I've considered just picking up an iPod Touch on the super cheap (plenty of them on Craigslist for less than $100) and using it with Skype for calls. Any particular flaws in that plan that anyone cares to educate me on?

[sgtslappy]

What service do you want? Sprint? AT&T? Verzion? Do you want a contract?

Any "newer" Android phone would do you fine. I've been rocking my HTC Hero for the past year and a half and it's worked fine. I've even dropped it into a storm drain on accident and it worked fine afterwards.

[Shela Monster]

This may get me a lot of hate, but I've enjoyed my Windows 7 Phone. (WP7)
But, mainly because I actively use a lot of Microsoft services.
Things like Hotmail, Office, Live account info (such as Xbox and Zune info), and Skydrive are already supported by it, and these are things I use quite a lot.
And plus, unlike the iPhone, I don't feel the need to go get the newest in the series because Microsoft has really nice update support.
Check out the "WP7 Mango" update to see what I'm talking about.

Other than that, all of the WP7 specs are the same on each phones, except things like screen size and perhaps a few buttons. But processor and all that jazz, they're the same.

I recommend it.
It may not have all the fame and flame of the iPhone, or some of the Droids, but I've yet to have a complaint about it. And it works through Zune as an app hub and updater when connected to your PC.

I have the HTC Trophy from Verizon. No complaints, and I don't regret it.

~Shela Monster

[spdiscus]

My vote is for the iPod Touch. Battery life is acceptable. No data plans needed.
The problem with the really cheap ones is the generation. I have a Gen2 from a Lightning Deal a year or two ago. It can play all of the 'casual' games people talk about (birds/ropes/ninjas/gamedev), but it can't run/install any of the games targeting the 'core' market (bit.trip/deadspace/infinity blade).

The craigslist ones are probably Gen2 and 3. Every time an app vendor pushes an update the performance on the older units gets worse. It's a standard PC-type problem, but with an accelerated life cycle.

My iPod doesn't have a camera or microphone, so I can't comment on your Skype question.

[lockwoodx]

Waiting for the iphone5, maybe... I still haven't decided. Rockin my gZone till I do.

[gzsfrk]

So I picked up a 4th-gen iPod Touch 32GB off craigslist for a decent price today ($200), and I think it should work for what I need. It's more than I was wanting to spend, but seeing as it takes great HD video and pictures, AND will let me do Skype, AND lets me do Google Maps (albeit with limited accuracy since it can only get your general area based on the wifi hotspot you're connected to), I think it should meet my needs. Plus, I won't have any additional monthly fees to worry about. I think between my hooptie Net10 handset and the iPod Touch, I should be OK.

[Syl]

virgin mobile. Easily.

www.virginmobile.com

I'm picking up one of these as soon as my current phone contract ends.

[gzsfrk]

FYI, here's a fantastic article describing how you can use an iPod Touch 4G to replace your current smartphone, assuming you live in an area with high WiFi availability.

http://lifehacker.com/5636976/how-to-turn-your-ipod-touch-into-an-iphone-4g-edition

[see colon]

More important than the phone's hardware is the network. Did anyone read the initial post? He's "heading out of the country the first week of August for a week-long training session in Prague".

I'd recommend a GSM carrier as GSM seams to have better worldwide coverage. That means AT&T or T-Mobile. A few Verizon and Sprint phones have "worldwide roaming" (GSM radios), but you'll likely pay a premium for them.

If you are going for cheap, that's a tough call, because all of the carriers are going to charge you an arm and a leg for international roaming. Plus, limiting yourself to a GSM carrier stateside also limits you to their networks. AT&T has a bigger footprint here than T-Mobile, but both pale in comparison to Sprint or Verizon (there's a map for that). And Sprint and Verizon have a roaming agreement, so you'll get voice coverage and 2g data almost everywhere your native network doesn't have it.

What I would recommend is one of the better prepaid android phones. Even if you don't get any network coverage over there, you will be able to use the newest version of Google Maps to cache maps in your area. Just download them when you are in a WiFi. You'll be able to get your feet wet with the OS with a fully featured piece of hardware, but not be hammered by a huge raoming bill at the end of your trip. Also, if you lose your phone in Prague, you'll only have to cry a few tears. And at the end, if you choose to pony up for a contract, you'll have a good idea what Android is, and be able to make an assessment of it's fit for you. And, you'll end up with a phone that you can mod, hack, and do really risky things with and have no regrets if you brick it.

I'd recommend an iPod Touch, but they don't have GPS', do they?

[gzsfrk]

virgin mobile. Easily.

www.virginmobile.com

I'm picking up one of these as soon as my current phone contract ends.

Those looks like some pretty sweet deals as well. Might have to migrate the wife to one of those once she wears out her current phone. (Another NET10, although hers is a bit fancier.)

[Anenome]

I... refuse to reward Apple.

[TDiddy]

So I picked up a 4th-gen iPod Touch 32GB off craigslist for a decent price today ($200), and I think it should work for what I need. It's more than I was wanting to spend, but seeing as it takes great HD video and pictures, AND will let me do Skype, AND lets me do Google Maps (albeit with limited accuracy since it can only get your general area based on the wifi hotspot you're connected to), I think it should meet my needs. Plus, I won't have any additional monthly fees to worry about. I think between my hooptie Net10 handset and the iPod Touch, I should be OK.

Sounds like you made the right choice for yourself. I have a Windows Phone on Verizon and love it. But the route you took seems like it will work out just about as perfect as possible. The iPod Touch is a nifty little device and pretty much elimates your need for a smart phone. Not an Apple fan myself, but have to recognize the usefulness of a device that does all the things that that one can.

[sai tyrus]

There's a special with AT&T where you can get an iPhone 3G for fifty bucks. My Verizon contract just expired and that's what me and my wife did. Plenty of options though. It is nice to browse the internetz anywhere.

[see colon]

gzsfrk, do net10 phones roam internationally? Most prepaid phones have lackluster roaming to begin with, and get even worse when out of the country.

Nice choice on the iPod, though. Even though it's a pricey item, if you lose it overseas you won't be locked into a long term contract without a phone.

[Wolfgang]

Vote for WP7. Depending on provider they are cheap. All WP7 phones will get the Mango fall update for free (rumor has it due out around Sept.).

[inscribed]

Vote for WP7. Depending on provider they are cheap. All WP7 phones will get the Mango fall update for free (rumor has it due out around Sept.).

its a sad day when you have to advertise an update as free. it should be implied.

[gzsfrk]

its a sad day when you have to advertise an update as free. it should be implied.

At least with a WP7 phone, it doesn't require you to shell out $500 for a whole new model.

[gzsfrk]

gzsfrk, do net10 phones roam internationally? Most prepaid phones have lackluster roaming to begin with, and get even worse when out of the country.

Nope. Even though they use GSM, they're firmware locked to stateside networks. I've read that you can flash the firmware with some custom code and make it so the phone will accept a SIM card from an international carrier, but that's honestly far more trouble than a $30 phone is worth. If it comes to the point that I really need one, there's no shortage of street vendors selling cheapie pre-paid phones over there as well. But as it is, so long as I'm near a WiFi hotspot, I think my iPod Touch + Line2 combo should serve me quite well. Just need to pick up a bluetooth headset for it (even though the speakerphone option does work fairly well).

[gzsfrk]

I'd recommend an iPod Touch, but they don't have GPS', do they?

They don't, but what they DO is pull the location data for your current WiFi hotspot. That's not perfect by any means, but it will more than meet my needs. iPhones are a bit better as they triangulate your position using the cell towers; still not precise, but quite workable for getting from general area A to general area B.

[see colon]

iPhones have GPS sensors as well, and quite a few apps provide turn by turn navigation. If you are walking, though, as long as you can get a map and point A to point B, you'll probably be fine.

[gzsfrk]

iPhones have GPS sensors as well, and quite a few apps provide turn by turn navigation. If you are walking, though, as long as you can get a map and point A to point B, you'll probably be fine.

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that the late model iPhones (3GS and 4) have something called "A-GPS" ("Assisted GPS"), which is kind of a psuedo-GPS functionality. I don't exactly recall the full take-away, but it was something to the effect that it's sort of a simulated GPS receiver that augments the cell tower triangulation and wifi hotspot locationing. It's still better than earlier iPhone models which only had triangulation and wifi hotpost data, but I think it's something less than a fully-featured GPS implementation in the device.

[see colon]

A-GPS doesn't preclude a GPS radio. Most modern cell phones use the cellular network and WiFi signal to acquire your coarse location faster, and the GPS receiver to give you a more accurate location.

I'm pretty sure only the original iPhone (2g) lacked a true GPS receiver, and I'm certain the 4 has one. Not only have I used one and tested it's accuracy, but a big deal was made over the GSM model's GPS chip being stripped out of the CDMA version and replaced by a single chip that handles all of the radios. This was partly because of the switch from the GSM radio, switching to the new chip was cheaper to produce, and because they redesigned the antenna to prevent the "grip of death" phenomenon. Also, the new chip (a Qualcomm MDM6600) supports both EV-DO and HSPA+ 3G, so future versions of the iPhone will likely be identical hardware on both networks, with firmware locking out the competitors network.

[DeathBeforeDishonor]

Maybe you can tell me how to simulate listening skills just by acquiring a new cell phone that depends on my listening abilities.

[Anenome]

Maybe you can tell me how to simulate listening skills just by acquiring a new cell phone that depends on my listening abilities.
You mean like Google's message service that transcribes voicemails into text and emails them to you?

[DeathBeforeDishonor]

Yeah. Have you seen Flight of the Concords on youtube, and then used Google's transcribe feature to have it put into closed caption? When it comes to vernacular that only certain races use because it's a racist slur, or what have you, the only thing it knows how to do is to completely mess up the transcription and alter it each time, so that what happens when an Indian is selling fruit to New Zealanders at a fruit stand, the New Zealanders explain to the Indian that they're not Australian because if they were, they'd be on Alcatraz. It also shows that Google doesn't know how to interpret the phrase "find my car" when it's spoken by anybody other than an English person.

[Anenome]

Youtube's transcription service is crappy. There's much better ones.

Did you ever use 1-800-google?

It's shut down now, but it was perfect when it was over. It's a matter of how much processing power you want to throw at the problem.

[gzsfrk]

Quick update, while I see other people are necro'ing this thread.

As I mentioned, I picked up an iPod Touch 4G (4th gen) and am using it as a wifi-enabled phone. The best way to do this for NO additional money is to set up a Google Voice account, and then use a free app called Talkatone (http://www.talkatone.com/). It works in the background of 4th gen iOS devices, so you can get incoming calls without having the application in the foreground. Audio quality is a bit lacking, and it sort of sucks that they charge you to get full quality ($1.99/mo). But it's still more than serviceable, and even if it wasn't, $2/mo. is still an amazing value for a phone that can call anywhere in the U.S. for free and can be called anywhere in the world.

On a related subject, everyone start sending me your iOS GameCenter IDs so I can have some friends to play co-op and compare scores with. :)

[Syl]

Oh yeah, virgin mobile just refreshed their phone line, so now they have an actual up to date android phone available with their rates.

woo!