Advice for a Smart Phone newbie?

[Widow's Peak]

My ancient Motorola Razor is finally on its last legs, so I've been thinking of joining the year 2011 and getting a Smart Phone. Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about them(except that you can run really cool apps), so i was hoping to get some advice on what to look for. For example:

* Is the IPhone or the Android a better buy?

* What is an "average" rate of data usage. I'm on Verizon, which has eliminated the unlimited coverage option in favor of a tiered system. I don't want to pay for more than I use, but I don't want to get stuck with overage charges if I outrun the small plan.

* If you want to share this info, what is your average monthly cost for your phone when you add everything together?


Like I said, I feel like the last person on earth without a Smart Phone, so forgive me if I ask a lot of stupid questions.

[MrBRulzOK]

From what I've heard most phones will warn you once you get near the maximum with your data. So as long as you pay attention to that and don't use it 24/7 then you shouldn't have to worry too much about overusing it. My data plan is only a 800 megabyte one and I never even come close to approaching the limit. Then again I don't stream videos or anything like that on there either.

[Mayonnaise]

First, I should say I prefer iPhone. I actually just returned an Android device as I wasn't a fan of the app selection but, I have been with the iPhone since gen 1 so you going in blind, it wont bother you as much I'd think.

With that said, with the iPhone, there are no questions about what apps work or won't for your phone, what accessories will work or anything like that as it one platform where on Android, some apps won't work because your OS may not be the most current or the phone's hardware cannot run it.

As for data usage, I am on ATT and a heavy user but, haven't used more than 1.1 gig a month. You should only need a high end data plan if you're going to use your phone to connect your computer to the net (tethering).

I am still grandfathered in on an unlimited data plan for $40 a month and $9.00 for an extra line on my parents' voice plan.

[Alucard]

It seems to vary, but my Evo 3D I recently purchased seemingly has every type of app I'd possibly want (and some I never fathomed existing) and runs faster than lightning, it puts my first gen Android phone to shame, their recent firmware updates are beastly compared to the old one I used to be stuck on (some quirk with the phone and Sprint's CDMA network wouldn't ever update it, doesn't seem to be the case on the Evo though)

I really love the thing, Pandora internet radio is a life saver, as are the navigation apps, and I'm a car guy and it has a wealth of apps that help me keep track of performance and whatnot.

Also, Plants vs. Zombies, man.

[Cactus Jack]

I'd suggest the iPhone. It's the best phone I've ever had.

[cruiserfan]

I'd say don't get a plan any lower than 500MB, and if you find yourself going over too easily, see if you can up your limit on your next bill.

I recently got the Samsung Galaxy S-II, which is among the best performing smart phones in production due to its dual core processor, so it's lightning fast. Yeah, with iPhones you have a guarantee of everything working, but Android is open source and there is a lot more that can be tweaked and customised. I have a custom ROM (operating system) installed on mine with some really neat little tweaks and crazy-good battery life for a phone of this type. I actually wrote a review of my phone: alexmcconnell.co.uk/2011/06/18/samsung-galaxy-s-ii/

If I were you I'd go into a phone shop and ask to try both an iPhone 4 and a top of the range Android, and see which you personally prefer, because both are pretty much awesome and down to each person's preferences.