The Smartphone Conundrum, or: Why Am I Obsessing About a Piece of Technology?
iPhone or Razr Maxx?
Razr Maxx or iPhone?
As a long time owner of Verizon cellular phone technology (going on eight years now), it seems to be getting harder with each 20-month renewal cycle to decide what the next phone step should be.
Actually, I should clarify: with the smartphone revolution, it has become harder to decide what phone to choose.
I admit that I was a late adopter of smart phone technology, and when I did finally settle on one, I chose...well...let's just say:
Last time around, I chose the BlackBerry Storm2. It was a nice phone when I got it in April 2010. But very quickly, I realized something: All of those fun things that people can do with their iPhones or Droids (like the one that the person to whom I'm related by marriage chose) I simply could not do with the BlackBerry. Or if I could, the app either cost a lot, was crappy, or both.
The BlackBerry Storm2 had no pizazz. No zing. No chutzpah. It was boring. And while I, myself, am far from sexy, even I found it to be too no frills.
Flash forward to June 2012. We've been eligible for an upgrade for six months now, but my circumstances delayed the selection of a new phone. However, the time is quickly approaching where a choice needs to be made.
One option is the iPhone 4S 16GB. I'm inclined to lean this direction because a lot of the nicer accessories and add-ons seem to be only available for iPhones. However, I struggle with the concept of Siri and why she is necessary. And if you can't delete her, well...that's memory that's taken up by an annoying, unncessary native app that could be better spent on a unnecessary app that I at least would have chosen.
In the other corner is the Droid Razr Maxx. Holding it at a Verizon Kiosk last weekend, it seemed to be only slighty smaller than my Kindle. Yet according to the online specs about battery life, it apparently can last forever without needing a charge. Given that my BlackBerry has a current battery life of about 3 hours off of the charger, assuming that I don't use an app or, you know, take a phone call with my phone, I can be a fan of a long battery life. I don't like the fact that I can't change the battery myself, though, or pull it in case it locks up.
(Yes, I know the issue is the same with the iPhone. It's an additional negative against that product as well.)
A couple of weeks ago, I sat down and looked at what I acutally use my smartphone to do. Here is the modest list:
Make and receive calls
Send and receive emails and texts
Take and share pictures and videos
Play videos and music
Access Facebook
Access Twitter
Check sports news and scores
Check weather forecasts
Use calculator
Use tip calculator
That's it. That's the list.
The iPhone model that I could reasonably ask for as a gift is 16GB. The Razr Maxx has 16GB internal and another 16GB pre-installed as a memory card, which is where I store music, videos and photos. That's a lot of memory.
I've leaned both ways recently. Given that it's a 20 month (minimum) commitment, how horribly dissatisfied I have become with my current phone, and how expensive these phones are now a la carte, I guess the agonizing is expected.
What have I finally settled on? When I figure it out, I'll let you know.
Razr Maxx or iPhone?
As a long time owner of Verizon cellular phone technology (going on eight years now), it seems to be getting harder with each 20-month renewal cycle to decide what the next phone step should be.
Actually, I should clarify: with the smartphone revolution, it has become harder to decide what phone to choose.
I admit that I was a late adopter of smart phone technology, and when I did finally settle on one, I chose...well...let's just say:
Last time around, I chose the BlackBerry Storm2. It was a nice phone when I got it in April 2010. But very quickly, I realized something: All of those fun things that people can do with their iPhones or Droids (like the one that the person to whom I'm related by marriage chose) I simply could not do with the BlackBerry. Or if I could, the app either cost a lot, was crappy, or both.
The BlackBerry Storm2 had no pizazz. No zing. No chutzpah. It was boring. And while I, myself, am far from sexy, even I found it to be too no frills.
Flash forward to June 2012. We've been eligible for an upgrade for six months now, but my circumstances delayed the selection of a new phone. However, the time is quickly approaching where a choice needs to be made.
One option is the iPhone 4S 16GB. I'm inclined to lean this direction because a lot of the nicer accessories and add-ons seem to be only available for iPhones. However, I struggle with the concept of Siri and why she is necessary. And if you can't delete her, well...that's memory that's taken up by an annoying, unncessary native app that could be better spent on a unnecessary app that I at least would have chosen.
In the other corner is the Droid Razr Maxx. Holding it at a Verizon Kiosk last weekend, it seemed to be only slighty smaller than my Kindle. Yet according to the online specs about battery life, it apparently can last forever without needing a charge. Given that my BlackBerry has a current battery life of about 3 hours off of the charger, assuming that I don't use an app or, you know, take a phone call with my phone, I can be a fan of a long battery life. I don't like the fact that I can't change the battery myself, though, or pull it in case it locks up.
(Yes, I know the issue is the same with the iPhone. It's an additional negative against that product as well.)
A couple of weeks ago, I sat down and looked at what I acutally use my smartphone to do. Here is the modest list:
Make and receive calls
Send and receive emails and texts
Take and share pictures and videos
Play videos and music
Access Facebook
Access Twitter
Check sports news and scores
Check weather forecasts
Use calculator
Use tip calculator
That's it. That's the list.
The iPhone model that I could reasonably ask for as a gift is 16GB. The Razr Maxx has 16GB internal and another 16GB pre-installed as a memory card, which is where I store music, videos and photos. That's a lot of memory.
I've leaned both ways recently. Given that it's a 20 month (minimum) commitment, how horribly dissatisfied I have become with my current phone, and how expensive these phones are now a la carte, I guess the agonizing is expected.
What have I finally settled on? When I figure it out, I'll let you know.
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