need some advice for father.

[ironhorse]

I am trying to do some research for my father for a new phone. He is currently with at&t and is due for an upgrade. He would be moving from a blackberry bold to either an android or an iphone. He was wanting an iphone but being an android user myself with the fascinate and other phones in the past, I would recommend an android. My dilemma is do I recommend an captivate, unlocked vibrant, or something else or let him get an iphone? I go crazy over customization and love the android platform. I used an iphone for about a month before I went over to the light with android and never really looked back. There was jsut a lot the iphone could not do for me. I know in the long run he would be happier with an android, but he does like my step mom gettin certian apps on her iphone. Thanks for listening.

 

[jradicle11]

Start off with trying to show him Android-similar apps to the ones he likes on your mother's iphone.

 

[fireonhigh]

if dad doesn't know what phone he wants,send him to the apple orchard...or just a simple messaging phone? but if he gets lost alot,get him the captivate,, i kid youuuu.lol

 

[Thare187]

I am trying to do some research for my father for a new phone. He is currently with at&t and is due for an upgrade. He would be moving from a blackberry bold to either an android or an iphone. He was wanting an iphone but being an android user myself with the fascinate and other phones in the past, I would recommend an android. My dilemma is do I recommend an captivate, unlocked vibrant, or something else or let him get an iphone? I go crazy over customization and love the android platform. I used an iphone for about a month before I went over to the light with android and never really looked back. There was jsut a lot the iphone could not do for me. I know in the long run he would be happier with an android, but he does like my step mom gettin certian apps on her iphone. Thanks for listening.

If he wants a complete phone, do not get the Captivate. I regret not taking it back every time I try to use it to get me somewhere. I repeat-DO NOT GET THIS PHONE. The GPS will never be fixed unless there is a recall. At some point Samsung will throw their hands in the air and say "Sorry about you luck guys." You can count on that.

 

[Endoran]

I am trying to do some research for my father for a new phone. He is currently with at&t and is due for an upgrade. He would be moving from a blackberry bold to either an android or an iphone. He was wanting an iphone but being an android user myself with the fascinate and other phones in the past, I would recommend an android. My dilemma is do I recommend an captivate, unlocked vibrant, or something else or let him get an iphone? I go crazy over customization and love the android platform. I used an iphone for about a month before I went over to the light with android and never really looked back. There was jsut a lot the iphone could not do for me. I know in the long run he would be happier with an android, but he does like my step mom gettin certian apps on her iphone. Thanks for listening.

If feels like to me that you really want him to have an android phone. With AT&T's 30 day return/exchange policy why not get a captivate and if it's too much for him return it and get an iPhone 3GS or 4. My gut reaction was to recommend an iPhone tho but I can tell you feel strongly about android!

 

[fireonhigh]

get daddy the iphone,or he will be on this forum yelling at us!! and beating your as$

 

[nb_mitch]

How about the price difference? An Iphone is over $200 and a Captivate can be had for $60 from Wal-Mart.com or Wirefly.com. It has been as low as Free, but to us old guys price matters

 

[fireonhigh]

If he wants a complete phone, do not get the Captivate. I regret not taking it back every time I try to use it to get me somewhere. I repeat-DO NOT GET THIS PHONE. The GPS will never be fixed unless there is a recall. At some point Samsung will throw their hands in the air and say "Sorry about you luck guys." You can count on that.

the day after froyo hits and gps dont work? its on craigslist for a order of hot spicy wings and 4 pitchers of beeror 200usd,,what ever comes first,lol,,,,oh well. GO RON PAUL!OHHH SORRY I FORGET MY FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAMS

 

[jradicle11]

the day after froyo hits and gps dont work? its on craigslist for a order of hot spicy wings and 4 pitchers of beeror 200usd,,what ever comes first,lol,,,,oh well. GO RON PAUL!OHHH SORRY I FORGET MY FAVORITE FOOTBALL TEAMS

Uhh... What?

 

[fireonhigh]

Yeah,,,well how about 10 wings and a pabst??come on now.....damn it

 

[Chris_Marie]

I would start him with the Captivate and if he hates the phone then he can go exchange for an iPhone. Better yet if you have an old android phone you aren't using you could always let him borrow it so he can get a taste of it (worked for my mom). If you don't have one that is with AT&T maybe you can find a friend who has one that is willing to let it be borrowed out for a few days.

 

[fireonhigh]

''TO THE OP'' if dad does not need gps? go with the captivate, if dad needs gps? go with iphone4...........

 

[ironhorse]

If he wants a complete phone, do not get the Captivate. I regret not taking it back every time I try to use it to get me somewhere. I repeat-DO NOT GET THIS PHONE. The GPS will never be fixed unless there is a recall. At some point Samsung will throw their hands in the air and say "Sorry about you luck guys." You can count on that.

He does not use gps now with his blackberry so I dont think it is a big deal. Whats the difference on this gps and my gps on my fascinate. I dont have a single problem with it. If it was an iphone it would probably be a 3gs not the 4 that he went with. I just dont see him spending 200 on a new phone. If the captivate has so many problems why not the vibrant and unlock it?

 

[3gAndroid]

He does not use gps now with his blackberry so I dont think it is a big deal. Whats the difference on this gps and my gps on my fascinate. I dont have a single problem with it. If the captivate has so many problems why not the vibrant and unlock it?

The Captivate does _not_have a lot of problems. I've got three in my family.

We started with mine and it was so well liked by everyone we bought two more. I've had mine since the very day they were released and it's been fantastic.

Now... GPS? Yes some users have problems, but what phone doesn't? The three Captivates we have all work fine, no GPS problems. And I've checked them using my Garmin. No they are not as accurate as the Garmin... it's a phone people.

There is no difference in the GPS from one Galaxy S to the next, they are the same as yours.

I've had over 40 smartphones (I maintain 4 lines, I'm addicted) and I haven't had a perfect phone yet. Currently I have an iPhone 4, Droid X, Droid 2, and Captivate all on activated lines and of those, I like the Captivate the best. The Droid X is a close second, but it has a regular TFT display which is nowhere as nice as the Super AMOLED display of the Galaxy S line of four carrier branded phones. Here they are for your comparison. You will notice they are all the same basic Galaxy S with just a few minor differences for each carrier.

Finally here is my suggestion. Since the Android platform (on any Android phone) is not quite as simple as an iPhone, then I would get him an iPhone 3Gs if he just wants to use it and forget it.

OR ... If he likes to customize his phone and has some patience the Captivate or any Galaxy in the links below is the way to go.

Cheers.....

Samsung i897 Captivate vs. Samsung Fascinate - GSMArena.com

Samsung i897 Captivate vs. Samsung Vibrant - GSMArena.com

Hope this helps in your decision.

 

[Frisco]

Samsung i897 Captivate vs. Samsung Fascinate - GSMArena.com

Samsung i897 Captivate vs. Samsung Vibrant - GSMArena.com

Hope this helps in your decision.

Comparative reviews are the way to go with a question like the OP's.

One other consideration might be the differences in email handing between the Blackberries and Androids. Android does fall down a bit comparatively, or at least takes some serious getting used to for a user coming off a Bold (I came off an 8330 and was sorely disappointed in what I saw in my first Android device).

Of course, not all Blackberry users take full advantage of RIM's email offerings.. perhaps that'll be a small issue.

 

[3gAndroid]

One other consideration might be the differences in email handing between the Blackberries and Androids. Android does fall down a bit comparatively, or at least takes some serious getting used to for a user coming off a Bold

Excellent points!

I too came from a strong BlackBerry background, as I've been a phone enthusiast for quite some time. I had a 7130c, a 8300, 8310, 8320, Bold 9000, 9700 then then I jumped into Android. (amongst all the other unlocked unbranded phones I tried).

The challenge of not having a physical keyboard was huge for me, since I handle a minimum of 40 business emails per day from my smartphone. The solution for me, is Swype on this Captivate. It's a very impressive input method that I find very fast, accurate and fun. It's the 2 minute videos on their site that did it for me. Within a very short period of time I was up to speed.

Cheers...

 

[Cuerbo]

Get your Dad an IPhone4, why would you recommend he get a phone with a busted GPS and from a company (Samsung) that can't give anyone of us a straight answer as to when the GPS issue will be fixed. If you love your old man, Iphone4 is your answer.

 

[jradicle11]

Get the Captivate, see if the GPS issue is really an issue. If you don't like it, exchange it for an iPhone4 within 30 days. They're both great phones, after all.

 

[ironhorse]

Because an iphone 4 is most likely not the option. It would be a 3gs or the captivate. Who is to say the gps will not work. Not all samsung galaxy s phones have a broken gps. Second as he does not use gps it is pretty much a moot point. Seems the only people complain about is the gps. I am not purchasing this phone unless I got a great deal. I would be throwing some money his way as a gift but not the whole cost of the phone unless it was a captivate. I think I am going to let him play with my phone and decide if he likes it or not and if not steer him towards the iphone.

 

[Thare187]

Because an iphone 4 is most likely not the option. It would be a 3gs or the captivate. Who is to say the gps will not work. Not all samsung galaxy s phones have a broken gps. Second as he does not use gps it is pretty much a moot point. Seems the only people complain about is the gps. I am not purchasing this phone unless I got a great deal. I would be throwing some money his way as a gift but not the whole cost of the phone unless it was a captivate. I think I am going to let him play with my phone and decide if he likes it or not and if not steer him towards the iphone.

I love the phone, other than the GPS. You say not all people have GPS problems on their Galaxy phones? Most people test this by standing in their yard. Yeah, you can get a lock. Try to get it working in their car or riding a bike and you'll see the mess that is. Even if it works for a day, the next day it's broke again.

 

[Cuerbo]

A lot of Apps use GPS believe it or not, even searching with Google w/GPS on causes the phone to look for a GPS signal. In you insist on spending $200 on a broken phone, go ahead but for the record, the entire Galaxy S family is impacted. Visit other Android sites, Facebook, Twitter, and the likes, everyone is complaining.

 

[lordhamster]

Depends:

1. Does Dad use exchange based email? If yes, get iPhone. If he uses Gmail get captivate.

2. Does dad need GPS? If yes, get iPhone + navigon, if no get Captivate.

3. Is dad a techie guy? Will he ever edit the widgets, or does his customization end at selecting a ringtone? Either phone will do.

4. Does Step mom have an iphone 4? If so, he may want to do naughty facetime chats while on business trips. Else, get Captivate.


My dad is a blackberry guy, but still calls me all the time for IT support. My mom knows even less and has 0 problems with her iPad. for the non-techie I definitely recommend apple every time. Anyone who knows what they are doing will prefer Android.

Unless they use GPS.

 

[jradicle11]

4. Does Step mom have an iphone 4? If so, he may want to do naughty facetime chats while on business trips. Else, get Captivate.

Congrats on haunting his dreams.

 

[lordhamster]

Congrats on haunting his dreams.

hehe could be worse, he could be asking about a phone for grandpa.


One thing I forgot. If he travels overseas for extended business trips, go for the Captivate. With the SGS unlock program in the market, he can unlock it instantly for use with foreign sims

 

[Chris_Marie]

Because an iphone 4 is most likely not the option. It would be a 3gs or the captivate. Who is to say the gps will not work. Not all samsung galaxy s phones have a broken gps. Second as he does not use gps it is pretty much a moot point. Seems the only people complain about is the gps. I am not purchasing this phone unless I got a great deal. I would be throwing some money his way as a gift but not the whole cost of the phone unless it was a captivate. I think I am going to let him play with my phone and decide if he likes it or not and if not steer him towards the iphone.

Letting him play with your phone is the best thing to do. I am new to AT&T and am not familiar with upgrades and when a full upgrade price is possible. But when my hubby and I switched to AT&T the iPhone 4-16g and the Captivate were the same price and that was almost 2 weeks ago. My mom had the HD2 and she decided she hated it and was going to just get a simple little texting phone. I knew that would not go over so well and I let her borrow my old android phone and literally the next day she bought the Vibrant and a week later she still loves the phone (and she has me as tech support so that might help). If she didn't like android I would have told her to get an unlocked iPhone.

If you guys go through AT&T he has 30 days and if GPS isn't an issue for him he should be able to figure out if other things about the Captivate will or will not work for him.