Best "Business" Phone for Verizon?

[gish]

My husband is getting a phone upgrade soon. He currently has a BB and wants to try an Android phone. He mostly uses his phone for email, though he likes to use the web on it, too. Which Android phone currently offered from Verizon is best for business type stuff? I was told before that the Eris, specifically, was not a good phone for email. Is the Incredible okay for stuff like that? Is it true about the Eris, because I can get a good deal for one of those... Suggestions?

 

[wavemaster]

Well, currently Android 2.1 does not support voice dailing over bluetooth.
If your husband travels by cars that might be the deal breaker.

Then you wait until Android 2.2 comes out.

 

[srmccoy]

Whoever told you that the Eris was bad for e-mail was just projecting a personal bias. Probably because it lacks a hardware keyboard. More on that in a second.

As far as e-mail client support, last I checked all of the Verizon Android offerings have Exchange support, though I may be corrected. I don't personally use Exchange, but a lot of businesses do. If Gmail support is desired, any phone will do just fine.

If your husband enjoys having a real hardware keyboard (very common on Blackberries outside of the Storm line), then the Motorola Droid is probably your best bet. I found the hardware keys flat and hard to hit accurately without staring at it. The Eris and Incredible only have on-screen "software" keyboards. I personally find these easier to use, but most users find them more difficult.

Just a note: The Droid Eris is discontinued now, hence why they're so cheap. I have one and use it for work/play and have no issues. The Droid is getting replaced by the Droid 2 here in the next few months, so the prices should be coming down on those too. If your husband wants to have a top-end device the Incredible, Droid X, or Droid 2 will probably be the best bets. Just note that none of them are readily available as of this writing. The Incredible is on backorder until late July, the Droid X comes out on July 15th, and the rumors are that the Droid 2 will be out in August.

 

[gish]

Thank you for your help! I'm getting an Eris tomorrow if I can find it locally, and hubby will probably get that, as long as it fits his email needs. He doesn't use Bluetooth - though he probably should - so that's not too much of an issue.

 

[srmccoy]

If you can, have him try typing something on one before you buy. If that's not possible, you still have 30 days to return it if it's not a good fit. Like I said, I find the Eris just fine for typing quickly and accurately. Your husband may not. It's all personal preference.

 

[vbetts]

I would try to go for the Droid or the Alley over the Eris, the Eris won't have much long of a life left.

 

[HustlinDaily]

Honestly, I think he should go with Incredible or Eris.

HTC Sense has better Exchange support/business apps than vanilla Android.

Since HTC has already stated that phones released in 2010 will get an update to the next iteration of the Android OS, FroYo or 2.2 (better native exchange support, apps running faster due to JIT complier, ability to store apps on SD card and all of internal memory) during the 2H of 2010. I would say the Incredible would be the best choice as of right now.

Also the Motorola Droid X and Samsung Galaxy S (under a different name) are probably coming to Verizon next month. Both have bigger screens (Droid X at 4.3", Galaxy S at 4". Better for reading e-mails, using a virtual keyboard, etc), faster processors (Incredible Snapdragon is fast, but TI's OMAP and Samsung's Hummingbird are faster). If you can wait a month to see reviews on native exchange/corporate support for those phones, it would probably be smartest.

 

[takeshi]

"Business" is an extremely vague requirement. Can you at least share what type of email account? People assume that all businesses use Exchange but that's not the case. Though, as HustlinDaily points out, Sense does have better stock support for Exchange.

If your husband enjoys having a real hardware keyboard (very common on Blackberries outside of the Storm line), then the Motorola Droid is probably your best bet.

Though if he's used to a BB keyboard (as I was) he will be very underwhelmed by the Droid's keyboard. I found Swype very useful but not everyone likes it. There are, however, other keyboard apps out there as well.

If you can, have him try typing something on one before you buy.

Have him try using all the options. Selecting a device is very subjective and most people have specific preferences for size, weight, "build quality" and other factors that can only be assessed in person.

 

[colnago]

"If" he needs email from work, and the company uses "Exchange Servers, and the Google/HTC based email clients are not working, the generally accepted default 3rd party application for Exchange mail is Touchdown, found in the Android Market.

 

[gish]

Thanks, all, for your input. He wants touchscreen, because he didn't like the Droid's keyboard. His coworker uses Swype, and he probably will, too. For email, I know he uses gmail and Outlook... He said he has to be able to open attachments and view PDFs, and it doesn't look like that'll be a problem. He's not really a power user when it comes to phones, so I don't think he'd care whether it's an Eris or an Inc. I think we'll get one of those two, probably, if Sense is better. (I don't think his firm uses Exchange, but I'll check.)