Couple of quick questions

[Clementine_3]

My non-tech savvy friend has a pre-pay phone w/Verizon and, after playing with my Droid, wants to get a smart phone. I'm thinking a DInc may be the way to go for him. He will be using mostly it for Maps/navigation I think, and web browsing for news (yeah, he doesn't know RSS, I'll show him. lol).

Anyway, 2 questions:
How is the battery life, really? I've read all sorts of different opinions. He won't be a power-user by any stretch of the imagination but will get frustrated if it doesn't last long.
He will be outside a lot, how is the display in the sun?

I'm not worried that it is nearing end of life or maybe won't get updates or isn't the latest and greatest, none of that matters to him. I want a reliable phone that will do the basics...that's really all he is after.
Oh, he would be a candidate for an iPhone at some level, but I just can't let that happen!

He doesn't know it yet but I am going to try to port his pre-pay to Google Voice and set that up for him. I'll just tell him it's the new way to get voice mail. Has anyone heard of a successful pre-pay port?

Thoughts, tips and tricks welcome!

 

[mrsbethyoung]

As far as the battery goes, I get great life. I am using the stock battery and I can usually get 12 hours or so of use. But I am constantly on the internet, twitter, and facebook. Obviously, using GPS will run the battery down a little quicker, but it's nothing a cheapie car charger cant fix. I can usually get at least 10% of juice on a 15 minute plug-in session.

I keep my display on like 1% unless it's sunny outside, then I can up it to 75% or so and see just fine. I have a widget on my home screen and am able to adjust the brightness even when I'm already in the sun and cant see the screen too well.

And for the RSS, you probably already know this, but Google has developed a Reader app, so he can add news feeds to his google reader on the computer and have that at his fingertips on the phone.

 

[zerocool79346]

I get absolutely fantastic battery life on the stock battery. My phone is awake (per the awake and up time) approx. 25% of the time and I have yet to have a discharge where I get less than 30 hours as long as I'm not streaming AudioGalaxy the entire time.

 

[D0nuts]

The battery is pretty good, I keep my display at 15% most of the day.

 

[NightAngel79]

My battery life is also more than enough for a days use, i average around 25hours. Consistently have around 7 hours awake time (unless i am streaming audiogalaxy)

 

[Rdjr74]

I guess I'll play the other side of the card. My battery was not satisfactory and ended up getting a 1800mAh battery. I had to charge the battery at least once a day no matter how much I used it. I can now go a day plus without charge. I now don't have any issues worrying about when and if my battery is gonna die. And this battery actually fits with the original back.

Sounds like he/she will be using the phone similar to me. Some games here and there, internet browsing and texting. I don't get may phone calls, usually just texting. Depending on how he will be browsing the internet, if watching videos, heavy flash sites, will drain the battery rather fast. I do recommend and bigger capacity battery.

The screen outside in the sun is very hard to read. You need some shade to get anything accomplished. Although I do have a Zagg screen protector which may add to the glare.

 

[Old Member]

I have a 2150 mAh with back that was used much less than a month that I'd make someone a sweet deal on. I never use it. It just sits in a drawer.

 

[Clementine_3]

Thanks for all the input, I guess we will just wait and see how it goes for him. He's probably going to pick it up this weekend.
I do want to get a screen protector for him, he plays in dirt. LOL. I have a Boxwave and like it, I think they have an anti-glare one, maybe I'll look into that.