Help

[Divermom]

I'm about to purchase my first "smart" phone and have a zillion questions. First and foremost: Sprint or Verizon? I have a year to go on Sprint and will incur a penalty if I cancel now. This is not a big deal, but if I don't have to incur the cost, all the better.

I have been told that Android phones don't "last" all day. Big issue while on the road with no access to "plug in" until evening. How easy is it to "switch" from 4G to 3G to "save" battery time? Is this true?

I travel a bit and want coverage for emailing, GPS, calls, etc. around the world - e.g. South Africa, Myanmar, Uzibekistan, etc. I live in NYC area and both Sprint and Verizon work well here. I am looking at the Verizon Incredible 2 (told that their roaming goes directly to Vodafone and Vodafone is all around the world) and the Sprint HTC EVO 4G. Other suggestions besides stay home?

 

[alostpacket]

Welcome to AF!

The Incredible 2 is a "world phone" but you should absolutely check with VZ before traveling because that may only mean you get limited service in some countries. "World phone" is a marketing term and you should give them your specific list of countries to be sure. Both companies will be happy to look up the countries and be sure you have the right phone (even give you a loaner) before you travel

Sprint is great as well, (as is the EVO 4G) and would likely let you out of the contract if you upgraded to a new phone with a 2 year contract. Most phone companies will let it slide after a year if it means they get you for another 2 years, but you need to outright ask about it. They dont always give a discount unless you ask

hope that helps!

 

[lunatic59]

Welcome to Android Forums.

I don't know that either will be good for you if you are travelling outside the US. Both Sprint and Verizon are CDMA networks which is not widely supported outside of the US. You might want to look into a "world" phone that has both CDMA and GSM (sim card) support so you can us an overseas sim when you travel. For local use, you really should check what the coverage is like in your area.

Battery power is taxed heavily on smartphones, but it's ability to last all day is dependent on a lot of factors. You should narrow down your choice of models and then ask owners in the forums what their battery life is like with the kind of usage you expect to have.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Worth noting that, if you are travelling by car a lot, there are plenty of adapters out there that let you plug your phone in while you drive... sure you already knew that though!

 

[Divermom]

Just for the record, I bought a Verizon Incredible 2 at Costco yesterday -the promotion made it quite a deal. Free activation, free accessories and a $19.99 price for the phone. Don't know how long this price will remain in effect, but the total cost to walk out the door was far less expensive than any other outlet I could find AND the savings covers the cancellation cost of my Sprint account.

 

[D-U-R-X]

Just for the record, I bought a Verizon Incredible 2 at Costco yesterday -the promotion made it quite a deal. Free activation, free accessories and a $19.99 price for the phone. Don't know how long this price will remain in effect, but the total cost to walk out the door was far less expensive than any other outlet I could find AND the savings covers the cancellation cost of my Sprint account.

Nice one!! Sounds like you got a bargain there!!