First cell phone suggestions?

Lance0363

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I've come to the conclusion that it's finally time to get my first cell phone,:shock: and I'm looking for suggestions on what to get. I need it primarily to communicate with my wife, and GPS my way to and from the course.
I do have an i-pod so I am a bit invested into the Apple system, but I have friends that are perfectly happy with the android platform.
I'm torn between contact and non-contract plans, as I need to keep the monthly costs down, and I do get a 25% company discount off both Verizon and ATT plans.
I have no idea how much data I would need, and I do wonder what apps would be good for me. Do golf apps like swingbyte use data? I know the GPS apps do, but I have a standalone for that.
I don't plan on downloading movies or TV shows, so is the basic memory enough?
I've been told to wait until between Thanksgiving and Christmas to get the best deal. What does everyone think? Like my golf game, I need all the help I can get.
 
I don't use my phone a ton but it gets its fair share of action. If you make a point to use wifi whenever available, you'll never go over 1 GB in a month. Hell I think I've gone over 300 MB once the last 2 years. Swingbyte is done via bluetooth so no data there. If you're on the road a lot and/or watching videos frequently whilst off of wifi, you can rack up several gigs. I think Verizon and AT&T both have like a data calculator that lets you guestimate how much you would use based on your habits.

The contract/non-contract stuff is a tough call. I know AT&T is pushing people to do the Next plans which are non-contract but you basically lease the phone during that plan. Pros and Cons to both. I love the android OS. But I've had iOS as well and there's nothing wrong with it either.
 
you'll probably find more golf apps in the iPhone line, at least that is to the best of my knowledge. But that's depends on your priorities
 
I asked a similar question about a year ago. The gist of it appeared to be this - both platforms are solid, Apple is probably a bit easier for first time smart phone users and maybe a better for option for people who don't intend to do tech heavy configurations on the phone and/or for people already on the Apple platform with other devices.

My wife and I share a 1GB plan. We text, I THP, check email, zero gaming and almost no videos. We almost never go over. If we do go over it is $10 for another GB that month, which is way less expensive than buying a plan with more data. This is an AT&T plan.
 
It seems like ATT and Verizon also have the best coverage. My buddy had some coverage issues with Sprint in rural areas.
 
It seems like ATT and Verizon also have the best coverage. My buddy had some coverage issues with Sprint in rural areas.

It all varies by region, but in general that is very true.
 
I asked a similar question about a year ago. The gist of it appeared to be this - both platforms are solid, Apple is probably a bit easier for first time smart phone users and maybe a better for option for people who don't intend to do tech heavy configurations on the phone and/or for people already on the Apple platform with other devices.

My wife and I share a 1GB plan. We text, I THP, check email, zero gaming and almost no videos. We almost never go over. If we do go over it is $10 for another GB that month, which is way less expensive than buying a plan with more data. This is an AT&T plan.

Found this to be true in our case. The wife is not tech savvy at all, and I'm not super savvy. She found the iPhone really easy to learn and navigate.
 
if you are already invested in to the apple system, I'd go with the iPhone. I'm sure you will like it.
 
My vote is for apple. easiest phone to use and very reliable.
 
I've had both iphones and a Samsung Galaxy S3 (Android). IOS and Android are both great systems and each have their pluses and minuses. I just got the iphone 6+ and love it. The one thing I really miss from my Samsung is the notification LED which tells you just by looking at the phone sitting on your desk, table, etc if you have a missed call, email, text, etc. I would agree that if you're already into the apple ecosystem, you may as well get an iphone. The other plus with the iphone, and I still don't really understand this given the prevalence of android devices is that 3rd party manufacturers of headphones, car stereos, things that connect via bluetooth, basically any products that interact with your phone seem to offer more functionality to iphones than android. Most all of them will work with android, but you may find that they offer less functionality.
 
It seems there may be a growing consensus for the Apple platform. Would it be worth it to go with the 6? or is the 5s good enough? I'm thinking they may be giving the 5s away after Black Friday?
 
They won't be giving the 5s away for a while. Prices and give aways are strictly controlled by Apple. The 5s is still a very good phone. The 6 is better, but you won't be disappointed should you choose the 5s, especially as it's your first phone.
 
They won't be giving the 5s away for a while. Prices and give aways are strictly controlled by Apple. The 5s is still a very good phone. The 6 is better, but you won't be disappointed should you choose the 5s, especially as it's your first phone.

I agree. The 5S is a great phone but if you can afford the 6 or think you would like ApplePay, get the 6.
 
I'm wondering if I went with the 5s, should I get the upgraded memory to go with the updated OS? It looks like about $50 bucks more for the 32 gig? Does the OS update eat up alot of memory? The people at the stores always suggest the newer model.
 
I'm wondering if I went with the 5s, should I get the upgraded memory to go with the updated OS? It looks like about $50 bucks more for the 32 gig? Does the OS update eat up alot of memory? The people at the stores always suggest the newer model.

I don't think 16 gig is enough for a phone without expandable memory. I would pay the 50 for 32
 
Thanks for your input guys. Buying a phone is much more complicated then I thought it would be. It looks like I'll probably be sticking with the Apple platform, and I'll just be waiting to see what kind of deals (if any) that are available after Thanksgiving.
I trust the opinions I find here much more than any others on the internet.
 
Upgrade for sure. I never thought I'd use a phone for pictures and video, but I do. When the kids do something memorable, or something unexpected comes up, my phone is what's in my pocket. They accumulate.

Enjoy it.
 
Even though you've made your choice, I'll toss my 2 cents in as well. As others have said, both are good platforms, and for you , I think you will be best served going with the apple since you already have other apple devices. My household is split with me being the only hold out as an android user. As has also been posted, you will find that once you have it, you will use it for all kinds of things other than talking/texting. Having that camera is just too convenient, and the gps comes in handy when going to the vaguely or completely unfamiliar places. Have a question about something? The internet is right at your fingertips. Do any social media? You'll find yourself checking more frequently, maybe not living on it like many, but while your waiting to be called for the restaurant you find yourself on tapatalk looking at THP (You'll need to install the tapatalk app for sure!!), or glancing at your facebook or whatever. And most notably will be the hardware accessories. These are readily available for the iphones, not so much for android. The reason is that for a given generation of iphone they are all the same as far as the wired connections. Not so for an android. My HTC one X is not like any other android phone so nobody is going to make a one off device for me to plug my phone into to turn it into a bedtime clock or a case with a built in battery to recharge or extend battery life.

Hope you enjoy your phone, it won't be long before you'll wonder how you got along without it. You can't imagine it now, but I guarantee the day will come when you leave your home without your phone and will turn around to drive a few miles back to get it because you will feel lost without it. You don't believe that now, but it will happen trust me.
 
I'm wondering if I went with the 5s, should I get the upgraded memory to go with the updated OS? It looks like about $50 bucks more for the 32 gig? Does the OS update eat up alot of memory? The people at the stores always suggest the newer model.

Wake is right. 16gb is nowhere near enough for a modern smartphone. 32 should be your absolute minimum.
 
You can get a phone at walmart and pay as you go $40 - 50 /month. They have an even cheaper option where you buy minute cards and reload the phone. That might work out to be $30/month if you buy a year's worth up front. You have to buy the phone though with these options and you get what you pay for here.

On the other hand, you can pay 80-90/month (pre-discount) at Verizon, Sprint, or Att and get a subsidized top of the line phone and have the best coverage and least headaches. You just have to sign a 2 year agreement. You can walk into any store and the customer service is phenomenal ( I personally can't stand wireless companies, but if you are new to smartphones, this kind of service is priceless ).

You could also buy a used phone from the internet and do a pay as you go plan at a major carrier. This could allow you to test the waters. If you don't like the phone just re-sell it back on ebay for a similar price you paid for it.
 
As a first "Smartphone" shopper I highly suggest the iPhone - my Dad got one in March and while it took him some getting used to its very simple and straightforward.

I have a Droid myself and enjoy customizing it - if you are really looking for a straightforward device go with an iPhone...

I definitely suggest the 32Gig one as Apple phone do not offer expandable memory.
 
OK... The deal I'm looking at now is a 16gig I-phone 6 for $99 at Sams Club, with an ATT plan of 1 gig of data per month at $58.75. Should I jump on this or wait it out?
 
That seems like a good deal to me, though I have to admit I haven't been shopping for them so I'm not fully up to speed on prices. Do you automatically get bumped to another Gig of data each month for $10 if you go over (I think that's a good thing)?
 
That seems like a good deal to me, though I have to admit I haven't been shopping for them so I'm not fully up to speed on prices. Do you automatically get bumped to another Gig of data each month for $10 if you go over (I think that's a good thing)?
I don't think so, but I can manually upgrade to 3 gigs of data for $70.
Right now I'm using 0 gigs so I'm thinking 1 should work for now.
 
I don't think so, but I can manually upgrade to 3 gigs of data for $70.
Right now I'm using 0 gigs so I'm thinking 1 should work for now.
If you end up using it, 1 gig will go very fast. But if you use it primarily as a phone and use the Internet sparingly it sounds like a great fit.
 
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