Cactus Game Design Message Boards
Open Forum => Off-Topic => Topic started by: YourMathTeacher on January 19, 2013, 08:46:54 PM
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My 2-year commitment to Sprint just ended, and I need new phones. I was hoping to get some input from y'all on the boards, since so many of you are tech savy.
The current draw is switching to Verizon, since they have much better coverage in my area. There is a Verizon tower just around the corner. Sprint has been spotty at best, and I've had more dropped calls lately than ever.
Verizon is currently offering a free iPhone 4 (not the 4s). I realize that these are no longer in production, but I was wondering if it is still worth getting anyway. I like free, and I am not really that picky about phones. I rarely use mine as it is. However, if being locked into one of these for the next two years is a bad idea, I would like to know. I have generally been fine with being behind a few years in tech (just got my first PS3 this month! ;D ).
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My 2-year commitment to Sprint just ended, and I need new phones. I was hoping to get some input from y'all on the boards, since so many of you are tech savy.
The current draw is switching to Verizon, since they have much better coverage in my area. There is a Verizon tower just around the corner. Sprint has been spotty at best, and I've had more dropped calls lately than ever.
Verizon is currently offering a free iPhone 4 (not the 4s). I realize that these are no longer in production, but I was wondering if it is still worth getting anyway. I like free, and I am not really that picky about phones. I rarely use mine as it is. However, if being locked into one of these for the next two years is a bad idea, I would like to know. I have generally been fine with being behind a few years in tech (just got my first PS3 this month! ;D ).
Being behind the tech shouldn't be too bad. At some point you might run into some apps not being able to run on your phone (due to not being able to update the software), but it doesnt seem like that would matter to you.
Make sure you check up on the data plans.
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Being behind the tech shouldn't be too bad. At some point you might run into some apps not being able to run on your phone (due to not being able to update the software), but it doesnt seem like that would matter to you.
Alex nailed it. If you dont mind being a few years back iPhone 4 is a pretty awesome phone still.
From your post it seems like you dont use your phone much. If your at all like me and just use your phone for Calls, Music, Maps, Text, Internet and that one app you own the iPhone 4 will serve you well. If you arent going to be using boatloads of apps there really isnt a reason to spend any outrageous amount on the newest phone.
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Verizon is offering a HTC Droid Incredible 4G Lite for free. Also, it's seems like a much better phone than IPhone (click me (http://geekaphone.com/compare/HTC-Droid-Incredible-4G-LTE-vs-Apple-iPhone-4))
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You should get a 'dumb' phone. You can make calls and you can text. Do you really need anything more? Most phone companies give 'dumb' phones for free with new contract. I like my 'dumb' phone because the battery lasts for about 48 hrs and it is already more than 5 years old.
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Verizon is offering a HTC Droid Incredible 4G Lite for free. Also, it's seems like a much better phone than IPhone
OK, so let's go there. The only phones I ever hear about are iPhone and Galaxy. Why is that? Are the others just consolation prizes? Granted I do not require much, but if there are a bunch of phones that are free anyway, shouldn't I get the "leading" brand?
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I'm also looking for a new phone since The Droid Pro seemed to bomb (one of the worst selling Droids I heard), but I like my keyboard with the Android interface...I haven't tried a flip keyboard yet but I can't stand touchscreens...
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No idea how much it is right now but the Droid 4 has the keyboard you're looking for and is running android 4.0, which is important.
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I'm also looking for a new phone since The Droid Pro seemed to bomb (one of the worst selling Droids I heard), but I like my keyboard with the Android interface...I haven't tried a flip keyboard yet but I can't stand touchscreens...
Speaking as someone who also didn't like using touchscreens, I can assure you they're pretty easy to get used to. Every smart phone these days vibrates when you hit a key to help simulate the feel of an actual keyboard. It's definitely not the same, but I would encourage you not to let the lack of a physical keyboard offset you, since you're going to find yourself in a position where touchscreens are your only option in a couple years anyway.
You should get a 'dumb' phone. You can make calls and you can text. Do you really need anything more? Most phone companies give 'dumb' phones for free with new contract. I like my 'dumb' phone because the battery lasts for about 48 hrs and it is already more than 5 years old.
I have no idea what YMT's needs or wants are, beyond what he's stated in this topic, but I use my smartphone constantly for many reasons other than just entertainment or surfing the web. It functions as my GPS, I use it to send emails, monitor my stuff on Ebay, guitar tuner, guitar tab library, etc. At this point, most people can afford the extra $30 a month, and it's often worth it, due to the sheer number of things you can do with a smart phone. I also get about 16 hours of battery with my phone, assuming 5-6 hours of actual use per day.
Verizon is offering a HTC Droid Incredible 4G Lite for free. Also, it's seems like a much better phone than IPhone
OK, so let's go there. The only phones I ever hear about are iPhone and Galaxy. Why is that? Are the others just consolation prizes? Granted I do not require much, but if there are a bunch of phones that are free anyway, shouldn't I get the "leading" brand?
The iPhone, from a technical standpoint, isn't really the superior phone anymore. The reason it has such a monopoly right now is, on its release, it was something that had never been done before, and it was also incredibly powerful. They're still coasting on the brand name, and the fact iOS is much easier and simpler to use than any Android OS is. Galaxy S III is (as far as I know) the most powerful phone on the market right now, which is why you might be hearing a lot about it. I have an HTC Rezound (which was the most powerful phone when I bought it just before Christmas last year) and I love it. It's not that other phones are consolation prizes, it's that Apple has something of a monopoly, and the Galaxy is what everyone is wetting themselves over right now. If you get to a point where you're comparing free brands, post here and we can definitely help you. If you're willing to spend some extra money, it will go a long way.
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Android 4.0 is as easy to use as iOS but you have to find a phone that doesn't have a manufacturer overlay on it. Samsung and HTC put their own interface over the android core and those are all pretty terrible. Anything Motorola in the past 2 years or the nexus s from Google will be stock android
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LOL, I get minus 1 for dumb phone!
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I plussed you for dumb phone. Sometimes it is necessary to speak in laymen's terms.
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I plussed you for dumb phone. Sometimes it is necessary to speak in laymen's terms.
Especially for someone like me! ;D
You should get a 'dumb' phone. You can make calls and you can text. Do you really need anything more? Most phone companies give 'dumb' phones for free with new contract.
I had actually responded to this earlier, but the message got lost somehow when I hit "Post," and I was too frustrated to retype it. >:(
I was planning on using my phone more often for my Virtual School duties. I used to use my home phone for all calls, but Bright House just increased my fees without warning, so I will likely drop the home phone. That's why I need unlimited minutes, which Verizon offers. For the same price, Sprint had me limited to 1500 minutes.
The whole data usage tiers that Verizon uses is something that I am uncertain about. At one point, my wife was using 2GB of data all by herself, mostly for her blogging business. She will likely be getting either an iPhone5, Galaxy SIII, or a Galaxy Note II. Since I will have to pay extra for that, I was hoping to get free phones for my me and my son.
I would guess that I need at least the 4GB tier, possibly 6GB, since I would be stepping up my usage.
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On a different note, does anyone use the mobile hotspot devices, like the "Jet Pack?" How good are these, and can they be used at home in lieu of normal internet providers?
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@Sean: I plussed one your post, too. I'm old school (as if anyone on the boards didn't already know that), so that's the phone I usually go for.
@Techno: I also was wary of touchscreens because of the spread of viruses. Other people normally will ask to use a smartphone way more often than a dumbphone.
@YMT: Surprisingly with my responses above I'm actually going to recommend the iPhone. Although old school I often get into a predicament of needing a certain tool at a certain time. And to me, a phone is just a tool. I want the highest quality tools. So when my company offered to pay for my phone I grabbed a 4S. To me, the 4S is like a hammer - it does its job as intended and does it well. I don't need a Popeil Pocket All-in-one tool that I need to read a 350-page manual and the philips gets stripped and the bottle opener breaks. (FYI - my best friend's wife's Android has regularly scheduled flights across the living room. ::) )
Also, a word about data: you and your family should consciously use WiFi whenever possible. My daughter was using up the data on her plan often at the beginning of her contract. I reviewed with her what activities she was doing and how much data it was using. She never gets close to her data cap anymore due to wise use of WiFi. Education is a powerful thing, eh? ;)
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Unless your best friends wifes android is running Android 4.0+, it's not a good analog of modern Android phones. Many phones are still running gingerbread (2.6.something) and gingerbread is comparable to 4.0 in the same way that windows 7 is comparable to windows ME
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Gotta agree with Stamp. Apple products are widely known to have superior craftsmanship coupled with a fluid and reliable OS. Never had to get any of my iPhones repaired, never had it bug out or crash. iPhone 5 is definitely the way to go.
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Gotta agree with Stamp. Apple products are widely known to have superior craftsmanship coupled with a fluid and reliable OS. Never had to get any of my iPhones repaired, never had it bug out or crash. iPhone 5 is definitely the way to go.
I've had a few repairs on our IPhones and I didn't even bother repairing the broken speaker on my last one.
Also, he's looking for free phones. I received my HTC One X for $1 from AT&T and it is so much better than an IPhone. The screen is larger (so the touch pad is bigger which means less mistypes), the camera is extremely nice (with lots of different effects), the music sounds better (though probably because I was used to hearing only 1/2 of it), and you can customize your display a whole lot more than an IPhone.
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I just started as an engineer at Verizon, and have been a customer of them for a lot longer. I am still learning a lot about the phones/service/etc., and am by no means an expert as of yet but so far I have gotten the impression that most of my coworkers are anti-iPhone. I suspect it has to do with the fact that Verizon's relationship with the iPhone is newer and hasn't been as well established as with Android phones; thus we are more used to dealing with Androids. Also, we are very partial to the 4G LTE network, and are primarily focused on that at this point: I am currently not even really learning about how to deal with previous network technologies at my job because my bosses don't see the need at this point. You won't get access to 4G LTE network on the iPhone, unless you get the iPhone 5 (which seems to be outside of your price point at this time). I can't really speak to the bugginess of the iPhone or the Androids at this point, but I do know that I will likely be learning much more about Android systems in my job. I personally wouldn't get an HTC, as I had one of those and it did crash after 1.5 years; though it may have had more to do with the fact that it was the first 4G phone to be offered through Verizon and it was buggier than the top of the line 4G phones now.
I of course will also tell you that Verizon is definitely the way to go. It has the best coverage overall, and the most expansive 4G network. I've also learned a lot about Verizon's commitment to excellence in the past couple of weeks, and its customer satisfaction is the best in the industry. Sure, I might be biased, but I honestly do believe that.
As for the "dumb"phone vs. smartphone argument, I have experience from all three angles: Never having had a smartphone, Having a smartphone, and Going back to the "dumb" phone when my smartphone crashed. Obviously, when I had just my basic phone, I survived with it, and I had no problem accessing the internet with my laptop. When I upgraded to a smart phone, I used it all the time: checking email, as a GPS, as my Bible in church, watching Netflix/Hulu, reading books, playing games, etc. etc. I easily made the $30 a month extra for the data plan worth it for me personally. When I then had to revert to my dumb phone, I am surviving (until my company-provided phone gets in later this week/next week of course) and I am not necessarily convinced that I would go back. Everything that the average person can/does do with a smart phone you can do with a laptop, minus just a bit of the convenience factor (and the 3G/4G network availability). The biggest issue with dumb phones is that there are fewer and fewer of them, and not a lot of attention is paid to their design/features, since smartphones is where the money is for both manufacturers and wireless companies.
If you ever have questions about anything Verizon-related, I can certainly be a resource for you. I am learning a lot right now, so even if I can't help you right away, I can certainly talk to the people I work with who have much more experience.
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I've had a few repairs on our IPhones and I didn't even bother repairing the broken speaker on my last one.
iPhone in a bowl full of rice overnight. Speaker fixed. ::)
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I've had a few repairs on our IPhones and I didn't even bother repairing the broken speaker on my last one.
iPhone in a bowl full of rice overnight. Speaker fixed. ::)
You seem to be assuming the only damage Iphone's ever receive is water damage. My cousin's Iphone was having a problem with his audio as well, basically the headphone jack was broken and it was reading there were headphones plugged in where there weren't any, effectively turning off all the sound. Iphone's aren't impervious to breaking,
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What you describe is exactly what happens from water damage. I've had it happen to me on one occasion, wasn't water but orange pop dumped on it from a reckless 5 year old niece. Bowl of rice fixes the ghost headphones problem.
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It didn't fix anything, the headphone jack had physical damage. The entire headphone jack had to be replaced.
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That's an isolated incident then. The ghost headphone thing is an easily fixed problem by most people. Many methods can actually fix it.
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Thats not the point, the point was you just assumed his broken speaker was water damage. A single side of the speaker dying is probably not water damage.
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That is my point, because humans have free thought and are allowed to progress from one train of thought to another. Or are we not allowed to do that anymore?
Also
assumed
A single side of the speaker dying is probably not water damage.
I lol'd.
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I didn't state it as a fact and go so far as to roll my eyes as if you were stupid for thinking it was water damage. I said it probably wasn't, I didn't roll my eyes for you not having thought of that. That is the point.
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It might as well be a fact. It's like saying hey, my tv remote doesn't turn on, how do I fix it? I don't need to call a technical specialist for him to tell me to replace the batteries. Again, my point still stands. In the times the specific problem as outlined by you happens, it is most likely due to water damage. Not a busted jack.
While we're also on the subject of the rolling eyes colloquial, I'm really beginning to think you read much too far between the lines. In most cases it means a tongue in cheek moment, not signifying someone as stupid. So let's just get off the nitpicking and context lawyering and get back to discussing the real issue at hand here: iPhone being the superior phone. ::):-*:-*:-*::)
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The only area in which iPhone is superior is in profit margin, which consider they are outpaced in sales only confirms the already established fact that they are over priced.
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iPhone:
Better OS.
Better app store.
Better craftsmanship.
Better at surviving orange pop.
/thread
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If that were true why does Android still hold a 20% lead of iOS in market share? Why did CNET review the GSIII as the best phone of 2012, over the iPhone 5? Why did the GSIII just pass the iPhone as the best selling smartphone both in the US and worldwide? Better App store is no longer true, Apple still has more Apps but many of those are holdovers from previous gen phones that have been replaced by newer apps. When it comes to quality and variety of apps, android has caught up. Better craftsmanship depends on which specific android model, the Motorola Razr is built better then the iPhone 5. Better at surviving orange pop I can't argue, mainly because no one really keeps track of such statistics and I'm not willing to buy a bunch of both brands to test the theory.
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The only area in which iPhone is superior is in profit margin,
If that were true why does Android still hold a 20% lead of iOS in market share?
Which reminds me of a true story (which Dilbert spoofed more than once): a financial intern tells a marketing exec that a new technology has a slightly negative margin per unit, to which the exec replies, "we'll make it up in volume."
The shareholders only want to hear about profits.
If non-iPhone manufacturers feel they have a better product, ask Sony how that worked out for them 30-40 years ago.
::)
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When it comes to quality and variety of apps, android has caught up.
Don't know if serious or trolling...or just delusional. It would appear you are going through the 5 stages of grief, as exemplified by your realization of a mid-life crisis because you picked an inferior phone:
1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Become an evil cyborg
5. Force choke everything to death
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i've owned both an Ipod touch and 2 Android devices running 4.0. When I first got my first android device, the app market was pretty bare compared to itunes. This is no longer the case. All of the apps I used on my ipod now have an android counterpart, and there are even several apps I can get on my android that are not available on the itunes store.
Which reminds me of a true story (which Dilbert spoofed more than once): a financial intern tells a marketing exec that a new technology has a slightly negative margin per unit, to which the exec replies, "we'll make it up in volume."
The shareholders only want to hear about profits.
If non-iPhone manufacturers feel they have a better product, ask Sony how that worked out for them 30-40 years ago.
::)
Android is still doing very well in their profits, their margin may not be as large as iPhone but the volume does more than make up for that. They don't have a negative margin, it's just not the cliff that iphone has because of their mark up.
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So is there another competitor besides the
Republicans iPhones and Democrats Androids? I'm very tempted to vote independent here. ::)
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Windows Phone technically but they are WAY behind in the app market. It's nice if you use windows 8 on any of your computers since it makes it a pretty seemless experience. You can also still go back to blackberry but they are more than likely done as a phone manufacturer. Alternatively, if Verizon will support it, Ubuntu now comes in a mobile phone flavor. I have no idea if Verizon supports hooking it up to the network, that would be a question better answered by ProfA and he might not even know since it's only been out for a few months but just like with normal linux it can be installed on basically any phone so you can just buy a phone for hardware and install Ubuntu on it.
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iPhone:
Better OS.
Better app store.
Better craftsmanship.
Better at surviving orange pop.
/thread
What do you call soda? pop or soda?
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iPhone:
Better OS.
Better app store.
Better craftsmanship.
Better at surviving orange pop.
/thread
What do you call soda? pop or soda?
Elixer of the Heavens.
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Windows Phone technically but they are WAY behind in the app market. It's nice if you use windows 8 on any of your computers since it makes it a pretty seemless experience. You can also still go back to blackberry but they are more than likely done as a phone manufacturer. Alternatively, if Verizon will support it, Ubuntu now comes in a mobile phone flavor. I have no idea if Verizon supports hooking it up to the network, that would be a question better answered by ProfA and he might not even know since it's only been out for a few months but just like with normal linux it can be installed on basically any phone so you can just buy a phone for hardware and install Ubuntu on it.
Agree on all counts. I haven't heard anything about an Ubuntu product for Verizon, but something tells me YMT isn't a bug Ubuntu guy. If I'm wrong I could certainly look into it, I probably will anyway now.
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ITT: Alec gets trolled hard. Unless MKC was serious, in which case, I raged.
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ITT: Alec gets trolled hard. Unless MKC was serious, in which case, I raged.
I'm fairly certain MKC was completely serious about everything except possibly the evil cyborg thing (possibly not?)...his affinity for the iPhone and belief in its superiority is well-documented on these forums. Anyway, It seems that I will be getting both an iPhone 5 and a Galaxy S3, so I will be able to do a side-by-side comparison...did I mention I love working for Verizon?
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I've done a little more research in to Ubuntu and as it turns out, it doesn't replace the Android core it just builds on top of it so it should be fully supported by all carriers.
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ITT: Alec gets trolled hard. Unless MKC was serious, in which case, I raged.
I'm fairly certain MKC was completely serious about everything except possibly the evil cyborg thing (possibly not?)...his affinity for the iPhone and belief in its superiority is well-documented on these forums.
I've devised a new method of figuring out which phone to choose. Watch 10 fairly recent movies/tv shows in one week with cell phones in them, preferably with people using them. The phone to pick will be the phone with the most appearances.
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I want Jack Bauer's phone.
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At one point I downloaded the CTU ringtone, but couldn't figure out how to get it from my computer to my phone. :P
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I want Jack Bauer's phone.
Comes with a free "forceful information extraction" App.
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I get the feeling that you guys aren't really trying to help me anymore.... ;)
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I get the feeling that you guys aren't really trying to help me anymore.... ;)
No, but all you need to do is figure out how your phone situation compromises national security, and Jack Bauer will get right on it.
But seriously, I guess I didn't see your earlier posts about data previous to the iPhone vs. Android war. If you already have WiFi at home (I assume you do, since, well, you can access the internet from home in 2013) then you should make use of that as much as possible, especially if you watch videos/download a lot. But otherwise, I would say ~2GB per person with a data device is probably what you want to shoot for. The nice thing about Verizon's Share Everything plans (those are the plans with the tiers you referred to) is that you can adjust the amount of data you need at anytime...so if you're a month in and you find you need more or less, you can adjust that pretty easily. I am currently on the 6GB tier for my and my wife's smartphones, but I am going to track the usage over the next few months and see if we even use that much.
Your online detailed statement at verizonwireless.com will show you your data usage at any time in a billing cycle, so it's easy to keep track of that.
The only warning I have about the iPhone 4 is that it is not 4G enabled, which is okay for now and the not-too-distant future, but Verizon's main focus is on the 4G network, and thus 4G devices. The 3G network and thus 3G devices are going to be phased out eventually, which doesn't necessarily mean your phone will stop working, but it may not have the same network support that it will in the short term.
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I'm not sure about iPhone's, but Android devices also have a mennu option in settings to see how much data you've used. what it was used on, and when.
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I'm not sure about iPhone's, but Android devices also have a mennu option in settings to see how much data you've used. what it was used on, and when.
If it's not native to the iPhone, there's an app for that. It's the MyVerizon app.
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What about the "mobile hotspots" or "jet packs?" Has anyone used these for primary home internet? What kind of speeds can you get with these while using multiple devices?
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I haven't used them but most android phones can already be used to tether devices can't they? Don't see the point.
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What about the "mobile hotspots" or "jet packs?" Has anyone used these for primary home internet? What kind of speeds can you get with these while using multiple devices?
I've been looking into mobile hotspots/jetpacks a little bit for the past few days, and it seems they are more designed for people who travel and want to make sure they have an internet connection, though it can be used for home internet. The issues with them for home internet is that it costs $20 a month just to have it on your account, then depending on your data usage, it will be the extra charge for that device. I'm not sure what the average amount of data you would use from home, but, for example, my coworker has 10 GB for her and her husbands smart phones, and the home internet. It works well for her, because of employee discounts, but I don't know how well it would work for you. If you would normally get the 4GB for just the phones, for example, moving up to 10 GB would be an extra $30 a month, (it's $10 for each 2GB increase). And then if you end up watching a lot of Netflix, playing games online, and doing high data consumption things like that, then you have to be really careful you don't go over (the overage charge is $15/GB--so you want to watch out for that). I assume you pay in the $30-$50/mo range for your current wifi, so it wouldn't necessarily save you any money, and you have to watch out for data usage. As for speeds though, 4G is going to be faster than pretty much any standard WiFi, and the jetpacks we have allow up to 10 devices to connect at those speeds. I don't have personal experience yet, I'm still trying to figure out if it would be better to cancel my internet and move to that option, but if you go to your local Verizon store, they will likely have some more experience/advice for you.
I haven't used them but most android phones can already be used to tether devices can't they? Don't see the point.
That is true as well, but you would then need to be at home with your phone for anyone to use the internet. It would work fine for someone who lives alone, but not with a family who all have their own internet needs. The jetpack works just like a router.
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I was assuming he wasn't going to try and use it for home internet since they are intended for people who travel like you said. If you want to use it for home internet, I still wouldn't recommend it.
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I was assuming he wasn't going to try and use it for home internet since they are intended for people who travel like you said. If you want to use it for home internet, I still wouldn't recommend it.
It ultimately comes down to how much extra data the home internet usage would require, and whether or not the extra cost of the jetpack would be prohibitive. I could see a situation where the convenience of having your wireless and internet bill together might be worthwhile enough to offset some extra cost. But overall I probably agree with you in general.