Time for a phone upgrade - tell me what you have and if/why you like it. Don't use mine for work email,, but need a data pkg. for Internet (gmail, FB, other online stuff...). Who's got what and why? Thanks.

I have ATT Wireless and last Thursday my wife and both upgraded to HTC Aria smartphones. The ATT store has them on sale for $99. If you have Veriizon, the equivalent is the HTC Incredible. Very easy to use and I am told no learning curve when compared to Blackberry. Aria could use a more powerful battery but if you turn off applications you will not use it is just fine.

I have a Droid X - my first 'advanced' phone that does more than just make calls. I love it! I use it for email and FB, and the internet. It's really handy for internet when you're out and about. The touch screen was weird at first, but I'm getting used to it. I didn't want to get a laptop or netbook to travel with, and the Droid is fine for that.

Fraudman's post reminded me - the battery life on the Droid X is terrible if you are using the internet. Other than that, I love it!

Just got a BlackBerry.
Years ago I have a Moto Q - ran with Windows operating system. I find the blackberry to be similar.

I just pitched my LGtouch. Never again. I cannot stand a touch screen on a phone, the sensor went out. The main screen kept going black, it was a piece of poop.

I have the smallest data plan through Verizon, 150 MB per month for $15 a month. I use it to check facebook a couple of times a day and check personal email. Last month I didn't even come close to the 150.

I think the battery life on most of the smartphones are short because of internet use

I have a Samsung Galaxy phone from Verizon

It's holding me over until the iphone comes to Verizon

then I will be a complete slave to Steve Jobs

Droid II, gmail, work email, phone, text, keyboard (touch or regualr) everything. camcorder, phone...

Until ^^^that happens^^^ I'm sticking with my BlackBerry. It doubles as an iPod, camera, video recorder, etc. And you can hook it up to your PC and it's easy to get everything organized (uses the Windows 'folders' concept). I'll be going BlackBerry (once you go BlackBerry, you never go backberry) until Verizon gets the dang iPhone!

I used to be a bberry fanatic, but finally tried a Droid. I have the Samsung Epic/Sprint and I LOVE it. It has a slide-out keyboard with the touch screen, which I am really glad I got (versus the HTC Evo). If you don't get a phone with a keyboard, the Swipe technology is still really good. The 4g is fast for downloads/apps/Internet, or I can use wifi too.

The batter life sucks (I mean, really sucks!), but that's because I use it a lot. But it's not because of talk time, it's the apps/Internet that drain it. I sit at a desk all day anyway, so charging it while at work was an easy switch for me.

I will say that if bberry had had something comparable at the time of my upgrade, I could have easily stayed with bberry.

There is good reason why AT&T has the worst service! For 3 months I have been trying to get a credit for two services I have not ordered (facts alert and ringtone wallpaper) on my Blackberry. And that was on the employer provided phone. They also did it on my personal cell multiple times.

the nice thing about Verizon is that you can get discount pricing only a year into your contract

so, I timed my last phone upgrade to coincide with the anticipated time the iphone 5 is released

Apple seems to release these around the June/July timeframe

so, if Verizon gets the iphone early next year, I'm still waiting for the iphone 5

All I need is an ipad (and I'm not even menstrating)

I got the Droid 2 Global last Thursday. Haven't had a whole lot of time to play with it but so far I love it. The talk to text is a cool feature, you just have to make sure you speak clearly. It's also easy to check my email. Still figuring out the camera but seems to take nice pictures. Tons and tons of free apps. The Navigation is free and it seems to work very well. My BIL has a Droid as well and says he uses the Navigation all the time as it is better than his TomTom.

I have to charge it everyday but it only takes about an hour.

I've been with Verizon forever and their coverage and customer service is pretty awesome, which is why I won't leave. I really hope they get the iPhone in '11.

I also, wish that they offered the BlackBerry Torch (exclusive to AT&T) - a touch screen blackberry WITH the pull out keypad!

I have a credit pending with them for an upgrade, but was holding off until I heard something about the iPhone - you're thinking summer?

Although, I do like playing Angry Birds on the Droid!

The one thing I don't like about the BlackBerry - I have the Curve - is that the "number" keypad doesn't have correspnding letters like on a regular phone keypad - so any number requiring letters 1-800-DISCOVER or something like that...you have to figure out what number each letter corresponds to. But in the big scheme of things not a huge deal - the only real complaint I have about the BB.

internet rumors (take those for what they're worth) indicate that CDMA (or is it CMDA) parts are being shipped in order to make the iphone compatible with that service

I think it's only a matter of time until Verizon gets it and I think it will be sooner than later

the rumors are that Verizon will have it in early 2011 but that would be the iphone 4

I'm waiting on the iphone 5 and Apple has historically brought it's next iphone out in the middle of the year

If I time it right, I'll set myself up to take advantage of reduced pricing each time the next version of the iphone comes out

I'm also interested to see what the ipad 2 can do and if it's worth getting one of those

I can upgrade my phone and air card now. Verizon told me that I could upgrade to a 4g aircard for $99.99 and it would cost $10 per month less for the plan. so I would come out $20 to the good next year - what's the catch? "you can use it in Atlanta, Athens, Rome, one of the larger cities"... hmmmmm... but I don't live there....... Oh well, I would be ready for it when it reaches our little burg at the end of 2011!

I've been looking at smart phones as well since my phone is also eligible for an upgrade. Liking this conversation.

I know it is older tech, but what is your Opinion on the Blackberry 8330?

I am using a 5 year old Verizon 6700. Love it, but the screen is going out. I don't want or need a data package, (Use wifi) There are enough wifi places around where I am that I don't need web service.

A freind has a extra 8330 he would sell me, I was thinking of buying it and activating it online, so I don't have to buy that stupid data package from verizon.

On my second Bberry. Had a Curve, now have the Bold 9700. My wife and daughter have Droids, but I was used to my Bberry, and it only cost $49. Battery life is fine and I use a lot of internet. We've got unlimited data, as I use it more for data than calls. I'll listen to Pandora in my office. Does stuff my curve wouldn't. Youtube, for example.

I'm pretty sure there is no way around a data package (including direct e-mail) on the BlackBery...even if you have the unlock code. There's some website called crackberry fourms ( ! ) and I remember reading in there that people were buying old BlackBerry's on ebay with this code and something kept going awry. I would look into that more if I were you.

I am quite impressed with the Curve. Some of the apps are kind of lame, but just delete them if you don't want them anymore. Like I said, I think one of the best things is you can hook it directly up to your PC and "manage" it that way. It also has a free gps system (you just need to unlock it) and I do like the bbm (BlackBerry messenger) feature which allows you to communicate with any other BB's on any other network for free.

My Curve is youtube friendly.

I was afraid of that. I am so sick of the data package bill. We have four phones. Mine and my wife's does not requried data packages, the kids phones do. We got the lowest we coudl get and scared teh kids to within an inch of their lifes not to use it or they would lose the phone.

Our cell phone bill is now close to $150. I would like to upgrade to a Blackberry, but if I get another data plan, My bill will go up another $10 +. I know, I am cheap but this is getting of control. I cancelled the house line to justify the kids two phones and data packages.

Keep in mind that for the BB, you have to pay for a data package AND the e-mail option (I'm pretty sure). Even if you don't plan on having e-mails sent directly to your phone, you still gotta pay for it.

I have the unlimited data plan. No house phone here either - to me that justifies it.

Check out the crackberry (I love that name) forums! Lots of good information there. About everything! Even some ways to get around some things.

Like, I know there's a way to get free wifi through the bluetooth function (for example to go to your laptop if not in a wifi zone) on the blackberry, but I'm not tech saavy enough to understand what they're talking about!

I am anti-iphone btu I have to say, my bf's iphone has had NO issues or problems whereas my android phone (Samsung Captivate) has had to be master reset already due to software screwing up. That was a pain

What I don't like about iphone is I just don't want to buy into the whole Apple thing. I don't liek that the iphones don't have expandable memory...run out of room and you have to buy a new, bigger iphone! Plus they are so expensive and I have never seen them go on sale...the market on them is too fixed.

I'm anti touch-screen, and I hate exposed keypads. I'm already a phone-killer with a plain ol' flip phone....can't imagine what sitting on an iphone or droid in my back pocket would do to it's lifespan. I would love to have some small internet capabilities on my phone (FB, email, etc), but have yet to find a model of smart phone that I like (read that "think will survive").