<p>DS is asking for a smartphone for graduation present to take to school. Any suggestions? Or what do you love about your phone? Or what apps do students find most useful?</p>
<p>We're currently on verizon -with no data plan - as my phone (gasp) only makes phone calls, so all suggestions are welcome.</p>
<p>I would ask your son what he would like because often times the choice simply comes down to preference. I would suggest the iPhone 4S. It’s very easy to use and there are so many apps available for it. The camera is great. He can put all of his music on it. Instead of bringing an iPod, Camera, and Phone to college, the iPhone 4S is all he’ll need. You can even leave the flashlight home because you can get a flashlight app that turns the phone into a flashlight.</p>
<p>Apps—facebook, cnn, instagram, flashlight, pimp your screen (wide selection of designs to personalize your iPhone screen), Amazon, AroundMe (when you’re in an unfamiliar area, you tap on this app and it lists the locations of nearby Banks/ATM, Bars, Coffee Shops, Favorites, Gas Stations, Hospitals, Hotels, Movies, Parking, Pharmacies, Restaurants, Supermarkets, etc), Calculator, PhotoToaster is an easy photo edit app, and Netflix. There are too many to list :).</p>
<p>I think you can’t go wrong with an iPhone, and I think you could easily get by with an earlier model - you don’t need the iPhone 4S. It’s really about the access to the internet, messaging, music and camera, IMO.</p>
<p>Many newer android phones have gotten good reviews. I don’t have one (yet). I’m waiting for my Blackberry contract to be up to dump it. I liked the ability to type on a real keyboard but the limited memory and needing to pull the battery to reboot just wore on me.</p>
<p>Textbook publishers are starting to develop study aids and other supplementary resources for students’ smartphones and tablets. I believe they are focusing most on the iphone and ipad.</p>
<p>Unless you’re trying to save a few dollars, I wouldn’t bother buying the older iPhone models.
Buy the current model which is the 4S. If you need to save money, then get the older iPhone 4.</p>
<p>Android fan here. Much more functionality with the androids vs the Iphone. We have both here and the Iphone is more than frustrating for may apps–especially GPS…</p>
<p>I love my Samsung Galaxy Note, and the S Pen rocks!! Do have a look at it, but as many have said earlier, you never can go wrong with Apple
Personally, I would buy and Ipad and Note, Graduation does not happen everytime.
All the best.</p>
<p>IF Son could be described as techy…he may prefer a Droid.
Should he have a MAC computer, then he may prefer the Iphone 4S.
The issue of the apps will be answered when he settles on which phone, as he will then ask his friends as to which he should download, and which he shouldn’t bother to download.
Hope this helps-APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>I’m also an Android fan, I use mine for apps, navigation, music and web stuff (and talking/texting/email). There are a lot of free apps for Android that cost $ on the iphone. Also I like that i can buy extra batteries (for camping or whenever away from a charger for extended periods) and SD card to expand storage for music or whatever, neither of which you can do with an iphone.</p>
<p>The plan I LOVE is Virgin Mobile. Runs on Sprint network (so check college coverage for that). It’s $35/mo for 300 mins with unlimited text and data. That’s about what just adding data to an existing Verizon plan costs (I left Verizon for it 2 years ago and never looked back).</p>
<p>If he uses up all his minutes before end of month he just can’t make calls - no surprise bill. If you want you can restart the month early to get talking again. My kids hardly talk at all, they use text and web. VM does have plans with more minutes and he can switch anytime.</p>
<p>The Optimus V is a nice Android smartphone but VM sells others. No contract. You can set up auto pay if you want to.</p>
<p>I also prefer Android phones! I have a Galaxy S, and I love it!</p>
<p>I would definitley ask your son at least what operating system her prefers - Android, Apple’s, or Windows. While I wouldn’t have turned down a free iPhone (or smart phone of any kind), I am happy I got to choose my phone and go with Android.</p>
<p>I agree that you can’t go wrong with an iPhone which is heavily supported by apps from thousands of providers. The other full featured smart phones are nice as well.</p>
<p>Just make sure you understand what the ongoing costs will be for the data plan - it adds up.</p>
<p>I have an Android MyTouch Q and I like it. If your son isn’t the type to tinker around an OS then I suggest to look at the iPhone. In my eyes, iPhones are usually for those who just want it to “start up and go.” My brother has the latest iPhone and every time he gets his hands on my phone he says “I don’t get it.” Of course he doesn’t, he’s an iPhone user. j/k. (well kinda)</p>
<p>To be honest, most of the apps aren’t necessary. I would bet a good percent of those who do have smartphones don’t use to its fullest potential, and just use a handful of apps everyday. Take me for instance, what I do on my smartphone isn’t necessary for me to get through my day. The camera is nice, but I greatly prefer an actual camera. Unless one’s a burgeoning business owner smartphones are being underutilized by a healthy percent of its owners. </p>
<p>Here are the Android apps I use almost everyday:
Yelp - great to find reviews and new places to explore in the unfamiliar territory.
Flixster - movie reviews and showtimes.
Dictionary - because I’m a horrible speller and my vocabulary skills are poor
Ultra Vocabs - see above
ScoreCenter ESPN - can customize the news tracker to follow specific teams in almost any sport and league around the world
SoundHound - don’t know the name of the song? Hold it up to the speaker and voila!
Fooducate - great for conscious eaters, scan bar to find reviews
tumblr - micro-blogging social networking site
Amazon - I mainly use it for book and electronic reviews
Lightbox - Android’s version of instagram. I like it.
BoA - bank access</p>
<p>I imagine that if you are on a family plan, switching just him to a cheaper carrier would not save you much money (we did the math, comparing verizon to the $19 a month all unlimited Republic wireless-- $30 for 4gb data plus $10 add a line makes verizon worth it).
It would be a better idea for him to wait until he gets to college to choose a new phone. If most of his friends have iphones, he’ll probably want one too for group text compatibility and such. If he’s more of a techie, I’d recommend the Droid Razr Maxx. Very thin, much much much more durable than an iphone, and has an unbelievable battery life.</p>
<p>My son is patiently waiting for the IPhone 5 to come out…he has a 3 and will upgrade when the 5 comes out. He had wasn’t interested in the 4S at all.</p>
<p>S3l loves his Razr Maxx. The extra battery life is important with 4g and he loves screen size and clarity…he will not touch an iPhone. Does not use Apple products… </p>
<p>But if already uses Apple products an iPhone may make sense.</p>
I don’t see the connection - I don’t use Apple PCs but I have an iPhone. There’s no relation between the two.</p>
<p>I’m not stuck on an iPhone though - I’d be open to any phone that met what I wanted and I assume some of the other Android based phones would suit me just as well. I’m not convinced there’s a ‘best’ answer here - especially since they tend to leapfrog each other in features and capabilities. I have the iPhone since it was ‘first’ with the functionality - and I’m still on the first generation one which does everything I need. For a recommendation I’d pay a lot of attention to the ongoing cost of the phone since that’s where the real money is - not just in the cost of the phone - kind of like razor blades and printer ink. This might be the same for a Droid and an iPhone but I haven’t checked.</p>