How difficult to learn Android on EVO?

[Mikey47]

I am one of those Pre lovers . My upgrade doesn't come around for another couple of months so I have some time to wade into the Android waters more slowly and watch (and be somewhat jealous) of all those of you who have switched.

However, my wife is in a different boat. She has an old "dumbphone" and is really wanting a new phone. If it weren't for the EVO, I would have just told her to wait until the next webOS phone came out on Sprint and we would both upgrade together. However, not knowing when that will be and secretly wanting to try the EVO out first hand , I am looking at upgrading her to the EVO.

There is one problem though, while I am very techie and love playing around with things (homebrew, patches, etc. on webOS), she is **NOT** techie at all -- she just wants stuff to work and be simple to use.

So, that was a long way to get to my question -- how difficult is it for a non-techie person to wade into the EVO Android waters? Of course I will be there to help her out, but won't be around all the time. Anyone out there whose EVO is their first smartphone? How difficult of a transition did you have?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[2CupsWithString]

Hi Mikey,

My g/f (the anti-geek) and myself both got EVOs on launch day. She's fine with it, she came form a "dumb" phone, some LG on AT&T and just wanted a better experience.

She setup her email and her facebook and setup her alarms, she loves the calendar. She is even starting to browse the market and has downloaded the our groceries app that we share as well as some news feeds.

From what I gather from her experience it's very intuitive for a newbie who is just used to a regular phone. Her battery last more than all day because she's not hammering away on it all day playing with things.

She took a chance knowing she had 30 days to return it if she hated it, so far she's in love with it and actually shows it off a bit more than I expected. Of course you can always swing by the Sprint store and play with the real thing.

The one complaint I get from her is it's a little too big for her hands so we're looking in to bluetooth maybe.

 

[Mikey47]

Thanks thefredelement, I am not sure the 30 day return clause applies to upgrading phones though.

Although I am sure if she doesn't like it that much my daughter would be more than willing to switch with her for her LG Lotus ;-).

 

[msw323]

Thanks thefredelement, I am not sure the 30 day return clause applies to upgrading phones though.

Although I am sure if she doesn't like it that much my daughter would be more than willing to switch with her for her LG Lotus ;-).

Actually, it does include upgrades. If you are not happy, you can swap it out for another device (1 time), or return it and go back to your old phone and your eligibility will be reset.

 

[aldrydd]

When I got the EVO, I gave my Pre to my wife, who is also coming from a dumbphone.

She really likes it... I know it's not "new," but I it's a great smartphone, and one that's great for first-time smartphone users.

 

[Mikey47]

When I got the EVO, I gave my Pre to my wife, who is also coming from a dumbphone.

She really likes it... I know it's not "new," but I it's a great smartphone, and one that's great for first-time smartphone users.

ooooo, been there, done that.... Been told I can not do it again (the old "I get a new phone and you get my old one" gambit ).

 

[Edge767]

I came from the Pre. My wife has one and my daughter has a Pixi. My mother-in-law (who lives with us) got my Pre. Mother-in-law loves the Pre (she had a Moto Q9c prior) and is having a good time with it (and uses the Internet a lot on it!).

I had about a day or two of having to re-train my brain and fingers for how to use the Evo, but I found that after that, things worked and actually in some ways, better than the Pre. I will miss swiping up the cards and flipping between cards (BRILLIANT!) but working with Android is quite similar. Regarding hardware, there is no comparison: the Evo is a beast, and it performs where the Pre could not/would not/did not: SPEED, fluidity, and HUGE screen.

It's an easy transition. Just keep an open mind and learn how Android does things. It's well worth the effort. This is a great phone.

 

[EVO Navian]

This is my 3rd phone since I'd say early 20s and I'm 26. I never cared much about phone models as long as I was able to txt (addict!). I'm coming from 2 weak phones as well - Sanyo 8100 (I had this sucker for years till it finally died lol) and then 2 yrs on the LG Rumor. I was quiet worried about all the techy stuff with phones since I'm not familiar at all with the ins and outs, lingo etc. Thanks to andriodcentral and TONS of reviews I've managed to familiarized myself with android. My husband is also a pre/bb owner for years now and I almost got the bold bb. He did the same thing... his upgrade isn't up, but mine has been since April and he talked me into the EVO lol. I loved it so much, he only got 2 hours of play with it when we picked it up during launch. I refuse to let go of it... It has also been SUPER handy when looking up ingredients when I was out food shopping this weekend. Oh and came handy for looking up reviews online about makeup brands (yes we women are vain). This is not only a man's best friend, it's a girl's purse coupon gadget... I've saved a ton of money comparing prices with different stores. I'm sure the wife will love it

 

[Mikey47]

EVONavian thanks for the wonderful comments! One question -- how do you carry your EVO? Given that my wife has always had a smaller dumbphone, she has always just carried it around in her pocket or thrown it in her purse -- something I would not recommend for a touch screen phone like this (or the Pre).

 

[sed51329]

I have a Sprint screen protector and a Sprint case on my Evo. Both together ran me about $30. With those, I'd feel confident placing the device in a pocket or purse.

 

[EVO Navian]

EVONavian thanks for the wonderful comments! One question -- how do you carry your EVO? Given that my wife has always had a smaller dumbphone, she has always just carried it around in her pocket or thrown it in her purse -- something I would not recommend for a touch screen phone like this (or the Pre).

Np

I got the platinum case and holster from bb during launch. I wanted a leather pouch originally, but Sprint had nothing of the sort in my area. Not sure what size purse your wife carries, but I carry a big purse especially now that it's summer (gotta have tons of water bottles handy!) and the holster has been great. I clip it on my purse handle, rims of the purse opening and hidden inside and sometimes clipped to the pouch inside the purse (mine are high enough inside that it does not touch my other junk). I actually just got a quilted wallet from Barnes and Nobles and the EVO fits right in, not too snug not too roomy that it dances around. I used that when I carried a smaller purse with the case attached to the phone and it protected well because the wallet quilt was decently thick. I'm still planning on getting a leather case in the future, but the quilted one worked out well when I carried a much lighter purse for the beach.

I've never carried phones in my pocket, I always found it uncomfortable even with my tiny LG Rumor.

 

[Disgustoid]

Android noob here. I've found the transition from webOS to Android remarkably easy. My only previous exposure to Android was putzing around with a coworker's Incredible.

Admittedly I'm a tech geek but I think the strength of the OS is that you can customize it to be as simple or complex as you'd like. Aside from the initial setup you pretty much don't need to dive into the settings too much.

Now to find a good case. I'm not at all worried about this screen but rather the back camera lens sticking out...seems like a dumb design choice on an otherwise fantastic phone given what I've experienced so far.