Soon-to-be Verizon Android Newbie - Need Advice

[AmousmosesMW]

Hi everyone. I currently have a VZW LG ENV Touch feature phone. I am eligible to upgrade tomorrow and have been eyeing up the soon to be released Thunderbolt.... But I am curious.... is the TB more than I really need?

Basically, I want to upgrade to an Android Smart phone so that I have WiFi access and can access the internet when I am sitting in my living room or on my break at work without having to access a VZW network (I currently pay per MB data usage on my ENV so I don't use it very much at all).

My other priorities are (and forgive me as some of these are probably standards on an android phone):

- MUST have excellent sound quality (I use my speakerphone alot because I can't hear too well on my ENV)
- MUST have high-resolution camera with a flash
- PREFER it also has video capabilities
- MUST support bluetooth technology
- PREFER Talk & Text / Talk & Surf capabilities (if these capabilities exist)
- MUST have Great battery life
- PREFER it has a MicroSD slot (but depending on ease of transferring from phone to PC, may not be nec)
- Hotspot? Don't know enough about it so not sure if I really need this or would really use it????
- 4G LTE - is there that much difference between 4G LTE and 3G service? We currently don't have 4G LTE service in my area yet, but the VZW store told me hopefully by mid-2011 we will have it.
- I am not one to pay full price for a phone so whatever I decide on, I will keep thru my contract terms.

So, what do all you Android experts think? Should I keep thinking Thunderbolt or will a VZW 3G Android Smart Phone get me what I want (or most of what I want)?

 

[project.in.process]

if you're looking to talk/text while surfing the net---this can only be done in 2 circumstsances
1) talk on the phone, while connected to wifi
2) LTE

i might jump to VZW for the Bolt if the Evo2 isn't announced soon,
you might want to look @ the Incredible. i've several friends who have it, all of whom don't want the massive screen, and seem to love it

 

[adjangs]

"PREFER Talk & Text / Talk & Surf capabilities (if these capabilities exist)
- MUST have Great battery life"

These are going to be hardest to come by. Talk/surf capability will exist in some form on the Thunderbolt but it will be slow surfing. Other phones on VZW don't have that at all. As for battery life, that's a case by case thing. The rest of your list will be pretty much covered by other androids.

LTE is going to be amazingly fast compared to 3g; they're saying between 5 and 12 Mbps. 3g is almost always below 1 Mbps for me.

If it's true your market will get LTE by mid 2011, my advice would be to get the Thunderbolt if you're going to do a 2 yr contract. That way you won't kick yourself for not having an LTE phone for the 2nd year of your contract. There's also a rumor that LTE could go up in price later so you'd also get the rate locked in. That's only a rumor though right now.

Your other option is to pay $70 extra and get any 3g phone on a one year (only available at corporate verizon store). The 3g phones out right now can't do surf/talk though. Any of these would get you all

 

[EggoEspada]

By the look of your list, I say the HTC Thunderbolt fits you perfectly. Though I'd personally recommend you get it on a 1yr contract.

 

[AmousmosesMW]

By the look of your list, I say the HTC Thunderbolt fits you perfectly. Though I'd personally recommend you get it on a 1yr contract.

Thanks. Why do you recommend getting the Bolt on a 1 yr contract? Only because of what's to come in the next year with regard to 4G phones?

I can say with certainty that I am with VZW for the long-term. I have a family plan with 3 lines and all of my family across the country has VZW. Not sure if that would make a difference with the 1 yr recommendation.

 

[dyslexicbunny]

I believe the logic is that phones are improving so quickly, it's not worth locking in whatever phone you get now. Depends on whether or not you care about having the latest, greatest.

I would speculate the 4g phone battery life would continue to improve after the first round of phones as the tech continues to develop. But I don't know phone trends.