Check whether you get better reception and coverage through AT&T or Verizon where you live. Switch to one of those carriers and get the iPhone. Seriously.
Okay, okay. We realize that the iPhone is not for everyone. Perhaps switching carriers is not an option or maybe the iPhone just isn’t your thing (we’d love to hear why). So what should you get? The answer gets complicated because, not only are there lots of different phones available, you also have to think about your wireless plan.
Who needs a smartphone?
A family member is currently shopping for a new phone and asked why anyone would need an iPhone or similar smartphone. I explained that having one of the latest smartphones is like having a computer with full access to the internet in your pocket. Almost anything you need to do on the internet – send email, check the weather forecast, book a flight, restart a web server (is that just me?) – can be done anytime and anywhere. You might not think that you “need’ to do any of this, but you probably also didn’t think you needed broadband internet or a laptop a few years ago.
Three types of phones
- Feature phone (aka. dumbphone): This is your standard mobile phone. The one where the only thing you actually care about is making phone calls and sending text messages. It has simple hardware – a keypad and a small screen. You might be able to compose email and check Facebook, and even “browse the web” (i.e. some horribly watered down version of the web), but don’t kid yourself. This is fundamentally the same phone you got 10 years ago with a bunch of oh-so-painful-to-use features tacked on.
- Smartphone (aka. superphone): Today’s smartphone is a computer in your pocket that makes phone calls. The “phone” part of the name is simply legacy and being “smart” no longer means just sending and receiving email. This type of phone has great hardware (read: it’s fast and has a nice screen) and allows you to install apps that can do practically anything: watch streaming video, edit a movie clip, update a spreadsheet, play 3D online games, and even remotely control your computer desktop. In my view, one of the easiest ways to recognize a true smartphone is to try the web browser. If you have full, uninhibited access to the web then you probably have a modern smartphone. Sorry BlackBerry fans.
- Unsmartphone: A phone with a full-color touchscreen and apps, and it’s as cheap as a feature phone! This, my friend, is the new Unsmartphone. On paper it has all of the features you would want in a smartphone including a true web browser. In fact, it probably runs Android. It’s like getting a high-end smartphone built with the cheapest hardware that will work. And… that’s the problem. It does everything but does nothing really well: unresponsive touchscreen, random slowdowns, poor battery life, etc.
If just need a phone that’s really good at phone calls, get a feature phone. If you want smartphone features and are willing to pay, get a high-end smartphone such as an iPhone 4 or the newest Android phone. And if you don’t want to spend that much, but still want the smartphone features, get an Unsmartphone.
After all, it might be worth paying $20 instead of $200 for an Unsmartphone in exchange for a lower quality experience, right? Ah, but you forget about the data plan!
Data changes the equation
Data plans are expensive. Unfortunately, if you want to send emails, access Facebook, and browse the web on your phone, you need a data plan. This might not be a factor with a feature phone since some carriers such as Sprint still offer a cheaper, older data plan that only works with these phones. However, your new smartphone – or Unsmartphone – definitely needs a modern data plan and will cost you about $30 extra per month. In order words, a data plan will cost you around $360 a year extra regardless of whether you buy the worst Android phone or the best Android phone. Over the course of a two year contract, you will have spent $720 on data alone! Don’t you want to enjoy every minute of that?
There are other factors too – such as the resale value of your phone (typically very high with a phone like the iPhone, not very high with an Unsmartphone) – but the data plan argument should be strong enough: You are paying for a luxury. Make the most of it.
And the answer is…
I think it’s clear: If you want to save money and your needs are simple, get a feature phone. If you really want internet access and smartphone features, pay the $200 and get the latest high-end phone. Forget the Unsmartphone – it’s not a very sensible option. It is simply not worth it to pay the high costs of a data plan and then not make the most of it because you saved money on a mediocre phone. After all, you wouldn’t subscribe to high-def digital cable to watch it on a 19 inch TV, would you?
So go ahead, shop for a new phone! Think about your needs and find out what options make the most sense for your budget. If you decide to go with a data plan, just make sure you don’t get stuck in the Unsmartphone trap. Or better yet… just keep it simple and get an iPhone 
