War of the iPhones: Is AT&T's better or is Verizon's better?

Today, we are going to compare the AT&T iPhone4 to the Verizon Wireless iPhone4. As we all know the iPhone craze started back in 2007. The first iPhone was released on June 29 of that year (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphone). Since 2007, Apple has released an upgraded model of the iPhone in 2008, 2009, and 2010. There is some talk of the iPhone 5 (possibly the iPhone 4GS) to be released in 2011, but nothing has been confirmed by Apple.

So since Apple makes the iPhone 4 for both AT&T and Verizon, the phones are the same right? Wrong! There are a number of differences between the AT&T version and Verizon version. First let's compare the iPhone from both companies. Both companies carry the 4th generation iPhone (hence the name iPhone 4). In saying that they both have the following: 2 cameras (1 front facing and 1 rear), can be used as an MP3 player, receive email and texts, have the ability to multitask, can record and edit in HD, have GPS abilities, and have access to over 350,000 apps in the Apple App Store.

So what makes them so different? The main difference between the AT&T iPhone compared to the Verizon iPhone if the placement of the internal antenna. When AT&T first released the iPhone 4 in 2010, many people were dropping calls and having horrible connection to their 3G network. The reason for all of this was because the antenna was placed in a bad location; the bottom right side of the phone. Because most people are right handed, this "little issue" suddenly became quiet large. Apple has not fixed the issue, however they have offered free iPhone covers that prevent the signal being interrupted by your hand.

Verizon Wireless was lucky. They did not start selling the iPhone 4 until early 2011. This meant that they were able to look at the issues AT&T customers were having and addressed them before the phone was released on their network. The Verizon iPhone 4 also has the ability to act as a 3G mobile hotspot. This allows 5 devices to connect to Verizon's 3G network via the iPhone (the iPhone acts as a wireless router). According to Cnet.com the Verizon iPhone was faster (See video for testing).



Overall, both the AT&T iPhone 4 and Verizon iPhone 4 are great phones. The iPhone is a popular device and that will not change in the future. I would almost go as far as saying it leads the way in cell phone development. But I am an Android person so I could be a little bias....

Sources/More Information:
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iphone
www.attwireless.com
www.verizonwireless.com
Comparison Chart - http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/att_vs_verizon_iphone_-_a_comp.html

5/24/2011: Tech Tuesdays Podcast #3 (51 mins)

TECH TUESDAYS
EPISODE #3

Podcast Topics:
  1. Library Tech News: Spring Festival Slideshow | Library Website Upgrade
  2. Smartphones vs. Not-So-Smartphones: Budget vs. Smartphones
  3. Cell Phone Providers: Major vs. Minor Providers | 3G vs. 4G service
  4. Plans & Contracts: Pros & Cons


Resource Links:
  • May is Cell Phone Month (read now)
  • The Evolution of the Handheld Cell Phone by Jaketha (read now)
  • Smartphones vs. Not-So-Smartphones by Charlie (read now)
  • My Move from a Feature Phone to a Smartphone by Charlie (read now)
  • My Move from a Smartphone to an Even Smarter Phone by Jaketha - Coming 5/25/2011
  • The War of the iPhones by Charlie - Coming 5/27/2011





Thanks for listening to our first Tech Tuesdays podcast on the Digital Lovers Blog (http://bpl-it.blogspot.com/) brought to you by the Information Technology Department of the Bossier Parish Libraries (http://www.bossierlibrary.org/). We would love to hear from you! Feel free to use the online form provided by FormSpring.me to submit a question or comment on today's topic.

My Move from a Feature Phone to a Smartphone: Was it worth it?

My Story

My last article was comparing feature phones and smartphones. Well today I am going to talk about my move from a feature phone to a smartphone and if it was worth it. My cell phone endevors started when I was 16 years old. For Christmas that year I got an old Nokia cell phone (black text only). I was able to call people and towards the end of its existance, I learned how to text. Oh...and I can't forget, I learned how to play the game that revolutionized cell phone games forever, Snake.
"older" Nokia  |  Motorola Razr  |  Motorola Krzr

From the Nokia I went to a more modern looking flip phone. I thought I had a million dollar phone. It was a flip style and it had a color screen (Then... I knew what it was like to go from black and white TV to color). I stayed with the flip phone style for a while, going through the Motorola Razr (razor) and Krzr (krazor). These phones were great and were very tough. I dropped these phones countless times and they still worked. Other than the simplicity of these phones, the contract was the best part of owning a feature phone. Most of the contracts were low cost. I did have to pay extra for text messages and phone protection, but I feel it was worth it.
Blackberry Curve  |  Motorola Droid

When I got married in 2009, my wife and I decided we needed better phones. We joined our contracts and decided to get smart phones. My first smartphone was a silver Blackberry Curve 8330. In the beginning, this was a great phone. It did everything I imagined and more. I couldn't beleive I could surf the web, call/text people, and get my email on one device. My eyes were opened to a new world (A world my wife wishes I had never seen). From the Curve, we upgraded to a Motorola Droid, which I am currently still using. In my opinion, the Motorola Droid is 1000 times better than the Blackberry Curve; more apps, faster phone, and better 3G connection. The only draw back to having a smartphone is the contracts (as I mentioned in my first blog). Since my move to smartphones, I have taken an interest in mobile technology. When something new comes out, I generally head over to Best Buy or do research on the internet. Just like computers, cellphones are contstantly changing.

Was the Move Worth It?

If I base the move off of features, speed, and abilities, then the move to a smartphone was deffinatly worth it. If I base the move from a price stand point, then absolutely a bad move. You need to know that when upgrading to a smartphone, you will pay at least $15-$30 more per phone. The extra fee is for the constant connection your phone has to have with your provider. You can think of it as DSL or Cable internet. You computer is always connected to the internet. In fact, most smartphones will not work at all without this connection. You also need to know that "phone insurance" is more for these devices because they are more valuable than feature phones. For an individual, it can easily cost you $100 per month for a smartphone and the plan that goes with it. Some providers have better deals than others, but we will talk about providers and contracts later this week.

Sources/More Information:
http://www.themobileindian.com/news/806_Moving-from-feature-to-smartphone

Smartphones vs. Not-So-Smart Phones: Which one is better?

As you all know this month is Cell Phone month here on the Digital Lovers Blog. Earlier this week, Jaketha posted an article about the Evolution of Cell Phones. Today, I am going to compare smartphones vs. not-so-smart phones or feature phones. But before I begin, lets look at the definitions of each device.


Feature phone
PhoneScoop defines a feature phone as "Any mobile phone that is not a smartphone. Feature phones have proprietary operating system (OS) firmware." Proprietary operating systems mean that the OS is limited to that device/company only. Often times, feature phones cannot download or access third-party software; commonly called "apps." If so, then they in no way interact with the phone's OS. This means that the phone's hardware or software does not increase the performance of the app. Even thought feature phones have limited or no access to apps, they are still loaded with features. Most feature phones today are "socially" designed. That means that more feature phones are coming with enhanced texting/typing abilities, access to web based email (i.e. Yahoo, AOL, Gmail), updated web browsers, and access to Facebook and Twitter. Of course accessing any type of email or social media will cost. Because feature phones do not require any sort of 3G or 4G connection to work properly, Internet access is cheaper (anywhere from $5 to $15 monthly fee).


Smartphone
PhoneScoop defines a smartphone as "A category of mobile device that provides advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone. Smartphones run complete operating system software that provides a standardized interface and platform for application developers." Smartphone are geared toward the business person; having regular access to the Internet is a must as well as receiving cooperate email or storing multiple email accounts. Smartphone have the ability to download apps via the appropriate "app store" (i.e. Android Marketplace, Apple App Store). Smartphones give the user an enhanced experience surfing the Internet with the ability to view HTML5, Flash, and Java based sites (a.k.a. the fancy stuff). Because smartphones utilize your network's 3G or 4G connection, a GPS feature is always available, up-to-date news and weather can be accessed, and keeping your calendar up-to-date via it's syncronizing feature is available as well. Some smartphones have whats called a GPU or graphical processing unit. This enhances streaming media like YouTube, Netflix, and HDMI videos.

So which phone should you purchase?
My answer to that: Great question!?! :) Feature phones are great for those who don't like change. If all you do is make phone calls and text occasionally, then don't waist your money on a smartphone. If you can't get away from Facebook or Twitter, or you have a constant flow of email, then you probably need to look into a smartphone. I know earlier in the article I mentioned that feature phones are generally cheaper than smart phones, but this is not always the case. Carriers are always changing their plans and costs. You can get a low-end smartphone for FREE when you upgrade your contract or if you catch the right deal. But again, there are more costs associated with the smartphone (monthly data fee, phone insurance, basically anything that isn't considered standard). My wife and I made the switch to smartphones a few years ago and we love our phones. Now if only I can find a way to make the bill cheaper.....

Sources:
PhoneScoop - http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/
Cnet - http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-10461614-85.html

The Evolution of the Handheld Cell Phone

Just like with any technology, many are not aware that the concept of the cell (or mobile) phones can be traced back to the mid-1800s even though they did not become publicly accessible until 1988.

A. HISTORY:
If we think pass the actual devices, the framework for them started with a chemist named Michael Faraday, who "researched if space could conduct electricity" back in 1843 (see Article #1 below).

Thirty-one years later, a Virginia dentist named Dr. Mahlon Loomis, is believed to have been the first person to send messages wirelessly using the earth's atmosphere.
Dr. Martin Cooper

Then a little over a century after that, Dr. Martin Cooper, an engineer who once worked for Motorola, is coined as being the actual inventor of the cell phone. He not only made the first handheld device but also made the first cell phone call too.

By late-1970, Dr. Cooper's concept was being tested in major cities like Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

Today, according to C.T.I.A., which is the international organization that sets standards for cell phone technology, as of December 2010, in the United States, there were:

  • Over 300 million wireless subscribers
  • Over 2 trillion cell phone minutes used
  • Over 187 billion text messages sent
  • Over 26% of  households are without landline phones due to owning a cell phone

B. FEATURES:
Nowadays, cell phones can do more than just make a call. Since 1988, cell phone features have advanced to the point that some types are now referred as "smartphones" due to the addition of features, such as, text messaging, Internet browsing, downloading and listening music, movies, games, and downloading and watching full-length feature films just to name a few.

Cell Phone Features
Via: Cell Phones



Be sure to checkout these other references:
  1. (Article) - Timeline of Cell Phone History - CellPhones.org
  2. (Pictorial Article) - The Evolution of the Cell Phone Design Between 1983-2009 - WebDesignDepot.com

May is Cell Phone Month

In today's world, nearly everyone, even kids, have their own cell phone. Since the invention of hand-held cell phones back in the early 70s, the mobile phone has come along way. So for the next two weeks, we will explore the world of smartphones and "not-so-smart" phones. As a result, we anticipate discussing the following topics here on the Digital Lovers Blog:

  • The Smartphone vs. the Not-So-Smart Phone (Charlie)
  • My Move from a Feature Phone to a Smartphone: Was it Worth it? (Charlie)
  • My Move from a Blackberry to an Android: Was it Worth it? (Jaketha)
  • The War of the iPhones - Verizon vs. AT&T: Which is Better? (Charlie)
  • The Evolution of the Cell Phone (Jaketha)

As always we will continue with our regular episode of Tech Tuesdays podcast, which is been rescheduling from Tuesday, May 17th to Tuesday, May 24th. Be sure to check back between 6:00 and 6:30 PM to listen to the show!



DID YOU MISS LAST MONTH'S DISCUSSION ON TABLETS?

Throughout the month of March, we covered Computers & Printers from desktop, laptop and netbooks, along with tips and techniques for inkjet printers. In case you missed it, check out these links!

  1. Tech Tuesdays Podcast #2A - Listen here
  2. Tech Tuesdays Podcast #2B (41 mins) - Listen here
  3. The History of the Tablet Computer by Jaketha - Read now
  4. Are They Tablet Computers or Tablet PCs? by Charlie - Read now
  5. Tablet Computers: Overgrown MP3 Players or What? by Charlie - Read now
  6. Buyer Research: Apple iPad 2 by Charlie - Read now
  7. Buyer Research: Android by Charlie - Read now