Are superphones worth the money for the university crowd?

[dingdongbubble]

I'm wondering, if a person can get a mid level cheap phone say $250-400 and that phone does web browsing, texting, twitter, Facebook, YouTube, email decently then is the extra cost of a superphone like an iPhone 5 worth it? I'm a university student and have missed out on the app revolution and all that because I've been using a BlackBerry all this time. Now its time to upgrade so I'm trying to figure out if an iPhone 5 would be worth it.

I asked a friend who upgraded from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 5 what she does on it regularly. She replied with very basic things like the stuff I listed above and just a few extra apps like for basketball scores. For me the high cost of an iPhone would not be worth it for the tasks she was doing.

But do students with iPhones have anything special like snapchat going on that I would miss out on if I didnt get an iPhone? What do you think?

[Damolee]

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

I'm wondering, if a person can get a mid level cheap phone say $250-400 and that phone does web browsing, texting, twitter, Facebook, YouTube, email decently then is the extra cost of a superphone like an iPhone 5 worth it? I'm a university student and have missed out on the app revolution and all that because I've been using a BlackBerry all this time. Now its time to upgrade so I'm trying to figure out if an iPhone 5 would be worth it.

I asked a friend who upgraded from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 5 what she does on it regularly. She replied with very basic things like the stuff I listed above and just a few extra apps like for basketball scores. For me the high cost of an iPhone would not be worth it for the tasks she was doing.

But do students with iPhones have anything special like snapchat going on that I would miss out on if I didnt get an iPhone? What do you think?

You would find yourself doing far more with the phone. They truly are worth it. At University I would imagine things like Evernote would come in handy, plus the hundreds of other student orientated apps. The reminder functions, calendars etc

Your also want to keep memories no?

The camera also plays a big part in that.

If you can afford it, I would not hesitate.

[TonsOfFun420]

I graduated 1 year ago, but I got an iPhone in college specifically to keep me entertained during boring classes. The only thing it helped me with in college was the ability to check email and class websites while on campus or in class, and an app that helped me keep track of my schedule and assignments due dates.

[Rocko1]

You wouldn't use it for sports scores but are concerned about Snapchat?

[dingdongbubble]

Originally Posted by Damolee

You would find yourself doing far more with the phone. They truly are worth it. At University I would imagine things like Evernote would come in handy, plus the hundreds of other student orientated apps. The reminder functions, calendars etc

Your also want to keep memories no?

The camera also plays a big part in that.

If you can afford it, I would not hesitate.

Well I'm looking at an HTC Windows Phone 8S which I can get for just $280 vs $700 for an iPhone 5 (not to mention the monthly plan being about half the price for an 8S). I've never used note taking apps but even if I did want to, there's OneNote on WP and surely there will be other note taking apps. I just use a basic calendar and find it adequate. I tried using homework management and all those apps but didn't really find them to be useful. I also have a cheap Nexus 7 for games and stuff that doesn't to be super portable (on a cell phone always with me).

There's an ok camera on the 8S. The better camera would be nice to have so I'll put that as one solid point in favour of the iPhone 5 (not to mention Instagram too even though hardly anyone I know of uses it regularly).

Originally Posted by TonsOfFun420

I graduated 1 year ago, but I got an iPhone in college specifically to keep me entertained during boring classes. The only thing it helped me with in college was the ability to check email and class websites while on campus or in class, and an app that helped me keep track of my schedule and assignments due dates.

That's it? So all the apps available don't make a significant difference on your day to day phone experience?

Originally Posted by Rocko1

You wouldn't use it for sports scores but are concerned about Snapchat?

Well I take it that maybe you find Snapchat silly. Well before I graduate I just want to be done with all the silly stuff folk do at college so I know its silly but I kinda want to be silly. If that makes sense lol.

[gpsouza]

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

That's it? So all the apps available don't make a significant difference on your day to day phone experience?

I'm at college studying engineering and can say that my iPhone + my iPad make a great role in my study.

I can take all the notes on my iPad, read books and make some homework.
With my iPhone I can use wolfram to help me out, can read my notes. Helps me with my schedule and everything + a great bunch of other things outside college.

And yes, it helps in some boring classes.

[testcard]

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

Well I take it that maybe you find Snapchat silly. Well before I graduate I just want to be done with all the silly stuff folk do at college so I know its silly but I kinda want to be silly. If that makes sense lol.

Stay hungry. Stay...silly.

[Mrbobb]

So u came to the Vatican to ask whether it's good to be a catholic.

I think they are selling more Androids because you can probly do 95% of everything in those phones (lots of people are on a budget), ALBEIT not as smooth, not as seamless, and let be honest we buy iPhone because it looks like jewelry unlike those other phones.

But to argue that an (any) electronic gadget is gonna bump up your grades, be more popular etc? That's what the vendors want you to think. YOU ARE MISSING OUT MAN!

Find something that you need on the iPhone that u cannot do on an Android then you have your answer, or there is no shame spending money on a piece of jewelry, just don't tell your accountant.

(all personal opinion, YMMV).

[Bob Coxner]

If they ever come back into stock, you also have a good alternative with the Nexus 4. $299 for the 8gb version, $349 for 16gb. And, it's unlocked, so you can use it with whatever carrier you like. It's arguably the best Android phone available and the price is fantastic for an unlocked phone.

https://play.google.com/store/device...YzMDgzMzMzMiJd

[dingdongbubble]

Originally Posted by Mrbobb

So u came to the Vatican to ask whether it's good to be a catholic.

I think they are selling more Androids because you can probly do 95% of everything in those phones (lots of people are on a budget), ALBEIT not as smooth, not as seamless, and let be honest we buy iPhone because it looks like jewelry unlike those other phones.

But to argue that an (any) electronic gadget is gonna bump up your grades, be more popular etc? That's what the vendors want you to think. YOU ARE MISSING OUT MAN!

Find something that you need on the iPhone that u cannot do on an Android then you have your answer, or there is no shame spending money on a piece of jewelry, just don't tell your accountant.

(all personal opinion, YMMV).

Err the phone I'm looking at HTC 8S is a Windows Phone 8 device not Android. I don't like Android, I already have a Nexus 7 but that's all the android I'll tolerate.

Originally Posted by Bob Coxner

If they ever come back into stock, you also have a good alternative with the Nexus 4. $299 for the 8gb version, $349 for 16gb. And, it's unlocked, so you can use it with whatever carrier you like. It's arguably the best Android phone available and the price is fantastic for an unlocked phone.

https://play.google.com/store/device...YzMDgzMzMzMiJd

I actually got a Nexus 4 but sold it cos I've had enough on Android with just my Nexus 7. I really like the Windows Phone 8 UI but I'm not sure if I'll be missing out on stuff if I go that way.

[Damolee]

Windows Phone 8 will be dead in the water soon.

Just look at the lack of uptake in the apps department.

It's a real shame because I think the OS has potential. Just bad timing with the growth of Android and iOS dominance.

If I couldn't make use of the vast range of apps I would just get an old dumbphone and carry a seperate camera.

[ucfgrad93]

I think a smartphone for a college student is well worth the money.

[Menel]

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

I'm wondering, if a person can get a mid level cheap phone say $250-400 and that phone does web browsing, texting, twitter, Facebook, YouTube, email decently then is the extra cost of a superphone like an iPhone 5 worth it? I'm a university student and have missed out on the app revolution and all that because I've been using a BlackBerry all this time. Now its time to upgrade so I'm trying to figure out if an iPhone 5 would be worth it.

I asked a friend who upgraded from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 5 what she does on it regularly. She replied with very basic things like the stuff I listed above and just a few extra apps like for basketball scores. For me the high cost of an iPhone would not be worth it for the tasks she was doing.

But do students with iPhones have anything special like snapchat going on that I would miss out on if I didnt get an iPhone? What do you think?

Look at refurbshied ATT/Verizon deals.

Look at the 4S. Does everything an iPhone 5 can do. Dual core cpu/gpu. Plenty of speed.

If Verizon, and in LTE area. iPhone 5 no questions asked.

But ATT, the 4S on their 4G network is plenty speedy.

[takeshi74]

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

Are superphones worth the money for the university crowd?

Worth is always highly subjective no matter what the topic or the crowd you're referring to. You need to clarify what would make it worth it to you and what would not make it worth it to you if you want feedback. "The university crowd" is a massive and diverse group and not all of them would find it worthwhile or vice-versa.

The same applies even for the question of which smartphone to use. These are highly subjective matters and they are no one-size-fits-all answers. Otherwise everyone would be using the exact same solution. Take a look at the real world and you'll find that that's not the case because people's sense of worth varies.

It's not just a matter of what one does with a smartphone. There's quite a bit of subjective preference that plays into this as well. At the core, every smartphone pretty much does the same stuff.

It sounds like you've used a Blackberry and an Android device. Have you actually used a Windows 8 smartphone? An iPhone 5? First hand experience is the best way to answer the questions you're asking. When you rely on others you're also relying on their preferences which may or may not be in line with your own. If you're going to rely on the opinions of others then make sure your preferences are clearly outlined and that you take the preferences of others (and whether or not they are relevant to your own) into account. It's really no different than selecting from any other list of options in life.

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

But do students with iPhones have anything special like snapchat going on that I would miss out on if I didnt get an iPhone? What do you think?

Again, define "special". I have no interest in snapchat. Don't just assume that your preferences are universal. What you think you'd miss out on and what is special are also subjective matters. You need to tell us.

[XboxMySocks]

If you can easily afford it and think you'll enjoy it, go for it. I understand the budget of most university kids and would not recommend breaking the bank for a phone if you can't easily afford it.

[FixBrokeni]

Mobile integration in schools is growing tremendously. I can't tell you how many times I whip out my phone to check my school email, do quick research before a test, tether to my mac to get things done off campus, among other things. Book publishers are even releasing school books at discounted prices that can be downloaded on your computer, tablet, and mobile device.

In terms of what phone you should get, that's hard for us to decide. Obviously this is an Apple forum, so you're going to get a biased answer around here

[dukebound85]

To me, what I value with a smart phone (in addition to texting and calling) are
-email on the run
-internet on the run
-camera
-navigation/maps

I don't care much for games or *most* other apps but those 4 listed above are what I find are great to have and would be hard to go back to not having them. Thus, any phone that can perform those 4, I am 95% already happy with the product

[Wicked1]

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

I'm wondering, if a person can get a mid level cheap phone say $250-400 and that phone does web browsing, texting, twitter, Facebook, YouTube, email decently then is the extra cost of a superphone like an iPhone 5 worth it? I'm a university student and have missed out on the app revolution and all that because I've been using a BlackBerry all this time. Now its time to upgrade so I'm trying to figure out if an iPhone 5 would be worth it.

I asked a friend who upgraded from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 5 what she does on it regularly. She replied with very basic things like the stuff I listed above and just a few extra apps like for basketball scores. For me the high cost of an iPhone would not be worth it for the tasks she was doing.

But do students with iPhones have anything special like snapchat going on that I would miss out on if I didnt get an iPhone? What do you think?

Go to a store for your carrier and play around with all the different phones, it is all based on preference to 99% of the folks out there.

I have an iPhone and have since the 3G, tried others like Samsung Galaxy SIII liked it, but sticking with the iPhone because I am all Apple and it works together well (this is my preference)

If you can afford the monthly and want something robust then go with AT&T or VZ, if you need something cheap and do not care about speeds on the internet, but cost is more your factor, go with those pre paid or cheap carriers like Boost etc for $50 per month unlimited everything. Find out which cell service works best in your area, I found out the hard way that T-Mobile does not work in my area at all, thankfully it was a company provided phone, but look around and determine what is more important and evaluate the costs.

Good Luck

[macingman]

Originally Posted by Damolee

Windows Phone 8 will be dead in the water soon.

Just look at the lack of uptake in the apps department.

It's a real shame because I think the OS has potential. Just bad timing with the growth of Android and iOS dominance.

If I couldn't make use of the vast range of apps I would just get an old dumbphone and carry a seperate camera.

The devices have been out for only a couple of months. There were not many apps when the iPhone app store started as well. There is definitely a place for Windows 8, just how big that place will be remains the question.

[donnaw]

OP, what kind of computer do you have? If you have a windows PC then a WindowsPhone 8 might be the way to go. I say this mostly because do OneNote. If you have a PC you can sync your notes between your phone and your computer quite easily.

The app on the phone is great but I doubt you'll be taking notes on your phone. But if you take or keep class notes on your computer in OneNote it will be a great solution.

I used OneNote for years in business. I had a slate PC that is used for handwritten meeting notes using OneNote. After meeting I converting the notes to text but was able to leave the drawings we discussed. I also recorded the meetings (part of OneNote). I was able to circulate the notes withing 30 mins rather than completely retyping them. Saved me hours of work. Also since I was managing more than one project at a time I was able to organize the projects all within OneNote.

I have a Nokia 920 (which runs WP8) and the OS is very nice. Don't let the discussion of a 'lack of apps' fool you. Just about anything you want is there. But you can check online directly from your computer at WindowsPhone.com and see what's available.

The iPhone OS a great phone but unless money is not a concern you should give WP8 a good look. Whatever you decide, try out the one of your choice, try it out and make up your mind before your return period expires. If you don't like your first choice, return it and go for the other. Both OSs are nice, your useage depends directly on you. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for you.

[Bahroo]

Originally Posted by dingdongbubble

I'm wondering, if a person can get a mid level cheap phone say $250-400 and that phone does web browsing, texting, twitter, Facebook, YouTube, email decently then is the extra cost of a superphone like an iPhone 5 worth it? I'm a university student and have missed out on the app revolution and all that because I've been using a BlackBerry all this time. Now its time to upgrade so I'm trying to figure out if an iPhone 5 would be worth it.

I asked a friend who upgraded from a BlackBerry to an iPhone 5 what she does on it regularly. She replied with very basic things like the stuff I listed above and just a few extra apps like for basketball scores. For me the high cost of an iPhone would not be worth it for the tasks she was doing.

But do students with iPhones have anything special like snapchat going on that I would miss out on if I didnt get an iPhone? What do you think?

Iphone 5 is one of the best phones.. It has a super fast processor and GPU( the best for games), the app support for iOS is amazing and there is so many apps that can do so many differnt things. The camera is also one of the best on a smartphone today and you cant go wrong with Apple designing BOTH the hardware and the software..so its all tucked in a neat package

[wordoflife]

Are you buying this at full price, or what? :O

[dingdongbubble]

Yes I'll be buying at full price.

I won't be gaming so I don't care about those. The question here I guess is whether there are apps on ios that are compelling enough to justify spending $400-500 more than double more. LTE and camera are two solid points, what else?

[AbyssImpact]

Originally Posted by wordoflife

Are you buying this at full price, or what? :O

Full price + straighttalk for $45 month for unlimited everything > signing a two year contract which will lead to a higher cost down the line.

[dingdongbubble]

Originally Posted by AbyssImpact

Full price + straighttalk for $45 month for unlimited everything > signing a two year contract which will lead to a higher cost down the line.

I'm in Canada. Not the same plans here.