Smart Phones
Being a professional Realtor and a father of three, I often need to be in two places at once. Having a smart phone helps me stay connected to both of those “jobs” without having to sacrifice my kids for my work. Because I use it so often, many people often ask me my opinions of smart phones.
Years ago I had a Blackberry. It was a love-hate relationship. When it worked, it was great, but I often had to take it in for repairs or call tech support and try solution after solution. After a year, the face of the phone fell right off and my provider wouldn’t replace the phone. I tried a regular phone for a while, but missed having access to my email and the internet when away from the office.
In college I had used a Palm PDA, so I decided to try to Palm PDA Phone. Just like the Blackberry, there were many times it wouldn’t work. After three or four conversations with customer service, they agreed to replace the phone, but with a Samsung instead of a Palm.
The Samsung used Windows software, which was good because I use a PC for work. The phone had a touch screen, full keyboard and never froze up. The part I didn’t like is that a stylus is required to use the touch screen. Trust me on this one – fingers don’t work! Since the touch screen was easier than the keypad to use, this became an issue. My daughter now uses the phone and loves the full keypad for texting. She rarely uses the touch screen and there still hasn’t been an issue with the phone not working.
After the Samsung, I realized that the touch screen is what I need and like the most. I now have an iPhone and love it. Hands down, it is the phone for me! It’s simple to use and has an endless supply of applications available to add. With the touch of an icon, I can send a text or check email while having a conversation on the phone.
I travel two weekends a month and no longer have to pack my laptop. My iPhone is capable of any computer work I might need to do while away. My oldest two kids have downloaded several game applications, which help with the boredom when they come with on the weekends away. The youngest of the three has dietary restrictions, and I can search for places to eat and then map out how to get there, all from the phone.
The one downside of the iPhone is the battery life. I end up charging the phone at least once during the day, more if the kids play a lot of games. I keep a charger with me, either in my briefcase or in the car.
I know many people who swear that the Blackberry or Palm phones are the best. I also know that there are smart phones out there that I haven’t tried. This is just my experience. You will need to do your own trial and error to find the phone that fits your lifestyle best. Ask your service provider if you can do a trial period and try out a couple different phones. Ask the sales representatives for their opinions, too. Those of you who ask me, iPhone is always the one I recommend.
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Tim Wright
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