christianpfc
May 18th, 2013, 00:35
Advice on purchasing a smartphone?
I am planning to purchase a new phone, as my old one
(Samsung E-720, from around 2005) which I have been using since 2008 does not
support some features I would like.
I donтАЩt need the newest model, it can even be second hand or
тАЬcopy from ChinaтАЭ, my only preference regarding manufacturer is NOT Apple. I
did not get along well with the Apple computer I once had to use due to lack of
other computers. And I read you cannot exchange the battery in Apple products
and they censor some contents.
I want to access internet with my new phone. My current
SIM-card (1-2-call) is just for making phone calls, I want to keep my number,
how can I extend service to include internet?
I want GPS and a map (googlemaps would be fine) and want to be
able to save points (or even record a whole trip).
I want a touch-screen so I can type on a (kind of) keyboard, in English and in Thai, the
Thai keyboard of my electronic dictionary has a keyboard that is only basic Latin without special characters,
so Thai letters that are not on keys that have basic Latin are re-assigned to
elsewhere, which screws up my touch-type abilities). Just had a look at a
friendтАЩs Blackberry: the key arrangement is different from a computer keyboard
and from my electronic dictionary. With a touchscreen used in landscape
orientation key arrangement like on a computer keyboard should be no problem (I
will check with friendтАЩs mobile phones). However, a look at a Nokia Slider
(keyboard in landscape) showed yet another keyboard layout, different from
computer keyboard!
My current phone cannot display Thai characters, my new
phone has to be able to do so, so I can read and write SMS in Thai.
I want to use apps. At the moment I can only think of
grindr, a gay dating app. I heard from others that Apple blocks pictures they
consider pornographic, hence no Apple for me (or any manufacturer of mobile
phone or mobile network operator that has any kind of censorship).
No slider of flipper, just flat with touchscreen that fills
most of the area of the front, about 10 cm (or 4 inch) diagonal would be fine.
How long can such a mobile phone run on a battery charge? I
remember my first phone (Nokia 6210 in 2001) could run a week (I didnтАЩt make
many calls) and now the battery still lasts 4 or 5 days (after over 10 years!).
My current phone lasts only 3 to 4 days with a charge. Some of my friends with
contemporary phones have problems with empty battery or carry a charger with
them. In this respect, it would be a good idea to get a phone for which I can
get a second battery cheaply.
I want to exchange data with my laptop which doesnтАЩt have
Bluetooth, but wifi. Will this be possible? Even better: write SMS on my laptopтАЩs
keyboard and send via my mobile phone and save all contacts and messages from
my phone on my laptop, is this possible?
Do you have any recommendation on which model to buy and
what to pay attention to (especially for second hand or тАЬcopy from ChinaтАЭ)? Did
I forget anything important? I am well aware that many of these questions could
be answered by my Thai friends or by customer service or any mobile phone shop,
but I think the answers would be their preferences and not mine. Or they would
try to talk me into the newest model.
I discussed the subject with a friend, he advised on getting
Android 4 as operating system. He said that using any apps requires a Google
account (with possibility that Google is collecting data of me)?
A dictionary Thai<->Eng (and maybe English and French to German as well) would be nice, it should have a history of the last words I looked up, so I can scroll through them when I am idle. I used this feature a lot in my last (German-English-French) and current (English-Thai) digital dictionary, and IтАЩm afraid the purchase of the Eng-Thai digital dictionary (Easy Dict A811 for about 2700 Baht) will turn out to be an unnecessary expense if the mobile phone can do it!
I am planning to purchase a new phone, as my old one
(Samsung E-720, from around 2005) which I have been using since 2008 does not
support some features I would like.
I donтАЩt need the newest model, it can even be second hand or
тАЬcopy from ChinaтАЭ, my only preference regarding manufacturer is NOT Apple. I
did not get along well with the Apple computer I once had to use due to lack of
other computers. And I read you cannot exchange the battery in Apple products
and they censor some contents.
I want to access internet with my new phone. My current
SIM-card (1-2-call) is just for making phone calls, I want to keep my number,
how can I extend service to include internet?
I want GPS and a map (googlemaps would be fine) and want to be
able to save points (or even record a whole trip).
I want a touch-screen so I can type on a (kind of) keyboard, in English and in Thai, the
Thai keyboard of my electronic dictionary has a keyboard that is only basic Latin without special characters,
so Thai letters that are not on keys that have basic Latin are re-assigned to
elsewhere, which screws up my touch-type abilities). Just had a look at a
friendтАЩs Blackberry: the key arrangement is different from a computer keyboard
and from my electronic dictionary. With a touchscreen used in landscape
orientation key arrangement like on a computer keyboard should be no problem (I
will check with friendтАЩs mobile phones). However, a look at a Nokia Slider
(keyboard in landscape) showed yet another keyboard layout, different from
computer keyboard!
My current phone cannot display Thai characters, my new
phone has to be able to do so, so I can read and write SMS in Thai.
I want to use apps. At the moment I can only think of
grindr, a gay dating app. I heard from others that Apple blocks pictures they
consider pornographic, hence no Apple for me (or any manufacturer of mobile
phone or mobile network operator that has any kind of censorship).
No slider of flipper, just flat with touchscreen that fills
most of the area of the front, about 10 cm (or 4 inch) diagonal would be fine.
How long can such a mobile phone run on a battery charge? I
remember my first phone (Nokia 6210 in 2001) could run a week (I didnтАЩt make
many calls) and now the battery still lasts 4 or 5 days (after over 10 years!).
My current phone lasts only 3 to 4 days with a charge. Some of my friends with
contemporary phones have problems with empty battery or carry a charger with
them. In this respect, it would be a good idea to get a phone for which I can
get a second battery cheaply.
I want to exchange data with my laptop which doesnтАЩt have
Bluetooth, but wifi. Will this be possible? Even better: write SMS on my laptopтАЩs
keyboard and send via my mobile phone and save all contacts and messages from
my phone on my laptop, is this possible?
Do you have any recommendation on which model to buy and
what to pay attention to (especially for second hand or тАЬcopy from ChinaтАЭ)? Did
I forget anything important? I am well aware that many of these questions could
be answered by my Thai friends or by customer service or any mobile phone shop,
but I think the answers would be their preferences and not mine. Or they would
try to talk me into the newest model.
I discussed the subject with a friend, he advised on getting
Android 4 as operating system. He said that using any apps requires a Google
account (with possibility that Google is collecting data of me)?
A dictionary Thai<->Eng (and maybe English and French to German as well) would be nice, it should have a history of the last words I looked up, so I can scroll through them when I am idle. I used this feature a lot in my last (German-English-French) and current (English-Thai) digital dictionary, and IтАЩm afraid the purchase of the Eng-Thai digital dictionary (Easy Dict A811 for about 2700 Baht) will turn out to be an unnecessary expense if the mobile phone can do it!