Need help choosing the right phone OS for my needs

M

Meeshell

New member
Hi everyone!

I currently have a Nokia E71. And I love this phone. Sadly, mine started to have keyboard problems and it?s time for me to change my phone. Since Nokia decided to trash Symbian, I prefer to go for another OS. But I have some requirements for the OS and I am unsure about which one to select. I am not even talking about the phone itself here.

Can anyone help me decide between Android, iOS (iPhone) or Windows Mobile 7? I don?t want BlackBerry. Symbian may be a choice if no other can do.

Thanks in advance!

Required features (all of them, or forget it)
- Microsoft Exchange Sync OTA
- Lotus Notes Sync OTA
- Microsoft Outlook Sync via USB
- Lotus Notes Sync via USB
- Ability to buy a phone with the selected OS unbranded/unlocked
- Imap/Pop3 support
- Does not require the ?Cloud? to works!
- WiFi tethering/Bluetooth tethering (built-in or via third party apps)
- Free Word/Excel support built-in the OS
- Support for stereo Bluetooth headset for MP3 listening
- Support to add storage capacity
- Automatic switching from 3G to Wifi where available (I am using SmartConnect in Symbian for that)
- VoIp with SIP support via 3G and WiFi (I am using Callcentric with my Nokia for long distance call)

Nice to have features
- Free GPS navigation like Ovi Maps on Symbian that come with the OS or via third party tools
- Ability to install ?un-signed? application (custom made, etc.) or to install apps ?off-line? without having to re-download them.
 
There is nothing wrong with getting an E72 or E5 or E6 or E7 and use Symbian for another year.

If your requirements want to tie yourself to obsolete infrastructure, then maintain yourself on a legacy OS.
 
Well, after some thinking, I can let got USB sync, since I will be using EXCHANGE. Support for Lotus Notes was a nice to have feature, but my job may give me a BB anyway, so using my personal phone to sync it no more a requirment. For the "unsinged" software, I can always "jailbreak" the phone. With Android, I konw I don't have to, unless the application requires ROOT access.

This leaves the following requirments

- Microsoft Exchange Sync OTA
- Ability to buy a phone with the selected OS unbranded/unlocked
- Imap/Pop3 support
- Does not require the “Cloud” to works with EXCHANGE, dont care for stand-alone mode (Outlook-->Cloud-->Phone)
- WiFi tethering/Bluetooth tethering (built-in or via third party apps)
- Free Word/Excel support built-in the OS
- Support for stereo Bluetooth headset for MP3 listening
- Automatic switching from 3G to Wifi where available (I am using SmartConnect in Symbian for that)
- Free GPS navigation like Ovi Maps on Symbian that come with the OS or via third party tools


Basically, all 3 major OS can do this, right?

Thanks for your time btw!
 
Blackberry, Android and Symbian can do all that. iPhone too if you want to pay for the mini Office apps off the App Store.

Blackberry, Android and Symbian phones, depending on the model, may have some Office type mobile apps packaged. If its Symbian, stick to the E series type, if its Android, generally stick to the ones that got UI over it, like HTC Sense, Samsung Touchwiz or Motoblur. The Android phones with the add ons also seem to do Microsoft Exchange much better. With Blackberry it may depend model to model and carrier to carrier. In any case, if the phone doesn't have the Office apps free and bundled on the phone, they can be bought and downloaded from their app stores.

Automatic switching between Wifi and 3G, yes all the OS do well except for Symbian.

Stereo bluetooth support is also pretty standard across all OS.

All OS have unlocked phones so no problem there.

IMAP/POP3 support is yet another standard feature on all OS. Blackberry is the only one that truly pushes POP3 accounts.

When it comes to free GPS navigation and options, nothing beats Google Maps though, especially considering this app is updated diligently. Recently it got to 5.3 and added more features. This part is clear advantage for Android.
 
WP7 supports sExchange natively - naturally!

You can buy any WP7 off of eBay unlocked

Does Imap/Poop3

Why so much hate for the Cloud? Your Exchange stores your e-mail...

There is a hack for WiFi tethering - frowned-upon by carrier

MS wrote Word/Excel - natch!

Has Bluetoof

Switches automagically to Wifi when I walk into the house, 3G when I drive away, and then Wifi when I'm at work again...

Bing Maps built-in with GPS, turn-by-turn coming soon, also has Local Search

and much much more...
 
Forgot to add:

Blackberry - Does tethering out of the box but not MIFI.

Symbian - Tethering out of the box but not MIFI. Some phones got Joikuspot bundled, that lets your phone act as MIFI.

iOS - Update to iOS 4.3 to get MIFI. IOS 4.3 is now available for download.

Android - Update to OS 2.2 to get MIFI. Most phones have tethering. Most phones are 2.2 and above or are already upgraded to it.
 
Thanks all for your time!

Drillbit, I am already using JoikuSpot on my E71 and it works flawlessly. It came with QuickOffice with Office 2007 support.

For the MiFi option in Android, can this optin be disabled by the carrier? My coworker has an Acer Liquid E from FIDO, with Android 2.2 Froyo and the HotSpot option is not there. Any though on that?

For the cloud, it is not that I have anything agait it. But I prefer to have the choice to use it or not. Also, if for any reaseon the company has to close, the phone can still works with USB.

Thanks again all!
 
Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (S60; SymbOS; Opera Mobi/SYB-1103231405; U; fr-CA) Presto/2.7.81 Version/11.00)

I forgot.... Nokia allows me to download my GPS map offile and store them on my mivroSD card. Can I do that with Google Maps on an Android Phone? Similar application for Android or iOS to do that?

Sent from my E71
 
The Google Cloud works so long you have an internet connection. Period. Even if it's only on Wifi. Its not dependent on the company you work for. It doesn't need your company's Exchange server to pass through. It can be on any carrier, any prepaid data SIM, or any wifi station, even your own home wifi.

I think you have a very wrong impression of the Cloud here. You're only referring to your company Cloud. An Android or any mobile for that matter, can be a terminal for many multiple cloud sources, like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Salesforce, etc,. They work independently of Microsoft Exchange and each have their own separate account sync.

An Android's primary cloud is always Google, and for that you need a GMail account. Your GMail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts and Android Market will always be associated with that account. Please note a single Google account can also support multiple Android devices under your single name. Any contact and calendar changes on one Android phone will be replicated on the other. If you bought an app on one Android phone, it becomes free to download for another. A bought app will always be marked permanently as Purchased on your Android Market account no matter what new Android you purchase in the future. This is not like Nokia where apps are bought per device. In Android, apps are bought per user regardless of the number of devices the user has.

On some carrier branded phones, yes, the MIFI can be disabled on Android phones. It comes standard with most phones however and with every unlocked phone. When it comes to MIFI, its always good to examine the carrier's policy and to check on the phone's capability.

Please note some Androids have a separate MIFI app. But for Froyo phones, the MIFI settings is not an app like Joikuspot but a setting enabled in the OS itself.

It is found under

Settings > Wireless & Networks > Then put a check on 3G Mobile Hotspot.

With regards to offline maps, Google Maps is said to be planning one but for now, it requires that it runs online. OVI Maps is nice, but Google Maps is filled with the brim when it comes to navigation routes, from buses, to bicycling to hiking. It also has Street View, Places and Latitude for social networking and so on. In some cities, it has a spectacular Tron like 3D viewing.

Some carriers and some handset makers do include map apps with offline storage. An example is HTC with the later phones from the Desire Z and Desire HD and above. There are also other map apps in the Android Market as well.
 
Thanks for all your information!

I don't have anything against the cloud, except that I prefer to have my personal data stored somewhere I can control. Right now, I configured my own exchange server at home on my dedicated serverd (I am working in IT, so I use this server for learning puyrpose also like GPo, AD, etc.)

All that being said, and after looking for different phone models and all that, I am really interested by the Nokia E7 and the N8, the latest having a good camera and HDMI/USB on the go support but no keyboard, but I mostly read my mail, not write them. Altough Symbian will die, it will still be supported for a few years, and the only software I use are Smartconnect, JoikuSpot, Opera browser, Nimbuzz and Socially. I stuck with the default software for the everything else.

Also, unbranding a Nokia phone is so easy
 
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