On Sunday, March 14, 2010 I decided to step outside my comfort zone and purchase a new phone. This might not seem like a big deal to most of you, but I like to keep things simple. It takes me a few moments to deal with change. Changing my phone, especially to something like the one I bought, was a huge step. I decided it was time to upgrade to a smartphone.
Why a smartphone?
There have been several times where I was out for a walk or waiting for an appointment and I either get an idea, had a question about something, or was just bored, and sending a text email to remind myself to look something up later wasn’t cutting it anymore. I wanted to jot down the idea or find the answer to my question right then.
Also, I often hang out at my local Starbucks on my days off to read or brainstorm. Having a laptop with me would be nice but not always convenient. I also didn’t want to spend $600+ on something I would rarely use. So I decided that a smartphone was the correct choice for me.
I tried to be as smart (no pun intended) as I could be with making this purchase. I first went to the store and played touchy-feely with several of the phones. I wanted to see how they worked, which type of keyboard was easier to use and how fast really was the internet browser. If it was going to take a few minutes for a page to load, forget about it.
After visiting the store I did some research online. I looked at many reviews and in the end decided to purchase the HTC Droid Eris.
I have to start out by saying this phone is sexy. I mean, just look at it.
As for functionality, I’m going to give a quick one week review.
Verizon’s 3G network rocks. No complaints. Granted, I haven’t tried any of the other carriers’ service, but when you click a link and a new page opens, what else do you need.
I currently have three email accounts connected to my phone, including my Gmail account. A Gmail account is an absolute must to get the most use out of your phone. If you don’t have a Gmail account, you can set one up when you make your purchase.
Having a Gmail account allows you to tie in your contacts and calendar to your phone. (There are also some other features but I haven’t figured them all out just yet.) When you update your contacts or calendar online at home, your phone is automatically updated. And vice-versa , if you update them on your phone, they also get updated online, almost instantly. Cool huh?
Just like other smartphones, the Droid Eris can have apps, or small programs/tools that you can add to your phone. There are hundreds of apps available to download. Most are free while some cost a buck or two. I will talk about two apps today. The Facebook and Twitroid apps, and both are free.
The Facebook app connects directly with your Facebook account. It allows you to read and comment on your friends’ statuses, upload photos directly your albums, view and edit your profile and view your notifications. I use this one several times a day and find it very easy to use.
The Twitroid App connects to your Twitter account and allows you to read and send tweets, read your direct messages and do searches for both people and comments. It’s easy to use and takes up very little resources. I highly recommend it.
One week later I’m very happy with my purchase. No buyer’s remorse here. If you’re looking for a powerful smartphone please consider the HTC Droid Eris. As this is my first smartphone, I can’t compare it to others. I will say that it’s been a little challenging learning all the features, but HTC has made the Droid Eris easy to go through and get set up. The online manual is also very thorough.
Overall, after only a week of use, I’d give this phone 3 1/2 bananas.
Thanks for reading my review!
