Bought First Smart Phones Today !!!

[HTSS_TR]

Unbelievable ! So many suggestions/advices in such as short time. You guys are great !

Thank you all for your advices. I need to explore the Samsung Galaxy Core I have for few days, and I will be sure have some questions by then and will post here asking for instruction/advice.

Since this is my first smart phone, I may have some not very smart questions so bear in mind that if my question(s) is/are fairly dumb don't be so upset with me. I'm way behind in the current technology, the laptop I use to type this is 9-10 years old Dell Vostro 1000 with Window XP, it tells you how up to date about me.

With my old basic/dumb cell phone, I only know how to do the following:
. Set alarms
. Dial and receiving calls
. Text short message about 10-15 worlds
. Read/delete text messages
. Add someone to the contact list

I didn't know how to access voice mail and many other features. I know that I am not so good with current technologies, and I like to learn.


PS Setup the WIFI at home seems easy for you guys who have smart phone for a while, but it is totally foreign to me. Something like this I need detail instructions on how to do it, otherwise I may not be able to do anything because I have zero knowledge about it.

 

[zach1900]

Turn wifi on and it will scan for open networks.
Don't worry about apps for now.

 

[racer12306]

YouTube is your friend. So many resources to show you various features.

Don't worry about turning the cellular data off when you are on WiFi, the phone prioritizes WiFi over cellular data. Also if you turn cellular data off, you won't receive picture or video messages.

To connect to wifi on an iPhone, click settings, then wifi, then select your home wifi network and then enter the password. Connected.

For an Android (the Samsung) phone it's pretty much the same.


The best thing to do is just play around, phones can be pretty intuitive. iPhones moreso than Android phones (Qualification: I have both and prefer Android), imo but in the end it's just a little computer.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
That doesn't sound bad. That said, the pricing on the phones doesn't sound right. I'd suspect they will hit you with some added fees in upcoming bills. If not, great!!

The pricing includes monthly installments on each phone. On edge you are basically paying for the phone monthly for a year. After that you may upgrade. you may also pay off the total of the phone at anytime and upgrade.

Basically the edge plan finances the phone for a year rather than paying $199.00 upfront and signing a 2 year agreement.

I think I will pay for the phones for 2 years not 1 year.

I think the $200-210 a month includes paying for the 4 phones and unlimited talk and text access and 10GB data. I think it costs me another $100/mo from my previous basic phone with 700 minutes talk and unlimited text.

What I did was first tried to upgrade 1 phone only, and complaint about high monthly cost. I then told the Verizon guy that I would upgrade all phone if I can get better pricing.

First, he did some estimate and came up with $250/mo with 6 GB data for 2 iPhone6 and 2 Motorola Maxx. I didn't agree and told him I will think about the upgrade for few days, I also told him that I was with Verizon for more than 15 years, if I get a good deal I may jump ship this time.

He then recalculated and had the cost a little lower, I then said I like 3 iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy and best possible price to close the deal today. He did some calculations and went to talk to the store manager for few minutes. He came back and gave me this deal.

I thought that it was a good deal so I accepted. My wife and daughters seem to like their iPhone's so it is worth it to me.

PS So far nobody seems to upset about my (stupid)questions. Thanks.

 

[Trav]

I have tried a lot of Otterbox cases over the years, the commuter is a two piece PITA but the Otterbox Symmetry is fantastic. Its thinner and offers the same protection without 2 Pieces, look up you tube reviews.
Tech Armor ballistic glass screen protectors are excellent, they are easy to instal and are bubble free.

Just a couple of examples, the one shown is blue but there are ones any color for the same money.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/OtterBox-Symmetr...=item463b6d0ad5

http://www.ebay.com/itm/iPhone-6-4-7-inc...=item3f4436a9c2

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Most smart phone use Gorilla glass (Corning I think) and if that's the case, then a screen protector is not needed. A case is always a good idea. Otterbox makes good protective cases.

I would play around with the phone and ask others who have an iPhone or Android as the case may be. You will quickly learn what is important to you.

Believe me you are paying for the phones.

I feel a better deal is to pay cash or installment for the phone and get no contract service.

Best deal is a Blackberry I have for work. Free for me, but I pretty much need to have it nearby 24x7.

I don't know anything about the glass of these smart phones. You're probably right about they use Gorilla glass. But, the temper glass screen protective is only few dollars each and my daughters like to have it so I like to satisfy their request. As a dad it is hard to turn down your children request for something that is not so expensive.

Verizon is in business to make money, they are not charity organization. One way or another I am paying for the phones, the way they do in my case seems reasonable to me and it seems lower cost than paying for the phones up front to avoid the 2 years contract.

I may be wrong but this is how I see it as of now.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: zach1900
Turn wifi on and it will scan for open networks.
Don't worry about apps for now.

Somehow my older daughter after playing with her iPhone knows how to turn on Wifi on her phone and she also turn on Wifi for my phone too. I am set for the Wifi(at home) for now, but I need to play with it so I can turn it on when I am visiting my relatives and spend few hours there.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Thank you Trav.

I was a little confuse about Otterbox, they have several series and I don't know which one is better, thanks for suggesting the Symmetry.

 

[BearZDefect]

Look at the cases carefully before buying. Many Otterbox cases will transform your fine slim new phone into a chunky hideous thing.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
Should I get Screen Protectors, Cases for the phones ?

That depends on how careful/careless you are with your electronics, I suppose. My current smartphone is 2.5 years old, and the screen still looks like new. I don't use any screen protectors or cases. A case will typically make it bulkier.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I don't know if I need screen and case protectors for my Samsung. The 4 years old Pentech dumb phone is still in great shape.

But my wife and daughters seem not very careful about their old phones, they each dropped it more than once and they like to have protectors.

Looks like Otterbox Symmetry isn't very thick, it probably adds about 1/8"-3/16" thick to the iPhone.

 

[rjundi]

For 4 people 10GB is decent. That won't burn too quickly especially if someone is at home more or where wifi is like at work.

Check your bill and see who ues what etc to figure how far or short you are on data usage. Occasional use of GPS does not burn out data for example. Movies and video conferencing seems to eat it alive.

 

[racer12306]

Verizon even has a widget that will keep a live gauge on your home screen to tell you the families total data usage.

 

[Subdued]

Get the parental controls for the teenager's phones. It's not optional, it's a requirement.

Unmetered my family would go through 40 gigs+ a month and no degree of talking and ranting and raving would ever stop it.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I really like to learn how to use GPS, so far playing with my Samsung I didn't figure out how to access to GPS yet.

I need to get on Youtube to see how to get the GPS app or whatever it is.

 

[Quattro Pete]

You should already have Google Maps app installed on your phone. If not, go to the Play Store and install it.

Once you launch Google Maps, it'll check if your GPS receiver is on. If it is not on, it'll take you to the settings page where you'll be able to turn it on. Keep in mind, having it turned on will increase battery drain somewhat.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Thanks Pete.

I just like to check the odometer of my cars to see how much off they are.

I still need to learn how to use GPS and Google Map to check the odometer too.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Oh, I thought you wanted it for navigation.

What do you mean by "check the odometer"? Did you mean speedometer? If you want to report speed, then I don't think Google Maps does that. There are many other apps that will do it though. One is called GPS Test, and you can download it from Play Store as well. I'm sure there are many others.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I'm sorry, my error. I mean check the speedometer.

I think I have the GPS with Google Maps, I tried once to see how it works, it did say the direction starting from my house.

I will look into Play Store to find out about GPS Test and how to down load it.

This is my first smart phone, I think it is very sophisticated but so far I feel that it is very complicated to a new user like me.

Other than the $64/mo for 10 GB shared data for 4 phones my cost of this Samsung is only $2/mo more than the basic phone for access fee. Plus $16/mo each phone for shared data the total extra cost is $18/mo.

I think it worth the $18/mo extra as soon as I know how to use some of its features, if not most.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: Subdued
Get the parental controls for the teenager's phones. It's not optional, it's a requirement.

Unmetered my family would go through 40 gigs+ a month and no degree of talking and ranting and raving would ever stop it.

They are older than 21, the younger one is 23 and will be graduated from University of California at Irvine next week and will start to work at UCI hospital a week later.

The older one is 28, she is hair stylist so she needs a smart phone to be able to use it to charge her customers' credit card. Her need is the reason that I decide to upgrade to smart phone for the whole family.

They are adult now but I still pay some of their expenses, until they are completely independent(earn enough to support themselves).

When we had basic phones with 700 minutes talk and unlimited text, I told them to use text rather than talk and they did(they text more than 5-6k a month sometime more than 10k). Most months we used less than 200-300 minutes.

The problem of over allocation(of anything) is with my dear wife. She never paid attention to anything, when we were over the 700 minutes her minute alone was more than 600-650 minutes, 3 of us combined was less than 100-150 minutes.

I told them don't do any video of any type and utilize WIFI as much as possible, my 2 daughters know how to use WIFI, but my wife is another story. I will check data usage weekly to see how we do. I probably will use few hundreds MB per month by myself, hope other family members will not use more than 7-8 GB.