I got this question from My Nephew:
"Duke, I'm taking a free leap of faith upgrade for an extra 15 bucks monthly, for a smart phone. I live a minimalist lifestyle with virtually no media, television, or technology for that matter. Yet, I would love to "skype" and establish more communication methods involving you, loved ones, family etc... I have AT&T service with an available 4g network in my locations. What phone would you recommend? I'm thinking iphone 4..."
After some pondering, this was my reply:
Define "Minimalist"-. The reason why I am asking is that the iPhone really requires a PC to take updates of at least every 3 months.(Android devices update totally over the air) With that said, the iPhone has the best battery life of almost any smart phone. But it's still not a phone that you can unplug Friday morning, and spend a weekend away from a charger. No Smartphone really is, but don't be surprised if after about 36 hours of very moderate use, you realize, it's dead.
I have not exerienced Skype on an Apple device. But I do know that currently, Skype is not compatible across platforms, and data services. The video thing will work only with other iPhones or PC's, and even though you say you have 4G connections, currently the AT&T iPhone is not capable of utilizing it. Besides that, AT&T and T-mobile are kind of fibbing when they claim 4G speeds. What they offer is a little better than 3G, where as Verizon's LTE network is really 4G by the standard. There are a few other video options available, but almost all of them are going to rely upon a strong WiFi connection, and just won't function over the AT&T (or Verizon) data connection. To be honest, most find Skype to be frustrating, and unreliable as a mobile video solution. Apple's "Facetime" relies upon WiFi only to function, and most say that it works Pretty good, but of course depends upon other "Facetime" machines (iPhones) to work.
With all that said, the iPhone interface is the simplist and most consistant. Just a note: The iPhone 5 will probably be out in September. With it will come bigger, better, smaller, lighter, and more features. Of course, waiting means missing out on what is already a pretty sweet experience. Not to slight my love for Android, the Atrix and the coming Nexus S are at least worth consideration on AT&T. I'm certainly not regreting my choice of grabbing the Moto Atrix.
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