Just in case anyone is interested, the Casio GzOne Commando 4g version will (should) be available tomorrow. I have had one of their flip phones since 2007, tough as a rock. This will be my first adventure into the smartphone world.
http://www.theverge.com/products/g-zone-type-l/6224#product-overview
If anyone finds something that this phone is lacking, I would appreciate you letting me know. I don't know enough about smartphones to know what questions to ask.
My primary objectives:
Actually talking on the phone, I might actually even start texting.
Setting it up to where my wife can use her tablet to find out where I am. I cover a rather large area and most days my boss doesn't even know where I am. If I don't show up at home by midnight, at least she would know which county to call for a search party.
Mobile hotspot to be able to send or receive files from my laptop while in the field.
Check the weather to find the safest route home on stormy days.
Thanks,
James
I think you are going to find it easier than you think. Much of what you want to do will probably be on the phone when you get it. There are a ton of Android apps available for free to do what you want too. There should be an "APP STORE" icon on the phone when you get it. Tap on that and shop for whatever else you need. Cruise the FREE app selection.
I just switched from a Motorola RAZR to an Apple iPhone 4 and was amazed at how easy it was to do stuff intuitively. If all else fails, find a 12 year old neighborhood to show you how to do what you want.
GZ-one was a very good phone. I just threw an earlier one away that was sitting in a drawer. Felt relly bad doing that, nothing wrong with it, but it was a recovered "lost" phone that had been covered with insurance. I couldn't use it or sell it.
I thought it was really cool that they provided 2 batteries with the phone. A slim one and an extended bulkier one. Not many companies think that way. Very rugged phone. I've bounced one down a 40' cliff and into a lake....not once but twice. Survived each time.
Two things I noticed from the specs:
It ships with Android 4.0, not a big deal but my 1.5 year old Nexus runs 4.2 so it is shipping out with an outdated OS. Who knows, maybe an update will come soon. The battery is 1800 mAh that is small for dual-core, so keep a portable charger handy.
If this is your first smartphone you are going to have fun with, or drive yourself crazy, playing with all the apps available. That’s a nice phone and will do everything you mentioned. Like Blake said get a portable charger because if you use GPS tracking the GPS has to be on and it's a power hog.
In case you really need a cool accessory try this ( http://ardrone2.parrot.com/) it’s a blast!
Have a great week!B-)
Thanks for the replies,
I have been playing with my Wife's tablet so I've had a little exposure to android. If I need help, I can ask my niece. I think her phone has grown into her hand. I expect I will be getting the larger 2920 mAh battery and a 12v charger.
That drone would be fun but I would wind up in trouble with it.
There was a thread a few months ago with a lot of good suggestions on apps. I plan on going thru it again after I get the phone.
James
Clueful purports to tell you "how installed apps use, and possibly abuse, your personal information and treat your privacy."
You have to wonder why a flashlight app would need to access your contact list?
