Help with smartphone

[mainebob]

I need you help. I have been using a prepay net10 dumb? phone for years and never use more than 150 min. I turn in all to call home and then shut itoff. I am planning a 2013 thru hike with my daughter “sassafras” who will be 13. she need to keep a blog or journal for her school. (her teachers and principal
are in full support of the hike, she had hiked all of Maine, most of it 2 or 3 times as well as part of Virginia and most of Georgia).

I would like the phone to(1) be able to have blog entries typed in and saved and then up linked to either blogger or postholer when we have a good cell connection.)(2)Take pictures that could be uploaded to those sites and a photo storage site. (3) take short videos that could be uploaded to you tube. (4)have a second battery, and of course make phone calls.

I do not want an iphone, I want some type on android phone. I believe verison has the best all around coverage. I would like to have a prepay plan and not a 2 year contract.

I do not think I need the most expensive or latest phone to do these thing, but am not sure.

Can you recommend a phone and and a prepay plan that would fit these need.

Any help would be appreciated.

[yellowsirocco]

Page Plus is a good prepaid service on Verizon and lets you use smartphones.

As for Android phones I have gotten fed up trying to fix the carriers and manufacturers screw ups so I use a Galaxy Nexus. It is not the latest and greatest anymore, but there is no bloatware on the Nexus line so you don't even have to root it to have a decent phone.

[Wise Old Owl]

Just a quickie last year I looked at many cell phone carriers for Maine and nothing works on the AT, so are you talking for any trail or what?

[Pringles]

I just bought a Straight Talk (Walmart) Samsung Proclaim for $179, and a one year service card for $495. That works out to paying in the low $40s per month,, and it's on Verizon. I had been using a Droid 2 through Verizon, and was paying nearly $90 per month. The phone isn't quite as "smart" but I've been very happy so far. Pringles

[mainebob]

i am talking about the entire trail. i live in maine and hike the trail alot. my net 10 is on the verison system and if there is cell reception, usually on top most mountains, i can get a cell. this includes places in the 100 mile wilderness. thanks.

[Spokes]

I found trailjournals a pain in the arse to manage remotely. Even my transcriptionist back home did too. I did like the layout and ease from the readers point of view. Im not a big fan of postholer. It's the funky weird layout that distracts me and I wasn't fond of the way photos appeared there. But both have pros and cons....

I'm now in the process of setting up a blog for a circumnavigation of Florida by kayak trip next year and have really been impressed with the free WordPress.com option. They have an app that allows you to post directly from your phone, add pics, post by voice, and integrate Twitter and Facebook. Setup a free AudioBoo account and you can upload a 3:00 audio clip free to the blog via a Twitter widget. You can even upload and integrate YouTube videos you take along the way...... All from your Smartphone with a short learning curve to boot.

I'm confused about your comment about an android phone having the "best coverage"? Cell coverage is determined by your cell phone provider not the type phone. Verizion has always gotten the best coverage reviews. Remember cell and data coverage differ. You may have one without the other.

Cheers!

[mainebob]

I found trailjournals a pain in the arse to manage remotely. Even my transcriptionist back home did too. I did like the layout and ease from the readers point of view. Im not a big fan of postholer. It's the funky weird layout that distracts me and I wasn't fond of the way photos appeared there. But both have pros and cons....

I'm now in the process of setting up a blog for a circumnavigation of Florida by kayak trip next year and have really been impressed with the free WordPress.com option. They have an app that allows you to post directly from your phone, add pics, post by voice, and integrate Twitter and Facebook. Setup a free AudioBoo account and you can upload a 3:00 audio clip free to the blog via a Twitter widget. You can even upload and integrate YouTube videos you take along the way...... All from your Smartphone with a short learning curve to boot.

I'm confused about your comment about an android phone having the "best coverage"? Cell coverage is determined by your cell phone provider not the type phone. Verizion has always gotten the best coverage reviews. Remember cell and data coverage differ. You may have one without the other.

Cheers!
i did not mean that adroid phones have the best coverage, i think verizon has the best coverage and want to use an android because i i want to stay away from apple products if i can.

thanks

[Wise Old Owl]

So you are hilltopping to get the notes in - not surprised. I suggest an extra chip and audio recorder app that stores to the chip. remove the chip put in adapter and slide the card into the computer and move over all the audio all at once.... then journal?

not a fan of journals - but that's the way I would do it.

[Deacon]

Just curious, what is your beef with Apple?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mainebob]

[QUOTE=Deacon;1338414]Just curious, what is your beef with Apple?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/QUO
i think it great if everything you have
is apple. the only experience i have is with mp3 players and i like
to own my music and put in on whatever device have.

[mainebob]

i have looked at this phone. do you know if the data plan will work thru the entire trail or only in the area the phone is purchased?

thanks

[Zippy Morocco]

I am using a galaxy nexus and love it. They are becoming reasonably priced for used phones.

[BigHodag]

Um, have you considered that perhaps a smartphone is not required to keep a blog/log of her trip.

Why not use the TrailPhone.net service? Any phone can dial in to the toll-free number and leave a log entry. A relative or friend can transcribe short entries or she could transcribe entries when taking a rest day in town.

If you opt for TrailPhone, you just need an inexpensive Verizon pre-paid phone.

I supplement my TrailPhone entries by keeping a small logbook on my person in the form of a shirt pocket sized flip-style notebook. Put some of these in resupply boxes or a bump box and mail the completed one home along the way.

[Spokes]

I used trailphone.net on my thru hike to supplement written posts and uploaded videos. The feedback I got from raders for using the audio posts was phenomenal! The only issue was the mileage marks used to plot positions on the map were not u
Dated and from an o.d data book. Not sure of its been updated or not.

[BFI]

Heres what I used and never had to worry about charging it 17476

[RED-DOG]

Bro just a thought i personally have never used one but on my Thru-hike this year i meet alot of people useing the "Kindle Fire" and they seem to work pretty good. RED-DOG