need advice - iphone 3GS/nokia N97

[rapsfan12]

hey all...just wanted some advice on this...

my current contract on rogers expires in dec. 2010 and i'm using one of those free phones that you get when you sign up for a 3yr. plan...i'm planning on switching to either the iphone 3GS or nokia N97 due to several reasons (need an mp3 player, nice camera, web browsing among other things)...i have several options:

1. get the iphone 3GS for $199/$299 and sign up for another 3-yr contract
- the phone is cheaper than buying it unlocked
- if i bought the phone now, i'd be eligible for the 6GB/$30 data plan
- better web browser
- better apps

2. buy the nokia N97 unlocked
- if i did this, i was just going to switch my sim card from my old phone to this one, finish out my contract, then just go month-to-month with whichever carrier will give me the best price (i believe telus/bell will have gsm by then)
- i wouldn't be eligible for the 6GB plan, so i'd have to go through wifi for the time being and just get a data plan when my contract's up (unless i can still add something cheap data-wise for the time being)
- touchscreen and QWERTY
- more memory (with microsdhc card), better camera
- of course this would be the more expensive immediate option with the phone going for $800 or so

which would be my best option? would there be significant advantages of buying an unlocked phone and going month-to-month when my contract's finished?

[rapsfan12]

any advice?

[Dina_E]

iphone 3gs
600mhz processor
7.2mbps 3.5g
real touchscreen-n97 does not even come close with smoothness.
Apps, accersories, 3rd party support cannot be matched by any other phone.
VS

N97
433mhz-slow as ****!!!
3.6mbps(their n95 4 years ago had 7.2mbps but they slowed it down???????)
Pros
keyboard, but i find the touchscreen one too be quite fast.

[thumper80]

5.0 megapixels f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens would be a huge plus with a slide out keyboard too . the processer speed you might not notice as the os is probably more stable on the nokia .
If you are a big texter and send lots of emails it be much faster .

I have owned a few touch screen cells and i will never get one again . a physical keyboard is much better :)

[Nutcracker33]

i will say it comes down to personal preferences, I dont really mind not having a physical keyboard, i type just fine with my iphone

[Lulz]

few things"

-You can get $30/6GB just by itself. You don't need to upgrade phone for that

-It's up to you to decide which phone you like more. They are in different leagues

-You can still upgrade to iPhone3G S, sell it the next day as brand new on RFD/Craigslist/Kijij, add $100-$150 and buy N97...
This way you will use up your hardware upgrade, and still get phone you like

[rapsfan12]

thanks for the replies

i was also inquiring about whether sign up for another 3-year contract (by buying the iphone) vs. getting an unlocked phone (n97) and just finishing out my contract with that (another 1.5yrs), and simply going month-to-month with whichever provider gives me the best deal (or i can sign another contract then)...i'm assuming bell/telus will have gsm by the end of 2010...are there really that many advantages of going without a contract as opposed to signing up for one? the way some people post about contracts here, i'm getting the impression that it'd be best to go without one, but i'm not really informed enough to know why...

[Kwirky]

3.6mbps(their n95 4 years ago had 7.2mbps but they slowed it down???????)

This isn't correct; the N95 has 3.6Mbps HSDPA. As far as I know, Nokia don't have any smartphones that support 7.2Mbps.

- Connectivity and data transfer options include HSDPA (up to 3.6 Mbps) with simultaneous voice and data. (http://my-symbian.com/s60v3/review_n95.php)
- it’s the first Nokia phone that supports HSDPA (3.5G) with download speeds up to 3.6 Mbps (http://www.symbian-freak.com/news/006/09/nokia_n95.html)

etc.

Back on topic, a lot of people are saying now is not a good time to sign a contract because the new carriers going live later this year / early 2010 and are expected to start a price war. It's all speculative at the moment though, so there's a good chance that nothing will change anyway.

[elton5354]

Pro to N97 having more memory? 16GB/32GB not enough for you? :lol: