Ok, so im interested in a smart phone, but I should specify that the smart phone needs to either be one that I can buy for cheap or get as a free upgrade with a 2 year plan renewal. I can get the HTC aria for free with a 2 year agreement, but am wondering if its a good smart phone. i dont expect this thing to be a major gaming paltform or be mega powerful, im wondering if the aria can handle internet browsing, apps and maybe some small simple games well. (games arent a big deal, however) im also concerned about call quality and overal how solid the phone itself is. wether or not its laggy, and if it can update its OS to newer versions of Android. (pretty sure the Aria can do 2.2)
Also, I just found out that I can get a 8GB Iphone 3GS for 100 bucks. Should I go that route?
AT&T's Android line-up is pretty dismal. If you're going to get an Android on AT&T, go with the Samsung Captivate (AT&T's Galaxy S). Otherwise, get an iPhone.
Remember: when buying a smart phone, you're not paying for the phone. You're paying for the $30 /month data plan. If you're willing to pay that, you should be willing to pony up $40 or $50 extra to bite future frustrations in the butt.
EDIT: Didn't see you could get the Aria for free. Nevermind. That might be your best option. Haha.
According to this CNET review, AT&T restricts the Aria from installing third-party apps. As such, you're severely limited with what you can do, though the installed apps might cover all your bases. Other than that, it seems to be a solid, functional fun. I have an HTC Incredible and have been impressed with the quality, both in running apps and making phone calls. I would imagine a similar level of HTC quality will be found in the Aria.
All that said, the iPhone is also a great option. The 3GS is older, and so won't do everything the new 4th gen does. It can run iOS4, though a bit slower than a 4th Gen phone. So it won't be a bad choice either.
The other option is to simply wait for better options/more money. The $200 range seems to be the sweet spot for the best phones, and I think waiting to pay that much could afford you a much better experience.
The Aria reminds me of my girlfriend's HTC Droid Eris. It isn't a terrible phone, but it can get really slow. If the Aria can get the new 2.1 update, then it is probably not as bad. My GF's Eris can't get the 2.1 update and she is running out of memory on the phone since she can't move apps to the SD card. I would recommend the Captivate or the iPhone for an AT&T phone, and you might be able to get the Captivate for free if a deal came around. I know you can get the HTC Droid Incredible for free after rebates if you are lucky, and that phone is still one of the best out there.
I had an iPhone 3G, and it was starting to suck on me, but the 3GS was supposed to be a pretty good jump. That might be a good idea as well. I liked the iPhone, but now I'm on Verizon and am loving my new DroidX. I subscribe to the idea that, if it is possible for you, you should get the best phone you can. It is going to cost you a lot if you wind up hating what you have and then wanting to get a new one before you get a new subsidy. I'm stuck with my current phone for 2 years, and I'm hoping it lasts that long and stays awesome. My iPhone certainly did not, but 2 years is a long time in the smartphone market right now.
@Raven_Sword: It states on the link that it's Android 2.1. Now, let me tell you something about AT&T... they're expensive. Especially for their iPhone line up. Yeah the 8GB is cheap, but you have to worry about the long run. I had 2 iPhones on my plan before and I was paying almost $200 a month. Android is a great platform to use, but not with AT&T. One reason being the pricing and the other because of the lockdown you have with the phone. I'm not sure in what details, but Tested.com did a good article on what carriers have the best Androids. So far, they said T-Mobile is the best route.
If you want a cheap plan then you can do what I did and go with Metro PCS. I'm paying $50 a month for everything. Unlimited minutes, text, and internet. So far they only have 2 Android phone. One of them being a brand I don't think anyone has heard of (Huawei), it's going for $100 and it runs 2.1. The other is an LG, is going for $250 and it runs 2.2. This is something to look into if you want cheap plans and you don't want to deal with a contract. However, the downside to this is that it's not a very popular company. They have service everywhere, but I don't think many people know them.
@Raven_Sword: Go for the 3GS if you need it now. I'm not sure if the Aria is a particularly great android device, as for the Captivate I would avoid it like the plague unless you happen to like messing around with flashing third party firmwares onto it. I have the T-Mobile version of the captivate (Samsung Vibrant) and its was a laggy piece of junk until I flashed a hacked firmware onto it. Right now that is the only way to get the 2.2 Froyo version of android onto ANY of the US models of Galaxy S. I would suggest waiting a few more months and getting either the new iPhone or picking up an iPhone 4 that would be discounted. There could also be more android phones coming to AT&T in the future.
I'd skip the Aria, I don't think it was designed for the typical smart phone user, it seems to fill in a gap between a regular phone and a smartphone. Which is a real shame since I'd have loved to have seen some of HTC's higher quality phones on AT&T, the aria is quality, it's just not what you're looking for. @Zidd: Think samsung is ever going to get their shit together and give us 2.2? It's fucking embarrassing now that 2.3 is out.
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