Finally getting a smartphone, starting mid-next week. My trusty Samsung R-335C is not charging well anymore after 3 1/2 years due to wear and tear on the charging port, and I wanted to have something I could check the Internet with while I was up in the woods. I need to replace it before it stops charging and loose the hundreds of work contacts I have saved in the phone. Both phones have Bluetooth, and as long as R-335C keeps working until my new phone arrives, I should be okay to transfer the contacts over. Starting to get a little nervous about that though -- it charges, but you got to fiddle with it.

I've put it off, as I didn't want to pay the additional $180 a year for the $45/month plan from Straight Talk, but so you can do so much with an Android-based smartphone these days with all the apps and stuff. They have Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress, Maps, and other helpful apps like NYSDEC's Pocket Ranger App or the Google Earth App with a KML I've made. The phone looks like it will work well as a GPS the next time I'm lost in place with cellphone reception (ha!) and provide much better maps then the GPS I often borrow from my parents.

I decided to stick with a Samsung phone. I've been quite happy with my existing Samsung phone, and the reviews continue to be pretty good. I also have a Samsung laptop, which except for replacing the screen after crushing it under my truck's seat has been good. They seem to make, good, reliable basic electronics. The Samsung Galaxy Ace Style I bought is a pretty basic but modern smartphone that should do what I need for the next 3-4 years.