Phone with calendar..don't need email or web access

[niccig]

As a follow on from my question about daily planners, I'm considering getting a phone with a calendar system that can sync with a calendar at home. My problem is that I don't need to have email access when I'm out. I might use the web occasionally, but I don't need to do it on a daily basis, my current phone has web access but I never use it. So can you get one of those smart phones but not have the huge expense of email or web access?

At home, we have a Mac, and I can access iCal or google calendar. I do have a PC laptop, but I don't use outlook. I may start part-time work, and I don't know what calendar system they would use.

DH has an iPhone, and we have AT&T. What other phones are there to consider?

[pastrygirl]

I've been researching the same exact thing!! What I've come up with is that yes, you can have something like a Blackberry that syncs with iCal, and not pay for the data plan. I have Verizon, so I'm not sure which AT&T phones would work. I'm also looking at a couple of LG phones that have a QWERTY keyboard, but I'm not sure if they sync easily to the Mac. Oddly enough, the Blackberry Curve is cheaper than the LG phones!

I set up iCal to sync with Google calendar this past weekend, too. I think there are a few phones that can sync to Google calendar.

ETA: I'd get an iPhone if I was with AT&T. I'd love to have the total syncing option, not to mention my iPod and phone all in one!
ETA2: There's a program called Bitpim that supposedly helps to sync calendars and phones, but I haven't tried it (my phone's calendar doesn't support any kind of syncing).

[caleymama]

I have Verizon, but I used my Treo 650 for years without having a data plan. Prior to that I had a Palm m130 and a separate phone. I used it just for the phone & organizer capabilities. I switched to a Blackberry Curve a few months ago and do have a data plan now, but I really miss the Treo's calendar. I'm actually contemplating giving DH my BB and switching back to a Palm device - that's how much I miss it. The Palm Desktop software's calendar is great (or maybe I'm just used to it). I will never have another phone without a keyboard.

The Palm Centro might be an option - it's smaller than a Treo but still has a QWERTY keyboard and all the features you would need. The BB can sync with Google's calendar feature, but I am having trouble getting mine to sync correctly. It can also sync with Outlook (I think the Treo can too).
AT&T also has the 680, which uses the Palm OS and the 750, wich uses Windows mobile. The forums at www.treocentral.com have been helpful to me.

Good luck!

[niccig]

ETA: I'd get an iPhone if I was with AT&T. I'd love to have the total syncing option, not to mention my iPod and phone all in one!


That's the problem, I don't have an iPod, so I wouldn't really use that. I have an old i-shuffle that DH gave me 3 years ago for gym workouts. It has the original songs he put on there. So many of the iPhone's capabilities, I just wouldn't use. I looked at DH's, and I would use the phone, calendar, to do notes (maybe), conversion program (maybe). I might use the web occasionally. I don't now and my phone does have the option, but no data plan, so I never use it as don't want to pay lots of money.

I'll need to look at the Centro. DH had a Treo years ago and it drove him batty as the keys often got stuck and he couldn't get them unstuck to use them.

I could be open to swapping carriers. We don't get cell coverage at home, live in a canyon. T-Mobile put in a tower at the end of the road, and apparently it now works. All other carriers, it's a black out area.

What I'm looking for is phone capabilities and calendar to sync with calendar at home - prefer google calendar so DH can see what's going on as well. The iPhone has things I won't use but so do the Blackberries etc as I won't be doing documents either. I don't need all the other bells and whistles, so I'm reluctant to pay for them. I'll have to make a choice and just live with what's not being used.

[LD92599]

a refurb iPod Touch for $199!

Granted it's another piece of equipment to carry and buy...but being that you have a mac already...and ical...i LOVE the cals on my iPhone. I've set up so many reminders now that DS is in K..so i get alerts about 20 minutes before we need to walk out the door, anything from gym day to remembering lunch $$ on tuesdays etc.

This was too it doesn't matter in terms of cell providers, etc.

Laura

[luvmypeanut]

If you're using google calendar, you can get it on your mobile so you don't really need a smartphone. I have a blackberry but I use gmail and chat on it a lot so I don't really need to have the blackberry at all, just a regular phone.

http://www.google.com/mobile/default/calendar/

[niccig]

If you're using google calendar, you can get it on your mobile so you don't really need a smartphone. I have a blackberry but I use gmail and chat on it a lot so I don't really need to have the blackberry at all, just a regular phone.

http://www.google.com/mobile/default/calendar/

Can you add events to the calendar from the phone. Eg. at dr.s office and making an appt? Those are the ones I forget to write in the calendar.

My current phone does have web access, but I don't have a data plan with it, I would need to change that, but saves buying a new phone.

[luvmypeanut]

Yes, there is a Quick Add feature.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Ok, so do I understand correctly that I can get a Centro and sync it with Google Calendar and NOT have to have a data plan or use the web features? Or would I have to connect to the web(and pay) each time I wanted a sync? It would be great to be able to even just plug it in to my laptop and sync it w/o having to pay extra.

[niccig]

a refurb iPod Touch for $199!

Granted it's another piece of equipment to carry and buy...but being that you have a mac already...and ical...i LOVE the cals on my iPhone. I've set up so many reminders now that DS is in K..so i get alerts about 20 minutes before we need to walk out the door, anything from gym day to remembering lunch $$ on tuesdays etc.

This was too it doesn't matter in terms of cell providers, etc.

Laura

I like the idea of the reminders for things for school - great way to use the calendars.

[kboyle]

I have Verizon, but I used my Treo 650 for years without having a data plan. Prior to that I had a Palm m130 and a separate phone. I used it just for the phone & organizer capabilities. I switched to a Blackberry Curve a few months ago and do have a data plan now, but I really miss the Treo's calendar. I'm actually contemplating giving DH my BB and switching back to a Palm device - that's how much I miss it. The Palm Desktop software's calendar is great (or maybe I'm just used to it). I will never have another phone without a keyboard.

The Palm Centro might be an option - it's smaller than a Treo but still has a QWERTY keyboard and all the features you would need. The BB can sync with Google's calendar feature, but I am having trouble getting mine to sync correctly. It can also sync with Outlook (I think the Treo can too).
AT&T also has the 680, which uses the Palm OS and the 750, wich uses Windows mobile. The forums at www.treocentral.com have been helpful to me.

Good luck!


i had a treo 650 with att and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. i just used the organizer feature w/o any data plan and it was great for years. i decided to switch to tmobil at the begining of the year and got a sidekick...i miss my treo ALOT. i knew it would'nt compare calendar-wise, but liked that the sidekick data plan came with internet AND unlimited texting whereas other data plans didnt come with the texting. i had my treo unlocked to work with tmobil but my sidekick internet doesn't work with it and neither does my email :( i've tried to use it off and on but i'm not used to it anymore.

i tried to go with a phone and separate pda and that didn't work for me, i'd forget one or the other.

[niccig]

Ok, so do I understand correctly that I can get a Centro and sync it with Google Calendar and NOT have to have a data plan or use the web features? Or would I have to connect to the web(and pay) each time I wanted a sync? It would be great to be able to even just plug it in to my laptop and sync it w/o having to pay extra.

I *think* and I'm no way near an expert with this, that you can

* buy a smartphone that has a calendar and use it as a phone and a calendar. Depending on the phone, it can sync to different calendar programs on a computer (either Outlook, iCal or Goggle Calendar if the phone allows it - different phones sync more easily or not to different programs). By syncing this way, you are NOT using the web features of the phone, as you're plugging the phone into your computer to sync.

* you could have a smartphone and use the calendar as above and then either have a dataplan for the web or pay as you go if you don't have a data plan.

* The way luvmypeanut described is to have ANY phone that gives Web Access and you use the web to access google Calendar from your phone. To do this, you need to have a data plan or pay as you go for the web access.

I think these are the options.

[niccig]

If anyone is interested, here is a link that lets you see the Google Calendar phone interface from a computer, so you can test out the interface and see if you like how it will look on your phone.
www.google.com/calendar/m

I was easily able to add things to the calendar by typing "Dentist appt 3pm Oct 22" and it appeared on the correct day. When I tried to type more information, it got a little confused, but it still put it under the correct day and time. The extra information was about the babysitter,and that information was repeated twice in the calendar - so no big deal as the day, time, event information was correct.

I also read that you can text Text a message to 48368
"next" gives you the next event
"day" sends you everything for the day
"nday" gives the next days event.

I'm thinking of trying this on my current phone. I'll have to pay for the web access, but I don't have to pay a new phone or contract. It might just work for me. The only drawback, is that my phone does not have a full keyboard for entering information
HTH

[luvmypeanut]

* The way luvmypeanut described is to have ANY phone that gives Web Access and you use the web to access google Calendar from your phone. To do this, you need to have a data plan or pay as you go for the web access.

That is correct. As long as you have web access you can use the Google applications.

[pastrygirl]

After posting yesterday, I looked into BitPim a little more, and found out that it IS compatible with my current phone! I had to buy a data/USB cable to connect my phone to my computer, but I found one on eBay for $5. Supposedly I just have to install the (free) BitPim software on my Mac, plug the phone in, and then I should be able to upload my calendar to the phone. I have my iCal linked to my Google calendar, so everything should be uploaded to the phone. It'll probably be a few days before the cable gets here, though, so I don't know for sure if it works.

You can check this link (http://www.bitpim.org/help/) to see if your phone is listed. :)

[WatchingThemGrow]

All this info looks so interesting an promising! Thanks for sharing!

So, I need to figure out what would work best for me as the BitPim option looks interesting. But I also found my phone in a small puddle of water last week in a cupholder. It beeped constantly until it dried out. Not sure if just getting something new (w/keyboard) would be better or just buying the cable and trying that out first.

Today I had an a-ha moment and realized that DH only uses his iPod Touch when he's home, and that it lives in his sock drawer the rest of the day. I thought I'd just pull it out and use it when he's at work and I'm off running errands, with the kids, needing my lists, etc. He said we could discuss it, then he was possessive when I was wanting to use it this evening. Hmmm.... maybe that's where DD gets her inability to share.

[pastrygirl]

He has a Touch and an iPhone? I'd want that Touch in a nanosecond if it just lived in a drawer all day, LOL! ETA: Oops! I got the posts confused. Even so, an unloved Touch is a travesty! ;)

This is a neat site where you can see all the phones that are available by carrier, including future phones: http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/AT-T-carrier-c_14.html

You can also check the box to show phones that have a full keyboard. The reviews are extensive, too!

[BillK]

Just a quick FYI - Verizon will not activate a Blackberry (not sure about the other non-Blackberry smart phones) without an Data Plan. My unlimited web/email plan with Verizon is a flat $29.99 more per month over and above my regular cell phone cost.

I :love5: my Blackberry.

[niccig]

After posting yesterday, I looked into BitPim a little more, and found out that it IS compatible with my current phone! I had to buy a data/USB cable to connect my phone to my computer, but I found one on eBay for $5. Supposedly I just have to install the (free) BitPim software on my Mac, plug the phone in, and then I should be able to upload my calendar to the phone. I have my iCal linked to my Google calendar, so everything should be uploaded to the phone. It'll probably be a few days before the cable gets here, though, so I don't know for sure if it works.

You can check this link (http://www.bitpim.org/help/) to see if your phone is listed. :)

Can you let us know what you think about BitPim when you get it working?
My phone isn't supported. I'll have to keep looking at options and seeing if I want to get a new phone, and if I want a data plan - I don't want to pay an extra $30 a month. I just don't have the need to surf the web or check my email from my phone - I do that enough from a computer!

[niccig]

You don't need a smart phone to sync with a calendar!!

I looked at iCal sync options and was surprised to see my phone listed. Turns out, my phone does have a datebook. Who would have thought to look at the manual :oops:

Granted the datebook on the phone is basic, and as my phone doesn't have a full keyboard, it takes me a while to enter the details - hopefully I'll get faster with time. But I just need to buy a usb cable for the phone to connect to the computer.

If you want your calendar on your phone, I suggest looking at the calendar you want to use (outlook, ical, google etc) and see what phones they can sync with. Maybe yours is already listed, or you can see possible phones to buy. And it doesn't have to be an expensive blackberry. I may upgrade to a phone with a full keyboard, but I don't need an expensive phone or pay for a monthly data plan to see what my schedule is. :boogie:

[pastrygirl]

I looked at iCal sync options and was surprised to see my phone listed.Where did you see that in iCal? Is it through iSync? I can't find it... :o

[nov04]

I sync my blackberry with yahoo and rarely go online. There must be carriers that won't make you sign up for a data plan.

Mine was a 'save $100 on BB by signing up for $25/month data plan'. I paid a $100 cancellation fee to get rid of the data plan. The sales rep really wanted the sale so he helped me navigate everything.

[Nechums]

I love my Palm Treo! I wouldn't trade it in for anything -- not even the iPhone.

[niccig]

Where did you see that in iCal? Is it through iSync? I can't find it... :o

It's listed on iSync web page here
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/isync/

Apparently, there are other programs that you can buy cheaply that will sync your phone to iCal or google Calendar etc, if your phone isn't supported. I searched for my phone and synch ical etc to see what I could find.

[pastrygirl]

My phone isn't supported in iSync.

BUT!!! I got the cable today and BitPim worked beautifully!!!!!!! I had to google some tips on how to get it to see my phone, but once it did, it worked great! I exported my iCal calendars and imported them into BitPim, then transferred them to my phone. BitPim keeps that calendar, so next time, I can just merge the new calendar events in. YAY!!!

[niccig]

Glad it worked.
I'm waiting on a cable to connect my phone to the computer to sync with iCal. I'm not 100% happy with my current phone, but I thought it was worth trying the electronic calendar before buying a new phone. Hopefully, it'll work for me and I'll keep it updated.