Updated Jan. 27 at 8:04 pm EST: We had a great time with this Twitter chat. This was one of the most fun discussions yet, centering on what we love about our phones, what we wish they could do, and what our mobile devices may look like in the future. From my end, I’m still hoping for a smart bucket hat – no word of a lie. Thanks again to Andy and Jim, our fantastic guest experts, as well as to everyone else who joined!
When it comes to our smartphones, it’s pretty fair to admit we have something of a love affair with them. We’re constantly checking them, we feel some separation anxiety when we’re apart, and if you’re anything like us, you agonized over your decision to pick the one that was right for you.
This month, we’re holding a Twitter chat on why we love our smartphones, and how we picked the ones we own, given there are so many vendors and makes available in what’s becoming an increasingly crowded market. The chat’s almost an ode to the devices that have changed our lives so dramatically, both in the office and during our down time.
Join us on Tuesday, Jan. 27 from 1 p.m. EST to 2 p.m. EST to discuss what makes your smartphone great! We’ll be chatting at the hashtag #ITBsmartphone.
We’re also excited to be joined by two extremely knowledgeable guest experts:
- Andy Baryer, host and producer at GetConnected Media. As a longtime tech enthusiast, Baryer has spent the past four years appearing on GetConnected, a TV show that airs on BNN and CHEKTV, reaching one million people every month. You can also catch him on the radio with Vancouver’s CKNW, hearing him talk about trends and highlights in tech, as well as sharing reviews on smartphones, tablets, and other consumer devices. Baryer also writes for CNET, and you can find his posts here. Or, find him on Twitter at @AndyBaryer.
- Jim Love, CIO at IT World Canada. Even though Love is the CIO here at IT World Canada, he still finds the time to write blog posts on just about all things CIO-related – and that includes his smartphone, the tool he uses to get the job done. Most recently, Love wrote about the BlackBerry Classic, sharing his thoughts on what makes that device great – and why he’s not done betting on BlackBerry’s future. He’s on Twitter at @CIOJimLove.
For the full list of questions, keep on reading!
Q1. What kind of smartphone do you have, and why did you choose it?
Q1: Actually I have a few of them. A Galaxy, two Blackberry’s and and a spare iPhone. Each has a different purpose. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
@itbusinessca I’ve got a Galaxy Note 3. The huge screen is a big plus for me and I love using the stylus for digital art #ITBsmartphone
— Andrew Love (@Andrew_ZER0) January 27, 2015
A1: Motorola Moto X – Love the Moto Display feature that gives quick notifications without having to unlock the phone #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
I’m using the BlackBerry more than the the others these days. BlackBerry 10 is an incredible system for business use. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
@itbusinessca Samsung Galaxy S5. Irritated at how my last iPhone failed so made the switch. #ITBsmartphone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
A1. I wrote about my #Nexus5 setup on ITB of course http://t.co/JS0DbXmQJp #ITBsmartphone
— Brian Jackson (@brianjjackson) January 27, 2015
Q2. What kind of features do you care about most when choosing a smartphone?
One reason I love the BlackBerry. Can you charge your phone yesterday and still have battery left tomorrow? I can. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
A2: When I was a #BlackBerry user I had limited access to popular apps. That was a deal breaker for me. #ITBsmartphone
— Hibah Ahmed (@AhmedHibah) January 27, 2015
A2: Clean (aka Vanilla) Android experience with no unnecessary bloatware, and good battery life #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
A2. I think my biggest feature is the large screen. Unless Android counts as a feature. #ITBsmartphone
— Andrew Love (@Andrew_ZER0) January 27, 2015
A2. 1-Camera, best camera is the one with you. 2-apps. 3-integration into my life (handoff is a great thing on iOS, OS10.10), #itbsmartphone
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
A2. Screen size, resolution, phone weight, size of community users and developers. #ITBsmartphone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
I like three phones: Galaxy Note 4 & iPhone 6+ for big screen sizes and Moto X for voice control & auto notifications #ITBsmartphone
— Peter Nowak (@peternowak) January 27, 2015
A2. Personally I care a lot about a good UI – try to avoid devices with ‘too much’ extra junk on top of OS #ITBsmartphone
— Brian Jackson (@brianjjackson) January 27, 2015
A2 – I wanted it to sync with my email, contacts – ability to play music and videos, – read Kindle books – surf web #ITBsmartphone
— Tom Ward (@qnextcorp) January 27, 2015
Sign of a true smartphone addict MT @Andrew_ZER0: @CIOJimLove I carry around an extra battery for just that reason #ITBsmartphone
— Brian Jackson (@brianjjackson) January 27, 2015
A2: Powerful battery, email sync, reliable support gives me a BB10. Love it! #ITBsmartphone
— Michelle Warren (@MichelleWarren1) January 27, 2015
Q3. Do you feel you own the best smartphone, or do you suffer smartphone envy? If so, what’s catching your eye?
I don’t think there is a best anymore. Everyone is on a race to the middle (equivalent offering). #itbsmartphone I wish I had a #stylus.
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
Q3: Smartphone envy always! I’m always looking at someone else’s phone and going – that’s cool. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
A3. I feel the S5 is among the best, though the HTC One and iPhone 6+ do catch my eye when I see them. #ITBsmartphone #smartphones
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
@MichelleWarren1 The Classic is so great with its keyboard. It was like I died and when to QWERTY heaven. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
A3. I don’t think my phone is best, but it’s best for my uses. Smartphone choice comes down to preference now more than ever #ITBsmartphone
— Andrew Love (@Andrew_ZER0) January 27, 2015
@AhmedHibah @itbusinessca A3. Torn between BlackBerry Classic & Passport. Both w/keyboards #ITBsmartphone
— Lynn Greiner (@lynngr) January 27, 2015
Q3 The best smartphone I have ever seen and feel is the YotaPhone 2. It has an E-ink display on the back, and its from Russia #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
Q3 Here’s my interview with the CEO of the YotaPhone 2 at CES http://t.co/Z4hYZVlquV #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
@candice_so In case your phone is running out of power, u can just u the e-ink side #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
Q4. What are some of your favourite apps?
A4 – Kindle reader, File Manager (for playing music, downloaded videos) #ITBsmartphone
— Tom Ward (@qnextcorp) January 27, 2015
@AhmedHibah I kept track of how many apps I ACTUALLY used more than three times for two weeks. Way less than you’d think. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
A4. MightyText, Evernote, Any.do, Plex, Twilight and Waze are some of my all-time fave #apps! #ITBsmartphone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
A4. MightyText, Evernote, Any.do, Plex, Twilight and Waze are some of my all-time fave #apps! #ITBsmartphone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
A4. Where to start… @sunrise for calendar, @evernote, @timehop – a fun app for social and memories, @mailboxapp for email #itbsmartphone
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
.@AndyBaryer Spotify coming to Canada has been an absolutely game-changer! #ITBSmartPhone cc: @DPatts13
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
Of course I use Qnext for remote PC access, file sharing, streaming and public clouds #ITBsmartphone
— Tom Ward (@qnextcorp) January 27, 2015
A4. I use @Savee to squeeze extra life out of my battery, DoggCatcher for podcasts, doubleTwist for media, voice recorder #itbsmartphone
— Brian Jackson (@brianjjackson) January 27, 2015
A5. Evernote saves me on a daily basis with cross-platform support. #ITBSmartPhone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
@KL_Emerald Annotating docs easily is very cool. But I want an app that does that with my keyboard. Please come to Android. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
Q5. When was the last time your smartphone saved the day? (e.g. you forgot something, you were lost)
Q5: My iPhone with it’s “find the phone” feature helped me find it in a parking lot in Northern Ontario. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
A5. The number of times I would have been lost without Google Maps… #ITBsmartphone
— Brian Jackson (@brianjjackson) January 27, 2015
I can’t say it saves the day anymore, its expectation. Perspective I guess. Its there to do what I need, when I need it. #itbsmartphone
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
I use it for reading – Saves me from wearing reading glasses #ITBsmartphone
— Tom Ward (@qnextcorp) January 27, 2015
Q5: Oh – the one real life saver? The flashlight on my phone. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
@itbusinessca @itworldca Sadly my reliance on my phone is at an all time high.. Without it I would not know where to go next. #ITBSmartPhone
— K-L Holter (@KL_Emerald) January 27, 2015
Q6. Have you ever switched between operating systems or ecosystems? Why did you do it?
A6. I went Windows Mobile 6.1 –> BlackBerry OS –> Android – because better stuff was available #ITBsmartphone
— Brian Jackson (@brianjjackson) January 27, 2015
A6 – First smartphone was Windows – 1) kept timing out on WiFi and asking me to buy a data play 2) would not sync to Outlook #ITBsmartphone
— Tom Ward (@qnextcorp) January 27, 2015
@itbusinessca switched from iOS to Android and never looked back. I enjoy having control over my phone and its functions #ITBsmartphone
— Andrew Love (@Andrew_ZER0) January 27, 2015
@adamrodricks I’m using Android 5 Lollipop now! I really love the material design look #ITBsmartphone
— Candice So (@candice_so) January 27, 2015
A6: iOS is like the hotel California, you can check out but u can’t ever leave….but I did 😉 #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
Q7. If you could ask for more features or capabilities for your smartphone, what would be on your wishlist?
Q7: Stylus? Just say no! Until they make one you can’t lose. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
.@OpenMedia_ca @AndyBaryer @CIOJimLove Yes the Black phone is the best for privacy features http://t.co/qNfGlCaTHZ #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
Q7: Features? I’d like voice recognition that actually works in my car. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
A7 – Assurance of privacy – too many holes in any commercial smartphone today #ITBsmartphone
— Tom Ward (@qnextcorp) January 27, 2015
A7: Once feature I want is more battery life, my phone cannot handle a day of full use, charge it throughout the day #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
A7. I’ll add one to the battery life party. Unbreakable screens would be a good feature too . . . #ITBsmartphone
— Andrew Love (@Andrew_ZER0) January 27, 2015
@adamrodricks Lost stylus. It’s not just me? We should start a movement. Our motto? “Give the finger to your stylus!” #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
@CIOJimLove My stylus is weeping softly in its holster, which keeps it from getting lost. #ITBsmartphone
— Andrew Love (@Andrew_ZER0) January 27, 2015
Q8. Smartphones can make it difficult to disconnect from work, even when we’re out of office. How do you unplug?
A8. I use the DND feature of my #iPhone. Alerts stop from 10p-8a every day, except family in case of emergency. #itbsmartphone
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
A8. What is this “unplug” you speak of? 😉 #ITBSmartPhone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
A8. Is “pretend I didn’t see the email” a valid answer? #ITBsmartphone
— Andrew Love (@Andrew_ZER0) January 27, 2015
Q8: Eric Clapton unplugs. I don’t. Seriously? I text my wife when she’s in the next room. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
Wise words! RT @brianjjackson: A8. One must be the master of their smartphone, or risk becoming a slave to it #ITBsmartphone
— Michelle Warren (@MichelleWarren1) January 27, 2015
*In Morgan Freeman’s voice* RT @brianjjackson A8. One must be the master of their smartphone, or risk becoming a slave to it #ITBsmartphone
— Wolston Lobo (@WolstonL) January 27, 2015
A8: I disconnect from my smartphone by minimizing push notifications, leaving group chats, and unsubscribe from email lists #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
@itbusinessca A8. Phone stays in my purse. Set up alerts so only phone & IM make noise. Can’t see flashing, no distraction #ITBsmartphone
— Lynn Greiner (@lynngr) January 27, 2015
Q9. Have you used any wearables with your smartphone? Where do you think wearables are headed in the future?
A9. only wearable I use is FitBit. Don’t know if I’d commit to a watch but there will be some compelling reasons this year #ITBSmartPhone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
A9. Absolutely! @NikeFuel (Nike+ Fuelband), and am curious about the smart watches, but am a watch fanatic so not convinced. #ITBsmartphone
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
@Andrew_ZER0 Can they? I thought the intent was a companion piece that works off of the phone… #ITBSmartPhone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
A9: I once had 4 wearable activity monitors to test accuracy between them, I’m, skeptical of smart watches but wear Moto 360 #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
A9: I think @MioGlobal makes the best heart rate and activity monitors on the market, plus they are Canadian based company 😉 #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
A9: I think @MioGlobal makes the best heart rate and activity monitors on the market, plus they are Canadian based company 😉 #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
Q10. Five years from now, what types of mobile devices do you see yourself owning?
A10 I’d like to say the same one I have now, but that’s not realistic. I’m hoping the Dick Tracy Watch. #ITBsmartphone
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
A10. Phablet and desktop computer. No laptop or designated “tablet”. #ITBSmartPhone
— Adam Rodricks (@adamrodricks) January 27, 2015
Q10: 5 Years from now? I want to be doing that Tom Cruise thing and manipulating holograms in mid air. #ITBSmartPhone
— Jim Love (@CIOJimLove) January 27, 2015
A10: 5 years from now, I think smartphones will have flexible displays and be like a fruit rollup when stored in your pocket #ITBsmartphone
— Andy Baryer (@AndyBaryer) January 27, 2015
@brianjjackson A smart bucket hat #ITBsmartphone
— Candice So (@candice_so) January 27, 2015
Classy! 🙂 RT @candice_so: @brianjjackson A smart bucket hat #ITBsmartphone
— Michelle Warren (@MichelleWarren1) January 27, 2015
A10 – Probably transhuman devices, but I would never adopt it. #ITBsmartphone
— Tom Ward (@qnextcorp) January 27, 2015
I want the phone from the last episode of Weeds. #ITBsmartphone, one device to rule them all. pic.twitter.com/MFdo8R8ODC
— Mat Pancha (@mpancha) January 27, 2015
Thanks again to everyone who joined. Stay tuned for our next Twitter chat!