Update on My Productivity with a Super Smartphone

Four months ago I wrote “Using Super Smartphones for Productivity”, in which I discussed the process of deciding to purchase a Motorola Droid and how doing so increased my productivity. As with that post, it is not my intention in this post to do any sort of head-to-head comparison of super smartphones, nor do I intend to foist upon you a super smartphone when you do not want or need one.

I’m just here to provide an update on how this little gizmo has changed my life.

In short: a lot. Since I am still asked almost daily about my phone and what I think of it, I figured this update was in order.

I recently told a story in one of my classes, after students read Adriana de Souza e Silva’s essay “From Cyber to Hybrid: Mobile Technologies as Interfaces of Hybrid Spaces,” about how I woke up one morning cradling my Droid like a baby. That’s a true story—I had pushed the cat away and was petting the phone—and I’m not particularly ashamed of it or anything. I think I was having a dream about productivity.

My phone goes everywhere with me. I use a few gigabytes of data per month, and rarely more than 100 minutes of talk time. I often forget it is also a phone, because anyone I regularly “talk” to, I do so through instant messenger anyway, and there’s an app for that (more than one, of course).

I route all of my mail (work, school, personal) to GMail—there’s an app for that. I tweet (a LOT)—there’s an app for that. I write documents, take notes, travel, drink a lot of coffee, play locative games, listen to music, and watch TV. There are apps for that.

[Again, although I am talking about my Droid, these qualities of a super smartphone with an application marketplace are not Droid-specific.]

Recent ProfHacker posts have discussed “Pursuing Techno-Bliss” and “Initial Thoughts about the iPad”, and a common theme in those posts (as well as mine) is the importance of making an informed decision about the technology that may or may not be right for you. In my original smartphone post, I talked about how I took some time to come to my decision, and one of my concerns was that purchasing a super smartphone would render useless the best $350 I ever spent—on a netbook.

It has. Honestly, I hardly ever open my netbook anymore. There isn’t a thing wrong with it, but there also isn’t a thing that it does that my Droid doesn’t also do, and without the bulk. Without the bulk?!? It’s a netbook. Seriously—that is how much my super smartphone has changed my perception of things.

When I travel, I either take my full-size laptop (which is a heavy 17.1″ Gateway model) or none at all and rely on my phone. On a recent trip to my future workplace, there was little need for me to take that full-sized laptop, except that I was also finishing a dissertation draft and I didn’t want to risk it by going phone-only. But reviewing and marking student papers, and entering their grades in my spreadsheet? Not a problem with the phone.

In the informative and lively comments on my original post, two main points were brought up: carrier matters and keyboards matter. Agreed.

On coverage: I have been thrilled with Verizon coverage and service, and am keeping my phone and its unlimited global roaming data plan when I go to Canada. While in Victoria, I had consistent and strong 3G coverage—better coverage than the folks I was with and their Canadian-based carriers.

On keyboards: I do not use the Droid’s physical keyboard. I realize that was one of its selling points, but not for me. Then again, I don’t use the standard Android virtual keyboard either. I am completely enamored of a beta version of the Swype virtual keyboard. Showing off Swype is like taking a puppy to the park—everyone wants to see it, play with it, take it home.

So, I’m completely smitten with my super smartphone (which happens to be a Droid) for all that it offers me by way of productivity and consistent user experience (including connectivity). You may be smitten with your iPhone, or your BlackBerry, or your HTC, or any other super smartphone, and that’s great too. Or, you may be perfectly happy and productive without an always-on computer in your pocket. Great! That’s sort of the point—find the thing (or non-thing) that works for you.

For me, that thing is still this particular Android phone. When people ask me what phone they should get, I help them narrow down the choices based on need, use, and carrier, but then I offer this piece of advice: go to the store and hold it. If the device has so much potential, the only way to tap that potential is to actually use it and be comfortable doing so. If you are uncomfortable with your phone, you won’t be as productive. It has to feel right. Good luck!

[Image in this post is my Droid running Google Earth.]