I have the iPhone4 - have had it more than 2 years. Unless you're used to the Apple interface, the learning curve will be steep. It has its limitations (all do). My friend's Samsung Galaxy 4 has a MUCH better camera and a larger screen.

I use my phone mostly for texting, email, surfing the net, taking photos, and listening to music. I rarely use it as a phone. LOL

Thanks Chloe, that's exactly the kind of opinions I need. I have had the same phone for at least 4 years. It's an LG Cosmos, so, yeah, go ahead and say it, lol.

Would you mind explaining what you mean by the learning curve is steep? As in figuring out how to navigate the phone?

Yes, the learning curve is related to how things work on the phone. I switched (first to an iPhone 3) from a Motorola. It was hard to figure out how the settings worked, how to set up the phone, and (to this DAY) how to work iTunes. I hate iTunes. HATE. White-hot HATE iTunes.

Now that I've been an Apple phone user for probably 4+ years, I love it. It's easy and intuitive now, and I can just about navigate through all my apps with my eyes closed. :)

I would suggest going to an Apple Store and playing with their phones to see how you like them. Or maybe Best Buy (if you don't have an Apple Store near you). Handling the phone and seeing how it works is going to give you a much better idea what you'll be dealing with. Plus Best Buy has LOTS of phones to mess with. BTW - the iPhone4 is pretty much outdated. I'm upgrading to a 5 soon.

I had three IPads before my contract was up to get rid of my hated Samsung Android phone. I love my IPhone 5, system is so easy to use. Every device is synced. Can't say how much I love it. My husband isn't as happy, he would like a bigger phone but doesn't want to go the giant route that are offered.

Curious as to why the iPhone 4 is an option... why not get the 5?

I have and love my iPhone 5. I have an iPad & iPod so the transition was so simple.
DH has and loves his Lumia with Windows 8.

It is all about what YOU are comfortable with!

I love mine. Had no learning curve at all. But, then again, I was used to iPods and an iPad. I also had a Cosmos, and earlier an enV2. I kinda wish I had gotten the 4s...for Suri...but I still love it. I could NOT get the hang of two different Android phones.

I have an iPhone 4. Went to it from an old flip phone. It was an easy transition. No problems at all,

The I phone 4 is free now, good deal there. Although I have the 5 and love the ease of it , the four is still a good phone to start with. Gave my 4S. to my dd when her phone died. It does take a while to wrap your mind around all the things available to a smart phone. Apples FaceTime is something I'd like to start using more. Used my iPad to call my dds phone today for the first time. It's kind of fun.

Friends tell me they like their galaxy phones , quite often. Don't know anything about them.

Luann, Toni answered for me. It's free right now with a 2 year contract with Verizon. I have given my upgrade to DH, and both kids over the years, didn't really need it.

Now that we will be on the road more with our motorhome, I would like to have either a smartphone or a tablet with internet access. Still trying to decide which one to get. I have put off upgrading to a smartphone coz I'm a cheap @ss and didn't want to pay the extra $30 a month, haha. If I get a tablet I could buy just the airtime I need while on the road. But with the free phone offer, it makes getting a smartphone a little more enticing.

Any other opinions on any of the other phones listed I'm all ears! Thanks again everyone, I appreciate it.

one thing to consider is if you are planning on getting an android tablet you might want to go with an android phone so you have the same familiarity there and the sync options. Same with if you plan on going with an Ipad tablet then the Iphone would make more sense.
As to price the androids are more affordable, I think they are very easy to understand and intuitive, I have an HTC smart phone which is also android with a large screen and I have enjoyed it. I can sync it(things that offer sync) with my tablets and use many of the same apps on both.
I think you should go try out a few options at places that offer all of them and see what feels better to you. I went to Fry's where they offer pretty much all brands and all carriers when I decided on mine and mine were free also which is always nice.
One positive for Iphone is you can find stuff / accessories for them everywhere, other phones not so much.

I have IPhone 4 and I love it but then I'm a Mac girl. I hate PCs.

The IPhone is very simple to use. My DGD was about 2 when I first go mine and I was playing a game and she wanted me to turn it down. Before I got the chance she took the phone from me and turned it down herself. So I guess you could say it's easy enough for a baby to use.

katlan....if you have the iPhone 4, you only need a tablet that gets wi-fi, which is much cheaper than a tablet that has wi-fi+3g (or 4g). You can use the iPhone as your router by using the "hotspot" feature. I love it for that ALONE! I turn it on and off as needed. It costs me $10 a month when on. It is something you can manage yourself via your "My Verizon" account online.

I did not know that redcurls. That sounds great. Someone earlier said they HATE iTunes. Is there another way to get music on the iPhone without iTunes?

I check my email online right now. I don't download it to an email program on my laptop. Will I still be able to check it the same way with an iphone?

Oh, another question, will I be able to gets apps from different places that I have seen mentioned on here before, like GetJar, etc?

not with the iPhone no, those are for android apps only, not for Apple products. Apple has their own app store. By the way pretty much any smart phone from the big providers can do that hotspot/ tethering stuff, so that is not a dedicated iPhone feature. I am with Att, HTC android, and have all the same options. You should check with your provider for the options and costs of those. With android there's numerous options for your music, iTunes is created by Apple.

For email you can access it through the browser just like you do on the pc, but there's a dedicated email app that comes on the phone that you can set up to what ever email you use. Or you can get apps for email too. Email is easy to use on any smart phone.

Since I love iTunes, I'm not the person to ask.....and have no experience with any other operating system.....

this comparison article just came out on zd net, thought it might be of interest.

Here is a link that might be useful: article