Smart phone recommendation needed

It's time to upgrade my phone.

For the past 4 years, I have used the Casio Boulder flip phone and really liked it. It is very rugged and took a beating on many hiking and camping outings.

I am thinking of upgrading to a smart phone and wanted ETS member recommendations. My biggest fear about these type of phones is that appear very flimsy. Do they take the normal abuse that outdoor folks will likely subject them too? Do they stand up to dust, moisture and just general rough handling? Should I get any additional protection for it?

I like the idea of many of the outdoor-related apps that I see.

Thanks in advance for your help.

I have had an iPhone 3, 3GS and 4 and they have all held up extremely well. I have the Otterbox iPhone case for when I deploy for wildland fires etc (mostly to protect it from excessive dust and water). For day to day I carried them in a simpler and more streamlined case and have yet to damage one of them.

There are very robust cases (like the Defender) for whatever phone you choose. They do make the phones rather large for day to day use though and I know a lot of people that do what Alan does. Use the robust case for certain activities and a slimmer case the rest of the time.

Do a little research on the key applications you like and see which platforms they support. Much of the decision is just personal preferences.

My wife and son both have iPhone 4's. I have an Android phone. They are all nice phones and have similar capabilities. My son has had problems with his iPhones just dieing and failing to work in the past (twice now) and Apple support has been very rude and unhelpful, telling him his only option was to buy a new iPhone. They refused to even look at his iPhone or attempt to fix it (at our expense) saying that it was out of warrantee and they won't do anything on an out-of-warrantee phone. Despite these failures and bad treatment from Apple, he chose to buy another iPhone (I certainly woudn't have done that myself!) So obviously he must like the iPhone despite the problems. My wife has not had any problems with her iPhone, nor I with my Android phone (an HTC Evo 4G).

Was the phone jail broken? I haven't had to utilize the Apple Store for help, but they were great when my wife had issues with her older phone. The reason I ask if it was jail broken is, when I ask that question to the co-workers who complain about the Apple store service... everyone has answered yes.

Some are flimsier than others. My Motorola has been very tough, it has that special glass and a metal case, its been dropped a few times onto hard surfaces like sidewalks.
Ive used all the big names, I wouldn't buy anything but Android now, its the most flexible of the OS's, Apple is just too controlling, and some of their built in apps are very limited and they forbid replacements unless you want to jailbreak (safari sucks for example and half the web sites I try need flash). Blackberry is pretty limited and dated and even the new Microsoft phone is still a step behind.

My wife and I have iPhone 4 in Otterbox Defender cases. They are good cases, but not perfect.

Pros:
* very sturdy
* non-slip surface

Cons:
* still susceptible to water intrusion
* integrated screen protector is cheezy

That said, I think the Defender protects the phone well. If you are interested in an Android phone, the Defender is also available for the Galaxy Nexus, which is probably one of the better choices for Android.

Note Case Mate makes a case called the Tank, which looks pretty good as well.

http://www.otterbox.com/iPhone-4S-Defender-Series-Case/APL2-I4SUN,default,pd.html

http://www.case-mate.com/tank/

With my case, what I eventually did was pull out the integrated screen protector, and then put some putty around the edges and install a "normal" screen protector. It was kinda a pain, but I prefer it. My wife is still using the integrated screen protector.

For water intrusion, I carry a medium SealLine E-Case case in my EDC bag. If water gets serious, I can throw the phone in there. Note the pictures show a phone in the small case, but the pictures are misleading. The phone won't fit in there with a case installed!

http://cascadedesigns.com/en/sealline/protective-cases/e-case/product

From my perspective, the applications are more available and better on the iPhone, but the Android phones are more "open". Also keep in mind the iPhone does not have a removable battery, so I keep a Tekkeon TekCharge rechargeable battery pack with me:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OC0122

And lastly, I have a Logitech UE 500vi earphone's with the built in mic., and I cut off the non-mic side so I can have it in and listen to music, or talk on the phone without losing the ability to hear what is going on, and not have the problems of getting the loose ear caught in things.

YMMV.

-john

Nope, not jail broken. Completely standard. Except out of warrantee. "We won't repair an out-of-warrantee phone even if you're willing to pay" is Apple's policy. Pretty sucky policy since their phones cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Their warrantee is one year I believe, so that's how long they expect their phones to last. You have to pay up front (protection money, insurance policy, a.k.a. "Apple Care") if you want it to last longer.


Well you just found someone who is answering "no". Me.

Ouch! Not having a phone made me feel out of touch (I am in the market) but now I just feel old. Thanks Izzy!

Well everyone is going to recommend the phone they have, so here's a plug for Samsung galaxy s2 from me. it's almost a year old and still one of the fastest phone on the market, galaxy nexus is close but no SD card kills it, 16 GB isn't enough when you starts to store all sorts of crap on it. Battery life isn't the best, but smart phones are like that, and unlike iphone you can always carry a spare battery.

When I need water/moisture proofing, I just drop it in a ziplock bag.

As far as I'm concerned, iPhone and Android are both great options for most people. I would stay away from Blackberrys, Windows Mobile and Symbian phones, if only because the developer communities are so much smaller, leading to many fewer available applications.

Apple is pricey, but if you buy AppleCare and don't jailbreak, they're very, very good at making sure you stay a happy customer. They also tend to have better battery life than many Androids.

I have an older Blackberry (8330) and while it's good for retrieving email for work, it is nowhere near state-of-the-art. These days I'd look seriously at phones using the Android OS.

ScouterMan, what are you going to use the phone for? Outdoor apps are great but are you going to want to use them when you're outdoors, or could you do that on a computer at home and go for a phone with with voice and text? GPS? Webrowsing? Angry birds?

Due to my SO's line of work, we always have various smartphones, tablets and notebooks to play with and test. Currently we have one iPhone, one Blackberry and two Android based phones sitting here.

I prefer Android and the new 4G Samsung Galaxy S II X is the phone I go to first. It has 16 GB of RAM and a 32 GB Micro SD card which is plenty of memory. So far the phone has survived a few drops which were both planned (testing) and unplanned in every day use. With plenty of power saving options, battery life is not much behind the iPhone.

As for a carrying case, we just use soft sided cases for everyday use and a plastic bag if we are going out on a hike and need to keep the phone dry from any inadvertent water exposure.

Bacpacjac,

My phone is part of my EDC, so it's with me on all of my hikes and campouts. As one of our Council campmasters, I'm at our Scout camp a lot and it's a dusty place in the summer.

Part of my paranoia is due to my teenage daughter. She's had a smart phone for a few years, and it seems like we're at the phone store every other month. It's been replaced more than once. Either she is brutal towards her phone (my guess) or they're very flimsy.

LOL! I hear ya ScouterMan. Scout camps are not always condusive for high tech gadgets. Teenagers, even less soo. :0

I'll chime in.

I'm on year three for the same iPhone and it has out lasted two different company phones (motorola and samsung) over the same period. I do use an incase slider case which has finally been replaced since the old one was looking pretty bad after 2 years of hard wear, lots of scrapes and the occasion 2'-3' drop onto unforgiving surfaces. Still not sure how I have avoided breaking the glass - maybe just lucky?

Anyway it has been a tough reliable phone and has never been back to AT&T or Apple for any reason. Phone is not jail broken but has lots of apps on it. I even played with the developers kit for a while.

- Eric

I love my iphone, and I honestly can't remember how I managed the first 60 years of my life without it.

However, I have learned they don't like the cold very well. When cross country skiing around town, I usually carry mine in a pocket in one of my inner layers, so it stays toasty warm. However the other day, without thinking much about it I put it in an outer pocket. Temperatures were somewhere around 0 to 5 F (minus 18 to minus 15 C). We were getting near a friends house, so I pulled it out to call and see if he was home.....and my iphone was dead. I wasn't too surprised, since in general, most battery powered items don't like the cold. After getting indoors and letting it warm up, it worked fine. However, it did motivate me to doing a bit of web searching. Turns out, Apple's published iphone specs are:

Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C)

I'm sure those are pretty conservative numbers, but at least in theory if you exceed those ranges it could void your warrenty.

Even more disturbing, there have been reports on the web of iphones whose face plate shattered when left out in serious cold (overnight in a parked car for example).

Like I said, I love my iphone, but I will take care to keep it warm!

This thread is of great interest.

I am in the process of swapping my so-called dumb phone (Nokia candy bar phone) for a so-called smart phone (Samsung Galaxy Ace). My wife has the same Samsung model and loves it.

The compatibility of wall and car chargers, batteries, etc. makes a lot of sense. The text-friendly features are handy and practical. The price is reasonable. The wifi feature could be useful on occasion.

But I am reluctant, and skeptical. My little Nokias (I have several handsets now) have proven themselves tough, reliable, and stellar in one crucial area: the ability to punch out a signal and make phone calls. Especially in fringe and mountainous areas.

For example, one of my favourite campgrounds is well off the beaten path in a national park. The official park sign says there is no cell service available. Maybe to some; but my little Nokia has two bars. This matters, and I'm loathe to give it up.

At the risk of hijacking, I would appreciate the input of other forum members.

Many new smartphones are standarized to micro-USB charging port, and some can take an external antenna via connector.

Also, if your Nokia takes SIM card you can always have it charged and take with you, and swap it when necessary. It can still make 911 call even if it has no carrier.

I have noticed my old school Samsung Rugby did get better reception than my iPhone 3 did, but both the iPhone 3g and 4 get better service than the Rugby.

Deploying for wildland fires sends us to remote locations in different states, our firefighters have a number of different phones. What I have learned about reception (besides the differences between the service providers) is don't but Blackberry or Palm smartphones (in my opinion, this is one of many reason to avoid these brands). iPhones and Droids both seemed to do as well as the old school "dumb-phones".

To the best of my knowledge, running the battery down to zero helps to syncronize the battery meter. I'm not sure if it does anything for the actual battery though, as most rechargeable lithium batteries can't be discharged below 3.6V without damage. I could be totally wrong, but I would imagine iPhones have some sort of overdischarge protection?

I'm not aware either way of anything stating that you should or should not completely discharge an iPhone to fix anything with the battery or battery meter. I can tell you that LiPo batteries have only a certain number of charge cycles in them. The good news is that if you charge a LiPo battery from 90% to 100%, you've taken off 10% of one charge cycle of life from it, not an entire charge cycle. Also, I've always been told to keep LiPo rechargeables topped up for best life.

The iPhone definitely has overdischarge protection.

According to Apple, it is not necessary to fully discharge your batteries http://www.apple.com/batteries/.

Thanks jzmtl and Alan_ for your replies.

I was able to confirm that my Nokias can still call 911. They are going in the glovebox of each car with a charger and an information card. (And one is going into my parents' car, whether they like it or not. Their offspring can be stubborn too.)

From the website of the official Canadian telecommunications regulator (CRTC):
"What if I have a cellphone but do not subscribe to any service?

Even if you do not have any pre-paid minutes or a service plan, you will still be able to dial 911 in an emergency situation. However, you will receive wireless 911 services as they exist today. Emergency responders will not be able to use the enhanced features to determine your location with a greater degree of accuracy."

Yes. But that didn't help anything. It was not a battery problem. Among many issues, the biggest problem was lack of connectivity to the carrier (AT&T). 95% of the time the phone would not work as a cellphone, it's most basic operation. No 3G connectivity either. Local operations would still work fine. It was not a problem with the carrier either - other AT&T iPhones sitting right next to it were working just fine.

I am not knocking iPhones. They are good phones. I am knocking Apples refusal to help at all and saying to just buy a new iPhone. The latest phone to have problems was 14 months old. They would not even look at it at our cost. Buyer beware on Apple customer service.

Samsung Galaxy S -- fine phone, but mine has always had a GPS issue. In that it has never worked, except for the cell tower triangulation location. The GPS chip or the firmware is faulty. The second gen Galaxy's GPS do work however and have a slightly bigger screen.

I just got a brand new Bold (HPSA+ version) on Friday for work. Somethings are very nice, browser is reasonably fast but it might take a while to get to using the combination of touch screen/track button and keyboard. GPS was accurate to 600' inside my office which shows that it is no match/substitute for my Garmn 62s (<30').

There are reports that the new iPhone with Siri is really chewing up network resources. Apparently DOUBLING the data transferred, this has put a strain on a lot of service providers. If your have dropped calls or reduced service, this might be one of the reasons why.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/london/apples-siri-8216doubles-iphone-4s-data-usage/2194
My local provider (SaskTel) has been under fire for not being able to keep up with the demands of smartphone usage and gave several managers the boot as a result.

AT&T was great. They put in two new sim cards and a battery for free, even though the phone was bought at the Apple store and not an AT&T store. I don't know why they tried the new battery, but they did, and I appreciate their attempt. After that AT&T finally said, it wasn't them, it's the phone itself. Which I 100% agree with. But at least AT&T tried. Apple refused to even look.


No, that thought never occurred to us. Our Apple store is a huge one, in a large mall in the Denver metro area. This is where they direct you to go for problems. You make appointments with their technical gurus, or whatever the name is they give themselves. I think they use the term "guru".

Despite the problems my son has had with iPhones, I would still recommend them if that's what you want. Just be aware that their expense can go beyond the initial purchase price if you get a bad one that doesn't announce itself as being bad until after the warrantee expires. Apple will take care of you during the warrantee period. They did that for my son's first iPhone that had problems. His first one completely died within a couple of months. Apple replaced it. It didn't feel great having just bought a new one and having Apple replace it with a refurbished model with scratches on it, but that's what they did. Better than nothing I guess.

Bummer on the iPhone service. I got my Blackberry Curve over 3 years ago and while it may be slow and dated, it's been rock solid acting as a phone and receiving email. That's all I need it to do.

I have a real digital Nikon SLR for my camera and a multiple GPS receivers for navigation. My phone needs to be a phone.

That said, when I do finally upgrade, I'll prolly go with a Moto or Samsung Android.

Simple is probably also why they are on the brink of going under.

I have been very happy with my iphone 3gs. It was free with my latest contract from ATT. I jailbroke it. Now I have the latest OS and tethering. Android phones are fine, but I like the iPhone better.


I also got a battery case from Rocketfish that really adds to the battery life and adds some edge protection when it's dropped.

It seems like Blackberry just stopped trying... I loved mine before I bought an iPhone. But the products they have on the market today fail to meet what most customers are looking for in a Smart phone. The current Blackberry just feel cheap in the hand compared to just about all the other Smart phones on the market.

I'm late to this party.

I just got on the smart phone bandwagon about 3 months ago. My advice is to buy whatever is on sale - my Droid X2 was $50 after rebate b/c the Razr is coming out. What plan do you have?

An iPhone is typically easier to use, it's just a bit more intuitive and refined (remember, they've been out 5-6 years already). Android is a small bit clunkier, but still as functional. Little things, like the keyboard isn't quite as sensitive, auto-corrects a bit too quick, doesn't rotate screens as you rotate the phone quite as quick as the iPhone. On the other hand, you don't have to deal w/ pesky iTunes if you have an Android. While there probably are more apps on iPhone, honestly, having several hundred thousand either way is more than you'll probably need ...

I'd skip Blackberry unless there's a real compelling reason.

Durability is a concern of mine too. I bought a case that's ridiculous - plastic clamshell, covered by a rubber outside. It nearly doubles the phones size (not weight) but does well. After a few months I'll probably take it off and just put it on if I expect more dings than usual (airport travel, etc).

I chose an HTC Incredible 2 last year when I went to a smart phone. I am on Verizon and I needed a phone that would work internationally, the Incredible 2 does that. It is only 3G but that is fine for me, I seldom need the speed and besides 4G is very limited coverage with all the carriers at present. Android needs some setings tweeked to improve battery life. My battey will last about 5 days of normal use, it is not checking my email every 30 seconds either!

There are a couple of reasons I did not consider an iPhone, battery cannot be replaced by the user, no Flash content, everything is an extra cost option, Apple never gives anything away they can charge you for. The main reason though is the Apple hype that has been their method since the company started. They beat their drum about the capabilities and the reality is they seldom deliver, or they offer function as an add-on, extra-cost item.

Whatever you chose, consider a good case that protects the phone. I have an Otterbox Defender, there are plenty of available protection options out there. Best of luck with the new phone when you decide,

LOL, yes, those Nokia "candy bar" models were sturdy! I had a gold one for the longest time. Hated the gold color, but that thing was a tank. Thanks for the laugh, Izzy.

I'd debate that an iphone is easier to use than android, I've put both side by side to people who have never touched one before and each is about the same. The idevices have several annoying quirks, for example the onscreen keyboard always being caps, android is more refined there. Apple copied the message pull down so that brought that part up to par but for the longest time the alerting on the idevices was crap, the autocorrect/spell checker on android doesn't have multiple web sites making fun of it either
The lack of flash is annoying, several times we tried to check menu's at restaurants and they would only work on Android, or kids would try their web sites and they would work due to no flash (buy you could buy their app).
Then the whole legal/patent issue, I just can't support a company like Apple who patents others ideas and prior art then wins the lawsuit because they can pay their lawyers more than the person they stole the idea from.

Apple is suing everybody, HTC, Motorola, Samsung (who has been making iphone's CPU since day 1)... I'd imagine them combined will have more lawyer money than apple does, especially now that google has jumped in to back HTC.

Samsung had to remove the "bounce" effect (which I didn't care for anyway) from their OS because of lawsuits, somebody should sue apple for stealing the pull down notification bar.

Got mine! Currently adding apps and chargers...might be a very useful tool

Yep, I have an iPhone which I immediately wrapped up in a Mophie battery case. No where near as robust as my Nokia which landed on asphalt more times than I can count on my fingers. It was still working fine the day I "upgraded" to a Moto folder.

That said, if you think you may ever need to do any celestial navigation, Apps are available for the iPhone which can not only help you find the stars, but also crunch the numbers. If you don't have a sextant, the iPhone's internal gyro and display can imitate one -- that's another App. get a real sextant

Has anyone tried the aa chargers for cell phone? I've seen 1 aa and 2 aa battery styles

TeacherRO...I tried my Goal Zero Guide 10 (4 AA) pack and works well with my old Motorola Razr (USB to miniUSB)...have not tried the 1 and 2 cell versions...

I have an Energizer-branded 2xAA charger for iPhones in each of our BOBs. They work well. I haven't used them enough to see how much of a charge you would get but I'd expect you'd get somewhere around 2/3rds of a full charge out of a pair of Energizer Ultimate Lithium primaries. I wouldn't recommend a single AA version for a smartphone.

Other than as a customer, I have no affiliation with Apple or Energizer.

I'm in the market for a new phone after about 6 years of having the same phone, a Treo 700, original battery. It has worked fine on the tops of ski resorts, such as Heavenly, Snowbird, and Steamboat. It has been a good run. I doubt the phones today will have that longevity and ruggedness. I'm going to miss this phone.

Anyway, I'm basing my decision on the carrier first. I'm probably going with Verizon. If the intent is to have an abnormally rugged phone, there are only one or two options for each carrier. I personally don't need a phone that I can drop kick into a river. My options are open. I'm fine with buying the comprehensive insurance and treating the phone with normal care.

Not surprisingly, a phone I would have selected in January 2012 would not have been my choice today in May 2012. The technology is moving so fast. Currently, I want a phone on Verizon, operating with Android 4.0, virtual keyboard, access to 4G network, not huge. Now, there is the Samsung Nexus. It almost fits this criteria, except it's too big. Also, I don't like the 2-year contract in order to get a good deal. I'm probably going to get a used phone from Craig's List so I can avoid the contract.

Samsung Nexus is running the newer Android 4.0. Will my life be OK without this operating system?

I have a 2AA USB Charger that has multiple connects for Cell Phones. I bought it at Interstate Battery, and it works great for charging up my cell phone - and it fits in my pocket if I know I am going to be out all day and using my phone alot away from AC Power.

However, I just purchased one of these:

Opteka BP-SC4000 Ultra Thin Solar Powered High Capacity (4000mAh) Backup Battery and Charger for Cell Phones and Ipads.

This little gem has an internal battery that will charge my Cell phone up about three times over, and will charge my Ipad to 50% (about five hours heavy use).

It's about $25 on Amazon.

It also has a built in Solar Panel to charge the internal battery, but it really requires direct sunlight to charge in any kind of meaningful time. It's lightweight and I keep in in backpack.

4.0.3 is available as update for galaxy s2 (I'm running it now), so that's not a problem. Although mind you galaxy s2 in u.s. isn't the same as international version, hardware is different. Not a problem if you just use it as a regular phone, but if you are messing with the OS it's important to note which phone is the software intended for.

If you want to sign a contract however, s3 is only a month or two out, 1.4 ghz quad core and 720HD screen.

I haven't seen this particular unit myself, but other super-inexpensive ones that I have seen and purchased didn't last very long. While the appeal of solar is great, I've chosen to carry a rechargeable battery that I need to top up every month or two with AA-powered chargers as the final backup.

With all due respect for all the great opinions in this thread, but in a survival situation, battery life is an issue and from what I can see, the smart"er"phones are battery hogs.

I'm using an iPhone-4S and the first thing I bought was a Mophie Juice Pack Plus Case and Rechargeable Battery. It functions as both case and as an external battery that is always plugged into the iPhone. I keep a charging cable in the truck so I can top it up when I'm driving. Fortunately, it seems to be fine to leave these plugged in all the time.

I think if you use a smart phone as a phone only, the battery life is respectable, right? (I have no personal experience with the current generation of smart phones.) In contrast, a "dumb phone" has no option of using smart features.

You might try one of the pre-paid options ( walmart has some deals) keeps you out of the 2 year contract for a very good price

If you disable data, clock down the CPU and use it as a phone only, they get pretty respectable standby time.

But again I didn't buy a $600 phone to use make phone calls only.

My HTC Incredible 2 has great bettery life. Once I set email to only download when I ask it to and that is about the only change I maade to it. It will keep a charge for at least 5 days, if not 6.

I like the phone, it has never had to be rebooted, except after an upgrade. I am on Verizon and the HTC Incredible 2 is one of the only phones Verizon sells that can be used internationally. It has a SIM card slot for that. The phone is only 3G but 4G coverage is pretty limited to major cities and it has not been an issue at all for me. When I got this phoneee, over a year ago there were only a few 4G choices and they were all huge phones with limited battery life.

Not an Apple fan, I have seen to many friends have issues with them. I doubt the iPhone craze will last much longer with all the great smartphone on the market now. Apple still hasn't offered a 4G model.

A smart phone will consume more power under normal phone use than a feature phone, because it has to drive a much larger display and backlight. I expect that it uses more power when sleeping (due to background processes and a less power-efficient CPU) than feature phones do on standby. That doesn't mean you're wrong, it means that a good smart phone has to have a larger battery to get respectable battery life as a phone only, which many do.

This is unquestionably correct. I compensate by having several different methods of recharging available (car 12V outlet, laptop, LiPo rechargeable battery in my laptop or hiking bag, belt case LiPo charger, 2xAA recharger in BOB). The benefits of a smart phone to me vastly outweigh the battery life.



I think all of Mophie's batteries are LiPo, and LiPo batteries are indeed fine to leave plugged in all the time.

Maybe that's true for some smart phones that aren't so smart. My girlfriend's LG Optimus turns off the screen when she puts the phone to her ear. Her battery seems to be about the same or better than a dumb phone when she just uses it to talk.

http://www.metropcs.com/metro/detail/LG+Optimus+M%2B/LGMS695

By the way the offerings at Metro PCS are quite appealing. I'm thinking about trying them out. The non-contract is appealing.

To be completely honest, I've found my cell phone to be pretty much worthless if I get off the beaten path at all - I love T-Mobile, but it's the only carrier I have found that I can keep a signal in an Elevator but pretty much no where else outside major highways or population centers.

Hopefully that's going to change soon.

Its not a feature of Lipo or Lion that then can be plugged in all the time, its because the phone (or laptop or whatever) charge circuitry has to stop the charge when its complete.

LiPo and LiON batteries can take top-up charges well compared to some older battery chemistries, but you're right that it's the charge circuitry that matters. However, as far as I know there aren't any consumer LiPo battery chargers that aren't designed to do well when left plugged in all the time.

Does anybody have something bad to say about the HTC Eris for Verizon? I found a good deal and am about to pull the trigger.

Hmm, from what I read on flashlights Li ion actually cannot take any top up charge at all once it's full, but NiMH can.

I would check for reviews cnet amazon ect.

Lee

LiOn and LiPo batteries should not be charged once they're fully charged, however the charge controllers "float" them at that point. That's why you can plug your iPhone, Mophie Juice Pack, laptop or whatever in and leave it plugged in all night. I imagine if you tried you could find a LiOn or a LiPo battery without a charger and then find a charger that didn't know how to deal with them, but I'm assuming that you're not trying to start a fire .

Ah okay, I thought you meant they can be trickle charged once full, like NiMH.

Defiantly can't
and NiMH don't like to be trickle charged, it does reduce their lifetime

Someone above suggested discharging a battery to empty helps with the charge capacity. I say it depends on the type of battery. In my Treo 700, I have a LiOn battery, the original battery for over 6 years now. I plug the phone in whenever I can (while sleeping, driving, sitting around the house, etc.). Over the years, I have rarely let the the charge go below 60%. This battery still holds a charge as good as new.

I have heard that LiOn batteries don't have a memory. In other words, it doesn't matter if you take the battery down to zero. Anyway, because of my experience with how I have treated this LiOn battery, I'll be treating other LiOn batteries the same in the future. Nevertheless, on my next phone, I will probably be thinking, "They sure don't make 'em how they used to."

The cell phone business is tricky in the sense that, by the time a phone is fully tested in the market, it's obsolete or few people care about the reviews anymore. Manufacturers must know this. I'm guessing phone makers design their phones to last a couple years nowadays, or maybe even 12 months. Some people here are all excited about some of the latest phones, but current smart phones answer the original questions about ruggedness pathetically, compared to smart phones from 5+ years ago (e.g., Blackberry, Treo, etc.).

Lithium ion cells area best recharged frequently and not allowed to continue charging when full. Conversely, deep discharge can permanently damage them, although many/most lithium ion cells (or the device that uses them) have a mechanism to cut off the load once the cell drains down to the certain low voltage to prevent that damage.

There must be a device in my Treo 700 that stops charging at the top end. I have left the charger on it every night for the last 6 years. The phone finishes charging after about a half hour or so, and the charger stays on it for another 8 hours or so. Then again, in the morning, the charge is full, not just 95% or whatever it would be for being on standby for those 8 hours.

Yes, any lithium ion charger has to stop charging when the battery is full otherwise you'll get a nice explosion, they cannot be overcharged.
WRT discharging all the way, if does nothing to help the battery, they don't need it (lithium ion, or lipo) and it just wastes a cycle. What a full discharge does it calibrate the battery meter. Your % full is based upon voltage and time because the voltage drop over most of the battery discharge curve is so small you can't accurately make a % full from it so they add time used into that equation and base that on previous cycles.

Comic Relief -- Non Sequitur 5-17-2012

Nice one, Russ!