Good mobile phone with internet and camera for touring

[Arsen Gere]

I use Motorola Razr Spyder, big screen, very light, water repelent nano technology - whatever, sweat or rain does not get in easily.
Kevlar back for strength.
I can even see the phone buttons without wearing glasses !
Android based, so google latitude and maps + others, not cheap though and you don't see them on contracts over here.
Micro sd up to 32gb, power connector micro usb.
With a micro HDMI cable you can plug it in to the tele and it runs 1080p HD video, I tried it and was surprised at the quality.

I had a Blackberry but the sweat used get in to it and the buttons did not work so it was useless. I could never unlock the thing.

http://www.clove.co.uk/motorola-razr-spyder

 

[Terry Kay]

Never used a Blackberry but they do have pretty big screens and from what I hear they beat other smart phones battery use wise.. I've get an HTC One X which is a truly gorgeous phone, but if I don't charge it daily it doesn't last!

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Never used a Blackberry but they do have pretty big screens and from what I hear they beat other smart phones battery use wise.. I've get an HTC One X which is a truly gorgeous phone, but if I don't charge it daily it doesn't last!

will run for days if you turn the wi-fi off when not using it.

 

[Norm]

Anything which has a battery that you can swap and a charging dock which will charge a loose battery as well as the phone, like this.

Turning off unused wireless bits (wi-fi, BlueTooth, GPS) has a big effect on battery life.

 

[CopperBrompton]

One thing I really like about the iPhone is Photostream. Provided you have a data-connection, a photo is available on any other iDevice you have (Mac, iPad) within a minute or two. So if you lose your phone/camera, you don't lose your photos.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Dropbox. Any photo's I take can be uploaded in seconds.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Dropbox. Any photo's I take can be uploaded in seconds.

Can be, or are? The think I like about Photostream is it's totally automatic, take the photo and it's done.

 

[suffolkcindy]

A data connection isn't a necessity for mapping, Cindy. I create my own maps using Mobile Atlas Creator as and when required (with different zoom levels) and store them on SD Card for use with the mobile's GPS. My front dynamo hub supplies the necessary charge to keep the battery juiced up on tour.

Jealous of that dynamo hub, Coddy!
I too have a system for storing maps offline (ViewRanger) but still need internet connection to source new information like whether the GH on the map still exists, or to look at satelite images to see if promised new road is actually constructed yet...all part of my fun on the road
Having invested in an iphone/ipod I am now doomed to a small screen. The ipad is just too delicate for my kind of touring.

 

[suffolkcindy]

Can be, or are? The think I like about Photostream is it's totally automatic, take the photo and it's done.

Just what I have been looking for...a cloud-like place for my photos on the road.THANK YOU

 

[CopperBrompton]

You're welcome. And yes, I'm another rider with hub dynamo envy - at some stage I want to be able to power both camcorder and iPhone that way.

 

[PpPete]

Hub dynamos (and lighting): much cheaper to buy in Germany !
I can thoroughly recommend the Shimano DH-3N80 paired with a Pedalpower SIC.
I can charge my HTC Wildfire or AA batteries or power the Garmin Etrex Legend with permanent backlight - and still have very adequate front lighting.
The buffer battery in the SIC smooths out the voltage to delicate devices like smart phones very nicely.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Yeah, the problem is that I have hub-brakes, and ICE recommends (and Auntie Helen's experience supports) having matched hubs, so I'd need two new wheels with disc brakes. The all-in cost is a bit frightening!

 

[suffolkcindy]

Hub dynamos (and lighting): much cheaper to buy in Germany !
I can thoroughly recommend the Shimano DH-3N80 paired with a Pedalpower SIC.
I can charge my HTC Wildfire or AA batteries or power the Garmin Etrex Legend with permanent backlight - and still have very adequate front lighting.
The buffer battery in the SIC smooths out the voltage to delicate devices like smart phones very nicely.

Wow that hub is cheaper than I thought it would be and the pedalpower things looks simple enough for me to use but if I may as a rather girly question, what is the difference between an AC dynamo and a DC dynamo in terms of what I might want (iphone/Adventurer 2800 GPS)?

 

[suffolkcindy]

Can be, or are? The think I like about Photostream is it's totally automatic, take the photo and it's done.

Just checked this out but it only holds photos for 30days and so when touring for a few months this wouldnt help me much. I guess I have to pay to keep it longer. I did check out DropBox and that seems to hold photos longer but less space for free. So many variables to consider... I definately need to upload to cloud though as last time I was on the road for four months I lost a load of photos by catching a 'virus' on my digital camera (didnt even know that was possible!). It brought down a whole network of computers in Cambodia

 

[CopperBrompton]

Just checked this out but it only holds photos for 30days

Where did you see that? There's no time limit, just a limit of 1000 photos:
http://www.apple.com/icloud/features/photo-stream.html