I mentioned a couple weeks ago about getting a new phone for my appraisal business. Well, during some time off last week I bought a myTouch 4G by T-Mobile. This is definitely an upgrade from my G1.
The features I like most so far about the myTouch4G include: the internet speed is so much faster than my previous phone, it plays flash videos, tethering, two camera lenses, there is a flash on the camera, it’s very easy to sync with Google apps, the flashlight app is far more than just a lit-up screen, it has a decent camera and a great video camera, no dropped calls yet, and there are seven screens. It doesn’t have a pull-out keyboard, which I thought would be a deal-killer for me, but I’ve adjusted quite easily to the on-screen touch keyboard.
Here is a video overview of the myTouch 4G below (or an external link).
On the job I anticipate using the following apps and features the most: Square (to accept credit card payments by phone), flashlight, video, camera, email and internet of course, social networking to connect with clients, Google Voice, Google Calendar, and Google Maps. The phone does have a video chat feature, but I don’t know that I’ll really use that during the business day.
Having the right technology for business these days is very important to me so I can stay in touch with clients and be a quick resource as needed. What tech gadgets make your business run smoothly?
Thanks for the “appraisal” Ryan. If I get a smart phone this is probably the one I will get since I am a T-Mobile user as well. Keep us up to date as you discover more and more uses.
Thanks Tom. I know T-Mobile runs deals where you save money on a phone if you sign up for a two-year contract. In case you weren’t aware, you may wish to keep that in mind to keep greenbacks in your wallet. The one big downfall with smart phones is that you have to purchase a monthly data plan. I believe the fee is $20-30 depending on what type of plan you have.
I have a HTC by ATT w/windows mobile (links with word, pdf, etc.) The best feature is the GPS and ATT Navigation System. I won’t leave home without it.
Thanks, Curtis. I agree that the GPS is fantastic. I used to rely heavily on a Thomas Guide, but I haven’t purchased one in several years because of the advent of smart phones with GPS capabilities.
I was just wondering if you have already been using square for card processing. We bought the myTouch also and then found out that they don’t actually support for this phone.
Hi Karin, I have used Square on this phone. Look it up under “square” or “square up” and download it for free on your phone. It’s definitely there. I just used it a few weeks ago for a payment. I did learn you cannot be talking on the phone and accepting payment at the same time though. Get the app installed right away and then go to http://www.squareup.com to sign up for their credit card slider. Good luck.
Have you had problems using the square reader? Mine doesn’t work, the swiper doesn’t read the credit cards. I’m wondering if it’s the reader or does it not work for the mytouch?
Overall it’s a great phone. I’ve gained root access so it runs a lot better without all the bloatware.
You know, honestly I’ve used it only by manually entering information in the phone. I have not actually swiped a credit card. I have heard others having issues as you explain too, so I’ve made it a point not to update the Square app in my phone in case mine does not work with the “upgrade”. Since Square is slightly more than PayPal when I do this (manual instead of swiping), I’ve been having clients use PayPal lately. I’m glad to hear you’re getting good use of the phone. After three months of useage, I don’t have any big complaints. I’ve never had an iPhone, so I can’t really compare it to that.
Ryan’s right: The update to version 1.5.1 broke the ability to swipe for the MyTouch 4G. My phone’s rooted and I had a backup of the earlier version, so I was able to go back to that and continue happily swiping.
I let Square support know that even though the MT4G isn’t officially supported, it might be worth the developers knowing that we’re having issues. It might not be a coincidence that the update to 1.5.1 was supposed to fix issues with the HTC Incredible reading cards. Maybe their fix broke ours.
Thanks Paul for the commentary. This is good to know and exactly why I don’t update apps sometimes. I’ll be careful with this one. Very helpful, Paul.
That was fast. Even though the MT4G isn’t officially supported, Square promised their devs were looking into it. The new version (1.5.2) sites “Improves card swiping on the HTC MyTouch 4G”. Works great again. Those guys rock.
Thanks for the update, Paul.