Hello,

First, let me start off by saying that I fully understand that you do not want me to get an Apple iPhone, nor do you want me to switch over to switch over to AT&T. However, over the next several minutes, I will be discussing the benefits of purchasing one as well as explaining why my current phone is insufficient for my needs. Let's begin.

My current phone, the LG Optimus S, is a pretty low-end phone when it comes to Android-based phones. With a weak 600 MHz clock speed single core processor, the smartphone obviously was not built for a power user. And a power user I am. Basic tasks such as multitasking or even having a live wallpaper slows down my phone significantly, causing noticeable "lag" or latency. In addition, the 3.2 MP rear camera is not up to par with current standards, such as the 5 and 8 megapixel cameras on the Apple iPhone 4 and HTC Evo, respectively, as well as not having a front-facing camera, which both of the previously mentioned smartphones have with a VGA resolution sensor. The 3.2" capacitive touchscreen is also small compared to other phones on the market, making it very difficult to type accurately on the software keyboard and view small text on any application. And speaking of applications, the phone cannot hold many, as its internal capacity is only 140 MB, which is not practical under any circumstances. The battery is also mediocre, having depleted half its capacity within 6 hours of idling unless having its radios switched off. Basically, the phone is an entry-level phone which would be perfectly fine for an everyday user, but not for a power user like me who enjoys taking advantage of the features presented to him.

Obviously, there are numerous other powerful smartphones I can choose from, however the only ones that are available on Sprint that fit my specifications are the HTC Evo, the HTC Evo Shift, the Samsung Epic, and the Nexus S. All of these devices are 4G enabled, which means they can take advantage of Sprint's 4G network, however 4G is not necessarily practical. It would require a substantial increase in the monthly payment due to a 4G data plan, it drains your battery quite rapidly, and it would be used rarely since 4G is only available in select major cities. On top of this, the aforementioned phones have been said to have issues, whether it be mediocre battery life, low build quality, etc. Don't get me wrong, these phones are more than decent, it's just not worth going through the various troubles to get one of these.

There are many debates whether Android or iOS phones are better, and there are pros and cons for both, but similar to the computer industry, Apple produces both the software and the hardware for their products. Android is an operating system that can be applied to any device from any manufacturer, but currently iOS is only used on Apple products. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, but Apple does a great job of producing a single product that lives up to its expectations.

This brings me to my main point: the Apple iPhone 4. Just from the looks of it you can tell that every aspect of the phone has been thought out very carefully. Whether it's the metal finish on the sides, the glass-lined rear, or the scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass screen, the entire device looks outstanding. With a 1 GHz processor, the phone is easily able to run the even the most demanding applications, on top of multiple background apps. The iPhone features two cameras, a rear camera and a front-facing camera, with 5 MP and 0.3 MP sensors respectively, along with an LED flash, another helpful feature my current phone does not have. The front facing camera can be used to Facetime, or video chat, with other iPhone or 4th generation iPod touch users.  The rear camera enables the user to take high-resolution pictures as well as recording 720p HD video, which can be viewed on the phone's "Retina display". The retina display is a remarkable feature that allows the screen to display 326 pixels-per-inch, squeezing almost double the amount of pixels onto the screen as the previous model. The feature is labeled "Retina display" because when holding the phone one foot away from the users eyes, the image is the maximum amount of data the retina can perceive. This allows for a seamless picture. The screen is only tad bigger at 3.5", but its software keyboard is designed to be a lot easier to type with. As opposed to the 140 MB memory of my current phone, the iPhone 4's lowest priced configuration has 16 GB of flash memory: more than 1170% the capacity! As for the battery life, some tests have shown the battery lasting up to 38 hours! And another major plus of having an iPhone is that it eliminates the need for having to carry around two devices: a phone and an iPod touch.

I currently have an iPod touch, or two for that matter: one that is used for my alarm clock and one that I take with me. My phone allows for the listening of music, but it is not as convenient as I would like it to be. Most of my music is on iTunes, and Android is not compatible with iTunes without the assistance of third-party applications. I have been able to transfer some music onto my phone, but the native music player is hard to navigate and lacking in features. The iPhone runs iOS, which I am already familiar with due to my owning of an iPod Touch, and Apple is very experienced in working with music since they were the pioneers of MP3 players. Therefore, the iPhone is a full-featured media player on top of its other capabilities, and was often marketed as such.

A major concern you might have is the costs associated with making such decision. However, I have done my research. The current AT&T plan you have for Liana is a Nation 450 Individual plan, as well as separate data and text messaging plans. If you are able to convert her to a Nation 550 FamilyTalk plan, this would incur a $20 increase to the monthly payment, but would allow for having two lines instead of one. This would allow me to enter the carrier on the FamilyTalk plan, and as far as I understand, I would be able to share the text and data plan as well. A cancellation fee would occur on Sprint, but additionally $20 would be deducted from the Sprint monthly payment, evening out both ends of the spectrum. This would leave you with only the cancellation fee (which I believe is around $65) and the cost of the phone itself, both of which I am willing to cover.

If you are still with me, I hope you will consider my proposal. Obviously, this is your decision, and I have done my best to list some possible benefits of making the switch.

Thank you for your time,
Austin Berke