do you facebook, tweet, take photos, play games, need gps, need to email, travel a lot (car, bus, or plane), read, watch video, listen to music, skype?

I do some of those things! And can imagine doing others. I don't travel a lot, and have no real commute right now, but that could change, of course. The NextBus app might be worth it. And, I don't know, maybe I would do less personal business on my work computer if I had a smartphone, but it's not like it looks better to be playing with your phone at the office. At least right now I just look like I'm typing, which could be anything!

It's just the lack of imagination -- I don't use one for anything right now, but I'm sure I would get into different habits/routines with the option.

The things I use that cost money:

• various art and photo manipulation apps
• various customisation apps and plugins (Locale/Tasker/etc)
• secure Exchange client (work)
• robust Office clone (work)
• wifi synch with iTunes (over the wire is free with this product)
• Words with friends without ads
• removed ads from to-do app and note keeping apps--mostly as a thank you to the developers
• VOIP integration with Google voice for free US/Canada phone calls from my non-phone devices

I have 3 Android devices, and it's always allowed me to use a once purchased app on all of them without me trying to jack the system. If you consider the cost of all of them, and the savings of the last one, I got my money back.

I don't know where the spend is with iOS, since I have very few apps on my iPod.

Even if you don't have a Virgin Mobile store, you can see available phones in other stores. I pretty much narrowed it down to two or three and then irritated other stores by going in, touching the phones, and not buying them.

Oh yeah, good one.

ita,

I have spent a LOT of $$ on apps (and a small amount of $$ on in app purchases). I think I am probably on the medium side of iphone users.

I need to go to my Itunes receipts to determine, but let's just say I know I have purchased a $30 app to access my work computer and dammit that was worth it. I made that purchase years ago. The first year of iphone was expensive, but since I've held on to apps that I spent $$ for, it has become less expensive.

I spent $23 on apps last month (which isn't really typical), $14 in November, and $6 in October.

I paid $9.99 to upgrade to the Pro version of IM+. Other than that I can't think of anything on my phone that cost more than $3.

(Some of the games I have on my iPad cost more for the "HD" versions, but that wouldn't be a factor if I switched phones.)

I definitely consider myself a power user, and I've spent $0 in the past three months on apps. Maybe $15 in the past six? But probably less than ten.

Are the platforms that different, or are our consumer profiles the distinction?

perhaps I am a power user!

consumer profiles are a bit different, ios people are more likely to download apps and more likely to spend $$ on apps. I have an app that alerts me to when apps go on sale, so that helps quite a bit.

I've probably spent less than $20 on apps? Most are free, a few I've got the free version, and only a few have I spent $1 (a couple of games, maybe?). And even fewer, I've spent $2-3.

I use the apps I use a lot, but I don't use that many, I don't think?

I feel like I've spent $$$ on apps, but I suspect that mostly that's things like magazine subscriptions, since I've decided I would much rather read periodicals electronically than on paper and also shell out for back issues because I am a sick completist. That adds up. And all shows up as iTunes on my CC statement.

I think I've bought one or two pretty pricey apps because they were particularly useful to me, but I don't remember what they were, now. It's possible that my "eh, for $0.99 I'll give it a try" attitude has added up to a lot, but not so I've noticed.

You can get an 8G iPhone 4 for free at Verizon right now with a 2 yr contract. Your monthly bill with 2G data would be between $70-$80, and unless you're going to stream music or movies that should be plenty.