It’s 2013, smartphones have grown to outrageous sizes, prices certainly haven’t decreased, and we’re using them even more. So we’re curious, are you still protecting your phone? Or should we say, are you protecting your technological investment? With 2-year contracts still in existence, we know that many of you have jumped on subsidized phone deals because the thought of buying a phone at full retail can give anyone a migraine. So that also means that you likely aren’t interested in forking out $650 dollars should an accident take your phone’s life. It’s been a while since we asked, but we’d love to know how you are preserving your phone.

Are you using some form of protection? Case? Screen protector? If so, be sure to tell us what you’ve chosen in the comments.

Tuesday Poll: Are You Protecting Your Smartphone? is a post from: Droid Life

With a release time frame of “this Summer” for Verizon’s newly announced HTC One, there are probably many of you that just realized which device you are now waiting for. The question is, who is going to wait for its release or who has already bought something else thinking it would never come? The Galaxy S4 is arguably this year’s top smartphone, but it too just launched on Verizon, almost a month behind the other top U.S. carriers.

For those who think the One could be outdated by the time it comes out on Verizon, we would have to disagree. The One is an exceptional device with great looks and fantastic specs, ones that should easily last you a couple of years if you must purchase the device on a new two year agreement.

Sound off down below on if you will be waiting for HTC’s 2013 flagship device on Big Red.

Monday Poll: Will You Wait for the HTC One on Verizon? is a post from: Droid Life

The last time that we asked the Droid Life community about their current phone, the Galaxy Nexus was still dominating, followed closely by the Galaxy S3. But since that poll ran back in August of last year, we’ve seen the Galaxy Note 2 surface, along with the RAZR HD, Nexus 4, DROID DNA, Nexus 4, HTC One, and of course, the Galaxy S4. Since we are now in late May of 2013, it’s time to ask again, “Which phone do you currently own?”

As in previous polls, we can’t list every single phone on the market, so we picked the top dogs and also some from the past that many of you still seem to be suffering with. For those with a Samsung phone like the GS4 or Note 2, be sure to mention your specific carrier model in the comments. When voting “Other,” be sure to tell us which phone it is that you have. So, tell us, which phone is your current phone?

Wednesday Poll: What is Your Current Phone? is a post from: Droid Life

Now that you have had four or five days to fully dive into two of Google I/O’s biggest announcements – Hangouts and Play Music All Access – we thought it was time to see who is garnering most of your attention. I’ve fully committed to the new Hangouts and am already figuring out how to convince friends and family to make the permanent switch over. All Access on the other hand is sitting in limbo on my devices, since it is not compatible with the Nexus Q for the time being. See, I use Google Music quite a bit in my office, but only through the Q, so I’m unable to take advantage of my free trial at this point. I’d certainly like to use the hell out of it – just can’t for now. Tim on the other hand, is an All Access machine and couldn’t stop using it the entire time we were at I/O.

So what about you? Are you using both? If so, which is taking up most of your time?

Monday Poll: Enjoying More – New Hangouts or New Google Music All Access? is a post from: Droid Life

Google I/O day 1 has essentially come to a close now that the 3-hour long keynote has been completed. Developers are off in small sessions learning ways to make better apps, and the media is trying to wrap their brains around everything that went down. But we aren’t the important ones – we want to know what you thought of this morning’s festivities.

Was there something in particular that stood out? Were you disappointed that no new hardware was announced (Nexus 7) and Android 4.3 was missing? Or were the new Music apps and services, Google Now update, and Galaxy S4 “Nexus experience” edition enough to please you?

Wednesday Poll: Favorite Announcement From Google I/O Day 1? is a post from: Droid Life

Well, pricing is official - NVIDIA’s SHIELD gaming system will run $349 at launch. So the big question now is, are you going to buy one? This product was first unveiled some five and a half months ago at CES to a mix of emotions and reviews from both media and consumers. We all wondered if there was a need for a portable gaming system that can stream and play your PC  games along with your current mobile collection? Is your phone already a good enough mobile gaming device or is this truly the future of mobile gaming? What would the price be? All tough questions that I’m not sure anyone has an answer for (well outside of the price which we now know), until we can spend more time with.

So tell us, are you buying SHIELD? If so, sell the community on why you are buying it. If not, we tell what is holding you back.

Tuesday Poll: Are You Buying NVIDIA’s SHIELD? is a post from: Droid Life

With Google I/O taking place in just a few days, it’s time we talk shop about the Nexus 7. It was introduced last year during the developer conference and was met with high praise among the Android community and consumer market. It’s a perfect little tablet, isn’t it?

Although, just like all other things, something can be made better. While it does sport an already impressive 720p display, perfect for gaming on the go, maybe a 1080p would be better in your opinion? Maybe that Tegra 3 chip should be replaced by a Snapdragon? You tell us!

It is quite possible we see a Nexus 7 refresh next week at I/O, so let us know what you would like to see updated the most.

Friday Poll: What’s One Feature Update You Would Like to See Most on the Nexus 7? is a post from: Droid Life

I actually can’t believe we haven’t asked this yet, but I feel as if it’s time. Google Glass has been everywhere as of late, now that it is in the hands of developers (and random media outlets who probably have no business with them). We’re seeing personal video clips of hockey games, trips to the park, go-kart races, and more, all through Glass recordings. There are venture capitalists (with agendas) running around telling people that this is the future of tech, while others are quick to refer to it as the next Segway.

But does anyone really care at this point? Like, if you are an average consumer or even semi-addicted tech enthusiast – and aren’t a developer or someone who was foolish enough to drop $1500 on Glass to be an “early” adopter – has any of what you’ve seen turned you into an interested party? Or are you bored to death by it? Can you not wait to get your hands on a retail unit, whenever they drop? Or will you never be caught dead wearing the Segway-for-your-head?

Tuesday Poll: Do You Care About Google Glass? is a post from: Droid Life

Over the last couple of months, especially with the moves made by T-Mobile to become the UNcarrier and Google selling an unlocked phone (Nexus 4) that isn’t tied to any carrier, we are hearing prepaid wireless service brought up in conversations quite often. In fact, I joined a prepaid network back at the beginning of the year with my Nexus 4 and have enjoyed every minute of it. But as prepaid seems to have become increasingly more popular, we still get the feeling that consumers aren’t considering the switch to it. And I’m not necessarily saying that because I think you should all switch, I’m just curious to know why it either hasn’t been on your radar or why you have decided it’s not right for you?

There are arguments for and against prepaid, just as their are with postpaid (contract service with carriers like Verizon), but I’d love to get the DL community to weigh in with them. Is it a lack of LTE? Do you not want to be thought of as a drug dealer (kidding!)? Does it have to do with prepaid service network coverage (typically AT&T and T-Mobile are the networks used)? Are you not interested in paying higher prices for unlocked phones? Do you simply not understand how it works?

I personally like prepaid because, for one, it’s cheap. I also can purchase unlimited talk, text, and data on a prepaid plan, use a phone of my choosing, and switch between service providers at the drop of a hat should the current one not satisfy my wireless needs. There is probably a deeper story in there on the benefits of prepaid (or life with prepaid service), which we’ll work on in the coming weeks. For now, though, I’d love to have your opinions.

Thursday Poll: Why Haven’t You Switched to Prepaid Wireless Service? is a post from: Droid Life

Today marked a special time when many of the U.S. carriers announced pre-orders and availability dates for the upcoming Galaxy S4 from Samsung. We learned that the device will be sold on seven of America’s networks, including the big four – Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile.

Most of the carriers have different launch dates, a few are showing pretty competitive pricing for the device under contract, some deals come with accessories, as the ploys to lure in potential customers is at an all-time high.

If you are planning to pick up the Galaxy S4, which carrier are you going with?

Wednesday Poll: Which Carrier Are You Buying Your Samsung Galaxy S4 On? is a post from: Droid Life

It is now almost mid-April, 2013. So far, everything that has made this year great is still unreleased. For example, by now we should have already seen the release of the HTC One, but thanks to delays we have had to wait. On top of that, we are still awaiting the release of Samsung’s Galaxy S4, but at least we know they are pretty good with sticking to time frames.

Besides devices, there are services such as Babel that are certainly worth getting excited over. Folks have been crying for a unified messaging service from Google for some time, and thanks to all of the leaks we have provided, we know it is coming. Plus, being that we are only a month away from Google I/O, we are putting money on a new version of Android and other goodies, but you can never really say for sure what you can expect.

Maybe none of these things excite you and you are most interested in Facebook and HTC’s work with Android in the First smartphone? Either way, let us know down below what has you most excited in the mobile industry.

Wednesday Poll: What are You Currently Most Excited for in the Mobile Industry? is a post from: Droid Life

So far, what I think is great on Facebook’s part is that they are not limiting this new experience to only those that buy an HTC First. Android users that currently own one of the five initially supported devices will be able to download Home from Google Play and immediately immerse themselves with status updates and pictures from friends. By taking this route, Facebook is truly trying to put this experience into the hands of as many people as possible. It may not seem that way yet, since the HTC First is an AT&T exclusive, but that was purely a business move.

With Home as your default launcher, you have the ability to access instant messages between friends no matter what you are doing on your device, look through your News Feed as soon as you unlock the device, and bookmark certain applications that you use more often than others. While Home does seem sort of like an extremely dignified widget, there are bound to be hundreds of thousands of users in no time at all.

Let us know down below if you plan on making Facebook’s Home your default launcher of choice. As a bonus, feel free to let us know why or why not in the comments section below. Personally, I am dying to hear everyone’s thoughts on this.

Thursday Poll: Going to Make Facebook Home Your Launcher of Choice? is a post from: Droid Life

Next Thursday, we’ll assume that Facebook is going to announce something significant in terms of their social network and how it interacts with Android. They have invited a ton of press to an event that will show off their “new home on Android.” Rumors suggest that it will be a partnership with HTC on a software front, that will put Facebook at the front of a mobile experience. It may not be the forking that Amazon has done with Android for the Kindle, but your phone will constantly remind you that you should be using Facebook for all services. It’s an interesting move, but one they probably needed to do as their mobile experience has yet to thrill Android users or investors.

So as Facebook has dominated the airwaves over the last day because of this news, we’ve seen enough snarky remarks throughout the comments and elsewhere on the internet to base today’s poll on. Are the youth still using it or have they moved on? Is it a service that only stay-at-home moms continue to use? We want to know if you use Facebook. Facebook clearly wants you to use it more while mobile if they are looking for smartphone partners.

We’ve sectioned the poll off by age, so be sure to vote in the correct area.

Friday Poll: Do You Use Facebook? is a post from: Droid Life

Facebook appears to be ready to take Android seriously, as they just sent out invites to a press event that is happening on April 4. All the invite says, as you can see, is “Come see our new home on Android.” We’d assume this means a brand new app, but then again, maybe they have something else in store. Free voice calling perhaps? A Facebook phone? We’ll be there to find out.

Guesses?

Facebook Holding Android-related Event on April 4 is a post from: Droid Life

It has been way too long since we last asked our community members what their favorite Android launcher was. Since the last time we asked, there are a few newcomers to the game who have certainly taken some of that marketshare away from the big dogs. Apparently the last time we asked, Nova Launcher wasn’t even on the scene, so that should definitely change things up.

If you answer “Other”, please let us know in the comments which launcher you are using.

Wednesday Poll: What Android Launcher Are You Currently Using? is a post from: Droid Life