Finally have to get a smart phone

[Steven P Jobs]

If you need the best possible GMail experience and are willing to make some other compromises for that, get an Android device. I can't agree with the Galaxy Nexus recommendations - its main advantage is that it supposedly gets the best updates and support, but the Nexus S/4G hasn't even received Ice Cream Sandwich months after its release so why should anyone trust google on this anymore? In addition, the GNex's camera is terrible, it has an unbelievably high hardware malfunction rate, and despite being 720p the screen is actually fairly bad (the year-old, lower-res screen on the Galaxy S2 is leaps and bounds better for example).
My Advice for Android would be to wait for the new HTC One phones. HTC is a much less crappy vendor than Samsung, the current Android market leader.

If you want a budget Android device, I'd recommend you ensure it has at least the following specs:
- 1GHz CPU
- 512MB RAM
- 800x480 screen (480x320 can make text hard to read)
- Android 2.3 (4.0 is way better but phones with it are just now beginning to come out)
- Decent battery life (read reviews for this - Android battery life ranges from abysmal (half a day with moderate use) to very good (two days))

If you don't want to bother with any of that, just get an iPhone. It works well and there aren't a million models to choose from. Some people have issues with a supposed lack of "freedom" on iPhones, but come on. It's a device for making calls and writing texts and emails and checking facebook and taking pictures of stuff.

If you really care about a hardware keyboard, get a BlackBerry. Every other hardware keyboard is garbage in comparison. The current Bold 9900/9930 is a great device despite being way behind iPhone/Android in some ways. However, if you depend on GMail the BlackBerry is garbage - they still haven't figured out 2-way sync. Really shameful for the company whose claim to fame is mobile email.


Also worth noting, if you get anything but an iPhone (their price is fixed, you're not going to get a bargain anywhere) make sure you shop around. For example the Verizon BlackBerry 9930 is $230 with a new contract through Verizon, and $60 on Amazon.