From: marionf@fact.com   
      
   AJL wrote:   
   >>My issue, just so you know, with the GMail app is the FIRST TIME you use   
   >>it, last I had checked, it CREATES a Google Account on your phone,   
   >   
   > Google account on a new phone? First time? That would have been almost 6   
   >  years ago for my old phone. It's been factory reset several times over the   
   >  years and I've never lost a contact due to using Google Contacts. That was   
   >  all I was trying to point out to the OP.   
      
   Yes. I agree. Both Android & iOS are pretty good, nowadays, at bringing   
   back what you had when you factory reset a phone (or buy a new phone).   
      
   Very good.   
   Too good, in fact. :)   
      
   >>but,   
   >>what's worse (much worse!) is it automatically syncs your contacts BEFORE   
   >>you get a chance to turn that feature off on your Google Account on your   
   >>phone. It has been *years* since I tested this, but that was the *last* time   
   I ever used a GMail app on Android (it doesn't do that on iOS,   
   >>paradoxically). Just FYI...   
   >   
   >>It only matters to someone who does NOT want it to sync and who does NOT   
   >>want a Google Account on the phone but who has PLENTY of Google Accounts.   
   >   
   > Of course. YMMV as always. If the OP does not want to use Google Contacts   
   >  and not lose his contacts in a factory reset I'm sure there are other ways   
   >  you can point out to him. Perhaps you already did and I missed it...   
      
   Yeah. I told the OP his simplest contact backup is a VCARD (or csv) export.   
      
      
   Interestingly, last I tested all the free contacts apps on Android, while   
   almost all contacts apps IMPORT VCARD/CSV databases, most don't export.   
      
   The FOSS contacts apps, of course, both imported and exported contacts.   
   But the Google contacts app, as I recall, only imported. Not exported.   
      
   I wonder why... :)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)