View Full Version : Mobile phone upgradings, which 1??
It's that time again, 18 months are up and i'm on the lookout for a new phone. I've been browsing the O2 shop as that's who i'm with and happy to commit to again. Trouble is it seems like there's plenty of phones out that are really good so this time i want to make sure i get the best or right phone for me.
A phone with a big screen, decent for taking good quality pics. It seems that touch screen is the norm, if i really have to get 1 then i will but in my job on buidling sites my hands aren't the cleanest and can imagine that nice new screen will be scratched in no time! I'd like to browse the net throughout the month too.
So, hit me with what phone's you're using, whether you're happy with them, ones i should stay away that have a bad rep. Like i said i want to get it right as they're 18-24 month contracts nowadays and don't want to be lumbered with a sheeite phone :wasntme:
Alastair
22-11-2010, 19:10
There is only one choice IMO, iphone4.:agree:
I have the Nokia N8. Good all round touchscreen phone. 12megapixel camera, 32gb memory. Should hold up well if fitted with a screen protector and silicone case.
Iphone4, touch screen will be fine with a protector fitted:)
SCHWARTZ
22-11-2010, 19:48
im in same situation im a roofer and phones barley last 6months due to dust ect so i have been looking at that motorola defy dust, shock, splash and scratch proof if it does what it says on the tin it should be good.
wrightygtt
22-11-2010, 20:04
dont forget the providings:scared:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShrbtJ3YB0Y
dangerous dave
22-11-2010, 20:05
im in same situation im a roofer and phones barley last 6months due to dust ect so i have been looking at that motorola defy dust, shock, splash and scratch proof if it does what it says on the tin it should be good.
my boss walked in with that this morning, he's had all the knock/shock/waterproof phones and they all do ok.. this seems a nice little phone, they wanted strong money for it outright but he just had an upgrade.
im still happy with my iSheep 3gs, its been a great phone and its the first time i've been happy with a phone.. i was gonna go out the other day and buy a iphone4 but theres nothing in it for me. if the white one was available id have it when mine breaks but apple wont be making them, says alot really.. they made a boo boo and theres little point spending more money on something that has a fault, not a bad one but the sales must be down and people will always hold out for the next one..
like me..
SCHWARTZ
22-11-2010, 20:33
I havnt been allowed near anyones iphone:scared: so i dont know what theyre like but they must be good if everyone gets them also had a look at that HTC windows phone but again big bucks:sad2:
old skool turbo power
22-11-2010, 21:05
im in same situation im a roofer and phones barley last 6months due to dust ect so i have been looking at that motorola defy dust, shock, splash and scratch proof if it does what it says on the tin it should be good.
:agree:have the same problem ere.me and phones have fallen out big time:laugh:i had the i phone when its 1st come out in late 2007 in november and was a good phone until i lost it wen i was pissed im pretty sure it droped outa my pocket as it was so light i only had the phone 3 months:(it was in my side pocket.if i had decided to put it im my back pocket more than likley i would sit on it and have one broken sceen:sad2:
ive been on this phone for a good 6 months or so and its ok but pretty battered.i think the dust had started gettin to it tho from all the sanding i do at work.
ok its old phone the 6310:scared:but when your in a job where you will get messy in any way(dust ect) this phone is bullet proof.they still fetch alot of money.:eek:
IIRC with the I Phone i'll have to go on a more expensive tarriff, £45 a month springs to mind. I also think i'll have to pay something upfront too.
The Nokia N8 looks useful, there's also a Sony Ericsson which has a QWERTY keyboard slide out underneath. Blackberry phones don't do it for me, i need a big screen
Yeah, iphone 4 has been ace for me. I used to hate phones but it's so fast and easy to use that you can't dislike it. mine gets chucked about, left in garage and after 4 months the screen still looks like new. Couple of stupid things that bother me but on the whole it's been spot on.
i fell onto the touch screen bandwagon with a Samsung pixon - and decided text messages with a touch screen are pants.
I now own a Blackberry Bold 9700, which frankly, is great! - buttons to press - the new 9780 now has a 5meg camera, but the 9700's 3.2meg is REALLY good considering its not super megapixel size.
Penfold aka The Dealer
23-11-2010, 06:16
I am changing over to the HTC HD7 after seeing Marts one :agree:
The Iphone is pretty good all round phone, I just want something different from the norm ;)
I had a play around with my sisters N8, there a good phone, but just a typical nokia, dont think surfing the internet is as good on them as it is the Iphone/HTC, but the camera is amazing and if your already used to the nokia layout its a straight forward swap :agree:
There is only one choice IMO, iphone4.:agree:
I have to disagree with you my old friend :laugh: HTC Desire HD all the way :agree:
I got the iPhone 3gs on £35 a month with nothing to pay upfront, loving the phone, as said txt messages are not an easy task to do, but then again nor is any other phone which uses the qwerty keyboard setup.
Pah, iphone :crap: ;)
HTC Desire all the way :) More flexible, pretty much the same apps, nice screen, nice layout, Android O.S FTW :agree:
Should be able to wangle a £25/£30 a month contract (24 months) which'll give you the phone for free, unlimited texts, 'unlimited' web browsing, 600 minutes gratis talk time, blah blah blah.
I weighed up the options between getting an iphone & an HTC, and although in fairness there's probably not a great deal of difference between the 2, the HTC edged it for me.
Only thing I do miss is music playback quality & EQ that the ipod/iphone has.
Still miss my old trusty 'go anywhere, phone anyone' 6210 though :D
IIRC with the I Phone i'll have to go on a more expensive tarriff, £45 a month springs to mind. I also think i'll have to pay something upfront too.
The Nokia N8 looks useful, there's also a Sony Ericsson which has a QWERTY keyboard slide out underneath. Blackberry phones don't do it for me, i need a big screen
if you're reffering to the sony ericsson vivaz then i would'nt bother! im a huge sony ericsson fan & had that phone but the charger connection inside the phone come out with the lead! after some research i found it's a very common fault,
great phone other than that though with a superb hd camera.
if you really like it then just make sure you have insurance or like me,have a way with words and demand a replacement.
The smart money goes to android HTC phones. My brother has the Desire (a near perfect phone IMO), and based on that I now have the Desire HD (screen resolution and loudspeaker volume aside), this thing is incredible. My use is heavy internet for share trading.
iphones - no bluetooth, no internet flash content, tied to Itunes, don't hold it in the wrong way or your signal drops off, no way to upgrade memory size or replace battery. That said, the screen is second to none.
Pah, iphone :crap: ;)
HTC Desire all the way :) More flexible, pretty much the same apps, nice screen, nice layout, Android O.S FTW :agree:
Should be able to wangle a £25/£30 a month contract (24 months) which'll give you the phone for free, unlimited texts, 'unlimited' web browsing, 600 minutes gratis talk time, blah blah blah.
I weighed up the options between getting an iphone & an HTC, and although in fairness there's probably not a great deal of difference between the 2, the HTC edged it for me.
Only thing I do miss is music playback quality & EQ that the ipod/iphone has.
Still miss my old trusty 'go anywhere, phone anyone' 6210 though :D
My friend has a HTC Desire HD and my Dad a HTC Desire. Both seem to be good phones, and a worthy competitor to the iPhone. Considerably cheaper too!
One thing I will say though, is I found it all to easy to make the Desire HD grind to a halt. I have an iPhone 3GS, and I'm used to being able to zip about, opening and closing apps, changing screens quickly, but when I tried to do this on the Desire HD as I would on my iPhone, it slowed right down and crashed. That would annoy me massively.
Don't really understand why though, as it's got some pretty beefy hardware I believe! Maybe the OS just isn't as polished?
Either way Ricardo - I'd get a touchscreen. iPhone was my first (had Nokia smartphones before), and I wouldn't go back. It's so much easier to browse the web / generally mess about. Better for games too IMO!
DaveMayGTT
23-11-2010, 10:50
I have to disagree with you my old friend :laugh: HTC Desire HD all the way :agree:
This man speaks sense. I have the desire and its awesome, completely changed the opinion of the iphone lovers in my office. The HD is very similar spec wise but better screen and slightly more memory from what i remember.
This man speaks sense. I have the desire and its awesome, completely changed the opinion of the iphone lovers in my office. The HD is very similar spec wise but better screen and slightly more memory from what i remember.
And a better camera
Bric, my Desire HD is rapid through its screens. In fact the Desire and HD are noted for their instantaneous response, especially resizing of internet pages (which really is immediate).
However, due to the fast-boot facility on the HD it means the phone doesn't shut down fully when you switch it off at night (the point is that start-up is very, very quick). I did find therefore that it could sometimes slow down all of a sudden after 2-3 days use and/or after a lot of faffing around with app management. So I do a full shut down and restart every few days just to clear caches/memory etc and keep the phone at full pace. Since finalising my setup I now don't have to do this as often.
Matt@CodeRedMotorsports
23-11-2010, 11:47
Ah, but when moving from your previous downgradings to your current upgradings, are you getting the free ring-dings???
iPhone for me, but purely because my other half is in advertising, and the mac is used in this industry.... We have an iMac a mac book pro, iPods..... So the phone was a natural choice really.
DaveMayGTT
23-11-2010, 12:02
And a better camera
Good point, camera too.
Out of interest i know its 'better' if resolution is be all and end all, is it using an upgraded version of the desire camera or is it a completely different camera? I was blown away by the colour rendition on the desires camera which is far more important to me than just 22MP yadadada. I'm pretty sure it will be as good but just interested to here user comments on it.
I just upgraded from an N97, the camera slide gets dust behind it & scratches the lens :agree: good one Nokia, NOT, had 2 of them, both went the same way.
This time I went for a Sony Xperia mini pro, has a slide down qwerty keyboard, small, can get on the net easily, admittedly the screen is a little small but I'm used to it now (bit hard to read sometimes but you can zoom in)
All in all it does what I need it to without the bulkyness of the other phones on the market. 5MP camera as well.
phase i 16 v turbo
23-11-2010, 12:25
I got the LG Snap 360 the other day, has a great camera does all I need and only £25 a month and not tied in for 2yrs. Had issues with the PC suit though and LG & T-mobile can't fix.:sad2:
tied to Itunes
POS. That in itself is worthy of avoiding an iphone altogether.
Connect the HTC to any computer, drag & drop ya file(s), j.d
tiff_lee
23-11-2010, 13:42
I'm glad I have read this thread as I was set on getting an Iphone4 at my next upgrade in a month or so however now i'm definitely looking at getting a Desire HD.
Either way ihone or HTC this BB Storm 2 is going so damn laggy and unresponsive.
no internet flash content, tied to Itunes
Two of the biggest issues with the iPhone imo... although a lot of websites have iPhone websites (PistonHeads as an example), and I can't say I particularly miss flash
Hate itunes too. Massively overpriced crap. Amazon MP3 is good that you get on 'Droid phones. A lot cheaper than itunes!
The new Bill J
23-11-2010, 16:08
Two of the biggest issues with the iPhone imo... although a lot of websites have iPhone websites (PistonHeads as an example), and I can't say I particularly miss flash
The biggest issue for me is that the ring volume is so feckin quiet! :mad:
I can never hear it ringing when I'm outside at work, and it's in my pocket. Also, when you lower the call volume, the ring tone volume lowers as well :scratch:
scratcher
23-11-2010, 17:56
I got the Samsung Galaxy S 2 weeks ago. Much like an iPhone, but I find it easier to use and it has a bigger screen.
It's got the android stuff so you can get all sorts of apps, the maps and navigation are pretty good too. :agree:
jonnyshaw49
23-11-2010, 18:29
ive got a blackberry 9700 and its mint, so easy to use and great for buisness emailing etc, had the 8900 and no where near as good, if you like touchscreen the iphone is the way to go as theres so much u can do on them especially jailbroken, and especially loading music online is fast. the blackberrys are the best phones without touch screen and very durable i have found,they can be slow though at times. the battery on mine will last upto 3 days and i use it a fair bit. the mega pixel on a phone camera doesnt really mean much its the chip the camera has in it like the nokia carl ziess lens etc and samsungs have2.0and 3.2 mega pixel and will out perform phones with 5.0. the blackberry i have has 3.2 and is miles clearer than an i phone . hope this helps
The HTC Desire HD certainly looks impressive, seems like O2 only have the non HD version at the moment.....
Been reading this about the HD, apparently it kills batteries and some people stickto the non HD Desire.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833654
Anyone use a Sony Ericsson Xperia X10?
Well, whatever touch screen, internet using phone i choose i'm going to have to pay at least £80-90 up front to stay on a £35-40 a month for 18 months :rolleyes: :ashamed:
tiff_lee
23-11-2010, 22:04
The HTC Desire HD certainly looks impressive, seems like O2 only have the non HD version at the moment.....
I noticed that well in the o2 online store anyhow yet dialaphone have the HD desire on offer on an o2 contract??
Ricky, Vodafone have the non-hd Desire available, on the £25/£30 a month contract as I mentioned before - I know this for a fact, as that's what I'm on.
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/htc-desire
Edit, and I got the phone el gratis as well.
I'm on Orange with the following:
Desire HD - free
1200 minutes
3000 texts
750mb net and emails
Orange's voice Satnav included (usually £5 a month)
Voicemail calls come off contract minutes
£30 a month
This is on a 24month contract. To get this deal I had to walk into a Phones4 outlet, complain their deals were rubbish, and then they put me on the phone to their website team who had all the best deals. To get it down to £30 a month they are having to send me a one off cheque for 24x £2.50 (£60), that comes out of their own pocket, lol.
Orange and T-Mobile have just merged so I get both network's signals. Battery usage is heavy as mentioned. However, this is because I use the net a lot. With normal call/text usage plus light games/net/cam 2-3 days is not a problem. I have an in-car charger (£5), a laptop USB charger cable (£2) and my mains charger to ensure I'm rarely caught short.
I've signed up to HTC Sense online (free), which among other things allows me to make the phone ring, shut it down, send a warning message, see where it is on a map via GPS and even wipe it (in the event it's stolen), all from the website. :agree:
The only problem i find with my HTC Desire (non HD), is that the battery life isn't great. There are apps which help by killing unused tasks/apps which have helped, but still after around 10/12 hours it normally needs recharging
w995 here but next year am thinking of totally off the grid like...
I spoke to O2 upgrades department last night, the best they can do for me on the HTC Desire (non HD) is:
£59 up front
600 mins
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Wi-Fi :rolleyes:
500MB internet
This is based on a £40 monthly tarriff for 18 months, my average minute talk time use is only 190 mins and i send an average 750 texts a month. Trouble is in dropping the number of minutes on a cheaper tarriff i'd pay more up front. The package suits my needs, i've also sold my Nokia E71 so that will cover the upfront payment. Apparently O2 don't sell the HD
Matt Cole
25-11-2010, 18:53
how the fek can they charge for wi-fi hense '
'unlimited'? the wi-fi receiver is part of the phone isn't it?
how the fek can they charge for wi-fi hense '
'unlimited'? the wi-fi receiver is part of the phone isn't it?
It means they give you access to 'cloud' hotspots. Basically, hotspots when you're out and about, so you can get wifi when you're having a coffee, or whatever without having to pay for it.
Matt Cole
25-11-2010, 20:23
It means they give you access to 'cloud' hotspots. Basically, hotspots when you're out and about, so you can get wifi when you're having a coffee, or whatever without having to pay for it.
I take it thats a network thing then not hardware?? I can go down to my local pizza hut and log on to their 'free' internet using nothing more than my lg renoir. (which is **** incidentaly)!:D
I spoke to O2 upgrades department last night, the best they can do for me on the HTC Desire (non HD) is:
£59 up front
600 mins
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Wi-Fi :rolleyes:
500MB internet
Switch to Vodafone/tariff. Job done.
I take it thats a network thing then not hardware?? I can go down to my local pizza hut and log on to their 'free' internet using nothing more than my lg renoir. (which is **** incidentaly)!:D
It's nothing to do with the hardware no. It's just giving you free wireless Internet at places you would otherwise have to pay for :) not all that useful if you already have a data plan anyway (unless you're planning to download anything big)
Switch to Vodafone/tariff. Job done.
:agree:
Vodafone you can get 300 minutes, unlimited texts, 500mb Internet for £25 a month and the phone is free (HTC Desire). A saving of £60 and £15 a month.. Over 24 months, that's a £420 saving!
Pretty sure that's akin to what I posted previously...
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Hehe well I'm gonna pop into Vodafone and sound them out about said deal with the Desire HD. IIRC when changing to another network I need my PUK number and should be able to keep my phone number. I hope Vodafone are as good in customer service etc as O2
HTC Desire HD or wait til the new range of Android phones are announced in Q1 next year which will launch on 3.0 'gingerbread' version of Android.. which will be immense.:smokin:
iPhone is too much money for nothing more than what the Android alternative offers, yet android generally offers more customization since its practically open source. iPhone does have more games yes but, Android is in its infancy in comparison, yet is growing faster.. so dont be suprised by the end of your 'to be' 24 month contract iPhones are NOT the bee'z nee'z lol.
Battery life is improved a lot with v 2.2 of android [available on most/if not all networks now] for the Desire.
I'd reccomend the HD though due to its superior camera and larger internal memory capacity which is greatly welcomed if you plan on installing a large array of 'apps'. Screen is brutally awesome too if you plan on using it to watch video's from time to time.
Also, while im here - iPad is also an epic FAIL - there's a £250 10.1" tablet Android device out now with dual CPU, loads of RAM and 2.2 android - upgradeable to gingerbread 3.0 when its released. Fraction of the price yet more powerful - BOOM!
Steve Jobs GTFO
Hehe well I'm gonna pop into Vodafone and sound them out about said deal with the Desire HD. IIRC when changing to another network I need my PUK number and should be able to keep my phone number. I hope Vodafone are as good in customer service etc as O2
PAC is the one you need . [PUK unlocks your handset should you enter your unlock code incorrectly]
Cant comment from experience with Vodafone, best bet is to ask folk locally what their 3G coverage is like as of course it varies between networks !
Matt Cole
26-11-2010, 22:23
PAC is the one you need . [PUK unlocks your handset should you enter your unlock code incorrectly]
Cant comment from experience with Vodafone, best bet is to ask folk locally what their 3G coverage is like as of course it varies between networks !
Generally Vodaphone are s hit where i live. had to swap to O2 to get a signal.
Generally Vodaphone are s hit where i live. had to swap to O2 to get a signal.
i always think that the vodafone were the premiem of the networks but i think there **** i loose signal all the time!
HTC Desire HD or wait til the new range of Android phones are announced in Q1 next year which will launch on 3.0 'gingerbread' version of Android.. which will be immense.:smokin:
iPhone is too much money for nothing more than what the Android alternative offers, yet android generally offers more customization since its practically open source. iPhone does have more games yes but, Android is in its infancy in comparison, yet is growing faster.. so dont be suprised by the end of your 'to be' 24 month contract iPhones are NOT the bee'z nee'z lol.
Battery life is improved a lot with v 2.2 of android [available on most/if not all networks now] for the Desire.
I'd reccomend the HD though due to its superior camera and larger internal memory capacity which is greatly welcomed if you plan on installing a large array of 'apps'. Screen is brutally awesome too if you plan on using it to watch video's from time to time.
Also, while im here - iPad is also an epic FAIL - there's a £250 10.1" tablet Android device out now with dual CPU, loads of RAM and 2.2 android - upgradeable to gingerbread 3.0 when its released. Fraction of the price yet more powerful - BOOM!
Steve Jobs GTFO
Nothing like a balanced view eh....lol.
I agree mainly but to anyone looking on it's worth noting that the Desire HD screen is 'brutally brilliant' in terms of its size but its not OLED and the resolution is not great. I was happy with mine until I put it next to my brothers early OLED screened Desire, d'oh. Plus it's the screen in the HD that's the cause of the battery life issues, ironically. However, I watched an episode of Southpark in bed this morning on it. Top. And it's ace as a SatNav.
The camera is great outside but I'm not so enamored indoors. Maybe I need to learn how to use its settings better.
I'm personally hoping for 1500amh batteries to be squeezed down in size in the next year or so to fit in the HD to improve life.
I'm also hoping that Gingerbread will be released on the HD given how many upgrades the Desire has been allowed over its lifespan.
The bottom line is the iphone stuff is restrictive and expensive and suspect in just as many (although different) areas as the HTC fare, but both are better than the Samsung offering. So for me it was an easy choice.
If you can handle part of the pack sticking out the rear: http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/mugen-power-extended-battery-for-htc-desire-a8181-with-battery-cover-in-brown-3200mah.html
They also do a tailored case for said battery, if needs must (scroll to the bottom of the page).
If you can handle part of the pack sticking out the rear: http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/mugen-power-extended-battery-for-htc-desire-a8181-with-battery-cover-in-brown-3200mah.html
They also do a tailored case for said battery, if needs must (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Hi Mart. No way that I'd go for something that was 'hanging out the back' of my phone, lol. However, the 1600mah version seems to suggest that it's a direct replacement and will fit without mods. Is this right? If so, for the HD as well do you think?
http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/review/product/list/id/604/
bones660
29-11-2010, 20:58
I got the Samsung Galaxy S 2 weeks ago. Much like an iPhone, but I find it easier to use and it has a bigger screen.
It's got the android stuff so you can get all sorts of apps, the maps and navigation are pretty good too. :agree:
at last . somebody has mentioned the iphone killer . the galaxy s . this is the phone on my list . i have the htc hd 2 which i do like alot . i have just got rid of my nokia n97, which by the way will be my last ever nokia i will own . so yeah mate skip the iphone . go for the samsung galaxy s or the htc , end of:coffee:
Hi Mart. No way that I'd go for something that was 'hanging out the back' of my phone, lol. However, the 1600mah version seems to suggest that it's a direct replacement and will fit without mods. Is this right? If so, for the HD as well do you think?
http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/review/product/list/id/604/
From what I can make out, yep the 1600mah should be a straight swap. I think I could handle the chunky rear (for the 3200mah pack), given that should then mean 2/3 days use before requiring a recharge.
That's the only thing that pees me off with the Desire - The fact it needs charging every night :crap:
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