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technical => computers, technology and the internet => Topic started by: Obi-Wan is lost... on January 15, 2008, 10:06:10 am

Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on January 15, 2008, 10:06:10 am
It's that time again, looking to upgrade my mobile. Any particular models people recommend? Or ones to avoid?
I would quite like a 'smart' phone, Symbian/WM etc, not that I particularly need it but I do like the toys.  :-[ But also interested in 'normal' phones also. What is the verdict on the Nokia N Series?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fatboy on January 15, 2008, 10:20:28 am
I find the Blackberry Pearl a SHWEEEEET piece of kit I have to say!!
I have a lot of love the SonyEricsson kit too!

I'm not sure about Nokia as I have never used them...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: unclesomebody on January 15, 2008, 10:20:29 am
The n95 8GB is an immense phone but it lacks one major thing that you need to decide if you want or not, a touchscreen. You can divide up the smart phones by touchscreen or non touchscreen. Non touchscreen you have all the nokia devices (excluding the E90) and some WM devices. The Nokia smart phones are very capable phones but once again don't have the developer army behind them. I would stay away from non touchscreen windows devices as they have less developing going on. Then you have the touchscreen devices, namely Sony Ericsson or more WM options. I've had both and there are pro's and con's to both. Symbian is nice, it works well, but it's ultimately simple. WM has a massive following and an unbelievable amount of developers. This means you can just about do anything on a WM smartphone. I had a TYTN II for a while which is an immense phone, but was slightly too thick to warrant keeping so I switched back to my SE P1i which I think is a great device. You should also decide whether you want a qwerty keyboard. I do use it all the time and think it's pretty mega for input (but it did take a week or two to adjust).

Check out XDA Developers for a taste of what you can do with an WM device. I think my next phone is going to be an HTC Touch Cruise (or relabelled as the XDA Orbit 2). Should be out in a month or so...

Now that I've been using smart phones for 5/6 years I would never go back. Things like being able to make VOIP calls from anywhere is attractive and having sat nav is useful especially with something like google maps where you can see live traffic updates. Good luck in the search!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: cofe on January 15, 2008, 11:07:21 am
N73 is shit. it's slower than most 80s computers.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on January 15, 2008, 11:45:43 am
We've been looking at the Touch 'Tom' Cruise for a GPS project at work. I'd love one for my own phone but considering how much i use my phone for calls I suspect they will want £100's for the handset.  :'(
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on January 15, 2008, 11:54:12 am
Nokia E65 is a nice phone. It's Smart and does loads of shit that I never use it for but it also looks really cool unlike some Smart phones. And you can get it for free without a big monthly fee. On the downside it's pretty dumb in comparison to some of the proper Smart phones. Depends what you want it to do obviously but I find it a good compromise.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Eddies on January 15, 2008, 12:07:50 pm
N73 is shit. it's slower than most 80s computers.

I second that.
Ive had no end of problems with my N73... proper w@nk
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on January 15, 2008, 01:18:34 pm

Samsung G600 / G800 ?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on January 15, 2008, 04:08:08 pm
You gotta rememeber that the n73 is an old phone now, it was a good phone when it came out all those years ago. There have been some massive firmware changes since tho, have you guys upgraded?

N95 = brick

I like my E65, just which it had a radio and better firmware updates and a ram hard disk.

I don't think I would consider a touch screen phone as they are far too small and fiddly, I have enough problems with the full screen ones at work, let alone a tiny phone screen.

I'm suprised you haven't opted for an iphone obi despite it being a crock of shit

SE = kids phones
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on March 28, 2008, 08:23:24 pm

Finally got an N95 and it's an amazing piece of kit - I couldn't get one on my service plan but if you can go for the 8GB version.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatdoc on March 28, 2008, 08:45:21 pm
Nokia E65 is a nice phone. It's Smart and does loads of shit that I never use it for but it also looks really cool unlike some Smart phones. And you can get it for free without a big monthly fee. On the downside it's pretty dumb in comparison to some of the proper Smart phones. Depends what you want it to do obviously but I find it a good compromise.
if you want just a phone  i agree.

battery life on the glam phones is a bit wank, my 2 year old pebl lasts longer than 95s by  a long way..

do you really need the smartphone? i've had loads, never last more than a year..... i use a diary, a camera, a computer and a phone...

 the e65 is a good phone, the large screen limits batt life though...

as a mac convert I'm steering well clear of the iphone... i've got an ipod, and i want a phone that works as a phone...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Houdini on March 28, 2008, 09:16:50 pm
Don't touch Samsung kit.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: underground on March 28, 2008, 10:39:22 pm
Another vote for the E65 over here - I got mine for free, made it do the stuff I need it to do with the symbian customisabe menu, and set it up to sync with my Outlook calendar at work so I know where I am next if a meeting gets a bit long winded or I fancy a lie in but don't know if I have an early meeting.

Found battery life to be good, except if I'm up and down from my laptop a lot (it syncs with bluetooth whenever I get back in range, but that's just a setting)

Like Jim says, could do with firmware updating, due to a couple of funny little niggles, but all in all it's a peachy bit of gadgetry.

I would like a countdown timer though, for doing rice for 8 mins exactly while I fuck about round the house, but if that's the only major complaint.... :shrug:

I'm also with fatdoc- it's a phone, the camera is not great, it can't replace a laptop, but you can 'phone with it. Although I don't carry a diary anymore, just a Moleskine notebook for scribbling....
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on March 28, 2008, 10:52:45 pm
Just got nokia N82, camera is really impressive. I've stuck with my E65 for another 9 months and given this to the wife cos she uses the camera thing more. She says the music player is really impressive sound quality wise and likes it a lot.
Those still using N73, debrand and update to latest firmware. Its a lot quicker now, use google if you don't know how

Battery life on mobiles will never be the same again since they discontinued the 6310i. What a phone that was. Your lucky if you get 2 days max now. A week was easy for the 6310i
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: underground on March 28, 2008, 11:10:08 pm
Jim do you get the 'mosquito' noise with E65 when it's lit up?

Bizarrely, a fucking great mozzie is flying round this office right now. Must be warming up some out there, with all this wet.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on March 28, 2008, 11:27:59 pm
do you really need the smartphone?
Free upgrade so why not? I'm not overly concerned about battery life as i'm rarely away from a car or mains charger for any length of time; certainly not for more than 24 hours so it's not really an issue.

GPS navigation is nice, as is the camera and the ability to use the web pretty much anywhere, via wifi hotspots where available.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: unclesomebody on March 28, 2008, 11:30:20 pm
Just got nokia N82, camera is really impressive. I've stuck with my E65 for another 9 months and given this to the wife cos she uses the camera thing more. She says the music player is really impressive sound quality wise and likes it a lot.
Those still using N73, debrand and update to latest firmware. Its a lot quicker now, use google if you don't know how

Battery life on mobiles will never be the same again since they discontinued the 6310i. What a phone that was. Your lucky if you get 2 days max now. A week was easy for the 6310i

http://europe.nokia.com/6300i   (14 days standy Jim... perhaps you've found your replacement)

E65 is an old phone and way behind in tech shit. The N95 8GB is looking pretty good and definitely worth getting over the regular N95 (for many reasons but mainly the larger screen!).

LG KS20 is worth looking into if you can find it in the UK. Other than that I still assert the HTC Touch Cruise (XDA Orbit 2) is where it's at. Or wait a while for the Nokia N96 (a mild upgrade if you read the full review at mobile review) or be really smart and wait for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. The biggest deal in phones since the Sony Ericsson P800.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatdoc on March 29, 2008, 09:05:37 am
do you really need the smartphone?
Free upgrade so why not? I'm not overly concerned about battery life as i'm rarely away from a car or mains charger for any length of time; certainly not for more than 24 hours so it's not really an issue.

GPS navigation is nice, as is the camera and the ability to use the web pretty much anywhere, via wifi hotspots where available.


cant be arsed to charge them up mate.... just want a small phone that phones and texts...  I'm with jim on the old 6000 series of nokia.... bloody ace battery life!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on March 29, 2008, 03:41:29 pm
The N95 8GB is looking pretty good and definitely worth getting over the regular N95 (for many reasons but mainly the larger screen!).
Definitely - worth noting that the screen is still the same resolution though.

Got Garmin Mobile XT working on it as a satnav using the internal GPS receiver and it's pretty damn good so far. Takes a while to find satellites at first but once you're up and running it works as well as the basic tomtoms i've used.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on March 29, 2008, 06:50:02 pm
I don't rate the N95 at all. Its like a brick and there are no end to problems with it.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on March 29, 2008, 07:01:53 pm

It's not the smallest of phones i'll admit.

What are the problems? Mine occasionally locks up but i've installed some beta software which is probably the culprit.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: soapy on April 01, 2008, 06:00:38 pm
had pretty basic devices in the past; last was a moto f3

but i upgraded to the bb8120 pearl on 02

and its very very very good

 :P

Sent from my Blackberry­® wireless device


Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on October 19, 2011, 11:13:02 am
Not a recommendation but its not about apps...

Galaxy Nexus (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/gadgetreviews/samsung-galaxy-nexus-is-the-new-google-phone-video/27964) (Shame the camera is a bit poo!)

Face recognition to unlock phone is cool (although software not hardware)

Samsung Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich hands-on, Full Review & Specifications (HD) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLlhhgTEXBA#ws)

Also Motorola Droid Razr (bearing in mind Google have done a deal with Motorola) compared (http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/samsung-galaxy-nexus-vs-droid-razr-by-motorola-the-tale-of-the/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on October 19, 2011, 12:02:01 pm
(http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRDXGAUSlTOtx4ovt33um7FhioyfMGu9LuhTGrUjrdRMlS4HiPC)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on October 19, 2011, 12:10:40 pm
Is that an icon for an app?  What does it do?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 02, 2012, 11:07:40 am
These Bamboo Android phones (http://www.reghardware.com/2012/02/02/concept_bamboo_smartphone_adzero_in_production/)  look rather swish...

(http://regmedia.co.uk/2012/02/02/bamb_1.jpg)

Keep an eye on their site for release (http://www.justadzero.com/category/gallery/adzero/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on February 02, 2012, 11:39:31 am
I woodnt mind one of those, though an Android phone wood go against the grain...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on February 02, 2012, 12:12:56 pm
They look very smart but is the actual phone any good?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 02, 2012, 12:36:08 pm
Not a clue, haven't seen anything on the specs, now't on the site either.

One thing I'd be wary of is the effect of heating (the CPU when under load) has on the wood.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: underground on February 03, 2012, 01:10:33 am
Not a clue, haven't seen anything on the specs, now't on the site either.

One thing I'd be wary of is the effect of heating (the CPU when under load) has on the wood.

I'd expect wood to be better than plastic for lower SHC
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Plattsy on February 03, 2012, 08:22:56 am
I hate to be a sod but bamboo is a grass.   :coffee:

Phone looks good though.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on February 03, 2012, 08:59:31 am
plus it looks like it belongs on the dash board of a shit old rover
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: underground on February 03, 2012, 10:21:42 am
It's bloody wood. I didn't say 'tree'
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on February 03, 2012, 10:26:06 pm
plus it looks like it belongs on the dash board of a shit old rover

My bro writes for a tech magazine and did a review of this. I think the phrase he used was something like shit 70s volvo....
apparently the phone isn't actually that good either.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on February 03, 2012, 10:32:49 pm
Incidentally, does anyone have an opinion on the relative merits of the Sony Arc S, the Galaxy S, and that HTC desire that comes with the Dr Dre headphones? (that's not the appeal of the last one btw, i just can't remember the name off the top of my head)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on February 04, 2012, 12:33:42 pm
It's the Sensation XE. My mate at work has one, nice phone but the Galaxy S2 has a much better screen and is all round a nicer thing. Nothing in it on performance etc but I'm glad I went for the Samsung. Don't know about the Sony but Techradar rates it number 4 in this list (http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/20-best-mobile-phones-in-the-world-today-645440?artc_pg=21) (after S2, iphone 4s and Sensation XE). Looks nice.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on February 04, 2012, 01:08:44 pm

If I were in the market for a new phone now I'd be waiting for the Galaxy S3 - rumoured for April.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Oldmanmatt on February 05, 2012, 10:40:38 pm

If I were in the market for a new phone now I'd be waiting for the Galaxy S3 - rumoured for April.

Sneak preview...

(http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6825977871_7178d24a19.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldmanmatt/6825977871/)
2012-02-05-14-03-20_F382E68D-DC5E-46D8-B94F-F5C860D3374B (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldmanmatt/6825977871/) by oldmanmatt (http://www.flickr.com/people/oldmanmatt/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: yorkshireman on February 05, 2012, 10:47:16 pm
i have a samsung galaxy s2,amazing phone,pretty much everything you could want from a phone unless you are a fashion fanboy and you have to have an apple logo :worms:
the galaxy s3 rumours are just that,rumours and i doubt it will be out before june but regardless,a dual core phone with 1mb of ram is enough for anyone,mine opens the bowderstone pdf and other pdf's in no time at all so very handy for climbing,has good receptions(on vodafone).downside-battery life is very poor,mine doesnt last a full day most of the time but i use mine lots.you can get spare batteries(unlike an iphone) for about £5 off ebay so not a problem
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 06, 2012, 08:00:28 am
mine opens the bowderstone pdf and other pdf's in no time at all so very handy for climbing

PDF, pffft, you need to get yourself over to The Send (http://thesend.co.uk/apps/bowderstone.php) and grab Steve's Bowderstone and Minus Ten Apps.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on February 06, 2012, 09:10:44 am
i have a samsung galaxy s2,amazing phone...,mine opens the bowderstone pdf and other pdf's in no time at all so very handy for climbing,has good receptions(on vodafone).downside-battery life is very poor,

nice one mate, that is the sort of information that the world needs about these things. What about its resistance to mistreatment involving impact and chalk dust?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on February 06, 2012, 09:28:30 am
a dual core phone with 1mb of ram is enough for anyone
personally, I need more than 1mb of RAM
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on February 06, 2012, 09:36:57 am
i have a samsung galaxy s2,amazing phone...,mine opens the bowderstone pdf and other pdf's in no time at all so very handy for climbing,has good receptions(on vodafone).downside-battery life is very poor,

nice one mate, that is the sort of information that the world needs about these things. What about its resistance to mistreatment involving impact and chalk dust?

I got a rubber case (http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/20256718/Samsung-Galaxy-S2-I9100-Silicone-Gel-Case-Black/Product.html) for mine for about £3 on ebay as I'm always dropping it. So far no damage. Also stands up to my son smearing bits of food etc all over it as he plays Angry Birds.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 06, 2012, 09:40:26 am
i have a samsung galaxy s2,amazing phone...,mine opens the bowderstone pdf and other pdf's in no time at all so very handy for climbing,has good receptions(on vodafone).downside-battery life is very poor,

nice one mate, that is the sort of information that the world needs about these things. What about its resistance to mistreatment involving impact and chalk dust?

All the reviews rate the S2 as a pretty top notch phone (most brands top-ends hit the spot too though), its resistance to impact and chalk dust however isn't covered, but to date mines been fairly robust (simple slim-line rubber case and a concious effort not to drop it helps).  Pretty well sealed so chalk/dust tends to wipe off, but then I've only had it ~3 months so time will tell.

You can get all sorts of applications to aid battery life, I've just been reading up on using Tasker to scale CPU (http://tasker.dinglisch.net/userguide/en/cpu.html) which adds a bit of juice, and this guy has written some nice tutorials and has specific profiles for extending battery life (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1110775).

Tasker really should be part of the Android OS itself.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: yorkshireman on February 06, 2012, 10:40:21 am
i keep mine in my pocket while climbing and get chalk all over it,never a proble. but i do occasionally clean the dust out of the charger socket with a brush.these bounce very well too
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on February 06, 2012, 11:01:02 am

I think that until battery technology advances you just have to accept poor battery life as an inevitable part of owning a modern smartphone.

Galaxy S2 is an amazing phone but battery life is shite if you use it a lot, and especially when combined with GPS / Bluetooth.  I bought a spare genuine Samsung battery for about £15 from fleabay.  It's rare that I'm away from a charger for long enough to drain 2 batteries so that works fine for me.

A mains battery charger is again a few quid from fleabay so you can charge both batteries easily when you reach civilisation again.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on February 06, 2012, 11:41:17 am
It's good that micro USB is the standard connection on phones now too so you can use pretty much any charger or plug in to anything with a USB connection to charge.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 06, 2012, 12:06:57 pm
Until the next 'standard' comes along  :wall:

Got a desktop cradle (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S2-S-2-II-i9100-2nd-Battery-Cradle-Dock-Docking-Desktop-Charger-/190624288019) which came with a spare battery (not convinced as to its authenticity, but holds a charge ok).  Was a present and pretty sure its not that listing (as there is no included battery) but it was bought from fleabay for around the £10-12 mark and haven't had any problems with it so far.

Also grabbed a dual USB ciggie charger with dual sockets (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004T1VSRK) so I can charge the phone whilst my wife is driving and still get to where we are meant to be heading as the battery won't have died on her GPS.

And a couple of supposedly genuine Samsung micro-USB cables at a bargain price (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003YHDB8E).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on February 06, 2012, 12:46:08 pm
Also grabbed a dual USB ciggie charger with dual sockets (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004T1VSRK) so I can charge the phone whilst my wife is driving and still get to where we are meant to be heading as the battery won't have died on her GPS.



What do you need a GPS for when the phone has Navigate?  ;) :jab:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 06, 2012, 01:37:13 pm
 ;D Its not me who needs the GPS, missus doesn't trust Navigate and hasn't realised you can download maps in advance (http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/07/download-map-area-added-to-labs-in.html)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 08, 2012, 04:52:04 pm
Any tips on a smartphone, never had one before...

Reasons are my phone is old and shit and I could upgrade at little cost. In many ways I would prefer to go back to a tiny Nokia that just does calls and texts but has a battery that lasts a week, but that doesn't seem like an option...

So my main want would be a decent map function - ie usable as a GPS in the car.
Plus the ability to run the photographers ephemeris which restricts it to Android or Apple OS. That's about it, plus access to twitter and basic internet. Doesn't need a good camera, I have several. A battery that lasts three days of moderate use (a few texts, a bit of internet, 10 mins of calls).

Let me reiterate I don't like big phones. Smaller the better.

HTC desire seems fairly small and android, any experiences or suggestions?

Ps what's a reasonable data limit? 100Mb sounds like fuck all...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 08, 2012, 05:22:40 pm
If you like Apple/mac stuff I'd get an iFern... 4 is fine, I dont think the 4s is worth the difference.

Otherwise theres loads (too much?) of Android choice... Theres a few £100 andriod handsets now on PAYG which may be worth a look...

The problem with small smartphones is that with a small phone it can be hard to do stuff on a small screen. That said the 4" and larger screens that seem to be proliferating make the form factor too large for me...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 08, 2012, 05:27:21 pm
If you want to use GPS then I'd recommend considering buying one of the multitude of applications such as TomTom, SygIC or such like.  Google Maps works great....when you have a signal.  You can download routes prior to setting off, but that can be a ball ache and if you get lost in an area out of signal then you're out of luck.

Theres an approximate relationship between the size of a phone and its power in terms of CPU/RAM/internal storage, so you may find that if you go for a smaller phone you hit some limits (wife has HTC Wildfire and has trouble fitting more applications on at present, in contrast to the all-singing-all-dancy S2 which has 2Gb of space for applications).

Not used a Desire myself, but they're nice phones if a little dated (neighbor had one).  That said in terms of dimensions its 119 mm H x 60 mm W x 11.9 mm D and for the sake of 6mm in either direction I'd say the S2 trumps it hands down (125.3 mm H x 66.1 mm W x 8.49 mm).  I personally wouldn't want anything much bigger than an S2 for the simple reason that my thumb isn't long enough to reach the opposite side of the phone when using it (typing with Swype can all be done with one thumb cradling the phone in your hand).  I'd get your mits on mates and see how they feel or pop into a shop to assess this really.

Desire will be relatively cheap as its a bit older though, so that may be a bonus, especially if buying outright (don't think there is much that could tempt me back onto a contract these days).  Although perhaps consider the Desire S which has a bit more RAM (768Mb vs 576Mb) and internal storage (1.1Gb vs 512Mb).

You could potentially get three days usage of one charge if you only turn on 3g connectivity (internet and everything associated with it) when you need it.  I've turned this off when abroad and get ok battery life, but it can be handy or as easy to simply carry a spare battery (and use an in-car charger to bump up juice if needs be).

100Mb for the usage you are proposing is probably not too bad, but you can get fairly good deals with more.  Not so good now, but I've 300mins (any network), 3000txts (any network) & 1Gb of data a month for £10 on sim only (at the time I went in store and was lucky that they had a bonus 3000mins to other 3 users, got missus and brother the same deal even though it had ended when I went in with them to sign up).

Not much in the way of suggestions there really* other than the Galaxy S2 for no other reason than its one of the best phones out, not much bigger than the Desire you've mentioned, and likely to drop in price due to the new S3 being released.



* Most people will recommend what they have as I've done as  few try multiple phones I guess.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 08, 2012, 05:56:31 pm
Forgot battery life: I get 3 days out of my iFern4 quite regularly btw.. but the more often you light up its nice shiny screen to play on it, the less the battery lasts.. problem is you want to use it! Me & MrsTT both have them so there are a range of car/house/built into radio chargers lying around etc...
I've had over 5 days when its just sat on a bedside table (when roaming) just being used as a glorified alarm clock..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 08, 2012, 06:14:54 pm
Cheers for the advice chaps. That's good to know batteries will last with light use, I regularly go days with very little use.

Bit undecided on Iphones. I have a mac laptop and like the hardware a lot more than the software/ do-what-we-say-not-what-you-want philosophy. And its dear... would be through the business but still seems a lot.

Having thought a bit more a decent personal organiser would be a massive boon too. Played with iProcrastinate on the laptop but something similar on a phone would be fantastic.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 08, 2012, 06:28:32 pm
Both android and iOS will sync their calenders with Gmail calendar and Outlook - which is what I use to organise my life! Which is now syncronised across ipad, 2 pcs and the phone!

Heres another wildcard option -I use iphoto on the iPad and its ace (and I guess you do alot of photography shizzle - sorry if that sounds very uninformed).. Have you considered getting an iPad and a cheap and normal phone phone? (e.g. not a smart phone).. that might be more useful.. Alot of pro photographers seem to use the iPad (from the 'whats in your bag articles I read..)... If its on the company....
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fried on June 08, 2012, 06:36:18 pm
My new Galaxy note arrived yesterday and ....I'm in love. :wub:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Lopez on June 08, 2012, 06:36:34 pm

 A battery that lasts three days of moderate use (a few texts, a bit of internet, 10 mins of calls).

 I don't like big phones. Smaller the better.


Pretty much the same here, so after some time reading around i now have one of these in the post http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-ericsson-xperia-ray-1028477/review (http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-ericsson-xperia-ray-1028477/review)

If the blurb there is right it should be a sweet phone, i.e. not a brick that you need a rucksack to carry around along with a load of extra batteries and chargers in order to be able to use it for a full day, although the smallish screen may not be the best for SatNav use. Good prices around too. (£160ca)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 08, 2012, 06:37:39 pm
Second the google calendar syncing, especially if others USSR it and share calendars with you, very handy.

Though I'd mention a couple of other Samsung phones, the Ace & A, which are slight smaller versions of the S2.

Are you planning on buying outright our contract if buying through personal business?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fried on June 08, 2012, 06:44:52 pm

 A battery that lasts three days of moderate use (a few texts, a bit of internet, 10 mins of calls).

 I don't like big phones. Smaller the better.

I had a HTC HD mini (which must be the worst phone ever made) I was convinced that small was good, but being able to use my phone as a Kindle without straining my eyes is fantastic ditto for watching videos.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 08, 2012, 09:32:49 pm
Cheers chaps, all useful

Quote
Have you considered getting an iPad and a cheap and normal phone phone? (e.g. not a smart phone)

Not really, no - I've got a Macbook and a normal phone. An Ipad wouldn't replace either, nor have I any idea what I'd use one for... never use iphoto on the mac.

Quote
after some time reading around i now have one of these in the post http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-ericsson-xperia-ray-1028477/review (http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-ericsson-xperia-ray-1028477/review)

Nice one, that looks interesting. Have had a few Sony devices in the past and liked them.

Galaxy note looks enormous, no thanks! Not likely to watch many videos or ebooks on it.

Will look into google calendar, currently we just use an excel one in a shared dropbox folder. Was looking for something a bit more powerful. (Whilst on the subject, does dropbox on a phone sync everything? Or just browse the folders?)

Will probably be on a contract. Suggestions welcome, £25 a month, ish? Been on orange for years due to rural coverage.







Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 08, 2012, 10:10:42 pm
When a smartphone is new you might get 3 days of battery, especially if you don't use it or basically deactivate all data. After that, not a prayer. Not really a problem though assuming you stick it on charge every night. My motorola is now 18months old and I'm always charging it now, but then I do hammer it.

As for phone choice, if you're on a contract and want to pay say 15 sheets a month then get a cheap android, if you want a 30-40nicker contract or pay a few hundred bananas up front you could get an iphone but they are not small. Its all good if you stick with a decent brand. I've been generally happy with my motorola defy, shortie got a samsun apollo which is ok but noticably lower res screen -ditto for my mum's htc.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 08, 2012, 10:15:17 pm
When a smartphone is new you might get 3 days of battery, especially if you don't use it or basically deactivate all data. After that, not a prayer. Not really a problem though assuming you stick it on charge every night. My motorola is now 18months old and I'm always charging it now, but then I do hammer it.

Im finding my Iferns still as good as when new.. 2 yrs old now..

You pays yer money.... ;)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 08, 2012, 10:20:02 pm
Luckily i can get 4 years of contract on a decent android phone (same as I paid for a stock nokia back in 2001) for less than what I would have paid for 2years with an iphone, and i can get a new android blower half way through. As you say, you pays your money...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: rodma on June 08, 2012, 10:32:01 pm
As you say, you pays your money...

Plus you can watch just about any video format, transfer files (pdf topos anyone) at free will, insert additional memory cards, etc.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 08, 2012, 10:48:26 pm
You fanbois didnt seem to notice my ;)

;)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: rodma on June 09, 2012, 09:11:49 am
Oops, looking at the forums when too tired again  :spank:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on June 09, 2012, 09:23:54 am
Unless money is no consideration at all, you should go android.

Contract deals are basically always more expensive than buying a mid-range android phone on a good deal and getting a sim only contract.

I wanted a mid-range android. My wildfire had been good at first, but was a bit slow n shit and started crashing and couldn't run some apps etc cos of lack of processor power. Like you, I didn't want something big though. It has to be able to fit in the back pocket of my running shorts for a start (to GPS map my runs for me).

I got this http://www.expansys.com/allreviews.aspx?i=205669 (http://www.expansys.com/allreviews.aspx?i=205669) and paid roughly this http://www.electronicshop2.com/acer-liquid-metal-sim-free-smartphone-23418.html (http://www.electronicshop2.com/acer-liquid-metal-sim-free-smartphone-23418.html) (unknown site) for it. Great phone if you can be bothered to hack the shitty firmware. I haven't as yet, so it's currently a half-decent phone, but blows the wildfire2 out the water.

hotukdeals.com is generally the best place to look for phone deals. A quick search for  reveals:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/t-mobile-rapport-android-phone-29-99-instore-asda-1234230 (http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/t-mobile-rapport-android-phone-29-99-instore-asda-1234230) a budget android smartphone for £30!

bigger:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sony-ericsson-xperia-arc-android-2-3-200-mins-200-texts-1gb-12-a-month-x-24-288-1212474#comments (http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/sony-ericsson-xperia-arc-android-2-3-200-mins-200-texts-1gb-12-a-month-x-24-288-1212474#comments)

etc..

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 09, 2012, 10:29:11 am
If you're getting a business account DM underground who can probably refer you to T-mobile (who share the Orange network & vice-versa), should be able to get a a decent deal via referral.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: AB on June 09, 2012, 12:16:16 pm
I've been thinking about getting new phone too, best deal i've found is htc one x for 40 quid and 20.50 per month, package has 500mb each month and 100 minutes, http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_contract_details.asp?ItemKey=592516&intcid=prism_One_X_Black (http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_contract_details.asp?ItemKey=592516&intcid=prism_One_X_Black)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lukeh on June 09, 2012, 12:38:02 pm
HTC desire seems fairly small and android, any experiences or suggestions?

I'm just about to upgrade from a desire after having it for two years.

My thoughts on it:

If you want to use it as a smart phone you'll not get 3 days out of it. Spare batterys are cheap, but its annoying having to remember to charge them up. Whatever phone you get will have similar trade offs though. Screens use juice.

Its also very old in the smart phone world now, which particularly shows in its internal memory storage. Apps seem to be getting bigger and bigger, and the desire has a small internal storage which some apps insist on being stored in, so desipte having a big memory card in mine I'm always struggling for space. I think this was fixed in the next desire upgrade, the desire hd or somthing?

However good build quality and has stood upto alot more than all the iphone I've seen with their shattered screens  ;)

Overall, was good but now past it.

I'm moving onto the s3, but figure that'll be overkill for you... so sadly no actual suggestions.

Also, £25 a month'll be a lot if you end up on a mid range phone, consider all the options as a price over the length of the contract!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 09, 2012, 02:29:33 pm
Three store in Sheffield city centre today had a sign offering had the Samsung Galaxy S2 for £25/month (£20 up front) 500 minutes, 5000 text and all you can eat data, not sure how long the contract is though.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 09, 2012, 02:39:14 pm
<troll>

Considered a Windows phone? ;)

</troll>


More seriously, I know you said you were with Orange, but had a look at other nets? I'm with GiffGaff (piggy back O2 - like tesco mobile) - who are £10 a month... works out really well if you buy the handset upfront.. always loads of deals from expansys etc..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 09, 2012, 03:10:19 pm
The only app I'm really bothered about isn't supported on Windows, so no.

Keeping an eye on other networks, yes. The main reason I'm still on Orange is that the sim is still registered under my brother-in-law's name from when he gave it me in 2001. I did lose a phone a few years ago and had to pretend to be him to get a new one (back when everyone's birthdays - the only id check - were on facebook!) but needs sorting really...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on June 09, 2012, 06:10:20 pm
I would seriously consider getting a sim only contract and buying a second hand phone off ebay. Its what I've done for a while now, obviously bit of a gamble buying a second hand phone but I've been lucky up to now
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 09, 2012, 06:37:54 pm
I had considered that but having looked into it it would seem much more expensive.

Just had a browse in a shop and am pretty keen on the Sony Experia Ray. Cheapest contract is £13.50 a month inc phone. Cheapest unlocked phone £143. Even continuing on PAYG at £10 a month that's a lot of fuck-alls before I break even.

O2 or T-mobile looking like best deals at ~£21 a month - 100mins/ 500 txs/ 750mb. Any horror stories before I jump?

How much data do you reckon I need Jim?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 09, 2012, 06:42:32 pm
I've been with tmobile over a decade. No real problems to report, although you won't get signal at the tor or rubicon.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 09, 2012, 06:50:15 pm
That's wierd - I've had a signal at the Tor with Orange, and that's shared with T-mobile innit?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 09, 2012, 07:00:50 pm
Yeah same network, i sometimes get signal at the tor by walking around on the road a bit, don't rely on it. Good signal at gara bhein though.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on June 09, 2012, 07:04:40 pm
of course I've been on unlimited data forever so have no idea but the wife has 100mb a month and has only reached limit once so far. She mainly uses facebook and emails and reading the paper online and a bit of surfing here and there as her main data usage. The only time she went over she was updating software and watching video's so I told her to only do that over wifi and has been fine since.
Try it and see, most give you the option to upgrade to more data for an extra fuck-all or so a month, really depends what you want to do with it?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on June 09, 2012, 07:15:05 pm
Orange and T-Mobile are still separate networks, but your phone will attempt to switch if it loses signal on one of the networks.  This doesn't seem to happen all that quickly; usually takes a few minutes in my experience.

I have 1.5GB data and don't really use it up, but am pretty careful with apps like Tunein Radio
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 09, 2012, 07:19:13 pm
I've 500 mb month.. Never over used.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 09, 2012, 07:24:14 pm
My ancient dumbphone seems to use both at once.  :???:

Main use of mobile data would be for maps I guess. For the same money there's a choice of more minutes or more data, I hate talking on the phone anyway, and mobile internt is the reason I'm getting a smartphone, so a better data deal would seem sensible. I could go even further and have 50 mins vs 1.5Gb, though I'm guessing I'd be more likely to exceed the minutes there.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on June 09, 2012, 07:33:08 pm
You can save a lot of data by pre-downloading maps via wifi, but obviously that depends on you knowing where you're going first.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 09, 2012, 08:00:00 pm
JB, would you use wifi at home? If so I really doubt you'd go over 500mb especially if you're not planning on using it much...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 09, 2012, 08:26:33 pm
I'm on 500mb, hammer in tinternet on it and never gone over yet. I reckon to go over you'd have to be downloading videos all the time.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on June 09, 2012, 08:44:12 pm
If you're just doing the normal surfing/tweeting/email/etc then 500mb will be plenty but if you want to use a lot of web radio or use your phone as a satnav then it might be pushing it a bit. 
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: rodma on June 09, 2012, 08:50:35 pm
If you're just doing the normal surfing/tweeting/email/etc then 500mb will be plenty but if you want to use a lot of web radio or use your phone as a satnav then it might be pushing it a bit.

 :agree:

and if like me, you also use it for work email and therefore down/uploading attachments etc. you use up the data really quickly
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 10, 2012, 12:26:59 am
I'm on 500mb and wifi at home. Only ever use it all up when I'm away from home, when I do i could easily go over 500mb in a week away from home, I have to use it carefully. I'll go for 1gb or unlimited next time.

I've got a original HTC Desire, ok phones but memory is too small. Mrs Obi has the Desire S which fixes this problem. All the new ones have huge memory's so not a problem.

Still highly recommend Three as a network, I'll stick with them when I renew next month. By far the best mobile internet coverage and speed. In North Wales last week yet again proved again, good coverage when O2 sucked. Same in the Lakes, fast signal when others have zilch. Also the only one that offers true unlimited downloads.

Several free phones on their Ultimate 100 deal.
http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchDevice?tariff=2905&payMonthlyPriceRangeForTariff=0to14.99 (http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchDevice?tariff=2905&payMonthlyPriceRangeForTariff=0to14.99)

Either the Desire C or the Samsung Ace would be good starter Android phones. £13 a month is not many fuck alls.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: PATRuL on June 10, 2012, 08:03:31 pm
ApPles ... its the only way
THe Windows of perception are too deceptive
Though the Apples can be pretty bruised too these days
Talking with phone shop man otherday
He agreed that how we treat technoloogy is vital
Postive vibe creates the joy
Otherwise its all down Hill and frustraton
Ron knows, his race seemingly spent
The G man knew straight away hence the Alder
The Grime Treecreeper knows a transit from a tank
But we'll be back with the Calavery soonish
Thereabouts, Olympian para heros thereafter
Peace Love Knowledge and Understanding
The other G ... indas
Quick Cap'n Muhammed to the desert!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 10, 2012, 08:19:31 pm
There you go JB, problem solved.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 10, 2012, 09:59:44 pm
First post from my new handheld twit machine!

Sony Xperia Ray on the deal above. Still on old sim card til numbers transferred, seems phones from Tesco aren't locked or loaded with bloatware, all good!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 10, 2012, 11:14:35 pm
You do know that model doesn't have a businesscard printer?

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 11, 2012, 09:25:02 am
Its got foldout mp3 decks and a big number 5 though, printers are a bit 2008 now.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 16, 2012, 06:31:49 pm
Word up peeps, my mate in prison is at the end of his current phone contract, and with no Wasp T13 on the horizon he's looking at options for android/iphone shit. Gotta have a decent screen, no bigger than an iphone, and ideally fairly robust. Hit me up with what's gravy.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: richieb on December 16, 2012, 07:50:07 pm
I've been thinking about the Sony Xperia Go. Its got some form of 'ruggedness' certification for dust proofness and water resistancy.   
The screen is apparently not all that great (although it is the same size as iphone) and its got an old version of Android (gingerbread but upgradeable I guess). 
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on December 17, 2012, 07:47:33 am
If the Nexus 4 begins a trend for reasonably priced phones to buy outright, I recon I may be on my last 2year contract. Not being tied in means you can upgrade and sell your phone before its worthless.

Out of stock currently but shouldn't be long. Starts at £240 for 8gb version

https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_8gb
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on December 17, 2012, 09:03:26 am
Dave, just been through this myself recently..
 
The difference between getting a phone on contract, and getting one sim-free upfront and getting a cheaper monthly rolling network deal (on all the nets) is smaller (if non existent) than it used to be... monthly smartphone deals range from £5-10 a month (3 or Giff gaff) and £10 upwards on the other nets.

Google nexus 4 is a great deal at £240, but its only in stock for a day or two (demand) with a 4-6 week delivery time and limited onboard memory (non expandable) if you have loads of tunes/pics etc..

Expansys.com seems to have a range of top/middle range phones sim free at (usually) competitive prices..

(I have an iFern4 shortly due to be released to the world for £100 if you're interested)..

T
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 17, 2012, 09:23:34 am
At the minute I'm slightly limited as want to stick with Tmobile/orange/EE as they are the only ones with decent signal at my work, so need to find contract phone or sim-only deals with one of the above.

I need to phone Tmobile really and see how much they can cut my bill if I don't want a phone upgrade from then incase I opt for buying a phone upfront.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on December 17, 2012, 09:29:14 am
I have this dilemma in January. Cos of the good deal I get with O2 (having been with them for ages and having 2 phones on my contract) the buying up front option has never been worth it. I'd never get a 2 year contract anyway and 18 months = 15 months on O2 so the total cost always works out similar but with the peace of mind of warranty for term of the contract etc.

The Nexus 4 has made me think again though as it is a proper bargain but then if it's going to take a month or two to be available it can fuck off. Maybe after christmas there will be more stock about.

What are the other options and why oh why haven't Nokia got with the programme and made an Android phone?*

*I already know why.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on December 17, 2012, 09:44:38 am
Prob no good for dave, as its a bit bigger than the iphone, but when google wouldn't sell me a nexus 4, I did a bit more research and got an LG 4X HD:
(http://blog.bestmobileworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/lg-optimus-4x-hd-p880.jpg)
£285 of ebay - 16Gb internal, supports micro SD to 64Gb, removable/replaceable battery, 1.5Ghz quad core, etc etc.
It is apparently the phone the nexus 4 was based on, and unlike that, you can actually buy it now. Downsides - it's perhaps a little bigger than ideal (same as S3, Nexus 4, One X) and the screen isn't quite as pretty as the S3 or iphone5 (having said that it's pretty bloody good). Its ICS, and no word on when LG might update, and though you could do this yourself, LG's skin is pretty nice.

Basically, given the battery and memory, I'm pretty pleased that I didn't get a nexus 4.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 17, 2012, 09:58:46 am
The other thing is it'd be good to avoid another 2 year contract, as it seems most phones get annoying or the battery is fucked at bang on 18months.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on December 17, 2012, 10:22:00 am
I'm amazed how anyone finds anything decent on less than a 2 year contract, maybe I don't look hard enough.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on December 17, 2012, 10:34:14 am
There seems to be very little for less than24 months now... hence my move to rolling pay monthly etc..

Dave, considered getting a blower with a replacement battery (if the 24 month thing is log)?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 17, 2012, 10:41:08 am
I'd say its almost essential to have a couple of spare batteries for a smart phone these days.  Avoids having to find places to charge, although I always keep a USB cable in the car and a dock on my desk at work.

Contracts generally suck IMO.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on December 17, 2012, 12:23:50 pm
I'm amazed how anyone finds anything decent on less than a 2 year contract, maybe I don't look hard enough.
why I bought mine sim free, and got a cheap 12month sim only contract (worked out about £120 than the best equivalent contract I could find, and that was 2 years)
I'd say its almost essential to have a couple of spare batteries for a smart phone these days.  Avoids having to find places to charge, although I always keep a USB cable in the car and a dock on my desk at work.
Contracts generally suck IMO.
:agree:
Careful re batteries, a lot of the new phones you can't remove/replace these.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 17, 2012, 03:49:26 pm
The other thing is it'd be good to avoid another 2 year contract, as it seems most phones get annoying or the battery is fucked at bang on 18months.

it is a bit annoying isn't it? The main problem I'm having is every time an app updates it gets bigger. My internal storage unfortunately, does not. 3 months left and then I'll look at GifGaf the only problem with that is the 'hidden' cost of buying a decent smartphone seems like money poorly spent. when confronted with a ~£300 price tag.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 17, 2012, 04:21:04 pm
Went through this thought process last year and decided to shell out around £400 notes for the SII.  If I were to sell it today I'd be looking at getting around £150 from recycling web-sites for a quick and easy sell, probably a bit more if I auctioned it privately.  Paired with a £10/month (300mins/3000texts/'Unlimited' net/extra calls to others on 3) I think it works out cheaper than the ~£30/month on a two year contract for the HTC Hero I had from T-Mobile (ie. £720 spread over two years for only slightly more generous minutes/texts which I never used anyway).  The only downside is that Three don't have very generous roaming whilst abroad, but with the proliferation of free Wifi spots these days its not really a problem and I don't mind not being connected to t'net whilst abroad.

Obviously the return on selling the phone decreases over time.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 17, 2012, 09:13:57 pm
Looks like I could get a decent 12mth sim-only contract on jus d'orange. Thats a lot more appealing than my current 24month shit. Would just need to find a blower of a suitable price upfront.

So couple of Qs:
-anywhere people go for reliable second hand blowers, other than taking a punt on ebay?
-should I end up with an iphone locked to a network, how easy is it to unlock them yourself?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 17, 2012, 10:07:34 pm
Also, the only think I miss from my old shit nokia symbian smartphone was the dedicated hardware camera button on the side, so you could whip it out of your pocket, hold the button and without having to fuck around with anything on screen it was straight into camera mode - so much better than entirely soft camera controls. Not sure if any current models of non-nokoia phones have this, but if they do I'm all ears.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on December 17, 2012, 10:43:16 pm
-should I end up with an iphone locked to a network, how easy is it to unlock them yourself?
Meant to be pretty easy, think a lot of shops/websites will do it for a small charge. Thinks it's just a code on most handsets nowdays.
Not sure if any current models of non-nokoia phones have this, but if they do I'm all ears.
Yes some do, some of the latest Sonys (Xperia S) but they will be £££ at the mo, not sure about older ones.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: cheque on December 18, 2012, 09:50:52 am
Also, the only think I miss from my old shit nokia symbian smartphone was the dedicated hardware camera button on the side, so you could whip it out of your pocket, hold the button and without having to fuck around with anything on screen it was straight into camera mode - so much better than entirely soft camera controls. Not sure if any current models of non-nokoia phones have this, but if they do I'm all ears.

I just got a BlackBerry 9320 which has this. I think you can assign it to other stuff as well but the default is for the camera.

It doesn't have a touchscreen though.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 18, 2012, 09:54:34 am
Or you could get an App to customise your buttons (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beyondweb.rocker.free&hl=en) :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on December 18, 2012, 10:36:28 am
Yeah get with the programme dave, all decent Android phones are fully customisable. Don't have a dedicated shutter button? Just fucking make one!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 18, 2012, 02:05:37 pm
You've got to have a physical button to customise in the first place.

I'm not looking at blackberries, mot being a company exec or a 12 year old.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: cofe on December 18, 2012, 02:11:23 pm
it's fast on iPhone: one quick swipe on lock screen, then use external button as shutter.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on December 18, 2012, 02:49:49 pm
my HD2 is well over 2 years old and still going fine. I charge it most nights and never run out of battery. Got a sim only contract from O2 and bought the phone from ebay second hand.
Question is: do I want a 50" screen on a phone that can wipe my arse and make me a brew for 50 million quid or just a half decent one that I can pick up second hand around the £150 mark that can do everything that I want but is a little slower and with a decent size screen that actually fits in my pocket
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 18, 2012, 03:05:09 pm
Question is: do I want a 50" screen on a phone that can wipe my arse

You may jest... (http://androidheadlines.com/2012/12/oh-crap-android-controlled-toilet.html)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 18, 2012, 07:13:06 pm
it's fast on iPhone: one quick swipe on lock screen, then use external button as shutter.

what, the home button on the face of the phone, or something else on the side?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on December 18, 2012, 08:25:56 pm
No idea whether these are any good, but its cheap (£135), fairly large screen and running ICS (andriod 4.0 from what i understand!) No fancy dual core processor etc.. but you pays yer £££

http://www.expansys.com/acer-liquid-glow-cats-eye-black-234412/ (http://www.expansys.com/acer-liquid-glow-cats-eye-black-234412/)

Decent review...

http://www.wired.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phones/2012-10/acer-liquid-glow (http://www.wired.co.uk/reviews/mobile-phones/2012-10/acer-liquid-glow)

Never used one mind.. I'd get yersen down to the Crapphonewhorehouse and have a fondle of the goods, see what you like then get it online sim free ;)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on December 18, 2012, 10:20:44 pm
These threads always seem end up "get an S3".

Just listened to the Brighton comeback on my S2 using the Firefox app to access "seagulls player". Apparently impossible on iPhone.

I'm no tech geek and I want things to just work. So it's Samsung/android/don't be cheap but don't get ripped off.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: cofe on December 18, 2012, 10:25:17 pm
it's fast on iPhone: one quick swipe on lock screen, then use external button as shutter.

what, the home button on the face of the phone, or something else on the side?

one of the volume buttons
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on December 18, 2012, 10:29:52 pm
Checked out a S3 from someone at work - didn't like it - too big a pocket footprint, and yet feels so thin I recon I could snap it pretty easy. Bearing in mind I managed to gouge out a deep scratch in the gorillaglass of my current phone by doing fuck-all to it.

it's fast on iPhone: one quick swipe on lock screen, then use external button as shutter.

what, the home button on the face of the phone, or something else on the side?

one of the volume buttons

Wicked. So it makes the photos louder? Even better.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on January 07, 2013, 03:15:13 pm
A slight hi-jack  :sorry: but has anyone paid for an unlock code? I'd wrongly assumed that unrevoked led to my phone being sim-unlocked and I've just finished a 2 year contract with T-mobile, ideally I'd like to just stick a giffgaff sim into my existing phone for a few months.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Lund on January 07, 2013, 03:24:45 pm
A slight hi-jack  :sorry: but has anyone paid for an unlock code? I'd wrongly assumed that unrevoked led to my phone being sim-unlocked and I've just finished a 2 year contract with T-mobile, ideally I'd like to just stick a giffgaff sim into my existing phone for a few months.

You seen this?  http://giffgaff.com/unlock (http://giffgaff.com/unlock)

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on January 07, 2013, 03:29:16 pm
Might not cost you anything depending on model...
http://giffgaff.com/unlock (http://giffgaff.com/unlock)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on January 07, 2013, 03:30:50 pm
yes (but thanks), however I thought somebody might have a "mate in jail" with another solution. ~£10 each (2 phones) for 2 months is barely worth it really.

HTC Wildfire (not S) - T-mobile
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Lund on January 07, 2013, 03:50:39 pm
yes (but thanks), however I thought somebody might have a "mate in jail" with another solution. ~£10 each (2 phones) for 2 months is barely worth it really.

HTC Wildfire (not S) - T-mobile

Ah, I think you're stuffed.  ebay might be cheaper?

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris20 on January 07, 2013, 06:31:45 pm
Me and my gf have tried to unlock ours to go on giffgaff, we were both on T mobile she has some slidey nokia thing and I have a Nokia 5800.  We phoned T mobile and they sent us unlock codes for free within 2 weeks (I think), hers worked but mine didn't.  I phoned them again and we tried a couple more codes over the phone but didn't work, so may be worth a try....
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on January 09, 2013, 09:44:30 am
Have noticed that the Nexus 4 is still unavailable direct from Google but you can get it on contract from most service providers (and Carphone Whorehouse etc).

However, they've all handily forgotten that the big difference between Nexus 4 and S3 is the price (£280 vs c£400) as the deals they are offering are basically the same on both phones. The cunts. Other places are offering the Nexus 4 sim free - for around £400......

So given that you can't put an SD card in the Nexus 4 or remove it's battery I just ordered an S3. Worked out that with the usage I need buying it up front and getting a giff gaff sim would basically cost the same (would have saved about £30, or less than a fuck all a month) over the 15 months I'll have the phone as sticking with O2 so I've done that for laziness / warranty / not having to pay up front purposes.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on January 09, 2013, 09:47:09 am
I hope Google have drastically underestimated demand for the Nexus 4 rather than attempting to manipulate its desirability by purposefully limiting its availability.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on January 09, 2013, 10:16:45 am
I really don't think it will be the former.

You don't bring out a phone with as good a spec as the best phone on the market for 30% lower price and then go "fuck me, loads of people want one, that was a shock!". Especially if you're Google.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on January 09, 2013, 10:20:10 am
I expect you're right, unfortunately.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on February 08, 2013, 09:41:52 am
Has anyone got a nexus 4?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jim on February 09, 2013, 07:32:35 pm
no one got one then?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 12, 2013, 11:10:36 am
Spare £7000 gets you a titanium case w/saphire screen phone (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21387371)  :blink:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: metal arms on February 12, 2013, 03:16:44 pm
Has anyone got a nexus 4?

Few folks in my office have got 'em and love them.  Reckon they're well worth it.  They all went for the tesco £10 sim only deal with it - 500mins/more than enough texts/1gb data.  Sorry no first hand experience though.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on February 25, 2013, 01:51:28 pm
Nexus 4 back in stock at https://play.google.com/store/devices at the moment. £239
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Durbs on February 25, 2013, 03:44:40 pm
I've owned a Note II for 2 weeks now, absolutely love it.

Too large if you're just looking for a smartphone (unless you watch a lot of videos), but if you spend any time doing more advanced thing on the go, and don't want a tablet - definitely worth a look. The S-pen is ace too - surprisingly useful, not just for Draw Something... Good handwriting recognition (I could've been a doctor) for texting/e-mails/note taking, and ability to doodle too e.g. at a band practise, type info about new tracks, and also write the musical score.

You can also say you own a phablet/phoblet which I personally think is worth £450 by itself...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on February 26, 2013, 10:05:41 am
Anyone got any personal experience of using 3 as a network? from POV of customer support, 3G and mobile phone reception. Not bothered about 4G right now, and phone won't be set up for it. Use T-Mobile / EE at the moment.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lukeh on February 26, 2013, 10:51:46 am
Anyone got any personal experience of using 3 as a network? from POV of customer support, 3G and mobile phone reception. Not bothered about 4G right now, and phone won't be set up for it. Use T-Mobile / EE at the moment.
I came to the conclusion that they were the cheapest for a reason.

My experience was of poor customer services and poor phone signal. However, this was about 4 years ago and in mainly in Aberystwyth, I think their reception was always supposed to be better in cities?




In other news,  Samsung Galaxy S4 (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/samsung/9892032/Samsung-confirms-Galaxy-S-IV-to-launch-on-March-14.html) to be launched in a few weeks...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on February 26, 2013, 02:19:21 pm
Yeah, i had the same concerns. Might go into an independant shop and get their views; Aberdeen aint exactly centre of the universe and where I will soon live even less so.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on February 26, 2013, 02:21:46 pm
Get a payg sim for a month and try?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on February 26, 2013, 02:31:05 pm
Guess that's an option,would mean possibly porting number more than once which is a potential PITA, plus I wont be move to new house to give it a proper test before current contract expires plus one month expires, need to do 2.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on February 26, 2013, 02:34:06 pm
I didnt mean port over - get a £5 sim with credit, and just use it to test how well it works where you're moving to/work/frequent etc.. test the data speeds blah blah...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on February 26, 2013, 03:50:31 pm
Anyone got any personal experience of using 3 as a network? from POV of customer support, 3G and mobile phone reception. Not bothered about 4G right now, and phone won't be set up for it. Use T-Mobile / EE at the moment.

Tomtoms idea is a good one. Personally I really rate them, and it's the only network I've stuck with for more than a year since I ditched Orange (or they ditched me) vowing never to return. Haven't had to phone customer service much but I've actually found coverage great. Strangely far better in rural areas like Cumbria and North Wales than other networks. To such as extent whenever we are up in the lakes my phone becomes the hot spot for the rest of the family to connect to. (Others on O2 and T-Mobile)

It is totally dependant on your coverage, and Aberdeen does look a bit patchy on http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Coverage (http://www.three.co.uk/Support/Coverage)

Worth checking distance to your nearest mast and who is on it on here too http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search (http://www.sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search) bit of a pain to navigate as you can't filter by network.

If you do decide to give Three a try, the advantage is they have been quietly upgrading their network to next gen HSDPA over the last 18 months. Once complete in your area, if your handset is DC-HSPDA compatible (Dual Channel HSDPA) then you'll basically be getting near 4G speeds for 3G prices. They aren't rolling out different contracts for the faster connection. One of the main reasons I want a Nexus 4 as my current handset isn't compatible.  :'(

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on February 26, 2013, 04:01:56 pm
FWIW, I'm on EE using LTE and I'm in the process of ditching my ISP and phone line and moving over to tethering from the phone.

Here (in Hull) I'm consistently getting 15-18Mbps download and 2-10 on upload. Compared to 2down and 2up on 3g. Thats on 2 bars coverage LTE.

In Manchester (mrsTT's) I get 15-18 down on LTE and 3G (this is the DC-HSPDA obi wan talks about) and 2-10 up on LTE and 2-3 up on 3G. Again 2 bars LTE and full 3G.

All measurements at peak times. My ISP is giving me 2-6 down and 0.4-0.8 up.

The LTE is really good - though I have now had to turn on all my ad/video blockers on my PC - as video adverts etc.. that usually took a few secs to load on the Broadband now pop up pretty instantly. LTE isnt world changing - but it is impressive.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on February 26, 2013, 04:06:48 pm
Thanks, useful....

...up until OWiL's last paragraph, and the whole of Tomtom's - I can't make head or tail of it.


On that coverage map though the new pad ( AB39 3RW, a bit west of railway line in Newtonhill) looks to have pretty poor coverage, mainly because we are in a bit of a dip (in spite of the "hill" in the name) and don't get line of site to nearst mast (which I seem to recall is Netherley) might be best to stick with EE for now.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: richieb on February 26, 2013, 05:29:22 pm
I am on 3 at the moment. The phone signal in the highlands/north west is rubbish but it isn't much of a problem cos my phone just roams onto other networks and it doesn't seem to affect my bill. Not for texting anyway.
Actually maybe I should check that..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on February 26, 2013, 09:59:20 pm
I am on 3 at the moment. The phone signal in the highlands/north west is rubbish but it isn't much of a problem cos my phone just roams onto other networks and it doesn't seem to affect my bill. Not for texting anyway.
Actually maybe I should check that..

When Three started and coverage was very patchy they had an agreement with O2 then later Orange that in any blackspots calls would roam onto the other network on 2G/GSM (calls and texts, no or very slow data). This was a tempoary agreement and in late 2010/early 2011 as they expanded their network they started dropping the Orange back up in certain areas where they thought the coverage was adaquate. I don't know if they have finished this altogether, or it still continues in less well covered  areas. Also the change to EE from Orange may have effected it. On another note was talking to someone today who was with Orange, but after the merge with T-Mobile they 'rationalised' the network removing masts where there was overlap of coverage, including the nearest one to their house which effectively removed any chance of getting a signal indoors. Great improvement.  :slap: Suffice to say they are no longer on Orange/EE.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on February 27, 2013, 06:28:59 pm
Ended up finding a good deal on a Galaxy SIII Mini on T Mobile with 9 months free, works out cheaper than 3's offer. Works out only a bit more than my Wildfire.

Thanks for the advice.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: AarenAce on March 05, 2013, 11:52:12 am
I will recommend you Galaxy S-III
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris20 on April 16, 2013, 10:19:02 pm
I'm in the market for a cheap smart(ish) phone.  I'm not into playing games or watching films on a phone but the internet is handy and google maps for when I get lost.  I want sim free so I can get giffgaff, I've been looking at Samsung galaxy mini or Y or something unbranded like this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008V5UCI6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=06WW38WYYFN3N281H32N&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008V5UCI6/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=06WW38WYYFN3N281H32N&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=358549767&pf_rd_i=468294)

Anyone with any experiance or opinions on the specs between the models or any other suggestions?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on April 17, 2013, 07:23:00 am
My suggestion (as I've only one phone, a Samsung Galaxy SII,  that I've had a year and a half now and does everything I need) would be to get the best spec'ed phone you can afford (highest number of cores on the processor, highest frequency, largest internal storage) in a size that you are happy with (check phone shops for size and feel).

Consider second hand too, there are often good buys to be had as some people always want to be on the bleeding edge.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on April 17, 2013, 08:02:33 am
expansys usually have a wide range of sim free phones, I know nothing about these, but they seem good spec for the ££ - someone who knows more about android phones may want to comment:

http://www.expansys.com/acer-liquid-glow-cats-eye-black-234412/ (http://www.expansys.com/acer-liquid-glow-cats-eye-black-234412/)

http://www.expansys.com/acer-liquid-gallant-duo-black-234432/ (http://www.expansys.com/acer-liquid-gallant-duo-black-234432/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on April 17, 2013, 09:30:22 am
I know nothing about the specs, but the SIII mini is great so far. Also look at practicality of size before buying online. One of the lasses in our office bought something online (a Motorola?) and it looks like the Monolith from 2001 A Space Odyssey.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris20 on April 17, 2013, 08:48:25 pm
Cheers for the advice, expansys looks like a good site and the Acers look good (and cheap!)
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on April 17, 2013, 09:39:20 pm
Cheers for the advice, expansys looks like a good site and the Acers look good (and cheap!)

Check out the reviews on other sites... It's never going to be mega as they're cheap but worth finding out if they have any pitfalls...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on April 18, 2013, 10:04:34 am
Could be like those cheap Android tablets which look like a Samsung until you actually try to use them. So yeah, always go with the reviews.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on April 18, 2013, 10:07:35 am
Could be like those cheap Android tablets which look like a Samsung until you actually try to use them. So yeah, always go with the reviews.

Acers a pretty reputable brand - but you're right, all that glisters etc..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on April 18, 2013, 02:46:52 pm
Have had a quick look at various reviews (as the MiL is in the market for a cheap smartphone) and those Acer phones seem to be really decent for the price.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: T_B on June 03, 2013, 02:06:27 pm
Daft question this probably. Since moving house, I no longer have mobile phone coverage in much of the house (irritating as my phone goes straight to answering machine). Other than borrowing various people's phones and checking how strong the signal is, is there a way of seeing which (if any?) network might be worth switching to? I'm on Orange and am just about out of contract...

Also, does anyone who has had both an iphone4s and iphone5 reckon there's much difference?

P.S. Orange's coverage checker reckons 'Very Good' for calls and internet http://studio.orange.co.uk/coveragechecker/ (http://studio.orange.co.uk/coveragechecker/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 03, 2013, 06:09:45 pm
Daft question this probably. Since moving house, I no longer have mobile phone coverage in much of the house (irritating as my phone goes straight to answering machine). Other than borrowing various people's phones and checking how strong the signal is, is there a way of seeing which (if any?) network might be worth switching to? I'm on Orange and am just about out of contract...

Also, does anyone who has had both an iphone4s and iphone5 reckon there's much difference?

P.S. Orange's coverage checker reckons 'Very Good' for calls and internet http://studio.orange.co.uk/coveragechecker/ (http://studio.orange.co.uk/coveragechecker/)

You can do a pretty good guessimate using the various coverage checkers combined with this...
http://sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search (http://sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search)

Frustratingly they no longer update the dataset but it's still pretty good (other than for the combined  Orange/T-Mobile network where they have taken out some duplicate masts)

Work out which masts are closest to you, if necessary using streetview to see where the lines of sight are. If you give me your postcode I'll work it out.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 03, 2013, 06:24:52 pm
I upgraded from a 4 to 5 and its a major change. Main differences are screen, weight (much much lighter) and speed (greater than twice a 4s iirc). But.... In the states 5's are now being discounted, a sure sign apple is due to launch something new in a few months.

But to answer your Q, the 5 is worth the extra over the 4s
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 03, 2013, 06:25:28 pm
Oh, and EE (orange and T mobile) now share all masts and 3G..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on June 03, 2013, 06:27:21 pm
Oh, and EE (orange and T mobile) now share all masts and 3G..

And Virgin also use the Orange/Tmob/EE network - I recently changed phone and went with a Virgin sim-only rolling 30-day £7 deal.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: T_B on June 03, 2013, 09:53:17 pm
Daft question this probably. Since moving house, I no longer have mobile phone coverage in much of the house (irritating as my phone goes straight to answering machine). Other than borrowing various people's phones and checking how strong the signal is, is there a way of seeing which (if any?) network might be worth switching to? I'm on Orange and am just about out of contract...

Also, does anyone who has had both an iphone4s and iphone5 reckon there's much difference?

P.S. Orange's coverage checker reckons 'Very Good' for calls and internet http://studio.orange.co.uk/coveragechecker/ (http://studio.orange.co.uk/coveragechecker/)

You can do a pretty good guessimate using the various coverage checkers combined with this...
http://sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search (http://sitefinder.ofcom.org.uk/search)

Frustratingly they no longer update the dataset but it's still pretty good (other than for the combined  Orange/T-Mobile network where they have taken out some duplicate masts)

Work out which masts are closest to you, if necessary using streetview to see where the lines of sight are. If you give me your postcode I'll work it out.

Ah, clever. Vodafone mast is much nearer than the Orange mast. Mother-in-law is on Vodafone and reckons she always has signal. Makes sense - thanks.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on June 17, 2013, 08:27:56 pm
I know nothing about the specs, but the SIII mini is great so far.

Is it still great? I'm about to buy one as my current phone's battery life is so poor.
Do you run Strava or Impetus or use GPS, these things kill mine, can't get more than a couple of hours life with them on.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: mrjonathanr on June 17, 2013, 10:08:39 pm
I have one (S3mini) and it seems good. Don't run too many fancy programmes - metronome's about it.

Battery life is poorish , typically 36 hrs I'd say, but can be recharged in the car if you have a usb port. For the price it does represent a good little gadget though, I'm happy enough with mine.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 18, 2013, 07:36:08 am
I'm about to buy one as my current phone's battery life is so poor.


Guessing its an iFern and you can't replace the battery?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on June 18, 2013, 08:05:28 am
Wash your mouth out!  No, it's a Galaxy Ace so quite old and maybe just not up to running newer apps?

36 hours sounds ok, an improvement at least.  I might get 24 hours if it's just left on standby unused, more like 6 hours if using it quite a bit.  But the final straw came last week, from full charged I drove out to Ladybower, say 15 minutes + 10 faffing with bikes etc, enabled GPS and Strava and rode for 2:20 by which time the battery was down to 3%.


Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 18, 2013, 08:22:19 am
A new battery could be worth considering (you may be able to get ones with higher capacity) and if there is a firmware for Android 4.1.x (try SamMobile (http://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/) for stock Samsung ROMs) you may find it helps extend battery life as there are some power saving options like CPU scaling built-in.  Failing that a factory reset may help.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sjw on June 18, 2013, 08:41:31 am
enabled GPS and Strava and rode for 2:20 by which time the battery was down to 3%.

Slightly off topic, but do you know that you can run Strava etc. in flight mode and the GPS data will still record? Makes a huge difference the battery life, although obviously you can't see the maps until you turn off flight mode.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on June 18, 2013, 08:43:31 am
In my experience after about a year smartphone battery life takes a nosedive and it's time to replace them. You can usually source genuine batteries on ebay for reasonable money. 
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on June 18, 2013, 09:28:50 am
enabled GPS and Strava and rode for 2:20 by which time the battery was down to 3%.

Slightly off topic, but do you know that you can run Strava etc. in flight mode and the GPS data will still record? Makes a huge difference the battery life, although obviously you can't see the maps until you turn off flight mode.

That's worth knowing, cheers.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on June 18, 2013, 09:45:53 am
Good suggestions re the battery guys, worth considering but with the seed planted I'm fancying a new phone now
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on June 18, 2013, 09:46:47 am
Does anybody know anythign about dual sim phones?
I currently have a HTC Wildfire (I know stone-age...) and I actually quite like it, it seems to do everything I want it to (facebook, twitter, email, phone, navigation and can run spotify) and is pretty small. I am not by any stretch of the imagination a phone weenie. So ideally I'm after something similar-ish with two extra features:
1 - (Lots?) More internal memory, the biig failing of my current phone is the constant low memory warnings
2 - Dual SIM option, or at least I pressume this is what I want?? I'll probably have a contract SIM for living in the Isle of Man but will also want to have a PAYG SIM for my regular trips to the UK. The idea of swapping SIM's over without losing them is the stuff of fantasy in my life...

Oh and ideally pretty cheap, I'm guessing in terms of modern tech my requirements aren't going to be that exacting so hoping for a reasonable price. No idea of budget because I don't have the first idea what phones cost. Final thing I do not want an iFern even if that's an option, I find the bloody things infuriatingly un-useable (sorry fanboi's)

Any knowledge?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Grubes on June 18, 2013, 09:48:12 am
I am due an upgrade but not sure what to get
Currently got a wildfire which I have had for over two years and it is slow.

I am wanting a phone mainly for texting and calling. I will use it for browsing and twitter a bit and maybe the odd photo. Not really sure I want a samsung as they are getting a bit like Golf's (everyone has one).
Would probably use as a sat nav / maps so definately not an Iphone
I never bothered putting music on my current phone as I never really used it properly.

I looked at the nexus 4 and it looks amazing but its 6months old now. Anyone used one?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on June 18, 2013, 09:59:02 am
1 - (Lots?) More internal memory, the biig failing of my current phone is the constant low memory warnings

Yes, this, thanks for reminding me of another reason to upgrade rather than refresh
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 18, 2013, 09:59:27 am
Does anybody know anythign about dual sim phones?


http://www.expansys.com/mobile-phones/dual-sim-phones/ (http://www.expansys.com/mobile-phones/dual-sim-phones/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on June 18, 2013, 11:56:45 am
1 - (Lots?) More internal memory, the biig failing of my current phone is the constant low memory warnings

Yes, this, thanks for reminding me of another reason to upgrade rather than refresh

Having a fairly small memory on mine this is an annoyance too. However it's worth noting a lot of the time this is due to a couple of Android bugs:

1. Try clearing the cache from the Google Play store, reboot (or google for similar). I often get 'insufficient space' warnings when there is clearly plenty.

2. Have a close look at your emails. I recently discovered 2500 emails in my trash folder, wasting loads of space. No option to delete them on my phone (I thought I already had), so I deleted the account and started afresh.

Unlimited space would be nice but it is a nice incentive not to fill my phone with drivel.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on June 18, 2013, 12:16:22 pm
I currently have a HTC Wildfire (I know stone-age...) and I actually quite like it, it seems to do everything I want it to (facebook, twitter, email, phone, navigation and can run spotify) and is pretty small. I am not by any stretch of the imagination a phone weenie. So ideally I'm after something similar-ish with two extra features:
1 - (Lots?) More internal memory, the biig failing of my current phone is the constant low memory warnings

The lack of memory is the main reason I got pissed off with, and binned my Wildfire. Even if you put in a bigger micro SD card there are loads of apps that it woon't let you move over to the card. That plus it was damned slow, cracked screen etc. I ended up upgrading to Samsung SIII Mini for not much more, and has better memory, better camera, better screen, etc without being much bigger. No dual SIM mind....
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on June 18, 2013, 12:25:23 pm
I looked at the nexus 4 and it looks amazing but its 6months old now. Anyone used one?

Still a good phone, there are rumours of the Nexus 5 so you might want to wait for that, and grab a Nexus 4 at a bargain price. I think my next phone will be off contract and probably a Nexus, I like the idea of not being tied to a 24 month refresh cycle. I want to buy a new phone when I want and sell it whilst it still has a decent value.

If anyone is still on an older Android model and suffering from memory issues, check you have moved all you can to the SD card with AppMgr, delete all your caches, and check the size of your contacts. Mine old HTC desire had the memory leak bug on the address book so it grew to massive proportions, annoying but then you realise how clever Android/Google is because you simply deleted the whole thing from your phone, and it automatically synced everything again to a normal size.

Check your are synced to your Google account before you do this!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on July 04, 2013, 01:56:46 pm
any recommendations for a second hand smart phone?

I'm on SIM only rolling monthly contract (£5) - Virgin offer unlimited everything for £15 SIM only and I fancy having a go at this mobile internet thing

so buying a used phone seems a good way to try it out without commiting to 2 years of contract

dicking about on the internet, playing with apps, HD video would be good if poss, decent camera...

any suggestions?

any things to avoid?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on July 04, 2013, 02:22:39 pm
You can get quite a few reasonable brand new SIM/Contract free Android phones for under £100...

Shed loads of choice out there second hand.. Market prices are generally 10-20% more than what 'we buy any phone.com or money for mobile.net' etc.. offer (if you want to check out somethings value.

Iphone 4's start at around £90-100... Don't know about the millions of other android models out there.

Giffgaff cheaper than the virgin mobile deal (starts at £7.50 month) and you can upgrade if you find yourself using more data etc.. to £10 month etc.. etc.. I run a giffgaff sim in my iPad (£5 month) and its really easy..

http://www.giffgaff.com (http://www.giffgaff.com)

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on July 04, 2013, 03:01:30 pm
You can get quite a few reasonable brand new SIM/Contract free Android phones for under £100...

But you may find that they are lacking on the specification front in terms of internal storage/processing power and you soon want to upgrade.

Only ever owned two phones, but still perfectly happy with the Samsung Galaxy S2 after a year and a half.

"Contract" wise have a look around I'm on 3 and have 300mins/3000texts/1Gb per month (plus extra minutes and texts to others on three) for £10 a month sim-only rolling contract.


When is Jasper getting a new phone, could snaffle his old one?
Title: Re: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on July 04, 2013, 03:50:23 pm


When is Jasper getting a new phone, could snaffle his old one?

Only got my S3 in January.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on July 04, 2013, 04:26:38 pm
What about bribing the cabbie that found TommyZtones phone in his cab to hand it over to you? It comes pre-loaded with 3T's black book contacts ;)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on July 05, 2013, 10:09:18 am
Used S2s on ebay £110 - £150. Know it could be a bit of a minefield but it's a bloody good phone for that sort of cash.

S2 is a much better phone all round than the S3 Mini and yet used prices are lower cos it's an older phone.

I'd probably go for something like this (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Samsung-Galaxy-S-II-GT-I9100-16-GB-Black-Unlocked-Smartphone-Mobile-Phone-AVE-/251244817385?pt=UK_Mobile_Phones&hash=item3a7f5babe9) with a 90 day warranty.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on July 05, 2013, 10:13:50 am
Having said that, for and extra 14 fuck alls you can get a new one:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Samsung-i9100-Galaxy-S-II-16GB-8MP-4-3-ANDROID-V2-3-Black-Smartphone-/171066251312?pt=UK_Mobile_Phones&hash=item27d457d830 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Samsung-i9100-Galaxy-S-II-16GB-8MP-4-3-ANDROID-V2-3-Black-Smartphone-/171066251312?pt=UK_Mobile_Phones&hash=item27d457d830)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Grubes on July 05, 2013, 10:16:14 pm
I decided to fork out and bought a Nexus 4.
Is fucking brilliant! Fast clear camera is great.

It linked to my google account automaticaly by the time it had loaded the first time it had copied my background from my nexus 7 and copied all my google contacts. Browsing is fast and all my apps work so much faster than my wildfire.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on August 01, 2013, 09:45:34 pm
Anybody used the Blackberry Z10 or the HTC One Mini? Due an upgrade, considering if its worth it or not.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 01, 2013, 11:11:00 pm
Don't know about the mini but a mate of mine has the HTC one and it looks brilliant.

He went from iPhone to S2 to this and reckons it's the best phone he's used (he's a techy programmer and his Mrs has an iPhone 5 much to his disgust).

I was more attracted to the fact that it's a lovely looking thing. If the mini is the same I'd get one over a similar spec phone just cos it's beautiful.
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on August 02, 2013, 08:55:30 am
I too have fondled a mini one and its lovely. Z10 is on a dying platform... I'm sure it'll be fine but Blackberry wont be around in its present form for much longer..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on August 02, 2013, 09:09:29 am
Our lass has a One, and loves it.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on August 02, 2013, 09:12:19 pm
Many thanks for the replies. The only reason I considered the Z10 was I've been using a Blackberry for a few months and quite liked it, but I think the HTC is edging ahead at the moment.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 02, 2013, 11:19:33 pm
If it helps the decision, my Mrs had a top of the range BlackBerry prior to her current phone and it was the worst piece of shit I've ever had the misfortune to attempt to use.

Not surprising that they've fucked their market share and confidence in the brand. Sample size of one obviously.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: ardeer on August 03, 2013, 01:08:45 pm
not a windows phone and not on EE, something of a sore subject with me!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on August 08, 2013, 09:41:33 am
http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/news/2013/08/htc_can_it_survive_much_longer/ (http://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/news/2013/08/htc_can_it_survive_much_longer/)

not great.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: iain on August 08, 2013, 11:42:11 am
If you've got an HTC One and are concerned about the company and the phone getting updates (or just don't like Sense) there's a vanilla android version which you can convert to with a little bit of time, see here. (http://htc-one.wonderhowto.com/how-to/convert-any-htc-one-into-stock-google-play-edition-with-bootloader-recovery-ota-updates-0148068/)

There's something similar for the Galaxy S4, although neither can actually be bought in the UK.

Edit: Google do the software and sell both vanilla phones in the US, the method above will put the same software onto a UK One.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Dolly on August 08, 2013, 11:44:54 am
Have had Blackberry's for ages but so many things just don't work properly.
Any recommendations for something Android but with a keyboard ?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: iain on August 08, 2013, 12:55:25 pm
Answering a question you didn't ask but have you tried a swiping keyboard? They are worth trying, make touchscreen keyboards usable.

Swype, Swiftkey, SlideIT seems to be the best, swype was included on my Samsung.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Dolly on August 08, 2013, 01:43:05 pm
I have but only a quick play. I wasn't convinced it was easier or faster, but maybe its one of those things you need to get used to ?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on August 08, 2013, 01:56:50 pm
I've got used to it, and I'm most definitely a fat handed twat. Wouldn't go back to a phone with a keyboard or buttons now.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: iain on August 08, 2013, 02:29:39 pm
Practice helps, it's probably as fast now as using my laptop keyboard, (although maybe that says more about my touch typing)

I wouldn't go back to a keyboard now either, although I'm not fat handed ...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on August 08, 2013, 05:04:12 pm
I use swype, and like it, but if you are the kind of renegade who might, say, attempt to text one-handed whilst driving, it doesn't work. Probably a good thing.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 09, 2013, 08:42:58 am
If you've an up to date version of android they now include a swiping input method. I've ditched swore in favour of it for various subtle reasons (accuracy, easier punctuation access etc.).

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on August 09, 2013, 09:49:02 am
I've ditched swore in favour of it for various subtle reasons (accuracy, easier punctuation access etc.).
Oh the irony.  :clap2:
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on August 09, 2013, 10:00:42 am
I've ditched swore in favour of it for various subtle reasons (accuracy, easier punctuation access etc.).
Oh the irony.  :clap2:

:D
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: underground on August 10, 2013, 01:06:32 am
I use my Blackberry solely for writing emails on the train. Hate it. I think they used a baby's thumbprint to design the keys.

And (Jasper will love this) my iPhone 5's power button is fucked after 10 months. They'll give me a new one of course but it makes me wonder.... Does Android have airplay?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 10, 2013, 06:03:41 am
I've ditched swore in favour of it for various subtle reasons (accuracy, easier punctuation access etc.).
Oh the irony.  :clap2:

 :slap: there will of course always be the weak link in any interface.... The user!
Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on August 10, 2013, 09:09:02 am
I use my Blackberry solely for writing emails on the train. Hate it. I think they used a baby's thumbprint to design the keys.

And (Jasper will love this) my iPhone 5's power button is fucked after 10 months. They'll give me a new one of course but it makes me wonder.... Does Android have airplay?

MrsTT got her wonky power button fixed for £15 a few months back... IFern repairs are cheap as chips (as there are so many about and only 3 models for the repair people to stock parts for)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on August 19, 2013, 06:51:13 pm
Plumped for a HTC One Mini, so far, so good. Very easy to use, slick in every department.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on August 28, 2013, 11:15:08 am
If anyone is after a very good sim free Android phone now or in the next couple of months (contracts due etc..) the Google Nexus 4 has just dropped in price from £239 to £159.... its a bargain.. (IMHO)


(googling nexus 4 finds you the google phone funnily enough! - make sure you get it from Google)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 28, 2013, 01:25:55 pm
Clocked that this morning and cursed under my breath as I purchased one for my wife a week ago.

Fortunately she likes it though so the cost is now irreverent.

I'd get one myself if it a) had a microSD slot; b) had an exchangeable battery.  Perhaps the price has been dropped due to a newer Nexus device being imminent (they did recently spruce up the Nexus 7, but didn't add these features to them so not holding my breath).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 28, 2013, 02:32:28 pm
Clocked that this morning and cursed under my breath as I purchased one for my wife a week ago.


Fortunately I just found out that there is a 15 day price guarantee (https://support.google.com/googleplay/contact/nexus_price) on devices purchased direct from Google.  :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Grubes on August 28, 2013, 03:06:50 pm
I bought mine 2 months ago :( so no discount.

but respect to google where it is due. I remember TTT got money or play store vouchers after they dropped the price of the nexus 7 so I can hope they will do the same
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on August 28, 2013, 03:49:00 pm
No I didn't!

I just got a very swift replacement after my Nexus 7 developed a weird line on the screen...was pretty gutting to see the price drop when I had to "buy" my replacement through the store.

Agree with Slackers re: the Nexus 4 - if I could plug an SD in I'd have already put my order in. As it goes it's probably for the best as I'd only leave it in a taxi after a few sherberts.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on August 28, 2013, 04:15:41 pm
http://www.minideal.net/lenovo-s750-gorilla-water-proof-ip67-android-4-2-quad-core-1-2ghz-dual-sim-4-5-inch-qhd.html (http://www.minideal.net/lenovo-s750-gorilla-water-proof-ip67-android-4-2-quad-core-1-2ghz-dual-sim-4-5-inch-qhd.html)

Was looking at one of those for my next, as I want a phone that won't get ruined by water for once. Anyone here imported?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 28, 2013, 04:42:33 pm
I'd be a bit wary as most Lenovo phones I've seen have some pretty dodgy reviews. Made for the Chinese market with apps and screens that you can't translate properly. Build quality not great etc etc.

Haven't ever seen one myself but the reviews are enough to put me off, especially when you can now get a Nexus 4 for the same price!

Why not just get a waterproof case?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on August 28, 2013, 04:49:06 pm
Can get the s750 pre-rooted with no chinese apps.
Seen no bad reviews of this phone - or of any other lenovo phones actually, so feel free to point me in that direction - could be helpful.
Waterproof cases are generally bulky and shit. I might use one occasionally, but you're not going to keep it on all the time, which is what I'm looking for.

Also, nexus 4's look highly breakable.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 28, 2013, 05:17:56 pm
Yeah I can't find any reviews of that phone at all which again worries me. The ones I saw previously were customer reviews on Amazon (for different models). I admit some said "it's not a Samsung or an iPhone but it does work" but that's still not particularly inspiring.

Sony Xperia? Supposed to be decent and they do waterproof models.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 28, 2013, 05:21:44 pm
Its pretty easy not to get your phone soaking wet though isn't it?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on August 28, 2013, 09:20:34 pm
A sony experia would cost £100-£200 more.
If people buy a lenovo and complain it's not a samsung they should be shot. The Lenovo is doubtless better build quality than my last (Acer) phone and if it's IP67 rating, it's probably better than most.
Also, loads of people buy these phones with stock chinese ROM's on and then complain about it. Dicks. Buy it pre-flashed (as I would) or plan+learn to do it yourself.

i once spilt water over the pocket with the phone in.
The most recent once got a bit damp while in a 'waterproof' pocket of a rab jacket during a scottish winter day and just slowly died from there.
I've never actually submerged a phone, but by the time you've gone swimming a couple of times a week, and had it in the locker near damp kit, answered a call while you're doing the dishes or have just showered and your hands aren't 100% dry etc, have taken it in a not-so-dry bag whilst hill-walking, have been caught out in the rain climbing...

I think the vast majority of smartphones die either from smashed screen or damp. I tend to manage to look after the screen better than most (apparently - never smashed one), but damp is a pretty hard thing to avoid in the UK when you need to use the phone constantly and spend a lot of time getting wet.

In the past few weeks I've hill walked, scrambled, rock climbed, bouldered, fell-ran, mountain biked, canoed and swum - and every one of those involves the potential for damp.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on August 28, 2013, 09:48:04 pm

I think the vast majority of smartphones die either from smashed screen...



Amen to that - in the last couple of months a very high percentage of the guys I work with have come in with their screens smashed, to the point where it's becoming a bit of a running joke. I feel really sorry for the guy with the brand new Galaxy Note II who totally destroyed his screen after having it less than a week!



Title: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on August 28, 2013, 09:56:50 pm
Get em fixed! £50... going rate..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 29, 2013, 07:41:20 am
Still not convinced damp is something that either can be avoided, or in the situations you describe is really an issue.

I walk & cycle in the rain and get soaked through/sweaty too, the phone (Galaxy S2 with rubber case) gets damp and the screen sometimes needs a wipe before using & working properly but its never suffered water damage.  I don't swim regularly but unless you're going twice a day the phone would be in a locker with dry stuff whilst you're getting wet and then a dry pocket would be preferable over being in a bag with wet kit.  As for damp hands, simply dry them before using it (nothings ever that urgent).

Regardless if its a decent phone the price is good so go for it, the chinese ROM is as you say a non-issue.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 29, 2013, 11:47:24 am
Whilst on the cheap nexus devices this is a good price for a Nexus 7 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330990970807&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris05 on August 29, 2013, 12:13:54 pm
Whilst on the cheap nexus devices this is a good price for a Nexus 7 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330990970807&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en).

Nice one slackline. Thats my Mums Birthday sorted!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sjw on August 29, 2013, 04:25:12 pm
Just noticed that the Nexus 4 has gone down in price on the google website... 8gb £159, 16gb £199  (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_4_8gb). Yikes!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on August 29, 2013, 04:26:16 pm
 :slap:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sjw on August 29, 2013, 04:29:23 pm
Oh. Silly. Me... Sorry  :???:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Clart on August 30, 2013, 11:23:07 pm
Clocked that this morning and cursed under my breath as I purchased one for my wife a week ago.

Fortunately she likes it though so the cost is now irreverent.

I'd get one myself if it a) had a microSD slot; b) had an exchangeable battery.  Perhaps the price has been dropped due to a newer Nexus device being imminent (they did recently spruce up the Nexus 7, but didn't add these features to them so not holding my breath).

Yeh, that's what puts me off. Thinking of replacing my trustee Desire, planning on an S3 (with me £12/month virgin sim) as they now be cheap(er) due to S4 release (£240ish). Can't find a bad word against the S3 apart from size, anyone found something better?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on August 31, 2013, 12:18:11 pm
Absolutely love my S3. The S2 was decent but had the S3 since January and it's different class. Where have you seen em for £240 as that's a right bargain?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on October 04, 2013, 03:46:17 pm
I've been with Giff Gaff for a while now but since returning from the USA they've been really terrible with 2 days of service outage in 7 and giving Nat a tethering warning (and 30 min data ban!) as we were heavily using the data connection (they only go on data use, nothing more). Supposedly the 2nd step is they turn off your data and get you to contact an agent which realistically is a minimum of an effective 24 hour ban as they take an age to respond (probably longer now as they'll be sifting through a mountain of complaints).

Yesterday the network failed me when I was out searching for a car and it was pretty infuriating not being able to call, text or use data, and I've pretty much decided that its time to look at getting something else.

My phone (HTC Wildfire original) is also pretty frustrating now as I've just bought a Nexus 7 which highlights just how good Android can be (whereas Froyo does not). I can't really work out if I'm better to go on a contract or try and upgrade my phone via Expansys, CEX etc. to some middle ground (at least ICS) with a Three, all you can eat data package?

Contracts seemed not only long but expensive.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: underground on October 05, 2013, 03:08:50 am
Paul, giffgaff explicitly don't allow tethering, simple as that. On an iphone apn is disappears as an option. You have to buy a 'gigabag' for that but can only use it on a seperate sim so it's no use on a phone. However, I was with them for under a month and found (aswell as the outages which really pissed me off) that the data connection is rubbish. My benchmark is being able to listen to spotify in the centre of Sheff, 5 vars etc. and it was so broken up I could not, This was on the 18 quid 'goodybag' with unlimited data...
I looked at Ovivo which is amazing value if you don't use data or talk much (£15 one off payment for the sim and a rolling 'quite a lot' of mins and texts for free from then on) and they do the same for data, and was thinking of just buying the sim and using an old HTC hero as a wifi access point.

But, 3 / Three 'One Plan' is also 18 quid a month, 30 day contract, and has unlimited data and way more mins and texts than I could use ever (might be 600 mins / 5000 texts). And they didn't muck about with porting the number, 24 hours max. Just get that one, I've done the research already.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on October 05, 2013, 12:02:12 pm
Paul, giffgaff explicitly don't allow tethering, simple as that.

Yes they do, but only on limited packages they've also got a fair usage limit on that based on download per hour and total per day as far as I understand it.

But, 3 / Three 'One Plan' is also 18 quid a month, 30 day contract, and has unlimited data and way more mins and texts than I could use ever (might be 600 mins / 5000 texts). And they didn't muck about with porting the number, 24 hours max. Just get that one, I've done the research already.

and then get a used S2 or something (so I can actually take advantage of the data)?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on October 05, 2013, 12:31:13 pm
Hmmm. So a quick look on ebay says used S2s are around £120 (buy it now prices), say you're going to keep it for 2 years like most contracts are that would equate to £5 a month. Plus the £18 contact is £23 pm.

For an extra 1.6 fuck alls a month you can get a brand new S3 from O2 on the refresh contract 600 mins, unlimited texts, 750MB. Also means your brand new and much better phone is under warranty. Also means you can actually upgrade it (or just walk away from the contract) whenever you want if you pay off the phone bit of the contract (which is £15 a month). Lets face it though, after upgrading to S3 from Wildfire you're probably going to be happy with it for the 2 years.

Might even be able to get a better deal than this. I got the Mrs one the other day on this contract and they wouldn't do a better deal cos I was already getting the upgrade 3 months early but they said if I'd waited til the end of the contract they'd match any deal on the usage bit (although £12 a month for this is pretty good).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on October 05, 2013, 12:57:22 pm
750mb is far from unlimited though.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on October 05, 2013, 01:07:01 pm
True, no use if you really need unlimited data. I just never find I need more than that (even when I've been streaming Google music a fair bit in the car) and the Mrs certainly doesn't.

Seems nearly everywhere I need it has free wifi these days.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Clart on October 21, 2013, 12:35:39 pm
Does anyone know if there is a phone that can read USB, i.e. I'd like to plug in a camera SD card or USB stick, via the micro USB port (using a micro usb to usb adaptor) of a phone, to download some of the content.

...err, glad I googled this before posting. Anyhow, didn't realise you could do this, opens up all kinds of possibilities, e.g. editing photos from your camera on your phone (with suitable app) then emailing or emailing top secret files from work rather than getting caught walking out with usb stick...

Here are the details for other luddities that weren't in the know:

http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/micro-usb-to-usb-converter-for-samsung-galaxy-s3-s2-note-note-2-p29842.htm (http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/micro-usb-to-usb-converter-for-samsung-galaxy-s3-s2-note-note-2-p29842.htm)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on October 21, 2013, 12:49:38 pm
Shop around, I picked one of those up about a year and a half ago for 52% of fuck all (i.e. £1.30) and its worked fine ever since.  Obviously if you wish to host SD cards or such like an adapter would save a lot of ballache.


If you want to then check what your device can do as a USB host then use Chainfire's USB Host Diagnostics (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.chainfire.usbhostdiagnostics&hl=en) (could save some head scratching if/when it doesn't "just workTM" as expected).

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on October 23, 2013, 06:34:51 pm
 :2thumbsup:

http://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/victory-ofcom-announces-new-rules-to-stop-mobile-price-hikes/ (http://conversation.which.co.uk/technology/victory-ofcom-announces-new-rules-to-stop-mobile-price-hikes/)

Doesn't exactly stop them companies hiking their prices, but you can leave with far less hassle if they do, even if you're on a fixed term contract.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on October 29, 2013, 07:07:12 am
Motorola developing open-hardware modular phones (http://motorola-blog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/goodbye-sticky-hello-ara.html)   8)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on November 13, 2013, 04:52:43 pm
http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/13/5096680/motorola-moto-g-announced-price-availability (http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/13/5096680/motorola-moto-g-announced-price-availability)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on November 13, 2013, 08:06:24 pm
GiffGaff have also announced they'll shortly be doing handsets. This includes refurbished iferns for people that like that sort of thing.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on November 14, 2013, 05:21:21 pm
Coming soon..

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/14/motorola-moto-g-review-best-budget-smartphone-135 (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/14/motorola-moto-g-review-best-budget-smartphone-135)

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on November 14, 2013, 05:36:29 pm
Coming soon..

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/14/motorola-moto-g-review-best-budget-smartphone-135 (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/14/motorola-moto-g-review-best-budget-smartphone-135)

That looks interesting, I wonder what contracts will look like on it. Although, non-expandable internal storage is my current headache.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on November 14, 2013, 05:45:31 pm
Contracts probably the same as for nokia 520 which is a similar price... ie. about the same as the pay monthly sim rate...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on November 14, 2013, 08:27:47 pm
That looks interesting, I wonder what contracts will look like on it. Although, non-expandable internal storage is my current headache.
I think the joy of these low budget phones is being able to buy them off contract, bung a PAYG or month long contract SIM in them such as the Three Ultimate Internet SIM 200 (200mins, unlimited internet, 5000texts) costing you all of 5 fuck alls per month (£12.90). If you don't use much data it could be half that! But the biggest bonus is not being tied to a 24 month upgrade cycle you can upgrade whenever you please (and sell on the phone whilst it still is a current model and has some value)  :dance1:

Think a MotoG will likely be MrsObi's next phone.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on November 14, 2013, 08:36:01 pm
I'm with you on the non-contract scene. But isn't Three shite? Sure jiggaman was on Three and sacked it off.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on November 14, 2013, 09:05:11 pm
I'm with you on the non-contract scene. But isn't Three shite? Sure jiggaman was on Three and sacked it off.
Best network there is. Cheap, great in N Wales and lakes where others suck. No rip off prices for super3G or 4G.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on November 15, 2013, 07:17:07 am
No gripes with Three, been with them for a good few years. £10/month for 300mins/3000texts/2000mins 3to3/1Gb data per month.  I don't think this is available any more though, but you can try asking in store for the extra 3to3 minutes, my wife & bro got theme on the back of saying I had them when they signed up.

Got 3G reception on the top of Ben Eighe a few years back, fine in Sheffield and most cities and no real signal problems when being driven around the country.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on November 15, 2013, 09:06:18 am
For once something called a "game changer" that actually looks like it might be. Sounds excellent.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on November 15, 2013, 10:19:20 am
I've just moved to Three from Orange/EE and I haven't noticed any real difference in service and I tend to get about the country a lot with work.  The only place I've noticed a drop is a small area around Worksop where Orange used to drop as well.

Their "All you can Eat" data plans are fantastic value - I can now use streaming/web radio all day. Also, they are the only network that is going to offer unlimited 4G/LTE data at no extra cost.  Their 4G services are being rolled out a bit slower than other networks but I can live with that:

Quote
We're working hard behind the scenes on our 4G roll-out, we'll start in December in London, Birmingham and Manchester, reaching 50 more cities by the end of 2014. By the end of 2015 we will cover 98% of the population.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris j on November 15, 2013, 12:41:22 pm
Coming soon..

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/14/motorola-moto-g-review-best-budget-smartphone-135 (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/nov/14/motorola-moto-g-review-best-budget-smartphone-135)

Awesome, you've just found me a replacement for my old Motorola Defy. Cheers!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on November 26, 2013, 11:41:09 am
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DOELYHC/ref=gb1h_img_c-1_8827_89eaa4ba?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0JR83Q1SWBTV15YJVHGB&pf_rd_i=161428031&pf_rd_p=449478827 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00DOELYHC/ref=gb1h_img_c-1_8827_89eaa4ba?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=0JR83Q1SWBTV15YJVHGB&pf_rd_i=161428031&pf_rd_p=449478827)

might be worth a look at midday if you are after one.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on December 05, 2013, 07:46:26 pm
I wonder whether this will end up being successful?

http://www.quechuaphone.com/en/home (http://www.quechuaphone.com/en/home)

Decathlon's own brand smart phone

"mountain proof"
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on December 14, 2013, 11:49:04 pm
anyone used the new google nexus?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Muenchener on December 15, 2013, 12:20:07 am
I wonder whether this will end up being successful?

http://www.quechuaphone.com/en/home (http://www.quechuaphone.com/en/home)

Decathlon's own brand smart phone

"mountain proof"

The concept certainly has something going for it. I have an older phone of a similar ilk (Motorola Defy+) that I bought because it was advertised as waterproof, shockproof etc. and it does indeed seem to be. It has been completely soaked for days in my jacket pocket on alpine hillwalks in atrocious weather, had me fall heavily on it whilst snowboarding, fallen out of my son's pocket from the top of a climbing wall ... all without missing a beat.

Otoh it runs an ancient version of android and is dog slow. The review I saw of the Decathlon phone suggested getting a more capable but less robust cheap phone - Moto G seems to be flavour of the month - and putting it in a robust case. Which would be much bulkier and less usable on the hill though.

(I am generally pro-Decathlon today, having been out & about on my bike this evening in heavy sleet, perfectly dry and cosy in my new sixty euro belay orange jacket)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Gallant on December 15, 2013, 09:51:27 am
I picked up a Nexus 5 on release day, trying to keep up with the Jones' and the like.

It's my first actual smart phone, my previous rule of thumb being if it's more than £60 it's a waste of money. Thus far I've just been appreciating the fact I can read chemistry papers online if I'm working away from a computer, but I guess most other phones can do that these days?
I've not noticed any slowing down, any updates the phone has had haven't taken any great deal of time to either download or install. I am however, on PAYG still, so I try not to use too much data, and I'm most certainly not in the 4g crowd as I think my data useage would be spent on the first day I got it every month otherwise.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 15, 2013, 10:33:46 am
You should get yourself on one of Threes monthly rolling contracts for around £10 with 1Gb/month of data or a little more for all you can eat data.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 20, 2013, 01:32:57 pm
Cyanogenmod phone announced (https://plus.google.com/110558071969009568835/posts/Gnq8cdq7VHi)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on December 23, 2013, 12:18:17 pm
I'm due for an upgrade shortly and having had no end of hassle with my iphone4 (rip off, piss taking apple bastards...) and being unwilling to fork out a load of fuck alls up front for a 5s have been doing quite a bit of research. I had narrowed it down to as choice between the HTC One, Sony Experia Z1 and the Nexus 5 - all do what I would expect and want from a new smart phone and for much less than the iphone...

Then I saw this...

http://youtu.be/BlG6BXYZwz8 (http://youtu.be/BlG6BXYZwz8)

Now assuming Tech Radar aren't sponsored by HTC, I reckon I'll be getting the HTC One then..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 23, 2013, 12:24:24 pm
Oppo N1 running CyanogenMod (http://en.oppo.com/products/n1/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on December 23, 2013, 01:48:37 pm

Now assuming Tech Radar aren't sponsored by HTC, I reckon I'll be getting the HTC One then..

A mate of mine has an HTC One and he loves it. It's a lovely looking thing too. My only concern is that HTC looked to be going bust recently, has anything changed in that respect?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 28, 2013, 07:00:08 pm
GiffGaff fully failed Nat and I once again this Friday and I'm fairly unimpressed with their CEOs response, playing off a technical f*ck-up as some sort of unforeseeable event, so we're once again looking at replacing both phones.

Having spent far too much time now in tedious phone shops (Is phoneshop on E4 actually based on phones4u?) I think the best options are:

Buying a Moto G 8gb sim free and sticking a Three 12-month sim (only) in it.

or

Moto G 16Gb with Tesco Mobile, fairly much matching the above but with less upfront costs (clubcard points and family extras make them farily much comparable.

Both options work out at ~12/month and neither are particularly generous on data (I find I'm near Wifi the majority of the time currently anyway).

As far as I can see the former is a bigger upfront cost and allows us to ditch sooner if there are other better (cheaper) deals out there and they'll also bump customers onto 4G at no added cost whereas the latter (Tesco) is effectively just a way of spreading out the cost.

The local mast here for O2 which I believe Tesco piggyback is the same as GiffGaff and is always overloaded. Thoughts (no matter how boring the above may be)?

On an aside, the Moto G seems priced at a ridiculous (unsustainable?) level when compared with much lesser bits of tech made by Samsung et al. sold for much much more.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on December 28, 2013, 08:16:48 pm
Tesco mobile piggy back O2 just like giffgaff non?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 28, 2013, 08:18:15 pm
The local mast here for O2 which I believe Tesco piggyback is the same as GiffGaff and is always overloaded.

Yes? (I think).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on December 28, 2013, 08:21:45 pm
Tesco mobile piggy back O2 just like giffgaff non?

yeah, but with Tesco you can be confident that the original supplier is being properly fucked over
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris j on December 28, 2013, 08:37:24 pm

Buying a Moto G 8gb sim free and sticking a Three 12-month sim (only) in it.

...and they'll also bump customers onto 4G at no added cost

Moto g doesn't support 4g, afaik?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on December 28, 2013, 11:29:09 pm

Buying a Moto G 8gb sim free and sticking a Three 12-month sim (only) in it.

...and they'll also bump customers onto 4G at no added cost

Moto g doesn't support 4g, afaik?

Quote
Networks 4
HSPA+ DL 21.1Mbps / UL 5.76Mbps- EV-DO Rev.A DL 3.1Mbps / UL 1.8Mbps
PROCESSOR
Qualcomm MSM8x26 quad-core A7 1.2GHz (Adreno 305 450MHz GPU)
Bands/Modes
CDMA: 850/1900 UMTS: 850/900/1700/1900/2100 GSM: 850/900/1800/1900
Looks like HSDPA+ is it (no mention of LTE) however 21mbps isn't too shabby.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 29, 2013, 08:00:30 pm
Hmmm ok, that removes the 4G network upgrade as a (useful) positive. Still very unsure.

One of the main failings of my current, and somewhat ancient smartphone is the lack of expandable internal storage. Neither the 8Gb or the 16Gb option fixes this but obviously the latter would be better.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on January 07, 2014, 07:04:49 am
Another CyanogenMod phone in the offing...

http://forums.oneplus.net/threads/its-official-were-partnering-with-cyanogenmod.76
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on January 07, 2014, 07:59:55 pm
I went for the 8Gb and Three in the end, which seems like a good choice (although they did cock up the PAC code / number transfer).

For any other Moto G users you can currently get 50Gb of extra space on GDrive for 2 years (until the 30/1/14). The phone seems brilliant, I can't believe I stuck with my rubbish Wildfire for so long.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: johnx2 on January 08, 2014, 11:51:58 am
...you can also get it for £65 with a 12 month sim only contract, (£11/month lots of txt, enough talk, not much data so stay wifi) , from phones 4 u, or you could yesterday. I know zilch about phones but this seems an okay deal. I've bought three in the last month.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on January 10, 2014, 08:32:50 am
Fairphone (http://www.fairphone.com/) looks promising, reasonable price too.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on January 24, 2014, 07:49:00 am
For the privacy enthusiast...

Blackphone introduction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczXWirN9oo#ws)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on January 24, 2014, 08:26:08 am
I currently have a dual core, waterproof android smartphone. It's not the greatest phone ever made, but it did cost me £53, because I bought direct from China. You can get ridiculous deals this way, the most popular of which are probably the lenovo's. You can buy a decent quad core phone for £80+.

I wanted the Lenovo S750 but couldn't afford/justify the spend.

 :worms:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on January 24, 2014, 11:25:00 am
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BeuZ5uMIEAArAe5.jpg)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on February 23, 2014, 02:40:41 pm
Heads up - Google Nexus 5 (16gb) is down to £240 sim free at the Crap Phone Whorehouse.

http://m.carphonewarehouse.com/mt/www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/mobile-phones/GOOGLE_NEXUS_5/HANDSET?intcmp=SIMFREE_hero_Nexus5_UKlow_140114
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: miso soup on March 04, 2014, 10:34:32 pm
Best cheap smartphone?  I'm looking at the Samsung Galaxy ones in the 50-100 pound range.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 04, 2014, 10:38:18 pm
If your budget stretches a little further the Moto-G's get rave reviews (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=motorola+moto-g) and are ~£130/160 for 8/16Gb models respectively.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: miso soup on March 05, 2014, 12:09:00 pm
I'm not sure it does, but thanks.  Something super-basic should be fine.  I still refuse to get a contract and would be happy with my old budget Nokia but life has finally got to the point where I need to be able to check e-mails whilst at work.  I don't imagine I'll be doing much more than that and maybe occasionally looking at Instagram.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 05, 2014, 12:26:47 pm
I'm not sure it does, but thanks.  Something super-basic should be fine.  I still refuse to get a contract and would be happy with my old budget Nokia but life has finally got to the point where I need to be able to check e-mails whilst at work.  I don't imagine I'll be doing much more than that and maybe occasionally looking at Instagram.

<statingtheobvious>Don't know where you work, but if you're in an office can you not use the computer in front of you?</statingtheobvious>
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on March 05, 2014, 12:29:07 pm
If your budget stretches a little further the Moto-G's get rave reviews (https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=motorola+moto-g) and are ~£130/160 for 8/16Gb models respectively.

I'd echo this.

Otherwise go down to your local CEX type store and simply pick something acceptably cheap.

You can buy the Nokia Win phones new for £99 I think (sim free). My mother-in-law has one and it's perfectly fine at doing the basics. I was quite impressed actually.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dontfollowme on March 05, 2014, 01:55:25 pm
Moto G for £100. You may need to get it unlock for a few pounds if the network doesn't suit:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/moto-g-8gb-asda-only-100-instore-1840723 (http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/moto-g-8gb-asda-only-100-instore-1840723)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: miso soup on March 05, 2014, 07:21:11 pm
Damn.  Just drove back from the wall past Asda and bought a Samsung Galaxy something or other (GTI-9000?  Sounds like a car.) before getting home and seeing that post about the Moto G.

Yeah I don't work in an office.  One of the moments that made me realise I have to get one was standing in a field in Essex talking to my boss on a radio with him referring to an updated site map that he assumed I'd seen because he e-mailed it to me five minutes before.  I actually saw it four days later when I get home after the job was over.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 05, 2014, 08:17:09 pm
Yeah I don't work in an office.  One of the moments that made me realise I have to get one was standing in a field in Essex talking to my boss on a radio with him referring to an updated site map that he assumed I'd seen because he e-mailed it to me five minutes before.  I actually saw it four days later when I get home after the job was over.

Will your employers not provide you with such hardware then if they expect you to be using it?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: miso soup on March 05, 2014, 11:44:36 pm
Pffft.... I'm self-employed, I get nothing for free.  When I say 'my boss' strictly speaking I mean 'one of my clients.'

Galaxy seems to be doing the job but I'm finding that trying to pretend a touch screen is a tiny qwerty keyboard is a lot more annoying than the old typing with one thumb on twelve keys.  But I suppose everyone else dealt with this years ago and I just need get with the program.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on March 06, 2014, 04:51:57 am
I'm finding that trying to pretend a touch screen is a tiny qwerty keyboard is a lot more annoying than the old typing with one thumb on twelve keys.
Try Swype (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuance.swype.dtc) - you draw (well swipe) out words instead of tapping them out. Once you get used to it it's very fast and so much easier.

There's a 30 day trial version here. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuance.swype.trial)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 06, 2014, 07:39:52 am
 :agree: was going to post the same last night but got distracted.

You don't necessarily need to install Swype though, if the OS is up-to-date then you should be able to...

Settings > Language & Input > Android Keyboard Settings > Enable gesture typing

I've found it to be no worse than Swype which I used to use before it was available natively.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on March 06, 2014, 09:48:32 am
I'm finding that trying to pretend a touch screen is a tiny qwerty keyboard is a lot more annoying than the old typing with one thumb on twelve keys.
Try Swype (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuance.swype.dtc) - you draw (well swipe) out words instead of tapping them out. Once you get used to it it's very fast and so much easier.

There's a 30 day trial version here. (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nuance.swype.trial)

or don't pay and use Google keyboard (which is essentially the same). You might want to go into the settings and allow swearing though or there'll be lots of ducking spelling mistakes when you get angry.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on March 06, 2014, 09:52:48 am
I've been using Swype for so long now I was unaware that Android offered a similar freebie.

Looking at some reviews opinion seems mixed as to which one is better but the differences appear to be minimal unless you're a power user.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on March 06, 2014, 09:58:14 am
I think it was standard on my Nexus 7 II.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 06, 2014, 10:13:20 am
I'm equally proficient at writing incomprehensible messages using both Swype and Googles "Gesture Typing" (due to my lack of attention at what I think I've written). ::)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on March 06, 2014, 11:04:33 am
I've been using Swype for so long now I was unaware that Android offered a similar freebie.


Likewise although I realised it existed but have been using Swype forever so have stuck with it. My favourite thing is how it learns common sentences you use and predicts the next word. When writing to new / forgetful clients "My address is....." I only have to swype "My" and the rest of the words / numbers follow.

Little things that make life easier for the lazy.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: miso soup on March 07, 2014, 02:56:38 pm
Yeah this is already on it, I'm giving it a go.  In principle I am in favour of things that move us past the deliberately inefficient qwerty system.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Johnny Brown on March 07, 2014, 08:28:15 pm
Anyone found a decent version for ip hones?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on March 08, 2014, 06:29:29 am
The most useful, most basic smartphone function there is, still not available on iPhone. Amazing.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: miso soup on March 08, 2014, 10:04:32 pm
And the Galaxy music player doesn't recognise m3u's?  Seriously?  Can anyone recommend a good third party app that does?  Because there's no way I'm sitting and going through every track on the SD card individually.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 09, 2014, 09:25:34 am
And the Galaxy music player doesn't recognise m3u's?  Seriously?  Can anyone recommend a good third party app that does?  Because there's no way I'm sitting and going through every track on the SD card individually.

See the "there's an app for that" thread for any manner of app recommendations. I use "Gone Mad Music Player" myself.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: iain on March 09, 2014, 05:13:15 pm
Anyone found a decent version for ip hones?

[geaky answer] I was asked this by an iphone owning friend after he watched me use Swype and my understanding is that because of the way third party apps are restricted on iOS it's just not possible for something like Swype to work through the app store.

The other option is that Apple license the tech and build it in themselves which has apparently been talked about but nothing's come of it even though Siri uses tech from the same company that produce Swype.

ps. anyone still awake?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 13, 2014, 09:36:19 am
If you're considering a new mobile contract the results of this survey might be of interest (http://www.rootmetrics.com/rsr/summary/uk).

Useful in conjunction with BillMonitor (http://www.billmonitor.com/).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on April 11, 2014, 11:22:24 am
Just got a new Galaxy S4 time to unlock the bootloader/root and install a custom ROM :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dontfollowme on April 11, 2014, 05:36:01 pm
What deal did you get Slackline? My S2 is pretty tired with lots of apps stopping unexpectedly. I'm tempted by the following deal:

24 month contract - £19pcm
1000 mins, unlimited texts
500MB data (enough for me)
Free phone
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on April 11, 2014, 06:04:48 pm
I bought it outright for £309.

I pay £10/month on Three for 300minutes/3000texts/1Gb/5000minutes to other Three users.

I kept my S2 (which I also bought outright) for a bit over two years.  I would sell it and get some cash but am going to keep it as a backup for myself and my wife should either of ours go.

Cut the SIM card down* and Three now has a 4G signal in and around Sheffield it seems.  :2thumbsup:


* Was going to buy one from a shop in town but they were £9.99 and they're fuck-all on flea-bay.  Better still though they gave me a free adapter in the Three shop in town when they cut the SIM card down.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on April 11, 2014, 07:11:34 pm
Cut the SIM card down* and Three now has a 4G signal in and around Sheffield it seems.
Not up here in S8...yet.  I get quality 4G via 3 in Bristol/Cardiff/Wolves/Leeds though - seems as fast as wifi for general surfing/music/etc.

What deal did you get Slackline? My S2 is pretty tired with lots of apps stopping unexpectedly.
I pay £35 p/m for an S4 but that's for unlimited data (3 or 4g) which is great if you want music/radio/navigation on the move.  I can also tether my Nexus tablet to the phone without having to pay a the tethering fee which is a bonus.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on April 11, 2014, 08:11:06 pm
Been on 4G (EE) for the last 15-16 months.. Its belting.
A year ago (when not so many 4g devices around) I would get 20-30mb dl and 20ul at MrsTT's... now its about 10 during peak times...

Its slower in Hull (they dont have the double 4g bollocks) but I consistently get 4-8mb DL speeds with only a couple of bars of signal..  Amazing how its spreading - I picked up a 4G signal in Pickering the other week :/
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dontfollowme on April 11, 2014, 08:47:01 pm
The deal I am looking at is with EE. I tend to be near wifi a lot of the time so don't require much data.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on April 11, 2014, 09:30:40 pm
Not up here in S8...yet.  I get quality 4G via 3 in Bristol/Cardiff/Wolves/Leeds though - seems as fast as wifi for general surfing/music/etc.


Just sorting out my new phone and it seems the O2 4G signal in S8 is working just fine. Switched WiFi off and it's still quick as fuck. Impressed.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on April 11, 2014, 09:39:10 pm
13.74mb on download. Decent.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Bubba on April 11, 2014, 09:56:53 pm
Just sorting out my new phone and it seems the O2 4G signal in S8 is working just fine. Switched WiFi off and it's still quick as fuck. Impressed.
EE 4g works up here as well.  Three's rollout is slower but afaik they're still the only people offering unlimited data on 4g for no extra cost....or that was the case when I signed up anyway.  Only downside to Three is that there's no 2g network so you might suffer if you're somewhere really rural.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on April 13, 2014, 12:01:52 am
I think in theory 2g roaming onto other networks (Orange/ee) should still work in certain areas. In practice I've found Three coverage to beat vodaphone and O2 in the 'rural' areas I spend time in such as the Lakes and North Wales.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on April 13, 2014, 07:37:01 am
I think in theory 2g roaming onto other networks (Orange/ee) should still work in certain areas. In practice I've found Three coverage to beat vodaphone and O2 in the 'rural' areas I spend time in such as the Lakes and North Wales.

 :agree:

I forgot to mention that if you're looking for a new contract you should register at the Ofcom approved Billmonitor.com (http://www.billmonitor.com/).


Cheers for the Google Edition recommendation Bubba, working nicely now (although I was slightly confused when it wouldn't install from ClockworkMod Recovery, but a quick search revealed that TWRP was the one to use). :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on April 17, 2014, 07:53:18 am
Mrs Starfish has finally had enough of her Blackberry freezing and the navigation button failing

so, trying to decide between the S3 and Moto G 16gb - exactly the same price on contract

camera is a consideration, as is justworksness (inc battery life)

she doesn't store much music/media, but I suspect that this would change with filming better video quality

any things I should know?

opinions?

either way, looks like I'll finally have a 3g phone, even if it is a blackberry

interestingly, the oldest child has just got an Xperia SP which costs less than the S3 and the G would, takes memory cards, has a cracking camera and reasonable battery. I suspect that Mrs Starfish will decide on that on the grounds that it does everything she can imagine wanting, costs less and she has easy access to a teenager who knows how to use it


Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on May 02, 2014, 09:00:02 am
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/xkcd_phone.png)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on May 02, 2014, 10:33:18 am
Even more sure my next phone will be a Nexus 5/6/whatever based upon the fact that my bro gave me a wireless charger for my Nexus 7, and it's so cool I will now have to put several around the house just so I can do a Homer...

Quote from: Obi Simpson
Now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not, now it's charging, now it's not
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on May 02, 2014, 10:37:13 am
Other phones have wireless charging, e.g. GTi9505 Galaxy S4 (http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/smartphones/smartphone-accessories/EP-WI950EWEGWW)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on May 06, 2014, 12:41:48 pm
Can't imagine demand for these will be too high, but a nice proof-of-concept....

PiPhone - A Raspberry Pi based Smartphone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eaiNsFhtI8#ws)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris20 on May 06, 2014, 01:24:29 pm
Can't imagine demand for these will be too high, but a nice proof-of-concept....

PiPhone - A Raspberry Pi based Smartphone

Similar concept with the Arduino boards.... http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/GSMExamplesMakeVoiceCall (http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/GSMExamplesMakeVoiceCall)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris20 on May 14, 2014, 01:49:47 pm
Motorola have just released a new budget smart phone, the Moto E (http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/shop-all-other/Moto-E/moto-e.html) for just under 90 quid and it has a micro SD slot unlike the original Moto G, altho it sounds like that has changed with the upgraded 4G version
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 02, 2014, 12:20:25 pm
Samsung Tizen (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27660366)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on June 02, 2014, 08:54:40 pm
By way of update, I have a Haier W718 - dual core waterproof android, £53 import pre-loaded with a proper rom.

It's not the greatest phone obviously, but it's a few months down the line, working fine and ridiculously good value for money.

When I'm earning more, I might import a Lenovo.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on July 15, 2014, 12:35:53 pm
Smarthpones for < £150 (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jul/15/which-is-the-best-smartphone-for-less-than-150)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on August 11, 2014, 01:48:19 pm
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/aug/11/oneplus-one-phone-review-hitting-the-sweet-spot
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on September 04, 2014, 05:33:22 pm
Just upgraded Mrs Obi to a MotoG, 16gb. £150 from Amazon. Shes moved to a SIM only contract with Three. Phone gets HSPDA+ so is pretty fast even if not the 4G version (which is a bit more). Generally really impressed. Motorola software makes it a bit too easy to migrate EVERYTHING from your old phone if your not careful, which in her case was over 3000 photos and videos and many thousand text messages.  :slap: Once we had downloaded then deleted all the old crap cherished memories off her old handset it migrated everything including texts, call logs etc to the new one.

Really nice handset, bright screen, latest version of Android etc etc. Tempted to get one myself.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on September 15, 2014, 07:47:45 am
Looks like P4U are soon to be a thing of the past.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/29201191 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/29201191)

Can't say I'm surprised really having worked for them in the past, but seems a shame as they are apparently a profitable firm.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on September 15, 2014, 10:26:56 am
This sounds a pretty shit situation which will only give more power to the networks and less to the consumer. High street retail is in enough bother without the profitable businesses being knackered too. I've never bought a smartphone from a shop but it seems plenty of people still want to.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on September 15, 2014, 10:37:12 am
I've known a few people that have worked for p4u... and this in itself (6k employees and only me) means they must have one helluva staff churn rate. Also - every person I have know who worked there indicated that the company were but a small step removed from Satan in how they operated...

Shame for the 6k folks working for them... :( 

but hey kids, just embrace the neoliberal capitalist model we operate in and move on...
(sarcasm icon required..)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on September 15, 2014, 10:37:41 am
I actually bought a Moto G 4g from them last week. They were pleasant to deal with, knew their stuff and had what I wanted in stock. Shame.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on September 18, 2014, 03:06:28 pm
Just helped my mum set up her new Moto G that she's got for buttons on her Virgin contract and for the (lack of) money I was well impressed with it.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on September 18, 2014, 03:13:31 pm
Aye, it's a cracking phone for the pebbles. Never use a phone camera anyway and rarely watch video, so the older one with 4g and card ability seemed more appropriate for me, than the shiny new model with no 4g. Vanilla android is a joy to use after the Sony I had and I'm finding that google voice actually understands me. Amazing.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 06, 2015, 09:47:15 am
Smartphone Comparison Chart  (http://www.productchart.com/smartphones/)

</thread>
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on February 07, 2015, 04:03:57 pm
That's crap slackers. It says the only phone with big storage is an iPhone because it doesn't take into account expandable memory.

And it's American.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on February 07, 2015, 05:53:58 pm
There is a separate 'SD card' check box though, which once selected excludes all iphones.

Its probably more useful than trying to solicit opinions and recommendations on phones though.  I don't know about others, but the only phone I have experience of is the one(s) I've owned (and I doubt anyone wants to know about the obsolete phones, even my most recent was/is a model behind the flag-ship from the manufacturer).  Thus when asking for phone recommendations all you'll tend to get are "I like/hate my phone" based on each individuals very limited experience, not really objective.

I'd love to have a Galaxy S5, Xperia Z3, LG G3 etc. etc. and be able to give each a good test and see how they all compare but thats just a waste of money so comparing the hardware specs against the features you would like and what you're willing to pay seems a good objective way of choosing a phone (to me at least).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on February 08, 2015, 10:23:16 am
Tempted by a LG G3. Was looking at the OnePlusOne but put off by them falling out with their software guys which may delay updates. G3 is now under £300 which sounds like a bargain and already running 5.0. Anyone used one? Replaceable batt also appeals.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on February 09, 2015, 03:54:20 pm
No relation to Obi's post but just by way of general recommendation, I've had an HTC 1 for over a year now have been very impressed with it. Far more robust than the iphone I had previously, better camera, just as fast, more storage and great screen etc...  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on June 18, 2015, 10:54:56 pm
Resurrection!

So I'm due an upgrade in 11 days. My interest in mobile phones has somewhat diminished since my days of working in the trade ceased. I've had an HTC One Mini for near enough two years, it's been ok, had a few issues but always fixed under warranty with HTC themselves.

So the question begs, what to go for? Stick with Android? Been happy enough with phone, but what other Android options are out there? Back to Apple? Doubt I'll get a 6, so is the 5 any good?

Or Pink Anasazi perhaps?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on June 18, 2015, 11:18:43 pm
http://blog.gsmarena.com/motorola-will-offer-big-savings-moto-x-2nd-gen-nexus-6-uk-starting-tomorrow/

This seems like a decent price for a well reviewed handset. You can then whack in a sim from Tesco/3 whoever is cheapest at the time and be free from expensive contracts forever...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Grubes on June 19, 2015, 07:51:44 am
great I wanted a nexus 6 for a while

Ordered :) thank you tax ma for giving me my money back
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on June 19, 2015, 08:02:00 am
I've pondered the sim only route with buying the handset outright, but I've been with Orange/EE for years so get a pretty sweet deal off them. £18 per month for unlimited calls and texts and 2.7gb of data of which I never use my full allowance of. That should only go down in price as well if I chose to stay with them.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on June 25, 2015, 12:19:13 pm
I notice that Tesco are bundling hudl 2 tablets with some of their budget smartphones
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on June 25, 2015, 01:02:20 pm
Decent deals on S5s at the minute.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on June 25, 2015, 01:03:12 pm
Decent deals on S5s at the minute.

Where?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TheTwig on June 25, 2015, 01:06:29 pm
I buy Samsung S3 minis, dirt cheap and like £12 a month contract. been through a few of em now
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on July 17, 2015, 11:18:17 pm
Ended up with a Samsung S6. So far so good.

But my lack of ability to do what I thought would be so easy is all ready making me pissed off. I am parting company with a HTC One Mini, using Android version 4.4.2 and I'd absolutely love to transfer all the content (contacts, apps, photos etc) to my new shiny S6 running Android 5.0.2

Can I find an easy, stress free way to do it? Can I fuck. Am I hopeless with mobile phone technology, even after spending years working in a mobile shop? Affirmative.

Any helpers?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dontfollowme on July 18, 2015, 10:10:18 am
Do you have your contacts etc saved under your Google account?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on July 21, 2015, 05:06:36 pm
Are any of the newer budget smartphones worth a look? My Moto G (original) is starting to s.l.o.w. down significantly and I no longer have any internal space to update applications; this is a problem. Also, given I'm no three, it makes sense to use the 4G capabilities of the network.

I half considered looking at an older iphone (5c?)...  :chair:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on July 21, 2015, 10:19:40 pm
After an enforced upgrade, i.e. I dropped and smashed it, i just bought a  new moto g, it has external storage, the screen is much bigger and its faster. At the price seems there's little competition.

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on July 22, 2015, 08:51:27 am
ASUS Zenfone?

I could swap with my Dad and I'd imagine he'd never notice...(although he'd demanding 4G on his new network for his whopping 510mb of data allowance).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Grubes on August 04, 2015, 09:21:08 am
okay so thanks to a lovely individual who decided to take a phone out of my pocket at the gig last night I am in the market for a new phone.

needs to have 4g lollipop, bought direct not as part of a contract, okay camera preferably and 32gb storage 16gb is acceptable.
Budget <£150 but can stretch to £200.

A nexus 6 is a fantastic phone that works brilliantly. Only issue is its pretty pricey (why I am not buying another one) and a little big.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on August 04, 2015, 09:37:45 am
okay so thanks to a lovely individual who decided to take a phone out of my pocket at the gig last night I am in the market for a new phone.

needs to have 4g lollipop, bought direct not as part of a contract, okay camera preferably and 32gb storage 16gb is acceptable.
Budget <£150 but can stretch to £200.

A nexus 6 is a fantastic phone that works brilliantly. Only issue is its pretty pricey (why I am not buying another one) and a little big.

Theres an article on cheap smartphones on the BBC news site atm..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Grubes on August 04, 2015, 09:44:22 am
I read that what I took away way basically it said dont bother paying less than £125 or they are shit

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33757083

I can get a 16gb Moto G 3d gen for £210 from motorolas website. Which Ian recommends on the last page. Still hapy with it Nai?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on August 04, 2015, 09:53:40 am
Yes very happy, but £210?  Mine was £140 or so a few months back.  This generation of moto g takes an SD card so you can boost your storage that way rather than relying solely on internal
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on August 04, 2015, 09:59:43 am
I read that what I took away way basically it said dont bother paying less than £125 or they are shit

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33757083

I can get a 16gb Moto G 3d gen for £210 from motorolas website. Which Ian recommends on the last page. Still hapy with it Nai?

I've got one arriving today and it was £119 http://www.rakuten.co.uk/shop/mobileshopisland/product/motog4gblack/  (seems to have gone up to £125 now)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on August 04, 2015, 10:07:57 am
Is the camera still rubbish?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on August 04, 2015, 10:14:25 am
Apparently it is, but I never use a mobile a camera anyway so for me I'd rather save a few fuckalls. Water resistance and gorillaglass were higher priorities.

The s5 mini is basically the same phone with a better camera and at least £70 more (from dodgy looking sites, probably more like £100 more).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on August 04, 2015, 11:44:37 am
Camera's a bit better than it was on the older model, in good light for static subjects it works fine. It's improved in poor light but still not great and the zoom is still poor. The pan function works ok although it does produce some comedy results at times. Basically it's ok for taking snaps.  Not sure whether paying the extra money you'd spend on a compact would get you the same features and quality?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on August 04, 2015, 12:35:29 pm
Actually, just realised I have the 2nd generation model, XT-1068, which is the one Fultonius has linked to.  I bought it just as the 3rd gen was released and hence the price dropped. 
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on August 04, 2015, 05:44:36 pm
It just arrived and so far so good.

I had thought about getting the moto E as this review was pretty clear:  http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/android-smartphones/new-moto-g-4g-2015-review-battery-3605165/

But that was based on a £60 price differential whereas just now the price differential is only £10 so less clear cut. 
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 01, 2015, 07:36:45 pm
My better half constantly complains about the photos she gets from the Moto G (original) and given they're 8GB none expandable 3G versions they're getting out of date anyway.

With that in mind I was thinking of purchasing (a second hand) replacement as an Xmas present. It's pointless spending huge money here (~£150) as the phone gets taken to construction sites, left unattended a fair amount and if it's really high value I doubt it'll last too long.

We're completely Android in the household but I was considering going for a refurbed iPhone 5C (plastic screen I hope?).

Can anyone suggest a viable Android alternative?

Will Chromecast (regular and audio) support be built into iOS apps such as TuneIn and iplayer?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on December 01, 2015, 07:54:58 pm
Sony do nice cameras - second hand z3 compact may be doable on that budget?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on December 01, 2015, 08:34:55 pm
5C is glass screen. Thin glass covers for the screen (Rather than plastic) are really good nowadays.. But equivalent android ££ seem better value...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on December 01, 2015, 09:59:53 pm
Have you considered a Chinese phone? You can get a lot of android phone for your money.

Some options that I am currently considering and you may want to look at:

LeTv 1s
Xiaomi Note 2/Note 3
Xiaomi Mi4c
Bluboo Xtouch

Generally amazing performance for the money, just make sure that you read some reviews and make sure that it has the 4g bands you require for your network (lots of models do not have band 20 - 800mhz that is required for o2 and vodafone). Also I bought my last phone from a supplier with an EU warehouse so that you avoid potential customs/VAT charges and the delivery doesn't take a month like it does if dispatched from China.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 01, 2015, 10:05:37 pm
Not really as I'm more drawn to the 'Just Works' side of things than having custom ROMS on phones which may or may not have their own Android UI.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Stu Littlefair on December 01, 2015, 10:18:26 pm
Chromecast is supported on iOS in the iplayer apps, BBC sport, tune in radio, Vimeo and YouTube.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on December 02, 2015, 12:04:01 am


We're completely Android in the household but I was considering going for a refurbed iPhone 5C (plastic screen I hope?).

Can anyone suggest a viable Android alternative?

Nexus 5?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 02, 2015, 06:56:09 am
Moto G 3rd Gen (http://www.motorola.co.uk/products/moto-g) (has expandable storage so chuck a 128Gb microSD in for music/pictures).

Very close to AOSP (i.e. Stock) ROM, splash resistant, can even choose pretty colours and can be engraved (oooooh!). 8Gb weighs in at £159.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 02, 2015, 09:27:04 am
Chromecast is supported on iOS in the iplayer apps, BBC sport, tune in radio, Vimeo and YouTube.

Cheers Stu, have you changed your BT unit to a CC audio yet?

Toby - Nexus 5 was the only idea I've had. Do you have one (do you like the camera etc.)?

Slackers - The camera would have to be a big improvement over the original as it's really poor. Expandable storage is a big plus the way apps seem to swell currently.

If I were to be looking at the 5c, can anyone point to a reputable source for buying used or do I need to take my chances on ebay?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 02, 2015, 09:35:52 am
Slackers - The camera would have to be a big improvement over the original as it's really poor. Expandable storage is a big plus the way apps seem to swell currently.

You might be able to find even more detail on the two to compare, but I'm lazy so from Wikipedia on specification...

Quote from: 1st Generation
Rear camera    5 MP, 3.5mm focal length, f/2.4 aperture with LED flash and Touch Focus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moto_G_(1st_generation))

Quote from: 3rd Generation
Rear camera    13 MP, f2.0 aperture, dual CCT dual tone flash, 1080p video recording @ 30fps, and slow motion recording (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moto_G_(3rd_generation))

Emailed you some samples to look at.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: duncan on December 02, 2015, 10:01:52 am
Whilst we're on the subject, what would be the android equivalent to an iphone 6?

I've had it with Apple's 'our way or the highway' approach, particularly with respect to managing music.

c.5" screen, excellent camera, decent sound quality are priorities.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 02, 2015, 10:07:32 am
Samsung 5/6
Moto Play X
LG4
Sony Xperia Z3
Nexus 6
HTC One M9

Wouldn't bother with the OnePlus2 myself as its specification in comparison to those is poor. 

I doubt anyone here will have tried all of these to give you a balanced opinion/comparison.

TechRadar : 10 Best Android Phones (http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/best-android-phone-which-should-you-buy-717819)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris j on December 02, 2015, 08:04:54 pm

Toby - Nexus 5 was the only idea I've had. Do you have one (do you like the camera etc.)?

I bought a 32Gb nexus 5 last month as a replacement for my Moto G (~£250 off Amazon I think) after not being overly impressed by reviews of the latest Moto G and reading lots and lots of reviews of mid-range phones which all seemed much the same and bigger than I wanted.

The camera is the only weak point on  the phone for me - takes perhaps a second or more to take a picture after you hit the shutter so I have lots of blurred pictures of our nipper. Otherwise stock android 6 (upgraded itself as soon as I took it out of the box and connected to wifi) which is great.

I wasn't keen on messing around with SD cards - I spent a lot of time installing cyanogen on my old Moto G and then figuring out how to move app data to the SD card, 32GB internal storage is plenty for me for the time being. As a point of reference for performance it plays real racing 3 fine in lower graphics settings, starts to stutter when the rear view mirrors come into play in the higher settings.

HTH
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on December 04, 2015, 11:17:27 pm
Chromecast is supported on iOS in the iplayer apps, BBC sport, tune in radio, Vimeo and YouTube.
Toby - Nexus 5 was the only idea I've had. Do you have one (do you like the camera etc.)?

Yes I have one, i really like it. The camera is decent, its fast, good screen etc. The only drawback for me is very little memory; so its amazing with wifi / good 4g but less so without.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sidewinder on December 05, 2015, 08:16:21 am
Now they have discontinued the nexus 5 it's pretty hard to buy so you might have to reconsider. It was a good phone, Mrs sidewinder just tried to replace hers after breaking her screen. Don't buy one, or anything, from simplyelectronics, one of the only place selling them. despite professional looking website they are fraudsters selling reconditioned, often faulty stuff as new and then trying to avoid refunding you. We are currently in a fight with them.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 07, 2015, 10:16:11 am
The camera is the only weak point on  the phone for me

There in lies the quandary, better hardware == greater cost ergo in general you don't get decent cameras on cheap phones.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 07, 2015, 10:42:37 am
The Sony's look like they fit the bill but look very delicate.

The way phones go I'm finding it hard to trust eBay as a reliable source for something that works fully!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on December 07, 2015, 10:48:40 am
I've had my Z1 compact for ~18 months now, not been too careful with it, and it's still fine. yrmv of course...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris j on December 07, 2015, 01:13:00 pm
The camera is the only weak point on  the phone for me

There in lies the quandary, better hardware == greater cost ergo in general you don't get decent cameras on cheap phones.

It's not a huge point for me, I'm old fashioned so if I want good photos I tend to use an actual camera. I should qualify my previous post in that the camera on the Nexus 5 is perfectly fine in bright daylight but for me slows down and suffers a lot indoors or in dull conditions.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 07, 2015, 02:33:11 pm
It's not a huge point for me

But camera quality and price are two factors that prompted the thread resurrection....

My better half constantly complains about the photos she gets from the Moto G (original)

...

It's pointless spending huge money here (~£150) as the phone gets taken to construction sites, left unattended a fair amount and if it's really high value I doubt it'll last too long.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris j on December 07, 2015, 06:40:45 pm
It's not a huge point for me

But camera quality and price are two factors that prompted the thread resurrection....



This is true, which was why I commented on my experience of the camera in my first post, even though for me it wasn't a huge issue in the choice of the phone. For me the screen, having 32Gb of internal storage so not having to dick around with SD cards for app data and the price were the main drivers. But enough pointless petty pedantry...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on December 08, 2015, 08:21:28 am
This is true, which was why I commented on my experience of the camera in my first post, even though for me it wasn't a huge issue in the choice of the phone. For me the screen, having 32Gb of internal storage so not having to dick around with SD cards for app data and the price were the main drivers. But enough pointless petty pedantry...

But you're not the one looking to buy a new phone, Paul B's wife is, so what you're satisfied with in a phone is somewhat irrelevant, although I'm sure the feedback on the camera quality was useful (even though Nexus 5 are hard to buy now according to sidewinder).

But enough pointless petty pedantry...

(http://img1.jurko.net/avatar_11076.gif)

:clown: :hug:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 15, 2015, 04:02:26 pm
Bought a 5c (in that garish pink colour) based solely on the fact that I believe it has a good camera, I'm interested to see how Nat reacts to iOS (and it's an easy way of me dipping my toes without committing and the dodgy phone shop in Blackburn had plenty to pick from (zero Nexus 5s and the Sony's were way way too big).

Me next and then two trade-ins for old Moto Gs.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on December 15, 2015, 04:20:43 pm
That's why you need the compact
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 15, 2015, 05:04:19 pm
That's why you need the compact

Perhaps. I'll now wait and see.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on December 18, 2015, 11:42:10 am
After a lot of research I've just got a Sony Xperia Z5 compact. Very happy with it. Great camera, micro SD card slot to boost the memory and a fantastic battery life.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on March 05, 2016, 11:40:43 pm
After a lot of research I've just got a Sony Xperia Z5 compact. Very happy with it. Great camera, micro SD card slot to boost the memory and a fantastic battery life.

Is this still going well? I'm looking for a 4G Android phone, preferably durable. I liked Nexus 5 but recently my Nexus died, and the Sonys look ok. I was looking at 31 a month on O2 for a Z5 - anyone got any other suggestions?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on March 05, 2016, 11:50:58 pm
The other night I knocked over my bottle of water by my bed and flooded my phone case. The phone spent the night in a puddle. Then I went to work. When I got a minute, I took it out the case to dry it. It's a galaxy S5, so the phonee itself was fine. The £10 Iblason case is just to make it bombproof. Already waterproof. Typed this on it because I can't be arsed to use the laptop next to me. Use it as my main computer basically.

My other half got her brand new fucking expensive iPhone 5s wet a week into ownership. That or an overly tight pocket  is more than enough to kill one.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: rodma on March 06, 2016, 08:02:00 am
After a lot of research I've just got a Sony Xperia Z5 compact. Very happy with it. Great camera, micro SD card slot to boost the memory and a fantastic battery life.

Is this still going well? I'm looking for a 4G Android phone, preferably durable. I liked Nexus 5 but recently my Nexus died, and the Sonys look ok. I was looking at 31 a month on O2 for a Z5 - anyone got any other suggestions?
I have one of these too. It's nice to have a phone that fits in my pocket.

Obviously compared to the giant phones it feels like a compromise for Web browsing, but that's the only downside.

The battery is awesome as well, only need to charge it every day if I've been using it as a sat nav, otherwise it's every two to three days

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on March 06, 2016, 08:10:17 am
Yes, I'm nearly three month in and love it. Battery life is great, loads of space. Fast and efficient and the waterproofing is a real bonus!!

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on March 06, 2016, 09:26:44 am
cheers all: looks like some good recommendations, o2 have a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Refurb 16GB on a plan with 5GB data for £29 a month; looks pretty decent - dunno how much the Z3 differs from the Z5 though? I'll have a look...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: petejh on March 06, 2016, 10:06:31 am
iphone 4 seems quite resilient - bought this reconditioned unlocked one for £200 and have had it 2.5 years. £12 per month sim only.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-rFmin5p6EgM/Vtv84BnXn9I/AAAAAAAABZI/HwAO0gPkbqI/w572-h681-no/phone%2B2.jpg)

Still going strong! As long as I keep it on charge at home or in the car or  it does ok. Survivor of many winter climbing trips, soakings and drops. I'll change it when it finally keels over and dies.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on March 06, 2016, 10:18:55 am
holy shit Pete, your phone might be the only thing that gets injured more often than you!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 06, 2016, 10:29:06 am
cheers all: looks like some good recommendations, o2 have a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Refurb 16GB on a plan with 5GB data for £29 a month; looks pretty decent - dunno how much the Z3 differs from the Z5 though? I'll have a look...

Do you use 5Gb of data and all of the minutes/texts offered on that plan? 

How long is that contract for 12/18/24 months (equates to £348/£522/£696 over the term of the contract).

If you take out the paying for a phone and look at just getting a service then it might work out cheaper to buy a phone outright as you can get a Refurbished Z3 16Gb Compact for £229 (http://www.refurb-phone.com/product/sony-phone/sony-z3-compact-16gb-black-mobile-phone/)   and you can use Ofcom approved Bill Monitor (https://www.billmonitor.com/) to check what you use in terms of data/texts/calls over the last three months and find the 'best' deal for your usage.

Might be you can get a 12-month/rolling contract for < £119 for example I'm on Three with 1Gb/3000 text/300minues/2000minutes to other Three users which costs £10/month, so if I were to buy that phone on a 12month contract its roughly the same buying outright or on the deal (£349).  If however its an 18 or 24 month contract then its cheaper to buy the phone myself and then pay £10/month (£409 for 18 month, a saving of £113 over contract or £469 for 24 month a saving of £227 over contract).

It will vary depending on usage and which phone you want, but its not always cheapest to get phones on contracts these days (although it does help spread the cost obviously).

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: petejh on March 06, 2016, 01:34:08 pm
holy shit Pete, your phone might be the only thing that gets injured more often than you!

 :(
perhaps phones are the new dogs (resembling their owners)

And what Slackers said. Over the last 2.5 years I've paid out £560 (inc. cost of phone) for handheld mobile telecoms. An average contract of £30 per month would have cost me £900 over the same period. Of course the flipside is you have to be content sticking with the phone you buy and not upgrading every year and a half, even when it ends up resembling a half-destroyed terminator. Although if you bought a cheaper phone that didn't have a piece of fruit on it, and paid a bit of insurance, you'd be covered and still quids in.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on March 06, 2016, 01:47:00 pm
I've got a Z1 compact and it's ace and still going strong. Waterproof, quick, fantastic battery life, plenty storage and expandable. Only downside for me is I'm not the biggest fan of the Sony android skin.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 06, 2016, 05:42:52 pm
Although if you bought a cheaper phone that didn't have a piece of fruit on it, and paid a bit of insurance, you'd be covered and still quids in.

Worthing checking if your home contents insurance covers a phone, I think the dedicated insurance* for mobiles is a swindle.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on March 06, 2016, 05:54:46 pm
Only downside for me is I'm not the biggest fan of the Sony android skin.

You could go with stock Android (AOSP == Android Open Source Project) using one of the many ROMs available here (http://forum.xda-developers.com/xperia-z1/orig-development).

I'd advocate putting a stock ROM or CyanogenMod on any Android phone to get rid of the crap carriers (with the exception of Motorola) think their customers want and makes them stand out from the crowd, but I appreciate rooting a phone and applying updates isn't everyones bag of dried leaves soaked in hot water.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on March 14, 2016, 09:28:58 am
Hello all ... more phone questions, looking at getting SIM free from this place: http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/contract-mobile-phones/sony-xperia-z5-compact#about-the-phone

Anyone else used the site? Seems fairly reputable, like Paul I'm slightly reluctant to get a phone from ebay.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Sidehaas on March 14, 2016, 08:33:12 pm
Hello all ... more phone questions, looking at getting SIM free from this place: http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/contract-mobile-phones/sony-xperia-z5-compact#about-the-phone

Anyone else used the site? Seems fairly reputable, like Paul I'm slightly reluctant to get a phone from ebay.

I've used them a couple of times, they were fine.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: bigironhorse on March 15, 2016, 07:46:23 am
Can anyone recommend somewhere to get my phone screen repaired in Sheffield? Preferably cheap as chips
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on March 22, 2016, 08:04:31 am
cheers all for the (mostly Sony) recommendations. Went for the cheapskate option of Motorola Moto G in the end, on a couple of recommendations; hopefully it'll do the job OK.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: petejh on March 25, 2016, 12:37:11 pm
Thought this was worth posting for anyone considering a SIM-only pay monthly deal.

Was just looking online at my virgin mobile bill (pay monthly, SIM-only) and checking what other tariffs were available to me online via my virgin account page... nothing any better than what I had: 250 minutes, 1gb data, unlimited texts, £10 per month.

Then I checked the Virgin Mobile webpage for new SIM-only tariffs... For £10 per month they offer 2500 minutes, 1gb, unlimited texts.

So I tried purchasing this, but the only catch was I'd have to get a new number - didn't want to do that 'cos of work, lots of clients etc.

Called customer services and said I wanted to switch my current SIM-only tariff to the one offered for 'new' SIM-only accounts, but I wanted to keep my current number. 'No problem'. Done in 5 minutes over the phone. But it isn't offered anywhere online as an option.

So.. I just went from paying a tenner a month for 250 minutes/1gb data/unlimited texts; to paying a tenner a month for 2500 minutes/1gb data/unlimited texts.

For a iphone I paid £200 for 2.5 years ago.  :smartass:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: jwi on April 04, 2016, 02:19:56 pm
Broke my screen (Samsung note II) for the second time... so I'm hunting a new phone. Spec-wise Oneplus X seems hard to beat for the price... €270 in France. Any experiences?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on April 04, 2016, 02:23:46 pm
Thought this was worth posting for anyone considering a SIM-only pay monthly deal.

Was just looking online at my virgin mobile bill (pay monthly, SIM-only) and checking what other tariffs were available to me online via my virgin account page... nothing any better than what I had: 250 minutes, 1gb data, unlimited texts, £10 per month.

Then I checked the Virgin Mobile webpage for new SIM-only tariffs... For £10 per month they offer 2500 minutes, 1gb, unlimited texts.

So I tried purchasing this, but the only catch was I'd have to get a new number - didn't want to do that 'cos of work, lots of clients etc.

Called customer services and said I wanted to switch my current SIM-only tariff to the one offered for 'new' SIM-only accounts, but I wanted to keep my current number. 'No problem'. Done in 5 minutes over the phone. But it isn't offered anywhere online as an option.

So.. I just went from paying a tenner a month for 250 minutes/1gb data/unlimited texts; to paying a tenner a month for 2500 minutes/1gb data/unlimited texts.

For a iphone I paid £200 for 2.5 years ago.  :smartass:

Interesting Pete, might be of use to me as I'm on an £8 virgin sim-only deal (for an iPhone I paid £300 for new over 3 years ago which still works perfectly).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on April 04, 2016, 02:41:21 pm
Broke my screen (Samsung note II) for the second time... so I'm hunting a new phone. Spec-wise Oneplus X seems hard to beat for the price... €270 in France. Any experiences?
If you are looking for good specs for the price then the oneplus two at £249 is a good option. It is missing quick charging and NFC from the specs though as well as not having expandable storage. Community support is good though. 

Another option is the zte axon elite that can be bought for £200 off  eBay. This is the option I went for as it has dual sim (no more carrying a separate work phone!), expandable storage, NFC (android pay ready), quick charging, snapdragon 810 that was last year's flagship chipset, great front facing speaker, hi fi audio chip, great screen, dual camera setup. Downsides are the aesthetic isn't for everyone in champagne gold with fake leather (it doesn't look as bad in real life as the photos!), need to put on a different launcher as the default is horrid (in my opinion), also it is likely to get upgraded to android 6 however this isn't guaranteed, finally there is only a small developer community so not many alternative ROMs are available. Also one last thing is that the rear fingerprint scanner struggles after a days grit climbing! In retrospect a thumb based scanner is potentially a better option for a climber...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on April 07, 2016, 10:38:06 am
Huawei working with Leica on flagship phone...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/06/huawei_p9_hands_on/
Not super cheap yet but one to keep an eye on.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on April 07, 2016, 11:00:08 am
Motorola Moto G "Gorilla Glass" is breakable (obviously everything is breakable, except maybe rubber - you can't really crack rubber!)

I bought a new screen of Ebay and tried ot fit it a few days ago - all was going well untill removing the earpiece speaker from the old phone  - I ended up splitting it in half instead. Only £2 for a new one...but it's still not arrived.  :wall:


.....................

And as if by magic the new speaker just dropped through the door...  :great:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on April 07, 2016, 12:47:56 pm
And now it's working again :-)

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Dave Mayes on April 07, 2016, 03:45:20 pm
Just spotted this thread - I'm after a new android phone and wondered if anyone is more in the know than me about this sort of thing.

You read some awful things about the factory conditions making mobiles, so I want to choose a company that aren't complete bastards in the way they treat people. I'll happily take a worse front camera and a plastic case if it means the company that made it act with a bit of decency.

I've read (link at the bottom) that certain companies are better than others, human rights and pollution wise, and surely that must be true, but there's not many brands on that list. Also, I've no idea how reliable their data is, or where they got it from.

Fairphone 2 seems to be the obvious choice, but it's ~£400 which is too much for my student budget. Does anyone know other phones made by half decent companies?

I've seen Huawei Honor 7 looks ok at ~£250, and they're 2nd on that list.

Cheers!


http://www.thegoodshoppingguide.com/ethical-mobile-phones/ (http://www.thegoodshoppingguide.com/ethical-mobile-phones/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on April 07, 2016, 03:51:26 pm
I want to choose a company that aren't complete bastards in the way they treat people.

https://www.fairphone.com/
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Dave Mayes on April 07, 2016, 06:01:14 pm
I want to choose a company that aren't complete bastards in the way they treat people.

https://www.fairphone.com/

Like I said, they're just too much money at the moment. 525€ here in France, which is more than a months wages for me...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on April 07, 2016, 06:04:06 pm
 :oops: :sorry: I didn't read all your post.

I think you will struggle to find a budget price for an ethical phone, the two are to a large extent mutually exclusive.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on April 07, 2016, 07:26:55 pm
I've texted Slackline to let him know that someone has hacked his account and is posting pointless ramblings
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on April 08, 2016, 09:38:08 am

I've texted Slackline to let him know that someone has hacked his account and is posting pointless ramblings

I think he's been watching that Two Ronnies mastermind sketch...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y0C59pI_ypQ
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fiend on April 08, 2016, 11:22:25 am
I've texted Slackline to let him know that someone has hacked his account and is posting pointless ramblings
You could tell a difference???  :smart:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on April 08, 2016, 11:33:08 am
Some more pointless rambling....

One approach you could take to being "ethical" is rather than plump for a brand new phone that is ethically sourced is to go for a second-hand, slightly older model.  That way you are helping to reduce waste and the need to extract rare elements or maltreat staff in the first place.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: creedence on April 08, 2016, 11:37:55 am
Even a 2nd hand Fairphone.....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairphone-/131772531079?hash=item1eae414187:g:~I4AAOSwQjNW-VTh (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairphone-/131772531079?hash=item1eae414187:g:~I4AAOSwQjNW-VTh)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris20 on April 08, 2016, 11:48:29 am
Even a 2nd hand Fairphone.....
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairphone-/131772531079?hash=item1eae414187:g:~I4AAOSwQjNW-VTh (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fairphone-/131772531079?hash=item1eae414187:g:~I4AAOSwQjNW-VTh)

A friend of my bought the original Fairphone for the same ethical reasons but said it was terrible and wouldn't recommend it I think she went into details but I think I called her a hippy and stopped listening, she did mention something about not being able to get any reception when she was in France.  No idea what the new one is like though
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: petejh on April 11, 2016, 11:31:38 am
Just spotted this thread - I'm after a new android phone and wondered if anyone is more in the know than me about this sort of thing.

You read some awful things about the factory conditions making mobiles, so I want to choose a company that aren't complete bastards in the way they treat people. I'll happily take a worse front camera and a plastic case if it means the company that made it act with a bit of decency.

I've read (link at the bottom) that certain companies are better than others, human rights and pollution wise, and surely that must be true, but there's not many brands on that list. Also, I've no idea how reliable their data is, or where they got it from.

Fairphone 2 seems to be the obvious choice, but it's ~£400 which is too much for my student budget. Does anyone know other phones made by half decent companies?

I've seen Huawei Honor 7 looks ok at ~£250, and they're 2nd on that list.

Cheers!


http://www.thegoodshoppingguide.com/ethical-mobile-phones/ (http://www.thegoodshoppingguide.com/ethical-mobile-phones/)

Presumably the opposite version is a laissez-faire phone.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on June 01, 2016, 08:53:33 am
Looking like Motorola have a new batch of the Moto range coming out - I'm in the market for a new one to replace my creaky Moto E and the G4 looks right up my street, decent spec for a mere £169.


Just need to find somewhere that actually sells one, though I might be a bit over-keen as release date says "early June".



http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/android-smartphones/motorola-moto-g4-moto-g4-plus-review-3640486/ (http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/review/android-smartphones/motorola-moto-g4-moto-g4-plus-review-3640486/)



Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Grubes on June 01, 2016, 09:50:47 am
I have been using the 3rd gen for a year and its been great.
I bought mine off of motorolas website in a sale
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on June 01, 2016, 10:09:38 am
Looks like you can get one off there and that's probably the only place at the moment. There is the option of a bright pink back shell as well and I'm really tempted!


You can pick up the 3rd gen Gs for about a ton on Argos etc. Still a very decent phone but thought I'd treat myself and the camera setup etc looks a bit better on the 4th gen.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Jaspersharpe on June 02, 2016, 12:03:17 pm

You can pick up the 3rd gen Gs for about a ton on Argos etc.

Should have picked one up while you were rolling by Argos Extra like a pimp.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 02, 2016, 12:18:47 pm

You can pick up the 3rd gen Gs for about a ton on Argos etc.

Should have picked one up while you were rolling by Argos Extra like a pimp.

Word. With your chrome spinners on the Fabia..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on June 02, 2016, 01:45:29 pm

You can pick up the 3rd gen Gs for about a ton on Argos etc.

Should have picked one up while you were rolling by Argos Extra like a pimp.

Word. With your chrome spinners on the Fabia..


I was only there to get (and I'm not kidding) a weed remover tool to get shot of the plague of dandelions that have appeared on my lawn.


Don't hate the playa boys - hate the game.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 02, 2016, 02:01:16 pm
Did you see me doing donuts in the Asda next door?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on June 24, 2016, 01:42:14 pm
More on the Moto G4 (not to be confused with the 3rd Gen 4G, which is just a 4G enabled old Moto G):


http://www.trustedreviews.com/motorola-moto-g-review (http://www.trustedreviews.com/motorola-moto-g-review)


Only place apart from the Motorola site I've seen these is on the Tesco site - I actually bit the bullet and tried to buy one yesterday, only to the informed they're out of stock!


 :chair:



Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on June 24, 2016, 04:05:05 pm
John Lewis have got them in stock at £160

http://www.johnlewis.com/motorola-moto-g4-smartphone-android-5-5-4g-lte-sim-free-16gb/p2789422?sku=236210308&kpid=236210308&s_kenid=09d8818f-c454-437c-b9a6-6f9c6c17f293&s_kwcid=402x2886564&tmad=c&tmcampid=73
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on June 24, 2016, 07:05:54 pm
Having dropped my MotoG v1 in the loo the other night, I'm waiting for the 64gb G4plus to be released in July. I'll report back when acquired.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy_e on July 04, 2016, 01:05:27 pm
My HTC One M8 went swimming this morning and is currently lounging in a pot of rice. If it fails to dry, does anyone know what the HTC One M9 is like?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on July 04, 2016, 01:22:23 pm
John Lewis have got them in stock at £160

http://www.johnlewis.com/motorola-moto-g4-smartphone-android-5-5-4g-lte-sim-free-16gb/p2789422?sku=236210308&kpid=236210308&s_kenid=09d8818f-c454-437c-b9a6-6f9c6c17f293&s_kwcid=402x2886564&tmad=c&tmcampid=73 (http://www.johnlewis.com/motorola-moto-g4-smartphone-android-5-5-4g-lte-sim-free-16gb/p2789422?sku=236210308&kpid=236210308&s_kenid=09d8818f-c454-437c-b9a6-6f9c6c17f293&s_kwcid=402x2886564&tmad=c&tmcampid=73)


Good spot - got one last week. Impressed so far, but it is an upgrade from an old skool non-4G Moto E.


It's a big beast, kind of like my old HTC Desire HD but that's not a bad thing - it's in a pocket / bag most of the time and the bigger screen is great for photos and video.



Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: psychomansam on July 04, 2016, 01:42:00 pm
Samsung S5s are still on sale and still waterproof. This does have the disadvantage that you can't drown it to justify an upgrade. I keep mine in a shock proof case so dropping it is also no excuse.
To be fair, my other half has an S6 in a waterproof&shockproof case. I'd trust it less, but it's still unlikely to provide you with an opportunity for an early upgrade.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on July 04, 2016, 01:46:56 pm
I had a Motorola that was waterproof a few years back, a feature that in retrospect added no additional value or utility to the phone at all.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Hugh on July 04, 2016, 02:33:13 pm
My HTC One M8 went swimming this morning and is currently lounging in a pot of rice. If it fails to dry, does anyone know what the HTC One M9 is like?
I've got an M9. Pretty happy with it, decent camera, screen and battery life. Certainly preferable to my previous iPhone.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on September 23, 2016, 12:30:33 pm
Finally I'm going to actually get around to buying a new (budget, Android) phone.; before I plump for the new Moto G4 (not the play or the plus versions), is there anything I'm missing?

Techradar seems to suggest it's the best in class. Others being:

Oppo F1 - Camera looked interesting (not the selfie one)
Wileyfox - Cyanogen appeals to my inner geek but I'm not sure how much market share it'll retain going forward?
Honour 5X - ?
Sony offerings seem poor although again the better than usual camera appeals.

I'll be in the USA in ~1 month and I was hoping that the exchange rate would mean I could pick up a very cheap phone however that's not looking likely!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on September 23, 2016, 06:57:25 pm
Finally I'm going to actually get around to buying a new (budget, Android) phone.; before I plump for the new Moto G4 (not the play or the plus versions), is there anything I'm missing?


I don't know if it's a problem with the new Moto, but the headphones socket on mine died very quickly, all googling suggests that this is very common, and it just happens again if you get Motorola to repair it, which leaves you phone less for 3 weeks. Otherwise it's great, however.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on September 23, 2016, 07:27:16 pm
How's everyone doing with their Z5 compacts, still good?  The specs on the new Moto G look good except the size... So I'm thinking of the Z5. £259 refurbished from GIffGaff just now.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on September 23, 2016, 08:16:43 pm
I decided the Moto G4 was too big and decided to buy a new 3rd gen instead from John Lewis. £99 delivered and unlocked. 12gig card and it'll do me.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on September 23, 2016, 09:04:17 pm
I decided the Moto G4 was too big and decided to buy a new 3rd gen instead from John Lewis. £99 delivered and unlocked. 12gig card and it'll do me.

I'm just getting rid of my 2nd gen... Bit fed up how easily the "gorillia glass" screen keeps breaking (I've broken 3 to be fair the replacements may have been lower quality) and it's just too slow. Maybe the 3rd gen is better?  £99 is pretty good value, but I'm constantly battling my 8gb internal memory, so the 32gb of the sony looks promising  (not all apps can be moved to SD).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on September 23, 2016, 10:14:31 pm
Fucks sake!! UKB's ever reliable server has lost my reply...

Anyway asked a mate at work who has one (Z5 compact) this exact question today and he's very happy with his still (nearly year on).

(I've had my Z1 compact for ages now and really like it - the sony android skin isn't the nicest but it's a great bit of hardware, and the camera's lovely)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on September 23, 2016, 10:17:12 pm

I'm just getting rid of my 2nd gen... Bit fed up how easily the "gorillia glass" screen keeps breaking (I've broken 3 to be fair the replacements may have been lower quality) and it's just too slow. Maybe the 3rd gen is better?  £99 is pretty good value, but I'm constantly battling my 8gb internal memory, so the 32gb of the sony looks promising  (not all apps can be moved to SD).

16 year old daughter has had the 3rd gen for nearly 12 months and its been excellent - but did get the 16gb memory, 2g ram version after reading reviews.  Looks like can get it for £120 on Amazon, pretty unbeatable value at that price imo.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: rodma on September 24, 2016, 01:12:37 pm
How's everyone doing with their Z5 compacts, still good?  The specs on the new Moto G look good except the size... So I'm thinking of the Z5. £259 refurbished from GIffGaff just now.
I still like mine.

It's not as fast as the missus' moto g4, but it runs fine, has a great camera etc. It's quite wee, so web browsing sucks a bit, but otherwise I really like it.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on October 03, 2016, 12:51:40 pm
It's not as fast as the missus' moto g4, but it runs fine, has a great camera etc. It's quite wee, so web browsing sucks a bit, but otherwise I really like it.

Good knowledge Rodma, thanks.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: cowboyhat on October 03, 2016, 01:35:05 pm
An alternative to the Sony compact is the Samsung A3. Still (relatively) small and only about £200. Really like it. Originally bought it because there was an offer and it was much cheaper than the Sony.

I've got one though its a 2014 i think, there is an updated 2016 version which I think i'll get soon.

(Nothing wrong with the one I have now operationally except that I keep smashing it. Which is nothing to do with the design of the phone or anything other than me being myself etc). Don't cycle and text when drunk.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on October 04, 2016, 11:39:52 am
Still loving my Sony Z5 compact. I have found the waterproofness to be of use when lounging in a hot tub (which have found occasion to do twice this year), chilling out, taking inappropriate photos of the wife photos etc etc Otherwise, has been useful when fishing in the rain and/or dropping it in the lake...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on October 04, 2016, 01:22:22 pm
Still loving my Sony Z5 compact. I have found the waterproofness to be of use when lounging in a hot tub (which have found occasion to do twice this year), chilling out, taking inappropriate photos of the wife photos etc etc Otherwise, has been useful when fishing in the rain and/or dropping it in the lake...

Mine has just arrived. So far so good. I might get a thin cover for it as it's quite slippery in the hand and I'm good at dropping phones...

The camera is actually quite impressive!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on October 04, 2016, 01:24:49 pm
Yeah I bought this one and has seen off a number of Fatneck Fumbles!

Xperia Z5 Compact Case, Ringke FUSION [SMOKE BLACK]Shock Absorpti... http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0168YKR1I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_udp_apa_F958xb2GCAQ7P

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on October 04, 2016, 02:30:50 pm
Soon no one will need to say what phones they have, we'll all know automatically from the really useful and informative signature Crapatalk adds to posts by default (but which can be turned off in the settings)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on October 04, 2016, 06:13:02 pm
Soon no one will need to say what phones they have, we'll all know automatically from the really useful and informative signature Crapatalk adds to posts by default (but which can be turned off in the settings)

Well...  with a quick google at least - unless you know your phone as a E5823...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on October 26, 2016, 07:35:15 am
for those of you on Virgin sim only -

they are offering double data again (last day of the current offer is today), but you have to phone them to change to the deal

for Virgin media customers
£8 gets 2GB data (plus usual mins and texts)
£10 gets 4GB data

offer seems to come up fairly regularly
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on October 26, 2016, 09:16:02 am
Nice one Largs.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on October 26, 2016, 09:34:16 am
Update - After speaking to three different people and being on hold for ages it turns out Virgin won't actually transfer existing customers onto this double data thing, it's for new contracts only, so I'd have to cancel my existing one, start a new one too, they then send me a new SIMS that I don't want or need, then after the 30 days notice period had gone on my old number presumably get them to transfer the old number onto the new account. Or at least that's what I understood the women with the mid-pacific accent on the phone was trying to say. At which point I lost the will to live and hung up.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on October 26, 2016, 07:08:22 pm
that's bollocks (what they said, not what Dave said)

I changed to it yesterday - both my sim only deal and my wife's

I called 789 from my phone and said "I want to change my sim only deal to the double data deal for the same price" and the man on the other end did the usual credit check and read out the conditions - my package updated to double data today, so I know it worked

no new sim or anything

we were both already on a rolling one month sim only deal
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on October 26, 2016, 07:27:09 pm
I might try again tonight, i'm guessing most of their callcentre drones don't know what's going on, probably got to drop lucky.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on October 26, 2016, 09:01:29 pm
So far I'm very pleased with my reconditioned Z5 compact. As with most half decent android stuff, it works without much fanfare...you don;t get much feeling of "upgrade" except the lack of hang ups and slowdowns.

The camera is pretty decent:

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qMuq9hmB0mRflLrHdkY4BISnHlbIGpU90h0mS2vF14XCxc1VBeR510oKS3TdKl1E_G4VNv7CuvmQIkRO8tIRlz2nqH62l3PY9Oiferfm948XzrxnAiHJrAMqsQmDmujLUky6TJKUQ25PhcxQor0gvFULE6SjBfjdhvxFinRK6tPIeKw5Plt9OE_VL8tXrdH85YTyfY5jzVCIAaSg6Nas_ieKE6flEtCEDiEowUvj31ZaZB0KWX8ZS7802QjMwxZeaMrJNOzfjWqDTk0jgQOHcJ7gLOhqrLRcGn8wz-hAxF1HLpFYqgCvfDxv3miKd_67FEKmS_Rw39OyProCfD4humBTTL2cgzoJkxv_HMeZxU7hBm1fHQz9v5u7iANlwu56LcS2sPPHsGhhtR0mRKlioj7o6cmtKdh91YTYxmnTX8VNGpoRqPa3J49BzGEucBiCuB31oASkEDCpSgbbxb5gVD2iWOeJzJuYIwhSI6wZJAUrN2AJYdupP1JLfsPJpbQzMS_Ax1tgMmOG9yutGdr4WKPMFpAQRjxsbqE6X8O8vjU0emk5v4YMV--b-NTZ5We02nDZQs_fmECflp2eYTCJhYloj4nf5XFDrUBWQ44tDI-Owhsa=w1369-h770-no)

Battery lasts me 2 full days, maybe a day and a half if using GPS in the hills or a lot of screen use.

I found it very slippery, so bought a slightly grippy cover:  http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/rearth-ringke-fusion-sony-xperia-z5-compact-case-smoke-black-p56858.htm

Cheers for the heads up.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on October 27, 2016, 11:37:11 am
Just go easy on the little bit you have to pull out to charge it up. The tether on the mrs's one wore out and then it fell out and she lost it.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sidewinder on October 27, 2016, 12:24:10 pm
Just go easy on the little bit you have to pull out to charge it up. The tether on the mrs's one wore out and then it fell out and she lost it.
They don't have that any more, that was a previous model, though are still magically waterproof.  Also have a Z5 compact and have been happy with it. Premium performance, but a bit smaller.  The stamina and ultra stamina modes are pretty useful, when running short/on a trip!  The ultra stamina mode effectively turns it into a non-smart phone, with a good camera, but the projected battery life is about a week!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on November 18, 2016, 09:52:04 am
Has anyone had problems with call quality on their Xperia Z5c? Mine has become effectively useless as a telephone as the other aller gets a terrible echo.

On the plus side, it turns out that the Z5c has a built in barometric sensor. They just didn't bother telling anyone...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on November 18, 2016, 01:08:00 pm
I plumped for the Moto G4 and as I had John Lewis vouchers (after spending a fortune on stove) it came in at £130. It's massive (and thin which seems like a bad combination) but seems a big improvement on my 2nd gen Moto G.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on November 24, 2016, 04:31:09 pm
Quote from: Fultonius
Has anyone had problems with call quality on their Xperia Z5c?

Not experienced this problem at all...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on November 25, 2016, 08:08:18 pm
Virgin are doing the double data ting again on SIMS only. Phoned this time and managed to get someone who wasn't an idiot so got my shit sorted quick smart. Quadrupled my existing data, 50% extra minutes, and a 4G sim in the post.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ofgXv7JYOM
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on November 25, 2016, 08:35:21 pm
What network do V run on?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on November 25, 2016, 08:58:55 pm
T-mobile/EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on November 25, 2016, 08:59:30 pm
Virgin are doing the double data ting again on SIMS only. Phoned this time and managed to get someone who wasn't an idiot so got my shit sorted quick smart. Quadrupled my existing data, 50% extra minutes, and a 4G sim in the post.

nice one - not sure we've got 4G devices, but will check

I just scored a 50mbs unlimited broadband only deal for my daughter's flat for £18/month with Virgin. Now to see if they'll let me take up some of their black friday media offers as an existing customer...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on November 25, 2016, 09:07:15 pm
T-mobile/EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Cheers ears. Do they allow tethering...?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on November 25, 2016, 09:23:40 pm
T-mobile/EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Cheers ears. Do they allow tethering...?

Not sure tbh
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris j on November 26, 2016, 08:17:09 am
T-mobile/EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Cheers ears. Do they allow tethering...?

I quite often USB tether my laptop through my phone on EE 4G with no issues if that helps?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on November 26, 2016, 08:32:37 am
T-mobile/EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Cheers ears. Do they allow tethering...?

Three do on all you can eat packages and feel at home is amazing IMO.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on November 26, 2016, 09:17:14 am
Thinking about it, with a sim only deal and an unlocked phone can they even restrict tethering?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on November 26, 2016, 09:39:27 am
Thinking about it, with a sim only deal and an unlocked phone can they even restrict tethering?

Yes - they can tell when its tethered...

I'm on EE at the moment and they allow tethering... I also have a three sim that allows it but only for a portion of the data alllowabce.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on November 26, 2016, 09:56:07 am
There are various ways tethering can be detected (https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/47819/how-can-phone-companies-detect-tethering-incl-wifi-hotspot).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on November 26, 2016, 10:39:50 am
On Virgin I've used my phone as a Wi-Fi hot-spot to allow iPad to connect to interweb via the phone's 3G before, if that counts as tethering.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: slackline on November 26, 2016, 11:06:26 am
That is tethering.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on November 26, 2016, 12:31:39 pm
Is virgin 4g? Last time I checked it was 3g only.

Tesco is 4g on o2 network and allow tethering. They currently have some black friday deals with decent amounts of data for reasonable prices  http://shop.tescomobile.com/pay-monthly/sim-only/Tesco+Mobile/simonly/tariff/?sku=44142&icid=Home-deal-SIMO_750-T3
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on November 26, 2016, 04:19:36 pm
Yes virgin is 4G, hence why they are advertising 4G deals.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on December 07, 2016, 09:22:45 am
Just a tip off that if you (like me) are on EE for Home Broadband as well as mobile, they're doing a deal where they will give you a shedload more mobile data into the bargain.


http://shop.ee.co.uk/bundles-and-offers/data-boost-existing-ee-pay-monthly-customers (http://shop.ee.co.uk/bundles-and-offers/data-boost-existing-ee-pay-monthly-customers)


Going to call up and sort that out later.



Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: highrepute on December 07, 2016, 10:06:00 am
Says only for existing or new mobile customers who sign up for broadband. Sounds like doesn't apply if you've already got both. Let us know if you get owt?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on December 07, 2016, 10:26:10 am
Yeah, will do - they've sent me a mailout so I'm hoping I'm eligible!

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on December 07, 2016, 01:19:46 pm
There are some mad deals happening at present. I was paying £36 per month for my phone and tablet. Now paying £31 per month, got an extra 3gb of data for mobile (5gb per month) and an extra 4gb on tablet (5gb also) and a free Samsung Galaxy 10 inch tablet.

Might be open to offers on tablet of anyone fancies it?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on December 07, 2016, 09:43:46 pm
Says only for existing or new mobile customers who sign up for broadband. Sounds like doesn't apply if you've already got both. Let us know if you get owt?

All sorted, though I was actually at the end of my broadband contract so I guess it was technically a renewal on the broadband.

All in I paid a year's landline rental upfront for 200 quid, the broadband is a reasonable 2.2 fuckalls a month, and I got the 5gb extra data allowance on my mobile as well.



Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on March 09, 2017, 07:25:56 am
Anyone else having battery life issues since the Sony Z5 Android 7 update? Mine has gone to shit, as have many other Sony users.

Considering flashing it with a custom ROM but I'm only 5 months into my warranty....
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on March 09, 2017, 09:29:09 am
I've got a z5 compact and its fine?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on March 09, 2017, 09:29:38 am
actually scrub that its still on 6
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on March 09, 2017, 09:40:25 am
When the next update comes out, definitely backup your phone first as you might want to revert to the old OS. Mine's a compact too.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: rodma on March 09, 2017, 11:13:18 am
Weird. I'm on seven and my battery life has improved, but the keyboard has gone to shit.

Am also on z5 compact

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on March 10, 2017, 03:29:25 pm
My Z5 Compact seems broadly unchanged...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on March 28, 2017, 09:13:29 pm
just got myself the new Moto G5

a bit bigger than I would ideally have wanted, but Mrs Starfish's old Moto G has been so reliable and usable that I was prepared to put up with a larger unit

seems pretty good so far - works great

I initially regarded the fingerprint scanner as an unlikely to work gimmick - it worked great until I did a bit of washing up or climbed a bit of grit, at which point it didn't seem able to read my fingers - I tried adding my post grit index finger as a new finger, but it couldn't read it to build a profile

using my left thumb seems to work; both for position and less loss of skin

the low friction screen (compared to a 4 yr old Xperia SP) makes swiping a pattern pretty quick and reliable, so the fingerprint thing isn't very important

the whole phone seems to be a bit smooth and slippery (and therefore droppable), but I'll be putting it into a case in the next couple of days

I'll keep you informed of future issues
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on March 29, 2017, 09:44:12 am
just cottoned on to the deal that a fingerprint scanner lets you wake up and unlock a phone with one touch; compared to previous method of press a button and then swipe a pattern

left thumb working fine for this

the device is still unable to read grit ravaged finger tips 20 hrs after the event
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dave on March 29, 2017, 09:55:25 am
The fingerprint scanner on my iphone works great, but a session on a particularly savage gritstone pinch can confuse it, but otherwise all good. VERY handy for logging into internet banking, paypal apps etc.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on March 29, 2017, 11:41:50 am
Without wishing to sound like Slackbot Jnr - I've been investigating this as part of my work - turns out spoofing the fingerprint scanner isn't too hard.


http://fortune.com/2016/02/24/fingerprint-spoofing-easy/ (http://fortune.com/2016/02/24/fingerprint-spoofing-easy/)

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: lagerstarfish on March 29, 2017, 08:29:47 pm
good thinking - I'll make a model of my fingerprints just in case my phone locks me out when I want to spray about my latest gritstone conquests
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy_e on September 20, 2017, 09:41:13 am
Currently thinking about upgrading from my HTC One M8 which is slowly going all wobbly. A few questions:


Thanks!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on September 20, 2017, 03:12:35 pm
Currently thinking about upgrading from my HTC One M8 which is slowly going all wobbly. A few questions:

  • What's the replacement to the M8? Is it the Desire?
  • Can anyone recommend a phone with the following:
    • Android
    • Good camera (the HTC One M8 is a very good camera)
    • 32gb internal with external slot
    • Decent screen size (larger than iPhone) so I can read the thing.

Thanks!
Pixel XL could be a good option. One of the best cameras on an android phone, pure android that will get upgraded, quad hd 5.5" screen.

Is 32gb however this cannot be expanded with a memory card. This may not be an issue though as you get free online storage for any photos taken on the pixel stored on Google Drive for free.

Currently available with large discount (https://www.carphonewarehouse.com/google/pixel-xl.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwo4jOBRDmqsavuLfl9CYSJAAFY1ox2U1zePIBCs06nVu2JKcymNyUktDJrwcKM9r4EaW-WBoCEJ3w_wcB&cid=PAIDSEARCH_Google_Google+-+Pixel+XL_Core+-+Phrase_pixel+xl_40101182942&s_kwcid=AL!2047!3!213950698030!p!!g!!pixel%20xl&device=m&ef_id=VtvpbAAAAXGfkRF1:20170920140732:s#!colour=black&capacity=32GB&dealType=sf) as the pixel 2 is just about to be released.

Sent from my ZTE A2016 using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on September 20, 2017, 04:47:36 pm
these are cheap...

https://www.giffgaff.com/mobile-phones/htc/htc-desire-530/phone-details?ggCampaign=B-FacebookCE-HTCDesire-&utm_source=FacebookCE&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=B-FacebookCE-HTCDesire&placementID=201432575&CreativeID=0&dclid=CNf96YiItNYCFaSv7QodtXwGJw

NO idea if they are wack...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Obi-Wan is lost... on September 20, 2017, 09:45:30 pm
Currently thinking about upgrading from my HTC One M8 which is slowly going all wobbly. A few questions:

  • What's the replacement to the M8? Is it the Desire?
  • Can anyone recommend a phone with the following:
    • Android
    • Good camera (the HTC One M8 is a very good camera)
    • 32gb internal with external slot
    • Decent screen size (larger than iPhone) so I can read the thing.

Thanks!
Liking my Moto Z. Got a good price on Amazon. Great battery life if you buy the moto mod add on. 32gb and internal SD card. Also considered Honor or One Plus 5.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy_e on September 22, 2017, 11:49:06 am
Had a look around and the Huawei P10 is tickling my fancy. Anyone got one?

Seriously considering splashing out for a huge SD card and replacing my iPod too.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SamT on September 22, 2017, 07:42:45 pm
Had a look around and the Huawei P10 is tickling my fancy. Anyone got one?

Seriously considering splashing out for a huge SD card and replacing my iPod too.
colleague has a p9 that he's very happy with.  I was thinking seriously about one.. but found an s7 on ebay that was from currys/pcworld refurb outlet. half price (350) unlocked. 14 day return policy and when it turned up.. it was essentially unboxed but never used.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SamT on September 22, 2017, 07:47:10 pm
eg..

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122628863337

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Andy F on September 23, 2017, 06:55:44 pm
Had a look around and the Huawei P10 is tickling my fancy. Anyone got one?

Seriously considering splashing out for a huge SD card and replacing my iPod too.
colleague has a p9 that he's very happy with.  I was thinking seriously about one.. but found an s7 on ebay that was from currys/pcworld refurb outlet. half price (350) unlocked. 14 day return policy and when it turned up.. it was essentially unboxed but never used.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I've got  P9 and its great. Top camera, fast processor, great screen, lots of standard memory and I've put another 32gig in it. I'd recommend one to anyone and the P10 looks even better.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on November 13, 2017, 06:30:06 pm
Had a look around and the Huawei P10 is tickling my fancy. Anyone got one?

Seriously considering splashing out for a huge SD card and replacing my iPod too.
colleague has a p9 that he's very happy with.  I was thinking seriously about one.. but found an s7 on ebay that was from currys/pcworld refurb outlet. half price (350) unlocked. 14 day return policy and when it turned up.. it was essentially unboxed but never used.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
I've got  P9 and its great. Top camera, fast processor, great screen, lots of standard memory and I've put another 32gig in it. I'd recommend one to anyone and the P10 looks even better.

I'm also looking at the P10, looks really good, but not waterproof, and apparently poor battery life. Anyone used one yet?
Nokia 8 looks ok as well, both on offer at car phone warehouse.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on November 13, 2017, 08:07:11 pm
I’m due an upgrade from Slodafone. Currently toying with getting an IPhone SE, but could be tempted by a P10 or something similar? I’m well and truly out the loop with mobiles these days. I did read somewhere that November is the best month for mobile deals? Perhaps towards the end of the month especially with Black Friday approaching.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on November 13, 2017, 08:18:43 pm
Jesus Christ. Start searching for deals and it is endless!

Quite fancied a new laptop, so thought I did look into a deal for a mobile that comes with one. Can get Huawei P10 lite on EE with unlimited calls and texts, and 15gb of data for £34.99 per month with a free Lenovo 15.6 Celeron 4GB RAM 1TB HDD Windows 10 Home worth £322.99 (apparently)

The plot thickens.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on November 13, 2017, 08:20:47 pm
https://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/gift/lenovo-15-6-celeron-4gb-ram-1tb-hdd-windows-10-home?page=all
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on November 25, 2017, 04:07:44 pm
Read all the reviews, and the one plus 5 seems like a much better bet. Just bought one; can feedback for anyone interested. The 5t is pretty similar, better screen but more expensive. Anyone want to buy a used Moto G?! ;-)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on November 26, 2017, 09:58:53 pm
Highly recommend the oneplus 5 on evidence so far. Not tried the camera yet, but it's supposed to be very good.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on January 24, 2018, 08:20:01 pm
Anyone tried or use the Smarty network?

Have absolutely lost it with Vodafone, fucking bellends of the highest calibre. So fancy a change, reviews of Smarty look decent as does price etc. One of the reviews was by a user called tom tom...... Coincidence?! Or is it our very own...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on January 24, 2018, 11:14:21 pm
Nope. Not me Mike. Never used it...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Will Hunt on March 10, 2018, 07:30:59 pm
I've been using my Nexus 5 for about 4 and a half years now. I bought it new and it cost £300 sim free. Need something new now and Jesus Christ phones are expensive. I don't think I'm willing to get something that costs much more than £400. Might just stretch to £500.

I have a feeling that my phone has been getting OS updates since I got it (maybe I've stopped getting them and I haven't noticed). Is this not a thing that happens anymore? Lots of phones seem to have time limits on when they'll stop updating the OS.

I'd like 32GB storage at least. 64GB would be great. Decent camera would be nice but doesn't need to be amazing. Will be getting it sim free and putting in a Giff Gaff SIM.

Any advice on where I should start looking?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tk421a on March 10, 2018, 08:05:21 pm
Nokia 8 at carphone warehouse is at £349 which seems cheap. Processor is the same as all the current flagships.
New flagship phones coming out soon.
Oneplus are good value (using a oneplus 5 myself), as are a lot of the new chinese brands, Huawei / Honor etc.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: butters on March 11, 2018, 10:03:55 pm
Review here for the Nokia 8 - https://www.techradar.com/reviews/nokia-8

Would be interested in hearing some ideas as well - the battery on the nexus 5 is dying in under a day so going to have to upgrade soon.

@ Will - Google upgrades (other than critical ones) stop after 2 years from IIRC - probably now standard practice...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on June 18, 2018, 05:42:41 pm
Just wondering does anyone use the 3 network? Need to upgrade my sim only deal for more data and id mobile who piggy back off the 3 network are doing 10gb, 300 minutes for a tenner a month. Seems good value however I'm a bit concerned about the lack of 2g especially when in the hills/on the moors and needing to let the missus know I'm going to be late as I just need one more go at my project!

Can also go with either virgin or Plusnet who piggy back off EE. However these are less data for the money and also don't get the full EE network (no band 800mhz 4g).

Any personal feedback regarding signal would be appreciated as coverage maps are generally useless!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Mike Tyson on June 18, 2018, 06:42:35 pm
I moved to 3 sim only from Slodafone. In general, I get a decent enough signal in most areas but like any network, it sometimes fails miserably. Not sure where you are based, but it works reasonably well for me in North Yorkshire, County Durham and Cumbria.

I got my deal through the topcashback website. Think it’s £12ish per month for 500 mins, u/l texts and 8gb of data, and also got about £50 cash back (well not technically got it yet, but will definitely be getting it as I’ve used the website loads and never had any problems.)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: joel182 on June 18, 2018, 07:14:08 pm
Just wondering does anyone use the 3 network?

Have used 3 happily for several years - have been happy with the coverage (mostly used in Mid Wales & London)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on June 18, 2018, 09:16:27 pm
Phone up customer retentions (or ask to be put through) of your existing supplier. They're desperate to keep existing customers and will near always match other deals (and better them)..
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on June 18, 2018, 09:20:21 pm
Phone up customer retentions (or ask to be put through) of your existing supplier. They're desperate to keep existing customers and will near always match other deals (and better them)..

Already tried that. Unfortunately Tesco don't do any customer retention deals apparently. All deals are the same for new and old customers. I think this is a good way to be, apart from when I can't make it work in my favour!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: fatneck on June 26, 2018, 03:21:28 pm
I generally have excellent reception - been on 3 for years and the only place I get outreceptioned is at work where 02 reigns supreme...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on July 02, 2018, 09:36:46 am
So I've recently upgraded by old Moto G4 to the new G6 Play and have been really happy with it...bigger, faster, like the fingerprint sensor etc.


However, stumbled over an annoying problem that looking at the Motorola message boards seems like it might be an endemic problem with the phones.


The headphone connection is a bit iffy, especially at sub-half volumne, and will occasionally just disconnect and interrupt Spotify / iPlayer. I've also completely failed to get it to connect / play via my standard 3.5mm aux jack in the car.


Jury seems to be out from Motorola / Lenovo's side, but in this thread they seems to be close to admitting a problem:


https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Moto-G6-Moto-G6-Plus-Moto-G6/Moto-G6-Play-poor-headphone-audio-quality-confirmed-on-multiple/td-p/4101744/page/3 (https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/Moto-G6-Moto-G6-Plus-Moto-G6/Moto-G6-Play-poor-headphone-audio-quality-confirmed-on-multiple/td-p/4101744/page/3)



Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on January 10, 2019, 05:41:32 pm
Is anyone up to date with budget Android smartphones?

I've not been overly impressed with my Moto G4 (screen size is good for viewing content but the phone generally seemed sluggish from the off). My wife went for a Huawei P9 Lite which seems OK?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: TobyD on January 10, 2019, 06:00:05 pm
I have a one plus five. It's absolutely brilliant, I'd recommend it to anyone. Very good camera, screen, very fast processor.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: joel182 on January 10, 2019, 06:29:14 pm
I have a Xiaomi Mi 8 which I've been impressed with so far. Their budget lineup seems to get good reviews, and for around £200 I'd consider a Mi A2 Lite (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Xiaomi-Mi-Lite-5-84-Inch-Smartphone-Gold/dp/B07JGZRY4Q?th=1)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: winhill on January 10, 2019, 08:22:51 pm
Before xmas I found the Huawei Honor 9 Lite for £99, supposed to be one of the best budgets for 2018, at that price very good deal. (Didn't buy one though)

https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-huawei-honor-9-lite
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: bigironhorse on January 11, 2019, 08:24:10 am
Is anyone up to date with budget Android smartphones?

I've not been overly impressed with my Moto G4 (screen size is good for viewing content but the phone generally seemed sluggish from the off). My wife went for a Huawei P9 Lite which seems OK?

I have had p8 lite for about a year. Its alright but a bit slow at times. You have to be careful to leave plenty of free space (at least 20% ideally) on the internal memory or it becomes unusable.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on January 13, 2019, 10:34:45 pm
Before xmas I found the Huawei Honor 9 Lite for £99, supposed to be one of the best budgets for 2018, at that price very good deal. (Didn't buy one though)

https://www.kimovil.com/en/where-to-buy-huawei-honor-9-lite

I probably should've bought then. However, I'm not overly fond of the UI where every app gets dumped on your screen rather than as per stock Android. I've been watching reviews of the Cubot P20 and like the idea of stock Android, at 6.18" it's verging on a tablet!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on April 15, 2019, 10:27:31 am
Sorry, me again  :wave:

Any opinions on the Honor 10 Lite vs. the Moto G7 Power?

5000mAh battery and USB type C swings me slightly towards the Motorola (I've had the original through to the G4 so it's also a familiar format).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on April 15, 2019, 11:10:34 am
G7 power has a large battery life however the specs don't seem that great with a 720p screen and 632 snapdragon, single camera, etc. These will give better battery performance however will impact upon the phones day to day performance.

With regards to battery life almost all phones will last a full day of use and with powerbanks being so cheap i'm not sure having such a large battery is critical (obviously this will depend on your usage patterns). As this is the case i would be tempted to get a better specification of phone than the G7 unless the battery life is the most critical aspect of performance for you.

What is your budget? Happy to make some other suggestions once this is known.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on April 15, 2019, 11:31:14 am
Budget is a funny one in that work said they'd pay without defining a budget (it's a small firm). I'd like to keep it <£200.

I've always managed quite well with the Moto series of phones but the G4 was a disappointment (always a bit slow and the battery life seemed poor).

I'll be buying a whopping battery for my summer climbing trip so that'd be fine for work trips to London etc. (infrequent).

Edit: I'm a bit picky with camera outputs; overly processed HDR stuff etc.  :shit:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on April 15, 2019, 12:52:16 pm
If you can stretch the budget slightly the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is a bargain https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/xiaomi-mi-9-se-6gb-64gb-dual-sim-black.html#description. Slightly smaller screen however is AMOLED with in screen fingerprint scanner, snapdragon 712, triple camera, recently released so will get updated to android 9, dual band ac wifi, bluetooth 5.0, usb c, 18W fast charge.

If you want cheaper than the best cheap option would seem to currently be the Honor 10 lite https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/huawei-honor-10-lite-3gb-32gb-dual-sim-sim-free-unlocked-black.html (can also be bought from amazon/John Lewis for £170) or if you want Android One software for quicker updates and a similar experience to your Moto Xiaomi do the Mi A2 https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/xiaomi-mi-a2-dual-sim-4gb-64gb-black.html#specifications (can also be bought in the UK for £150ish).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: joel182 on April 15, 2019, 01:19:05 pm
I'm a big fan of Xiaomi phones - if you're willing to put general concerns about chinese phones (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46465438) aside
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on April 15, 2019, 01:46:29 pm
Regarding the camera on the Honor phone - my girlfriend has the Honor 9 lite and the camera gives tremendously processed pictures if I'm honest. Otherwise it's a fantastic phone and I can only imagine the 10 is better. I say this as a G2 to current G4plus user.
I had thought to get a Honer 10 lite to replace it but I think the photos would bug me sadly.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on April 15, 2019, 02:05:03 pm
I had thought to get a Honer 10 lite to replace it but I think the photos would bug me sadly.

This is my worry. Nat has the 9 lite and I'm not convinced by the photos and the 'dump the icon anywhere' on the screen UI.

If you can stretch the budget slightly the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is a bargain https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/xiaomi-mi-9-se-6gb-64gb-dual-sim-black.html#description. Slightly smaller screen however is AMOLED with in screen fingerprint scanner, snapdragon 712, triple camera, recently released so will get updated to android 9, dual band ac wifi, bluetooth 5.0, usb c, 18W fast charge.

If you want cheaper than the best cheap option would seem to currently be the Honor 10 lite https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/huawei-honor-10-lite-3gb-32gb-dual-sim-sim-free-unlocked-black.html (can also be bought from amazon/John Lewis for £170) or if you want Android One software for quicker updates and a similar experience to your Moto Xiaomi do the Mi A2 https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/xiaomi-mi-a2-dual-sim-4gb-64gb-black.html#specifications (can also be bought in the UK for £150ish).

Good knowledge, thanks. Xiaomi Mi A2 seems to have an adapter to take a headphone jack, isn't that a massive PITA?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on April 15, 2019, 02:33:30 pm
To avoid the 'dump the icon anywhere' you can just change the launcher to something like the Google Now Launcher that is available in the play store. Then you will only have to interact with the emui interface when you head I to the phone settings.

As for headphones this seems to be the way things are going with most high end phones opting for usb c and a dongle to give a 3.5mm jack. I think in the long run most people will switch over to Bluetooth headphones (could be a good excuse to buy yourself some 😉).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on April 15, 2019, 03:12:36 pm
I have some but the chances of me remembering them when I go to work etc. and not losing/damaging/constantly forgetting an adapter is low!

I'll probably stew on this long enough that the whole market will change again.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on April 15, 2019, 03:37:23 pm
I'll probably stew on this long enough that the whole market will change again.

:D

I wondered about the headphone jack thing - but it turns out I use the headphones so infrequently I've not yet had to take the adaptor out with me...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on April 15, 2019, 05:47:57 pm
The mi A2 lite has a headphone port if that is a sticking point with the mi A2. Downsides are that the camera and processor are slightly worse and you only get micro usb not usb c.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on September 30, 2019, 10:59:47 am
Moving back to the uk in the new year and need to sort a phone.

Is buy a handset and get a sim only deal the way to go?

Also thinking of switching from android to iPhone for a couple of reasons but... switching over whatsapp seems to be an issue. I definitely do not want to lose whatsapp messages, has anyone got round this? Or should I just stick with android?

Also don't need latest and greatest. Just phone that will do standard WhatsApp/internet/email/nav stuff. Relatively cheap, not massive and robust as important as anything else. Any recommendations either side of the apple android divide... and how much should I be paying?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SamT on September 30, 2019, 11:06:17 am
Have a look at Currys/PC world outlet on Ebay.

Got my last 3 phones (wife/kids etc) from here.  Ex demo/stock/refurb/returns type stuff, but every one I've had has essentially looked brand spanking new and been about half price.

Just transferred all my dads Whatsapp messages over to a new phone.  Was a bit fiddly, but involved backing them up to google drive, then restoring from google drive to the new phone.  (actually, probably straight forward if you're not changing your gmail account/email address).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on September 30, 2019, 11:17:28 am
Cheers i'll check that out.

I think the WhatsApp issue is specific to going android to iphone or iphone to android. Because android whatsapp backups to google drive and iphone backups to iCloud. And they can't talk to each other... the interweb suggests there are workarounds but wondering if anyone has actually done it.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: duncan on September 30, 2019, 01:33:19 pm
My long-term strategy has been to buy whatever unlocked second-hand/reconditioned iPhone costs £200. Buying through a reputable reseller costs about £25 more for than one that could have been nicked. This usually gets you a phone 2/3 year off the cutting edge but still with ~4 years life before OS changes make it obsolete (unless you blow it up attempting a DIY battery change (https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/fr/cp0/e15/q65/24302000_10212737842152990_6617848733747210868_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_oc=AQk5N-ifBV3bMNcsy1ZiKD6I25m1Q50XdwjDGYJEaQNaSzdIFq4gpls4CCkw0VceQcI&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr3-1.xx&tp=1&oh=cc84d784a4cc35e1964d2c89e4b0bc24&oe=5E33DC09)).  Two years ago  it was an SE from Tesco (seemed ‘as new’), currently looks like you’d get a 7 which is a perfectly fine thing. Factor in a couple of battery changes at £25 a go and one new screen at £40 (not yet, but I’ll likely break something) means it’ll cost me ~£75 a year over the 4 years.

Then look for whatever seems like a decent data deal. I chose 3 because they offered free roaming in the USA but there are better options if this is unimportant.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on September 30, 2019, 02:06:37 pm
Cheers Duncan that's just the kind of info I was after. Nice one  :2thumbsup:

Anybody got any insight on the android to iphone WhatsApp transition?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on September 30, 2019, 02:32:01 pm
aye, #fuckapple stick with Android.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on September 30, 2019, 02:43:38 pm
Is looking like it could be the option I'll have to take...

Can't believe that migrating WhatsApp history between android and apple is such an issue. Where's my fucking jetpack etc etc
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: remus on September 30, 2019, 06:45:02 pm
Anybody got any insight on the android to iphone WhatsApp transition?

Can confirm it's a fucking nightmare. I'm usually pretty willing to spend a lot of time messing around trying to coerce technology in to doing what it should but gave up trying to transfer whatsapp messages from my partners iPhone to new android phone (slim chance it's easier the other way round?)

There's no official way of doing it and lots of crap instructions that don't work. I think there might be some paid apps that will do it for you but I didn't want to fork out cash so can't comment on whether they're any good. The solution I came across involved backing up the iPhone to your computer, extracting the whatsapp messages, fiddling with the format then trying to convince the new android phone to restore these messages as if they were a backup.

There is an option to extract all your messages as plain text so you have the basic contents of the messages available to read and not lost forever, but obviously you can't just browse them in whatsapp so it's a pretty shit half way solution.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on September 30, 2019, 06:47:11 pm
Guess I'm sticking with android then...  :lol:

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on September 30, 2019, 06:57:39 pm
No ones blamed Facebook - I mean WhatsApp yet? ;)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on September 30, 2019, 08:30:24 pm
I'm not in the blame game. I want solutions...


...or a jetpack.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on September 30, 2019, 08:33:36 pm
Or some android phone recommendations:
Relatively cheap
Compact
Robust
Reasonable camera
Decent built in memory

And a brief look at sim deals suggests giffgaff is the way to go. Any horror stories?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on September 30, 2019, 08:52:37 pm
Have a look at Plusnet SIMS, usually some some decent deals to be had.

https://www.plus.net/mobile/sim-only

Recently bought a Motorola moto g7 power for £160. Decent specs, 64gb, camera's ok. Piece of piss to transfer all data & apps, WhatsApp just a case of backing up on your old handset then importing the chats and media if you wish.
Very impressed for five weeks until I stood on it in the lid of my climbing sack and cracked the screen.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on September 30, 2019, 10:00:43 pm
My long-term strategy has been to buy whatever unlocked second-hand/reconditioned iPhone costs £200. Buying through a reputable reseller costs about £25 more for than one that could have been nicked. This usually gets you a phone 2/3 year off the cutting edge but still with ~4 years life before OS changes make it obsolete (unless you blow it up attempting a DIY battery change (https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/fr/cp0/e15/q65/24302000_10212737842152990_6617848733747210868_o.jpg?_nc_cat=101&efg=eyJpIjoidCJ9&_nc_oc=AQk5N-ifBV3bMNcsy1ZiKD6I25m1Q50XdwjDGYJEaQNaSzdIFq4gpls4CCkw0VceQcI&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr3-1.xx&tp=1&oh=cc84d784a4cc35e1964d2c89e4b0bc24&oe=5E33DC09)).  Two years ago  it was an SE from Tesco (seemed ‘as new’), currently looks like you’d get a 7 which is a perfectly fine thing. Factor in a couple of battery changes at £25 a go and one new screen at £40 (not yet, but I’ll likely break something) means it’ll cost me ~£75 a year over the 4 years.

Then look for whatever seems like a decent data deal. I chose 3 because they offered free roaming in the USA but there are better options if this is unimportant.

Thats sort of what I do - but buy the one year old just replaced near top Apple model... £600-700... and keep for 3-4 years. Works out about £150-200 a year including selling the old one at the end... Happier to pay a bit more for a fancier camera and better performance...

Always buy just after the new one has been announced.. :)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Dolly on September 30, 2019, 10:22:49 pm
I've tried the iphone/Android WhatsApp switch and it just doesn't work. Took it on as a tech challenge (been making games/apps for phones since 2000)and although there's theoretically a way ...
After years of anti iphone prejudice ( based on experience) I did actually try to use one for a few months this year. Various models and form factors but they're basically not as good as a pixel. UI and app UI/UX is usually not as good.
Can't see any reason to get anything other than a secondhand pixel. Brilliant camera as well
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: remus on September 30, 2019, 10:37:01 pm
Id second a google pixel, had one for a few years now and it's been great. Particularly enjoy the regular OS updates, started off on android 7.1 and just updated to 10 a few days ago and still runs very smoothly. Camera is mint. Finger print reader is a bit log, though I've never found one that works for me (tried iphones and samsung galaxys) so might just be my scatty climbing fingers.

If you fancy splashing a bit more cash the pixel 3a is meant to be excellent value https://store.google.com/gb/product/pixel_3a and if you can wait a couple of weeks the pixel 4 is coming out which will most likely mean a tasty price drop for the 3a and/or some cheap options on ebay.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on September 30, 2019, 11:54:35 pm
For a cheaper alternative to the Pixel phones you could also try an Android One phone, these have stock android that get guaranteed regular updates. For example the Xiaomi Mi A3 can be had for £136 (only the 64GB version however it does have a micro sd slot - https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/xiaomi-mi-a3-dual-sim-4gb-64gb-kind-of-grey-international-ver..html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz8bsBRC6ARIsAEyNnvoxreVqeEGxNBfRyzAs7xnmaESx-3rU21Y2tCswdY4ocrPxq4ezP0UaAp7JEALw_wcB). This is a slightly smaller form factor than lots of new phones so may suit you better than most of the newer phones that probably fit your definition of massive. It has a full screen amoled screen however this is only 720p, this is great for battery life however might annoy you with the lower resolution. Other good things are it has a headphone jack, inscreen fingerprint scanner (find that a thumb works better as a climber rather than finger...), and a decent triple camera setup. Downsides are no NFC, also no official waterproofing.

If you want a slight step up then the Xiaomi Mi 9T might also be an option. This is what i have and it does everything i want in a phone for £230 for 64GB or £260 for 128GB (https://www.eglobalcentraluk.com/xiaomi-mi-9t-6gb-64gb-dual-sim-redmi-k20-flame-red-en.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwz8bsBRC6ARIsAEyNnvoNWY-fo6ZdGEPjAHOvU7usgWr-xAcQuwCsVs08R2CVcUW3r0oH_5caAu24EALw_wcB). It has Xiaomi Miui software however so far i found the experience pretty decent (especially using the Poco launcher so i have an app drawer), also Xiaomi are known for offering regular updates of the software with monthly security patches and Android 10 already confirmed for this device before the end of the year. Benefits over the A3 are slightly better triple camera setup, pop selfie camera so no screen notch, bigger screen 6.39" 19.5:9 (doesn't feel too large though due to having minimal bezels), better chipset (snapdragon 730), NFC for mobile payments, also it still has a headphone jack.

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nik at work on October 01, 2019, 08:21:17 am
Thanks everyone  ;D. Looks like sticking with android and plenty of food for thought...
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on October 01, 2019, 09:44:03 am
+1 Dolly's tip on a Pixel, couple of mates have them and the camera in particular takes some really good shots.

I've had about every generation of Moto for the last 5 or 6 years and I think as a budget phone you can't fault them. Cheap but an acceptable compromise of functionality, you can expand the memory yourself with an SD card and importantly (for me) they are Not An Apple Phone.

That said, thanks to my new employer subsidising my phone contract I have a flash new Samsung S10+, which is the first cutting edge phone I think I've ever owned. It really is good, though I don't think I'd ever pay for it myself if it was my money.



Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on October 01, 2019, 11:15:36 am
Play around with the slow mo and super slomo video functions, TTT, they are pretty cool.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on October 01, 2019, 12:08:47 pm
I've had about every generation of Moto for the last 5 or 6 years and I think as a budget phone you can't fault them. Cheap but an acceptable compromise of functionality, you can expand the memory yourself with an SD card and importantly (for me) they are Not An Apple Phone.

I think my Honor is better than my last Moto G.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tommytwotone on October 01, 2019, 01:19:50 pm
Play around with the slow mo and super slomo video functions, TTT, they are pretty cool.

I have been - good for a trip to the park with the kids!

Like the timelapse one too - did a cool one of my daughter doing a jigsaw.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: 205Chris on February 15, 2020, 09:12:38 am
Bump.

Finally smashed the screen on my old Sony Xperia the other day after 2 years of ownership which means I'm looking for a new phone.

Any suggestions on the latest and greatest budget Smartphones for 2020? Ideally I'd like to spend less than £200
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on February 15, 2020, 09:39:19 am
Motorola moto g7 power. 8 is out or due so available from John Lewis for £130. Apparently there are budget phones as good or better now but the Motorola's still seem great to me.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on February 15, 2020, 09:46:39 am
Or repair the screen?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: crzylgs on February 15, 2020, 11:41:34 am
Motorola moto g7 power. 8 is out or due so available from John Lewis for £130. Apparently there are budget phones as good or better now but the Motorola's still seem great to me.

:agree:

Been a fan of Motorola's phones for a while as a 'Budget but fully featured Android' option.

Over the last few years have upgraded my parents both to Moto offerings, no qualms so far.

I'd be temtped to get one myself when my Nexus 5x finally gives up the ghost.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on February 15, 2020, 08:52:44 pm
Got a Xiaomi Mi A3 for my mum recently. Seems to be great for the £126 paid. Battery lasts ages, nearly stock android, decent triple cameras, amoled screen, one handed/pocketable size. Only downsides really are no NFC for payments and 720p screen (this does help the battery life though so maybe a compromise worth making) - #Aliexpress £126.02 | Global Version Xiaomi Mi A3 MiA3 4GB 64GB Smartphone Snapdragon 665 Octa Core 6.088" AMOLED Screen 48MP AI Camera 4030mAh EU
https://a.aliexpress.com/_sgqAlk

I also have a Xiaomi phone, the mi 9t. Has been brilliant so far. Got all the features I need for a brilliant price (approx £250). Has a larger screen than the a3, full screen amoled with a pop up camera, has NFC for payments and a still brilliant battery life. Also has been upgraded to the most recent android 10 only last month, this was a much quicker update than I have ever had with any of the major brands (Samsung, sony, etc).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on February 16, 2020, 01:44:46 pm
Smashed by Xperia z5 compact, which was final nail (microphone randomly wouldn't work, camera made progressively shitter photos, battery life diminishing).


Ended up with a OnePlus 6T for £320ish off Amazon (nearly new basically opened, but not used). Great battery life, good camera.

But.

18:9 screen is a pain in the ass to use, I now have to use my phone 2 handed and I have big hands. Youtube either cuts the top and bottom off a video if viewed in a browser (landscape), or you get a black band either side to get it to 16:9. Weird design trend this 18:9 shit.

I had looked into a google pixel as it was a bit smaller, but can;t remember why I went the 6T route.

Also, it's USB-C, so old cables won't work and has an adapter for headphones. On the other hand, it last 2 full days of actual use and can charge in under an hour with the Dash charger, which is 4A and has the charging circuitry in the charger, so the battery doesn't heat up when charging, meaning it should last a lot longer.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on February 16, 2020, 02:17:08 pm
I now have to use my phone 2 handed and I have big hands.

Makes me laugh/despair to see young kids with the biggest phone they can eek out of their parents which turn out to be too big for them to handle then they need one of those devices that slots between their fingers so they can actually hold the thing. Somewhat defeats the object of mobile.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: spidermonkey09 on July 02, 2020, 02:19:28 pm
 After smashing my old phone in a fit of frustration when it crashed during a repeaters session, I've bought a Huawei P Smart 2019 for £130.

Initial impressions for the money are very good, if anyone is after a budget phone that seems to do everything I need it for.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fiend on July 02, 2020, 03:09:11 pm
spidermonkey09, for one, welcomes our new Chinese Government Overlords  ;D
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: spidermonkey09 on July 02, 2020, 03:32:13 pm
spidermonkey09, for one, welcomes our new Chinese Government Overlords  ;D

I reasoned if they want to watch me I have no doubt they already can, so what do I have to lose... :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on July 02, 2020, 03:57:13 pm
Initial impressions for the money are very good, if anyone is after a budget phone that seems to do everything I need it for.

My spy-phone is lasting much better than my previous MOTO offerrings. OS updates are regular and without hassle.

spidermonkey09, for one, welcomes our new Chinese Government Overlords  ;D

I'm just about to press "buy" on 4G internet with a spy-router  :tumble:  :worms:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on July 02, 2020, 08:27:50 pm
Not Chinese overlord related, but I too am about to press buy on a new phone (Samsung s10e), and thought I should check with the hive mind first:
Not apple
Actually fit in a pocket and be usable with one hand.
Good camera
Headphone jack
Battery life
Decent chip/speed
Not cost a fortune

Last couple of phones have been Sony xz1 compacts.
S10e is the best compromise I can see given the above, though better battery life would be nice. Any options I'm missing?

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on July 02, 2020, 09:05:03 pm
Pixel 4 for a good camera and fast updates could be an option, small battery though and not cheap at £500. Xiaomi Mi 9SE could be a cheaper option as can be got brand new for £300, probably 95% as good as the other options and cheaper.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dontfollowme on July 02, 2020, 09:13:47 pm
Pixel 3a but misses out on headphone jack so you have to use USB C or move to Blu tooth headphones.

https://store.google.com/gb/product/pixel_3a
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Duma on July 02, 2020, 11:12:27 pm
Where have you seen a pixel 4 for £500? Could be a goer at that price
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on July 02, 2020, 11:18:16 pm
Direct from google. They currently have an offer with £169 off.

https://store.google.com/gb/config/pixel_4
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sdm on July 03, 2020, 12:33:08 am
Pixel 3a but misses out on headphone jack so you have to use USB C or move to Blu tooth headphones.

https://store.google.com/gb/product/pixel_3a

The Pixel 3a has a headphone jack.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: remus on July 03, 2020, 08:11:49 am
Where have you seen a pixel 4 for £500? Could be a goer at that price

Dont know how much of a deal breaker it is but the 4 doesn't have a headphone jack.

There's rumours of the 4a being released fairly soon (next month or two) and if it's an upgrade on the 3a at a decent price it should be a banger. Depends if you can be bothered to wait though, plenty of other good phones on the market at the mo.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy popp on July 04, 2020, 10:48:09 am
I have an iPhone 11 (not my choice, work gave it to me). I guess I got it in December. Battery life has collapsed dramatically over the last three or four days. I've not changed how I use it (very basic, occasional calls and texting, internet, largely on wifi but sometimes on 4G, taking pictures) and haven't downloaded any new apps. Is this a known glitch? Any suggestions?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: teestub on July 04, 2020, 10:54:59 am
If it’s that new then it will be covered if the battery is faulty.  There’s a battery health measure in the battery settings menu you can check, and Apple can also run some diagnostics online whilst you’re chatting to them on your phone. I had similar a couple of models ago and they replaced the battery for free.

Edit: if battery health looks fine, may be worth trying a soft reset to see if that fixes it, and if you have a back up sorted you can also try full factory reset and upload your stuff back on. These can often be the first steps Apple will recommend.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: tomtom on July 04, 2020, 11:08:51 am
Anything that uses the GPS can cane the battery too Andy. In privacy settings - look at location services and that will tell you whats been using the GPS and you can switch it off for that app.

To add to Stubbsys great suggestion - in the battery option of settings - aside from the battery health option it shows battery usage by app. Which may reveal if one thing action or app is caning the battery.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy popp on July 04, 2020, 01:34:03 pm
Thanks both.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Simon W on April 04, 2021, 07:27:16 pm
Had a Moto g5 for a few years which has been fine. Camera is rubbish though and I only seem to take pics with my phone these days so looking for a decent camera.

Had a look at the following

Moto 8 & 9 range
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
Realme 3 Pro

Got a cheap sim deal which i’m happy with so would prefer to buy rather than get a contract.
Any recommendations for something preferably under £200?


Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Ged on April 04, 2021, 08:37:46 pm
You can pick up refurb Samsung galaxy s8 for less than 200 on ebay. I've got one, the camera is ace, battery life is fine, does everything else well.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: remus on April 04, 2021, 08:48:24 pm
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro has great specs and is meant to be amazing value for £200, been getting great reviews. You can get better cameras on a phone but you'll need to spend some more money.

If you want to stretch the budget the pixel 4a has a great camera and a clean android install with none of the crap you get on other phones, plus you're guaranteed regular software updates for 3-4 years. Great battery life too.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on April 04, 2021, 10:15:57 pm
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro has great specs and is meant to be amazing value for £200, been getting great reviews. You can get better cameras on a phone but you'll need to spend some more money.

If you want to stretch the budget the pixel 4a has a great camera and a clean android install with none of the crap you get on other phones, plus you're guaranteed regular software updates for 3-4 years. Great battery life too.

Mobiles.co.uk have some very good contract deals with Vodafone on Pixels at the moment, I've just got a Pixel 5 with 18gb of data for total of £612 over 24 months, which compares very well with a price of £529 for sim free phone. 
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on April 05, 2021, 11:21:54 am
Had a Moto g5 for a few years which has been fine. Camera is rubbish though and I only seem to take pics with my phone these days so looking for a decent camera.

Had a look at the following

Moto 8 & 9 range
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T
Realme 3 Pro

Got a cheap sim deal which i’m happy with so would prefer to buy rather than get a contract.
Any recommendations for something preferably under £200?

I've just stopped using. Moto G4 plus and moved to the Moto G 5g.
I think it's on offer for £229 at the moment and I have to say, I think the extra is worth it for the latest Android experience. It's all about the swipes and it works well. Massively quick compared to my old phone.
The camera is okay, it picks up 5g seamlessly when it's there (which isn't often yet, and I've no complaints.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Simon W on April 05, 2021, 05:48:07 pm
Thanks for the input, a couple had popped up during my search and also a couple of new contenders  :2thumbsup:

Anyone got anything from the Moto g8 or 9 range who can comment on the camera?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: dontfollowme on April 05, 2021, 06:20:26 pm
Pixel 3a for £250 - https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/phones-broadband-and-sat-nav/mobile-phones-and-accessories/mobile-phones/google-pixel-3a-xl-64-gb-just-black-10193173-pdt.html
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: crzylgs on April 05, 2021, 08:23:38 pm
Am also in the market for a new mobile - I've actually been phone-less for a while now through choice and really loving the less time spent looking at a small screen - however with lockdown easing I'm sadly going to need one again!

The Pixel 3a is on my short list, and that currys link is a decent price that from when I last looked. For about 5+ phones in a row I've been team Google with their Nexus offerings and have run them all into the ground so can't fault them.

I am tempted by some of the Moto offerings (have bought these from parents and they are still functioning well!) BUT they (all?) seem to lack dust/waterproof standards in their specifications? This may be due to the fact that they have expandable SD card storage etc? Which would be ace but being fairly 'outdoorsey' the lack of such a feature is a big no-no for me.

So whoever the original poster was... Simon W (?) water/dust-proofing might be a feature you all want to check the small print for.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on April 05, 2021, 08:45:17 pm
Am also in the market for a new mobile - I've actually been phone-less for a while now through choice and really loving the less time spent looking at a small screen - however with lockdown easing I'm sadly going to need one again!

The Pixel 3a is on my short list, and that currys link is a decent price that from when I last looked. For about 5+ phones in a row I've been team Google with their Nexus offerings and have run them all into the ground so can't fault them.


The 4a is available for £299 and I would think definitely worth the extra £50 over the 3a (though as ever with this sort of things there's always a reason to spend a few more £s).  Unfortunately neither have waterproof ratings or support wireless charging, part of the reason I pushed the budget to a 5. 

Definitely liking the phone, nice size, good performance, screen and camera, latest android is very clean and usable.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Simon W on April 06, 2021, 07:14:01 pm
Thanks again all.

Just bought a Moto g 5G plus for £199. Realised that my g5 is now 4 years old. It’s been battered over that period and still working so decided to stay with Motorola.

I don’t think the one I’m getting will have an amazing camera but am sure smart phone camera tech will have moved on a shed load since the g5 came out so hoping it will feel like a significant upgrade for me.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on April 06, 2021, 07:38:41 pm
Thanks again all.

Just bought a Moto g 5G plus for £199. Realised that my g5 is now 4 years old. It’s been battered over that period and still working so decided to stay with Motorola.

I don’t think the one I’m getting will have an amazing camera but am sure smart phone camera tech will have moved on a shed load since the g5 came out so hoping it will feel like a significant upgrade for me.

That's a great price - I paid £50 more a while back. I've also added a 64g memory card as Android 10 uses way more space.
The camera is better than expected once you've learnt your way around it, it's the least intuitive part of the phone programming  but I'm happy to use it for most of my photo taking. It's a massive step up from my G4.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SamT on April 06, 2021, 07:52:39 pm

Mobiles.co.uk have some very good contract deals with Vodafone on Pixels at the moment, I've just got a Pixel 5 with 18gb of data for total of £612 over 24 months, which compares very well with a price of £529 for sim free phone.

Cheers for the heads up on that... pretty much spot on for what I was wanting.  New Pixel 5 arrives tomorrow  :2thumbsup:
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Simon W on April 06, 2021, 07:53:54 pm
Cheers Kelvin and thanks for the tip!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on April 06, 2021, 10:15:01 pm

Mobiles.co.uk have some very good contract deals with Vodafone on Pixels at the moment, I've just got a Pixel 5 with 18gb of data for total of £612 over 24 months, which compares very well with a price of £529 for sim free phone.

Cheers for the heads up on that... pretty much spot on for what I was wanting.  New Pixel 5 arrives tomorrow  :2thumbsup:

No prob, glad you could take advantage, it's a good phone and seems like a really good deal.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: crzylgs on April 07, 2021, 01:05:41 pm
Was doing a bit more browsing for Phone deals and found this:

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/realme-5-pro-4128-ps99-8gb128-ps109-3698914

https://buy.realme.com/uk/goods/119

I have never owned a phone by that brand before, no idea exactly how much (if much?) messing they have done to the Android OS but it looks like exceptional value for the hardware :O

I might have to try it out. If I hate it figure I could probably resell for roughly break even and get a Pixel / Moto or whatever. If anyone else is tempted definitely go for the 8gb version for £10 more.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on June 02, 2021, 09:46:54 pm
I've had an honor 10 lite for my latest phone. However, I've just ended its life by fumbling it into my pocket as I ending up effectively throwing it at the floor. It's been great and until tonight I wasn't thinking I'd need to change any time soon.

Recommendations for a similar replacement please? I was looking at the 20 lite and the Huawei P40 lite but do these have issues using Google services these days?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: a13c on June 03, 2021, 05:37:33 pm
I got a pixel 4a a few weeks back and I'm really pleased with it. Great camera and very intuitive to use. The size was a big factor for me, i had Moto G5s plus previously and every phone (except apple) on my £200 ish budget was bigger and heavier. I didn't want one of the Chinese ones as I gather they fell out with android or something... The pixel 4a also had a headphone jack which a lot don't seem to bother with now.
I got the pixel off the Google store for £12.88 a month and as long as I don't break it (in the next 24 months) I'm happy!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SamT on June 03, 2021, 08:31:00 pm

Mobiles.co.uk have some very good contract deals with Vodafone on Pixels at the moment, I've just got a Pixel 5 with 18gb of data for total of £612 over 24 months, which compares very well with a price of £529 for sim free phone.

Cheers for the heads up on that... pretty much spot on for what I was wanting.  New Pixel 5 arrives tomorrow  :2thumbsup:

No prob, glad you could take advantage, it's a good phone and seems like a really good deal.

Happy with the Pixel 5 so far.  Lack of headphone jack flummoxed me initially, until I realised (well, someone younger than me pointed out) you just just use the USB C port, with an adapter available from ebay for piss all.



Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on June 04, 2021, 10:29:17 am
I think I'm verging on choosing either:
https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_gb/nokia-5-4

which seems 'robust' but not all that highly spec'd. or:

https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_10t_lite_5g-10480.php

Xiamoi seem to get quite good reviews and still seem to have Google services. The phone is just about hanging on in there but I can't see it surviving the weekend.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on June 04, 2021, 11:21:54 am
I have a Xiaomi 9t phone and really like it. Quick enough, great AMOLED screen and semi regular android updates/security patches (considerably better than several other big brands i have owned before...) Currently they seem to be the best value on the market in terms of specifications, just pick which model suits your requirements (AMOLED or LCD, 120Hz screen or not, fast chip or mid range, 5G or not, headphone jack or just USB C, etc) - this seems to be the most difficult part of buying a Xiaomi with lots of models that have seemingly similar specifications.

It should also be noted that Xiaomi have also been removed from the US trade blacklist so should be no issues with Google services or using Snapdragon chips moving forward unlike with Huawei. (https://9to5google.com/2021/05/26/xiaomi-set-to-be-removed-from-us-trade-blacklist/)
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on June 04, 2021, 02:04:31 pm
Thanks for the assurance about GMS and you're also correct in that the no. of models is baffling. I'm considering whether 64GB internal memory is sufficient as I'm running on about 40GB currently. As soon as you go into the 128GB model you change price point and other options flood in.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on June 04, 2021, 02:36:42 pm
Depending on the camera you have now you may need more memory than you think. If you go for a 108mp or 64mp camera the photos may take up considerably more space than you are used to. Also most phones will record in 4k now unless you set it to a lesser resolution again eating into storage space quickly.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on June 04, 2021, 02:45:37 pm
If you do decide to go Xiaomi they have decent offers in the mi.com daily pick offers. For example on Sunday the Poco X3 NFC 6GB + 128GB is £80 off reduced to £169.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: kelvin on June 04, 2021, 02:48:09 pm
Thanks for the assurance about GMS and you're also correct in that the no. of models is baffling. I'm considering whether 64GB internal memory is sufficient as I'm running on about 40GB currently. As soon as you go into the 128GB model you change price point and other options flood in.

The latest Android uses 24gb -33 gb.

I was pretty shocked  after being used to earlier Android systems.

I bought a 64gb phone and added another 64gb by buying a £7 memory card
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on June 04, 2021, 03:21:01 pm
If you do decide to go Xiaomi they have decent offers in the mi.com daily pick offers. For example on Sunday the Poco X3 NFC 6GB + 128GB is £80 off reduced to £169.

Good tip. The different models are making my brain hurt though!

I bought a 64gb phone and added another 64gb by buying a £7 memory card

This is what I feared. Cheap storage seems to mean apps are getting bigger and bigger.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on June 06, 2021, 01:49:23 pm
If you do decide to go Xiaomi they have decent offers in the mi.com daily pick offers. For example on Sunday the Poco X3 NFC 6GB + 128GB is £80 off reduced to £169.

I went for this in the end as it seemed really good value. Thanks.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on June 23, 2021, 04:48:14 pm
Update (if anyone cares); I've had to return the Xiaomi pretty instantly as it was glitchy as hell. Within the first day I'd had it stuck on the bootloader and anything with autoplay videos was requiring a force stope. Perhaps it was the update that landed (as others on Twitter were seemingly having similar issues) but as I use it for work I just couldn't rely on it. I've found Xiaomi fairly poor to deal with so far (with their online returns system not accepting returns).

I bought the Nokia in the end (5.4) which I'm now setting up but for a budget phone I managed to get it, a rubber cover and wireless earbuds for £150 which seems very very good value. The screen instantly feels like a downgrade but I'll survive (although I'm still mourning the death of the Honor 10 Lite).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: sxrxg on June 23, 2021, 10:46:17 pm
Sorry for recommending and then you not having a good experience. I know someone that has had similar with a Redmi phone that is the cheaper Xiaomi range. Not sure if Poco software is developed by the Poco team or the Xiaomi team that do the Mi phone series... My Mi 9t has always been decent software wise and I haven't suffered any glitches or problems in over a year of ownership.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on June 25, 2021, 02:03:27 pm
No worries at all, you were trying to help (and TBF I did ask!)  ;D
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy_e on November 01, 2021, 09:14:11 pm
What's the beta on refurbed phones? I was looking at Samsung Galaxy S10 or S10+ as that seems to be a decent phone at a price I can afford when refurbed. Are refurbs generally OK?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: chris j on November 02, 2021, 08:48:27 am
The last two phones I've bought have been refurbs (Galaxy S6 & S8). Bought i recall through suppliers on Amazon. I am careful about the ratings of the supplier to avoid anything sounding dodgy. Both have been more or less as new, no problems encountered. I can't bring myself to spend more than ~£300 on a phone so i suspect I'll be doing the same next time i change also.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: JJP on November 02, 2021, 09:13:35 am
we bought a refurb phone for my daughters first phone a couple of years ago and have had no problems - still going strong and gets pretty heavy use. i cant remember what site we used (might have been giff gaff) but as chris j mentions would make sure seems reputable. 
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy_e on November 02, 2021, 10:07:11 am
Cheers all, guess I'm worried about the screen not being in good nick, but it should be?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: JJP on November 02, 2021, 10:26:24 am
hey
ye screen was fine. if you received it and screen was a problem you should be able to return it. the one we got had a 12 month warranty.
i was more worried about the battery as it is the thing that usually marks the end of a phone for me but seems to have been fine.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: andy_e on November 02, 2021, 10:31:24 am
Good beta, cheers!
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: nai on November 02, 2021, 11:10:51 am
Got a good deal on a refurbed iphone for my daughter from backmarket.co.uk, think it was "good" condition but was hard pressed to tell it was used.

Came with 12 month warranty but not had to test how they respond to returns.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: remus on November 02, 2021, 11:14:32 am
Not sure what your budget is like but a pixel 4a is a good option if you fancied going new. Good camera, good battery life (I regularly get 2 days out of mine), headphone jack, no extra bloat installed.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on November 02, 2021, 01:33:37 pm
Not sure what your budget is like but a pixel 4a is a good option if you fancied going new. Good camera, good battery life (I regularly get 2 days out of mine), headphone jack, no extra bloat installed.

If you're happy to take out a new contract its worth checking available deals (Uswitch has worked for me) - factoring in £10 per month for around 20-30GB sim you can get a Pixel 4a for £250 to £320 on Id or O2 and a Samsung S20 FE for £320 to £360 on Three or O2 (daughter is getting the Samsung).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 09, 2021, 06:03:00 pm
My Dad has his birthday close to Christmas so I tend to be a bit lazy and lump his presents together; he's currently running a Moto G4 (perhaps 5) that is really really struggling.

The only thing he seems to want out of a new phone is wireless charging that seems absent on the budget offerings? I certainly don't have it on my Nokia 5.4 (which I'm not loving at all). Any recommendations? I've been looking at the Xiaomi sales daily.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on December 09, 2021, 06:14:18 pm
My Dad has his birthday close to Christmas so I tend to be a bit lazy and lump his presents together; he's currently running a Moto G4 (perhaps 5) that is really really struggling.

The only thing he seems to want out of a new phone is wireless charging that seems absent on the budget offerings? I certainly don't have it on my Nokia 5.4 (which I'm not loving at all). Any recommendations? I've been looking at the Xiaomi sales daily.

Whats your limit for budget phones? My standard answer to this sort of question is to look at contract options, there's some pretty good deals around if you take into account a nominal £240 for 24 months of data and calls.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 09, 2021, 06:25:40 pm
I'm definitely not going contract. We're all on Three SIM only deals where Go Roam should roll on until we actively change or upgrade.

Sorry for the circular answer but it (budget) depends. It would seem a bit daft to be spending more than we both did on our own phones simply as his gets used a lot lot less.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on December 09, 2021, 06:37:16 pm
I'm definitely not going contract. We're all on Three SIM only deals where Go Roam should roll on until we actively change or upgrade.

Sorry for the circular answer but it (budget) depends. It would seem a bit daft to be spending more than we both did on our own phones simply as his gets used a lot lot less.

Difficult tp help I guess then  ;). As earlier in this thread my daughter got a Samsung S20 FE on O2 with roaming included and 40GB of data for under £600 over 2 years so less than £360 for the phone, probably a bit high end for your needs.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on December 09, 2021, 08:16:42 pm
Completely! I guess rephrasing the question, what's the cheapest phone that charges wirelessly? I can't see any of the other specs being a deal breaker.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on August 11, 2023, 05:39:10 pm
Can I ask UKB what the current recommendation is for a budget Android smartphone? I seem to have just ended my Nokia 5.4 by dropping it face down on some Tarmac (the screen has completely smashed). Whilst it can probably be repaired, it's never been wonderful so it'll get sent off to be recycled at some point.

Here's hoping for:
a decent camera
one hand operability (for photos) when riding a bike (the Nokia failed this by being too large)
NFC
USB-C charging

Typically I've done this right before going away so anything that's likely to be quick to get hold of would also be nice. TIA.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: SA Chris on August 11, 2023, 05:54:13 pm
Newest Samsung Galaxy you can afford, and a decent case! I had a https://www.punkcases.co.uk/ for mine, which has worked well for a few years, but one of the buttons has now fallen out.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: remus on August 11, 2023, 06:02:33 pm
The Google pixel a series phones are a solid budget choice. 7a is the most recent, but the 6a is a solid performer and pretty cheap at the mo at £300 https://store.google.com/gb/config/pixel_6a?hl=en-GB&selections=eyJwcm9kdWN0RmFtaWx5IjoiY0dsNFpXeGZObUU9In0%3D
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on August 11, 2023, 06:10:30 pm
Thanks Remus. The 6a looks reasonable enough but I wouldn't spend any more on a phone as it'll most likely die being dropped when riding, or being put down a manhole at work to photograph something, or an accidental swim in a reservoir (or another similar ending etc.).

The Sony Xperia 10 V looks like it might also be a viable option as the aspect ratio makes it look like it'll be fairly easy to handle with one hand.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: spidermonkey09 on August 11, 2023, 06:59:47 pm
I got a Huawei years ago and it's still going. Think I paid about 200 off Amazon which would also help with getting it quick. Think it was the P30 but can't be sure.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on August 11, 2023, 07:16:06 pm
I had one which met a similar end. It was fantastic but the new ones can't access the Play Store in a straightforward way?
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Fultonius on August 12, 2023, 07:49:58 am
I've been pretty happy with my OnePlus 7T. Got it a couple of years ago refurbished (basically new) from backmarket.com.

Good camera (for sharing / phone viewing - often better than my Sony rx100 in low/awkward light for snaps), wouldn't recommend printing etc.

I've got a fairly simple rubber case and have dropped it many times on hard surfaces. The glass back panel is smashed to bits but the screen is fine! (I use a toughened glass cover).

Best thing is the warp charge. 40 mins to 80% and about 50 to full. Battery lasts 2 full days when new.

I'd say one hand use is doable as I do this when belaying etc.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: 205Chris on November 03, 2023, 10:58:05 am
The Redmi that I got a couple of years ago mentioned in this thread has served me well but is slowly grinding to a halt.

Any good recommendations for sub £300 phones?

Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: remus on November 03, 2023, 11:21:12 am
At the limit of your budget but google pixel phones are a solid choice https://store.google.com/config/pixel_6a?hl=en-GB
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on November 03, 2023, 11:34:10 am
I read yesterday that now Honor are not attached to Huawei they can once again easily access the play store.

I'm still on my backup phone which is smashed and a week or so after using it took an unplanned swim in a sink of water which makes me a bit nervous about spending any more than I have to.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: IanP on November 03, 2023, 01:52:10 pm
At the limit of your budget but google pixel phones are a solid choice https://store.google.com/config/pixel_6a?hl=en-GB

My standard answer to this is to have a  look at contract deals. Factoring in £10 a month sim cost you can get a Pixel 7a for £200 to £220 with roaming included on O2 or Id (3 network). Great value if the network choices work for you.

I've been really happy with my Pixel 5 and will very likely replace with another Pixel when the time comes.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: Paul B on November 03, 2023, 03:53:24 pm
Smarty are apparently good (and inc. roaming).
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: thunderbeest on November 03, 2023, 04:38:35 pm
I went for Fairphone 4 for both me and my wife as I like to fix things myself when they break.
Title: Re: Mobile phone recommendations please...
Post by: 205Chris on November 26, 2023, 07:21:05 pm
Cheers for the recommendations. Nearly went Pixel 6 but Google are discounting the 7 at the moment so pushed the boat out. Watch me smash it on a boulder in the next month or so.

Impressed with it so far.
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