smartphone

[BenF]

I am a bit of a dinosaur and have never owned a smartphone. I currently have a simple payg phone with Orange and make only a couple of calls a month on it, and a few texts a week.

I am considering moving into the 21st Century and getting a smartphone. I wonder whether I would be better to go on contract so I can use the smart functions freely, or stick on payg? If on contract I expect I would use it to make calls more often!

If I change phones I will probably want to stay with Orange to keep my number, but I wonder if there are any phones you would say to go for - or avoid?!

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[spike.]

when i changed to a smart phone, i didnt think many of the smart feature, but actually use them a lot more than I thought.

such things as internet, sat nav, GPS, etc. ensure you cover data on your plan, as phone constantly uses it (can be turned off)

 

[martinthrapston]

you can also move your number if you want to use another phone provider,ive had andriod and now windows 8 phone,both as good as each other,windows doesnt crash compared to andriod,also as Ross has said check data tariff,you could quickly go over your limit using apps etc,always try to use wifi as much as possible.

 

[evilrob]

All the Apple haters will grim out at the very mention of iPhone, but as a first smartphone, it's very difficult to do anything wrong on an iPhone. The only downside is that people will automatically think you're an arsehole, in much the same way that people will automatically decide you have a small willy if you're seen driving a Porsche.

Some phones are faster (not that you'd notice), some phones have a 'better' camera (subjective - the colour reproduction on the iPhone camera is excellent, more megapixels does not equal a better camera), some phones have a bigger screen (but this will affect battery life), some phones are more customisable (but I think the iPhone will be more than customisable enough as your first smartphone).

What can't be disputed is Apple's content delivery infrastructure - there is no easier way to (legally) get books, magazines, films, music and apps on a smartphone than via the iTunes store either on your PC or directly from the phone itself.

So while there may be certain other things that are 'better' on this phone or that phone, as an all-round pleasant and consistent experience, I think don't think the iPhone can be beaten i.e. the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

You can get an iPhone 4 or 4S for free on a £26 a month tariff with 750Mb data on Orange as you don't need the latest and greatest and I would't have thought you'd use 750Mb data either.

 

[Dal]

It all depends on what you plan to use your new "smartphone" for Ben.

If you just want a newer phone but will still continue to use it predominantly for texting and calling, then you don't need anything as sophisticated as a top end Android, windows or iOS phone. A simple £50 Android phone will do you just fine on a cheap plan.

If you want to look at the internet regularly out and about, have a constant email update and need a quality (for a mobile phone anyway) photo capability then you may need something more top end.

There's no point spending £30 a month for a phone and plan you won't use to it's full potential.



As an example, I've got Cherie's old HTC Android Desire phone (cheap as chips now) and I'm on a £10 per month Giff-Gaff payg rolling contract (I transferred my number too). I can see all the internet out and about, have constant email, facebook updates etc, etc and I get nowhere near my 1GB limit at 172mb last month. (remember to link to your WiFi at home, saving cost) I also have unlimited texts and 250 mins talk time. Not bad for £10 a month. (for £12 I can get unlimited internet with the same deal.)

 

[XIIVVX]

My suggestion

Buy the phone outright - Sim Free

Buy a Giff Gaff 'Goodybag' monthly - Their version of PAYG

£10/month and you can use the features more or less as freely as you like - Unless you start downloading a lot of feature films you'll be hard pushed to get through 1GB of data.

http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/10pound-goodybag" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edit - Just read Dal's. They sound very similar :grin:

 

[BenF]

thanks everyone - it looks like it is a definite maybe in that there is no 'right' answer

I don't think I need a top end phone!

 

[Dal]

My eldest runs an EE shop in Edinburgh and her first question to all new potential customers is "what do you want to use it for?" Until she knows that, she doesn't know what phone & plan will suit best.

When you've decided that, it'll narrow down the possibilities.

She has an iPhone 5 but her boyfriend (also runs an EE shop) has an Android Samsung S3 so it's all a matter of choice what to go with and what is "best" for you.

Best advice would be to go to a shop and play with some to see which you get on best with. Don't feel obliged to buy or sign on the day though!

 

[lusid666]

I constantly play with new phones and for ease of use you can't beat an Iphone. I find android a bit of a pain to navigate and talking to a friend who is almost anal about security, the iphone is way more secure while android sends data about what your doing almost constantly (the Iphone will too if you tell it to but always gives you the option first).
As for windows phones, I haven't had that much experience with them so wont comment but if windows 8 (which works the same way as the phone version) is anything to go by I think I'll avoid them.

 

[XIIVVX]

There is no 'best' I'm afraid

The downside of iPhone is the constant operating system upgrades that almost invariably stop something that worked before from functioning, the overpricing, and the need to 'jailbreak' (whatever that is) to get it to do what you want it to, rather than what Apple think you should be allowed to do.

You just have to choose which downsides are least important to you.

 

[lusid666]

The ios upgrades are not really a problem and usually add new features to the phone thus usually making it better, if an app stops working because of an ios upgrade there is usually a fix brought out within a day or two so thats not really a problem. jailbreaking is a grey area bordering on illegal and is not in any way necessary to use the phone unless you are wanting to put pirate software on the phone and with most apps being free or 69p why would you want to do that?

back to the ios updates, I have had iphones for the last 4 years and theres only been about 4 or 5 updates in all that time so they are not really a constant problem and you dont have to do the updates, you can stay on the ios version you are currently on but later you will find that you will want an app that wont work untill you upgrade the ios (a bit like some new pc programs not working on windows xp)

 

[BenF]

it is a real minefield - and I thought it would be simple!

 

[jacko]

Nokia....they work well as a phone, they are simple to use, they dont break, theyre usually free too

iv tried most things...

apple break, cost a lot, you have to embrace the apple world (ie buy everything else of theirs), the specs are usually pretty shocking when compared to others

andriod...unless your quite a geek you wont benefit and in my experience they run VERY slowly

windows (like my nokia) are still new so not that many apps (personally i dont use many)

nokias also come with a good camera and a carl zeiss lens; i no longer own a 'camera' its that good for me

 

[YOG]

The Nokia also gives you free SatNav worldwide, so, for example, if I was going to Australia or Canada, I could download street level maps, before I go.

 

[warrenpenalver]

jailbreaking is a grey area bordering on illegal

jail breaking is not illegal in any way shape or form.

the only issue with jailbreaking is using it to get round copy protection.

and even then the act of jailbreaking isnt a problem in law. even copying stuff isnt illegal. Its only an issue where the copyright is infringed.

Just because apple and the networks will treat you like a criminal for jailbreaking, doesnt make it illegal.


Id imagine in theory you could be sued by apple for jailbreaking because you violated the end user agreement (which has no legal basis or standing whatsoever) but that would have to be a civil case for damages and apple would have to prove some real measurable damages occured for it even to stand a chance of success. They tried and failed in the US. they havent bothered to try here.

 

[oilburner]

I've never had an Android phone but I've got an iPhone 5 and since I've had it I've got rid of the sat nav in the car and hardly ever use my PC anymore as this is faster!

 

[Midnight Blue]

Buy the phone outright so you are not tied to a provider for a couple of years. I have a SIM only rolling contract with Tesco mobile, which means I can change provider whenever I like with no notice. For £10 a month I get 3 hours talk, more texts than you can ever use up and 500 MB internet, which is more than enough for me. I use the mobile instead of the house phone during the day as I only have free evenings and weekends on that. Also I have the security of not running out of credit when I need it most .... ie getting stranded on the A14 with a buggered engine!! I like HTC but Samsung Galaxy S3 seems to be popular and it has a nice size screen for easy internet use. It is easy to transfer your old number to a different provider so you don't have the hassle of notifying all your contacts.

 

[BenF]

The Nokia also gives you free SatNav worldwide, so, for example, if I was going to Australia or Canada, I could download street level maps, before I go.

thanks Rick - I am actually off to Os in 3 weeks!

 

[mix2000]

As for security, Apple can be as bad as Android for security, and are also not as eager at closing found loopholes, as anyone who has 1000 Android plus apps updates a month will tell you, to Apples twice a millenium.(may be slight exaggeration)
The problem with Android is that it's in a constant beta state, and is inconsistent, to add to that there are so many platforms that Android runs on.
You can have 2 different phones by one manufacturer, where Android runs perfect on one and cr@p on the other.
Apple has a constant platform.

 

[BenF]

it is a real minefield - everywhere I have been I have been told about phones being locked once they have been connected to a network, and that the last thing I want to do is use a Smartphone abroad! The lady in Carphone Warehouse today spent a lot of time explaining all the options to me and the one thing I came away with was the knowledge that there is no right answer!