Buying A New Mobile Phone...

[Woot]

I need a new phone and would like a Smart phone but really find the reviews and comparison charts a bit like reading footie news... ZZZzzzzz. Having put in a few hours of research-surfing in the past couple of days I thought I'd ask chaps here. Does anyone here have good advice \ experience \ recommendations? I tend to avoid i-stuff because of Apple's control-freakery. What are people's thoughts on Android v Blackberry OS v Windows Mobile etc?

I'm currently on an old Blackberry but moved to that from a Nokia so am not wed to any particular brand. Am looking at Palm Pre, HTC, Google Widget, Blackberry and anything else that peeps recommend. Be glad of any advice or help to shortcut the dull selection process.

[Guest happy?]

I need a new phone and would like a Smart phone but really find the reviews and comparison charts a bit like reading footie news... ZZZzzzzz. Having put in a few hours of research-surfing in the past couple of days I thought I'd ask chaps here. Does anyone here have good advice \ experience \ recommendations? I tend to avoid i-stuff because of Apple's control-freakery. What are people's thoughts on Android v Blackberry OS v Windows Mobile etc?

I'm currently on an old Blackberry but moved to that from a Nokia so am not wed to any particular brand. Am looking at Palm Pre, HTC, Google Widget, Blackberry and anything else that peeps recommend. Be glad of any advice or help to shortcut the dull selection process.

My advice - get a life.

Seriously, you really need to get a perspective on reality. Stick with the phone you've got for another year, give half the money you've saved to a charity of your choice and buy a case of champagne for Christmas - you gain, someone else gains, the environment gains, and the balance of payment deficit gains.

You know this makes sense you've been through all the specs and have come out the other end thinking I can't decide - make a real decision tell them all to fvck off.

[Northwest Smith]

HTC Desire, cheaper than an IPhone. Most deals are 18 month contract, free phone £25pm.

iPhone 3GS would be £30pm, £200 for the phone and it's not as good. iPhone is better as everybody

has one though, all the accesories and apps but Android has the main one covered and growing fast.

Android lets you run unsigned apps so anything can be programmed, not sure about the Palm or Nokia

but the HTC Desire does everything I need and the battery life is ok now, not amazing but getting better.

[Guest Noodle]

I need a new phone and would like a Smart phone but really find the reviews and comparison charts a bit like reading footie news... ZZZzzzzz. Having put in a few hours of research-surfing in the past couple of days I thought I'd ask chaps here. Does anyone here have good advice \ experience \ recommendations? I tend to avoid i-stuff because of Apple's control-freakery. What are people's thoughts on Android v Blackberry OS v Windows Mobile etc?

I'm currently on an old Blackberry but moved to that from a Nokia so am not wed to any particular brand. Am looking at Palm Pre, HTC, Google Widget, Blackberry and anything else that peeps recommend. Be glad of any advice or help to shortcut the dull selection process.

It is dull.

PDA database

I've heard good stuff about HTC. I have an HP iPaq 914c (I used to loathe all this stuff until I found it very useful for work and when PC's go pop). It does stuff . . . Yahoo email on it, internet, GPS built in, Google maps . . . But as a phone it's damn awful.

Had Blackberry. No need now. Annoying things really, constant beep beep of emails.

Dunno. But look at getting a cheap unlocked one and SIM only.

[Guest X-QUORK]

You know this makes sense you've been through all the specs and have come out the other end thinking I can't decide - make a real decision tell them all to fvck off.

I agree whole-heartedly, and I work for a mobile phone company.

[Guest Noodle]

I agree whole-heartedly, and I work for a mobile phone company.

As much as I detest these fancy phone things, have to say it's been much more reliable than any PC. I like stuff because it does useful stuff.

Oh and I like flowers.

[porca misèria]

I have an n900 and it's great. What features in particular are you looking for though?

n900 has great software (it's a pocket-puter more than a phone, and I occasionally take it places in place of the laptop), but the hardware is disappointing, especially that hard-to-use keyboard. I have an E71 and love it, despite being symbian, the superior hardware makes it nicer to use. More comfy in the hand (and pocket) than any blackberry or apple I've encountered, too, and fantastic battery life! If a Nokia I'd definitely recommend the E72. Or possibly the new N8 (which I haven't seen).

[danuttah]

I need a new phone and would like a Smart phone but really find the reviews and comparison charts a bit like reading footie news... ZZZzzzzz. Having put in a few hours of research-surfing in the past couple of days I thought I'd ask chaps here. Does anyone here have good advice \ experience \ recommendations? I tend to avoid i-stuff because of Apple's control-freakery. What are people's thoughts on Android v Blackberry OS v Windows Mobile etc?

I'm currently on an old Blackberry but moved to that from a Nokia so am not wed to any particular brand. Am looking at Palm Pre, HTC, Google Widget, Blackberry and anything else that peeps recommend. Be glad of any advice or help to shortcut the dull selection process.

I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago, after much indecision I decided to go for an android phone over the IPhone/Windows Mobile (didn't really consider Blackberry at all), specifically, the HTC Hero. If I were to make the decision now, I would personally go for the HTC Desire without a thought.

Android has impressed me a lot, and I feel it's certainly on par if not better then the IPhone OS - and certainly better then the current incarnations of Windows Mobile or Symbian. The support for it is growing fast, and while it's no-where near the iphone from a support aspect, it is making progress.

But then, it really does depend what you're looking for....

[Guest Noodle]

I went through a similar situation about 6 months ago, after much indecision I decided to go for an android phone over the IPhone/Windows Mobile (didn't really consider Blackberry at all), specifically, the HTC Hero. If I were to make the decision now, I would personally go for the HTC Desire without a thought.

Android has impressed me a lot, and I feel it's certainly on par if not better then the IPhone OS - and certainly better then the current incarnations of Windows Mobile or Symbian. The support for it is growing fast, and while it's no-where near the iphone from a support aspect, it is making progress.

But then, it really does depend what you're looking for....

Christ! You make it sound like lung cancer.

[Northwest Smith]

The problem with the desire is that it has no inbuilt hard drive so any storage you want you have to buy in the form of micro SD. It's still better than the iPhone in this respect since you aren't just limited to whatever apple will give you for what you are prepared to pay for the phone.

Desire can take a 32GB card so more than enough, also I'm not 100% but from the latest update some Google apps are now installing on the SD Card.

Offline Wikipedia is one of the best Android apps, http://www.wikidroyd.com/ 4GB or so covers about everything and no need to connect to the internet.

[Woot]

Thanks for all your advice... really helpful. This is the one I'd most like to follow:

You know this makes sense you've been through all the specs and have come out the other end thinking I can't decide - make a real decision tell them all to fvck off.

...but unfortunately can't, so if I could just resolve all the required functionality into one gadget I'd be happy.

TYVM

BTW interesting note about the HTC memory - I've got spare cards around so it wouldn't be a prob, but what an odd design feature.

[HXO]

I had an iPhone for quite a while and, having jailbroken it very soon after i got it, still found it restrictive compared to the Nexus One I got a couple of weeks ago. Android really is like a breath of fresh air. You can get Duracell 16Gb micro SD cards on ebay for £21.

[OnionTerror]

My advice - get a life.

Seriously, you really need to get a perspective on reality. Stick with the phone you've got for another year, give half the money you've saved to a charity of your choice and buy a case of champagne for Christmas - you gain, someone else gains, the environment gains, and the balance of payment deficit gains.

You know this makes sense you've been through all the specs and have come out the other end thinking I can't decide - make a real decision tell them all to fvck off.

Absolutely..

This is my fone..(well, not literally)..

I've probably had it 5-6 years. I've upgraded at least twice, and I've put them on ebay. All I do is send mildly-abusive texts to friends & make calls. Ppl spending 40-50 quid a month on something like an iPhone (non-business use) I think is completely bonkers..I've also sorted out my sweary predicted text dictionary. I could probably send it to a new phone via Bluetooth, but I can't be bothered. It does everything I want it to do.

[Northwest Smith]

They're 90 quid though. Do you really want to get a new phone and then spend that much on memory for it? People aren't going to do it so they'll go for smaller SD cards that they'll grow out of and start to have problems.

You already save £200 handset + £90 contract , unless they are selling iPhones free for £25pm. 32GB is £86.95

on amazon right now.

[Pauly_Boy]

I've only ever heard good things about Desire and i love the way my friends operate.

I'd avoid nokia though, i've had one for almost 18 months and the software is shocking! the GPS works once in a lifetime, browser crashes constantly, when I tried to update it it said there were no updates even though there website told me there was, the camera is crap and generally it's not as nice to use as other phones.

It's alright as a phone, text messager and MP3 player though, it's just usless at other stuff!

PS, don't get me started on the software they give you for the PC, Ovi suite = giant fail!

['Bart']

IAm looking at Palm Pre, HTC,

A friend of mine recently got a HTC Desire and he can't leave it alone.

Looks excellent to me, although the siren song of the new Apple iPhone is calling to me (yes, I'm a brainwashed sheeple).

[Patfig]

My advice - get a life.

Seriously, you really need to get a perspective on reality. Stick with the phone you've got for another year, give half the money you've saved to a charity of your choice and buy a case of champagne for Christmas - you gain, someone else gains, the environment gains, and the balance of payment deficit gains.

You know this makes sense you've been through all the specs and have come out the other end thinking I can't decide - make a real decision tell them all to fvck off.

said with Grace

[jackalope]

Threads like this are always a lightning rod for the type of miser who likes to brag about their Nokia 6110, 1992 Peugeot 106D, no TV and 12 deg C living room.

I don't think you can wrong with an Android phone. I've just replaced my HTC Hero with the Motorola Droid at the moment and am pretty happy with it.

[Potwalloper]

A friend of mine recently got a HTC Desire and he can't leave it alone.

Looks excellent to me, although the siren song of the new Apple iPhone is calling to me (yes, I'm a brainwashed sheeple).

No you're not!

Anti gadget snobbery is very boring, after all. Reading the posts about people still having their old Bakelite model is enough to make your eyes dry out.

The put off for the iPhone is the way the ridiculous phone comapnies want you to queue outside shops to buy one. No thanks!

[Bruce Banner]

I don't think you can wrong with an Android phone. I've just replaced my HTC Hero with the Motorola Droid at the moment and am pretty happy with it.

I'm staying with Windows Mobile, I'm used to it and Android support for various navigation packages, which I use all the time, is a bit dubious.

I've just replaced my HTC HD with an HTC HD2, fantastic screen and really fast.

[Kingding]

Go for something middle of the road, not too expensive and not too shite. I never get the latest mobile (I actually detest mobile phones but thats another issue) and I'll never get an iPhone as I'll just wind myself up when I accidentally drop it in my pint during a night on the razz or leave it in the gym or something. The more expensive the gadget the quicker I seem to either break or lose it.

I have a Sony Ericsson K800 which I'd reccommend as it's taken quite a beating off me and still does what it should, probably not for you if your looking for something a bit more advanced though.

[porca misèria]

I've only ever heard good things about Desire and i love the way my friends operate.

I'd avoid nokia though, i've had one for almost 18 months and the software is shocking! the GPS works once in a lifetime, browser crashes constantly, when I tried to update it it said there were no updates even though there website told me there was, the camera is crap and generally it's not as nice to use as other phones.

Erm, GPS works very well and consistently (choice of Nokia or Google maps), browser is just fine, and better-than-desktop for nationalrail (a regular when on the move)[1]. Camera isn't great (doesn't bother me) and generally it's a real pleasure to use: keyboard is very, very nice, it's small enough to be comfortable in the hand, battery life is great, build quality is orgasmic

That's the E71. But Nokia makes more different phones than anyone else, and another could be different. Hmmm, how about the N900? Right, that'll be GPS is a PITA, browser is firefox-based and less than optimal on a small screen (very hard to use on nationalrail). Camera disappointing (given that, unlike the E71, it's supposed to be good), keyboard is fiddly, and battery life poor (2 days, or recharge daily if in much use). Even the radio is a 3rd-party app As against that, the operating system is great, and unlike many phones it offers true multi-tasking without having to mess about with annoying menus to switch tasks. And you can log in with ssh from a larger desktop or laptop and get the benefit of a full-size keyboard and big screen!

... all of which is why the E71 is my 'phone and the N900 is my pocket-'puter

[1] But that's because nationalrail faffs about with browser detection and indulges itself in some annoying crap if it thinks you're on a big screen.

[Eric Blair]

I'm staying with Windows Mobile, I'm used to it and Android support for various navigation packages, which I use all the time, is a bit dubious.

I've just replaced my HTC HD with an HTC HD2, fantastic screen and really fast.

+1. android isn't quite there yet, although it probably will be soon and will outclass winMo eventually.

only problem with the latter is that you need to be a bit of a geek to get the best out of it.

[swissy_fit]

My advice - get a life.

Seriously, you really need to get a perspective on reality. Stick with the phone you've got for another year, give half the money you've saved to a charity of your choice and buy a case of champagne for Christmas - you gain, someone else gains, the environment gains, and the balance of payment deficit gains.

You know this makes sense you've been through all the specs and have come out the other end thinking I can't decide - make a real decision tell them all to fvck off.

+1

I have the best type of phone possible.

It's basic, tough, has no useless functionality and the bills are paid by my work!

Long may it continue.......

[Guest Noodle]

+1

I have the best type of phone possible.

It's basic, tough, has no useless functionality and the bills are paid by my work!

Long may it continue.......

I was like this until I had a PDA which was the only thing that worked up here in the jungle. I got that iPaq, unlocked one and shall make it last at least 10 years.

Looked into normal phones which are cheap and can withstand construction site type punishment. Samsung B2100 Soild Extreme. £85 new, for an unlocked one.