Contract up, time for a new smartphone...

[TJM]

I've been so busy of late that I didn't realize that my phone's been off contract for several months now. So time to pick a new one. After a few weeks of research I've narrowed the field down to three:

iPhone 5: (Favorite)

I know several people who've bought one and they're very happy with it. None report the widely circulated horror stories (scratched or otherwise damaged units, light bleed, purple haze, wifi connectivity issues, etc). I personally don't like that it's thinner and lighter. I like the weight and feel of of my iPhone 4. Couldn't care less about the larger screen. We all agree: Apple maps suck.

Nokia 920: (Upstart contender)

Don't know anyone who's got one yet but I was able to play with a demo model and... well... it was kinda slow for an LTE phone. Windows 8 was very fun and it looks to be a promising OS. Weight and feel similar to my iPhone. Excellent camera.

Nexus 4: (Dark horse)

Unlocked, pure un-bloatwared Android. Blazing fast, telling from the few that I've been able to get a hands-on. No LTE though and I'll have to wait for production to catch up to the back orders. Looks like a contender though.


Usage in order of importance:

1. Web browsing
2. Music
3. Gaming
4. Messaging
5. Phone.

AT&T will be the carrier of choice.

 

[BirdyBuddy]

I'm sure you can guess what my recommendation would be...


Would it really be worth buying a phone with a two-year contract and not have LTE?
And you do quickly get used to and appreciate the lightness and size of the iPhone 5. The camera is very good too. Don't fall for the FUD.

 

[TJM]

I'm sure you can guess what my recommendation would be...


Would it really be worth buying a phone with a two-year contract and not have LTE?
And you do quickly get used to and appreciate the lightness and size of the iPhone 5. The camera is very good too. Don't fall for the FUD.

Tequila!

oops, wrong thread.

Dunno... the Nexus was pretty damned fast on HSPA+.

I'm leaning toward the iPhone though... I guess you can say that I'm just asking questions.

 

[BirdyBuddy]

Dunno... the Nexus was pretty damned fast on HSPA+.

I'm leaning toward the iPhone though... I guess you can say that I'm just asking questions.

I'd also consider repair cost and ease of repair/replacement if it were dropped or failed. I know AT&T offers some sort of mail-in warranty plan, but Apple's coverage is just plain easy to deal with.

 

[TJM]

I know AT&T offers some sort of mail-in warranty plan, but Apple's coverage is just plain easy to deal with.

Ummmm...yeah. AT&T's insurance will replace an iPhone with a handset of their choice. Might be an iPhone, might not. I'll be going with AppleCare if I go with another iPhone.

 

[This is The End]

Is there any particular reason why you don't have the Samsung Galaxy S III in your list?

It was the best selling smartphone in the world in Q3, and likely in all of 2012 as well.

Wal-Mart (or Sams Club) AT&T kiosks have them for $99 if you are due for an upgrade. And even if you get it at Wal-Mart they still have to give you customer service at the regular AT&T store.

That goes for all phones, not just the S3. Make sure what you are getting is not available at wal-mart. Nothing wrong with saving $50 to $100.

 

[Furi]

I am not looking to upgrade mine currently, (I also see no reason to have a quad core battery drainer) but I absolutely adore My Xperia S,

I find it nicer to hold and use (damn my girl like fine fingers and hands) I despise Apples business model so much That I love a sony (how weird is that),

I chose the Xperia because the display is super lully (yes even when compared to Samsungs, HTC's and Apples) I found the "Warm Tones" that many other screens insist on force feeding you "Espescially" iPhones via the camera forced colour balance are useless to a deuteronope.

which ever phone you get I would go for the most rugged that does what you need, and that seems to me to rule out the apple, Maybe the Motorola devices, or the HTCs, or if you don't want ultra top the huwaei devices, sure you will be pointed at, but when others are stuck with a cracked screen for something that wasn't covered on their insyrance plan for 14 months you can giggle as you drop your phone in a pint, shake it off and carry on watching kittens fall into the bath.

On another question will it look like a decent phone Black or Gunmetal Matte or are you going for the hairdresser white look.

 

[This is The End]

I am not looking to upgrade mine currently, (I also see no reason to have a quad core battery drainer) but I absolutely adore My Xperia S,

I find it nicer to hold and use (damn my girl like fine fingers and hands) I despise Apples business model so much That I love a sony (how weird is that)

Is that the one that can play Playstation 1 Classics? Or am I thinking of that sony Xperia play?

Either way, that would be awesome. Those types of games just don't work with touchscreen...

 

[Furi]

The S will do it too, and you hook it up via hdmi, and use a wireless controller with it instead of the on screen controls, it would be nice if they released an SDK for that platform of it ))

 

[Hungry81]

I would also recommend the Samsung galaxy S3 if you wish to upgrade right away. it covers all bases NFC LTE SD card ect. and you get a nice sized screen without it being too large. But also Keep in mind a few companies including Samsung are supposedly releasing durable/flexible phones next year.

IF you wish to stick with the phones on the list Then the nexus is a good choice. Nothing terribly wrong with HSPA+

Nothing too special about the iphone 5 other than you are already familiar with the interface and you will not have to re obtain your apps again if you go with that.

Personally its likely my next device will be an Asus Padfone 2. Great specs and converts into a tablet on the fly.

If you choose an android device are you aaware of XDA developers? Its a fantastic development and resource site.

 

[Darat]

Since your number 1 priority is web browsing I would say go with the phone with the largest screen (that you are comfortable with the size of the phone) - that makes a huge difference when web browsing.

Web browsing and documents were my number 1 priority so I went with the Samsung Note (1) earlier this year as it had the largest screen and the physical size of the phone was fine for me - it didn't bother me as I'm too old to wear skinny jeans so it always fits in my pockets.

You'll find all the current generation of smartphones can do everything you'd want them to do, they all have their own unique quirks, strengths and weaknesses so I would say go with what you like the looks of and are comfortable with carrying around with you.

We (us folk in generally) seem to be doing more and more with our phones - they really should just be called "wireless devices" as the phone element tends to be one of the least used features - so I think you are right to go for the latest technology as that will give you some future proofing.

In regards to the iPhone choice - remember if you have older Apple or Apple compatible peripherals you'll probably need to buy some of the lightning to 30 pin adapters but double check first as some of the old peripherals don't work even with the adapter.

 

[Darat]

I would also recommend the Samsung galaxy S3 if you wish to upgrade right away. it covers all bases NFC LTE SD card ect. and you get a nice sized screen without it being too large. But also Keep in mind a few companies including Samsung are supposedly releasing durable/flexible phones next year.

...snip...

Slight derail - some of the reporting on "flexible" screens that may start appearing next year have misunderstood what is being talked about. It's usually about the screens being "flexible" in the manufacturing process - so the manufacturers can make screens with a bend in them and so on. It isn't referring to a device that would have a flexible screen that a user could flex.

 

[WildCat]

I'm very happy with my Galaxy S3. I don't think the iPhone 5 would be as good for browsing the internet or viewing pictures/video with that smaller screen with an odd ratio.

 

[WildCat]

Slight derail - some of the reporting on "flexible" screens that may start appearing next year have misunderstood what is being talked about. It's usually about the screens being "flexible" in the manufacturing process - so the manufacturers can make screens with a bend in them and so on. It isn't referring to a device that would have a flexible screen that a user could flex.

Damn, I really wanted a phone that would bounce like a rubber ball when dropped rather than breaking!

 

[Beerina]

Outside of novelty, what's the point of a permament flexed screen. Flatscreens were a major development over bent tubes.

 

[Hungry81]

Slight derail - some of the reporting on "flexible" screens that may start appearing next year have misunderstood what is being talked about. It's usually about the screens being "flexible" in the manufacturing process - so the manufacturers can make screens with a bend in them and so on. It isn't referring to a device that would have a flexible screen that a user could flex.

Oh that is a shame. Thank you for the correction. I knew that next years phones would still be fairly rigid, after all flexible battery tech is not as advanced as flexible screen tech, but I was still hoping for some flexability as a taste of further things to come (A phone that can survive in the back pocket, YEAH!). Oh well, Definitely padfone 2 for me.

Outside of novelty, what's the point of a permament flexed screen. Flatscreens were a major development over bent tubes.

If its flexible it can be put into many things. For example you could conceivably wear a totally flexable phone like a watch, and remove it if you need to straighten it out to use like a current phone if you need to. Or you could possibly have a phone that fits in your pocket, but can fold out to tablet size, or a tablet that folds out to tv size ect. The flexible screens are also supposed to be very durable. Check out youtube, There are many videos of prototype materials.

 

[TJM]

Is there any particular reason why you don't have the Samsung Galaxy S III in your list?

Not that I have anything against the S3, I think it's an excellent phone. It's that my carrier (AT&T) is dragging its feet on rolling out Jellybean. I know too many Android users whose devices aren't supported anymore. I don't want to buy a phone only to have it abandoned by a carrier who's more interested in selling new phones than updating old ones for free.

We (us folk in generally) seem to be doing more and more with our phones - they really should just be called "wireless devices" as the phone element tends to be one of the least used features - so I think you are right to go for the latest technology as that will give you some future proofing.

That's exactly what I want to do - I think the phones on my list give me the best chance of staying current, though WP8 is still a question mark. Time will tell.

In regards to the iPhone choice - remember if you have older Apple or Apple compatible peripherals you'll probably need to buy some of the lightning to 30 pin adapters but double check first as some of the old peripherals don't work even with the adapter.

Not a consideration for me as I don't have any peripherals for my iPhone. But browsing around looking at some of the stuff available - I might have more shopping to do if I go with the 5.

 

[quadraginta]

Since your number 1 priority is web browsing I would say go with the phone with the largest screen (that you are comfortable with the size of the phone) - that makes a huge difference when web browsing.

Web browsing and documents were my number 1 priority so I went with the Samsung Note (1) earlier this year as it had the largest screen and the physical size of the phone was fine for me - it didn't bother me as I'm too old to wear skinny jeans so it always fits in my pockets.

<snip>

I've been giving a lot of thought to the Note2. All of the tech specs are superlative, and the Wacom stylus is particularly attractive.

One of the things I liked the best about the Motion tablet (Windows XP) I had at work eight years ago was its functionality as an electric legal pad. The handwriting OCR was quite good (although I didn't bother to use it much ...emails mostly), and if it hadn't done something like that I would have needed a legal pad on a clipboard to tote around with the tablet anyway. Kudos for One-Note.

I really liked that gadget.

 

[psionl0]

I also vote Samsung Galaxy.

I have a Galaxy Pocket and to keep things cheap I put a prepaid SIM card in and have it connected only to my home wireless network.

 

[This is The End]

Not that I have anything against the S3, I think it's an excellent phone. It's that my carrier (AT&T) is dragging its feet on rolling out Jellybean. I know too many Android users whose devices aren't supported anymore. I don't want to buy a phone only to have it abandoned by a carrier who's more interested in selling new phones than updating old ones for free.

I'm pretty sure after you get it home, when you hook it up to Keys (or whatever that's called, the official Samsung software), you can upgrade it your self.