Buying new phone...advice?

[cardboardbox]

Older and budget Androids can be very choppy/laggy a times.

mine isnt laggy at all, it just isnt as nice to use as ios.

The S2 is better than the iPhone[/QUOTE]The only thing the S2 has over the iphone that I'd want is 4G and a bigger screen. I'd still take an iphone 4s if 3g speed was fast enough in my area.

[johnnya24]

mine isnt laggy at all, it just isnt as nice to use as ios.

The only thing the S2 has over the iphone that I'd want is 4G and a bigger screen. I'd still take an iphone 4s if 3g speed was fast enough in my area.

I suppose it's preference ... I don't see any difference between the two in terms of performance, they are equally fast and responsive, and Android's Widgets give it an edge IMO in terms of usability. It's annoying having to be constantly opening and closing iOS programs and apps, when with Android, you can set up the widgets, and just flick across to another homescreen without having to open anything ... one reason I'm waiting to see what Windows 8 will offer.

But even that's just quibbling ... they are both great OS's.

[Kevin Seitzer]

The only thing the S2 has over the iphone that I'd want is 4G and a bigger screen. I'd still take an iphone 4s if 3g speed was fast enough in my area.

Swype is a HUGE difference IMO, but maybe other people don't spend as much time typing on their phones as I do. Between web browsing and email, 90% of what I do on my phone involves typing, and I cannot imagine doing that without Swype.

[SeaDogStat]

Well, my iPad money is going to buy two rescue Aussie Sheperd mix pups... Mrs. SDS is devastated about having to put down her (our) cat of 18 yrs tomorrow morn.

So, after reading johnny's glowing recco of the HTC One X, I am getting that tomorrow... I will name one of the pups iPad

[johnnya24]

Well, my iPad money is going to buy two rescue Aussie Sheperd mix pups... Mrs. SDS is devastated about having to put down her (our) cat of 18 yrs tomorrow morn.

So, after reading johnny's glowing recco of the HTC One X, I am getting that tomorrow... I will name one of the pups iPad

I'm an HTC fan ... I love the UI and widgets, and their phones feel like stylish luxury items (polycarbonate unibody not plastic). I didn't like the plasticy look of the Samsung S3 ... reminds me more of the S1. I think HTC will be happier after the launch of the S3 ... Samsung don't have the same edge they had last year. The One X looks like the best all round device out there ... although I'm sure Samsung will be able to ride the success of the S2 to keep the market lead.

I was a bit disappointed by the S3 ... great device, but nothing special, and very plain looking. I think I will have the same reaction to the iPhone5 (apart from the plain bit). All of these devices have pretty much reached their limit in terms of functionality. I think this is why the 4S did not include a larger screen last year. They wanted to keep that for their "big upgrade" this year. Last year it was a high-res screen, and Siri (which was already on Android devices). Apple realize that these devices can do no more than they do now.

Couple of general minor things to be aware of ...

1. Test it before you use it. The 4.7" screen won't be for everyone, although it is now standard on flagship devices. It is really hard to go back to a 3.5" screen once you've used a 4" or 4.7" screen.

2. It may only have a dual core processor ... for some reason the US models of several quad core phones will only ship with dual core. It will likely make no difference to your experience, because quad core on a phone is overkill. But it's something to be aware of ... especially if you play a lot of games. It may also be better for battery life. The addition of 4G in the USA might explain why many manufacturers have opted for tried and tested dual core technology ... we don't have 4G in Europe yet, hence the quad cores over here. Here is a side-by-side comaprison of the dual core vrs the quad core ... surprising results

3. No SD card slot ... but 32 GB of standard on board storage. More than enough for most people, but make sure it is 32GB and they don't try and fob off something smaller (I don't think there is anything smaller ... but just to be sure). 16GB could be a problem if you listen to a lot of music and want to store lots of video on the move (as 8GB iPhone users will know).

4. No replaceable battery (similar to the iPhone). So if you travel a lot in remote areas with no car, you cannot charge up a spare battery and carry it along. I actually don't know anyone who does this, but some must.

5. If you've never owned a smartphone before ... it's a one-day + overnight recharge thing. The One X lasts a full day even running LTE. If you are going to be using it super heavily, you will probably need a top-up at some point (at work, or in the car, or with these little mobile charger units etc). Apparently the One X can last 2 days on standby and with low usage, but will be a power hog if you are using games and multimedia like crazy. In saying that, my 2 year old HTC runs longer now than when I first got it ... HTC do maintain the firmware updates which improve battery life etc (unlike Samsung who are notorious for abandoning customer support and updates on older models quickly).

Have fun.

EDIT:

Specific review of an AT&T US version of the OneX ... she even talks about tethering and Hotspot, which seem to be included in your standard contract. MobileTechReview do pretty up-front appraisals. They like Windows new OS, but I'm steering away from that I think ... just in case. Android seems to be taking over, and the 3rd party options will just get bigger ... can't say that for sure with Windows.

[johnnya24]

So, after reading johnny's glowing recco of the HTC One X, I am getting that tomorrow... I will name one of the pups iPad

Called my provider and they offered me the OneX for no extra charge and a 25GB drop box. Hmmmmmmm

Decisions decisions ...

This guy is brilliant ... he missed the memo about the dual core being just as fast.



"Photoshop for 9.99 ... are you outta your mind ... yeah, no-one pays for photoshop" LOL

"... where my mouse at?"

[bryanbutler]

[bryanbutler]

[bryanbutler]

for some reason the site won't allow me to embed more than 1 video per post. so here i am post-padding. sigh.

[johnnya24]

Techradar Early Review
Engadget

The early reviews of the Samsung S3 are really impressive. But the release date in US could be 2/3 months away because of the ridiculous reformatting/re-branding of phones by US providers. Basically the same as the One X with a few extras: larger capacity battery, larger dropbox 50GB (direct response to HTC's free 25GB offer), expandable storage. Both kill in the iPhone.

But note ... the reviews of the S3 are on the quad core, international version, not the US version which could be a dual core. Quad core and 4G LTE are currently not a good match. Will the bigger battery mean the US gets the quad core? However, there won't be a discernible difference in performance between the quad core and the dual core snapdragon. The dual core + 2100 battery could mean 2 days without a charge. The One X can do 37 hours (on moderate usage). The S3 should be even better.

The International version comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Looks like Samsung are copying Apple and trying to unnecessarily squeeze money from people (it has 32 or 64GB expandable via sdcard, and a free 50GB dropbox!) ... 16GB is the best deal ... paying extra for the 32GB or 64GB model is money wasted when you can get a 32GB sdcard for $15. I personally think they were wise to stick with the SD card slot rather than going all in with the cloud storage (HTC, Apple) ... but do you need an SDcard with a 50GB dropbox?

I think I prefer the White HTC One X (bored with black) - it's available, it's almost the same phone as the S3, gorgeous build, better Android UI (Sense widgets rock) ... but only if the One X has 32GB of internal storage standard. I heard rumors the US One X model on certain networks ships with 16GB and no expandable slot. That sounds crazy ... the scumbag providers are demanding lower specs and using any tactic to get customers to burn through their data quicker - lower storage means greater use of cloud storage means more data usage. Android manufacturers need to show some balls with these US providers ... like Apple. Apple dictate their product, and don't let AT&T, Sprint or Verizon change the name or look ... imagine.

By the time the iPhone5 ships, these two models will dominate the market ... what are Apple going to do with their screen size? Go to 4" / 4.3" or follow Samsung and HTC and go 4.8"? 4" feels small, and 4.8" risks overstepping into the iPad market. If Apple have committed to going to 4" or 4.3", they can't likely change now. The success of these two phones over the next 4/5 months could determine whether Apple remains the most valuable (overvalued) company in the world ... high stakes stuff.

My current 2+ year old Desire runs just fine ... there will come a time very soon when there is no point upgrading. As far as OS software is concerned, they are already close to the limit of what they can do.

[johnnya24]

Jumped in a got a HTC One X.

The phone RRP's at £450. I got it unlocked and unbranded for £23 (after deductions) on a 24 month contract (£552 total) ... so I effectively get 500 min, unlimited texts, and 1GB data for £102 total (or £4.25 pcm). There is seriously no value in buying these devices without a contract.

Early observations:

They have an in-built HTC version of Swype. First time I've used something like that ... it all I can say is wow! That is impressive.

The beta version of Chrome for Android 4.0+ (Ice Cream Sandwich) is excellent. The way the tabs work make this the best mobile browser I've ever used ... it is so easy to have a dozen tabs open, and it's a joy flicking between them. Plus if you are into that type of thing, you can sync this with all your other versions of Chrome (bookmarks, even browsing history).

I made sure to prevent gmail syncing my contacts this time ... do not do this or your phones contact list will be full of email addresses from everyone who has ever sent you an email!

Sense UI is excellent, an upgraded version of the one I'm used to ... and the HTC specific widgets are top class.

The screen is something else. Gorrilla glass, and silky smooth with a slightly curved feel and contoured edges. Only down side is that the screen is the major power hog. The resolution is so high, you can read web pages on horizontal view without having to pinch-zoom or double-tap-zoom. No need for an iPad then ... which I think will be the reason why we won't see a 4.7" screen on the iPhone5. I hope I'm wrong. This is the best sized screen I've used. The way iOS is super-tuned, I reckon Apple could probably build a smartphone that would easily last 3 days with a form factor like this.

Been hammering the phone all day and it still has 25% battery left. That big bright screen seems to take most of the power ... think I'll turn it down a bit for normal usage. Going to put it on minimal usage overnight and see how much juice I have left in the morning. It's important to be able to squeeze extra life out of a smartphone when the battery starts getting low.

[SeaDogStat]

I decided to wait for the Samsung S-III. I like my Samsung Captivate and will wait the couple of months for the S-III.

[DMT]

Thanks for the reviews...looks like pressure is mounting on Verizon after a report that they are pushing users away from the Iphone (which matches my experience), yet don't have the latest Android phones.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/03/technology/verizon-iphone-sales/

[johnnya24]

Thanks for the reviews...looks like pressure is mounting on Verizon after a report that they are pushing users away from the Iphone (which matches my experience), yet don't have the latest Android phones.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/03/tech...-iphone-sales/

I would definitely not buy an iPhone 4s ... agree with that part ... although their motivations are probably not very altruistic. It would be a huge error to sign up to 24 months on a 3.5" screen (that would mean come 2014 you'll still be using the 2009 standard size). If you are an Appleofile wait for the iPhone5 and hope it's not just a 4". If you want Android it's HOX (now ... or HOS if you have smaller hands) or S3 (2/3 months). If they can't offer those, then it's better to wait until they get them. If it were a 12 month contract like the old days, you could just pick the best available ... but 24 months is too long to be stuck with a mediocre product.

... although the S3 will probably be called The Verizon INDEFATIGABLE or some such nonsense ... and have pointed corners so it's more likely to break if you drop it.

[johnnya24]

I decided to wait for the Samsung S-III. I like my Samsung Captivate and will wait the couple of months for the S-III.

Samsung Captivate ... why go to the bother of rebranding and reshaping the Galaxy S? Same phone, confusing name, miss out on all the industry promotion the original Galaxy S got, confuse the consumer, and make it look like an ugly Xperia. I don't understand these US providers.

I decided I couldn't do without HTC Sense widgets