Smartphones

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by Frodocious, Aug 31, 2015.

  1. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    OK folks, I am thinking of dragging myself kicking and screaming into the 21st century and buying a smartphone. What are the pros and cons of a Windows OS vs an Android OS?

    Having done my usual, I have spent time trawling through reviews and the best ones in my price range seem to be the Motorola Moto G and E.

    Anyone got any other suggestions (price range is ~£100 - £150).

    I mainly want it so I can use the internet when I am travelling.
     
  2. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    I have a Windows phone for work and am quite impressed with it.

    I actually gave my iPhone 4 to my daughter.

    I'd be happy to buy one for personal use.

    I'm told by the tech guys at work that Windows is giving up the current platform and moving toward Android.

    I'm also told they're writing off the billions they paid for Nokia.

    We've got a couple of engineers Vodaphone's new android phone, which looks like the Samsung Galaxy S5.

    http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay...6-grey?bundles=show&cid=ppc-mec-auto/smvaajth

    For £80-£100 it seems like a good deal.
     
  3. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    I have an LG G3 and love it - as the G4 is now out you may be able to get them a bit cheaper too
     
  4. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    I know you're not on FB, but it's always worth checking out some selling sites, as there are always people selling smart phones for very reasonable rates.

    With free upgrades there are decent relatively new second hand phones available.
     
  5. Shmook

    Shmook Valued Member

    I would choose android over windows any day of the week. Far more support and apps.

    I've had Sony xperias and Samsung and both have been great phones. Both have waterproof models too - a huge benefit to me - without the bulk of a waterproof case.

    Sony seem to have a far better camera though.

    Can't say anything about other brands but I've been more than happy with these :)
     
  6. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Had a Samsung s4 for a workphone for a bit and that was a great piece of kit too.
     
  7. holyheadjch

    holyheadjch Valued Member

    Android, Android, Android, Android.

    The Galaxy S4 mini is a solid phone.
     
  8. Dan93

    Dan93 Valued Member

    I have a Windows phone and although it performs well the app store is rubbish compared to Android....

    Vote for Android here
     
  9. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    i've had an iphone for some time. i'm quite used to it and love it as it does everything i need it to do pretty solidly. i only have macs at work and at home though.

    all of the other computer engineers at my job have android phones. and they rave about them.

    i have a complete aversion to microsoft too. if that means anything. actually we all do. i work in a 20 person company and not one person has windows at all.
     
  10. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    That Vodaphone actually came up as one of the recommended phones in my price range. The only downside is that I don't want to swap my network (Virgin), because they are the only ones who let me do PAGY direct debit. I don't use my phone all that much, so contracts and bundles don't usually work out cheaper for me. That being said, I am thinking about Virgin's sim only £5 per month tariff.

    Cheers!

    I'm allergic to FB! But I'll check around for a 'used' deal - Amazon often have them.

    The Moto G that I'm looking at has just had a new version released, so I'm hoping the older one might get a bit cheaper.
     
  11. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    I'm an apple convert. I used to love my iphone, it's a great phone and served me well...but like a lot of people I am just so sick of being locked into the whole itunes / apple thing. So I will probably be converting back to something else.
     
  12. Giovanni

    Giovanni Well-Known Member Supporter

    people use itunes still? weird. i kind of laughed at the whole u2 itunes nonsense when that happened.

    i've been streaming on rdio for years now; there's an app. as i'm sure all other streaming music services have one. also i listen to many live shows found for free using the internet archive app. sadly, my phone has nothing on it other than apps and pictures and i stream music and video content.
     
  13. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Maybe I am doing something wrong, I'm not that tech savvy, but like when you want to put music on your phone, you always have to do it through itunes, right? You can't just stick your phone to any old PC and transfer the files over.
     
  14. Van Zandt

    Van Zandt Mr. High Kick

    Buy Apple or risk losing your soul forever.
     
  15. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    Annnnnnndroid. Much more versatile , depending on how you want to use it and what for.
    However that then comes with apparent "security" risks. But if you dont put your whole life into your phone (bank details, cards etc...like Apple) you should be OK.

    Ever looked at phones like Huawei etc?
     
  16. boards

    boards Its all in the reflexes!

    Given that Frodo is not a tech person I don't think versatility is a big issue.
    I don't know what your price range fits because Aus is expensive. Ive used android and apple but not windows.
    IME

    Apple is easy to use but costs alot, they usually have a single option for each thing, but their lack of ability to easily transfer data between computers and phone is a negative. More recent generations have C models which are cheaper.

    Android is extremely popular and comes with a wide variety of phones in all price ranges. I use a htc m8 which I like but it is the premium price range. A downside is that I have found cars with older stereos/Bluetooth don't sync with android as regularly as apple. With modern stereos/cars you get android play which fixes that. Also when you set up you usually have to choose which program you want to use first time out which may annoy some people. Its been my experience that the big apps are equally found on apple and android. Android is easier to move things with your computer.

    I've never used windows phone so I can't give experience on those, but from what I have read online the big reasons for getting W10 on a phone will be useful only for high end new phones (will be able to plug them into a screen and keyboard to be used as a computer).

    One thing that may or may not be usefull for you is that some android phones have slots for memory cards allowing you to store more info on your phone if you don't want to use cloud storage. I don't know if it works on phones but with tablets at least you can get cables that allow you to plug in a usb device with android.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2015
  17. CrowZer0

    CrowZer0 Assume formlessness.

    Android all the way. For versatility, customization and things to do. Apple is more for sheep, old people and kids, more a fashion accessory.

    I'm a bit of a phone nerd. I fix them, make them, mod them and mess around with my own custom software.

    I currently own a LG G3, a Nexus 5 and a Moto G 4g 1st gen.

    For your price bracket I would highly recommend the Moto G, personally I prefer the first gen because of the screen size and pixel density. I got mine on Amazon in March for £104 for its price it is the best phone I have ever used.

    Don't go for the s4 mini. It is actually crap. Don't go for a Windows phone their OS is incredibly limited unless you are a big Microsoft person that uses a lot of office, outlook, drive and need this stuff on the go. That's the only time I would recommend a windows phone. The s4 is a decent phone but in terms of battery and performance doesn't compare with the Moto G.

    Stay away from "minis". Expecially from Samsung. Two exceptions being the Sony z3 compact and HTC one mini.

    For your budget you really can't go wrong with a Moto G, a second hand Nexus 5 or if you can find one a one plus one.

    If you were in the 250-350 range I would recommend a LG G3 or a Nexus 6.

    The Samsung S4 and S5 were generally bad phones because of their high price and due to what LG and HTC did for cheaper.

    Sorry if I rambled this is a hobby of mine. I bought the Moto G purely for testing and modding. The Moto E 3rd gen isn't too bad either.
     
  18. Frodocious

    Frodocious She who MUST be obeyed! Moderator Supporter

    They have appeared on my list of things to check out. I'll have another look at them.

    Cheers. It sounds like the Moto G might be the option I go for. Time for a bit more research!
     
  19. boards

    boards Its all in the reflexes!

    Where I live the internet is so slow (whether over the phone or wifi) that streaming is not particularly useful.
     
  20. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    Pretty much any android phone is gold. I don't buy windows phones as they are really difficult. Androids are good but take getting use to. Best bet might be a second hand iPhone? Very simple for Internet stuff.
     

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