[Closed] Smart phone to replace my iPhone 3G?

tesco do cheap 12 month contracts have a look at them.
you should also (if you get a 24 month contract) get a decent smart phone put free into a £20 a month contract.

Well, with the iPhone 4S now coming, with the 8Gb iPhone 4 as the cheap version, and the 3Gs free, I'd say you've got a couple of options. The 4 in the States is $99, so somewhere around £100 here. As you already have a 3, then you can just use your old apps on the new phone. One of the best cameras in a phone, and the GPS works a treat with Viewranger, UK Map and CoPilot Live.

My I phone died the other day and I bought a Motorola Defy. Meant to be waterproof and dust proof and a bit tough, but it doesn't look like a big ruberised thing. memory is expandable and battery is removable and so can be replaced if necessary.

I like it. and find it quite a bit nicer to use than my 3g i phone.

I paid £200 sim free. Apart from it having someone elses email address in it when i got it, its been a pleasure to use. The Defy also links to i tunes (or WMP) to get its music too.

I am on Tesco too (O2) but signed up for Sim only a couple of days before the Iphone pegged out.

BTW, my I-Phone just sold on Ebay for £75 despite the phone ear piece not working and there being no backlight.

Thanks for the replies.

Really don't want to be tied into a 24month contract (if it's with a phone, not sim-only), just don't want to be limited for so long, especially as I break phones quite a bit...

Another possibility is, if I can get a contract with a free (or cheap) phone, I don't mind paying around £25/month if it's a 18month contract. Seems pretty rare to find half decent phones with decent contracts for 18months though.

Defy is tempting. As is a Galaxy S2 (can get them for £300ish second hand), and then get a £11 Virgin contract.

If your used to iphone you will find Android a pain in the arse as basically the phone doesnt come set up and you have to put the apps on it, some like it some dont

I'm sure it will take a while to get used to, but surely I'll be happy with it after a bit of use?

No point in going from Apple OS to android as the gap in ease of use is huge, If you definately want an android phone then get a HTC Desire, doesn't really matter which model but I had the HD, lovely phone to use but the battery life is sh!te, I returned it after a couple of weeks and went back to an iPhone 3GS which I find more than adequate and a jolly sight better than my 3G. I'm on my phone constantly so battery life is a big thing for me, this may not be the case for you, but the camera on Desire is on an epic scale for a mobile phone, you may want to ditch your compact if you do get it!...

Contracts at the time I got my Desire were going at £25 for Unlimited internet, 800 mins and 3000 text from T-Mobile, which in my mind seemed like a bargain considering the T-Mobile network has been absorbed by Orange which just about doubled its size 😛

Hope it helps...

I don't find my Desire to be remotely difficult to use, and I'm no techie. Battery life is ok, but it takes a long time to charge.

Though we've yet to be pushed into making a decision, or really touch any of the phones yet, there loads of useful info on my thread [url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/android-phones ]here[/url]

My problem is the Defy's look good, but then so do the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S2... mmmm shiney!

does anyone do a nice bracket for the Defy that would mount onto your handlebars?

chrisjnr - Member
No point in going from Apple OS to android as the gap in ease of use is huge

🙄

Having actually done exactly that... it's fine. Android works very well. Not quite as slick in a couple of things but then it also has things that iphones don't do (widgets, wifi hotspot, replaceable battery, etc). Funnily enough, my wife always found android easier to use than her work iPhone...

Mine's a Desire S. I do find HTC Sense (HTC's version of android basically) to be better than the Samsung version. I'd certainly not go back to Apple for now - no justification these days for the extra cost IMO. In fact, for me, Android suits me better.

I've just gone onto a sim-only contract with my iPhone 3G. Contemplating buying a 4 (not S!) and keeping my existing sim... how easy is it to cut a sim to micro sized?

(PS sorry for slight thread hijack!)

http://www.solutios.com/simcutting/

clubber: the iPhone does support wi-fi hotspots. Take a look in [i]Settings->General->Network->Set Up Personal Hotspot[/i]

[img] [/img]

how easy is it to cut a sim to micro sized?

Plenty of tutorials online - but most operators will exchange a SIM card for a microSIM for free anyway.

ah, fair enough graham. mine didn't when I swapped.

To be fair, I think some UK operators disable it and make you pay to enable it!

Which being as you're already paying for the data seems a mite cheeky to me.

clubber - Member

chrisjnr - Member
No point in going from Apple OS to android as the gap in ease of use is huge

Having actually done exactly that... it's fine. Android works very well. Not quite as slick in a couple of things but then it also has things that iphones don't do (widgets, wifi hotspot, replaceable battery, etc). Funnily enough, my wife always found android easier to use than her work iPhone...

Mine's a Desire S. I do find HTC Sense (HTC's version of android basically) to be better than the Samsung version. I'd certainly not go back to Apple for now - no justification these days for the extra cost IMO. In fact, for me, Android suits me better.

I chose the Desire because of HTC Sense, over other Android-based operating systems, and I did find it excellent to use... my main criticism is the battery life, otherwise it was excellent. I just happen to prefer iOSX. iPhones are overrated anyhow, it's all about the iPad! 😉

Btw, the "personal hotspot" thing only recently came out with the release of the iOS4 update (4.3) which gives 3GS and 4 and iPad users the ability to create their own hotspot. Largely useless for me though but a point of conversation in the occasional nerd talk.

Funny, I'd say that while the battery life on my DS isn't anything to write home about, it's significantly better than what I was getting on my iPhone. And if I really had an issue with it, I could always buy a spare battery and switch if I needed it...

The batteries these days are wallet sized, so it's no hassle to keep 1 or 2 with you. Still a major limitation with apple stuff I reckon.

iPhone 4 battery lasts mean fine day to day.

I've got a one of these Kensington battery packs if I'm going to be away from power for an extended period:

[img] [/img]

Worth getting. It provides the power as a USB port, so it's useful for topping up loads of different gadgets.

Ooh, looks interesting... linky?

Got mine from Amazon a while ago, but currently says unavailable:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001B193UA

The pack I got came with the battery, lead, adapters to fit all the current mobile phone brands, and a travel charger with swappable plug bits for different countries.

Maybe they are revising it in light of the new "charge everything from micro-USB" rules?

Charge everything except Apple for which they'll provide an adaptor, wasn't it? 🙂

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2011/oct/07/iphone-4s-micro-usb-adapter?newsfeed=true

Yep, a uniquely Apple "solution":
[img] [/img]
[i]"This Charges Everything. Again."[/i]
I wonder if future models will support MicroUSB charging properly?

This seems to be latest version of the Kensington battery:
[img] [/img]
http://www.kensington.com/kensington/en/gb/p/1414/K38056EU/pocket-battery-for-smartphone-devices.aspx

Just thought id clear up the confusion regarding usability of android vs iOS.

Apples solution is fixed to one single environment. It works well and as can be seen from sales is highly popular.

Android on the other hand is a hugely customisable interface that can be themed, adjusted and tweaked to death. You can install home screen replacements like launcher pro or launcher7 that have many options and settings to make them what you want.

The android that most people see is just the manufacturers interpretation of these home screen launchers.

So you can make it as easy or complicated as you wish.

For those that have android devices, I reccomend trying both of the launchers mentioned as well as zeam launcher.

Thanks for the replies all.

Have a mate selling a 32gb iPhone 4 for around £300 which is very tempting. But then many people seem to be raving about the Defy.

My mate has just got a Galaxy S2 and is finding the whole drag and drop lark a right pain. Anyone else find this? Guessing you can get software so you can still use iTunes?

Ta, Duane.

I went from an iphone 3G to a Galaxy S2 and have had no problems at all.

Really don't get this "if you're used to an iphone you'll struggle with android" argument. Sure there are differences but it's hardly a big deal, just down to personal preference.

Android on the other hand is a hugely customisable interface that can be themed, adjusted and tweaked to death.

why all the IT geeks i know (thankfully not that many) have Android phones, this way they can take their work to the pub with them and have a small portable conversation piece to chat about with other IT geeks which conveniently doubles as a phone.

I went from iphone to Desire to Galaxy S2 recently. All in, I wish I had stuck with the iphone and gone to the iphone 4.

The desire as a phone just didn't seem to work for me ... i couldn't get on with the keypad, always struggled to type accurately with it ... but liked the size of the screen and HTC sense.

Changed up to a SGS2. Screen is amazing. Speed of it is really good. Keypad with swype is good. Battery life is excellent. .... but its a little too big for me ( and I have largish hands )

Througout it all, when I pick up an iphone 4, I still think i should have gone with that. For whatever reason I can type accurately on it ( even though its a smaller screen ) and the size of it suits me more. Physically for me its the better phone.

As for the whole Andriod / iOS sfotware thing .... both are very good these days and when it comes down to the base functions, both are easy enough to use. I'd actually say that Android functions a little better in a lot of areas in the manner it does some things such as press to hold to bring up menus of options.

Overall, I'd swap my SGS 2 for an iphone 4 , but it doesn't bother me about keeping the SGS2 either ... its still a very very good phone.

Yep, a uniquely Apple "solution":

"This Charges Everything. Again."
I wonder if future models will support MicroUSB charging properly?

EU standard for "data-enabled" phones. Apple have said that they have no plans to stick any ports other than the dock connector on their phones, but the adaptor allows them to comply without changing the design.

When I said about Android being a pain, its just the fact that if you are an iphone user, or old Windows etc, as a consumer it can be a bit of a surprise that you have to set every thing up yourself, rather than it being supplied ready to go. However if you are expecting it, then its not an issue.

I have an HTC Desire HD, fantastic phone, battery lasts for ages(if you don't use the phone)
I carry one of these around with me...

[img] [/img]

I see iphones versus Android a little like I do bicycles. Some people will buy a complete bike and be chuffed to bits with all the spec and never really change a thing except the odd grip here or pedal there.
Others will buy just a frame, and build the rest up with their favourite parts...

Only thing is, if you buy the complete build, you are pretty much limited to what the manufacturer wanted you to have....

Hmm.. except you're not. You can still change plenty of bits. You just can't get a welding torch out and change the frame geometry like you can with an Android "bike".

Given that 99.9% of people can't weld, some see this as a good thing.
Even those quite capable of welding 😀

[img] [/img]

Nice, but hardly wallet sized, as per these:

[img] [/img]

And of course, it allows you to go from 0-100% battery in under 1 min.
Just saying - it's peace of mind if you are out & about

True, but I can use the Kensington one to charge my iPhone, your Sony, my TomTom, an iPad, some cameras, in fact anything with a USB connection or adapter. Which is useful.

And I only really need it when camping or on long flights where the budget airline is too tight to provide a charging point.

HTC sense is a better interface to samsung, but for whatever reason they refuse to put a large capacity battery in any of their phones (I charge it every night, and often give it a boost via usb at work). I would recommend my desire hd to anyone, and it was free on my 18 month contract compared to £200 for the iphone 4. The iphone is an excellent device but personally I can't justify the extra cash when the htc does everything I need (including itunes control). Plus looking at maps, internet and apps (generally free) on the 4.3 screen is definitely an advantage compared to the iphone.

Plus looking at maps, internet and apps (generally free) on the 4.3 screen is definitely an advantage compared to the iphone

Why is a big low resolution screen better? You can fit less on it. 😀

Only advantage I can see is that your fingers take up less space while playing games. Major disadvantage is it is too big for your pocket.

i'm keen to find this for 'free' on a contract - i'm sure i'll want to go back to iphone but long as the handset lasts ok i'll still have a [s]IP60[/s] IPX7 rated smart phone for biking

[url= http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/09/hands-on-review-of-sony-ericsson-xperia.html ]http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/09/hands-on-review-of-sony-ericsson-xperia.html[/url]

i do worry about going from iOS to 'droid though

Remember iSO 5 is released in 90 minutes or so.

From what I've read its supposed to narrow the gap between iSO and android even further!

PS....avoid Blackberry 😉

Only advantage I can see is that your fingers take up less space while playing games.

Your fingers take up less space compared to everything on screen!

I love high res & almost switched to an iphone 4 after my X10 just came out of contract, but then realised it would be an extra £30 a month for a smaller screen!

But then you find that craa22uk...... 🙂 Maybe that's my new one! Needs a handlebar mount though. If you can operate the singletrack forum I'm sure you could handle android 😉

[img] ?t=1284554745[/img]

I had this setup for 4 years, I just want a waterproof phone again!

it would be an extra £30 a month for a smaller screen

But, but... it's a higher resolution. If you find it physically too small then just hold it closer to your face! 😀

Yeah, I really want a decent solid waterproof handlebar mount for my iphone too. Not seen any that I'd trust at a reasonable price yet, so currently it goes in a freezer bag and is stuck in my Camelbak phone pocket:

[img] [/img]

currently it goes in a freezer bag

I wrap mine in clingfilm....

Yeah, I really want a decent solid waterproof handlebar mount for my iphone too

I saw this at the cycle show and it looked pretty tough, if I somehow got a cheap iphone 4 I reckon it would stand up to mountain biking. Whether the phone would handle the g force might be another question, but the case felt very robust.

[img] [/img]

Ooooh linky?

Looks a bit like [url= http://store.endomondo.com/uk/phone-case-with-bike-mount.html ]the Endomondo one[/url] (without the branding) which is £43!

http://www.holdersandmounts.co.uk/waterproof-iphone-4-bike-mount-motorbike-mount-holder-with-full-swivel.html

£26. That's a better price. Ta 😀

That website seems to be a little undecided if it is waterproof or just "weatherproof" though. Coming into winter I want something that will happily ride out torrential rain on the commute!

When you've decided what phone you want check out:

http://www.comparemobiledeals.com/

It'll show you the best deals (and automatically calculates the cost/mth after any offers or redemption deals etc.)

Don't click through to buy from this site though.

Instead, go to www.topcashback.co.uk etc and click through to the retailer from there and you could get another £30 cashback.

Quick question, how is the iPhone4 as a satnav? Get the feeling not having turn by turn is going to be really really annoying. Unless I get the TomTom app, which is around £60 :/

Was tempted by a Desire HD as someone is selling one cheap, but they have terrible battery life so that's out.

The Galaxy S2 is still kinda tempting (if I'm spending iPhone4 money rather than Defy money), although the screen is pretty big, and the camera would be a bit of a waste (I just bought a nice new compact last week).

Will I have issues copying music from iTunes onto a Defy?

Ta, Duane.

Oh, and whats the deal with updating Android OS? Can you?

Quick question, how is the iPhone4 as a satnav? Get the feeling not having turn by turn is going to be really really annoying.

I use [url= http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/navfree-gps-uk-roi/id391334793?mt=8 ]navfree[/url].

It's free, does turn-by-turn navigation, and (unlike Google Maps) the map is preloaded so it doesn't eat your data allowance and still works when you have no reception.

It uses [url= http://www.openstreetmap.org/ ]the OpenStreetMap data[/url], which is how they can do it for free. So it depends how good OSM coverage is near you. Generally OSM is pretty good these days but there are a few black spots left.

There are obviously several paid sat navs that use commercial maps too, such as Copilot, TomTom and NavMii.

OK thanks. How update is it? Edinburgh has tons of diversions etc at the moment so using satnav is often a nightmare.

Take a look at [url= http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=55.9426&lon=-3.1877&zoom=13&layers=M ]the OSM map for Edinburgh[/url] and see what you think.

I think it was June that NavFree last took a copy of the OSM data, so it will be out of date from then. They tend to release an update every six months or so.

Oh, and whats the deal with updating Android OS? Can you?

It depends on updates being available, but generally you just check for system updates on the handset itself. If there's a new version it does it over the air.

Duane, I use CoPilot Live, which works very well for something like £20, or it might be even cheaper.

It's free, does turn-by-turn navigation, and (unlike Google Maps) the map is preloaded so it doesn't eat your data allowance and still works when you have no reception

You can precache in google maps now, just click a spot and everything in 10 mile radius is loaded.

Excellent, unless of course you plan to drive further than 10 miles 😀

Duane, like your GF I'm going for a cheap Orange San Francisco, but stripping out all the Orange stuff, unlocking it, CyanogenMod 7.1 upgraded from Gen1 to Gen2 (if it isn't Gen2 already) in order to support the very latest Android Gingerbread 2.3.4, GPU accelerated, CPU can be overclocked using setCPU, should achieve almost 1000 on Quadrant Standard, APK installation files. Probably going with GiffGaff network (02).

At some point beforehand, I'll try and understand what I've just written ^ 🙂

Oh, and whats the deal with updating Android OS? Can you?

Dependent on the handset manufacturer and/or network making it available to you. In some cases you can get unofficial ROMs to run on older devices.

I can't think of any Android devices that have had new software updates for as long as iPhones have - typically over 18 months from first release to last software update. 3GS is still getting updates 26 months after release. Most Android handset manufacturers are too busy churning out new models every other month to worry too much about supporting older ones. Typically it seems that getting new versions becomes sketchy a year after release, and then it seems to be pot luck depending on country/region as to when (and even if) you'll get it.

I can't think of any Android devices that have had new software updates for as long as iPhones have - typically over 18 months from first release to last software update. 3GS is still getting updates 26 months after release. Most Android handset manufacturers are too busy churning out new models every other month to worry too much about supporting older ones. Typically it seems that getting new versions becomes sketchy a year after release, and then it seems to be pot luck depending on country/region as to when (and even if) you'll get it.

what he just said is the reason you should buy another iphone....

imagine buying a lovely new set of manitou forks then finding out 12 months later you couldnt get new seals for it .... oh wait - that situation did actually happen - maybe its not that stupid after all

for me apple stuff seems to be replaced by technological want rather than planned obscelecence and non supported software like other phone companies ....

Cheers again.

Kinda told myself I won't pay the extra for an iPhone 4/Galaxy S2, if I can get a decent phone (Defy) for half the price (£150).

However, if the whole Android not being update-able thing is really that bad... =/

On a related note, any other phones in the £150-200 (second hand) that I should consider? Ideally ones newer than the Defy if the updates are an issue on older phones...

Wot trail_rat sed.

However, if the whole Android not being update-able thing is really that bad... =/

It isn't.

Oh, and this is what TrailRat posted yesterday about the slick and easy nature of the Apple update:

well i tried last night and i tried tonight to update my ipad 2 - no dice ...

neither could i get my iphone to update ....

itunes keeps hanging up - updated itunes and still its no better ....

bugger !

All of my Android updates have been fine btw, apart from the final one to an old phone where it appeared to me as if they'd tried their best to make the newest OS run on older hardware and it was just a bit too slow. Still worked fine, just slower than before whic his not an upgrade in my eyes.

Think I'm kind of set on a Defy, just waiting to find one for a decent price.

Re: the Androids not being supported for long, is that problem gone if I whack Cynogenmod on? (www.cyanogenmod.com)

Ta, Duane.

I had 4 defys before sending the last one back to orange and cancelling the contract. All had the same issue of freezing and random rebooting particularly annoying as it tended to happen during calls. They said it was caused by a rouge app but the last 2 I didn't put any apps onto and still had the issue. I did a bit of research and that problem was pretty common along with a problem with poor quality of sound from the earpiece.
It's possible these were from a dodgy batch but it's certainly put me off Motorola mobiles. I now have an iPhone 4 and IMO it's worth the extra £10 per month for the better build quality and reliability.

Went from iPhone 4 to galaxy s2, other than apps not being as good is is every bit as good, and for browsing, which I use the phone for mostly, a good deal better.

other than apps not being as good

That is a fairly major failing for a smartphone in my book! 😀

I can't think of any Android devices that have had new software updates for as long as iPhones have - typically over 18 months from first release to last software update.

HTC Desire? Came out May 2010, got Gingerbread officially a couple of weeks back (and unofficially months ago). There's probably plenty of others, it just depends on manufacturer (and why I avoid Samsung handsets).

3GS is still getting updates 26 months after release.

... which is a bit of a misleading claim, when those updates make it run like a dog.

See I'd say that android apps vs iphone ones is a classic 6/half dozen. Some apps I had on my iPhone I haven't been able to find anything as good for my Desire S but other apps I have got now are better than the iPhone equivalent if available.

The only real noticeable advantage of the appstore I noticed overall was that there are more free, good games but I can't say that it's a real issue unless you're a really avid gamer.

Cheers for all the replies, ended up getting a Motorola Defy (on Android 2.2) in excellent condition for £150 😀

Of course, have already been testing it... 🙂

[img] [/img]

well i tried last night and i tried tonight to update my ipad 2 - no dice ...

neither could i get my iphone to update ....

itunes keeps hanging up - updated itunes and still its no better ....

bugger !

yep it did seem like i was fighting with the millions of others trying to update - the next day at work it updated fine - just plugged it in and left it came back and i had ios5 on both 😀

haha duane - i mind a mate had a nokia that claimed to be waterproof and threw it in a pint - it started ringing and wouldnt stop till he smashed it off the floor into bits 😀