Looking for New Phone

[iBaldy]

Hi all,
I have an old iphone 4 & I'm looking to update,now I normally just go for the latest iphone,but I am starting to think I need to broaden my horizons & look at the new Android phones out there.
The thing is I am scared I won't like it,most friends have iPhones & swear by them & a few have Android who also swear by them...it doesn't help me.
Which phones are worth looking at,bearing in mind I haven't used a 'big' screened phone before,but not adverse to it.

Cheers

Ian

 

[maflynn]

Are you focusing on a particular platform, i.e., android, or are you also considering windows phones?

The Samsung S5 is a good phone, I'm liking the what Nokia has on the Windows phones as well.

 

[iBaldy]

Ive not really looked into Windows phones,but we have Windows 8 on works computers & its a pain.

 

[MRU]

Looking for New Phone

If you can hold off for 8 weeks - you will be able to get the Galaxy S6 from Samsung and the HTC M9 from HTC. Both will undoubtably be great devices.

If you are looking right now, then the Moto X 2014 offers a near stock android experience albeit supplemented with Motorola's fantastic display and voice features.

The Note 4 is a fantastic phablet, and has more features than you'll ever probably use, but it does have them. Nice build quality and great screen.

The Galaxy Alpha is a lovely small handset, however it's hard to recommend now given Samsung have decided to no longer make it. It feels very good in hand especially if your are used to iPhone 4/5 size devices.

The HTC One M8, is a great phone also with one of the most optimised android skins (it gives stock android a run for its money, memory management wise). A great build quality and in many ways looks more apple'esque than anything else android wise. However it's camera is only 'ok'. (I'd wait for M9)

Outside of Android, the Lumia ICON, or 930 are great phones. However windows application store is its weakness, especially if you are reliant on google services and apps, which whilst available on Android & iOS - Google has refused to support windows phone.

The iPhone 6 & 6+ are great too, personally I think the 6+ offers a far better experience, and it's battery life is amazing for me compared to the 6.


However.....

If your looking just to dip your toes into Android without making a sizeable investment, or signing up to a long contract - I would definitely recommend the Motorola Moto G 2014. For less than $180 off contract you get a very speedy phone, that offers decent screen, great speakers and excellent performance for its price. It's the best budget android device, offering mid level performance and low level pricing. It also gets the latest version of Android much quicker than some of the flagships from Samsung, LG etc. You could easily try it out, see if it's for you and then upgrade to one of 2015 flagships later, or if it turns out not for you, sell it without losing a lot of money. It's kind of the 'safe bet' for dipping your toes without making commitments.

Alternatively a second hand Nexus 5 could be a good buy for trying out Android also.

 

[iBaldy]

Cheers MRU,i can wait for the new ones thats not a problem
I think my biggest fear is jumping & regretting it,but the iPhone 6/+ dont really do it for me (saying that ive not actually used one,but they cant be that much different)

 

[MRU]

Cheers MRU,i can wait for the new ones thats not a problem
I think my biggest fear is jumping & regretting it,but the iPhone 6/+ dont really do it for me (saying that ive not actually used one,but they cant be that much different)

The 6 didn't feel much different to me, but the 6+ for me offered me a phone & replacement for my iPad mini. It feels to me like a mini iPad mini

The new M9 is looking based on the leaks at least like it's going to be a beautiful handset, and it is set to be unveiled March 1st - so not long now.

 

[maflynn]

Ive not really looked into Windows phones,but we have Windows 8 on works computers & its a pain.

That narrows it down to Android then, as MRU posted the S6 is due out, see what HTC has to offer, I love their designs.

 

[lowendlinux]

Remember the grass is always greener.

 

[iBaldy]

Remember the grass is always greener.

ha ha thats what worries me

 

[lowendlinux]

ha ha thats what worries me

I think all the platforms are fine and they all come with a learning curve. If you are unhappy with iOS switch if not I can't think of a good reason to. There will be many here who will now start singing the praises of their chosen platform but the best I can say is go to the store and try them all out and get the one you like. It took me a while to decide on my last phone.

 

[MRU]

Remember the grass is always greener.

Indeed, I've been saying that for a long time. For me Android or others are just grass that's of a slightly different shade, but grass nether the less sometimes though it's not about being 'better' grass, just that a change of grass can add variety to the tech grazing

 

[Savor]

Samsung Galaxy Note 4


For a QHD, it has the longest battery life among smartphones with 2K res. Another important aspect other than expandable memory, removable battery, excellent display, and great camera is this phone charges very fast according to PhoneArena. The Sony Xperia Z3 has better life but it charges to full in FOUR HOURS! The savings of 2-3 hrs of charging helps alot during the day. I was also looking into the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 being it is probably the best looking phablet ever designed right now but it it takes very long to charge it as well.

Note 4 is one of the best-around smartphones/phablets out there. Its minor weaknesses are generally cosmetic like TouchWiz. No such thing as a perfect device but Note series comes the closest among all Androids. And resell value is excellent too.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

Here is a profile questionnaire that can get you better recommendations:

Camera:

From a scale of 1 to 10, how important is overall camera quality?
From a scale of 1 to 10, how often do you take pictures at night without flash?
From a scale of 1 to 10, how how important is taking selfies to you?

Do you record a lot of videos and can you hold the phone steadily?

Do you like a simple-to-use camera with limited options or one with many bells and whistles?

Do you want 4K and/or slow motion recording?


Music:

How do you normally listen to music?

• Buy individual songs
• Subscribe to a streaming service
• Play on Youtube

Gaming:

What type of games do you usually like to play on Mobile?

• Light (Angry birds, Words with Friends)
• Heavy (Asphalt, First Person Shooters)

Do you love classic games from the SNES, Genesis, and Playstation era (emulators)?

Battery Life

What type of battery life is sufficient to you?

• Must last from morning to evening (work day)
• Must last from morning to midnight
• Must last from morning to the following morning (24 hours)

Would you see a benefit from carrying spare batteries during long trips?

Google

Are you a heavy Google service user? (Gmail, Maps, Google+, Hangouts, Drive)

Audio

How important is the phone audio to you?

• I'm fine with it as long as it works
• I love loud speakers, but they don't have to be great in fidelity
• I want the best audio experience when I'm watching a movie or listening to songs without headphones

Voice Assistant

From a scale of 1 to 10, how important is a hands-free voice assistant to you?

Would you benefit from having your phone know right away how much traffic you will encounter to your destination before you get into your car?

Multi-User

Would you benefit from having the ability to create different profiles for guest users so that you can hide your personal photos, message, and settings when someone wants to use your phone?

Multitasking

Do you want to be able to see two applications on one screen? (watching Youtube while simultaneously checking your mail)

 

[The Game 161]

Right now isn't the best time to buy..best of waiting and getting a new great phone personally.

That's what I'm doing in terms of tablets.

 

[MasterRyu2011]

Right now isn't the best time to buy..best of waiting and getting a new great phone personally.

That's what I'm doing in terms of tablets.

I know this is probably about people who need the latest and greatest and who think a 6 month device is obsolete, but this comment also applies to those don't need the bleeding edge. The reason is that you will probably get better deals on the S5 right when the S6 comes out (and HTC M8 when the HIMA comes out).

 

[The Game 161]

I know this is probably about people who need the latest and greatest and who think a 6 month device is obsolete, but this comment also applies to those don't need the bleeding edge. The reason is that you will probably get better deals on the S5 right when the S6 comes out (and HTC M8 when the HIMA comes out).

Exactly price drops when new devices come out. Best time really