Choosing a new smartphone

[Squarebear]

Alright so basically, my contract ends tomorrow and I get to choose a new smartphone.

My current phone is a Blackberry Torch but it sucks horribly and I never want a Blackberry again in my life. I'm a total noob when it comes to smartphones but some say any phone with Android can't go wrong. I don't really feel like getting an iPhone because well... I just f*cking hate iTunes.

Please share some of your smartphone wisdom with me!

[fuz]

I wouldn't recommend Android. You don't really have choice apart from these 3 (apple, RIM, google).

[Squarebear]

I wouldn't recommend Android. You don't really have choice apart from these 3 (apple, RIM, google).

Those Google phones run Android innit?

[ezza]

I really like iphones, get one.

Also whats up with itunes? seems like it works fine to me, simple and easy on the eyes

[volcanogeorge]

yeah i'd like to know if anyone has anything non-iphone that they actually get on with after a long time.

everything out there seems really huge or badly thought out. i don't want a 24" TV in my pocket, i want a fucking phone.

[wub]

Samsung Galaxy S3. Had mine about two months now and it's yet to falter under anything that I've thrown at it (emails/web/games/media playback). Camera on it is shit hot, good pickup through my earphones when playing music...only downside is that the battery can be a bit on the short side if you're doing proper intensive stuff (for example a 90min round trip commute each day running MP3 playback, web browsing and answering emails), but that's to be expected.

[kruptah]

Personally I'd got for one of these HTC smart phones: http://www.htc.com/www/smartphones/

Are they any good, does anyone know?

[Squarebear]

Samsung Galaxy S3. Had mine about two months now and it's yet to falter under anything that I've thrown at it (emails/web/games/media playback). Camera on it is shit hot, good pickup through my earphones when playing music...only downside is that the battery can be a bit on the short side if you're doing proper intensive stuff (for example a 90min round trip commute each day running MP3 playback, web browsing and answering emails), but that's to be expected.

I've read a lot of good stuff about the S3. Might give that one a go since I never had any phone with android.

Would it be worth waiting for the iPhone 5 or S4?

[wub]

Samsung Galaxy S3. Had mine about two months now and it's yet to falter under anything that I've thrown at it (emails/web/games/media playback). Camera on it is shit hot, good pickup through my earphones when playing music...only downside is that the battery can be a bit on the short side if you're doing proper intensive stuff (for example a 90min round trip commute each day running MP3 playback, web browsing and answering emails), but that's to be expected.

I've read a lot of good stuff about the S3. Might give that one a go since I never had any phone with android.

Would it be worth waiting for the iPhone 5 or S4?

S4 isn't rumoured to be out until at least mid 2013, likewise with the iPhone 5. But first gen versions of new models are always buggy as fuck (esp. in Apple's case) so it's up to you.

[hugh]

Get Iphone > Jailbreak

if you don't want to Jailbreak, get something else. Iphones are 10x better once jailbroken, believe me!

[volcanogeorge]

Samsung Galaxy S3. Had mine about two months now and it's yet to falter under anything that I've thrown at it (emails/web/games/media playback). Camera on it is shit hot, good pickup through my earphones when playing music...only downside is that the battery can be a bit on the short side if you're doing proper intensive stuff (for example a 90min round trip commute each day running MP3 playback, web browsing and answering emails), but that's to be expected.

I've read a lot of good stuff about the S3. Might give that one a go since I never had any phone with android.

Would it be worth waiting for the iPhone 5 or S4?

S4 isn't rumoured to be out until at least mid 2013, likewise with the iPhone 5. But first gen versions of new models are always buggy as fuck (esp. in Apple's case) so it's up to you.

i've seen reports of a possible september announcement for the iphone 5, but its meant to be bigger than the current 4S so i'm not bothering with it

[ezza]

If you buy a 4s now, will most contract providers do you an upradge to 5 when it's released? i'm really tempted to buy a 4s but only if i can upgrade it to 5 when it comes out

[Squarebear]

Get Iphone > Jailbreak

if you don't want to Jailbreak, get something else. Iphones are 10x better once jailbroken, believe me!

Had an iPhone 3g with jailbreak. My phone got slow as f*ck and quickly decided to bring the phone back to it's original state

[hugh]

If you buy a 4s now, will most contract providers do you an upradge to 5 when it's released? i'm really tempted to buy a 4s but only if i can upgrade it to 5 when it comes out

of course they won't. And because it is a newish model you will get a terrible contract either way.

[hugh]

Get Iphone > Jailbreak

if you don't want to Jailbreak, get something else. Iphones are 10x better once jailbroken, believe me!

Had an iPhone 3g with jailbreak. My phone got slow as f*ck and quickly decided to bring the phone back to it's original state

you did regular memory sweeps right? Most versions of jailbreak keep all background apps running until you actually go out of your way to turn them off. I had this same problem until I realised this.

[wub]

If you buy a 4s now, will most contract providers do you an upradge to 5 when it's released? i'm really tempted to buy a 4s but only if i can upgrade it to 5 when it comes out

of course they won't. And because it is a newish model you will get a terrible contract either way.

With smartphones, you're looking at perhaps a 6-8 month curve behind the new model/market releases before the deals start betting sensible.

[ezza]

If you buy a 4s now, will most contract providers do you an upradge to 5 when it's released? i'm really tempted to buy a 4s but only if i can upgrade it to 5 when it comes out

of course they won't. And because it is a newish model you will get a terrible contract either way.

Fair enough. Not even for an increase in how much your paying monthly? I know the best 4 contract is sumut like £30, so when the 5 is out maybe they would let you upgrade and up the contract to £40-50 a month.

[hugh]

If you buy a 4s now, will most contract providers do you an upradge to 5 when it's released? i'm really tempted to buy a 4s but only if i can upgrade it to 5 when it comes out

of course they won't. And because it is a newish model you will get a terrible contract either way.

Fair enough. Not even for an increase in how much your paying monthly? I know the best 4 contract is sumut like £30, so when the 5 is out maybe they would let you upgrade and up the contract to £40-50 a month.

maybe, but you would need to buy the new phone as well. So you're looking at around £200-300 on top of the contract increase.

[ezza]

Weak. I real need a new phone & i'll only buy apple shit cus im a tnuc, but, I'm scared the 5 will come out weeks later if i buy a 4s now.

[hugh]

meh, I got the 3gs when I new the 4 was just around the corner, and thank god I did because the 4 had so many problems.
Theres not much that 4 does that 3 doesnt do and there will be even less that 5 does that 4 doesnt do.
So it depends how trendy you want to be more than anything