Phone advice please!
Jan. 13th, 2012 01:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
andrewduckerIn 18 days my contract runs out, at which point I'd really like a new phone. I've been happy with my last one up to a point, but it's now slow and low in storage space* compared to any of the latest crop of phones.
So, my requirements are:
1) Must be able to install apps without going through an app store
2) Screen size of at least 3.7"
3) Oodles of storage
4) Not full of manufacturer/phone company crapware.**
All of which needs to be possible without voiding my warranty.*** I have no interest in hacking my phone about just to get the basics working.
At the moment, it looks like the combination of (1) and (4) is pointing me towards the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Which frankly looks pretty darned awesome.
The downside of this is that my current phone company doesn't support it, so I'd either have to buy one outright or switch providers. Buying one outright seems doable, but the question then is who is the best provider for SIM-only. I use about 300 minutes and 150 texts per month, but I do intermittently go over the 500MB cap on my data, so 1GB would probably future-proof me nicely there.
So - my question is this, is there a better phone that conforms to my requirements, and who is currently the best phone company for this situation?
*This is my major gripe with it - I've never been able to install all of the apps I wanted to, because the HTC Desire only allocates 150MB for storage.
**I find it frustrating that there aren't any other phones out there that offer the pure Google OS without other stuff stuck on top.
***Admittedly, if the Galaxy S II was �200 pounds cheaper then I'd take the risk. But I'm not *#!*ing up �400-worth of phone if I can possibly avoid it.
So, my requirements are:
1) Must be able to install apps without going through an app store
2) Screen size of at least 3.7"
3) Oodles of storage
4) Not full of manufacturer/phone company crapware.**
All of which needs to be possible without voiding my warranty.*** I have no interest in hacking my phone about just to get the basics working.
At the moment, it looks like the combination of (1) and (4) is pointing me towards the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. Which frankly looks pretty darned awesome.
The downside of this is that my current phone company doesn't support it, so I'd either have to buy one outright or switch providers. Buying one outright seems doable, but the question then is who is the best provider for SIM-only. I use about 300 minutes and 150 texts per month, but I do intermittently go over the 500MB cap on my data, so 1GB would probably future-proof me nicely there.
So - my question is this, is there a better phone that conforms to my requirements, and who is currently the best phone company for this situation?
*This is my major gripe with it - I've never been able to install all of the apps I wanted to, because the HTC Desire only allocates 150MB for storage.
**I find it frustrating that there aren't any other phones out there that offer the pure Google OS without other stuff stuck on top.
***Admittedly, if the Galaxy S II was �200 pounds cheaper then I'd take the risk. But I'm not *#!*ing up �400-worth of phone if I can possibly avoid it.
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no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:32 pm (UTC)As a PAYG person, I struggle to get through 10 texts in a busy week, and make maybe one phonecall per month.
As an aside, I'm also puzzled (I mistyped "pizzled" there, much lol) by the dichotomy of the rush towards entertainment on mobiles while also upgrading one's huge telly/monitor at home.
Also, I can see a use for travel info and calendar-style stuff on a phone, but what else? No idea. Maybe handy for photographing odd things one comes across if a camera isn't handy. Is it mainly just a leisure tool?
I suppose all I'm really saying is that I don't understand how people are so married to their mobiles, I don't even carry mine a lot of the time. If I really need to do something, 99% of the time I can wait until I get home.
Do features beget usage, or does usage beget features? Or have phone companies been clever in their contracts that people feel they need to use their mobiles more?
I'll stop rambling now!
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 10:51 pm (UTC)But the vast majority of the time my phone is a portable computer for access to email, FB, Wikipedia and Google Reader. Quiet patches (like my morning commute) are spent reading RSS feeds and catching up with the news. I also have Spotify on my phone, so I have access to millions of tracks when I feel like it, although I only have about 40 albums on it at a time (586 tracks, apparently). Oh, and Google Maps for walking to places I haven't been before, Bus Tracker to know when buses will be arriving, my calendar, shopping list, to-do list, camera, and the weather.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 11:44 pm (UTC)Maybe if I phoned my parents more often it would be useful to do that while I was out...
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Date: 2012-01-14 04:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 09:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 04:55 pm (UTC)But if the battery runs flat then I read a book :->
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:09 pm (UTC)In which case I need to know whether I should stick with Orange on SIM only, or if there's someone awesoeme out there I ought to be using.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:22 pm (UTC)Only slight fault I've found is that the casing feels a bit flimsy, but I bought a case for about £7 off Amazon and it now lives in my pocket.
Not sure what it will set you back on your contract but I got mine for free from 3 on a £25 a month contract (more minutes than I can possibly use and 1Gb/month data).
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:26 pm (UTC)http://www.three.co.uk/Discover/Devices/Samsung/Galaxy_Nexus/Black
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:48 pm (UTC)All the mobile networks have a similar department. If you persist long enough you should be able to get a better deal than they advertise online.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 07:51 am (UTC)You can get better deals than we offer online sometimes, particularly if you've built up some history with us, but you can do that exactly the same by asking to stay as by asking to leave - it's the same department with the same ability to offer deals.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:35 pm (UTC)I have HTC Sense 3 + Icecream Sandwich on my Sensation XE and It looks and works pretty damn nicely.
You can add non-appstore apps, but don't have root access.
The original Nexus developer edition is the only phone I have heard of that comes with root access without hacking of some sort.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:31 pm (UTC)How did you get Sense and ICS? Leaked build?
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Date: 2012-01-13 04:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 01:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 04:11 pm (UTC)I've got the S2 and love it, although it does have Samsung's front end (which is much, much better than Sense). I expect the Nexus is even better.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 04:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 04:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 04:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:05 pm (UTC)Really though, the Galaxy Nexus is the only one worthwhile with those requirements.
Network wise, I've managed to get 1Gb of data out of Orange by being polite on the phone and asking for it. YMMV though.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 07:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:38 pm (UTC)Not all carriers provide the Samsung Galaxy Nexus bloatfree, although i think UK carriers are not at fault here. I stopped considering the Nexus for my upgrade because:
A) I want a physical keyboard.
B) I like the option of putting in larger micro-SD cards
C) If I cant get a physical keyboard then I'll probably go for a HTC with the Beats tech.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 04:43 pm (UTC)Looks like the Droid RAZR is running stock Android though, although it won't be getting ICS until the middle of the year.
And I've looked around - but I know that some of my friends (like you - so thanks!) pay more attention to upcoming phones than I do - hence the post.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 10:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-13 10:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 01:22 am (UTC)Mine too ... unfortunately, I'm contracted until September, so I'm starting to contemplate CyanogenMod (or similar) to try to get a bit more space free ... App2SD only goes so far :)
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Date: 2012-01-14 01:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-14 04:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 02:00 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 02:55 am (UTC)
Date: 2012-01-15 11:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 01:36 pm (UTC)I bought my Galaxy S2 outright and use PAYG: the Giffgaff £10/month goodybag (250 mins, unlimited texts, actually unlimited internet but no tethering). This works out cheaper for the amount of data I use, according to these guys (who don't seem to be affiliated with Giffgaff).
no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 05:32 pm (UTC)GiffGaff's £10/month does seem pretty good actually. How easy was it to port your number over?
no subject
Date: 2012-01-16 12:38 pm (UTC)The porting process was just getting the PAC code from Orange and then putting it into a form on the Giffgaff site, I think.
no subject
Date: 2012-01-16 12:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-15 04:53 pm (UTC)