Smartphone Market (Upgrade choice)

[andycambo]

I’ve now come to the end of my iPhone 3G contract and have the possibility to upgrade. What to upgrade to is starting to become a dilemma in my mind though and I’m hoping for a little help on what to do.

So first off, the iPhone 3GS. I have got on very well with my 3G and it has served me well in my quest to overcome boredom. I’ve spent plenty on the App store but I’m not convinced on getting the 3GS. I’m kind-of bored of the iPhone OS, although it does work very well and I’ve had few problems with it, it’s just all a bit static and boring. Since I would have my 3G, I could just carry on using that like a touch (just put a PAYG sim in) and still have the use of games and internet connection via WiFi. Also with the iPad on the horizon (although I’m still not all that convinced with it) would serve the same purpose as my 3G does now when I’m at home.

What other options are out there? I haven’t looked at the market for a while now, are there some missing gems hidden in this growing market?

I’ve come across the HTC HD2. At first I was thinking that this was the upgrade I want, the big screen looks great, the design of the interface looks wonderful. I then read some reviews and WinMo got a good kicking. Is this really a problem with this device? Does it really kill the overall experience? Any real-world users out there?

I’m not a fan of any BlackBerry’s, they aren’t my cup of tea.

Android? What’s available out there? Is it really as good as it’s made out to be?

Anything on the horizon that’s worth waiting for?

Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Andy.

[marctwo]

Nexus One?

http://www.google.com/phone/

[Sajax]

Will be in the same situation at the end of next month, I'm going to move to a Monthly O2 Simplicity plan and wait to see if/when upgrades happen to the iPhone.

[andyps]

I'm waiting to see what the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is like when it comes out, hopefully sometime in the near future - http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilepho... - should be able to do most of what the iPhone does but with a decent camera which was what stopped me getting an iPhone last time I upgraded.

[andycambo]

Nexus one is a possibility. I watches a video a while ago and it seemed to be a good phone. Is it available on contract though? Also I'm not sure on the whole google knows everything about you situation.

I will have a look at the Sony phone. I'm not overly bothered about cameras though, my iPhone camera has served its purpose. If I want great pics I would use my DSLR although I don't always have that on me.

[off_again]

Dont go for the HTC HD2 - it looks great and there are lots of good deals, but WinMo 6.5 is utter rubbish. It simply hasnt moved on from the older versions and bolting on a hexagonal icon screen simply isnt going to cut it.

That said. HTC have done a damn fine job in an attempt to hide WinMo from the user. So if you use the basic features then its actually pretty good. But if you use some more advanced features (like email) then I am afraid that you drop from that rather nice HTC skin to the bad old days of WinMo again. Rubbish.

Look at the other HTC devices though. The Google phone looks good, but I have to say that HTC android phones are pretty good. Fast, efficient and well connected. Android has really jumped forward and again HTC's skin really works! They have invested a lot of time and effort to get their own look and feel and its largely very successful.

Personally I see this as a two horse race - iPhone or an Android phone (HTC and Motorola do the best ones out at the moment).

[paulrockliffe]

off_again said:

Dont go for the HTC HD2 - it looks great and there are lots of good deals, but WinMo 6.5 is utter rubbish. It simply hasnt moved on from the older versions and bolting on a hexagonal icon screen simply isnt going to cut it.

That said. HTC have done a damn fine job in an attempt to hide WinMo from the user. So if you use the basic features then its actually pretty good. But if you use some more advanced features (like email) then I am afraid that you drop from that rather nice HTC skin to the bad old days of WinMo again. Rubbish.

Look at the other HTC devices though. The Google phone looks good, but I have to say that HTC android phones are pretty good. Fast, efficient and well connected. Android has really jumped forward and again HTC's skin really works! They have invested a lot of time and effort to get their own look and feel and its largely very successful.

Personally I see this as a two horse race - iPhone or an Android phone (HTC and Motorola do the best ones out at the moment).

This is bks. Windows isn't all that great, but now that HTC have sorted it out it's very good. This is the best device available by a long way, both the hardware and the software as well.

[andycambo]

Off again - your views match the reviews I have read. However sometimes I feel that people are just saying these things because it's windows, not because what they are using. They are looking for the negatives rather than reviewing it with a fresh look.

The iPhone sofware is great. It's smooth, fairly quick and has few problems but it's boring. It's has very little personlisation and it's fairly bland in its colours.

I just want something a but fun and different. I really only use a phone for calls, texts and web surfing. The iPhone does this perfectly but it's just boring. I really lime the big screen of the HD2 and the screen of the nexus.

Any idea when the nexus will be available on contract?

[killsta]

Consider the Nokia N900

[andycambo]

Oh yeah.

Killsta. Forgot to mention. I bought the gf a N900. Very good phone, powerful, nice interface and a good design. I just don't want the same phone!

Thanks though.

[davidjpowell]

I have used a variety of WM HTC phones. Now use HTC Touch Pro 2. I find them great. Connects to Exchange out of box and does everything I ask of it very well including property slide out qwert keyboard.

[Fer]

I have a HTC Hero, and I am very happy with it, although it has only been 2 weeks.

[killsta]

andycambo said:

Oh yeah.

Killsta. Forgot to mention. I bought the gf a N900. Very good phone, powerful, nice interface and a good design. I just don't want the same phone!

Thanks though.

In that case. Buy a slightly inferior, uglier phone for her and say it's better than the N900. Then claim the N900. Winner.


Just a suggestion

[Teppic]

If you can wait a couple of months there's the HTC Bravo to consider. It's basically the Nexus One but with HTC Sense (like you get on the Hero and HTC's Windows devices) on it.

Orange are aparrently getting it at the end of March. I don't know if/when it will appear on other networks though.

Edited by Teppic on Saturday 30th January 11:35

[bholleran]

I got the HD2 about a month ago and by a mile it is the best phone I have ever owned. Yes it is windows mobile but the integration with excange etc makes it easy to use. The screen is fantastic and stays realativly smudge free. On some things it would be nice to have a stylus as some of the buttons are a little small, but on the whole a great phone.

[UH-Matt]

I agree wait for the Bravo

[Tycho]

killsta said:

andycambo said:

Oh yeah.

Killsta. Forgot to mention. I bought the gf a N900. Very good phone, powerful, nice interface and a good design. I just don't want the same phone!

Thanks though.

In that case. Buy a slightly inferior, uglier phone for her and say it's better than the N900. Then claim the N900. Winner.


Just a suggestion

+1, I just upgraded to an N900 from an HTC Magic and I'm loving it so far. It's a big phone but easy to use and full of features. Either that, X10 or the Nexus 1.

[andycambo]

Teppic - Great suggestion. I think that maybe the one. Haven't looked too much into it but if it's basically a HD2 but running different software (and hopefully they've sorted out the camera problems from the HD2) then that's what I want.

Thanks for the suggestion!

N900 is a fantastic phone. At first I didn't like the screen (I'm an iPhone user) as you had to press a little harder than I am use to doing. It also took a while to get into the swing of things as it is different from the iPhone OS. Once I was use to the device though, it was great! I didn't want to give it to the gf as I was having so much fun with the phone. Camera is fairly decent and it and the keyboard suits it well (I don't think typing on the screen would work too well with the N900). The only thing I didn't like was the swirl gesture to zoom, as it moved the screen around a little, but then found out you could use the buttons to also zoom (nice touch).

I think the Bravo is for me though.

Andy.

[Gibby78]

if the X10 is anything like my X1, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction, I'm on my 4th now and even with only 2 hours use (relegated to 2nd phone) its still not right, SE have gone right down the pan recently.

My next move will probably be to the Nexus One or wait to see what Apple do with the next iphone.

[Big_Dog]

In the same boat myself with a 3g on simplicity at the moment. I was playing with my mates HD2 last night its really quite a piece of kit. He tells me its getting Android in a couple of months. I think I am going to hold out for that.