My cheap iPhone charger exploded last week and my iPhone 3GS no longer charges! I have therefore been looking at new phones on contract (currently on a sim only deal). Currently considering the iPhone 5, S3, Htc One, HTC One X and the Nexus 4. Liked Apple but would like a change I think and got to consider the cost. Will need to be used as a tethering device for my iPad when out and about. What would the STW people recommend?

iphone 5. only downside is the change of cable/connector.

I have both an S3 and an iphone 5 on the same network. I much prefer the S3 mainly as the screen is much better.

Sony xperia Z looks good.
Not a “real” recommendation as I haven’t used one, but I’d add it to the short list If I was looking.

Nexus 4 out of that lot. Hard to beat for the price.

I was in the same position up until a few days ago, I went with the Galaxy s3, in comparison the iPhone feels like a Fisher-Price ‘My First Cellphone’

can the Nexus 4 be had on contract or is it SIM only?

I got an HTC Windows Phone 8X.

great phone, great OS. Unfortunately it wouldn’t work with my car bluetooth hands free kit (built in). A bit of investigation on the tinterweb and it seems the Windows 8 phones only have a limited number of bluetooth profiles hence the car connectivity issues and this has been a known issue since November 2012 so I doubt its going to get fixed any time soon or at all.

I managed to exchange it for an Iphone 4s at no extra cost (or refund ) 🙁 at O2.

the Iphone works great in my car as did my Samsung galaxy and HTC desire and JCB tough phone and Motorola Defy and Blackberry whatever before it.

Avoid any windows 8 phone if you need hands free connectivity in your car and can’t be bothered with one of them “rep” ear piece things or unless you are sure it will work in your car.

can the Nexus 4 be had on contract or is it SIM only?

Can be, but the SIM only cost of the phone is £270, and the extra cost of a contract with a phone over a sim only contract with the same minutes/data etc makes it not worth it. You do better by buying the phone and getting a sim only contract.

Nexus 4 is SIM only from Google Play.

T Mobile and O2 do it on contract, but you pay considerably more. Makes more sense to go Giffgaff or similar for a SIM only deal.

Great bit of kit, highly recommended.

I got an HTC Windows Phone 8X.

great phone, great OS. Unfortunately it wouldn’t work with my car bluetooth hands free kit (built in). A bit of investigation on the tinterweb and it seems the Windows 8 phones only have a limited number of bluetooth profiles hence the car connectivity issues and this has been a known issue since November 2012 so I doubt its going to get fixed any time soon or at all.

I managed to exchange it for an Iphone 4s at no extra cost (or refund ) at O2.

the Iphone works great in my car as did my Samsung galaxy and HTC desire and JCB tough phone and Motorola Defy and Blackberry whatever before it.

Avoid any windows 8 phone if you need hands free connectivity in your car and can’t be bothered with one of them “rep” ear piece things or unless you are sure it will work in your car.

If you’ve already got an iPad and presumably a iTunes library of iPhone apps, movies, albums etc then I’d be tempted to stick with iPhone.

No sense in paying for everything twice.

Whatever you get you need this hand free kit!

Actually its not really hand free b4 i get flamed

Actually its not really hand free

Oh I don’t know…

http://amzn.com/B00404VASS

My sim only is just over a tenner month, over a two year period would definitely save money assuming nothing went wrong, not sure I want to pay all that up front!!

schrickvr6 –I got an HTC Windows Phone 8X.
great phone, great OS. Unfortunately it wouldn’t work with my car bluetooth hands free kit (built in). A bit of investigation on the tinterweb and it seems the Windows 8 phones only have a limited number of bluetooth profiles hence the car connectivity issues and this has been a known issue since November 2012 so I doubt its going to get fixed any time soon or at all.

I managed to exchange it for an Iphone 4s at no extra cost (or refund ) at O2.

the Iphone works great in my car as did my Samsung galaxy and HTC desire and JCB tough phone and Motorola Defy and Blackberry whatever before it.

Avoid any windows 8 phone if you need hands free connectivity in your car and can’t be bothered with one of them “rep” ear piece things or unless you are sure it will work in your car.

Why’s that then?

have you ever used one? it’s like a smart phone for grannys, absolutely blindingly awful. Windows phones are for dummies, also the app store is very limited.

I have a nexus 4 and it is ace! – if you’ve had an iphone before have a go with android. I’ll bet you won’t go back.

Nexus 4 plus cheap sim only deal = £20ish pm over two years

Bimbler, I’ve just done the same calculation.

My current HTC desire (2.5 years old) is costing me £21/month – £504 over 2 years (300 mins, far too many texts, 500Mb data)

A SIM only deal from Tesco (250 mins, gazillions of texts, 1Gb data) = £10/month – £240 over 2 years

Nexus 4 handset – 8Gb version = £239.

Therefore – get the lot from Vodafone = £504* over 2 years vs DIY of £480 over 2 years (inc stumping £239 up front).

Can I be arsed? hmmmm…. it sounded good when I first thought about it, now I’m not so sure.

* of course, this figure is only valid if I can get Vodafone to “upgrade” my phone to something decent for free. When I tried a few months ago, they weren’t interested as my tariff is pretty good.

I use Motorola Razr maxx. Can’t fault it and the battery lasts more than 2 min

freddyg – exactly my thinking!

Upgraded our ageing 3gs’s for a pair of nexus 4’s last week. Less than half the price of iPhone 5 and delivered in under 24hrs. Already on giffgaff @£10 per month. If you can stump up the cash in hen its by far the cheapest overall.

freddyg – Member
Bimbler, I’ve just done the same calculation.

My current HTC desire (2.5 years old) is costing me £21/month – £504 over 2 years (300 mins, far too many texts, 500Mb data)

A SIM only deal from Tesco (250 mins, gazillions of texts, 1Gb data) = £10/month – £240 over 2 years

Nexus 4 handset – 8Gb version = £239.

Therefore – get the lot from Vodafone = £504* over 2 years vs DIY of £480 over 2 years (inc stumping £239 up front).

Can I be arsed? hmmmm…. it sounded good when I first thought about it, now I’m not so sure.

* of course, this figure is only valid if I can get Vodafone to “upgrade” my phone to something decent for free. When I tried a few months ago, they weren’t interested as my tariff is pretty good.

I’m in the same boat with T-Mobile.

Paid £120 for my Desire 3yrs ago (next month). I pay £15/month for 300 mins/300texts/unlimited internet & a flex booster which is currently set to 60 mins calls to Oz.
I asked about upgrading to a HTC OneS and staying on the same contract and they wanted £290. Hmmmm. Or I could just get a new Nexus 4 & flog my Desire on ebay for about £50.

Apart from the low memory issue, I still really like my Desire.

Apart from the low memory issue, I still really like my Desire.

Me too. My contract came up for renewal in April last year and I haven’t found anything (handsets or deals) that excite me enough to want to change.

Get another charger? 🙂

jekkyl – Member

have you ever used one? it’s like a smart phone for grannys, absolutely blindingly awful. Windows phones are for dummies, also the app store is very limited.

I have a nexus 4 and it is ace! – if you’ve had an iphone before have a go with android. I’ll bet you won’t go back.

You mean in your opinion? I’m guessing you haven’t used one for more than a passing sneer in a mobile phone shop. True, the app store has fewer apps in it than either Android or Apple but really, for most people, how big a deal is that?

Personally I have a Nokia 920 and love it. Wifey has a Nokia 820 which she also loves. Her previous phone was an HTC. She is not a granny. Or a dummy.

Typical STW eh? Someone likes something that you personally don’t like and they are an epic failure of humanity. And yet you think Android is ace. Hmmmm

Apart from the low memory issue, I still really like my Desire.

… which is fixable if you root it and flash a ROM with App2SD+ support.

For balance the HTC 8x Windows phone seemed really nice when I fiddled with it the shop. But I got a Nexus 4 as I like Android. £240 and it is a lovely machine.

… which is fixable if you root it and flash a ROM with App2SD+ support.

I keep thinking about doing this, but (knowing my luck) I’d brick it.

I just got the xperia Z, if you don’t mind the size then it is fantastic, best phone I have had, the mirroring and throw functions are great for watching/listening through your smart TV, connects to other devices with no phaff and battery life for such a big screen is good, micro SD slot,16gb internal water proof down to 1 meter for 20 mins??

Wait for the htc one its out next week, its awsome!!!!! Look at the specs online!!!! I have an ip5 and im parting with that for the new htc one.

I keep thinking about doing this, but (knowing my luck) I’d brick it.

It’s actually really difficult to brick it. It’s possible if you’re determined enough, but you’d pretty much have to do it intentionally.

It can go wrong, sure, but there’s little you can’t recover from. Just take your time and work through a guide, you’ll be right.

I put off doing mine for months, a week after doing it I was thinking “wow, I wish I’d done this ages ago.”

Much prefer the girlfriend’s S3 to my new Nokia 820, this windows nonsense just isn’t particularly good, very limited aps so just feels boring. No Strava, which is just nonsense in this day and age.

Windows phones are for dummies

What a stupid thing to say.

The power surge ruined the connector dock so doesn’t work with any charger!!! I’m not that stupid tut tut.

Anyone used the S3 mini?

Kev, I have an as-new regular S3 for sale. Email in profile if interested.. No details in yours.

I love the look and sound of the HTC One BUT and that is a biggie it runs 4.1.2 and Android being Android you will be lucky to be on the latest Android months after release if at all. I have been flirting with the idea of getting one along with my iPhone 5 just so I can play a bit more with Android but only if I can find one of the developer editions which you can root. Also the battery on it is reportedly very bad due to the fantastic screen and very powerful processor.

If you want to spend less, and be able to be on the cutting edge releases then the Nexus 4 can get some beating. Nice screen, nice build (not nearly as nice as the iP5/HTC One though but way above its £270 suggests) and cheap though no LTE if you care much about that.

Having said that I found the scrolling on Android phones to be particularly choppy even on a relatively powerful phone as the Nexus 4. I also had hard time finding high quality apps (tons of apps for everything of course just not on the design and ease of use level of the iOS Apps). Also when I had the Nexus 4 Chrome was pathetic, it was so slow it was painful. That sounds to have been fixed with a new version of Chrome for Android though.

Personally I’d stick with an iPhone for another year or two.

Trebord – how much

freddyg – Member

Apart from the low memory issue, I still really like my Desire.

Me too. My contract came up for renewal in April last year and I haven’t found anything (handsets or deals) that excite me enough to want to change.

I thought my Desire HD was the hounds baws until I got a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 – it’s like going from Windows ’98 to W7. Android all the way for me – daughter has iPhone 4 and trying to get some music from Amazon Cloud onto her phone at the weekend made me want to smash it into a thousand pieces.