Despite working in IT for the past 15 years and more, I’m not a geek. I’ve been coping quite happily for the past few years with my trusty Nokia 6310i on PAYG – I’ve never had a contract

It’s been great, as the battery charge lasts over a week, and gets reception in most place. It’s getting a little temperamental now though and keeps turning itself off in my pocket, so I’m reaching the point where I am considering – wait for it – an upgrade

Much as I’d love to get an iPhone 4s, an HTC FullOnThaiBodyMassage or a Samsung ReverseDutchSteamboat or whatever’s the latest and greatest, I do have reservations about a couple of things. First and foremost is of course the cost – at the moment I reckon I spend under a fiver a month on PAYG calls and texts. Jumping to a £40 contract is not going to happen

However, I accept that if I want something all whizz-bang, it’ll cost, and this is the second point. What do I want? I’ve never really used a smart-phone, hence don’t know what I’m looking at and what my criteria should be. I don’t even know if I really want one, or if I just want one because everyone else has one and they look cool. Remember, folks, Girvin Flexstems used to be cool too…

So, let’s not get into “I’ve got this and it’s the best so you should get one too”, but what should I look for and what will it cost me? Does anyone have a “spare” smartphone I could borrow for a month to try it and see if it’s the kind of thing I actually want? Does anyone work for one of the networks and can you get me a deal? Is there anything else I should bear in mind?

If you don’t want the things it can do, don’t get one. They are more expenisve and the battery life is worse.

However if you are open to new ideas about what’s useful, then try it, you might like it.

I like to check my mail on the go, surf whenever I am bored and not at a computer, read kindle books in the bog at work, check facebook wherever I am etc etc. Google maps and the browser are the most useful though. Today I’ve also used the RingGo parking app – you can do this with the browser though but the app is better, as is usually the case.

Tesco were advertising cheap HTC android phones, I noticed.

My HTC Desire is costing me around £20 a month, 18 month contract (inc data). Though I have been a loyal Orange subscriber for a few years if that makes a difference.

I have a few games, set up email accounts and use the camera every now and then.

Most useful for GPS track recording.

If you don’t want an expensive contract and think you may keep the phone a long time it can work out better to get a sim only contract and buy the phone separately.

Buy the phone up front and keep paying PAYG for calls etc.

Get the phone ‘free’ and pay a £40 a month contract.

Am in the same boat as you – have borrowed an older HTC Desire and am going with one of the monthly sim only deals – seems to be around £10-15 will get you enough free minutes and data to see what the big deal is.

If you can’t do this, there are some good deals around on contract – Tesco are doing the Samsung Galaxy S2 (which is the SwedishSaunaTwinsWithExtras of the Android world) free on a £20 contract. 24 months though.

That there is a classic phone. Let’s manage expectations.

There is nothing on the market (that I’m aware of) which will touch the 6310 for reception, it has a huge oversized antenna array on it.

Most smartphones will go a day, give or take, on battery. In practical terms this means plugging it in overnight, every night. Those big pretty screens and 3G / GPS / WiFi / Bluetooth connections drink electrons.

Cost wise, you’re going to have to accept a concession here. The whole raison d’etre of a smartphone is its data connection, and you’re probably looking at a fiver a month for that alone before you’ve started worrying about call costs.

You’ve got, basically, four main contenders here. The ubiquitous Apple, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry.

In terms of battery life, the iPhone tends to have slightly longer battery life than Android handsets; however, Android have replaceable batteries (the iPhone is sealed) so you could always buy a spare or six if you wanted. The Blackberry will last considerably longer. (Anecdotally, there’s all three in my house. The Android will last a day, the iPhone two, and the Blackberry about six. Though, I’ve fitted an aftermarket battery in the Android and it’s now arguably lasting longer than the iPhone.) Windows Phone I know little about, but I expect it’s not dissimilar to the Android here.

My gut feeling is that you’re going to be most comfortable with a Blackberry after coming from a 6310. However, in terms of cost-effectiveness, a cheap Android handset like the San Francisco (sub £100) and a PAYG 3G SIM + data package might be your best bet. I really don’t think a two year contract is right for you as a first foray into the modern world. Try a couple of Fiestas before you buy a Ferrari.

As ever, there’s value in going to a few shops and poking / prodding a couple, see what ‘feels’ right for you. Personal preference plays a big part. Just don’t get railroaded by salesmen on commission.

Don’t forget the second hand market. Places like CEX are awash with handsets they can’t get rid of.

Orange don’t demand you spend £40/mo on a contract to get a smartphone afaik.

i’ve got a cheap HTC Fire-thingy – 12quid a month for 200mins talk, 200 texts and 1gb of data – from Talk Mobile.

its been good so far – its a bit of toy really, even though I had read about the poor battery life I was still surprised at how quickly it will flatten the battery

I’m staying with a cheap £10/month contract and using an iPod touch for the “smartphone” things. Means my phone just acts as a phone/texter, actually has decent battery life and it costs at least half as much per month. Plus I’m on o2 simplicity so not tied into a 24 month contract.

They’re good, but they soon lose their novelty value IME.

Its only a phone, its not going to change your life.

Tom is on the right track methinks. If you want a GPS sportstracker you’re better off with a proper unit.

I had one of those Nokias. I inherited it from a guy that had had it out in Afghanistan when he was training their intelligence forces. No juicy texts left on it though. 🙁

Sorry have nothing to add except for donkeys years I had a 6310 and it was brilliant for battery life. In fact I really do miss it but got to the stage where it wasn’t worth replacing the battery.

Am still on PAYG with a basic Nokia and don’t see how my life can be changed by switching to a smartphone. My purse would have considerably less, just prefer spending the money on bike bits. 🙂

Get a cashback deal from buymobilephones.net.
You have to be organised with sending in vouchers and bills, but you can get a new phone with a decent contract for £5/month of you hunt around.

About to get a HTC Wildfire S for my missus on Orange Panther 20. 100 minutes, lots of text and web-time, free calls to 1 specific Orange number (mine) for £7.69/month.
I’m getting the same contract with a basic Nokia and it works out completley free, and I’ll put the Sim in my Nokia 3720 classic.

Cougar makes all good points, especially this: the world is moving away from voice to data (most clearly seen in the declining number of calls).

But….

That doesn’t mean you have to. If not having access to all sorts of data stuff (whether the ubiquitous social media, or apps for all manner of things) in the form of a mini portable computer, then just find a decent nick 6310 and carry on as you are.

I’d suggest a cheaper Android unit such as the San fransico (or Mk II of the same) seems to be one of the more capable of the budget units & a PAYG contract such as giffgaff’s for £10 a month (including data). This should give a proper taste of internet browsing via a phone, which I’ve never found the blackberry gives you (pre the Torch), this for me being the main selling point of them. If you don’t get on with it, dump the contract and sell the phone for not much less than you bought it for.

Pieface – Member
They’re good, but they soon lose their novelty value IME.
Its only a phone, its not going to change your life.

Totally disagree with this, but this is the point, some ppl ‘get them’ and use them for all their worth, other don’t. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t…

That doesn’t mean you have to

Agreed. I took from the OP that he wanted a posh phone; there’s absolutely no reason why he should feel obligated. There are many many handsets out there that are “just” phones (well, and cameras / mp3 players…)

Totally disagree with this, but this is the point, some ppl ‘get them’ and use them for all their worth, other don’t. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t…

Nail: head. I wouldn’t be without mine, but it’s taken till now for technology to catch up with marketing. I’ve had far too many gadgets that have promised much and delivered little.

When I first got mine, I wanted to switch from Vodafone & T-Mobile had the best deal on the Sony Ericsson ‘normal’ phone that I wanted.
The girl in the shop, gave me the HTC Desire to try; it had come out that day.

I was pretty impressed and although I had to pay £125 for the phone, it was on the same tariff as the ‘normal’ phone – £15/month for 300mins, 300 texts, unlimited data (which I think is actually 3Gb) and a ‘flex booster’ currently set to 60mins of calls to Oz.

I use mine all the time for quickly looking stuff up when out & about, comparing prices of things in shops, searching for phone numbers to ring a particular place, find places on the map etc.

I use it as my main sat nav now & have recently started using the Google ‘traffic layer’ to avoid slow areas on the drive home. It’s right more than it’s wrong so can save me 15-20mins on my drive home.

I use it to track my exercise, play games on etc….

The only things I don’t like about it are the battery life & the camera is rubbish compared to the Cybershot one on my previous phone, which made a fairly good stab at being a compact camera replacement.

If you can see yourself using the features on it and don’t mind sacrificing the battery life, then I would give one a go. Otherwise just stick with what you have.

iPhone 3Gs for £99 on PAYG. Not the whizziest, but a perfectly good smartphone, has the biggest app store, and the widest range of periferal devices.
Plugging in every night is so not an issue, and there are some nice clock apps to use it on a nightstand, and the removable battery thing is also not an issue. If you’re going to carry a spare battery, get a 5500 MAh one of of eBay with two USB ports which you can charge things like mini speakers from as well.
S’what I’ve got.

@CountZero where can you get an iPhone 3GS for £99?

I cannot find it cheaper than approx £300

Some good stuff there, cheers. Looks like I’m not alone and there’s plenty for me to chew on.

Luckily, one of the lads at work has offered to loan me his HTC Desire when he gets his new phone next month, so I’ll give it a whirl and see if I “get” it. If not, then brill, no money lost. If it clicks and I like it, then I can decide where to go next

BTW if you want cheap data on payg, try giffgaff. £10 will get you unlimited data (plus some calls/texts) for a month to try out the HTC?

I’m also selling an SGS2 if interested…

Buy the phone up front and keep paying PAYG for calls etc.

Get the phone ‘free’ and pay a £40 a month contract.

later iphones are this sort of money, either that or pay something towards the phone up front and have a more sensible contract payment. when i looked ( and afaik the situation remains the same ) the only phones worth buying outright and then getting a sim deal on were the iphones.
i would have had one if it made financial sense, but my first foray into smartphones was an htc desire, which worked out to cost ~ 2/3 of the overall cost of the equivalent iphone over the same period of time.

You have to factor in resale in these deals.

It can be hard getting onto the “smartphone ladder”, but once you are on then you can flog your old smartphone when you move to the next one which makes upgrades pretty painless.

(e.g. an 16GB iPhone 4 goes for £200 on Mazuma, which makes the £299 + £21pcm cost of a 4s look considerably more affordable).