Been looking at Nokia 301 so will be getting one at £40 pay as you go tomorrow but also played around with HTC One Mini which I am impressed with but not sure what to use it for … 🙄

In case you haven’t heard me say it – Please consider where the materials used to make the phones come from.

There’s a HUGE issue with the supply of Tantalum coming from slavery and war in the DRC.

Fortunately, Miss Stripes has written a nice introductory article on it, because with a little shopping around you can choose your next phone also for it’s more ethical material sourcing.

Clicky

any widgets on IOS yet?

Great idea for updates etc.

I still like my iPhones here the 5 is very good the S3 and 4 are way too big for my liking.

I’ve got a Windows phone, the only app I wanted but don’t have is Strava. There are however so many other cool things built into WP8 that more than compensate. I really like it, so I would definitely give it some thought and browse the app store NOW rather than read reviews of what was there a year ago.

It’s clear that you don’t want a windows phone but i would just like to point out that you can set one up to use google search as the default,or you can just pin the google search to the home page.

The browser is poo though. When I type an address the autocomplete takes about 10 seconds for each letter – almost unusable.

@gofasterstripes – that is not my experience of the browser at all. It is very very quick for me…

WinPho 7.5 maybe – Browser on WinPho 8 is speedy.

Also, the number of people who have used WinPho 8 (including some tech journalists but by no means all) who say they will not go back to anything else is surprisingly high.

It is very nice to use now.

On WP8 – Hmmmmm. Do you have it set to search with google? I don’t know what is going on with mine, maybe it’s waiting for that?

The problem is this. If, for example I start to type “gofasterstripes” to head to my forum usage page, there will be a 10 second delay between me typing anything, and it suggesting the rest of the address. First, after the “g” – it’ll show “google.com/whatever I last searched”, then “google.com/gosomething else with ‘go’ in it” – about 10 secs per suggestion.

Then maybe when i’ve stopped for a while, if I get as far as “gofaster” it’ll show “singletrackworld.com/members/gofasterstripes/forum/”

Deeply poo.

i would just like to point out that you can set one up to use google search as the default

How d’ya do that then?

Mine does not have the 10 second delay. It’s similar to using my laptop.

To use google, I think it’s a setting in the browser settings page. Anything you type into the browser bar that’s not a web address then gets a google search. Ni need to use the google app. However, the magnifying glass hard button always goes to bing, but you soon get used to hitting the e instead of that. The magnifying glass actualy does more than just bing search though, you can do local searches and also music recognition from there. It’d be really good if only bing wasn’t the engine!

The best thing about it is the social networking integration. All messaging, contacts pulled together in the same features. Including being able to skype a contact from the contact list directly. The slight annoyance is not enough customisation options, in general.

You can pin a contact to your home screen, but not a specific number for example, so no one-touch call or text.

The whole people hub integration really is special. Someone has actually spent a long time thinking about how to do it.

Not only do you get all feeds pulled in together if you click on ‘An Person’ you can see just their latest posts etc, any photos they have put up and details of the latest texts, phone calls, emails etc between you and that person.

Also, go in to photos and it pulls in all the latest FB galleries from any one in you contact lists and it can be accessed across the system so in the FB feed you can get to a specific contact’s latest posts and back out again very quickly.

Also, if cameras are important the Lumia 920 & 925 have pretty much the best ‘normal’ camera system going. The soon to be launched Lumia 1020 has the very special 41 megapixal system which DP Review have rated as the best camera in a phone on just about any matrix (bar speed but then its crunching some serious sensor data!).

The main issue as molgrips mentions is that customisation is currently not brilliant (but soon to be improved with the GDR 3 update due Q4 and then the Blue update due Q1 2014).

The main issue with Android phones though is that the latest version is very much dependent on the handset manufacturers releasing it for all their models and they tend to only sort it out for the latest releases. Try getting Android 4.x on a phone more than 12 months old.

If you are set on an Android phone though then the Galaxy S4, HTC One (or Mini One) or Sony Xperia Z would be on my shopping list. I have read some bad things about the Nexus 4 slowing down horribly with time (although at the new knock down price they do offer good spec for the money).

Cheers

Danny B

The main issue with Android phones though is that the latest version is very much dependent on the handset manufacturers releasing it for all their models and they tend to only sort it out for the latest releases. Try getting Android 4.x on a phone more than 12 months old.

IIRC, HTC have committed to releasing updates for all their handsets for a minimum of twelve months after release. Outside of that, well, it makes some sense only to support handsets for so long; R&D efforts aside, older handsets might not be able to run newer versions. For instance, if a new Android update brings NFC support, there’s little point in working to make that available on devices which don’t have the NFC chipset.

Of course, that’s also dependent on your provider releasing those updates; it’s usually possible to circumvent this though.

Cheers. I’ll nip to a shop this week to hold some

Another reason I went for my Nokia was to support a European company, one I feel loyalty to and who have innovated a lot over the years. I want them to succeed to innovate some more.

Having said that, I can’t get instant messaging to work with my particular combination of accounts.. 🙁

Aaaaand they score highly of ethical sourcing of Tantalum 🙂

Android for me. Tons of phones to choose from and price points.

perthmtb

open browser
press -settings
press-advanced settings
scroll down to-Default search provider and select google.

Now when you type in the address bar when in the browser you will be using google search, however the search button on your phones screen will still use bing.-To change that to use google as well,first do all the above then go to your phones settings
-press-language+region
-press-browser&search language,and select”Sakha(russia)

Your search button should now open on google search.
Hope this helps because it took me bloody ages trying to remember what to do!

Aaaaand they score highly of ethical sourcing of Tantalum

Well, I didn’t know that, but I’m glad at least one of my chosen companies is worthy of my support 🙂

-press-language+region
-press-browser&search language,and select”Sakha(russia)

Your search button should now open on google search.

Surely that’s going to take you to the Russian version of google and give you Russian local stuff?

No,i read about it on wpcentral ages ago,just tried it,the search button puts you straight onto google uk!
The easiest way though is to simply pin google to the home page.

Android 4 on my HTC One S here. 15 months and counting.

IIRC, HTC have committed to releasing updates for all their handsets for a minimum of twelve months after release. Outside of that, well, it makes some sense only to support handsets for so long; R&D efforts aside, older handsets might not be able to run newer versions. For instance, if a new Android update brings NFC support, there’s little point in working to make that available on devices which don’t have the NFC chipset.

Apart from NFC not really making much headway in the UK, when iOS 7 comes out, I’ll be updating my iPhone 4 with it. It may well not have all the latest functions, Siri, for one example, but it’s running iOS 6 at the moment, so that device will be four generations old by the time I update it in a couple of weeks or whenever iOS 7 is released.

Woohoo … bought my blue Nokia 301 for £39.95 @ carphone today.

This one …

Been messing with it this evening and just finished setting up the voicemail so now I only need to get a micro SD card for storage space.

So far so good and I will use this as my business phone from now on.

P/s: might get another one in yellow or white or black(last choice) … 😆

Oh ya I can’t believe some of the smart phone has only 30 mins talk time on one charge 😯 . Crikey it’s a mobile phone not micro computer (well, it’s kind of a computer … nevermind).

I was in a very similar position, with my iPhone 4 starting to play up and not wanting to buy a 5 with the new one due out so soon. I bought an HTC One – lovely phone, really well made, gorgeous screen, super-fast. Android seemed fine at first, and with only a little bit of effort, and the loss of one frequently used app, it did everything my old iPhone did.

But…despite trying very hard for a couple of weeks I just couldn’t get used to it. Lots of little things that had been easier on the iPhone were harder with Android. Silly first world problem stuff like having to hit return after entering the unlock code, or not being able to get to the camera from the lock screen. So I’m back to the iPhone and selling the HTC. Each to their own – plenty of people love Android, and I guess I’m just made for iOS, but I’d really recommend trying it out properly before switching.

What a fine colour that Nokia is.

Personally I like HTC One mini but I wouldn’t be touching any of them until they have a talk time and standby time near to Nokia 301 … 😯

gofasterstripes – Member

What a fine colour that Nokia is.

Yes, vibrant colour as I want it to be very visible say for example if I leave on the desk I can spot it instantly.

I prefer it to be a dual SIM model but this model is not available in the UK … 🙄 Now I need to carry two mobiles while at work. 😆

Silly first world problem stuff
like having to hit return after entering the unlock
code, or not being able to get to the camera from
the lock screen

Lock screen widget for the camera

Pattern for your pin unlock

Sounds like you’d got to used to being restricted in what you can do with your Apple 😉

HTH

As mentioned earlier the 16GB Nexus 4 is a bargain at £199, it was a bargain at the original £275

chewkw :

http://www.raisehopeforcongo.org/content/conflict-minerals-company-rankings

Avoid HTC – they score around 4 out of 100 points for sourcing Tantalum that does not come from children and prosioners digging it out of the ground with a gun to their head, or where the profits do not go directly to the armed groups that control the mine. 4, out of 100.

Nokia scores 35 and that’s a high score 😯

LG scores 27 [Nexus’ made by LG ATM]

Intel and HP are the only co’s to score >50

Pathetic isn’t it?

Oh, and Nintendo scores 0 because the kids that pester you for a console have no idea about this subject – so why should they invest any money in securing their supplies ??? [been going on for years – I think it’s atrocious]

5.4+ million people dead – it continues only because it’s more profitable than peace. And yet it’s never on the news. Funny that.

Camera is available from Android 4.3 lock screen.
Use a pattern based unlock code ?

Personally I like HTC One mini but I wouldn’t be touching any of them until they have a talk time and standby time near to Nokia 301 ..

30 minutes? What phone is that?

Nokia 301:
Talktime 3g – 6 hours
2g – 20 hours

HTC One Mini:
Talktime 3g – 13 hours 20 mins
2g – 20 hours 40 mins

Going by the official specs of both.

Those official specs will never ever happen in real life. The 301 will be going strong after the Mini has been charged twice I reckon and what is the standby time of both

Talk time is pretty good on all the smartphones I’ve had. Their batteries are actually pretty good, it’s all the background stuff that kills it. The process of talking on the phone takes a similar amount of power regardless of phone, because you’re still sending the same stuff to the cell tower.

My previous phone would last about 36 hours max on a single charge normally. I’ve taken out the sim and wifi is no longer working, it now lasts about three weeks!

Techradar.com have ranked the top 20 phones of the year so far…top 5 is as follows:
1. HTC One
2. Samsung Galaxy S4
3. Sony Xperia Z
4. iPhone 5
5. Google Nexus 4

the HTC edged it because it had more innovative features than the S4 which has more progressive improvements made to it…the alloy case on the HTC also looks pretty robust especially compared to the S4 case, but the S4 comes with a gorilla glass 3 reinforced screen…
each phone has its USP..but to be honest there’s not much between them…the wife got the S4 last week and loves it

I have a 5 as a work phone and I think it’s jumped the shark compared with the 4 (my own). Battery life is poor, I find it too big (though obviously it is better for movies, browsing etc. but it doesn’t sit in my 1960s-esq suit pockets)

I’d like to try a 4S to see if it’s a decent compromise, or a Nexus 4 just to see the other ecosystem (if someone else was paying).

Was at Vodafone recently and played with a Nokia 925 and the new one with the uber-camera and they were very nice – if work gets pulled from iOS to go Windows phone & tablet I think I could live with it now.

To change that to use google as well,first do all the above then go to your phones settings
-press-language+region
-press-browser&search language,and select”Sakha(russia)

Your search button should now open on google search.

Ha – that’s brilliant, thank you! One of the most ingenious workarounds I’ve seen…

I’m in Australia, and touching the search button now takes me directly to Google.com.au

+1 For mad workaround skillz. Applied – thanks!

Those official specs will never ever happen in real life. The 301 will be going strong after the Mini has been charged twice I reckon and what is the standby time of both

Assuming you’re not running loads of rubbish, the main killers for smart phones are the screen and all the random connections. Losing 3g and it falling back to 2g, hopping on and off wifi etc. All of which I’d guess that Nokia will be doing.

I used to use an old HTC G1, the first Android phone, really not efficient compared to today’s phone. On flight mode, without faffing with it much, it’s battery would last way over a week.

That bing fix didn’t work for me btw. Just got lots of Russian bing hits.

Another vote for the Nexus 4 – brilliant phone, but definitely needs a good case.