Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => OT Knowledge => Topic started by: Ham on 09 September, 2013, 02:19:53 pm
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Need to find a replacement phone - I currently have 2 reasonably recent phones:
Phone 1 - Samsung Wave II - Given to me free, works after a fashion. Has the key features I want: WiFi tethering (acts as hotspot), can browse occasionally. On the negative side the OS is Bada (Samsung's own brew of Android) leaving me outside mainstream app market and it has some very annoying foibles, especially sending messages to the SIM and keeping quiet about notifications.
Phone 2 - Nokia 100 - a little phone that just works. Battery lasts forever, very reminiscent of my old 6310. Of course it isn't a smartphone, and you can't charge over USB.
What I'd love is something you can switch between modes, so retaining decent battery life on a smartphone, but of course that doesn't exist. So, I'm looking for a smartphone that does what I need. iPhone is out of court because you can't tether without jailbreak, which probably means Android. Nexus 4 seems useful, as do the HTC One and One Mini. being able to see the damn thing without glasses would be an advantage, but then I don't much care for huge form factors like the S4
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iPhone is out of court because you can't tether without jailbreak
Depends on the network. Three allow tethering on some of their tariffs and not others - although I'm on one of the "non-tethering" plans and seem to get away with wifi-tethering it to my Nexus 7.
(eta: completely standard iPhone 5, bought directly from Three)
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I tether my un-jailbroken iPhone regularly. It's called 'Personal Hotspot' in iOS-speak (O2 contract).
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That's interesting, thought I might be mistaken. Quite impressed by how the iPhone just works, less impresed with the iTunes tie in.
I'd be buying network free in all instances, when I looked the only one that was beneficial was a 4G contract and that's rather spendy.
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Apparently getting busted tethering on Three diverts all traffic to a "naughty naughty!" web page asking you to consider upgrading to a tethering tarriff. I don't know how they detect it but I've never had a problem using all sorts of apps on my Nexus tablet with it - it might just object to tethering it to a PC rather than another mobile device. Who knows.
I very rarely do anything in iTunes, except music etc. Nearly everything is just done from the phone.
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less impresed with the iTunes tie in.
That's also less of an issue now. I buy apps 'over the air' rather than via itunes, and media management is via MediaMonkey which does it so much better.
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less impresed with the iTunes tie in.
That's also less of an issue now. I buy apps 'over the air' rather than via itunes, and media management is via MediaMonkey which does it so much better.
Thats what I do too - well I did until Mediamonkey stopped seeing my iPhone. :-\ Guess I should try and sort that out!
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Probably not quite what you're after, but I have a Nokia 300. It's a Symbian S40 'smart' phone, which roughly translates to "it has a twitter client and you can look up train times on the nasty browser". The email functionality is broken. It does however have a battery that lasts forever; charges via micro-USB; fits in your pocket properly; has a real keypad with clicky buttons you can type using T9 entry at a decent speed with; can play mp3s from a microSD card, and has a mediocre camera. And costs 50 quid, so you don't have to be too precious about it. The resistive touchscreen feels like a retrograde step, but actually works when covered in condensation.
It's a couple of steps up from a basic dumbphone, without compromising the vital feature of actually working as a phone. You're not going to be doing much spodding with it, and there's no wifi, but you can use it as a Bluetooth modem to provide internet access to another device.
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I have an HTC One X - the predecessor of the new One.
It is a superb phone.
The OS is very easy to use.
Battery life is about 24hrs with fairly normal usage e.g. a couple of hours of calls, 30mins as a hotspot, bit of GTAIII, email, facebook, newsreading and texting.
Turning the WiFi and Data connections off makes a huge difference to battery life, pushing it into 3 days fairly comfortably.
If I could have a do-over, I'd have bought a Google Nexus 4 (since I now have a Nexus 10), but that is purely because Google's UI is more intuitive than the HTC (which is still extremely good).
People say iPhones 'just work', but I've had an iPhone and this HTC - both of them 'just work' except one of them doesn't muck about with iTunes and a bizarre file structure that makes it really hard to explore on a computer.
Using a mini-micro USB adaptor, I can also explore my camera's memory card on the phone (or tablet) and pick photos to upload there and then, or copy for uploading later, or delete some that look odd when shown on a proper screen.
The keypad is nicer than the iPhone's IMO.
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I've been running an htc Desire HD for close to three years now. Battery life has never been great but I can make it last simply by not turning on wifi and 3g unless I really need to.
I've taken to using a 3 mifi for on the move data requirements. It works well and I use it with my tablet and my laptop. I'm close ot going back to a dumbfone tbh.
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If I need to get a smartphone to last longer and can do without data I just tell it to only use 2G networks.
With 3G active it's quite common for me to have to charge every day (sometimes every two days). With 3G disabled it can routinely go 4-5 days without a charge.
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Probably not quite what you're after, but I have a Nokia 300. It's a Symbian S40 'smart' phone, which roughly translates to "it has a twitter client and you can look up train times on the nasty browser". The email functionality is broken. It does however have a battery that lasts forever; charges via micro-USB; fits in your pocket properly; has a real keypad with clicky buttons you can type using T9 entry at a decent speed with; can play mp3s from a microSD card, and has a mediocre camera. And costs 50 quid, so you don't have to be too precious about it. The resistive touchscreen feels like a retrograde step, but actually works when covered in condensation.
It's a couple of steps up from a basic dumbphone, without compromising the vital feature of actually working as a phone. You're not going to be doing much spodding with it, and there's no wifi, but you can use it as a Bluetooth modem to provide internet access to another device.
oooo mmmmm.... while I do have a bit of a hankering for Teh Shinys, I would'nt rule it out of court.
Can you block callers with it? does the bluetooth modem need a nokia prog /device driver to use it? how fast?
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I can extend battery life considerably by turning off mobile data on iPhone 5 when on an audax for example, then just turning it on at meal times for a good dump (of data) in one go. I went away from Apple but very happy to be back, they just werk.
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Same for my (fairly crappy) HTC. Turn off the smart functions and stop playing with the thing - > battery lasts four days instead of one.
To a large degree, I think battery life depends more on usage and local signal strength than it does the capabilities of the phone. It's just with a more capable phone you tend to waste more time on it use it more.
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Re-sist..... I must resist.....
Pre-order the Sony Xperia™ Z1 and get FREE detachable camera lens and FREE content*
When you pre-order the Sony Xperia™ Z1 on pay monthly or upgrade you’ll get a free Cybershot QX10 detachable camera lens worth £180. With 10x optical zoom, BIONZ image sensor and Exmor R CMOS sensor, you’ll never have to carry around a separate camera.
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Nooooooo. Shiny plasticcy phone. Wait for 5s to hit shops.
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It's easier once I realised it's the QX10, not QX100, so no 1" sensor.
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Probably the best value smartphone at the moment is the Huawei Y300. It is an absolutely bog-standard Android handset in every respect, but costs just £70 on PAYG. Samsung and LG are charging twice as much for worse handsets.
If you don't mind spending a bit more, the Nexus 4 is a no-brainer. It's every bit as good as the iPhone 5 but if you're quick, you can have one for £200 from the Google Play Store - the Nexus 4 was excellent value to begin with, but it's now being stiffly discounted to make way for a new model.
If you fancy Windows Phone then the Lumia series are all good value, but the availability of apps is still fairly poor.
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Hah! the joke is that Google Play deal doesn't show up in Google search!!
Nexus 4 is looking good, tbh. If I jump for it, I save myself ££££ and end up with a phone that does at least 95% of what I want
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I know you said you weren't interested in a large handset but I still have to mention the Note 2.
Yes it's large but you really do get used to it very quickly, then you wonder how everyone else copes with such tiny screens. The reason I mention it despite this obvious flaw is that it meets your two criteria, the battery on it is just mammoth! With light usage I can run for 4 or 5 days without charging, and when I use it for GPS I can get a full day of cycling in and still have charge to spare. Additionally because of the large screen you can very easily "see the damn thing without glasses".
You really do get used to the size.
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Clicked on the Nexus, has to be a good deal. I can live without the best speaker/camera/games player.
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Nexus 4 doesn't have SD card AFAIA, how much of a pain would this be? (I'm looking for a PAYG phone atm.) Interested in the Huawei Y300, as a cheap option...
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It won't be a problem for me, my current phone has the capability and I never use it, but hten I don't use an mp3 player much. Has 16Gb of storage, that'll do for me.
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Nexus 4 doesn't have SD card AFAIA, how much of a pain would this be? (I'm looking for a PAYG phone atm.) Interested in the Huawei YY300, as a cheap option...
It depends on how you use your smartphone. Google designed the Nexus series with a relatively small amount of memory and no expansion options, on the expectation that users would mainly rely on streaming and cloud services. 8gb or 16gb of on-board memory is plenty for apps and photos, so it's only really an issue if you want to carry a lot of media content with you.
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Thanks to this thread my credit card has just taken a hit to the tune of £200 :demon:
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A well timed thread for me too. Cheers. I've gone for the cheapo option for my first smart phone the Huawei Ascend Y300
£69 'PAYG' (and unlocked) from Carphonewarehouse (includes a £10 SIM for rainy day).
Probably go for the TalkTalk SIM only 12m contract. Currently £3.75 per month for 300mins calls, 3000txts, 1GB data http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/mobile Not too shabby.
May not bother with insurance.
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The Huawei Ascend Y300 has received very good reviews.
I'm going to pass my ZTE Blade/Cyanogenmod 7 (formerly Orange San Francisco) to no.2 peep in exchange for my old Ericsson dumphone. The Ericsson will be the perfect cycling companion as the battery life is measured in weeks and it has an excellent camera.
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Severin, Severin..... oops... shiny shiny!
Nexus 4 has arrived. Initial impression is very good indeed
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Severin, Severin..... oops... shiny shiny!
Nexus 4 has arrived. Initial impression is very good indeed
I'm still waiting for my man.
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A well timed thread for me too. Cheers. I've gone for the cheapo option for my first smart phone the Huawei Ascend Y300
£69 'PAYG' (and unlocked) from Carphonewarehouse (with a £10 SIM for a rainy day).
Probably go for the TalkTalk SIM only 12m contract. Currently £3.75 per month for 300mins calls, 3000txts, 1GB data http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/mobile Not too shabby.
May not bother with insurance.
Are their PAYG phones really unlocked? I've read that they are, but then why do they sell the same phone as "SIM free" for £120?
How does the Huawei Ascend Y300 compare with a Samsung Galaxy S2 (which somebody gave me when they got a new phone)?
For low usage, I'm probably going to go for Three PAYG; calls 3p, text 2p, data 1p per MB.
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A well timed thread for me too. Cheers. I've gone for the cheapo option for my first smart phone the Huawei Ascend Y300
£69 'PAYG' (and unlocked) from Carphonewarehouse (with a £10 SIM for a rainy day).
Probably go for the TalkTalk SIM only 12m contract. Currently £3.75 per month for 300mins calls, 3000txts, 1GB data http://sales.talktalk.co.uk/product/mobile Not too shabby.
May not bother with insurance.
Are their PAYG phones really unlocked? I've read that they are, but then why do they sell the same phone as "SIM free" for £120?
How does the Huawei Ascend Y300 compare with a Samsung Galaxy S2 (which somebody gave me when they got a new phone)?
For low usage, I'm probably going to go for Three PAYG; calls 3p, text 2p, data 1p per MB.
CPW state most are unlocked except iphones, which become locked. http://selfhelp.carphonewarehouse.com/SelfHelp/request.do?view%28%29=c{ede583e0-1fa9-11df-4872-f20203001e3d} They recommend phoning to check, which I did, and this phone is indeed unlocked (apparently) and cheaper that the SIM free deal for some reason. I bought the T-mobile PAYG SIM card (you have to buy one from the choice of networks) with £10 on, but actually T-mobile themselves don't offer the Y300 as a PAYG phone option.
I think the Y300 scores on value in the reviews, rather than spec. I suspect it doesn't have gorilla glass like the S2, or perhaps quite the memory for apps. Will be a big change for me and my LG £30 clamshell I've had for about 5yrs.
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Nexus 4 doesn't have SD card AFAIA, how much of a pain would this be? (I'm looking for a PAYG phone atm.) Interested in the Huawei YY300, as a cheap option...
I have one of these - cost me £53 (carphone warehouse upgrade offer and cashback from topcashback (http://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/rrajham))
works well and the only drawback I have found is the lack of a compass which means that navigation apps don't align with the ground and the likes of sun surveyor don't work.
I have a 32Gb micro sd in it which is more than half full.
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Nexus 4 doesn't have SD card AFAIA, how much of a pain would this be? (I'm looking for a PAYG phone atm.) Interested in the Huawei YY300, as a cheap option...
I have one of these - cost me £53 (carphone warehouse upgrade offer and cashback from topcashback (http://www.topcashback.co.uk/ref/rrajham))
works well and the only drawback I have found is the lack of a compass which means that navigation apps don't align with the ground and the likes of sun surveyor don't work.
I have a 32Gb micro sd in it which is more than half full.
Phone arrived - very pleased. Screen looks good, appears nice and responsive. 2020mAh battery - decent capacity. So far put on Strava, OSM mapping & iplayer. Phone seems to work well too :) I generally like the oldstyle nondigital telephone ring - ringtone though, android doesn't seem to include... I guess it's available somewhere.
edit: Old Phone Ringtones app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.qiniuwubi.oldphone.ringtone&hl=en :)
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Have you tried it with another network's SIM card? I'm tempted to get the Y300, but need to know if it really is unlocked from CPW...
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Have you tried it with another network's SIM card? I'm tempted to get the Y300, but need to know if it really is unlocked from CPW...
I've just extracted my T-mobile SIM card from the Y300, and swapped it with my daughter's Tesco mobile SIM. Seems to work fine and so be unlocked; I was able to see the Tesco contacts, received some messages from Tesco, and I also made a call to our home phone number from the phone. Replaced T-mobile SIM, back to normal, displaying EE (network) on the screen. :)
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Thanks Andy. My Nexus 4 purchase may be changed for a Y300...
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Does sound like the Nexus 4 is a very good handset (though £130 more). I'm planning to get some of these screen protectors (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5X-Crystal-Clear-3H-Anti-scratch-Screen-Protector-for-Huawei-Ascend-Y300-CA-/271242351302?pt=UK_Computing_LaptopAccessories_RL&hash=item3f274dd2c6) to try. I assume the Y300 needs something; I guess that they don't have too much impact on the screen sensitivity.
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I've always had screen protectors on my touch screens and I don't notice any lackof sensitivity with them. I'd delve more deeply on eBay though, as I usually pay 99p posted for a set of 5. The Y300 might be more of a niche though.
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Watching this with interest. Tempted to go for the nexus but understand that you cant open the thing. This means the phone is limited by battery life?
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Watching this with interest. Tempted to go for the nexus but understand that you cant open the thing. This means the phone is limited by battery life?
That will make it difficult to insert the SIM
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The SIM (micro sim) is accessed via a push out drawer, as is common. I converted my ordinary sim with one of these ridiculously cheap items that is perfectly up to the job http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360648856494?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
The battery? Well, it does sound a nuisance, but batteries these days seem to have a 5 year life, by which time I will be lusting after a 32 core quantum processor device. Many top end phones are similar (most?) so, it sort-of comes down to, do you want a top end phone that's as fast as shit off a hot shovel, or a standard one?
The screen is better than the iPhone 4s by a considerable margin.
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Watching this with interest. Tempted to go for the nexus but understand that you cant open the thing. This means the phone is limited by battery life?
There appear to be a couple of screws at the bottom. I'm sure there must be a guide somewhere.
Edit: http://youtu.be/QlGhaOst1c8
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Watching this with interest. Tempted to go for the nexus but understand that you cant open the thing. This means the phone is limited by battery life?
The battery isn't replaceable without tools, but can be replaced by a moderately skilled DIYer (http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Replacing+Nexus+4+Battery/13039/1) with a Torx driver and a spudger. That said, it's almost entirely academic - a phone old enough to have worn out a LiPo battery is almost certainly worth less than a replacement battery.
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The SIM (micro sim) is accessed via a push out drawer, as is common. I converted my ordinary sim with one of these ridiculously cheap items that is perfectly up to the job http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360648856494?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
That's a great device!
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The SIM (micro sim) is accessed via a push out drawer, as is common. I converted my ordinary sim with one of these ridiculously cheap items that is perfectly up to the job http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360648856494?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
That's a great device!
I ordered one of these yesterday (seemed rude not to). Arrived in this morning's post :thumbsup:.
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Just picked up a Y300 from CPW. Phew, they do try and add value to their sales, don't they?! I said no to all, including a case, screen protector and insurance. I got the first two off eBay for a fraction CPW wanted.
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Just picked up a Y300 from CPW. Phew, they do try and add value to their sales, don't they?! I said no to all, including a case, screen protector and insurance. I got the first two off eBay for a fraction CPW wanted.
Hardly surprising given you can get an unlocked dumb phone for under a fiver (then get a £10 £20 PAYG SIM). There can't be much profit in that so they push the rest.
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Yebbut, I found it easy to say no, but a teen or grannie might be pressured into something they don't need or want at the price CPW flog 'em for.
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Indeed. I suppose that's how many shops work. We're not really Sensible Adults for long enough.
One of my friends, who hardly use a mobile at all, was persuaded to put the £5 phone onto a contract. <sigh>
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Just picked up a Y300 from CPW. Phew, they do try and add value to their sales, don't they?! I said no to all, including a case, screen protector and insurance. I got the first two off eBay for a fraction CPW wanted.
With me it was SD cards and the 'great monthly deal' that I could phone up about (and mention their name) if I wanted... Quite friendly and efficient though.
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Update on the battery consumption for the Nexus 4. Yesterday was the first day
I wasn't playing with it that much of normal usage. So, on all day with wifi (prob cheaper on battery than 3g?), a couple of calls, sms, emails, browsing a bit, tapatalk a bit, installed an app. All google updates running, Twitter etc.
Close of play last night - battery shows 70%. This morning, 65%. I'm aware battery meters need to be treated with a certain amount of caution, but it is looking pretty good atm.
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Sounds good - so far I'm quite impressed with the Huawei's battery life.
Picked one of these waterproof dry (dive) bags for the Huawei, for out on the bike.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/110882053638?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Very impressed for £2.99 & free del. Not tested yet, but it's a good fit for the phone, not too snug (page says 'for Samsung S3'). One can use the touch screen and camera with it in the pouch. Has double recloseable lock seals, and a roll top velcro fastening.
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Thanks to this thread my credit card has just taken a hit to the tune of £200 :demon:
And mine. Should be delivered today. :thumbsup:
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Where are folks finding the Huawei YY300 please? Is it also the P6 or am I having a google flu day? :)
Edit: I've figured it now - it's the Y300, not YY300. P6 being an entirely different beast.
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Update on the battery consumption for the Nexus 4. Yesterday was the first day I wasn't playing with it that much of normal usage. So, on all day with wifi (prob cheaper on battery than 3g?), a couple of calls, sms, emails, browsing a bit, tapatalk a bit, installed an app. All google updates running, Twitter etc.
Close of play last night - battery shows 70%. This morning, 65%. I'm aware battery meters need to be treated with a certain amount of caution, but it is looking pretty good atm.
And today's battery update. Overnight it dropped from 44% to 38% so remarkably consistent. (didn't use it that much yesterday, still made calls, browsing, text, and all updates on)
On charge now, but that was interesting. Must repeat with WiFi off, see if that makes it worse.
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I got my Nexus 4 last Friday. Last night I had to re-charge it for the first time.
Admittedly it's not been used a lot but that's still pretty impressive.
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Decided to hang fire with the phone. Virgin 30 day sim only contract for now. Nexus 5 is supposedly being released mid October with Kit Kat OS.
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I decided that instead of await the next Google phone, I'd stick with the HTC that I know and love.
I've gone for a 4G HTC One, replacing my 3G HTC One X.
Holy crap, this is one sexy piece of tech!
The case is Aluminium and has been put together to incredibly fine tolerances.
The phone OS is simply the latest Android flavour, so is brilliant. HTC have been more invasive with their BlinkFeed social media stream guff, which can't be removed from the home screen any more. However, you get to decide what screen is the home screen (i.e. first to appear when you unlock the device) so that's not a problem as I've set up the screen I want and designated it the home screen.
I think the HTC One X didn't get Gorilla glass, it was given something else, which never quite looked or felt as good as Miss Emily's iPhone screen. The One has got Gorilla glass, and boy, it is lovely to touch and look at. The display is crystal clear, as you would expect, and their auto-brightness function is better than that on my Nexus 10 tablet.
4G is immense.
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Not anywhere other than a few major cities, its not.... I'd still like 3G at home. My personal view on 4G is that providers should be prevented by force of law, from rolling it out untill they have completed their 3G networks.
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Not anywhere other than a few major cities, its not.... I'd still like 3G at home. My personal view on 4G is that providers should be prevented by force of law, from rolling it out untill they have completed their 3G networks.
Agree really. I typed in our postcode (OXon) on the Vodafone network coverage checker for 4G just to see (don't have 4G phone). 'No plans'. But apparently they're 'committed to 98% coverage of 4G by 2015', even though their 3G coverage seems pretty patchy and poor currently. EE seems to have much better 3G coverage. Vodafone (TkTk) suits for now, as it was only ~£3.50 for 300mins & 3000txts (+1Gb 3G where available), and their phone coverage is OK.
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The trouble is, ao, that the figures they state are for a percentage of the population
Hence large cities are covered quickly, those out in the sticks (where it's not economically viable) are just SOL.
I would just like to get a phone signal at my digs, don't need data on an evening, just phone would do (only ~6 miles from the centre of Cambridge)
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Orange coverage is particularly problematic in Cambridge.
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Vodafone fails on 3G mobile coverage
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24851312
Mobile firm Vodafone has been rapped by regulator Ofcom for failure to meet its coverage obligations.
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Truly hilarious. Yesterday I gave them feedback because they asked me to, so I pointed out that their 3G coverage wasn't as per their coverage map in my area.... Lets see if they improve it now.
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If anyone is still looking for a phone, we have a new value champion - the Motorola Moto G, which has similar specs to the Nexus 4 but costs just £120 on PAYG (http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_payg_details.asp?ItemKey=737281#sthash.2c8x2Iwn.dpbs). Motorola are now owned by Google, so you get the same guaranteed Android upgrades as the Nexus devices. It has a more basic plastic chassis than the Nexus 4, but the battery is considerably larger and user-replaceable. I've only had the chance to briefly play with a preview unit, but it looks like an absolute belter for the price - quad core processor, a big 720p screen with Gorilla Glass and surprisingly good build quality.
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It might also be worth looking at the Archos Titanium and Platinum models, especially if you're in the market for a cheapish smartphone for travel. Four models, all take dual SIMs, screen sizes from 4 - 5.3in, prices from £99 to £160 SIM-free through Dixons, Currys etc (though I saw the smallest one for £80 in an airport Dixons Travel).
So new I can't find any reviews, but the Archos tablet we've got is OK for the money, and the dual-SIM capacity caught my eye.
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Just throwing in the Nokia 625 into the ring. It's a 4G phone, and is available sim free for £175 from phones 4 u.
Windowsphone 8 isn't that bad an OS. The talktime is pretty good, but the plus point is that maps of europe are stored on the phone, which means GPS mapping even where there's no phone signal of any kind.
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I highly recommend the Motorola Moto G.
It is waterproof, I have used it with a quadlock mounted on my handlebars in a thunderstorm and after seeing the youtube where its dropped into a sink and run over by a car I'm quite happy with it.
I have had it a week and so far the 16Gb fixed limit could be a problem but I'm using google drive and google play music now. Also the screen is ICP LED as against Super Amoled which I liked on the Huawei P1 but the P1 got washed out. The colours on the P1 are more vibrant and I preferred it. The phone is heavier than my P1 and lacks MHL on the usb port. MHL mean't that I could play movies on the TV but hey there's a new thing Miracast which does it wirelessly. The speed is only slightly faster than the Huawei which was 1.5MHz dual core processor whereas the Moto G is 1.2Mhz quad core.
Also the phone costs £130 from Tesco locked, but cost me £2 to unlock thanks to ebay. No need to send the phone away just type in the code. Theres no bloatware so no sign of Tesco on it now its unlocked.
The Moto G came with Kitkat which runs nice and smooth, and it also has Bluetooth 4.0 which enables me to use a heartmonitor. Hence Strava with heart sensor.
Since I used superglue for the mount for the quadlock to fasten it to a Moto G gel case , I have a short safety cord fastened to the case - just in case.
The battery life is a fuller day than before although Huawei was good, I never need to reach for the charger except when I'm tethering gigabytes of data through the phone.
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I've just moved from iPhone 4 to the darkside and am awaiting a Sony Xperia Z1 on O2 4G. You get a free pair of £200 Sony wireless headphones also.
Will update to what I think about it.
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Anyone have a Nexus 5? I'm thinking of switching to one rather than an HTC One.
Main reasons are the better camera and much faster processor.
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Just throwing in the Nokia 625 into the ring. It's a 4G phone, and is available sim free for £175 from phones 4 u.
Windowsphone 8 isn't that bad an OS. The talktime is pretty good, but the plus point is that maps of europe are stored on the phone, which means GPS mapping even where there's no phone signal of any kind.
I know this is an old post but thought it was worth a mention. From what I gather you can also download (free) maps of the US and other places for navigation purposes. That alone was enough to encourage me to at least look at Windoze phones.
As it happened I went with Android but any time I see a half-decent Nokia Windoze phone with a good GPS chipset going cheap I'm tempted to buy it and use it purely for navigation purposes. It can live in the car, and go with me when I go abroad.
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Oaky showed me a similar function on his Android phone.
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Oaky showed me a similar function on his Android phone.
What was the app?
I've seen Navigator that lets you use either OSM maps (which I think are great for cycling but wouldn't trust them for driving), or pay for TomTom maps. The app seems OK but I really wish it was a little more intelligent regarding what data fields you can have. Specifically I'd like the option to have more data fields on a larger screen - it's silly to have the same restriction on a 10" tablet as on a 3" phone.
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Best to ask Oaky.
I guess nobody here has a Nexus 5 then. Having trouble deciding between that and an HTC One.
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Best to ask Oaky.
I guess nobody here has a Nexus 5 then. Having trouble deciding between that and an HTC One.
I looked at both the other week and must admit I found the Sony Xperia Z2 to look like a good option. If you like the Nexus 5 also look at the LG G2. It's a bit more expensive than the Nexus but not in the £500 price band of the Sony and the HTC.
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I'm a budget cheapass. Z2 is a lot more expensive - I'm looking at £20 per month or less.
Ironically, I pay about £50 per month for mobiles. Me, wife, teen#1, teen#2.
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Battery life on smartphones is excellent, what isn't excellent is the drain using apps puts on it. ;)
I broke the screen of my first iPhone and physically could not turn it off as you need the screen to do that. I could do nothing else either. It took 2 weeks for the battery to drain down enough for it to turn off an allow me to replace the screen without doing it while it was still on…
[edit] OK that's me replying to something on page 1 without noticing (a) there are 3 further pages and (b) it was posted months ago :facepalm:
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Best to ask Oaky.
I guess nobody here has a Nexus 5 then. Having trouble deciding between that and an HTC One.
Wrong.
I haz a Nexus 5, very very happy with it. Battery life goes to 2 days with only light use, can't find anything wrong with it, I don't use it as a media device. I've recently upgraded to 4G and it is 4F Fast. Anything in particular you want to know?
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build quality, longevity of phone (ie has it been susceptible to damage). What do you think of the camera?
I believe it doesn't have an FM radio which I find annoying. I listen to the radio.
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Build quality is very good, I suspect that the HTC one is higher, but I'm not disappointed. I have the front and back covered in a high quality film and I have a case rather like a bumper but with a clear back you can drop your own photo in. It survives less than delicate handling and sitting in the back of my jersey happily; its predecessor the Nexus 4 took a dive from the top of the lockers in the changing room and the screen is buggered (I actually have it and a screen which I would be open to offers on if you are interested - I can fill you in on why I haven't done the repair).
Screen is precise to use and easy to see, GPS is great. Camera is as good as I'd want from a phone with a chip of that size, one of the reasons I considered the One was the lower pixel count but the N5 is OK. The 360 panorama is a bit of fun if you can be bothered. Again, the One might edge teh N5 on the sound but the N5 sound seems ok to me. No FM Radio, but will stream happily, which is frighteningly practical for both audio and video with 4G. KitKat appears a very strong OS, there's no (maybe not much, I dunno) bloatware so I haven't considered rooting. It is a bit Google immersive though, but I'm happy to sell my soul. It is a little bit disconcerting when you look up a place on Google on your PC, pick up the phone to be told how long it would take you to cycle there.
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do you have the black model? That's supposed to come with a thin rubber covering.
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Yes I do, yes it does. In its native format is seems as robust as the iPhone or any other of the calibre.
Film I am using is this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151164326726?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Case I'm using is this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spigen-Black-Ultra-Hybrid-Case-Nexus-5-/331222676630?pt=UK_MobilePhones_MobilePhonesCasesPouches&hash=item4d1e68f496
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No FM Radio, but will stream happily, which is frighteningly practical for both audio and video with 4G.
I tried that with my phone on the way home. Apart from the places I lost signal, the quality was brilliant! Nearly 10mb data for 40 minutes tho.
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I have a black Nexus 5, it's fine, but I don't have experience of the competition.
Battery life is fine, if you don't use it, I use a bumper case and a film cover over the screen. I don't think the film cover is necessary.
These are large phones, I carry mine in a belt pouch gut I don't care what I look like.
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If anyone is still looking for a phone, we have a new value champion - the Motorola Moto G, which has similar specs to the Nexus 4 but costs just £120 on PAYG (http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_payg_details.asp?ItemKey=737281#sthash.2c8x2Iwn.dpbs). Motorola are now owned by Google, so you get the same guaranteed Android upgrades as the Nexus devices. It has a more basic plastic chassis than the Nexus 4, but the battery is considerably larger and user-replaceable. I've only had the chance to briefly play with a preview unit, but it looks like an absolute belter for the price - quad core processor, a big 720p screen with Gorilla Glass and surprisingly good build quality.
I've just bought a Moto G from eBay to replace my trusty Nexus S (which has done me reasonably well since 2010 but whose screen I've just managed to crack on the kitchen tiles). I found a new Moto G for £104.99 including £10 payg sim on O2, and I'm hoping it will work unlocked on Giffgaff.