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What smart phone?

  • 12-01-2010 1:30am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭


    Hi all,
    Just looking for some recommendation's really. I' looking for a smart phone but not sure which way to go.
    I really like the look of the new google phone but is it really that good?

    Any input would be good.

    Thanks in advance,
    dwaned


«1

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 18,314 ✭✭✭✭namloc1980


    dwaned wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Just looking for some recommendation's really. I' looking for a smart phone but not sure which way to go.
    I really like the look of the new google phone but is it really that good?

    Any input would be good.

    Thanks in advance,
    dwaned

    What do you want from a phone? What are your priorities? Music? mobile internet? social networking? customisation? downloadable apps?


  • Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭TheCelticWizard


    dwaned wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Just looking for some recommendation's really. I' looking for a smart phone but not sure which way to go.
    I really like the look of the new google phone but is it really that good?

    Any input would be good.

    Thanks in advance,
    dwaned




    Hello, this is going to be a heated thread! In my opinion the iPhone 3gs is the best for now, the Nexus One has far better hardware but as the platform is so new there are very few apps available yet, as opposed to the thousands and thousands of apps available for the iPhone. Then again it depends on what you wish to use it for.


  • Registered Users Posts: 51,054 ✭✭✭✭Professey Chin


    Hello, this is going to be a heated thread! In my opinion the iPhone 3gs is the best for now, the Nexus One has far better hardware but as the platform is so new there are very few apps available yet, as opposed to the thousands and thousands of apps available for the iPhone. Then again it depends on what you wish to use it for.
    Eh it mightnt have the amount of Apples but id hardly call almost 20,000 apps very few


  • Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭TheCelticWizard


    Eh it mightnt have the amount of Apples but id hardly call almost 20,000 apps very few


    It kinda is when you're comparing it to 120000 apps, but point taken it was badly phrased.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    It kinda is when you're comparing it to 120000 apps, but point taken it was badly phrased.

    If you had 120000 apples in front of you - how many could you actually eat?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭TheCelticWizard


    If you had 120000 apples in front of you - how many could you actually eat?



    That metaphor doesn't work at all. It's not about using as many apps as you can, it's about having a wider choice. 6 times wider. But as I said before, it depends what the op wishes to use it for. If camera is important, definitely the Nexus One, or full flash browsing for that matter. Others prefer having a huge variety of apps available.


  • Registered Users Posts: 306 ✭✭nmesisca


    That metaphor doesn't work at all. It's not about using as many apps as you can, it's about having a wider choice. 6 times wider. But as I said before, it depends what the op wishes to use it for. If camera is important, definitely the Nexus One, or full flash browsing for that matter. Others prefer having a huge variety of apps available.


    just count the number of fart apps and then choose the other device.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Four of a kind


    N900!!! I know its more of a computer than smartphone but its awesome :D:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    Ok so I'm still looking at the iphone and the nexus.. They where on top of my list anyway.
    Camera is important but my first priority is wifi and browser quality. As for apps. because it will be my first smart phone I don't know a whole lot about them!

    Nokia's are a no no! Don't ask me why because I just don't know! I never owned one!

    I'm a big sony fan and have had them for the last five years, w810 at the moment but the xperia 2 (Awesome looking) is just too expensive and they have re-called the Satio because of a software fault (I think).

    Anything else?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 774 ✭✭✭PoleStar


    Would you consider a blackberry?

    I had a blackberry pearl, simple but awesome phone.

    I switched to a HTC touch diamond 2. Other half as an iPhone.

    Have to say, if you are looking for a quality smart phone without the bells and whistles (ie millions of apps and media etc) then go for the blackberry.

    Personally Im holding out for the new Blackberry bold 9700 to appear on o2


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,742 ✭✭✭Bluefoam


    It kinda is when you're comparing it to 120000 apps, but point taken it was badly phrased.
    10,000 of those are fart apps...

    Android has a really good app market. I'd recommend a HTC hero, its a fantastic phone, sense UI is great, its very affordable and you don't need to sign up for a restrictive 18 month contract or pay for an excessive Jesus phone price plan. It may not be the most up to date, but is certainly up there with the best...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭GigaByte


    nmesisca wrote: »
    just count the number of fart apps and then choose the other device.

    Dam you to hell! I just splattered my screen with coffee!! ah thats classic :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭strecker


    That metaphor doesn't work at all. It's not about using as many apps as you can, it's about having a wider choice. 6 times wider. But as I said before, it depends what the op wishes to use it for. If camera is important, definitely the Nexus One, or full flash browsing for that matter. Others prefer having a huge variety of apps available.

    I CANNOT believe that apps-number argument is still going on!!!

    It is IRRELEVANT how many apps there are in totall in Apple's appstore!!! Why????????

    Why? Because: a) not all apps are available for all iPhone types/firmware versions/regions/countries/operators/etc... So, the number is ALREADY down compared to what Apple's PR churns out.

    More IMPORTANTLY : b ) Many apps for the iPhone would be pointless for other phones. Many iPhone apps offer attempts at workarounds for tasks/features that Apple doesn't thing the consumers want/need or whatever. Apple don't allow full access to the file system, you cannot easily transfer files to non Apple phones, you cannot 'plug'n'play' to any pc etc etc etc... i lost count of all the apps in iTunes that offer ways to compensate for the LIMITATIONS imposed on us by Apple for whatever reasons. You do not need any of those apps for phones that can do these things out of the box! Why would an apps designer for s60 or java or android bother with complex apps to transfer files to/from pc when you can just plug in the USB cable or bt??? S/he'd be laughed out of biz-school!

    This is NOT me 'dissing' the iPhone btw!!! There's one in my household. It's a good device. But that doesn't mean comparing available apps numbers between different operating systems is at ALL REVELANT!!! (no need to even go into the statisics that show that the average downloaded app is used for a very short time...if at all. Either because they are gimmicky or users hoped to get their iPhone to do something that just about every other phone can do, but the app doesn't perform...).

    So, there. Yes: there are a milliongazillion iPhone apps, and that means nothing for real users. It's hype. And it gives journalists with little understanding of the technologies involved sth to write about. It's THE EQUIVALENT OF TV-RATINGS! As if Nielsen's number-crunchers have given us better US TV shows?!!!??? Didn't think so.

    The same applies to RAM and processor speed btw!!! Stay within an OS. Compare one s60 3rd to one s60 3rd. Don't compare the E71's ram and cpu speed to the iPhone's or the Hero's. It's stupid.
    My 3 1/2 year old 64mb RAM e61 multitasks better and less chrash-ily than many 256+ mb RAM phones I have used. It multitasks more reliably than my 3GB RAM vista PC (surprise ;) )....

    Different OS. Different requirements. Different apps sizes/memory mapping etc etc etc....

    To stay with s60: on paper the new Nokia e72 is almost twice as powerful as the e71. In reality you'll only notice the faster processor now and again. There are reasons for that I won't get into, but what counts is this: the specs can be misleading (they don't detail how much of that extra juice is gobbled up by FP2 and the new email client etc etc).

    Back in Germany they used to annually publish crime statistics. The right-wing rags would hype the criminality of foreigners/asylum seekers by including 'crimes' like working part-time; crimes like leaving your part of town (as a refugee seeker you cannot leave your assigned region...even if your mother lives only 10 ft outside your 'region'...)....those are 'crimes' native Germans cannot commit coz the applied laws don't apply to anyone but refugees.... So: pointless when you debate overall criminality.

    It doesn't matter. It IS irrelevant HOW many apps there are for the iPhone if the one you NEED is NOT there, I doesn't matter how many s60 apps there are when NONE turn my e72 into a TOUCHSCREEN phone. It doesn't matter how many cable stations there are when none give me unbiased, un-spun news...

    Let the OP say what s/he really wants/need and then lets get real. Chances are s/he won't need 120,000 apps nor 1000. Maybe none. Coz maybe there is a phone that does all and everything s/he needs?! By turning this into a nonsense p*ssing contest we'll never find out.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,924 ✭✭✭eamon234


    OK enough about the Apps - back to the phone people!
    Only advantage I can see to the Nexus is the slightly better camera (it hasn't fared much better than the 3GS one in tests) and the option of buying it unlocked without being a Sheikh. The animated desktop screens are kinda cool but just a novelty really. I'd imagine there will be some big updates in iPhone OS 4.0 that will address a lot of issues so I'll hold on to my 3GS for now at least until the new one is released this summer and see what happens - better the devil you know and all that!
    I'd also imagine it's going to be a while before Google and HTC get all the bugs ironed out on the Nexus it's having a lot of issues already.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭strecker


    eamon234 wrote: »
    OK enough about the Apps - back to the phone people!
    Only advantage I can see to the Nexus is the slightly better camera (it hasn't fared much better than the 3GS one in tests) and the option of buying it unlocked without being a Sheikh. The animated desktop screens are kinda cool but just a novelty really. I'd imagine there will be some big updates in iPhone OS 4.0 that will address a lot of issues so I'll hold on to my 3GS for now at least until the new one is released this summer and see what happens - better the devil you know and all that!
    I'd also imagine it's going to be a while before Google and HTC get all the bugs ironed out on the Nexus it's having a lot of issues already.

    good points.
    Shows how 'relative' those specs are... How many Toshiba TGO1 users here, eh??? What with snapdragon and all it was surey the highlight of 2010... LOL


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    Blackberries are out because the tariffs are just too high! I do like them but I'm in Bulgaria so the rates are very different.

    I really like the HTC Touch 2, except the keyboard. It's the old T9 and I really want to move to the full keyboard on the newer ones.
    My requirements.
    Good size screen
    Wifi
    Full keyboard
    gps
    Good browser function.
    Decent Camera for both still and clips.
    After that everything is a bonus. as I said earlier, I don't know much about the app's so that will come later.
    This is probably where I'll be buying the phone http://www.mtel.bg/promotions/smartphones.php so maybe a start from this list would be good..
    Or do I just hold out and see how the Nexus 1 goes?

    Thanks to all the replies so far.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭strecker


    The touch 2 runs win mo 6.5 - if you don't like the default onscreen keyboards, it takes about 2 minutes to install a free alternative...more qwerty than anyone can handle... :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    Cool strecker thanks, anywhere I can see an example of the alternatives?

    Actually it seems that the option is already built in.....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭GigaByte


    I use swype which is free on my HTC HD2, its the best way to type. Anyone who has tried it on my phone thinks it brilliant. You just drag your finger accross the keys and it figures out what the word is. Check out the video below, on and did I say its FREE!!! :D



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTooBnKAdSw

    http://www.swypeinc.com/product.html
    engadget wrote:
    "Swype finger-tracing text entry seems fast, hypnotic, and magical."
    "Say good-bye to tap-tap-tapping extensive messages into your not-so-convenient Smartphone"
    GIZMODO wrote:
    "…a way to type blindingly fast on a touchscreen…."
    cnet wrote:
    "Move over T9, here comes Swype.."
    GigaByte wrote:
    "I like beans.."

    you can have a few different keyboards installed at the same time and switch between then at any time, here's a coupl more like swype, there free as well

    http://www.mobiletextinput.com/index.php

    http://www.shapewriter.com/


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    Thats sweet looking! is it hard to get used to?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭GigaByte


    dwaned wrote: »
    Thats sweet looking! is it hard to get used to?

    There is no getting used to it. You just drag your finger over the letters, its that simple! :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,836 ✭✭✭Vokes


    dwaned wrote: »
    I'm a big sony fan and have had them for the last five years, w810 at the moment but the xperia 2 (Awesome looking) is just too expensive and they have re-called the Satio because of a software fault (I think).

    Anything else?
    Sony have a new Android phone called Xperia X10. Maybe worth a look?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭GigaByte


    From your spec's another phone to look at would be the HTC HD2 it's got a much higher resolution than the iphone and not only that the screen is much bigger as well. Make internet browsing a much better experience

    hd2iphone.jpg


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,083 ✭✭✭Rulmeq


    Now is not a good time to be buying an iPhone, there is a new one going to be released within 6 months.


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    LOL "I like Beans" :D

    Right getting closer now that I know there are more options..
    Still very much drawn to the Nexus one even though I can't get it yet


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    Vokes wrote: »
    Sony have a new Android phone called Xperia X10. Maybe worth a look?

    Love this phone and the x20 is even better!! just out of my price range :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    GigaByte wrote: »
    From your spec's another phone to look at would be the HTC HD2 it's got a much higher resolution than the iphone and not only that the screen is much bigger as well. Make internet browsing a much better experience

    Again a great looking phone but coming in at €600!!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 515 ✭✭✭GigaByte


    dwaned wrote: »
    Again a great looking phone but coming in at €600!!

    Yeah it does cost a bit, but at least there's plenty of other good options to chose from, happy hunting! :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 477 ✭✭dwaned


    Thanks GigaByte,

    If I ever choose I'll let you know which one I go for :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭TheCelticWizard


    strecker wrote: »
    I CANNOT believe that apps-number argument is still going on!!!

    It is IRRELEVANT how many apps there are in totall in Apple's appstore!!! Why????????

    Why? Because: a) not all apps are available for all iPhone types/firmware versions/regions/countries/operators/etc... So, the number is ALREADY down compared to what Apple's PR churns out.

    More IMPORTANTLY : b ) Many apps for the iPhone would be pointless for other phones. Many iPhone apps offer attempts at workarounds for tasks/features that Apple doesn't thing the consumers want/need or whatever. Apple don't allow full access to the file system, you cannot easily transfer files to non Apple phones, you cannot 'plug'n'play' to any pc etc etc etc... i lost count of all the apps in iTunes that offer ways to compensate for the LIMITATIONS imposed on us by Apple for whatever reasons. You do not need any of those apps for phones that can do these things out of the box! Why would an apps designer for s60 or java or android bother with complex apps to transfer files to/from pc when you can just plug in the USB cable or bt??? S/he'd be laughed out of biz-school!

    This is NOT me 'dissing' the iPhone btw!!! There's one in my household. It's a good device. But that doesn't mean comparing available apps numbers between different operating systems is at ALL REVELANT!!! (no need to even go into the statisics that show that the average downloaded app is used for a very short time...if at all. Either because they are gimmicky or users hoped to get their iPhone to do something that just about every other phone can do, but the app doesn't perform...).

    So, there. Yes: there are a milliongazillion iPhone apps, and that means nothing for real users. It's hype. And it gives journalists with little understanding of the technologies involved sth to write about. It's THE EQUIVALENT OF TV-RATINGS! As if Nielsen's number-crunchers have given us better US TV shows?!!!??? Didn't think so.

    The same applies to RAM and processor speed btw!!! Stay within an OS. Compare one s60 3rd to one s60 3rd. Don't compare the E71's ram and cpu speed to the iPhone's or the Hero's. It's stupid.
    My 3 1/2 year old 64mb RAM e61 multitasks better and less chrash-ily than many 256+ mb RAM phones I have used. It multitasks more reliably than my 3GB RAM vista PC (surprise ;) )....

    Different OS. Different requirements. Different apps sizes/memory mapping etc etc etc....

    To stay with s60: on paper the new Nokia e72 is almost twice as powerful as the e71. In reality you'll only notice the faster processor now and again. There are reasons for that I won't get into, but what counts is this: the specs can be misleading (they don't detail how much of that extra juice is gobbled up by FP2 and the new email client etc etc).

    Back in Germany they used to annually publish crime statistics. The right-wing rags would hype the criminality of foreigners/asylum seekers by including 'crimes' like working part-time; crimes like leaving your part of town (as a refugee seeker you cannot leave your assigned region...even if your mother lives only 10 ft outside your 'region'...)....those are 'crimes' native Germans cannot commit coz the applied laws don't apply to anyone but refugees.... So: pointless when you debate overall criminality.

    It doesn't matter. It IS irrelevant HOW many apps there are for the iPhone if the one you NEED is NOT there, I doesn't matter how many s60 apps there are when NONE turn my e72 into a TOUCHSCREEN phone. It doesn't matter how many cable stations there are when none give me unbiased, un-spun news...

    Let the OP say what s/he really wants/need and then lets get real. Chances are s/he won't need 120,000 apps nor 1000. Maybe none. Coz maybe there is a phone that does all and everything s/he needs?! By turning this into a nonsense p*ssing contest we'll never find out.


    @strecker, OP already stated that nokias are a no no. I already stated that the important thing here is what exactly OP wants from the phone, "If camera is important, definitely the Nexus One, or full flash browsing for that matter. Others prefer having a huge variety of apps available." Sure there are a huge amount of ridiculous pathetic apps in the appstore, but there are also a huge amount of useful and/or entertaining apps there a lot of which wouldnt work properly without the iphones smooth multitouch features. I also use s60 5th daily and there is absolutely no comparison. Android is definitely a contender, and over the next year they are almost sure to destroy apples market share, but not yet. And Nielson boxes? Crime statistics in Germany? Pissing contests? Seriously?


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