Phone recommendation help

07734

hi, i'm out of contract and in the mood for a new phone, but have been on iphone for so long that i've no idea what else is out there! the non-appearance of the iphone 5 has made up my mind to move to something else...

to answer the questions in the sticky

What features are important to you in a phone? (i.e. camera, gps, FM radio, Stereo Bluetooth)

i need a really good camera. this is one of the most important things. i looked at the samsung galaxy ii, which had an 8mp camera. is that about as good as it gets? i also liked the LG 3d camera, just from a gadget-y point of view. great fun, but is it just a bit gimmicky?

Form factor - i.e. touchscreen, slider, flip phone, etc.

i'm too used to touchscreen to ever go back to anything else


Internet - is 3G/mobile internet important, or WiFi/EDGE

most of my time is in a wifi area.


Operator - have you an operator preference

100% NOT 3, other than that i'm easy. my brother had a problem with them earlier this year, and i won't go to them.


Pre-pay/Bill-pay/SIM-Free - have you a preference for either

i've always been on bill-pay. i don't want an 18 month contract, which i realise narrows things down a bit.

there's just so many different price plans and add-ons that i can't really see clearly what i need. i am an eircom customer, so i'm get a slight discount from emobile if i go that direction.

Price range

my monthly bills are about 40-50 per month at the moment, evenly mixed between calls and data. i guess i'd spend about 200euro on a handset?

thanks for any thoughts!

KrisW

iPhone 4S. Once you get over the fact that the product name doesn't have the number 5 in it, it's a good followup to the 4, and the camera seems better than the 4's... if you've got an iPhone, this is the natural follow-up unless you hate the 4's stupid "easy-drop" case design.

If you're prepared to put the camera above everything else, there is still nothing to match the Nokia N8, which is what I have. The quality of images this can produce is astounding, but I'll warn you that coming from an iPhone, you'll hate the user interface. This software is due to be updated to a slicker version within a couple of months, but it's still not going to be near iPhone in that category; however, you'll get an N8 on O2 for €99 with 12 month contract at €45/month.

The Galaxy S2 would be in the "next best" category, with the iPhone 4S, but there's a huge gap between the N8's camera and the rest of the market.

Also sticking with camera phones, Nokia's first Windows Phone is coming in a couple of months. It'll look like the super-cool Nokia N9 (which isn't being offered in Ireland). People who own Windows Phone phones love this OS, and Nokia's cameras are the best around.

Android is a good choice except for cameras - GalaxyS II is about the best on Android, Xperia Arc is also not bad camera.

3D is a complete waste of time: looks cool in the shop, but you know you'll never use it afterwards.

kenyard

i actually came here to see abuot phones.
I was considering the galaxy S2 which blows everything out of the water at the moment in my opinion, but they are releasing the followup already within the next few months so ill go for that

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_ii_hd_lte-4198.php

problem is as usual how long it takes for these phones to reach ireland. The iphone 4s should be out here if it isnt already with some carriers anyway.

For camera Mp isnt only what you want man. theres so many other things that attribute to a good picture. i get really annoyed at people going for the higher Mp camera at same price. To be honest 5Mp is reall really good for pictures if its a good camera. 8Mp i had a camera and i have zoomed in on photos I took to like 1/20th and had them blown up to 20 inches for photoframes and they are detailed and clear as if they were taken that way.
but once again it depends on other factors, none of which i really know about
every current generation camera will probably have 5-8mp cameras in them +a flash too probably

I dont see a problem with the iphone 4s to be honest. they didnt slap a 5 on it. Apparently its being called the iphone 4 steve. in his memory at the moment...
the issue most people seem to have with it is it is identical to the last one, so you dont look "cooler" or whatever. get over it. its a phone. its what its packing that counts if you get down to it.

07734

thanks guys, interesting thoughts. i went into a couple of shops today and had a play with some of them, i think the galaxy sII is the winner. i'm just ready for a change from the iphone, and the galaxy really looks nice.