Smart Phone Advice?

[C.A.R.]

I don't think we've ever had a thread like this...

My contract is coming to an end (currently EE, 'Full monty' with Iphone 5), approx. £39 a month.

I want to move away from iOS products, as I've had nothing but hassle with my iPhone in the last 2 years.

Thing is, I'm not sure what to go for.

Looking to save money too, possibly going down to £25/month.

A friend has recommended the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini or the Sony Experia Z3 Compact.

I've no experience of either but plan to go down to the Carphone Warehouse later in the week.

How will I find the OS coming from an iPhone? Is it more confusing? Is the software less bullshit-y?

Sorry for posting it, but I'm really clueless on the subject.

[1616six]

Look up 'One Plus One'

Awesome phone, very very well priced.. buy it outright, get a £13 sim only & you're quids in.

I've got as far as going sim only on my iphone5 but it wont break, once it does I'll be getting one.

Only downside is to buy a One Plus One you need an 'invite', however I know where one is going

EDIT: In fact they are having an open order from 5-6pm TODAY

[Piggy]

You can get the Z2 or Z3 compact for 25 a month if you pay 40 for the phone i think

I find the os much easier than iphone but its all personal preference. Its very customizable so soon enough you will have it as you want it

[Ruan]

I love my Xperia Z1 - would highly recommend it.

Oneplus One - had a play on one, nice phones, facking huge though!!!!

[RetroPug]

Some of the basic HTC phones were £13 pcm but on rubbish contracts so more like £18pcm for decent minutes and data.

That said, it is almost always cheaper to buy a phone and then get a £10 pcm sim-only deal.

£39 pcm is an awful lot of money!

[C.A.R.]

£39 pcm is an awful lot of money!

Yes - not doing that again.

I have Wifi at home and at work (90% of the time is where I'll be) so I don't think data is a major requirement. I probably want 1gb at most? For ocasional use of maps / GPS.

I use the phone for work (they pay half my bill) so minutes are important, I probably don't do over 1000 minutes though (I think I'd still struggle to do over 500!)

Texts are pretty much unlimited regardless nowadays.

I really like the Z3 Compact in orange

[Niall]

Tbh minutes are becoming pretty much unlimited now as well do you just choose your contract on data.

I went from iOS to Android when the 5 came out as I was pretty disappointed with it. Had a HTC one which went wrong the day after I got it. EE originally refused to sort it and referred me to HTC who gave the worst after care I've ever experienced. In the end I threatened to cancel my contract and EE magically found a handset!
Anyway, 6 months on I bought a 5s. Just didn't like Android and was much less user friendly Imo than iOS but that's all down to personal preference.

[toseland]

You can get a d ata use amount per month from an ee shop, to give you an idea of how much data you are using as an average to help. You made a more informed decision.

[Eeyore]

are you kidding? we get threads like this every week!

One plus one or the nexus5. Buy outright and then get a cheap sim. Giffgaff is great but coverage is poor.

[MisterGTR]

One plus one or the nexus5. Buy outright and then get a cheap sim. Giffgaff is great but coverage is poor.

+1

Virgin, EE also have good SIM only deals.

I'll add that have the M7 HTC One and it does the job well. Could sell and buy a new one but no need. Nexus 5 is great phone too. I bought one and used before giving to my dad.

[RetroPug]

£39 pcm is an awful lot of money!

Yes - not doing that again.

I have Wifi at home and at work (90% of the time is where I'll be) so I don't think data is a major requirement. I probably want 1gb at most? For ocasional use of maps / GPS.

I use the phone for work (they pay half my bill) so minutes are important, I probably don't do over 1000 minutes though (I think I'd still struggle to do over 500!)

Texts are pretty much unlimited regardless nowadays.

I really like the Z3 Compact in orange

If they do pay half your bill I'd be looking at contracts around the £20 pcm mark which gave you enough data and minutes etc. with a free phone, and then you'd be paying £10pcm with a free phone with everything you'd need which isn't too horrific.

[C.A.R.]

Yea, currently looking at the Experia Z3 Compact from EE -
1000 mins, 1000mb data, £24.99

I'm going to see how long I can get away with letting on that I pay the same amount too, therefore getting work to cover me for the £20 still :p

Want to go and handle one first before committing to anything though.

[Kezzieboy]

are you kidding? we get threads like this every week!

One plus one or the nexus5. Buy outright and then get a cheap sim. Giffgaff is great but coverage is poor.

How is giffgaff coverage poor?! It's been faultless for me, get 4G most places, too.

I'm rocking a Moto G for uber cheap living, £110 for a 4G handset, £10 per month on Giffgaff with unlt texts, 500 mins and 1GB of interwebs.

[Eeyore]

are you kidding? we get threads like this every week!

One plus one or the nexus5. Buy outright and then get a cheap sim. Giffgaff is great but coverage is poor.

How is giffgaff coverage poor?! It's been faultless for me, get 4G most places, too.

I'm rocking a Moto G for uber cheap living, £110 for a 4G handset, £10 per month on Giffgaff with unlt texts, 500 mins and 1GB of interwebs.

I have 0 bars at home and the service occasionally goes down in london. Not being able to make calls when other networks can? Id call that poor.

[Ruan]

GiffGaff is O2....

[Eeyore]

GiffGaff is O2....

giffgaff runs on the O2 network. Its not owned by O2. Sure you know this Ruan but for everyone else... Giffgaff like lots of other budget mobile providers such as tesco piggybacks on the bigger networks. In this case giffgaff/tesco uses the spare bandwidth on the O2 network. If O2 is maxxed out then Giffgaff customers dont get anything. For example during the world cup matches I couldnt do anything!

[Ruan]

Yeah, that's what I mean, it's piggybacked...

Doesn't mean that signal is any different though - just you'll be worse affected by the network being busy - especially if someone is nailing the shit out of the 4G connection on the Access Multiplexer providing that cell!

[Kezzieboy]

Either way, signal is variable on all networks and you can do coverage checks pretty easily. It's your fault for living in the arse end of nowhere, I get signal in the middle of the arse end of the back woods in Cornwall