Mobile phones - advice?

[David-G]

I need to upgrade my mobile phone from the antique I currently use to something of the modern era. I have been directed towards the Samsung S4 Mini and the iphone 5c, these are at a comparable monthly rate (£28 p.m.) with unlimited calls and 1GB data. I am completely undecided as to whether to go for the Android or Apple platforms. My nieces all have iphones, which could be a reason to go that way. Android seems perhaps to offer more flexibility in terms of "apps", though I am not sure how much value that would be to me. The Samsung S4 mini seems perhaps to have a slightly better camera than the 5c, though I do not expect to use this much. Any thoughts, suggestions or insights would be appreciated!

[Beef Oven!]

I need to upgrade my mobile phone from the antique I currently use to something of the modern era. I have been directed towards the Samsung S4 Mini and the iphone 5c, these are at a comparable monthly rate (£28 p.m.) with unlimited calls and 1GB data. I am completely undecided as to whether to go for the Android or Apple platforms. My nieces all have iphones, which could be a reason to go that way. Android seems perhaps to offer more flexibility in terms of "apps", though I am not sure how much value that would be to me. The Samsung S4 mini seems perhaps to have a slightly better camera than the 5c, though I do not expect to use this much. Any thoughts, suggestions or insights would be appreciated!

I had a Samsung/Android set up until 3 years ago, when I switched to iPhone/Apple IOS. I think the iPhone is much better.

Also, most of my friends and family are on Apple, UK and abroad, and we all speak to each other for free on iMessage, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Tango (I suppose Android has something similar).

I really enjoy the fact that my emails, text messages, phone calls and everything else are linked between mi iPad, MacBook and iPhone.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Once you have settled whether to go with Apple, or not, then if you decide Android the Moto G at around £150 has been getting "best of.." recommendations as performing comparably to phones much more costly.

I have an Android smartphone, but don't use it for much, although it seems fine, including music replay. Its the older Google Nexus 4 phone - another phone that was good value.

WhatsApp is available on Android - something I do use.

I pay £120 pa for the Google "Play Music" service - similar to Spotify, and have found some good recordings on there - e.g. Semyon Bychkov Mahler /Shostakovich on Avie. Quite good to listen to recordings mentioned here on a try before I decide to buy (or not - eg London Phil Solti Missa Solemnis, with poor sound in fortissimo passages, I shall only listen on the Play service.) At 320kbs mp3 its quite good, especially for "on the move". Not everything is there, but enough to make it worthwhile.

[David-G]

Thank you, BO and CS. I think perhaps I should have added that my computing is Windows-based, not Mac - in case that is relevant.

[VodkaDilc]

I need to upgrade my mobile phone from the antique I currently use to something of the modern era.

I have, this afternoon, had the experience of changing from the contract I've had for over a decade to a 'pay as you go' system - while wanting to keep my ancient phone. Those who operate the nameless phone company's customer service line were incapable of this feat, even after several hours of my calls being passed around the globe. Eventually a visit to the local shop has paid dividends. I have my old phone, equipped with a new SIM card and number. To my surprise, the youthful staff, slightly older than my phone, but not much, did not show the scorn for my phone which I had anticipated. In fact they seemed impressed, as if handling an ancient relic. One could recall "his Mum having a phone like that"; another said he'd never seen a phone where the battery was part of the cover to the SIM compartment. They admitted that its indestructabilty was not matched by the new plastic ones. My faith in the firm whose name begins with V has been restored - but no credit to those who operate the phone lines.

[teamsaint]

best to check which functions are available on your preferred network also.

My new work iphone 5s doesn't do one of the main (basic) things I want it to, because we are on EE.

[Pulcinella]

I too have recently upgraded from a stone-age Nokia brick, primarily kept in the car for emergency use if I ever broke down, and like VodkaDilk's similarly treated with reverence by young staff in the EE shop, to a Moto g, which probably does much more than I will ever need. I was tempted by an iPhone, as I use a Mac and an iPad, but was not sure I needed everything to sinc, so didn't go that route. One nice thing would have been to sinc my calendar though.

Because I am on BT Infinity, and thus can (allegedly) connect to my Internet account at any hotspot, I went for a cheaper contract at £9.99 pm, with unlimited texts, not a great number of call minutes, and limited downloads, and bought the phone outright. Haven't tried anything so sophisticated yet, though, just calls and texts!!

[Risorgimento]

David, I am a dedicated Mac-ophile but I can't get on with the iPhone user interface at all. I have an S4 mini and it is a cracking little phone. The thing I most like about the phone is that there are three buttons (one mechanical (the Home button) and two soft buttons for menu and go back a screen). Never could find an easy way to do similar things with the single Apple button. I have two iPod Touch's and hate using them.

I got the S4 Mini on contract via Tesco who undercut EE/Orange even though everything I get is managed by EE/Orange !!

[Bryn]

Anyone buying Apple products would be well advised to watch tonight's Panorama, then consider just what it is they have become complicit in.

[Flosshilde]

Whenever Apple launch a new phone there are inevitably stories about poor reliability, problems with the phones etc. You never hear stories like that about Samsung (or any other brand).

[johnb]

I bought a Moto G (1st generation) a few months ago, after having had an old Nokia for donkeys years.

My usage is very low so I wanted a Pay as you Go arrangement but was amazed to find that most companies want you to contract for a monthly tarrif, even on Pay as you Go.

Also, I tested quite a few sims from different providers and found that the signal strength from secondary providers such as Tesco, Giffgaff, etc (who use other companies networks) was noticeably worse where I live than the signal strength of Vodafone, EE, Three, etc. In theory there should be no difference as secondary providers use the same masts, but in practice the main networks prioritise different categories of users, so one is likely to be chucked off a mast if it is busy and moved to a more distant mast.

In the end I went for Three's Pay as you Go (3p/min calls, 2p SMS, 1p Data).

By the way, it was very easy getting the Moto G unlocked (it was originally a Tesco mobile) - after researching for recommendations I used a Ebay unlocker.

[David-G]

best to check which functions are available on your preferred network also.

My new work iphone 5s doesn't do one of the main (basic) things I want it to, because we are on EE.

TS, I would be most interested to know what this main basic thing is!

[David-G]

David, I am a dedicated Mac-ophile but I can't get on with the iPhone user interface at all. I have an S4 mini and it is a cracking little phone. The thing I most like about the phone is that there are three buttons (one mechanical (the Home button) and two soft buttons for menu and go back a screen). Never could find an easy way to do similar things with the single Apple button. I have two iPod Touch's and hate using them.

Risorgimento, that is a very interesting observation. Could you explain, for the benefit of a novice in these matters, what exactly these various buttons do?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i find android incresingly useful [not an apple customer] windows pc and android phone; an app like Evernote links wonderfully and the Google app for dictation is incredibly good and simple to use.... i have the old nexus 4 [made by LG] and that will do me for a few years as i am reaching the end of the contract that paid for it ... great for calls, text, photos and limited web use [my choice]

the ease of physical use is critical and rarely mentioned, try the thing next to your head and see what it sounds like and whether the mike is near enough to your mouth; whether you can easily type on it etc .... and can you adjust the font sizes to your eyesight [and most especially how easy is it to adjust energy saving settings so that the screen does not go blank in 5 secs]

[Beef Oven!]

Anyone buying Apple products would be well advised to watch tonight's Panorama, then consider just what it is they have become complicit in.

Yes, I've returned all my Apple products and I cannot recommend them. Apple have not delivered on their responsibility to manage Chinese employment law, and how Chinese companies treat their employees.