Which smartphone?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
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I am looking for a new smartphone and am stuck on which one to get. I currently use a Blackberry Bold 9780, and for quite some time have stuck with Blackberry as it uses PUSH email technology and in my opinion is still the best handset for emails. I send and receive a lot of emails so this is important to me.

I decided on the new Blackberry Z10, but am now not so sure as Blackberry is definitely not the best when it comes to apps.

The Sony Experia Z looks good, but i have heard it's not great for emails. If i decide not to go with the Blackberry Z10 I am looking for an ANDROID phone as they, along with iphones are the best when it comes to apps, but I really do not want to go anywhere near an iphone!

So, any suggestions?
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  • gillyallangillyallan Posts: 31,708
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    Maybe a big one with stylus like note range?

    Maybe depends on budget too.

    Id think a 4" maybe too small. I find myself correcting more spelling than id like on my s3 mini.
  • Step666Step666 Posts: 1,284
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    If you're considering the Xperia Z, then the obvious two alternatives are the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4.
    All 3 are very high-specced but each has it's own advantages.
  • MandarkMandark Posts: 47,929
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    Most reviewers seem to say that the Z10 is still a great choice for Blackberry fans. But for those who've never used Blackberry there's little point moving over.

    If you want to go Android then the Samsung Galaxy S3 would be a great choice. Its tech is still competitive in 2013 and you can get the handset on great deals now the S4 is here. Its big brother the Galaxy Note 2 may be worth a look as well but not a phone you want to make calls on all the time due to its size.. Xperia T & Z are both good handsets and easier to get hold of than the big 2, the S4 and new HTC One.
  • Tram5Tram5 Posts: 247
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    What's your issue with iPhone out of interest?

    I've had Blackberries and Android phones and was determined never to have an iPhone. Well I tried one for a few days and that was it, I haven't found anything that suits me better yet for business and personal use.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 11
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    I've got the S4 and emailing is clear and easy to use. I'd recommend it :)
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    Step666 wrote: »
    If you're considering the Xperia Z, then the obvious two alternatives are the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4.
    All 3 are very high-specced but each has it's own advantages.


    Also the Nexus 4, a good price to buy and then do sim only contract or PAYG.
  • Trsvis_BickleTrsvis_Bickle Posts: 9,202
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    noise747 wrote: »
    Also the Nexus 4, a good price to buy and then do sim only contract or PAYG.

    Yers, I've had an Nexis 4 for about a week and I'm blown away by it for the price (£280 for the 16Gb). I think the OP's going to have to give a few more details about what he's going to use the phone for. He mentions email, which suggests a larger screen as you then have a larger keyboard but there must be other things.

    Not sure why he doesn't like iphones. Personally, I didn't get one because I already have most of the functionality via an ipod Touch and iphones seem very pricey for what you get. I've got an iMac and an ipad as well so I'm not anti-apple but you seem to get a lot more app choice with Android and they're a lot cheaper.
  • paulkerpaulker Posts: 927
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    Yers, I've had an Nexis 4 for about a week and I'm blown away by it for the price (£280 for the 16Gb). I think the OP's going to have to give a few more details about what he's going to use the phone for. He mentions email, which suggests a larger screen as you then have a larger keyboard but there must be other things.

    Not sure why he doesn't like iphones. Personally, I didn't get one because I already have most of the functionality via an ipod Touch and iphones seem very pricey for what you get. I've got an iMac and an ipad as well so I'm not anti-apple but you seem to get a lot more app choice with Android and they're a lot cheaper.

    I have an iMac, MacBook Pro Retina, ipad and iphone. The iphone may not be cutting edge but everything syncs between all the devices in the background. Makes life a lot easier. Forgot to mention imessage and facetime being excellent when lots of people you know have apple products.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,300
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    If I wanted Android phone I'd go for HTC One, nice design, good build. Second one would be Samsung Galaxy S4, but they are now using one generic design for everything, be it a tablet or a phone. I'd rather something pretty, thus the second place.
  • Step666Step666 Posts: 1,284
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    noise747 wrote: »
    Also the Nexus 4, a good price to buy and then do sim only contract or PAYG.
    I disagree.
    The Nexus is a decent handset but it's not at the same level as the handsets I mentioned, it simply doesn't measure up spec-wise.

    Yes it's cheaper but since the OP mentioned the Xperia Z and gave no indication that they were looking for a less expensive handset, then that factor is secondary to the distinct mis-match in specs IMO.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    Yers, I've had an Nexis 4 for about a week and I'm blown away by it for the price (£280 for the 16Gb). I think the OP's going to have to give a few more details about what he's going to use the phone for. He mentions email, which suggests a larger screen as you then have a larger keyboard but there must be other things.

    You could not have been that blown away with the Nexus 4 if you only had it a week. Blown away would not be the phrase i would use, but it is good, got a couple of faults, but they are minor.

    The problem with larger screens is that I feel they can be damaged more easily and also a pain to carry around
    Not sure why he doesn't like iphones. Personally, I didn't get one because I already have most of the functionality via an ipod Touch and iphones seem very pricey for what you get. I've got an iMac and an ipad as well so I'm not anti-apple but you seem to get a lot more app choice with Android and they're a lot cheaper.


    I am not a lover of Iphones either to be honest,
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    Step666 wrote: »
    I disagree.
    The Nexus is a decent handset but it's not at the same level as the handsets I mentioned, it simply doesn't measure up spec-wise.

    Yes it's cheaper but since the OP mentioned the Xperia Z and gave no indication that they were looking for a less expensive handset, then that factor is secondary to the distinct mis-match in specs IMO.

    I think the Nexus 4 would work very well for the OP. sony need to get their phones reliability sorted out unless they have since they split with Ericsson.

    anyway, you can not always go on specs.
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    I would recommend the Nexus 4. I think it has amazing specs for the price, plus unlike other devices, it's going to get the latest version of Android as soon as Google releases it rather than having to wait an extra few months or in some cases up to a year for the update.
  • Stuart_hStuart_h Posts: 5,311
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    Step666 wrote: »
    I disagree.
    The Nexus is a decent handset but it's not at the same level as the handsets I mentioned, it simply doesn't measure up spec-wise.

    Yes it's cheaper but since the OP mentioned the Xperia Z and gave no indication that they were looking for a less expensive handset, then that factor is secondary to the distinct mis-match in specs IMO.

    But for many the Nexus has the significant advantage over many of the supposed 'high spec' phones that it will have the latest version of the OS.

    Personally I'd prefer to have the new OS features than have the facebook app open a tenth of a second quicker :p

    I think way too much emphasis is put on the 'processor arms race' to be honest but I fully appreciate that not everyone will feel the same way :)

    Im still on the galaxy nexus to be honest. S3 and S4 hold no interest. The HTC One does look very nice, and could possibly tempt me on look and feel, but Im holding off to see whether this years Nexus is up to much, or whether the rumoured X Phone has ANY of the features being whispered about :D
  • Step666Step666 Posts: 1,284
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    noise747 wrote: »
    anyway, you can not always go on specs.
    Nor can you always make recommendations based on price alone, which is the Nexus' selling point.


    Stuart_h wrote: »
    But for many the Nexus has the significant advantage over many of the supposed 'high spec' phones that it will have the latest version of the OS.
    If that's true, then why when the subject of firmware updates comes up with regards to non-Nexus handsets is it always dismissed as something the vast majority of customers don't care about?
    Stuart_h wrote: »
    Personally I'd prefer to have the new OS features than have the facebook app open a tenth of a second quicker :p

    I think way too much emphasis is put on the 'processor arms race' to be honest but I fully appreciate that not everyone will feel the same way :)
    That's far from the only advantage of other handsets over the Nexus.
    The far nicer screens, the vastly superior cameras, variety of software tweaks (as good as stock Android is, not everyone prefers it) or even simply having a two year warranty.

    The only indication of the OP's needs or preferences is that they're considering the Xperia Z.
    The S4 and HTC One are much closer competitors than the Nexus, therefore are more appropriate recommendations.
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9238790/How_do_they_compare_Samsung_Galaxy_S4_vs._HTC_One_and_Nexus_4?mm_ref=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.computerworld.com%2Fsmartphones%2F22123%2Fsamsung-galaxy-s4-vs-htc-one-nexus-4%3Fmm_ref%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fblogs.computerworld.com%252Fsmartphones%252F22123%252Fsamsung-galaxy-s4-vs-htc-one-nexus-4

    The Nexus 4 more than holds its own against the other devices mentioned. The camera is great for normal usage, so unless you want to take professional pictures with the device or just must have the best camera available then I think it is fine.

    I think the device will have more longevity. The S4 will more than likely take ages to get Android 4.3 and HTC aren't that great either. I think updates are one of the most important features, and I'd rather have a device running the latest software as soon as it is available over a marginally better camera.

    According to some there should only be a barely noticeable difference between a 720p screen and a 1080p screen because apparently human eyes can't distinguish at these levels anyway. I'm not sure myself but I personally can't see the screens being significantly better than the one found on the Nexus 4.

    Plus the Nexus 4 is a great buy sim-free compared to the extortionate prices that others are demanding, it makes for better value and you may even be able to land a better price plan particularly if you buy the device outright and go for a sim only plan. It makes a lot of sense.
  • neo_walesneo_wales Posts: 13,625
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    The Nexus 4 is a good 'budget' phone, very good value for money but the OP should really look at the Galaxy S4 if its within budget.
  • finbaarfinbaar Posts: 4,818
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    neo_wales wrote: »
    The Nexus 4 is a good 'budget' phone, very good value for money but the OP should really look at the Galaxy S4 if its within budget.

    Why have cotton when you can have silk? The HTC One is the one to get.

    As much as I love my Nexus 4 it is not a competitor for the Z/H1/S4 (of course I think it is far better than any of these but my reasons are the fact that I can flash any kernel with any ROM and bake my own ROMs very easily).
  • Syntax ErrorSyntax Error Posts: 27,735
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    It's got to be the HTC One: It looks amazing; it sounds amazing; it is amazing!
  • Trsvis_BickleTrsvis_Bickle Posts: 9,202
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    noise747 wrote: »
    You could not have been that blown away with the Nexus 4 if you only had it a week. Blown away would not be the phrase i would use, but it is good, got a couple of faults, but they are minor.

    Sorry, I don't know what you mean by that. I didn't have a Nexus for one week and then gave it back; at the time of posting, I had owned it for only one week so far. I upgraded from a Huawei Ascend G300 and was indeed blown away by the Nexus' speed, display, aesthetics and reliability by comparison. Admittedly, those are the only 2 smartphones that I've ever owned so I don't have much experience of what's available but the Nexus does everything I want and does it well.
  • The SackThe Sack Posts: 10,334
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    Sounds to me like all the people simply dismissing the Nexus 4 have never even seen one let alone spent time using one.

    In the real world i am guessing the Nexus 4 feels every bit as fast as any other handset you care to mention and if benchmarks are your chosen proof then you could always take a look at this http://community.futuremark.com/hardware/mobile
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    Sorry, I don't know what you mean by that. I didn't have a Nexus for one week and then gave it back; at the time of posting, I had owned it for only one week so far. I upgraded from a Huawei Ascend G300 and was indeed blown away by the Nexus' speed, display, aesthetics and reliability by comparison. Admittedly, those are the only 2 smartphones that I've ever owned so I don't have much experience of what's available but the Nexus does everything I want and does it well.

    Ah, sorry, just the way it came across as if you only had it for a week and got rid of it.

    The Nexus is my third smartphone, not by choice, it should have been my second, but my little HTC wildfire stopped working 18 months into my contract so i had to get a cheap Huawei to replace it.

    TBH, if the wildfire was still working I would still be using and I doubt i would have got the Nexus. The Huawei while it was faster then the wildfire, it was total rubbish in other ways.

    the Nexus compared to my last two phones is in a different league, but then it cost more. got better processing power and a better screen.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    The Sack wrote: »
    Sounds to me like all the people simply dismissing the Nexus 4 have never even seen one let alone spent time using one.

    In the real world i am guessing the Nexus 4 feels every bit as fast as any other handset you care to mention and if benchmarks are your chosen proof then you could always take a look at this http://community.futuremark.com/hardware/mobile

    i wonder how fast people want a phone to be to be honest,
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,300
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    noise747 wrote: »
    i wonder how fast people want a phone to be to be honest,

    There's a huge selection of smartphones on the market, one has to have some criteria to choose, one can be more odd than another. I want my next phone to be new-ish on the market, high-end specs, looks good, not Apple for sure, maybe not Android. ATM if I was buying it would be Lumia 920 (wait for 928?), HTC One, maybe HTC 8X. I do not like the look of Galaxy S4, so it's not on my list despite having good specs. Funny thing this, it used to be HTC with ugly generic designs and it's now Samsung having the same look for everything, be it a tablet or a phone. They may think of it as a look of a brand, but I think it's boring and not very nice either.
  • victor melvictor mel Posts: 4,963
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    Does anyone know when the white Nexus 4 will be released?
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