What's the next best phone ?

big brother 9 · 03-06-2011, 10:37

I've got an iPhone 3GS which I hate !
Was wondering what is the best upcoming phone as I'm due an upgrade soon, wouldn't get an iPhone again unless it was the iPhone 5 for free!

clonmult · 03-06-2011, 10:42

There is no such thing as "the best phone".

In reality, the best phone is that one that does all that you require.

So what do *you* want out of a phone?

gadgetebz · 03-06-2011, 10:47

Maybe say whats important to you in a phone then people can give you advice...

gazmilne · 03-06-2011, 10:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by big brother 9

I've got an iPhone 3GS which I hate !
Was wondering what is the best upcoming phone as I'm due an upgrade soon, wouldn't get an iPhone again unless it was the iPhone 5 for free!

You hate your 3GS? Because it's an older model now or for another reason?

big brother 9 · 03-06-2011, 11:23

Sorry

I ate my 3GS as it's too sluggy at times and the battery is terrible , signal is poor

I want a phone with camera (at least 5mp) video, android, good battery life fast Internet , wifi , apps , music ,

Maybe if anyone has a link to the top ten upcoming phones they could post it here.

call100 · 03-06-2011, 11:41

You ate your phone?!!!

grumpyoldbat · 03-06-2011, 11:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by big brother 9

Sorry

I ate my 3GS as it's too sluggy at times and the battery is terrible , signal is poor

I want a phone with camera (at least 5mp) video, android, good battery life fast Internet , wifi , apps , music ,

Maybe if anyone has a link to the top ten upcoming phones they could post it here.

OK, so you want the top of the range Android phone - answer right now is Samsung Galaxy S II or HTC Sensation.

Bear in mind that the speed of your connection isn't necessarily dictated by the phone (although this can affect it) but more by the speed from your service provider and the signal strength where you are, so you'll need to work out who has the best signal where you're going to need the phone, and then base your tariff and data requirements on that.

clonmult · 03-06-2011, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat

OK, so you want the top of the range Android phone - answer right now is Samsung Galaxy S II or HTC Sensation.

Not if you want good battery life - 2 days in typical usage is *not* good battery life.

munta · 03-06-2011, 12:37

My iPhone 3GS battery life is far better than my Desire HD. I have to charge my Desire every day even if I don't use any functionality likemake phone calls! My iPhone on the other hand will last 2 or 3 days.

If I start using my Desire then I need to charge two or 3 times a day. To be honest, I think androids are over rated, overly complex and eat batteries for breakfast. Sure they have more functionality than an iPhone but whats the point in functionality if you have to have it plugged in all the time?

rjmachin · 03-06-2011, 13:05

iPhone battery life can be improved vastly by turning off features when not in use.

Features that eat at battery life include:
- Wifi
- Bluetooth
- 3G
- Location Services

Turn these off when not in use and you may find you battery life lasts much longer.

grumpyoldbat · 03-06-2011, 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by clonmult

Not if you want good battery life - 2 days in typical usage is *not* good battery life.

I have an iPhone 4. I had an iPhone 3G before than. I have an HTC Hero. If I use them I need to charge them all up at the end of the day, every day. As far as I'm concerned 1 day on a charge is standard for a smartphone.

clonmult · 03-06-2011, 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat

I have an iPhone 4. I had an iPhone 3G before than. I have an HTC Hero. If I use them I need to charge them all up at the end of the day, every day. As far as I'm concerned 1 day on a charge is standard for a smartphone.

That was my irritation with the (admitedly cheap) Orange San Fran - it often needed a charge by 6pm.

Under the same utilisation, my N8 will go for about 2 days.

However, the big surprise has been my works BB 8520. Pulling through a few hundred mails a day, the occasional conference call, plenty of BBMs, and it'll happily go for 5 days.

Overall though, battery life is by far and away the least "smart" part of most smartphones - no way is one day (or even two) really any good for such a device. To be truly useful you'd be wanting 4+ days between charges.

Haruhion · 03-06-2011, 14:54

Why does the camera need to be 5 megapixels+? Is it for large prints?

You actually can get many aging phones that are capable of what you ask, but I see you're asking for a list of upcoming phones. Battery life is probably going to be something you wished you had. This is not upcoming, but you might want to look at the Nexus S.

Quote:

Originally Posted by clonmult

Not if you want good battery life - 2 days in typical usage is *not* good battery life.

I would be sure that most people will be getting 2-3 days out of Android/iPhones. Of course it is highly dependant on usage. Who defines what "typical" is anyway?

ACU · 03-06-2011, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjmachin

iPhone battery life can be improved vastly by turning off features when not in use.

Features that eat at battery life include:
- Wifi
- Bluetooth
- 3G
- Location Services

Turn these off when not in use and you may find you battery life lasts much longer.

If your going to turn those of, whats the point of buying a smartphone?

Charging once a day is the norm for smartphones. Although I have read reviews where they claim that the Samsung GS2 can do 2 days.

Using custom ROMS on an android device can vastly improve your battery life.

clonmult · 03-06-2011, 15:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Haruhion

Why does the camera need to be 5 megapixels+? Is it for large prints?

You actually can get many aging phones that are capable of what you ask, but I see you're asking for a list of upcoming phones. Battery life is probably going to be something you wished you had. This is not upcoming, but you might want to look at the Nexus S.

I would be sure that most people will be getting 2-3 days out of Android/iPhones. Of course it is highly dependant on usage. Who defines what "typical" is anyway?

I'm not so sure on the battery life - don't know any colleagues with Android devices who don't charge them pretty much every day.

Agreed about the pixel count - I'd prefer a good 3mp camera than the typically average/rubbish 5mp shooter on most mobiles. Especially if you're going to HTC, as they tend towards being useless.

Mandark · 03-06-2011, 15:47

Techradar.com (the Future magazine group tech website) does constantly updated lists of top phones and gadgets. Top 20 phones

clonmult · 03-06-2011, 15:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mandark

Techradar.com (the Future magazine group tech website) does constantly updated lists of top phones and gadgets. Top 20 phones

A totally arbitrary list, based primarily on hardware spec.

Not particularly useful.

But a big surprise that Apple didn't come top, they must be cutting back on their advertising.

ACU · 03-06-2011, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by clonmult

A totally arbitrary list, based primarily on hardware spec.

Not particularly useful.

But a big surprise that Apple didn't come top, they must be cutting back on their advertising.

Not really...they just arent producing the best phones anymore. those days are gone. The iphone 5 wont be as good as the Samsung GS2 or the HTC Sensation.

call100 · 03-06-2011, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by clonmult

A totally arbitrary list, based primarily on hardware spec.

Not particularly useful.

But a big surprise that Apple didn't come top, they must be cutting back on their advertising.

I think they base it on their reviews not just on spec....The Arc topped the chart for quite a while, until the Sensation an GSII.
iPhone has not topped their chart for some time...

Mandark · 03-06-2011, 17:09

iPhone 4 got marked down for its reception problems. But the Techradar list is useful for knowing which are the most powerful phones out there at the moment. You can ignore the rankings.

ACU · 03-06-2011, 17:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by call100

I think they base it on their reviews not just on spec....The Arc topped the chart for quite a while, until the Sensation an GSII.
iPhone has not topped their chart for some time...

To be fair, the iphone4 was released quite a while ago, so would have slowly slid down the charts as other manufactures released phones.

HHGTTG · 03-06-2011, 18:14

Whatever cult new phone you buy today will be old hat in less than a year's time, won't it? I am thinking and trying to get an HTC Desire S on PAYG (£350) from my local O2 store but they were out of stock earlier this week and the buggers don't answer their phones and so can't get any updates on supplies unless I keep on going into my local town.
Rotten customer service but perhaps they are all the same. Carphone Warehouse have the phone for £50 more and I may go in there an see whether they'll match the O2 shop, opposite them!!

Awshum-Yawn · 03-06-2011, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHGTTG

Whatever cult new phone you buy today will be old hat in less than a year's time, won't it? I am thinking and trying to get an HTC Desire S on PAYG (£350) from my local O2 store but they were out of stock earlier this week and the buggers don't answer their phones and so can't get any updates on supplies unless I keep on going into my local town.
Rotten customer service but perhaps they are all the same. Carphone Warehouse have the phone for £50 more and I may go in there an see whether they'll match the O2 shop, opposite them!!

They won't match it.

Try another o2 store close by. The o2 store near us is a franchise and never carries stock. I make a short trip into Belfast to go to one owned by o2 themselves (Victoria Square) and the service is first rate.

HHGTTG · 03-06-2011, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Awshum-Yawn

They won't match it.

Try another o2 store close by. The o2 store near us is a franchise and never carries stock. I make a short trip into Belfast to go to one owned by o2 themselves (Victoria Square) and the service is first rate.

No store near by but I suppose the obvious answer would be to buy from their online store?

Awshum-Yawn · 03-06-2011, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by HHGTTG

No store near by but I suppose the obvious answer would be to buy from their online store?

Yep. Although I haven't bought from their website in a good few years. So I can't comment on courier, delivery times etc but the prices are the same as instore and never had cause to seek customer service in relation to sales back then.

The chat customer service guys on the website are top notch though beats phoning them up. I had a complex issue resolved recently by a guy called Matt and he went above'n'beyond what I was hoping for.

03-06-2011, 10:37	#1
big brother 9 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 15,030	What's the next best phone ? I've got an iPhone 3GS which I hate ! Was wondering what is the best upcoming phone as I'm due an upgrade soon, wouldn't get an iPhone again unless it was the iPhone 5 for free!

03-06-2011, 10:42	#2
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	There is no such thing as "the best phone". In reality, the best phone is that one that does all that you require. So what do you want out of a phone?

03-06-2011, 10:47	#3
gadgetebz Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 46	Maybe say whats important to you in a phone then people can give you advice...

03-06-2011, 10:48	#4
gazmilne Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Somewhere Posts: 847	Quote: Originally Posted by big brother 9 I've got an iPhone 3GS which I hate ! Was wondering what is the best upcoming phone as I'm due an upgrade soon, wouldn't get an iPhone again unless it was the iPhone 5 for free! You hate your 3GS? Because it's an older model now or for another reason?

03-06-2011, 11:23	#5
big brother 9 Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 15,030	Sorry I ate my 3GS as it's too sluggy at times and the battery is terrible , signal is poor I want a phone with camera (at least 5mp) video, android, good battery life fast Internet , wifi , apps , music , Maybe if anyone has a link to the top ten upcoming phones they could post it here.

03-06-2011, 11:41	#6
call100 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 6,572	You ate your phone?!!!

03-06-2011, 11:46	#7
grumpyoldbat Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 3,636	Quote: Originally Posted by big brother 9 Sorry I ate my 3GS as it's too sluggy at times and the battery is terrible , signal is poor I want a phone with camera (at least 5mp) video, android, good battery life fast Internet , wifi , apps , music , Maybe if anyone has a link to the top ten upcoming phones they could post it here. OK, so you want the top of the range Android phone - answer right now is Samsung Galaxy S II or HTC Sensation. Bear in mind that the speed of your connection isn't necessarily dictated by the phone (although this can affect it) but more by the speed from your service provider and the signal strength where you are, so you'll need to work out who has the best signal where you're going to need the phone, and then base your tariff and data requirements on that.

03-06-2011, 12:17	#8
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	Quote: Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat OK, so you want the top of the range Android phone - answer right now is Samsung Galaxy S II or HTC Sensation. Not if you want good battery life - 2 days in typical usage is not good battery life.

03-06-2011, 12:37	#9
munta Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: The United Kingdom Posts: 15,551	My iPhone 3GS battery life is far better than my Desire HD. I have to charge my Desire every day even if I don't use any functionality likemake phone calls! My iPhone on the other hand will last 2 or 3 days. If I start using my Desire then I need to charge two or 3 times a day. To be honest, I think androids are over rated, overly complex and eat batteries for breakfast. Sure they have more functionality than an iPhone but whats the point in functionality if you have to have it plugged in all the time?

03-06-2011, 13:05	#10
rjmachin Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Stoke on Trent Posts: 2,297	iPhone battery life can be improved vastly by turning off features when not in use. Features that eat at battery life include: - Wifi - Bluetooth - 3G - Location Services Turn these off when not in use and you may find you battery life lasts much longer.

03-06-2011, 14:12	#11
grumpyoldbat Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 3,636	Quote: Originally Posted by clonmult Not if you want good battery life - 2 days in typical usage is not good battery life. I have an iPhone 4. I had an iPhone 3G before than. I have an HTC Hero. If I use them I need to charge them all up at the end of the day, every day. As far as I'm concerned 1 day on a charge is standard for a smartphone.

03-06-2011, 14:53	#12
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	Quote: Originally Posted by grumpyoldbat I have an iPhone 4. I had an iPhone 3G before than. I have an HTC Hero. If I use them I need to charge them all up at the end of the day, every day. As far as I'm concerned 1 day on a charge is standard for a smartphone. That was my irritation with the (admitedly cheap) Orange San Fran - it often needed a charge by 6pm. Under the same utilisation, my N8 will go for about 2 days. However, the big surprise has been my works BB 8520. Pulling through a few hundred mails a day, the occasional conference call, plenty of BBMs, and it'll happily go for 5 days. Overall though, battery life is by far and away the least "smart" part of most smartphones - no way is one day (or even two) really any good for such a device. To be truly useful you'd be wanting 4+ days between charges.

03-06-2011, 14:54	#13
Haruhion Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Luton Posts: 1,752	Why does the camera need to be 5 megapixels+? Is it for large prints? You actually can get many aging phones that are capable of what you ask, but I see you're asking for a list of upcoming phones. Battery life is probably going to be something you wished you had. This is not upcoming, but you might want to look at the Nexus S. Quote: Originally Posted by clonmult Not if you want good battery life - 2 days in typical usage is not good battery life. I would be sure that most people will be getting 2-3 days out of Android/iPhones. Of course it is highly dependant on usage. Who defines what "typical" is anyway?

03-06-2011, 15:14	#14
ACU Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 7,916	Quote: Originally Posted by rjmachin iPhone battery life can be improved vastly by turning off features when not in use. Features that eat at battery life include: - Wifi - Bluetooth - 3G - Location Services Turn these off when not in use and you may find you battery life lasts much longer. If your going to turn those of, whats the point of buying a smartphone? Charging once a day is the norm for smartphones. Although I have read reviews where they claim that the Samsung GS2 can do 2 days. Using custom ROMS on an android device can vastly improve your battery life.

03-06-2011, 15:30	#15
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	Quote: Originally Posted by Haruhion Why does the camera need to be 5 megapixels+? Is it for large prints? You actually can get many aging phones that are capable of what you ask, but I see you're asking for a list of upcoming phones. Battery life is probably going to be something you wished you had. This is not upcoming, but you might want to look at the Nexus S. I would be sure that most people will be getting 2-3 days out of Android/iPhones. Of course it is highly dependant on usage. Who defines what "typical" is anyway? I'm not so sure on the battery life - don't know any colleagues with Android devices who don't charge them pretty much every day. Agreed about the pixel count - I'd prefer a good 3mp camera than the typically average/rubbish 5mp shooter on most mobiles. Especially if you're going to HTC, as they tend towards being useless.

03-06-2011, 15:47	#16
Mandark Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Derby Posts: 27,593	Techradar.com (the Future magazine group tech website) does constantly updated lists of top phones and gadgets. Top 20 phones

03-06-2011, 15:52	#17
clonmult Forum Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: UK Posts: 3,291	Quote: Originally Posted by Mandark Techradar.com (the Future magazine group tech website) does constantly updated lists of top phones and gadgets. Top 20 phones A totally arbitrary list, based primarily on hardware spec. Not particularly useful. But a big surprise that Apple didn't come top, they must be cutting back on their advertising.

03-06-2011, 15:54	#18
ACU Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 7,916	Quote: Originally Posted by clonmult A totally arbitrary list, based primarily on hardware spec. Not particularly useful. But a big surprise that Apple didn't come top, they must be cutting back on their advertising. Not really...they just arent producing the best phones anymore. those days are gone. The iphone 5 wont be as good as the Samsung GS2 or the HTC Sensation.

03-06-2011, 17:01	#19
call100 Forum Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 6,572	Quote: Originally Posted by clonmult A totally arbitrary list, based primarily on hardware spec. Not particularly useful. But a big surprise that Apple didn't come top, they must be cutting back on their advertising. I think they base it on their reviews not just on spec....The Arc topped the chart for quite a while, until the Sensation an GSII. iPhone has not topped their chart for some time...

03-06-2011, 17:09	#20
Mandark Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Derby Posts: 27,593	iPhone 4 got marked down for its reception problems. But the Techradar list is useful for knowing which are the most powerful phones out there at the moment. You can ignore the rankings.

03-06-2011, 17:53	#21
ACU Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 7,916	Quote: Originally Posted by call100 I think they base it on their reviews not just on spec....The Arc topped the chart for quite a while, until the Sensation an GSII. iPhone has not topped their chart for some time... To be fair, the iphone4 was released quite a while ago, so would have slowly slid down the charts as other manufactures released phones.

DS Forums

What's the next best phone ?

03-06-2011, 18:14	#22
HHGTTG Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South London Posts: 5,111	Whatever cult new phone you buy today will be old hat in less than a year's time, won't it? I am thinking and trying to get an HTC Desire S on PAYG (£350) from my local O2 store but they were out of stock earlier this week and the buggers don't answer their phones and so can't get any updates on supplies unless I keep on going into my local town. Rotten customer service but perhaps they are all the same. Carphone Warehouse have the phone for £50 more and I may go in there an see whether they'll match the O2 shop, opposite them!!

03-06-2011, 18:26	#23
Awshum-Yawn Guest Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,651	Quote: Originally Posted by HHGTTG Whatever cult new phone you buy today will be old hat in less than a year's time, won't it? I am thinking and trying to get an HTC Desire S on PAYG (£350) from my local O2 store but they were out of stock earlier this week and the buggers don't answer their phones and so can't get any updates on supplies unless I keep on going into my local town. Rotten customer service but perhaps they are all the same. Carphone Warehouse have the phone for £50 more and I may go in there an see whether they'll match the O2 shop, opposite them!! They won't match it. Try another o2 store close by. The o2 store near us is a franchise and never carries stock. I make a short trip into Belfast to go to one owned by o2 themselves (Victoria Square) and the service is first rate.

03-06-2011, 18:36	#24
HHGTTG Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: South London Posts: 5,111	Quote: Originally Posted by Awshum-Yawn They won't match it. Try another o2 store close by. The o2 store near us is a franchise and never carries stock. I make a short trip into Belfast to go to one owned by o2 themselves (Victoria Square) and the service is first rate. No store near by but I suppose the obvious answer would be to buy from their online store?

03-06-2011, 18:47	#25
Awshum-Yawn Guest Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,651	Quote: Originally Posted by HHGTTG No store near by but I suppose the obvious answer would be to buy from their online store? Yep. Although I haven't bought from their website in a good few years. So I can't comment on courier, delivery times etc but the prices are the same as instore and never had cause to seek customer service in relation to sales back then. The chat customer service guys on the website are top notch though beats phoning them up. I had a complex issue resolved recently by a guy called Matt and he went above'n'beyond what I was hoping for.