DS Forums

 
 

Advice sought on first smart phone, replacing mp3 player


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 09-06-2013, 23:50
Desverger
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2

Short version: I have £100-150 (pay as you go) for a smart phone with a focus on replacing my mp3 player. Viable? Options if so?

Full version:

I was hoping to get some advice on my first smart phone purchase, as I'm pretty clueless when it comes to phones - I've owned a single phone in my entire life, which I bought for £20 ~8 years ago.

Lately I've been thinking of finally upgrading the 8 year old brick, primarily with a view to combining phone with mp3 player so I don't have to carry both around (because if I do, the mp3 player takes priority in my pocket and family members get miffed that I take days to reply to texts because I've forgotten to charge my phone or take it out of the depths of my backpack). Although, I'd also like to dip my toe in all extra stuff that smart phones bring.

My budget is a modest £100-150; with my usage pattern I'd be opting for pay as you go rather than contract.

The mp3 player I'd be replacing (or relegating to backup) is a Creative Zen Style 300 (16gb), which I've been pretty happy with so far; I know it's probably not up to a proper audiophile's standards, but I've been pretty happy with its sound and performance.

So my first priority would be sound quality & features similar to what I'm used to, similar storage space (which in that price bracket I gather means micro sd card capability - I have a separate budget for that), and decent battery life. While I'd like to try all the new (for me) smart phone stuff, if it means downgrading my listening experience I'll just stick with my current setup instead.

Beyond that I think my main use would likely be browsing the web, for all those moments I think "I need to look that up next time I'm at a pc".

Actually using it as a phone is relatively low priority for me - I only text and make calls occasionally (mostly the phone part is just for aforementioned family members trying to contact me).

With no experience of smart phones, I have no inherent preference to either OS or make.


I've been doing a bit of research, trawling review sites and the like, and the two phones I've identified on my own in that price range are the Nokia Lumia 620 and the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 - I get the impression the former is a slightly more powerful phone, while the latter has better app support and battery life? Seems to be a toss-up whether any given comparison review will favour one or the other.

However, reviews don't seem to focus on the music side of things so much, and when they do it tends to be more about what music store or streaming services are available (neither of which I care much about) and less on the basics of being a good mp3 player, so I'm left unsure which, if either of these best fit my needs.

Which is why I'm seeking advice here

So, would either of the 620 or Ace 2 be what I'm after? Are there others I should consider? Or am I looking for more than I can reasonably expect from that budget?

Any advice or suggestions would be much appreciated!
Desverger is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 10-06-2013, 00:13
alan1302
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: West Yorks
Posts: 6,180
The Nokia 620 certainly would be - I think it would be perfect for what you want to do with it. It's also a very well built phone with a nice, clear screen and very responsive in use.
alan1302 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2013, 07:42
dosanjh1
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,810
I don't think a phone is a great replacement for a dedicated mp3 player if the mp3 player is your main focus - battery life is just not good enough especially if you are intent on listening for long periods without access to a charging point.
dosanjh1 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2013, 13:22
lamblamlamb
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 654
I don't think a phone is a great replacement for a dedicated mp3 player if the mp3 player is your main focus - battery life is just not good enough especially if you are intent on listening for long periods without access to a charging point.
I ended up buying a mp3 player as my smart phone would die quickly if constantly used to play music. I charge it daily as it is.
lamblamlamb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2013, 15:44
Desverger
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2
That feedback started so promising too... but yeah battery life was one of my main concerns. I listen to my current player anywhere from 30 minutes (walk to work and back) up to ~9 hours daily, although I almost always have access to a charging point each day (I'm not generally prone to camping trips and the like).

I'd been encouraged by the specs for the 620 claiming it gave 61 hours of music - even though I know the claims never live up to the reality, that's still double what my mp3 player claims. But manufacturer claims are no substitute for real world experiences.

Ah for the days when everything could run off a single AA(A) rechargeable battery
Desverger is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:25.