[jonner101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aye Up

This is very much true. The galaxy s2 is now 3 years old, it won't be receiving any further updates as the product is end of life.

The OP you could do a lot worse and go with the consensus of a Moto G I have the handset and I regulaly get 2 days usage out of it. The handset will be supported for another year or so meaning you will be able to receive further android updates. For the price its the best phone on the market without question. Your experience of android will be changed as a result of using this handaet.

I also think it can be a false economy to buy an older model second hand. The prices don't often reflect the technical ability of the phone and you get the obvious risks of buying second hand.

[jra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dearmrman

Moto G for an android is really the only option, or the Nokia 520 (3G) or 625 (4G) for a WP.

CPW are selling the 520 for (from) £8-50 a month. However, you could pay as much as £43 a month for the same phone. It really depends on whether you want a bundled deal, more free minutes, free texts or free data. I really roll my eyes when 5000 free texts a month are offered in a package. Who sends 5000 texts a month. That's at least 160 a day and what the mobile companies don't tell you, it costs them virtually nothing to send texts, just like e-mails.

[alanwarwic]

There are lots of £12 contracts with a free Moto G (OP said £15 month max).

I think anything less than a £25 month contract simply negates the use of possibly faster 4G network. So a low tech £15 or so 4G alternative choice likely loses the plot.

[d123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanwarwic

There are lots of £12 contracts with a free Moto G (OP said £15 month max).

I think anything less than a £25 month contract simply negates the use of possibly faster 4G network. So a low tech £15 or so 4G alternative choice likely loses the plot.

Could always get a Lumia 625 from somewhere like P4U for £120 and then get unlimited data on a 30 day sim only with Three for £12.90 a month.

[qasdfdsaq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jra

CPW are selling the 520 for (from) £8-50 a month. However, you could pay as much as £43 a month for the same phone. It really depends on whether you want a bundled deal, more free minutes, free texts or free data. I really roll my eyes when 5000 free texts a month are offered in a package. Who sends 5000 texts a month. That's at least 160 a day and what the mobile companies don't tell you, it costs them virtually nothing to send texts, just like e-mails.

Next you'll be criticising all the packages with unlimited free texts every month. Who sends infinity texts a month? That's infinity a day!

[enapace]

I would wait a few weeks the Moto G is about be announced with LTE and I will be buying one. Will certainly be the best budget smartphone.

[Orbitalzone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enapace

I would wait a few weeks the Moto G is about be announced with LTE and I will be buying one. Will certainly be the best budget smartphone.

any links on this?

I did wonder if they'd flog the MotoX for under £200 to try and boost sales of it rather than design a new MotoG with LTE (to be known as the MotoH or MotoLte*)

*well in my mind at least

[jsmith99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enapace

I would wait a few weeks the Moto G is about be announced with LTE and I will be buying one. Will certainly be the best budget smartphone.

Forgive my ignorance, but what's LTE?

[enapace]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orbitalzone

any links on this?

I did wonder if they'd flog the MotoX for under £200 to try and boost sales of it rather than design a new MotoG with LTE (to be known as the MotoH or MotoLte*)

*well in my mind at least

At moment no only solid rumours such as one passing FCC authorization in america. I expect it is going be be announced within the few weeks at most.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsmith99

Forgive my ignorance, but what's LTE?

LTE is 4G

[jsmith99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enapace

..........................LTE is 4G

Okay, thanks. Personally, I find the Moto G is so fast at browsing I can't see any need at all for 4G. Which presumably is going to be more expensive per MB?

[jra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Next you'll be criticising all the packages with unlimited free texts every month. Who sends infinity texts a month? That's infinity a day!

The point being is that offering free texts has been marketed as getting some big perk (monetary wise), when it actually isn't.

[Max Love]

Beware Motorola. My Motorola defy was rubbish until I found out they clocked it to make it run slower so it wouldn't complete with their more expensive phones. Works fine now but disappointed with Motorola!

[finbaar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Love

Beware Motorola. My Motorola defy was rubbish until I found out they clocked it to make it run slower so it wouldn't complete with their more expensive phones. Works fine now but disappointed with Motorola!

But of course.

[jonmorris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by enapace

I would wait a few weeks the Moto G is about be announced with LTE and I will be buying one. Will certainly be the best budget smartphone.

I've not heard about any new launch in such a short timeframe, but I do however expect a Snapdragon 410 version will come at some point, which will bring 5GHz Wi-Fi, DC-HSDPA and 4G support.

Other than that, you can probably expect it to be essentially the same thing (so quite likely no memory card slot and the same screen, camera etc).

Given the low cost nature of the phone, it wouldn't make much sense to radically change the hardware platform or design - just swap the necessary components and restart production (I am over simplifying things obviously!).

To be honest, unless you're really after high speed data, or really struggle with Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz (which is still going to be used most of the time as not everyone has a 5GHz router at home, and most hotspots are still only 2.4GHz) then the existing Moto G will be just fine.

I would get the 16GB model though, unless you don't intend to store much on the phone and won't be getting games that use up 1-2GB with game data. You'll still be able to install hundreds of 'regular' apps and stream video using iPlayer, Sky Go, Netflix etc.

It's still, some six months on, the best budget phone you can get. I've said it in many places and still believe it was the phone of 2013 - ahead of the Nexus 5 and the HTC One etc, simply because of what it offers for such a tiny price.

Even people who've used all the best devices (S4, Z1, HTC One, Note 3, Nexus 5 etc) would likely admit it's impressive, which is more than can be said for most other budget phones.

[alanwarwic]

I still find my San Francisco impressive.

I like how I can underclock it to get near 12 hours GPS tracking.
12 hours GPS is very low these days but for its age it impresses.

[David (2)]

i did some looking online re the moto g. the only concern i have with it is its micro sim design, my current phone is a normal size sim. i guess this means a new sim card, new phone number all over again.

i also looked up reviews for the htc wildfire s, and to my suprise almost all were good. so now i wonder how much faith i can put into any reviews.

[AxeVictim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by David (2)

i did some looking online re the moto g. the only concern i have with it is its micro sim design, my current phone is a normal size sim. i guess this means a new sim card, new phone number all over again.

Take your sim into your network phone shop they will give you a micro sim or cut yours down for free with the same number.

[jra]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AxeVictim

Take your sim into your network phone shop they will give you a micro sim or cut yours down for free with the same number.

Or buy a same network micro SIM with an adaptor for 1p (including P&P) from Amazon, and get your number transferred by customer services, so you don't even need to leave home to have that done.

[enapace]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonmorris

I've not heard about any new launch in such a short timeframe, but I do however expect a Snapdragon 410 version will come at some point, which will bring 5GHz Wi-Fi, DC-HSDPA and 4G support.

Other than that, you can probably expect it to be essentially the same thing (so quite likely no memory card slot and the same screen, camera etc).

Given the low cost nature of the phone, it wouldn't make much sense to radically change the hardware platform or design - just swap the necessary components and restart production (I am over simplifying things obviously!).

To be honest, unless you're really after high speed data, or really struggle with Wi-Fi at 2.4GHz (which is still going to be used most of the time as not everyone has a 5GHz router at home, and most hotspots are still only 2.4GHz) then the existing Moto G will be just fine.

I would get the 16GB model though, unless you don't intend to store much on the phone and won't be getting games that use up 1-2GB with game data. You'll still be able to install hundreds of 'regular' apps and stream video using iPlayer, Sky Go, Netflix etc.

It's still, some six months on, the best budget phone you can get. I've said it in many places and still believe it was the phone of 2013 - ahead of the Nexus 5 and the HTC One etc, simply because of what it offers for such a tiny price.

Even people who've used all the best devices (S4, Z1, HTC One, Note 3, Nexus 5 etc) would likely admit it's impressive, which is more than can be said for most other budget phones.

Completely agree with you about the Moto G it is a stellar device for the money. I've just been told we are looking at Mid/Late June for two new devices to be unveiled One is the Moto E and One is going to be the Moto G LTE. Obviously that could not be correct but it's what I've been told. I think including LTE in a device like the Moto G even if it bumps the price a slight bit is a brilliant thing for networks will make it far easier get people on there 4G networks around the world. Oh from what I was told the Moto G LTE will be 16GB variant only.

[jonmorris]

It makes sense to just have one version (16GB) as that further reduces costs and issues with stock management.

Motorola/Lenovo said at MWC that it intended to continue products like the Moto G, so there should be many good things ahead. In fact, given the impact of the Moto G on market share, it will be a company to watch closely in the future.

[BMR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonner101

I also think it can be a false economy to buy an older model second hand. The prices don't often reflect the technical ability of the phone and you get the obvious risks of buying second hand.

Personally I think prices for second hand phones are crazy. In many cases 70% or more of the new price and in a few cases its actually cheaper to buy a new phone and get it unlocked than to buy a second hand unlocked phone!!

[Orbitalzone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Max Love

Beware Motorola. My Motorola defy was rubbish until I found out they clocked it to make it run slower so it wouldn't complete with their more expensive phones. Works fine now but disappointed with Motorola!

Well the first Defy was an underclocked CPU then the Defy+ ran it at full pelt but it was still a bit slow....I had the Defy+ and it was a nice sized phone and I liked it, although it went wrong and did random reboots like many suffer from.

This MotoG seems to be a complete redesign from all the previous Motorola Droids, presumably once Google took over they redesigned the Moto X and G from the ground up.

[BMR]

What are the speakers like on the Moto G? Obviously they won't be as good as those on premium smartphones but how do they compare with other cheap phones?

[Orbitalzone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMR

What are the speakers like on the Moto G? Obviously they won't be as good as those on premium smartphones but how do they compare with other cheap phones?

The speaker on mine is ok but does distort if turned up, it's certainly usable but far from decent if playing music or watching a film- as the speaker is on the rear I find using my hand or something like a piece of card slighlty angled deflects the sound around to the front and improves audio a little.

Best to use headphones or external speaker if serious about sound quality.