[Percy_Penguin]

This is my first foray into the world of smart phones what should I get?
My main reason for getting a smart phone is to be able to use a paypal chip and pin card reader for taking payments at art fairs when selling paintings. So it needs bluetooth for the card reader.

Besides that it would be nice but not essential to have:
mp3 player.
FM radio.
GPS for satnav or sailing chartplotter program, sorry app.
Web browsing for weather forcasts when sailing.

I hardly use my old clamshell EE pay as you go phone and do not expect usage to increace in general so want to stay pay as you go. Are the smart phone deals really pay as you go as I know it, they talk about £10 a month, does the credit only last a month?

The main vendors seem to sell network locked, am I better getting cheaper/second hand unlocked phone from somewhere (any ideas?) and then getting a sim only pay as you go deal from some one like giffgaf?

I dont want to spend lots, it wont get much use, it just needs to do the chip and pin reliably.

Sorry complete beginner questions really.

[d123]

Most new smartphones will cover your requirements, except the FM Radio, without going googling specs I can't think of any current high end phone with FM radio anymore, most seem to rely on streaming radio now.

You can buy unlocked from Amazon (try and only buy direct from them and not the Marketplace), CPW or, as you say, Giffgaff.

[fluffed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by d123

Most new smartphones will cover your requirements, except the FM Radio, without going googling specs I can't think of any current high end phone with FM radio anymore, most seem to rely on streaming radio now.

HTC One M9 has an FM radio, so does the Sony Z3, there are others. Samsung have dropped it since the S4, and Apple I don't think have ever had it.

[Stuart_h]

Hi Percy. Thing you have to ask yourself is do you want a new top-of-the-range phone based on your fairly low-spec needs (not a criticism !). I'd recommend something like the moto g. Got one for my dad as his first smartphone and he loves it. Even has an fm radio I believe and can be purchased for under £100. Great bit of kit for the money. Then about £15 a month would get you an all-you-can-eat pay monthly data tarrif from Three (which means no worrying about overusing your data allowance).

If you decide you want quicker/bigger/better then you can always change your phone and tarrif later

[oilman]

Deleted

[goldenface]

Any phone with an unlocked NFC chip is great for mobile payments, especially when more payment services come online in the near future.

I you go sailing then you could probably use a phone that is waterproof too. In which case I'd go for the Sony Z1 Compact. It has all the above and will be a great price right now.

A cheaper option is the Sony M2 Aqua which again has all the above and is waterproof too. I've seen it online for only £125.

[engineermoore]

Since you have mentioned sailing it would probably be beneficial to have get a waterproof phone, so either a galaxy s5 or a xperia z3/z3 compact. The s5 and xperia z3 compact can be had at very reasonable prices now, saw a deal the other day where vodafone were selling z3 compacts for £225 on pay as you go.

[Percy_Penguin]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all your help so far, I think things are becoming clearer now.
I am now tending towards a moto g or moto e possibly Sim Free Motorola Moto E Mobil... at £89.95. However the original moto g with a larger, higher resolution screen and cheaper could possibly swing it. As I initialy said the paypal card read paymant function is my main reason for the purchace everthing else is icing on the cake, I do not feel the need to have the latest toy, i must be getting old. My requirements ar fairly low demand as Stuart_h correctly noted

On the sailing side of things I do not need waterproof as it can go in a dry bag if there is any danger of dampness.

What is a unlocked NFC chip? that went over my head

thanks for the help

[finbaar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Percy_Penguin

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all your help so far, I think things are becoming clearer now.
I am now tending towards a moto g or moto e possibly Sim Free Motorola Moto E Mobil... at £89.95. However the original moto g with a larger, higher resolution screen and cheaper could possibly swing it. As I initialy said the paypal card read paymant function is my main reason for the purchace everthing else is icing on the cake, I do not feel the need to have the latest toy, i must be getting old. My requirements ar fairly low demand as Stuart_h correctly noted

On the sailing side of things I do not need waterproof as it can go in a dry bag if there is any danger of dampness.

What is a unlocked NFC chip? that went over my head

thanks for the help

I think you have hit on the right answer - an original model Moto G (go for the 4G model as this has a SD card slot). It is water resistant/splash proof. Don't worry about NFC (Near Field Communication - a chip in the phone that allows it to communicate by tapping it on another NFC enabled device) as the Moto G does not have it and you won't miss it.

As for tarrifs the Three 321 deal sounds ideal for you. Your top ups do not run out (providing you are using the phone at least once every 6 months) and you are charged 3p/minute calls, 2p/text and 1p/mb for data. You do not sound a heavy user so this should work depending on reception. Three have other packages that last 30 days each time you buy them (£15 for 300 minutes 600 texts (it could be more, not sure) and unlimited data. My daughter is a light user and still has credit available from a £10 top up at Christmas.

[Aye Up]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Percy_Penguin

. As I initialy said the paypal card read paymant function is my main reason for the purchace everthing else is icing on the cake, I do not feel the need to have the latest toy, i must be getting old. My requirements ar fairly low demand as Stuart_h correctly noted

On the sailing side of things I do not need waterproof as it can go in a dry bag if there is any danger of dampness.

What is a unlocked NFC chip? that went over my head

thanks for the help

As the poster before me said it looks like you have what you want. If you are considering between Moto G 2013 or Moto G 2014 go for the latter it maybe a wee bit more money, however it has a larger screen which is better for those embarking on their first smartphone purchase. I don't think Stuart_h quite meant it like that, you are in a much better position than most people, you know what you want and how it will be used. Anyone else buying a smartphone would be staring at a blank canvas so to speak.

I notice you said it won't get much usage, I have seen a lot of people say that, but once facebook kicks in and the rest of social media like WhatsApp things will change. The previous poster has offered a simpler solution for you, the advantage with Three is that ever time you top up they give you 150mb of free data. I topup £5 a month on my Three sim and that data is enough for me through out the month. Given you will be using the Paypal card reader when on business it will be prudent to have some data, topping up twice a month would give you 300mb which should do you fine. Three is the best pay as you go tariff and network around currently, none of the others can even match it.

I should add both Moto Gs 2013 and 2014 also come with FM radio.

Sorry if I have waffled on somewhat, if you get stuck bookmark this thread to come back to. I think I can speak for everyone in that we're all happy to offer support and advice

[Stuart_h]

I was suggesting you don't need a high-end £600 handset to do the kind of things you are after

I'd say the moto g2 would be a better bet than the moto e if you could stretch to that.

As for data then if the phone is unlocked just buy a £15 one month all-you-can-eat data sim from three and see how much you use

[Percy_Penguin]

finbaar, Aye Up and Stuart_h,

Many thanks for you thoughts and ideas.
The moto g2 is very tempting but on closer examination I have noticed 4G rollout is pretty thin in the areas I generally occupy, so for my needs the Moto g1 is probably adaquate. The moto g2's 5" screen is appealing but if the 4.5" screen will do the job, thats all I need.

Still thinking about it really if it was £20 it would be easy but its more like £60.

Thanks again

[swb1964]

The 5 inch screen might be a bit better if you are using it to view charts etc?

I don't know much about sailing but my advice would be to not totally rely on a mobile phone for navigation when sailing, because one wave could totally wreck even a water resisitant model, or you could drop it. Either get proper fully waterproofed kit, or just use the phone as a nice-to-have and still carry all the correct charts

[Percy_Penguin]

Your completely 100% right about the use of mobile phone for navigation. It is a nice to have backup to the yachts chart plotter system and paper charts, any crucial navigation and the pilot book comes out as well.

thanks for the thought

[Percy_Penguin]

Hi All,
Followng a day wandering around phone shops i finally went out and got Moto E 2nd gen from Argos £109.95.
I could not justify the the moto G 2nd gen as the screens are very similar when it comes to using them. Also the E has a newer op system.

Now I just need to learn how to use the beast, any suggestions for beginners guides on the web, written or youtube ?

Space for chartplotter software is not a problem, it is suprisingly compact. The following article in Practical boat owner covers some of the options
http://www.pbo.co.uk/gear/14-t...

My other good news is the paypal chip and pin reader is down in price to £50 from £70, I have rented systems for art fairs for more than £100 for a long weekend.

Once again thanks for the advice and help