Arghh what new mobile phone...

[red]

So I've posed this drivel on my Facebook (which is rare for me but desperate times etc) but thought I'd get the opinions here too!

Stuck deliberating over a new mobile phone to the point I can't be bothered to get one - so far my short-list (having been an avid HTC user since 2010 - current HTC One X since 2012)

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
HTC One M9
Samsung Galaxy S6
iPhone 5S
iPhone 6

As you can see majority are Android however having had an iPhone as a work phone for 2 years I don't mind those either!

Cost varies by £110 a year between them.

I like the design and build of the Apple products but I'm put off by their limited storage (unless you pay another £72 a year for the 64GB version). The 5S is nearing 18 months since release whereas the 6 and Z3 are 6 months old.

I'm not so much a fan of the Galaxy S range design and it's probably bigger than I'd like, this is also true for the M9 however I prefer the design.

The Sony is an interesting one, I haven't had a Sony before and the specs for the Z3 Compact look great, not to mention it has an outstanding battery life and expandable memory.

Does anyone have any views or the above, positive on negative from actual experience?

**I've excluded any Nokias because I already carry a 930**

 

[tuonokid]

Hi Red
I have a Sony Xperia Z3 compact and can confirm for me that battery life is outstanding. As I have mine just for phone and camera duties I have it on Ultra Stamina mode and it only needs charging every 13-15 days. The Cameras good too with 4K Ultra HD video and 20odd MP stills.
Barry

 

[red]

Hi Barry,

Thanks for that, how long have you had it for, what's the durability like?

 

[tuonokid]

Hi Red
I got it in Nov or Dec I think and it's been fine. My son's been into all the smartphone stuff that I'm not good at and he thinks it's ok (he has an Iphone).
Barry
PS I've had a few Sony phones before and they've been good.

 

[lusid666]

Nokia 3330?

 

[Cartman]

Why not try a Lumia 930?? had mine for almost 1 year now, and I love it absolutly love it, yes it's windows phone, and not android, or ios, but don't let that fool you, it's a brilliant os, and later this year, it wil be upgraded to run windows 10, wich basikaly meens, any app made for win 10 either it's on the desctop or tablet, wil also run on the phone. it's brilliant

EDIT: SORRY!! DIDN*T SE THE FINAL LINE OF TEXT

my sister and brother both have sony's I'we never cared for Sony personaly, but they seem to like it Althoug I belive my sister only had hears a few months before it broke, and had to be fixed under warenty :/

 

[red]

Yes quite Cartman, I already have the 930 and I do like it but I don't want to carry two of them when I'm on call for work. I like having a bit of diversity having two different OSs.

 

[Dal]

Stuck deliberating over a new mobile phone to the point I can't be bothered to get one -

That begs the question... Why do you want a different phone?

Just keep what you have and save your money.

 

[red]

Well that's a good question and the reason I didn't change it when my 2 year contract finished last year.

The three main bug bears which are getting ever more frustrating.

1. Space
2. Updates
3. Battery

The HOX is 32GB which is fine except they've split it in to 7GB for App and OS storage and 25GB for general phone storage. The phone storage is never a problem but the App storage is always at the limit to the point it slows the phone down and I have to continuously clear App caches and uninstall things.

Updates, the phone is stuck on Jellybean 4.2.2 released February 2013. Bearing in mind this was the 2012 flagship device (Released April 2012) they didn't keep updates going long! Jellybean 4.3 which included numerous security fixes came out in June 2013 and never made it to the device. Not worth mentioning the fixes and features in the proceeding releases..

Now potentially both of these issues could be resolved by using a custom ROM but this then adds it's own difficulties.

The battery is still livable at the minute but it compounds the urge to replace.

It got my goat that HTC stopped updating it after a year which is why I probably won't end up having an HTC again even though I love the device.

As much as people slate Apple products at least they will maintain the software for a reasonable length of time. Example, my old work iPhone 4s released in 2011 and still receiving the latest updates to iOS!! Shipped with iOS 5 and now able to receive iOS 8.3 as of yesterday.

 

[Cartman]

I se your problem, Space is always an issue, the 930 as you know has only 64 gigs, but i find that to be just barely enough, onedrive helps a lott, but it stil requiers that stuff is downloaded when yu want it, ie pics and videos. and that is slow, but atleast it meens you can clare out your pictures and still have accsess to them,
I hope the next lumia flagshipp has an sd card slott :/

you could jailbrake your htc and put a newer andoid os on it, not shure how it's done, but a friend of mine did it to his samsung s2 active, now that was a crap phone when it was new, and it realy wasnt anny better after, but stil, I don't think that had anything to do whit it beeing jailbroken

as I said, my siblings enjoy their sonys, but I can't realy tell you any more, because I cant be botherd to try them lol

I carry a 520 as my workphone, so I don't have to cope whit 2 different oses, the experience is the same.

as much as I hate apple on every level (mostly because they are lasy an super greedy) I do agree whit them on the basis that they keep the experience "identical" no mater what device from apple you use I realy can't wait until win 10 ariwes

 

[red]

Well when you consider the last certified 'stable' CyanogenMod for the HOX was January 2014 with issues reported with this release you need to risk the nightly build which could themselves have issues..

 

[Dal]

I used to get that running out of memory thing with HTC too.. Damn annoying.

Never had that with my little nexus 4 though despite loads of apps. Android 5 also helps with that too (maybe less so with the bloatware of non google phones) so maybe try that?

 

[red]

Just been reading an article about another ROM called Resurrection Remix which could be worth a look.

 

[red]

So to provide an update to my uninteresting phone dilemma; I decided to try and stick with the HOX for another year but only if I could make my bug bears with it more tolerable.

I managed to resolve 1 and 2 on my list above by flashing Resurrection Remix! This is a great ROM, smooth and functioning for the most part perfectly (the keyboard app randomly crash a couple of times but no big deal). This brought it up to the very latest version on Lollipop (5.1) fixing all of the security concerns I had and alongside that because the storage layout changed in Lollipop I was able to fully utilise the remainder of the 32GB space for apps or as I'd like! Perfect.

Since I was on a roll I thought next up I'd put a new battery in it, it turned out this was quite (very) difficult and had I have done it on another HOX first I probably would have managed it OK however not having this luxury, I got the screen out without too much drama but the battery is glued to both sides and removing it from the chassis proved much more challenging (if you're reading this and considering it, heat it up first!!) I ended up slicing through one of the ribbon cables hidden behind the battery.

I put it all back together regardless to see what the damage was, initial tests were looking good still, it powered on, the screen was working but alas the MicroUSB port was the casualty :-( this means that I had no means to charge it up further and it would soon meet it's end.

I've decided that it's not worth trying to repair it so went through my above short-list again (and again) and settled on the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact.

This phone looks great and one of my old colleagues has it and has preferred it over his old HOX, 5S etc so it must be ok!

All being well it should arrive today, I bought it outright on GiffGaff as this was the most economic way of doing it over 2 years.

I might also switch to the GiffGaff package from O2 as they have some pretty good tariffs for my low use. This will be the first time in 13 years I'll not have been with O2 even longer if you count I was with BT Cellnet prior to this!!

Image from the Sony website:

 

[red]

Also I was going to use this as my interim device but it wasn't a popular choice by consensus over the weekend.

 

[zinc2000]

I had a blue one like that, great phone, made phone calls, sent text, do you really need anything else :?

 

[Cherie]

I might also switch to the GiffGaff package from O2 as they have some pretty good tariffs for my low use. This will be the first time in 13 years I'll not have been with O2 even longer if you count I was with BT Cellnet prior to this!!

I wouldn't bother with GiffGaff if you're likely to need mobile data when you're out and about... There are some very good spots (Dal gets full H at work) but the majority of the time my data signal is so weak it'll pull nothing through. I might get emails on whatsapp, but nothing else.

I use the Wifi at work and home, and can do without most times I'm out, so haven't got around to changing providers yet.

 

[red]

I completed migrating my number to GiffGaff yesterday, so far the signal seems as good as O2 (which I'd expect since it uses the same masts). I've seen 4G at my house and at the customers I was at in Reading. At my office I'm getting a nearly full H+ too.

I was very impressed with the ease of transition to GiffGaff, migrating my number took a few minutes of my time getting the PAC from O2 and then it's a simple form on the GiffGaff site to initiate the process. I kicked it off Monday evening (late) and it was done by midday Wednesday!

 

[Cherie]

You've definitely had a better experience with GiffGaff than I have... :?

 

[red]

Hopefully it continues!

As for the phone, well so far I'm not disappointed :grin:

It's just the right size, it's quick and I'm pleased that it updated from Kitkat to Lollipop pretty much as soon as I got it up and running.

I've ordered a few bits for it to hopefully keep it going a while, an official dock so that I can use the magnetic pins and not have to open the dust flap to charge it, a Casemate barely there clear hard case which should allow use of the dock whilst fitted, a tempered glass screen protector (not used one of these before but it sounds like a good idea) and finally a Kingston 64GB MicroSD card to expand the storage from 16GB for photos and music etc.