Changing from iPhone...?

da wiseguy

Hello all.

Looking for some expert techy type knowledge!

I have an iPhone 3gs 16gb and am thinking of coming off the iPhone and going android. Main gripes with iPhone: texting is a pain in the hoop (probably more a problem with my fingers...but even still), I HATE iTunes (always manage getting talked into an i product, but never actually wanted one - i.e. wanted a mp3 player which I could just drag & drop my mp3 files into but got convinced to get an iPod...), and just don't like the restrictions - getting my contacts to this from a Nokia was a proper nightmare and am not looking forward to getting them off the iPhone. But anyways!

Samsung Galaxy S2 seems good, HTC Desire 2 is being recommended, I assume Sony Xperia Arc is out of the running (most people say "mehh"...) as is the Nokia N8 (Ovi store still very disappointing...)...but does anyone know is there anything coming up that would be worth waiting for? Am on o2...and reading about 3d camera technology...but is Ireland likely to get 3d phones anytime soon? Like HTC Evo 3d?

Any suggestions/advice/tips etc would be very welcome!!

marathonic

da wiseguy wrote: »

Any suggestions/advice/tips etc would be very welcome!!

I was on the same boat. If you know people on the various networks, ask them how coverage is - both calls and data. Otherwise, order some free sim-cards and check for yourself.

For me, the best deal I've seen for the Samsung Galaxy SII is with Meteor. I actually use very little minutes and can use an app to send free webtexts. Therefore, I went for their 200 minutes, 200 texts, 1GB data plan for 30 euro per month on a 12 month contract. I placed my order on Friday so should know more about the phone itself shortly. The phone was 99.99 after a 40 FatCheese.ie rebate.

You can get the HTC Sensation for 9 euro extra but, from the reviews I ready, the Galaxy SII is better.

The 12 month contract was the big thing for me - I've just come off an 18 month iPhone contract and can't ever imagine going for a 24 month contract after that.

Also, if Apple end up bringing out something really amazing, the 12 month contract will allow me to switch back next year. Otherwise, I can go for Android's latest offering at that time.

tallaghtmick

How much are you selling up for :P

Seriously the HTC wildfire is very similar phone wise its a nice cheap phone too and you can just drag and drop music.

da wiseguy

marathonic wrote: »

I was on the same boat. If you know people on the various networks, ask them how coverage is - both calls and data. Otherwise, order some free sim-cards and check for yourself.

For me, the best deal I've seen for the Samsung Galaxy SII is with Meteor. I actually use very little minutes and can use an app to send free webtexts. Therefore, I went for their 200 minutes, 200 texts, 1GB data plan for 30 euro per month on a 12 month contract. I placed my order on Friday so should know more about the phone itself shortly. The phone was 99.99 after a 40 FatCheese.ie rebate.

You can get the HTC Sensation for 9 euro extra but, from the reviews I ready, the Galaxy SII is better.

The 12 month contract was the big thing for me - I've just come off an 18 month iPhone contract and can't ever imagine going for a 24 month contract after that.

Also, if Apple end up bringing out something really amazing, the 12 month contract will allow me to switch back next year. Otherwise, I can go for Android's latest offering at that time.

Yeah - Galaxy S2 is getting the best reports and seems to be generally regarded as the best android on the market. I'm on o2 and I've been advised that they have the best plan on the market generally - 250 free calls and 250 free texts and 250 mb data - although data isn't a biggie for me as I have wifi at home and work (just need to remember to switch it on, on the phone!). I have unlimited data on the iPhone but usually use around the 250-300mb mark. The wife is on o2 too - so may as well stick with them so we get totally free calls between us. Also been on o2 for 10 years and they are giving me €100 to upgrade online. Not too bad....!

The HTC Sensation is not available on o2 for some reason...! Just been reading that the HTC 3d phone may be out in September...although I think it's unlikely to hit Irish shores then? Would be handy to know if there is something swish on the way that might be worth waiting for. I've had the iPhone for 15 months now...so I'm sure another month or two won't kill me. Same thing though - 18 month contracts are killer...got offered free iPhone 4 on o2 but on 24 month contract...no thanks!

da wiseguy

tallaghtmick wrote: »

How much are you selling up for :P

Seriously the HTC wildfire is very similar phone wise its a nice cheap phone too and you can just drag and drop music.

haha dunno yet - it is in great condition - no cracks or scrapes - few very minor scratches on the back where grit gets in between phone and case as per usual. I have all the original bits for it (I'm anal like that) plus car charger, iTrip thing for radio, etc. May well consider selling iPod too as I hate iTunes and when I get rid of the iPhone would love to get all that crap off my pc!

HTC WIldfire you say....hmmm....! Similar to Desire? The Desire is twice the price with o2...

marathonic

da wiseguy wrote: »

I'm on o2 and I've been advised that they have the best plan on the market generally - 250 free calls and 250 free texts and 250 mb data - although data isn't a biggie for me as I have wifi at home and work (just need to remember to switch it on, on the phone!).

I was with O2 but my contract ended 2 months ago. Since then, I've been testing the coverage of other networks using PAYG SIM cards.

The O2 plan you're talking about is normally €35 per month over 18 months. The Galaxy SII is €259 on the plan. I'm not sure if you're being offered €100 off this price but, even if it is, that still leaves the phone costing €159.

With the Meteor one I joined, it's a 12 month plan and only €30 per month. You also get the phone for €99.99 if you order through FatCheese.ie.

The Meteor one gives more data but 50 less minutes and texts per month. However, you can get an app to send the free webtexts through your phone. You can also get apps to make free calls using your data allowance to other SmartPhone users.

Another reason that I went for the Galaxy SII is that it's the latest, most popular dual-core phone. Although a Dual Core processor is probably overkill at the moment for a phone, it'll come in useful during future android updates - which will undoubtedly add new, processor hungry functionality.

aidodo

just switched from Iphone 3GS to SGS2 on Sat. Best decision ever. Android is brilliant. You know all the stuff you cant do on Iphone, Android does it.

The only thing iphone had going for it was the Viber App. Now android has it too.

after_shock3000

da wiseguy wrote: »

Hello all.

Looking for some expert techy type knowledge!

I have an iPhone 3gs 16gb and am thinking of coming off the iPhone and going android. Main gripes with iPhone: texting is a pain in the hoop (probably more a problem with my fingers...but even still), I HATE iTunes (always manage getting talked into an i product, but never actually wanted one - i.e. wanted a mp3 player which I could just drag & drop my mp3 files into but got convinced to get an iPod...), and just don't like the restrictions - getting my contacts to this from a Nokia was a proper nightmare and am not looking forward to getting them off the iPhone. But anyways!

Samsung Galaxy S2 seems good, HTC Desire 2 is being recommended, I assume Sony Xperia Arc is out of the running (most people say "mehh"...) as is the Nokia N8 (Ovi store still very disappointing...)...but does anyone know is there anything coming up that would be worth waiting for? Am on o2...and reading about 3d camera technology...but is Ireland likely to get 3d phones anytime soon? Like HTC Evo 3d?

Any suggestions/advice/tips etc would be very welcome!!

Switched from an iPhone 3G to a HTC Desire S recently and the difference in overall speed/smoothness is huge(although I suppose my phone was a few gens old). If you can try a few of the phones before you buy, you'd be better off. I picked the Desire S because I don't like how big some of the newer smartphones are. The S is very slightly smaller than my iPhone was, but with a bigger screen. I prefer HTC's interface to Samsungs too, but that's just down to personal taste.
As for your worries about moving contacts,its very easy to do. You can just sync them to your google contacts on your iPhone and the htc will get them on it's own when you set it up. The HTC also has a wizard to get them from the iPhone through Bluetooth.
There's an app on the android Market to convert you old iPhone SMS database to work too, should you want to keep them.

Long story short, its worth changing and it's not too difficult to get it set up with your old data.

KrisW

If you can wait until October, both the Nokia N9 and iPhone 5 will be available (although it's not known which network, if any, will take the N9).

If you can't wait until then, then a Galaxy S 2 is the best around right now. Coming from iOS, you'll find Android a little inconsistent and clunky at first, but once you're used to its foibles, it gets the job done. The Marketplace (app store) has lots of stuff in it, but the quality of the middle and lower tier titles can be abysmal, and there is genuine malware in there too. Stick to the top-rated, most-downloaded titles, though, and you won't miss the Apple App Store. On that point, just having a browser with Flash support means you won't need any of the brochure-ware apps that clog Apple's store.

Btw, I'd steer clear of anything "3D" - it's a complete and utter gimmick.

cookie1977

What about BlackBerry with a physical qwerty keyboard? There's new devices about to be launched by them soon.

I'm getting the 9900:

http://www.rim.com/newsroom/blackberry7/

Run_to_da_hills

I like my music and IPhone / ITunes is a pig to work with.

For starters I like to have both the IPod and IPhone so I'm not eating up the battery life in one if i'm out and about. ITunes won't let you operate two devices from the one account which is a load of bol*ix.

Looks like I will be going Galaxy S2 with micro sim expansion in the near future.

cookie1977

iTunes lets me operate two iphones and an ipod touch from the one account

Run_to_da_hills

cookie1977 wrote: »

iTunes lets me operate two iphones and an ipod touch from the one account

Can you swap around purchased ITunes from one device to another? I have had difficulty with Itunes not accepting one or the other. I prefere just to get a micro sim and drag and past everything across. ITunes often rejects formats that would work on Android etc. Its down to them trying to keep in with the record companies.

whiterebel

cookie1977 wrote: »

iTunes lets me operate two iphones and an ipod touch from the one account

Me too, as well as 2 iPads.

Zimmerframe

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

ITunes won't let you operate two devices from the one account which is a load of bol*ix.

Of course you can.
As far as I know you can use an unlimited number of iphone/ipads/ipods.
The only limitation, that I am aware of is 5 pc's/macs. with the one account, which ought to be more than enough.

da wiseguy

Zimmerframe wrote: »

Of course you can.
As far as I know you can use an unlimited number of iphone/ipads/ipods.
The only limitation, that I am aware of is 5 pc's/macs. with the one account, which ought to be more than enough.

This is true as far as I know also. But that being said - I do not like iTunes in anyway - even as a dj. As I said before - I was "talked into" an iPod AND the iPhone - and whilst I appreciate that they are good products, they weren't what I wanted and didn't quite suit my needs. Although I also appreciate that I allowed myself to be talked into getting them so it's my fault! Both have served me well...and have many admirable qualities...but time to move on.

Thanks to all for responses - sorry for my lack of replies! Cheers for tips and advice. Thanks aftershock for your support re contacts - there sounds like there is light at the end of the tunnel...which may not be as long as I had thought

The general consensus is 3d is total gimmick. Will avoid.

Was reading up about Nokia n9 - sounds & looks good - but by what I am reading, is doomed. Which is a pity as I've always been a Nokia person but the 5800 killed me. Would LOVE a Nokia to come back and wipe everyone else away.

Been looking at Blackberry - and the 9800 Torch does look like a good option. I have no experience of BB - any advice on the BB app store? I hear it's expensive and clunky, and it gives me bad flashbacks to the Ovi Store!

That being said - my main criteria of a phone are texting, camera and maps. Obviously internet for FB and gmail etc...but re texting, I hate the iPhone for it. I mistype and mispell everything...so before I got iPhone I wanted a phone with a keyboard AND a touch screen. But everyone steered me away from the Nokia (n97?) at the time. The only seemingly decent option now is the Torch 9800, anyone have any experience with it? I suppose if the 9810 is coming in September or October it might be worth hanging around for?

I know everyone is going on (in a good way!) about the Samsung Galxy S2 - but it just seems too plastic-y and light for me......weird, I know! :P

BostonB

For the best camera and maps you want a Nokia N8. But for apps you'd be better with Apple or Android.

Keyboard AND a touch screen an option is the HTC ChaCha. Or Motorola MILESTONE.

No experience of BB. So can't comment on them.

cookie1977

For build quality and reliability blackberry's are great. They're excellent for social networking and email. Not good at gaming. Appworld on blackberry is pretty good in my mind. The 9300 is a good budget model but there's new devices out very soon like the 9900 and the 9860. They're not clunkers at all and they aren't expensive to run. In fact theutilise a third less data then other smart phones as the blackberry compresses data sent over their servers. Data plans go further so.

Raskolnikov

If you're looking at a Blackberry, then you should consider the HTC ChaCha. It's running the latest version of Android, a great touchscreen and has a much better keyboard. Only negative for me is that the camera is only mediocre.

If you like having a physical keyboard, also consider the HTC Desire Z.

da wiseguy

BostonB wrote: »

For the best camera and maps you want a Nokia N8. But for apps you'd be better with Apple or Android.

Keyboard AND a touch screen an option is the HTC ChaCha. Or Motorola MILESTONE.

I really want to want to get a Nokia but Symbian is a dying breed isn't it? the N9 looks swish...but unsure as to whether any networks here will get it or support it?

Can't see Milestone available on any network apart from SIM free on expansys etc...but want to just keep it on contract (I am on o2). HTC ChaCha doesn't float my boat too much...but thanks for suggestion!!

da wiseguy

cookie1977 wrote: »

For build quality and reliability blackberry's are great. They're excellent for social networking and email. Not good at gaming. Appworld on blackberry is pretty good in my mind. The 9300 is a good budget model but there's new devices out very soon like the 9900 and the 9860. They're not clunkers at all and they aren't expensive to run. In fact theutilise a third less data then other smart phones as the blackberry compresses data sent over their servers. Data plans go further so.

hmmmmmmm *stroking chin in a contemplantative way*

BostonB

Its only an issue if theres apps you can't get on it, or things you can't do on it.

da wiseguy

Raskolnikov wrote: »

If you're looking at a Blackberry, then you should consider the HTC ChaCha. It's running the latest version of Android, a great touchscreen and has a much better keyboard. Only negative for me is that the camera is only mediocre.

If you like having a physical keyboard, also consider the HTC Desire Z.

the Desire Z does look good...any ideas when it might be coming out...? Would it be on o2?

KrisW

da wiseguy wrote: »

I really want to want to get a Nokia but Symbian is a dying breed isn't it? the N9 looks swish...but unsure as to whether any networks here will get it or support it?

Symbian will be supported until 2016. New phones coming in September will have a newer (and very HTC-like, tbh) version of Symbian on them.

N9 is currently not offered by any Irish network - you'd need to go to expansys/pixmania/phonesonline.

Apps are lacking, but there's a lot of apps out there that are jus rehashes of stuff you can already get on the web.

linda101

Hi new to this head wrecked I have an iPhone 3GS 32 gig and I'm considering changing it for the samaung galaxy s2 can any one advise pls pls

chrislad

I have 2 iPhones, an iPad, an iPod Touch and an iPod Nano running from the same iTunes. iPhones/iPod Touch and iPad all use same Apple ID with same purchases, no issues.

da wiseguy

KrisW wrote: »

Symbian will be supported until 2016. New phones coming in September will have a newer (and very HTC-like, tbh) version of Symbian on them.

N9 is currently not offered by any Irish network - you'd need to go to expansys/pixmania/phonesonline.

Apps are lacking, but there's a lot of apps out there that are jus rehashes of stuff you can already get on the web.

ahhh think it will have to be between the samsung galaxy s2 or the htc sensation if i port over to meteor, which are giving the best deals online especially with the fatcheese offer. but typically, so much mis-information online and in shops about phones and what is coming out...so much online indicating that there are phones out in a month or so...but guys in the Meteor store in Dun Laoghaire say nope - "phones only come out once a year every May usually"...which is find rather hard to believe....! hmmmm....to wait a month and see or just sod it and get something now.... *scratching chin*

da wiseguy

linda101 wrote: »

Hi new to this head wrecked I have an iPhone 3GS 32 gig and I'm considering changing it for the samaung galaxy s2 can any one advise pls pls

welcome to the club linda!!! it's a mare...decisions decisions...!