Pain in my hoop jumping through iOS hoops..Android here I come!

Tinder Surprise

OK after many years using iPhones etc. I have a pain in my ass with how restrictive their devices are compared to Android devices, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.

I have also increased the number of other Android devices in the house, so now a good time to change my phone, and move away from iPhones.

So basically I am looking for recommendations for a replacement unit.
Not just your popular models but Chinese models also.

Thanks in advance.

Senna

Want to give a budget and/or what features would be important to you?

Tinder Surprise

Senna wrote: »

Want to give a budget and/or what features would be important to you?

Yea good idea ....

Budget: €300ish

Features; lots of RAM and storage

Not too pushed on camera spec etc.

Ionised

Nexus 6?
Recently picked a 64gb one. Now the 6p is out these are being heavily discounted. Not sure if you can get them from Google anymore but eBay will show up new ones for sale.

Tinder Surprise

Ionised wrote: »

Nexus 6?
Recently picked a 64gb one. Now the 6p is out these are being heavily discounted. Not sure if you can get them from Google anymore but eBay will show up new ones for sale.

Had a look at the Nexus 6.

Great spec but imp a big too big for the pocket

Ionised

Tinder Surprise wrote:

Great spec but imp a big too big for the pocket

Sits happily in my shirt pocket. Not so good if you're into skinny jeans!

D_turbo

Zuk z1.
Another supposed flag ship killer.
I went redmi note 3 instead for mainly cosmetic purposes

Zombienosh

Recommend OPX

audioslave

Redmi note 3. I have one on the way. Check YouTube for comparisons to I phones and samsungs

D_turbo

audioslave wrote: »

Redmi note 3. I have one on the way. Check YouTube for comparisons to I phones and samsungs

AFAIK the bootloader is still locked on a the note 3 atm so if he's big into playing around with them it might dent what he's able. To do atm.

Although I seen some one unlocked it but unsure of that was a test or will it be come common

emo72

Totally recommend the oneplus x. The reason is the size. It's comparable to an ios device and its in your budget.

audioslave

What do you mean? I'm not a techhie at all, I just wanted a decent spec phone for a decent price. Will what you've mentioned effect an average phone user?

dobbs2210

Out of interest what are the major restrictions with iPhones compared to Android phones? I'm in the market to buy a new phone but was leaning towards an iPhone but i'm very open to purchasing for the first time an android phone such as a Sansung galaxy. Just wanted to know what are the restrictions placed on an iPhone and what are the freedom factors available on an android phone?

Eoinmc97

audioslave wrote: »

What do you mean? I'm not a techhie at all, I just wanted a decent spec phone for a decent price. Will what you've mentioned effect an average phone user?

You see, bing on iOS you probably got used to being restricted, whereas in reality, Android's strenght is in modifications.
Currently I'm running a Galaxy S2 on CM12.1 and it's been amazing compared to when it had Jelly Bean installed.

IMO, if you can find a Nexus 5; Go for it. If you want a new phone frsh out of the factory; get the OnePlus X.
The OPX has had last gen's top procssor, with 3GB of RAM, a Micro-SD slot for storage (combined with the 16GB internal) a good camera, a gorgeuos AMOLED 1080p 5.3" display and it's running OxygenOS which is effectively stock Android, but open to customisations.

emo72

dobbs2210 wrote: »

Out of interest what are the major restrictions with iPhones compared to Android phones? I'm in the market to buy a new phone but was leaning towards an iPhone but i'm very open to purchasing for the first time an android phone such as a Sansung galaxy. Just wanted to know what are the restrictions placed on an iPhone and what are the freedom factors available on an android phone?

You must use iTunes to sync. Any videos that you want to put on your phone needs to be in the right format. But mainly having to have iTunes on your PC and then.... It's a nightmare.

TheChizler

emo72 wrote: »

You must use iTunes to sync. Any videos that you want to put on your phone needs to be in the right format. But mainly having to have iTunes on your PC and then.... It's a nightmare.

Unless you're like myself who was ever only bothered to download one album and one movie! Stream the rest.

I'm on the lookout for something similar so keeping a close eye on this thread.

Kavrocks

D_turbo wrote: »

AFAIK the bootloader is still locked on a the note 3 atm so if he's big into playing around with them it might dent what he's able. To do atm.

Although I seen some one unlocked it but unsure of that was a test or will it be come common

There are several guides and even an official Xiaomi route.

Eoinmc97

dobbs2210 wrote: »

Out of interest what are the major restrictions with iPhones compared to Android phones? I'm in the market to buy a new phone but was leaning towards an iPhone but i'm very open to purchasing for the first time an android phone such as a Sansung galaxy. Just wanted to know what are the restrictions placed on an iPhone and what are the freedom factors available on an android phone?

As I posted above, I can update my phone to any version of Android I want thanks to Samsung opening the bootloader. This allows for unlimited customisation and modification. Android also does not require to run the "CheckStoreCredentials" script found in iOS, which makes .apk files impossible to download outside of the App Store. Same with .mp3 and .mp4 files.
iPhones can be jailbroken and tweaked with, but most of the time PangU and TaiG just say "16GB version required".

D_turbo

Kavrocks wrote: »

There are several guides and even an official Xiaomi route.

I hadn't looked since Stevens day and didn't spot any. Cheers for thay

thomasj

One thing I would advise is if you are looking at a Chinese model look at the LTE bands it can use. Otherwise you will be disappointed if you're looking for LTE

The 2 LTE models used in ireland are 3 and 20. band 20 is not on some Chinese models

D'Peoples Voice

Tinder Surprise wrote: »

So basically I am looking for recommendations for a replacement unit.
Not just your popular models but Chinese models also.

It must be said that the differences between Android devices have narrowed greatly over the years for 3 reasons...
1. Google has moved many of the programs from the OS into the Playstore. This has meant programs such as android webview are now uniform across devices as the device manufacturer has little control over it. So there are fewer devices giving incompatibility problems for apps. Other programs include contacts and network connectivity which means they can be updated regularly through the Play store.
2. Fierce competition between the silicon chip manufacturers of Qualcomm Snapdragon, Samsung Exynos, MediaTek hello, Intel Bay Trail, (not to mention Rockchip and AMLogic) have ensured most devices are competitive. Though devices with a Snapdragon still command a premium in the same way as a PC with Intel i7 are more expensive than Intel celeron.
3. Android 6.0 Marshmallow now allows you to properly use your sd card as part of your phone's memory which is great if you have lots of apps. Alternatively you can still use it for music downloaded to play offline.

Personally, if a device doesn't have a Snapdragon, I'm not interested but phones with Snapdragons are pricey. You should be able to pick up a device with MediaTek or Bay Trail silicon chip processor for quite cheap.

Bear in mind that some phones, particularly Chinese ones might be difficult to get screens fixed etc as they are not common enough yet.

Also, I'm using Marshmallow on a Nexus device and would advise you to pay that little bit extra for a device with Marshmallow or definitely getting it.

If money is not a problem, i would probably choose the Sony Xperia Z3 or the Blackberry Priv(Android).
Mid-price I would go Moto X style or LG G4
Budget price I would Moto G (3rd ed), Asus Zenfone 2, Vodafone Ultra

Tinder Surprise

Excellent advice.

Really thanks lads..got some great pointers so far.

Keep em coming.