Best mobile phone for cycling?

[LauraWatson]

Hi all, i am trying to get more up to date and get a new phone deal and am absolutely BAFFLED by the choice. I have absolute max 20 quid a month to spend (no upfront phone buying) and am looking for a phone that i can run a cycling GPS app on so i can avoid buying a garmin map devie for my bike. Til now i have been managing with garmin watch for speed and distance etc and, ahem, memory and old fashioned paper maps for naviagating.

I was almost sold on a samsung galaxy ace 2 but they are quite slow for internet, does this mean the navigating will be too slow for cycling too?

Then s3 mini looked quite good but gets a bit slated in reviews compared to s3 (too big) and google nexus (out of price range) .

S2 looks quite good but is also very big in size...

Is anyone out there phone-geeky enough to offer any advice??

Thanks
Ps lovely to get out on the bike in winter sun yesterday first time in weeks!

 

[SportMonkey]

I would advise against using a mobile phone as a navigation device for a bike, I'm sure unexpected rain would soon cause a problem. For tracking with Endomondo, Strava, etc. any phone with GPS will do, your best bet is to get one with a long battery life.

 

[Cycleops]

You can get various waterprooof cases for phones but might be best to mount it on a handlebar bag which have dedicated pockets.
I have a Galaxy S Advance which is about iphone in size and it's great. The gps will work fine whatever the processor speed. There are loads of android cycling apps although I have never felt the need to use one.

 

[on the road]

You could do what I do, put your phone inside a food bag, that will keep it dry, the gps still works and your phone still receives a signal.

 

[Kies]

I have had iphone 3gs,4 and 4s, and the Samsung Galaxy S2 and S3


The best one has been the S2 as it delivers all the functionality i need and is small enough for a pocket,saddle bag etc
The iphones are good,but every decent app requires money to be spent.
Work has given me an S3, fantastic screen,and very quick,but also a big phone!!

I have a private SIM, for personal use and bought a 2nd S2 (unlocked) as it's good value for money at £180 approx

Have run Strava on a S2 and works just fine, but i prefer my Garmin edge 200

 

[HovR]

I was almost sold on a samsung galaxy ace 2 but they are quite slow for internet, does this mean the navigating will be too slow for cycling too?

Are they? I have one and find it quite speedy, especially compared to my previous phone (a HTC). It can keep up with downloading map tiles when doing 70mph in a car, so I'm sure it will work fine on a bike! This is of course dependent on the network coverage you have in the area.

 

[fossyant]

The ace 2 is a good phone for the money. My wife has one.

 

[Cycleops]

Internet speed will also depend on your connection whether you are using a phone chip or wifi.

 

[Talc1976]

I use a S2 and have strava on it, I have been on rides over 7 hours and the phone battery has lasted no problems.
The phone even survived me dropping it in a bowl of boiling water.
Very good and costs me £20 a mth.

 

[paul04]

I also use a samsung galaxy S2, which works fine with strava/runkeeper if I know its going to rain I just wrap it in a plastic bag and keep it in my pocket.

 

[classic33]

http://www.gsmarena.com/ericsson_r250s_pro-119.php
No need for a plastic bag with this one.

 

[paul04]

http://www.gsmarena.com/ericsson_r250s_pro-119.php
No need for a plastic bag with this one.

That would be like carrying half a brick with you

 

[classic33]

That would be like carrying half a brick with you

Its what I use at present & have been using for 11 years now.

 

[paul04]

Its what I use at present & have been using for 11 years now.

Saying that in the van at work we use a old nokia 3310 and still works just fine

 

[Nebulous]

If you are wanting a really good deal on phone you need to look away from the headline models like the S3 and get what is sometimes termed as a budget smartphone. My daughter has a Sony xperia tipo, which she quite likes and my other daughter has just got an HTC desire C. Both of them have a pretty up to date version of android and have GPS etc, but have some limitations.

Another thing that can make a big difference is where you get a phone from. Buying through Quidco can get you cashback and you can also get cashback deals from suppliers. It can be pretty fiddly though, if you aren't careful to follow instructions you can miss out, and that's what the suppliers depend upon, that many people wont see it through. I use mobiles.co.uk

I'm running four phone contracts, so its in my interest to keep costs down, and I've never missed a cashback date yet. Some people are paying as much for a single top-end phone contract as I am for 4.