i phone thingy

[rich p]

My lady wife, who knows as little as me about these things, has expressed a wish for one of these for Xmas. Is there an option for other brands and roughly what's the deal in terms of buying, renting costs?
If this has been dealt with elsewhere, I apologise and would be grateful for a referral.
Ta!

 

[Tim Bennet.]

If this has been dealt with elsewhere . .

It's been dealt with on every forum, every day for the past few years without respite.

But here's a summary:

View A) Apple make okay products which millions of people find complement their lifestyle to an extent they're prepared to pay for the service.

View B) I phones are products constructed entirely from the sperm of the devil and only the clinically stupid would spend even half the price on them when something ten times as good is available from some bloke in Tottenham court road and if you install Linux Version 7.0.987e, but disable the bembo buffer with a utility downloaded from some obscure website, you'll be able to do twice as much as even the iPhone 6 will be able to do.

There is no middle ground.

 

[martint235]

My lady wife, who knows as little as me about these things, has expressed a wish for one of these for Xmas. Is there an option for other brands and roughly what's the deal in terms of buying, renting costs?
If this has been dealt with elsewhere, I apologise and would be grateful for a referral.
Ta!

Hi Rich,

There is only one brand of Iphone and that's Apple. Costs are around £500 simm free (ie no contract), they can be picked up for free on around £45 per month contract.

There are many other brands of smartphone however which do similar roles. The HTC Desire is well-regarded and the new HTC Desire HD is slowly becoming available. Also available is the new HTC HD7 smartphone running Windows Phone 7 but I personally am not a fan of this. Costs for these are from around £400 simm free and £35 per month on a contract.

Other brands available are Samsung (who make the very nice Galaxy series), LG, Sony Ericcson.

Costs tend to be around the same ball park. The main consideration I'd flag up before buying one, particularly for someone who hasn't used a smartphone before, is battery life. Poor doesn't come close. You (or the wife) will probably end up charging it once a day (although my missus does get two days out of her Desire but she doesn't really use any of it's features yet)

You'll also find there is a lot of polarisation between the Apple camp and everyone else (of which I plead guilty) although I think I've kept the above relatively unbiased.

 

[CopperBrompton]

There are many other brands of smartphone however which do similar roles. The HTC Desire is well-regarded and the new HTC Desire HD is slowly becoming available.

Vodafone reckon they'll have decent stocks within the next couple of weeks.

I'm waiting for the HTC Desire Z, which has the slide-out physical keyboard (I've always gone for physical keyboards since the days of the Nokia Communicator), which is expected to be in stock in four weeks.

 

[Coco]

If she wants an iPhone you better get her an iPhone. Although there are many technically superior products, Apple products are all about the user interface and (IMHO) this is where the extra cost goes.

I'd reccomend Tesco for supplier. Although a bit more expensive up front, their contracts only last 12 months.

 

[rich p]

Thanks for the advice guys. I only said i-phone as ageneric term really. Any make would do the trick.

 

[2Loose]

Hi Rich,

There is only one brand of Iphone and that's Apple. Costs are around £500 simm free (ie no contract), they can be picked up for free on around £45 per month contract.

There are many other brands of smartphone however which do similar roles. The HTC Desire is well-regarded and the new HTC Desire HD is slowly becoming available. Also available is the new HTC HD7 smartphone running Windows Phone 7 but I personally am not a fan of this. Costs for these are from around £400 simm free and £35 per month on a contract.

Other brands available are Samsung (who make the very nice Galaxy series), LG, Sony Ericcson.

Costs tend to be around the same ball park. The main consideration I'd flag up before buying one, particularly for someone who hasn't used a smartphone before, is battery life. Poor doesn't come close. You (or the wife) will probably end up charging it once a day (although my missus does get two days out of her Desire but she doesn't really use any of it's features yet)

You'll also find there is a lot of polarisation between the Apple camp and everyone else (of which I plead guilty) although I think I've kept the above relatively unbiased.

**Applause**


(from a fruit hater).

 

[Keith Oates]

I've just got the HTC desire and although I don't know all the functions yet I'm well pleased with it so far. However the very scientific reason for me in choosing this phone was that HTC are the only phone company supporting a cycle team. Is that sad or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[martint235]

Thanks for the advice guys. I only said i-phone as ageneric term really. Any make would do the trick.

Rich, I think if it's a Xmas present and she's asked for an iphone your best bet is to get an iphone.

My missus wanted an iphone and it took a month of considered debate ie. me showing her numerous reviews of the various phones to persuade her a HTC Desire was the phone for her. (Remember I did plead guilty to hating the Apple)

With a present, I'm afraid you can't have this level of discussion and if she wakes up Xmas morning expecting an iphone and you've got her something else, you'll be sharing your turkey with Rover.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Get an iphone, that HTC Desire is rubbish. Fact*.








*I say fact but I've never actually used or even seen one

 

[martint235]

Get an iphone, that HTC Desire is rubbish. Fact*.








*I say fact but I've never actually used or even seen one

I knew I'd flush an Apple fan out from the undergrowth eventually. It's good to see that the delusion that the iPhone is anything more than form over function is alive and well...

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I knew I'd flush an Apple fan out from the undergrowth eventually. It's good to see that the delusion that the iPhone is anything more than form over function is alive and well...

Style over substance every time.

 

[woohoo]

I've just got the HTC desire and although I don't know all the functions yet I'm well pleased with it so far. However the very scientific reason for me in choosing this phone was that HTC are the only phone company supporting a cycle team. Is that sad or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Same reason I went for a Garmin satnav when I couldn't decide between a Garmin and a Tomtom!

 

[rich p]

Rich, I think if it's a Xmas present and she's asked for an iphone your best bet is to get an iphone.

.

Cheers martin! She doesn't actually know an i-phone from a eye patch! It was me using the term as a shortcut that is the problem. She won't mind what brand it is.
HTC Desire may be the preferred choice of forumites or is that an assumption too far?

 

[CopperBrompton]

Cheers martin! She doesn't actually know an i-phone from a eye patch! It was me using the term as a shortcut that is the problem. She won't mind what brand it is.
HTC Desire may be the preferred choice of forumites or is that an assumption too far?

One of the Desires, yes.

This video is for the Z, but all except the keyboard also applies to the Desire HD:
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUeW6-HTtSU[/media]


(Excuse the horrible American commentary, but it's a pretty good non-tech overview.)