Buying new phone

[manpe 10,861]

@manpe, what about S4? When will it be launched?

S3 is still semi-fresh, it's too early for Samsung to announce it. There are rumours that it will be announced in January, because Samsung posted a teaser about "a new product" on their youtube account, but it's doubtful that it's about S4.

[Rmpr 8,977]

S3 is still semi-fresh, it's too early for Samsung to announce it. There are rumours that it will be announced in January, because Samsung posted a teaser about "a new product" on their youtube account, but it's doubtful that it's about S4.

Ok, by May though?

It is time to get rid of my beloved Motorola...

[manpe 10,861]

Ok, by May though?

Possible. All the previous S series were released between April and June.

[We Hate Scouse 10,326]

Samsung S4 will come out in April apparently

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4686580/samsung-galaxy-s4-unbreakable.html

13 megapixel camera...

[manpe 10,861]

Samsung S4 will come out in April apparently

http://www.thesun.co...nbreakable.html

13 megapixel camera...

It's still a rumour. There are also stories circulating that it will have a 2 GHz quad-core processor. Beast.

[Yeboii 1,844]

I got a Samsung Galaxy Nexus and I think its great, pretty steep price but whatever. The battery does not last a lot tho

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I know you're talking about back payments. Nevertheless, still too expensive + you will be tied to a contract. If you can afford it, buy it for single payment, it will be cheaper and you won't have contractual restrictions. You will have paid 600 or 800 euros for a phone which in two years will be worth not even half of that, in fact they are worth half of that now. How much do they cost in single payment?

In free sale it is 450eur (GSII), but you cant call or sms, so you need a contract (24months) separately. That costs 12 (but usualy 15) eur per month, so it is even more expensive than the option of 310eur plus 15 per month (via Simobil, slovenian phone operator, like Tmobile, At&t,...)

Probably I will go for Gs2, still deciding between package options.

[manpe 10,861]

In free sale it is 450eur (GSII), but you cant call or sms, so you need a contract (24months) separately.

Why? Nobody sells unlocked phones?

[Heisenberg 1,824]

Do you know what phone i'm using for now three years ? THIS ! : http://cellbharat.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/nokia1100.jpg

Just love him , old but class.I have to buy a new one next year Really proud to still have it.

[Bacika 188]

I would recomend you my phone SONY xperia Ion...it's awesome phone, and costed me around 500 euros. See its specifications, 12mpx camera, 1.5 ghz dual core procesor, 4.6 display and lot more

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Why? Nobody sells unlocked phones?

Well, in Slovenia you cant use phone without somekind of contract with either Si.mobil, Mobitel, Tusmobil, Debitel,...(this are all phone operators like T-mobil, etc.). You can buy phone from Mimovrste (slovenian kind of Ebay) or in any of previously mentioned phone operators for full price-unlocked (GSII is around 450eur). However, you cant use it (you cant call, sms, go on net via 3G/4G). You need Sim-card that you only get if you create 24-month contract with phone operator like Simobil, but you need to pay the phone operator 12eur (minimum) each month. The price you pay per month depends on how many minutes you want per month (to call people), how many MB/GB you want to search and download from net via 3G/4G.

So, GS2 costs 310eur, but then you need to pay additional 20eur each month. This 20 per month is not to ''pay the phone'', but to actualy use it (calling, smsing,...). Without such contract (monthly subscription) you cant call people, etc. I can pay 450eur for phone itself (unlocked), but I cant do anything with it (no calling etc), so I would still need to make a contract for at least 12eur per month to be able to call people etc.

I hope you get what I mean.

Monthly subsciption

[manpe 10,861]

Well, in Slovenia you cant use phone without somekind of contract with either Si.mobil, Mobitel, Tusmobil, Debitel,...(this are all phone operators like T-mobil, etc.). You can buy phone from Mimovrste (slovenian kind of Ebay) or in any of previously mentioned phone operators for full price-unlocked (GSII is around 450eur). However, you cant use it (you cant call, sms, go on net via 3G/4G). You need Sim-card that you only get if you create 24-month contract with phone operator like Simobil, but you need to pay the phone operator 12eur (minimum) each month. The price you pay per month depends on how many minutes you want per month (to call people), how many MB/GB you want to search and download from net via 3G/4G.

So, GS2 costs 310eur, but then you need to pay additional 20eur each month. This 20 per month is not to ''pay the phone'', but to actualy use it (calling, smsing,...). Without such contract (monthly subscription) you cant call people, etc. I can pay 450eur for phone itself (unlocked), but I cant do anything with it (no calling etc), so I would still need to make a contract for at least 12eur per month to be able to call people etc.

I hope you get what I mean.

Monthly subsciption

Can't you buy a calling card? It's a sim card from an operator without a contract. All you have to do is load money on it.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Tbh the best deal currently in the smartphone market is the LG Nexus 4. It costs only 299€ in google play store, unfortunately they are available only in certain countries, not including Slovenia I think. Many people say it is the best phone out there, and it's a nexus so it's automatically a plus, so 299€ is peanuts. People who live in play store supported countries and want a new good phone for cheap, I definitely recommend the Nexus 4.

Yeah, Nexus 4 is very good phone, specialy for the price, but Google play store is not available here (as you mentioned), and via non official Google store, LG is selling Nexus for around 500eur, which comes close to most expensive ones (fuck off LG). Also the batery seems to be very ''bad'' in Nexus, as well I realy like to have MicroSD card in my phone.

Don't get a Windows phone

I realy dislike Windows phones, Nokia etc. Android or iOS (but Iphone is too expensive).

I think Samsung Galaxy S2 and S3 are way better than LG,also iPhone it's not bad

Sure, Samsung is better phone (at least their best phones and software support), but for Im thinking for the price. If I can manage those extra 200eur, I will go after Samsung with closed eyes. However its only a phone and on the other side, phones today are more little computers than just phones. At first point it seems crazy to pay 300 for phone, but you actualy get web browser, good camera, document reader and what is also very important, some fun time with games

I realy plan on buying the Samsung, but people around me are saying its not worth that much money. Not because the phone would be bad, but for the phone of anykind.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Can't you buy a calling card? It's a sim card from an operator without a contract. All you have to do is load money on it.

You can, but that money goes quickly away for very small amount of called minutes, sms,...At least here.

With contract, you usualy have unlimited amount of minutes, or at least big amount of it, so you have more than enough for month. Also, you get 1GB of web data transfer, which you practicaly need if you have such phone.

[manpe 10,861]

I did some calculating, and it would be cheaper for you to buy the single payment phone.

Back payment GS II: 310+20*24=790€

Single payment GS II: 450+12*24=738€

Not a big difference, but still a difference. It makes sense because the whole point of back payments is that you pay more in the end, but it just feels less, because the big amount gets divided over a long period.

[manpe 10,861]

You can, but that money goes quickly away for very small amount of called minutes, sms,...At least here.

With contract, you usualy have unlimited amount of minutes, or at least big amount of it, so you have more than enough for month. Also, you get 1GB of web data transfer, which you practicaly need if you have such phone.

You have some shit packets in your country For example I recently signed a contract where I get 100 SMS free every month (after that it costs one cent), unlimited internet access at 2 Mb/s, one call minute at 0,01€. Plus I have no deadline on my contract, I am not tied to it for 2 years, I can leave whenever I want. And the minimum bill is only 5 €/month.

As a client of this operator I can buy the L9 for 275 € with no strings attached. Your operators are milking you. Of course it depends... what is the average wage in your country?

[BlueLyon 9,359]

You have some shit packets in your country For example I recently signed a contract where I get 100 SMS free every month (after that it costs one cent), unlimited internet access at 2 Mb/s, one call minute at 0,01€. Plus I have no deadline on my contract, I am not tied to it for 2 years, I can leave whenever I want. And the minimum bill is only 5 €/month.

As a client of this operator I can buy the L9 for 275 € with no strings attached.

Lucky you, if we had same here...

The average wage for job payment or phone?

For job, around 1000-1200eur monthly, for phone; you dont get decent (mid-range) phone for less than 500eur in two years.

I did some calculating, and it would be cheaper for you to buy the single payment phone.

Back payment GS II: 310+20*24=790€

Single payment GS II: 450+12*24=738€

Not a big difference, but still a difference. It makes sense because the whole point of back payments is that you pay more in the end, but it just feels less, because the big amount gets divided over a long period.

Actualy I can get phone for 340eur +24*12=628eur

or as you mentioned 310+24*20=790eur

---

Here comes the difference, but I had the 12eur per month contract before, and I usualy had to pay around 15eur per month (Ah, I call too much ) which in this case, comes close to round 700eur (the cheapest option realy). But in this case, I have no net (only 100MB, which is nothing), soo...

With that one of 790eur, I have unlimited calls in Si.mobil (lot of people I know), 200min for other operator numbers (Mobitel,...) and 1gb of data transfer.

[manpe 10,861]

Okay, a bit strange system for me. By the way, as I understand, the 12 €/month or 20 €/month contracts are just normal contracts you would get even if you didn't buy a phone? In this case the phone doesn't cost 800 €, it actually costs only 310, because rest of the money is meant only for operator services. That's cheap as shit. Or will part of that monthly payment go to buying out the phone?

[Ryan Fong 2,776]

Samsung Galaxy S3 - got one for the missus - around 300 euro's - she loves it and is never off it - which is amazing, gives me peace and quiet!

I really do like the samsungs, excellent display, great UI...

Would avoid iPhone - looks like a childs toy in comparison to Android phone...

I disagree mate, despite the fact that I'm using a S3, Android phone looks like a toy to iPhone I have to say, from built quality to operation system.

iOS is just much more refined than Android, no matter what superb hardware an Android phone has possessed (S3, Note2, etc.), iPhone just responses much quicker and smoother in daily use.

I have to say I miss iPhone a lot, screen size is the only issue I'm still holding back to get an iPhone 5.

[manpe 10,861]

I disagree mate, despite the fact that I'm using a S3, Android phone looks like a toy to iPhone I have to say, from built quality to operation system.

It depends on an Android phone. Android is a mass product sold to many manufacturers and then reworked by them and the operators to make the operating system have their own touch (thus often screwing the system up and slowing it down). The only phones you get with pure Android is from the Nexus series. Even though Android isn't as snappy as iOS (although JB comes close), you have to admit it's much more innovative and interesting. As iOS has since build 1 remained pretty much the same, Google has tried to move the boundaries and explore more options in the mobile OS industry.

Also, talking about Android phones all looking like toys or cheap or whatnot, there are exceptions. For example while Samsung uses pretty cheap plastic, always has, then HTC emphasizes more on build quality.

One thing you have to remember though, Apple aims to make only high-end quality products. Android is a mass product meant for everybody, that means you have very cheap phones running it, and you have very expensive high-end phones running it and everything that is in between. When you say iPhones are better than Androids, you need to be specific, because there are many models running it, while there is only one iPhone model. It's also quite hard to pinpoint the best Android phone because of its big selection, while it's easy with iPhones - the latest is the best.

Anyway, to avoid another tiresome pointless Android vs. Apple argument, I won't comment on this subject anymore. This really is a fight a la Lampard vs. Gerrard, it never ends and there are no winners.