Question Selecting a phone

[kabbes]

OK, I am buying a new phone for the kabbess to replace her, what, 2010-ish original Samsung Galaxy Ace.

She is somewhat of a technophobe but after about 3 years of owning a smartphone finally cottoned onto the fact that it was actually useful to be able to email and internet on the move and actually started using the thing. She then used the crap out of it and it's time for an update. Her contract is fine, so I just want to get a SIM-free phone.

Her stated priorities are:
1. battery life
2. speed of use
3. camera quality
4. internal memory (obviously, I can always get an SD card for this)

She doesn't care what it looks like and doesn't want it to be too big. She never watches videos, plays games or listens to music on her phone (although who knows? In three years time she may suddenly find these benefits).

Taking advantage of Black Friday deals, I have shortened the list to the following between £100 and £200, which we believe is an appropriate budget:

• Samsung Galaxy S4 mini (£150)
• Samsung Galaxy A3 (£200)
• Sony Xperia M4 (£150)
• Microsoft Lumia 640 (£120)
• Reconditioned iPhone 4s (£100)

I'm pretty neutral between these on price, frankly. I just want the one that will best meet her requirements.

I think I've discounted the bottom two, but I have no idea at all whether a Galaxy S4 or A3 is better, and can't get a feel between performance difference with either of these and the Xperia M4. I've read the reviews but I don't get the impression that they are applying particularly consistent criteria.

Is there anybody with rather more experience with these things and may be able to offer some insight?

(Edited to change from S4 to S4 Mini, which is apparently different).

 

[Pickman's model]

you should have put in a poll

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I have a Galaxy s4. It is loads better than the Galaxy Ace I had before. Massively faster and easier to use. If she's like me (also not that up on technology), she'll be impressed by it.

 

[Spymaster]

OK, I am buying a new phone for the kabbess to replace her, what, 2010-ish original Samsung Galaxy Ace.

She is somewhat of a technophobe but after about 3 years of owning a smartphone finally cottoned onto the fact that it was actually useful to be able to email and internet on the move and actually started using the thing. She then used the crap out of it and it's time for an update. Her contract is fine, so I just want to get a SIM-free phone.

Her stated priorities are:
1. battery life
2. speed of use
3. camera quality
4. internal memory (obviously, I can always get an SD card for this)

She doesn't care what it looks like and doesn't want it to be too big. She never watches videos, plays games or listens to music on her phone (although who knows? In three years time she may suddenly find these benefits).

Taking advantage of Black Friday deals, I have shortened the list to the following between £100 and £200, which we believe is an appropriate budget:

• Samsung Galaxy S4 (£150)
• Samsung Galaxy A3 (£200)
• Sony Xperia M4 (£150)
• Microsoft Lumia 640 (£120)
• Reconditioned iPhone 4s (£100)

I'm pretty neutral between these on price, frankly. I just want the one that will best meet her requirements.

I think I've discounted the bottom two, but I have no idea at all whether a Galaxy S4 or A3 is better, and can't get a feel between performance difference with either of these and the Xperia M4. I've read the reviews but I don't get the impression that they are applying particularly consistent criteria.

Is there anybody with rather more experience with these things and may be able to offer some insight?

You're going to get about 20 different answers and the thread will end up in a bunfight between Editor and Apple users.

 

[Pickman's model]

You're going to get about 20 different answers and the thread will end up in a bunfight between Editor and Apple users.

a bunfight the simple use of a poll would have forestalled.

 

[kabbes]

I have a Galaxy s4. It is loads better than the Galaxy Ace I had before. Massively faster and easier to use. If she's like me (also not that up on technology), she'll be impressed by it.

To be honest, I couldn't really ask for much of a better answer than that.

I'll give this thread a chance to produce some alternative views but otherwise the s4 will definitely be the one I'll go for.

 

[skyscraper101]

I wouldn't get a reconditioned apple 4s - two generations old will be very slow soon. My 5s is already painfully slow to use and battery is crap.

I say Galaxy S4.

 

[JimW]

I've got an older model Sony I bought in China three years ago that I've been very happy with. Battery lasts over a day even with fairly heavy use.

 

[twentythreedom]

The Sony is best. I'm about to get a Z5 fwiw

 

[kabbes]

Oh hang on, it's not an S4, it's an S4 mini. That is apparently a wholly different beast, with a much slower processor.

Damn these subtle SKU differences.

 

[quimcunx]

I have the A3. It's fine, whatever. If there is a way to distinguish between an email alert and a text alert I haven't found it. If the S4 does have a way to do this then this, in my opinion, makes the S4 the better buy. Also I think more people have them if she should have a question.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Oh hang on, it's not an S4, it's an S4 mini. That is apparently a wholly different beast, with a much slower processor.

Damn these subtle SKU differences.

This is what I've got. Size is also an issue for me, so I got the mini. Still loads faster than the Ace. If you're using it mainly to browse the internet and emails, it's fine.

 

[Crispy]

editor recommended an android phone with a stupidly long battery life recently. I forget the name.

 

[marty21]

The S4 is a good phone , battery life isn't great but she could buy spare batteries for about a tenner or extended batteries for a bit more.

 

[marty21]

Oh hang on, it's not an S4, it's an S4 mini. That is apparently a wholly different beast, with a much slower processor.

Damn these subtle SKU differences.

Actually mrs21 has a s4 mini , she seems happy with it , only uses it for email , texting and phoning and seems pleased with it.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Actually mrs21 has a s4 mini , she seems happy with it , only uses it for email , texting and phoning and seems pleased with it.

I just had to turn mine off and on again to double-check that it is a mini. I'd forgotten - but it is. They're not that small, but then I think most phones are enormous.

 

[19sixtysix]

editor recommended an android phone with a stupidly long battery life recently. I forget the name.

I thought it was the sony z3 compact. The current z5 compact is superb. I've just used mine sparingly for 2 1/2 days and I'm at 22%

 

[Spymaster]

Size is also an issue for me

So we've heard.

 

[kabbes]

I thought it was the sony z3 compact. The current z5 compact is superb. I've just used mine sparingly for 2 1/2 days and I'm at 22%

Looks good but is well out of budget, being almost £300.

Don't get me wrong, I'd pay £300 for a phone. But the kabbess has a skeptical view of technology and fundamentally believes anything more than a tenner on it is money wasted. She wouldn't want a phone that costs £300.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

So we've heard.

If I look at it in the mirror, it still looks big enough.

 

[xenon]

You're going to get about 20 different answers and the thread will end up in a bunfight between Editor and Apple users.

I hope no one suggests the iPhone for S. It's really sluggish on iOS 9.


That Sony one, is that the one people have been raving about lately?

 

[xenon]

Oh right, apparently not.

 

[editor]

If you're after battery life, seek out a Sony z3 Compact. The battery life is at least double of the S4 (I have both phones). Great camera. Brilliant phone.

 

[19sixtysix]

Looks good but is well out of budget, being almost £300.

Don't get me wrong, I'd pay £300 for a phone. But the kabbess has a skeptical view of technology and fundamentally believes anything more than a tenner on it is money wasted. She wouldn't want a phone that costs £300.

Treat her and don't tell her how much. I'd done with cheap phone till now. This phone is just a pleasure to use. This phones a keeper mind so I can see it doing a few years.

ETA the camera is fab.

 

[Spymaster]

Don't buy Sony, they're shit. Get an iPhone.

 

[editor]

Here's an informed review or two of the z3. You can pick them up online for less than £200.

The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is an exceptional mid-range smartphone, and it's arguably the first 'mini' phone that truly lives up to the idea of delivering a flagship experience inside a smaller, cheaper chassis. It puts the rest of the mini market to shame, and its range-topping performance and incredible battery life even gives high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 and LG G3 cause for concern. It goes head-to-head with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, and although Samsung's handset is arguably sleeker, the Xperia Z3 Compact smashes it in terms of battery life, performance and price.

The Z3 Compact's Remote Play feature will also be an attractive option for PS4 owners. While the phone's smaller screen may not be quite as immersive as the larger Z3, the ability to play console games anywhere in your house is another jewel in the Z3 Compact's crown to help tempt away would-be buyers from other mid-range handsets. Even if you don't own a PS4, for us, the Z3 Compact stands head and shoulders above the competition, so it wins a deserved Best Buy award.

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/mobile-phones/1401457/sony-xperia-z3-compact-review

The Xperia Z3 Compact can't quite match the very best smartphones we've seen over the past year in terms of all-round performance, but then it doesn't need to. Why? First, if you want flagship performance and features in a smaller package, it's currently your only option other than the iPhone 6. Second, its £348 SIM-free price undercuts all of its larger-screened rivals by a huge margin.

We've been waiting almost a year for a smartphone to dethrone the Nexus 5 from the top of our A-List, and finally we have our man. The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact may be a little smaller, but it's more manageable, superior to the Nexus 5 in all other departments, and is only £50 more expensive. In short, no other smartphone offers the same level of performance and features at this price, an achievement that sees it, at long last, elbow Google's mainstay aside.

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact review: The small phone that does it all

 

[kabbes]

Treat her and don't tell her how much.

Actually, maybe I'll do just that. It's a nice idea. The Z3 does look good.

editor, where are you finding it online for less than £200?

 

[editor]

Actually, maybe I'll do just that. It's a nice idea. The Z3 does look good.

editor, where are you finding it online for less than £200?

Have a look around on ebay. That's where I got mine from.

 

[kabbes]

£290 is cheapest I can find unless I am willing for it to be locked to a network (£250 if so) or I'm willing to accept it being mailed from Hong Kong (then it's about £270 but I have no idea if it'll work with my network).

I mean, if I have to pay £290 then so be it, but if I can find it for less than £200 I'll be a lot happier!

 

[chilango]

I've an iPhone 4s and it isn't too bad at all on ios9. Not compared to the Galaxy Ace I had before anyway.

It's a lovely looking, well made phone.

But I think it's had its last iOS update and will quickly become obsolete over the next year or so.