I’m confused, I don’t know what to do. At times I feel I should give up and just not bother.
Mobile phones have me confused, I spend most of my days reading up on and writing about the latest phones. A good chunk of my life is also spent buying and selling phones as well. The problem I am currently facing is there is just too much choice. In the past I’ve just gone with whatever I could get cheap, but this time round I fancy something new.
As the more eagle eyed readers may realise I’m a regular dual phone wielder, I currently carry an HTC 8X and a Galaxy Note II and I’m looking for something new and dare I say it “revolutionary”, the Windows Phone side of things is simple, I think I’m going to get a Nokia Lumia 920, mainly down to the Nokia apps and the camera. But it’s the Android side of things that have me totally confused.
My Galaxy Note II is rather good, but I’ve decided it is just too big. My brain is telling me to get a Nexus 4, but with all of this marketing stuff flying around for the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One I think
“ooh I’d like one of those”
I know whichever I get I’ll find a problem with, the S4 will be just too full of Samsung stuff that needs turning off or masking, the HTC One will become annoying with the omnipresent BlinkFeed and the non removable battery and with the Nexus 4 the list of things I’d be unhappy with is quite long.
Then you also have the specifications to think about, Dual Core, Quad Core, Octo Core, 720p, 1080p, WVGA, MicroSD, Removable battery, Intel X86 chips just to be different, 4″, 4.3″, 4.5″,5″,5.5″. It’s all just too much choice.
Software also becomes a massive part of the decision, do I go Sense or Nature UI and have to wait a while for the Android 5 update, do I go stock and get Android 5 almost instantly or do I go with Sony or Motorola with their near stock experiences that will still take forever to update. Again it’s all just too much choice.
Trying new things is also important to me, I use Windows Phone 8 every day just to see how alternative OS’s work, I’ve dabbled with iOS before and recently I had a few weeks with the BlackBerry Z10. Something new always appeals, I still haven’t tried an iPhone 5 yet.
So should I just not bother anymore and keep my current phones till they die, do I just wait for the next generation after this, do I just stick to one phone and be happy, should I seek help for my addiction, psychologist?
I really don’t know what to do, I suppose I could wait for the Sony Xperia Z, Motorola RAZR i, LG Optimus G Pro, the ZTE Grand Memo, the Huawei Ascend Mate, the Nokia EOS, the Nexus 5, another Galaxy Nexus, the Motorola X or just something else.
Help me please……..
Nexus 4, it’s less than half the price of the others, simple
agreed. going on the articles premise that all android phones are essentially flawed, then choosing the ‘cheap’ Nexus 4 seems to be a no-brainer.
It’s not even about the price, although that’s definitely a factor. Having owned/used S2, Note, S3, Note 2 and then most recently a Nexus 4, I can safely say that the Nexus for cost/performance/usability has them beat.
After 10 years of using Pocket PC & Windows Mobile, this is precisely why I now use iOS, and am still using my iPhone 4 from July 2010, the longest time I have had one phone. Like you I used to change my phone every few months, selling my old one on eBay & it became stressful! Android is changing too fast – too many phones, too many updates. Life is too short!
XPERIA Z
The End
I agree- its gorgeous!!
I would say HTC One or Xperia Z. The price of the Nexus 4 is extremely enticing though. Put all the phone names into a hat and get the one you pull out! It doesn’t really matter which one you get does it? You’ll fnd something wrong with it and want to change it in a few months time 😉
I was super excited with the original launch of iPhone years ago and was a fan for many after, then I switched to Android when the Galaxy S made it easy. Having just sold a Nexus 4 along with many other phones over the years, I’ve pretty much own every flagship going and many cheapies in between, I have finally settled on the Lumia 920. Fairplay, WP8 has it’s failings and there may not be so many time-wasting apps available but everything else now seems old fashioned. Microsoft have nailed the OS look and feel, the basics are all there and if you want to dabble with social media integration etc, feel free to do so. On top of all this, the camera is near perfect, call quality is up to Nokia’s usual high standard (which is head and shoulders above the rest I might add) and network speeds are very, very good. After all these years, going back to Nokia has been a breath of fresh air.
It’s easy. Get a SGS 4 and, yes, hide or turn off every Samsung thing you don’t want. Then add on the shortcuts and widgets you do want. Result? One very powerful phone with replaceable battery, unmatched screen, microSD expansion, and all the s/w bits you want. 😎
Oh, I think you’d like my xperia zl when I get it. All the quirks ironed from the xperia Z. Well let’s see anyway.
Maybe you should give up and not bother. 🙂
Oh James, your currently going through the same issue as me. Unlike you though, I keep buying EVERY flagship phone available, in the blind hope that it will satisfy a hunger that can not be satisfied. You do seem to be buying quite allot of phones…. Don’t get me wrong. Just maybe not as many as me…. The trouble is, you need advice from someone that has owned these phones. Not just reviewed them, played with one in a store, know someone that has one, I mean someone like me that has bought the phone on the blind belief it will satisfy their search for that phone that has ecerything , or at least will last a few months.
I am willing to help you here. I can chat about the merits and flaws in every flagship phone released in the UK for the past 12 years. Each phone I have had has either lasted me a week or maximum 3 months. i have been on a search for that one phone that will allow me to take a breath and sigh with relief.
The truth I have realised is that I spend ££££’s every year. Admittedly I do sell the phones too so ebay does rather well off me. Every time I buy a new phone I say ‘that’s it’ . ‘This is the best phone I have ever owned’ every couple of weeks. Then … I spot a flaw. It could be the camera, battery life, build quality, boredom, or just the release of a new phone. Sometimes I have found myself longing for the feeling of cracking open the seal of a new box. This is very sad but there is no better feeling than the antisipationfrom knowing royal mail will be at my door 11:30 am.
Now I hope I have convinced you that I am indeed an addict. I would call myself a junkie and freely admit I do have a problem. I consider myself more knowledgeable than most when it comes to actual experience with using phones.
The answer to your problem is that there is no place in the next 10 years you’ll be able to stop with a phone and be happy for any period of time. There is no operating system that will ensure you’re covered for every app or function you need. we will continue to see new innovation that will further drive your frustration.
So what can you do? 3 options. #1 go back and enjoy some of the fantastic phones that have been released in the past 3 years. Take a trip down memory lane and buy a cheap phone or 2 on ebay.
#2 buy an iPhone and stick with it. You’ll get frustrated but it will curb your need for a time. #3 go to a dumb phone and take a break. You could even try a symbian phone until your cured 😉
Like I say, there is no great phone. Just allot of maybe’s.
Where am I right now? Just sold my 3rd note ii, bought xperia Z, bought an HTC one, just bought a xperia zl from america which arrives this week. Stopped myself from doing a ‘buy now’ on an optimus g pro!
Don’t become like me. good luck. If you need any help in chossjng your next phone. Please just ask.
Written on my HTC One. Sorry for any typos. Blame the predictive text