New Phone

[Klutzington]

Hi everyone, I was looking at purchasing a new phone and I cannot decide on which to get. I am unsure of Windows Phones, since I have never owned one... are they any good? I was looking at the Galaxy S4, but am unsure if it is considered to be good atm due to hype or not. Also, how is the HTC One? I have heard good things/bad things about it. Could I get some insight on that phone? Thanks


If anyone has an opinion on a different phone, please comment about it. (Btw, I am unwilling to get an iPhone, so that's out of the question)

[OnlineSamantha]

I've recently bought a Galaxy S4, and I can say that it's a very solid phone. I still haven't tried all of the features (only got it this week), but so far it seems very good. Also, the screen is nice and large without the phone's size increasing over the S3, which was a concern of mine. That said, I can only wait for tetrisGOAT (the god of phones*) to come in and settle this once and for all.

*It is not sarcasm, he really knows his stuff

[Cthulhu 2020]

S4 and HTC One both use the same OS, there's gonna be slight differences in Samsung vs HTC but not much. HTC One has front stereo speakers while the S4 has a better camera (the best of any smart phone really), and that's about the only two significant hardware differences. I got the S4 because I'm almost always on earbuds or a bluetooth headset, depending. I'm not going to make use of stereo speakers (and cell phone speakers will always be crap imo, stereo or mono), where I didn't have a good camera.

[N-7]

What do you want from your phone (aside from basic functions)?

[Klutzington]

I do not plan to play many games on it (or not very graphically intensive games). I would like a more up to date phone (not one that is 2 years old). Internet usage is a must and it not being sluggish is also a must. I basically want an intuitive phone which allows me to use it as I would a computer - facebook, internet browsing, youtube videos, mmo-champion. Stuff like that.

[Themius]

Why are you unwilling to get an iPhone?

[Tikaru]

Why are you unwilling to get an iPhone?

Probably because there is has been nothing special about the iPhone since the 4?

[Themius]

Probably because there is has been nothing special about the iPhone since the 4?

There's not much special about galaxy 4 from 3?

[zito]

I do not plan to play many games on it (or not very graphically intensive games). I would like a more up to date phone (not one that is 2 years old). Internet usage is a must and it not being sluggish is also a must. I basically want an intuitive phone which allows me to use it as I would a computer - facebook, internet browsing, youtube videos, mmo-champion. Stuff like that.

If you just want an up to date phone with some basic functions like internet "last years" phone is probably the go to as it is cheaper, still well performed but not as good as the HoT phone like S4.

[N-7]

I do not plan to play many games on it (or not very graphically intensive games). I would like a more up to date phone (not one that is 2 years old). Internet usage is a must and it not being sluggish is also a must. I basically want an intuitive phone which allows me to use it as I would a computer - facebook, internet browsing, youtube videos, mmo-champion. Stuff like that.

If money isn't a problem, you've got 3 main options:
1. SGS4* has two variants (see below), plastic cover, removable battery and an SD card slot (up to 64 GB), Touchwiz UI some like it and some criticise is it as being a bloatware and too 'heavy' on the system.

a) I9500 currently the fastest phone in the markets (according to benchmarks that is), it is an 'octa'-core phone.
b) I9505 comes as a close second in benchmarks a quad-core phone.
^ Choosing between the two solely depends on your provider and what version is compatible with their network.

2. HTC One* quad-core, aluminum cover (feels more premium), no removable battery or extended SD, has the sense UI.

3. Sony Xperia Z quad-core water resistant, no removable-battery and no extended SD, has stock Android

* Will have a Google edition of the phone (an Android stock version with quicker updates).

Money is a problem? Nexus 4 is pretty good for it's price.

Personally?
Any of the above phones will do anything you want, all of them are high end and the only differences between them are aesthetics, removable battery, SD-card slot, and UI. My advice? go try them in shop and see how each feels and go with your gut because there isn't really much difference between them.

Disclaimer: I have no experience with Windows phones which is why I ignored it.

---------- Post added 2013-06-01 at 10:36 PM ----------

Why are you unwilling to get an iPhone?

The main reason to me is that it lacks what some might consider 'essential' smartphone features (e.g homepage, degree of customization).

[Klutzington]

If money isn't a problem, you've got 3 main options:
1. SGS4* has two variants (see below), plastic cover, removable battery and an SD card slot (up to 64 GB), Touchwiz UI some like it and some criticise is it as being a bloatware and too 'heavy' on the system.

a) I9500 currently the fastest phone in the markets (according to benchmarks that is), it is an 'octa'-core phone.
b) I9505 comes as a close second in benchmarks a quad-core phone.
^ Choosing between the two solely depends on your provider and what version is compatible with their network.

2. HTC One* quad-core, aluminum cover (feels more premium), no removable battery or extended SD, has the sense UI.

3. Sony Xperia Z quad-core water resistant, no removable-battery and no extended SD, has stock Android

* Will have a Google edition of the phone (an Android stock version with quicker updates).

Money is a problem? Nexus 4 is pretty good for it's price.

Personally?
Any of the above phones will do anything you want, all of them are high end and the only differences between them are aesthetics, removable battery, SD-card slot, and UI. My advice? go try them in shop and see how each feels and go with your gut because there isn't really much difference between them.

Disclaimer: I have no experience with Windows phones which is why I ignored it.

Thank you very much for the advice. I will most likely go to each store to see how each phone feels. Thanks for the comments on phones which I didn't include.


I am unwilling to get an iPhone, simply because I do not wish to own an Apple product and I find Samsung's line a nicer variant. For me, the iPhone offers nothing in particular.

[Cthulhu 2020]

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/com...7597,7678,7378

Side by side comparison of the new major phones.

S4 also has a bigger battery than any of them, in addition to a 13 mp camera and stronger processor.

[Themius]

---------- Post added 2013-06-01 at 10:36 PM ----------

[/COLOR]
The main reason to me is that it lacks what some might consider 'essential' smartphone features (e.g homepage, degree of customization).

I don't quite understand homepage lol. Customization is true though. Though I don't think I would ever customize a phone.

[ro9ue]

The Windows phone is amazing. The tile layout is really, really cool my friend has one. To me though I still prefer the iPhone, mostly because of the polish. In a few years when the Windows phone has a huge support of apps and works out some of the annoying UI features, I may be inclined to switch. I don't like the galaxy, it doesn't really seem that special to me other than I know it has an amazing camera.

[N-7]

I don't quite understand homepage lol. Customization is true though. Though I don't think I would ever customize a phone.

The main two functions that I consider essential and use it for are a) long term planning (useful to have the monthly-calendar as soon as you open the phone) and b) throwing quick notes in it so I remember things that I want to do. So basically, the homepage to me is what the billboard next to bed is to some people.

[Dezerte]

Things to consider; size. Do you want to be able to use your phone comfortably with one hand? That was one of the deciding factors when I picked mine.

[Klutzington]

Things to consider; size. Do you want to be able to use your phone comfortably with one hand? That was one of the deciding factors when I picked mine.

Yea, I guess I would like to use one hand most of the time. I have large hands (idk if it is comparable, but I wear a US size 14 or about a 47-48 in European sizes for shoes).

[Hogmanlolz]

I owned a Samsung galaxy s4 and had an htc one for 2 days. But after two weeks I decided to ditch both and get an iPhone 5. I just like the OS and even though it doesn't have all that nice stuff in it like the S4, its still a great phone. Really can't wait till WWDC when they redo iOS 7 which needs it badly.

[Shakadam]

This is gonna come down to personal preference, do you want Windows Phone 8, Android, or iOS?

The Lumia 920/925/928, Galaxy S4, HTC One.... They are all excellent phones, you won't be disappointed with any of them. They have similar features and similar strengths. I haven't had much experience with iPhones, but I'd say the iPhone 5 is lacking a bit in features that the other phones have. Main reason I'm against iPhones though is that I just don't like the way it looks. Like a cluttered desktop full of stuff, I prefer minimalistic things.

Anyways, I have a Lumia 920 and I'm very happy with it, best damn phone I've ever had.

[Flipswix]

I personally have a problem choosing between the HTC one and the S4 too. The thing is, I love the samsung for the expandable storage, removable battery and 13 mp camera. (I make alot of pictures of text, so it needs to be sharp instead of beautiful). The thing with the Samsung though is that I think it has way too much bloatware and the interface is not nice at all. To me it feels cheap and not worth the money.

The HTC one has a great look and feel, I never thought I'd value the speaker sound of a phone but if you hear it, it's just amazing. I love the intraface. Sense 5.0 is very slick and clean. If it'd have SD storage expansion it would be nearly perfect. I would like to see it with a removable battery and a 13 megapixel camera though. However, the camera's that are on the HTC one are absolutely beautiful when it comes to taking normal pictures and I would prefer them over a 13 megapixel if that was my main reason to make pictures. The front facing camera with its wide angle lens makes it just truly beautiful.

So it's a tough call if you ask me. Do you want to have a phone that feels cheap, has bad software but still has good quality internals and expandable storage and a removable battery. Where the phone can take damage better and is easier to repair, or..

Do you want a phone that has a truly good build quality but no expandable storage, removable battery, which is unrepairable but which is just perfect software and hardware wise.

I haven't chosen myself, I decided to skip a generation.