Thread: Are we talking phones here???????

Love my iPhone 5 also has a gps app, for hiking/fishing. Works in the bush where my next G did not.

Have had iPhones, nokias,all sorts of phones. I like the android phones ATM as I find apple too restrictive. Android phones go from 100 to 600 dollars and price is feature dependent so you really need to know what you want. The Samsung s III is a great phone and there is plenty of gear around for it. I have the 3G as I'm regional and 4G is very unlikely to pop up where I travel. The S3 is also quad band so can be used with either Telstra or Optus networks which gives you choice.
Lots of apps for android as well so should cater for you needs. Phones are personal things like cars and power tool brands ) so make a list of must haves and price range and go from there.

When it came time to bite the bullet and get a smart phone I went with Telstra as my provider (was with Optus and their coverage is very poor in the country)

I made sure I purchased a Telstra Blue Tick phone (dual band) and haven't looked back since.

Coles was selling an LG Optimus LG-P690f, on special for $49 (they were $169 or something).

We travel a fair bit and reception on this thing is excellent.

I would certainly look seriously at Android, I now have an Android phone and an Android tablet. When we are away I use the phone as my WiFi hot spot for the tablet.

I might be a bit of a Luddite, but I can't see what a $600 phone will give me that this thing doesn't. Takes quite good photos, video, I get all my emails on it when we travel etc. Can browse the internet and forum as well but prefer to use my Thinkpad tablet for that.

I am on the $30/mth pre-paid plan and have never run out of credit, you get something like $220 worth of calls, 400m of data, and the $30 accumulates each month and that balance can be used to buy extra data ($20 for 700mb).

Originally Posted by Big Shed

I made sure I purchased a Telstra Blue Tick phone (dual band) and haven't looked back since.



I would certainly look seriously at Android, I now have an Android phone and an Android tablet. When we are away I use the phone as my WiFi hot spot for the tablet.

).

What the 'ell is an android ...something from Star Wars movies??

Originally Posted by Tonto

What the 'ell is an android ...something from Star Wars movies??

Android is the type of operating system use to operate the phone much like iOS is the operating system used for the Apple iPhone.

Android (operating system) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tonto
depends what you want it for.

If you only want a phone to talk and text - get a simple and cheap phone - Nokia, Sony, Samsung etc, etc

If you want to talk, text, surf the interwebz, use a multitude of apps (weather, rulers, compass, GPS, radio, music, camera, calculator, and an absolute multitude of others) then you will need a smartphone.

Go here - PDAdb.net - The Best Smartphone, Tablet, PDA, Netbook, PNA & Mobile Device Specifications Database
Research

For the operating systems:
Apple and Android both have good points and bad points but they are the best operating systems with the largest offerings (apps)

Originally Posted by Tonto

What the 'ell is an android ...something from Star Wars movies??

Yep, like DJ said it is the name of the operating system that makes the phone work.

In the smart phone market there are basically 2 main players, Apple with their iPhone using their iOS operating system and a bunch of other manufacturers using Google's Android operating system.

Both have their supporters and without detracting from the Apple product, I decided to go with Android because I felt there was more choice and a very good range of software apps to support it.

The other factor you should take in to account is whether you have, or intend to get a tablet.

If you have, or are thinking of getting an iPad then the iPhone would be a logical choice as the same apps can be used on both devices.

If you decide to go for an Android smart phone and at a later stage you want a tablet, there are lots of Android tablets on the market.

Before I got my smart phone (basically pressured in to it by the kids) I never used my mobile for anything other than the occasional call.
Since I got my smart phone and the Telstra pre-paid plan I haven't used the home phone at all and use the smart phone for all sorts of things (as well as my Thinkpad tablet).

Originally Posted by Tonto

What to buy, have a Nokia 6910 mobile thats had a hard life so looking at smart(?) phones is that the phone or the new owner??

Will have Telstra business plan around $80 month need good country reception, can these have hand set cradles, external ariels, god I feel like a nong its all so hard and the telstra shops are all dingbats. At least we have a Retravision shop with staff that really know their stuff. Id just like a few ideas before I go in.

Not many smart phones can take an external antenna unfortunately. If regional coverage is important, try a phone with the 'blue tick' rating as has already been mentioned. All this means is that the internal antenna has been shown to hold onto weaker signals better than other antenna classes. Therefore, better for poorer coverage areas.

There are very few smartphones that are blue tick AND have the connection available for an antenna, but there are a couple. Fwiw, the current iPhone is not bluetick and doesn't have an antenna patch lead port, so it might not be the best choice.

Sent from my LT26i using Tapatalk 2

I have a HTC spitfire G3, bullet proof as well as drop proof (several times) is fantastic. GPS is a dream.
Im metro but in regional areas, no prob with signal

Some info that might help if you are after a smart phone
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2056117
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1716239
Antennas example for an S3
http://www.telcoantennas.com.au/site...alaxy-s3-i9300

Hope that helps