Recommend smart phones and tablets

[LlcoolJ]

No contest

http://www.lg.com/uk/mobile-phones/lg-H850

Thread closed

I've got one of these. Have had Samsung S2 and S4 and HTC M8 (which was a great phone) but this is by far the best.

I was thinking of getting an S7 but on reading the comparisons it turned out that the spec was pretty similar and the LG was a lot cheaper. Haven't been disappointed and having tried using an S7 since I'm glad I went for this one.

 

[Badger]

Have the G4 (bewildered by above post) and by far the most reliable I've had, bulletproof, good battery life, fantastic display and great camera. Not up on android software but it will use the best

I've just upgraded from the G2 to the G4 and completely agree, it's a fantastic phone and great value for money. I upgraded the software to Android Marshmallow too, seems to run even better now.

 

[Notters]

Worst phone I have ever owned. Regularly tells me that the sim card is missing despite it being there and I have to reset. Battery life is pretty average, can't go a day without dying. Gets hot at times too.

Can't wait to get rid of the bloody thing in the next week.

Really? I love it.

 

[theboybilly]

Don't discount Huawei phones (Google Nexus 6P for example) as this company supply kit for the larger brands) Google phones also get the system updates quicker so I've heard.

 

[Mtoto]

Worst phone I have ever owned. Regularly tells me that the sim card is missing despite it being there and I have to reset. Battery life is pretty average, can't go a day without dying. Gets hot at times too.

Can't wait to get rid of the bloody thing in the next week.

Love mine, wouldn't swap it for an S6 or S7 either because you the S5 lets you add storage & replace the battery if it starts to go (tho I've not had an issue as yet).

 

[BBassic]

I bought myself the Motorola Moto G4 the other month and I couldn't be happier. It's quite basic but it's also rather cheap which is good because I'm notorious for dropping my phones. Dropping a £150 phone is marginally less of a ball-ache than dropping a £600 phone.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/motorola-moto-g4-1321488/review

Good, cheap, capable little Android phone.

 

[Triggaaar]

Don't do it. Seriously. I switched about a year ago and largely regret it.

Why? Which phone did you switch to?

Love mine, wouldn't swap it for an S6 or S7 either because you the S5 lets you add storage & replace the battery if it starts to go (tho I've not had an issue as yet).

The S7 lets you add storage too (no idea about batteries)

 

[MattBackHome]

Love mine, wouldn't swap it for an S6 or S7 either because you the S5 lets you add storage & replace the battery if it starts to go (tho I've not had an issue as yet).

Yeah I have to say my S5 is great. No battery problems etc and I do loads on it.

 

[Gabbafella]

Conversely (and I promise not a tit for tat gesture ) we had a Sony Xperia and was horribly unintuitive to use and incredibly slow. That was a couple of years ago, to be fair.

The last Sony I had was a Z1 compact, even though I use my LG as a phone, I still use the Sony as an mp3 player and camera. The sound quality is great (although I do have a Topping X1 mini amp attached to it and Bose cans) and the 20.7 megapixel camera is unreal.

 

[Captain Sensible]

After reading all that and each poster saying this phone is good, and another saying no it's not, it sounds quite a complicated minefield. Easy to end up with a phone on a contract that you actually hate or buying one you regret. Apple is so much easier, less complicated, fast and works. Until android becomes as easy to plug, play and use as Apple, and there is a standard that each phone needs to have to avoid buggy phones, I'll pay the extra for Apple.

 

[Triggaaar]

After reading all that and each poster saying this phone is good, and another saying no it's not, it sounds quite a complicated minefield. Easy to end up with a phone on a contract that you actually hate or buying one you regret. Apple is so much easier, less complicated, fast and works.

They don't all work. My iPhone 4S decided it couldn't go Wifi anymore (that's a couple of years ago). The Apple Store said I'd need to pay £170 odd to have it fixed. A year later, it started working again (maybe a software update, maybe just random). iPhone don't work faultlessly for everyone. And plenty, like spngy, prefer the alternatives:

I switched from a iPhone5 to a Sony Xperia Z5 nearly a year ago.

Superb piece of kit, good battery life, water resistant to a degree, nice big screen, brilliant camera, expandable memory and looks brilliant. What more could you want?

 

[1066familyman]

The wife would like to upgrade her iPhone 3Gs. A bit extravagant I know, but she's very demanding. We currently have an iPhone and iPad each, but I like the idea of switching to Android. I particularly want expandable storage.

So if we end up with 2 Android tablets and 2 phones, should we just pick and choose between different manufacturers for each, or is there any benefit of sticking with one brand (eg, so that we have one program on the PC to backup etc)?

Also, please recommend some different models.

You sound like users who aren't fussed by having the latest model and also likely to keep what you've got for a decent amount of time.

My best advice then is to look for models, in whatever budget you've decided on, with removable battery and expandable storage.

The absence of these two tick boxes are deal breakers for me as I like to keep a device for a good few years and get best value, which of course means buying the phone yourself and getting a sim only or pay as you go deal.

 

[middletoenail]

Check out some of the Chinese brands like Huawei or One Plus, they're really making awesome stuff at the moment for a fraction of the cost.

 

[Triggaaar]

You sound like users who aren't fussed by having the latest model and also likely to keep what you've got for a decent amount of time.

Correct.

My best advice then is to look for models, in whatever budget you've decided on, with removable battery and expandable storage.

I do like the idea of expandable storage, although it's not the most important thing in a phone (more so for a tablet) for me. Do many of the phones recommended here have removable batteries? I replaced the battery on my 4S, but it was quite a faff.

I like to keep a device for a good few years and get best value, which of course means buying the phone yourself and getting a sim only or pay as you go deal.

Same.

 

[1066familyman]

Do many of the phones recommended here have removable batteries?

Sorry, I'm not trawling through the thread to see what's been recommended and then research on removable battery or otherwise. That's your job

Gsmarena is the best and easiest site to use to check out the specs on phones. There's a clear list of specs on each phone, and battery capacity and removability is one of those clear headings.

Enjoy your research. That's the best bit about buying any new bit of kit.

 

[Triggaaar]

Sorry, I'm not trawling through the thread to see what's been recommended and then research on removable battery or otherwise. That's your job

My job was to start this thread and then read and interpret the answers. If I was going to research everything, there'd be no point in starting the thread.

Enjoy your research. That's the best bit about buying any new bit of kit.

For me, maybe, for the wife, no.

 

[LlcoolJ]

After reading all that and each poster saying this phone is good, and another saying no it's not, it sounds quite a complicated minefield. Easy to end up with a phone on a contract that you actually hate or buying one you regret. Apple is so much easier, less complicated, fast and works. Until android becomes as easy to plug, play and use as Apple, and there is a standard that each phone needs to have to avoid buggy phones, I'll pay the extra for Apple.

Sorry but this is complete nonsense. The top of the range Android phones have been as good as (and as easy to use) or better than the iPhone for a few years now. Just read the independent reviews.

I'm no techie, I want a phone that "just works". You're paying a premium for a lie and although that's entirely up to you, it's still a lie.

 

[CheeseRolls]

For the tablet there has not been a stand out Android model, for some time. A replacement for the Nexus 7 is rumoured to be imminent, along with two new google phones made by HTC. Expect these to be reasonably priced particularly if you can wait a few months and should be good for supporting the latest software releases and security patches.

Alternatively Keep an eye on the existing Nexus 5 phones for some bargain deals and Asus also have some good value decent quality tablets.

 

[brakespear]

Thanks. So does it make sense to have a phone and tablet from the same brand, so it's easier to get used to one style? Or do brands change their systems so that they don't match between different versions of phones and tablets?

We have an LG G Pad 7 in the house which is virtually indistinguishable from the phone operating-system wise, presumably as they were issued at much the same time. Me, I'm not so fussed and just bought an Android generic tablet for £39.99

 

[Worthingite]

Ive just got the Huawei P9 and I love it. Expandable memory, great camera (made by Leica), and the OS is the closest thing to iPhone that android has come up with yet. It's a great halfway house between iPhone and android. It's sturdy, and isn't too big or small. Plus it was cheap - took it out on an 18 month 3 contract as a new customer and I'm paying £18 for unlimited texts and calls and 12gb data. Have a look at the reviews.