A new phone in May: Android, Windows or Blackberry?

[Ricochet J]

Hello!

My contract expires in May and I want to start thinking about a new phone.

What I want most out of a phone is productivity first, entertainment second. I want to be able to sync my Outlook calender with my mobile phone. I need to be able to send text messages easily and browse the web with ease.

Android
This is certainly the popular choice. With devices such as the Samsung S4, Sony Xperia Z, HTC One and the Google Nexus. I really dislike the inferior feel of the S3 (which going by pictures, the S4 is heading down the same road). The Xperia, One or Nexus seem like likely candidates if I were to go Android. What do you advise?

Windows
Out of all of the phones, I look and like the feel of the Nokia Lumia 920 the most. It feels solid and well put together. But the flexibility (lack of) of the new Windows operating system does worry me. By flexibility I mean stuff like being able to customise the phone.

Blackberry
The newest operating system out of the bunch. The Blackberry Z10 is not exactly ground breaking hardware wise. However I've played with the new Blackberry operating system and I really, really like it. It feels fresh and unique. I like its ability to be operated with one hand - something which the mobile market have been complacent with for a long time as phones tend to get larger. I'm more likely to choose a Blackberry device over a Windows device.

In my ideal world I'd love a Blackberry operating system, in a Nokia Lumia shell, with the customisable features of an Android, and the hardware from an S4!!


So there you have it. Recommend me a phone, Android, Windows or Blackberry.

Tl;dr: I want a new phone. Open to suggestions: Android, Windows or Blackberry.

 

[kamz]

Having been on Apple for over 4+ years I decided to upgrade to a nexus 4 and must say that imo android is the future and brilliant, pretty much updated on a nightly basis, excellent apps, easy to restore/back up and no need for any third party software or restrictions (Itunes)

Nexus 4 is brilliant but you need to understand to achieve the price point it set certain cut backs were made (not too great camera no micro memory slot, pretty much stuck on 16gb)

However I use mine for basic surfing, phones calls, and connecting to my Nas server to watch movies and its brilliant for 279+del unlocked - its a steal imo, highly recommended.

 

[Ricochet J]

Thanks. I'm absolutely not at all bothered by how good or bad the phone camera is.

 

[Nexus18]

If you want fast updates, stock android and rather pay as little as possible then the nexus 4, if you aren't bothered about that, then I would go for the one over the gs 4, xz etc. Only downsides of the one compared to the gs4 imo is the camera overall for quality of photos [it wins some and loses some and in some shots, they look about the same] (but the results are very variable and the camera will improve with new software/batches so until then, it isn't 100% confirmed as to which has the better camera), lack of SD and non removable battery.

Essentially it comes down to what areas are more important to you.

BTW the gs 4 will have the same cpu chipset as the htc one, no octa version, at least not straight away.

edit:

just remembered, key lime pie will supposedly be shown of as well as motorola/google X phone so wait until you see what is what with those two things first.

 

[B&W]

Wait for KLP and Motorola X if you can. If they don't arrive by then check in store for the S4, ONE or XZ.

All 3 are on par, the XZ viewing angles are poor and it's loudspeaker is not very good .

Apart from that they're roughly equal. Rest depends on your preference for Software and design.

 

[Robbo]

I think once the gestures novelty wears off with the Z10 you're left with what is essentially a considerably inferior Android phone/iPhone.

I'm still not impressed with apps on Windows Phone and it's also quite limited (like iOS, but you get a massively superior app selection and general support so it's less of an issue).

I think the HTC One could suit you, superb build, great all round phone just let down a bit by the camera. If you want to see if you like Android first, get a Nexus 4 then upgrade in a few months perhaps.

For an overall bulletproof Android phone though I don't think you'll go far wrong with the GS4... it's a 'safer' bet by the sound of it.

This may seem harsh but I really don't think BlackBerry or Windows Phone have anything at all over the competition at present.

 

[eagle2508]

+1 for the HTC One, brilliant phone.

 

[DIABLO]

Is it possible to sync his outlook calender easily with an Android phone though? I'm sure it's very easy with a windows phone.

 

[mrgubby]

Is it possible to sync his outlook calender easily with an Android phone though? I'm sure it's very easy with a windows phone.

I use companionsync to sync Google with Outlook

 

[Ricochet J]

Thanks all for the info.

Is it possible to sync his outlook calender easily with an Android phone though? I'm sure it's very easy with a windows phone.

This is a major concern for me. I don't want to have to rely on third party software to do this.

 

[Yas786]

I think once the gestures novelty wears off with the Z10 you're left with what is essentially a considerably inferior Android phone/iPhone.

Oh dear :/ what a load of cobblers. Honestly Robbo i expected a lot more coming from you as you seem to be pretty fair when assessing mobile phones but now i just cannot take your advice seriously enough :/

For me Blackberry z10 over Android and iphone and thats including the iphone5 and new Androids coming out ie S4 and Htc One.

 

[Rich_L]

If you mean syncing Calendars with an Exchange server, all the smartphones will do that without a third-party app or software required AFAIK.

If you mean local Outlook calendar data, all of them including Windows Phone will require some form of app installed whether third-party or the official MS Outlook connector.

I'd wait for the next Motorola phone to be honest - IMO the last two releases of the Razr and Razr Maxx were great phones for business use despite unfortunate timing and availability issues in the UK/EU, they might not have been all bells and whistles but they have excellent radios, best in class battery life and solid build quality and materials - great if you use your phone as a phone a lot If Moto/Google can step up with a decent worldwide release and support I think it will be a strong competitor.

That said I freely admit that I'm biased by Moto's showing in the US and I suspect I would be far less likely to recommend if I'd been on the receiving end of the EU Motorola treatment But maybe this one will be the turnaround!

As has been said though maybe just grab the Nexus 4 and see if you like Android, given it's literally half the price of a comparable Blackberry or iOS device and very competitive I think it has to be a serious option.

 

[Robbo]

Oh dear :/ what a load of cobblers. Honestly Robbo i expected a lot more coming from you as you seem to be pretty fair when assessing mobile phones but now i just cannot take your advice seriously enough :/

For me Blackberry z10 over Android and iphone and thats including the iphone5 and new Androids coming out ie S4 and Htc One.

You might not like it, sorry. I want to like the Z10 but what is there to like in reality? The competition do almost everything better. The same pretty much goes for Windows Phone.

There's no need to be upset, I'm not saying it's bad, but just that there's little good reason to pick it over the competition...

 

[Yas786]

You might not like it, sorry. I want to like the Z10 but what is there to like in reality? The competition do almost everything better. The same pretty much goes for Windows Phone.

There's no need to be upset, I'm not saying it's bad, but just that there's little good reason to pick it over the competition...

Hardly upset at all, ive got a far thicker skin than you give me credit for. I just dont get the utter nonsense people spout off in here regarding Blackberry. I really dont understand the hate that you lot on here have for Blackberry.

Is it because for once theres an OS out there that will give the Android and iphone lot a run for their money??. I happen to think it is otherwise why would anyone want to see a company fail hard at something. Even the window phones get a lot more love in here

Meh its your opinion, your entitled to it just like i am of mine. What i do want you to point out if you can is tell me in which ways is the competition better than BB10??. Apps wise i will grant you that but the apps are getting much better now with quite a few big name apps making their way over.

From your posts, i dont even think you have played with a z10 let alone touched one, if im wrong then i apologise.

EDIT: For the record so far from using an iphone5 and an S3, i see nothing those 2 platforms offer better than what the Z10 does or offers at the moment other than the massive catalogue of apps.

 

[Robbo]

Hardly upset at all, ive got a far thicker skin than you give me credit for. I just dont get the utter nonsense people spout off in here regarding Blackberry. I really dont understand the hate that you lot on here have for Blackberry.

I'm not one of these people who hates BlackBerry (as you well know), I have no issue with them at all. I also think the Z10 is a good phone, but good enough to recommend? No. I was almost tempted to get one myself.

Is it because for once theres an OS out there that will give the Android and iphone lot a run for their money??. I happen to think it is otherwise why would anyone want to see a company fail hard at something. Even the window phones get a lot more love in here

I don't want them to fail, competition is good.

Meh its your opinion, your entitled to it just like i am of mine. What i do want you to point out if you can is tell me in which ways is the competition better than BB10??. Apps wise i will grant you that but the apps are getting much better now with quite a few big name apps making their way over.

I could ask you to point out why it's better? I think BB is better in one area, which is pure communication needs, it handles that very well. But, is the whole gestures system all that more revolutionary than the alternatives? I mean you can even get that sort of thing setup on Android...

Like Windows Phone users, you're far too keen to brush off apps and so forth as something that doesn't really matter. It does. It's the most important thing for most people.

When it came out I thought hm, maybe this will be really good, then you have the whole apps not working properly and running in Android mode, or just being a link to a mobile website. Anything so BlackBerry can make it sound better.

Then you've got BBM. The only people who use BBM are current BlackBerry users, and is BBM better than Whatsapp and other alternatives? Nope.

From your posts, i dont even think you have played with a z10 let alone touched one, if im wrong then i apologise.

I have but not over a long period of time. I liked it, it's nice, but at the end of the day it's not offering anything that can seriously compete with the other phones in my view.

EDIT: For the record so far from using an iphone5 and an S3, i see nothing those 2 platforms offer better than what the Z10 does or offers at the moment other than the massive catalogue of apps.

Using Android as an example, how can you say that? It's far more customisable.

I like iOS and the way it operates, but I'd be foolish to sit here trying to claim it does much better/more than Android - it doesn't. It offers an alternative, like BlackBerry, the difference is that it's backed by a huge app store which does matter. At the end of the day it offers infinitely more functionality.

For the OP, why is a Z10 worth twice as much as an LG Nexus 4? £250 odd for an SD card slot...?

I know you love BlackBerry and that's fine, but I don't think I'm far off the mark with what I'm saying which is basically: there aren't many situations where I'd offer up a Z10 as a viable alternative for other phones in the same price bracket. You as an example would be one of the people I'd recommend one to, big BBM user, etc.

Perhaps 'considerably inferior' was a bit harsh in my earlier post.

 

[Johnnytoxic]

For me Blackberry z10 over Android and iphone and thats including the iphone5 and new Androids coming out ie S4 and Htc One.

Sickening fanboyism. I've used a Z10 and it's horrid. Already out of date before it was released. It would have to be a special special phone to even make up for the lack of apps.

 

[Yas786]

I don't want them to fail, competition is good.

Good to hear

I could ask you to point out why it's better? I think BB is better in one area, which is pure communication needs, it handles that very well. But, is the whole gestures system all that more revolutionary than the alternatives? I mean you can even get that sort of thing setup on Android...

Im sure it does or can be made to do that. As for the gestures?? of course its revolutionary...no more buttons to fail or not respond...less parts means less things to break.

Like Windows Phone users, you're far too keen to brush off apps and so forth as something that doesn't really matter. It does. It's the most important thing for most people.

In the past yes i did brush off apps but since getting my S3, i realised how important apps are to people. Im not a huge app whore myself, the apps i have are the ones that help me get through my day.

When it came out I thought hm, maybe this will be really good, then you have the whole apps not working properly and running in Android mode, or just being a link to a mobile website. Anything so BlackBerry can make it sound better.

Actually id like you to find me an app on BB that doesnt work. Most work and the ones built on cascades rather than being Android ports, work brilliantly well. I find a lot of Android ported apps being buggy and slow so i stay away from them even if it means i have to make do without. But having the android runtime on the B100 platform is a stroke of genius...gives devs a chance to see if their app is going to be a success or not. Saying that majority of Android ported apps are rubbish but with the runtime being updated to JB, in theory these apps should be running better.

Then you've got BBM. The only people who use BBM are current BlackBerry users, and is BBM better than Whatsapp and other alternatives? Nope.

For a start BBM is far more secure than whatsapp, one major thing that worries me about whatsapp is the fact that it isnt secure and no one knows exactly what they are doing with the contacts they harvest. I use whatsapp as much as i loathe it to stay in touch with my non BB friends and ive noticed that im getting a lot more spammy texts and emails than i usually get.

Using Android as an example, how can you say that? It's far more customisable.

Of course it is and with that amount of customisability comes a lot more bugs and quirks. Ive noticed one thing since i un-rooted my S3 and went back to a stock rom and that is a lot of the bugs i was seeing on various custom roms have now disappeared. Reminds me when i was jailbreaking my iphone4.

For the OP, why is a Z10 worth twice as much as an LG Nexus 4? £250 odd for an SD card slot...?

I personally dont think the Z10 is worth the amount its selling for off contract ie £480 and i dont think the Q10, which is rumoured to be around £500+ is worth it either so you wont hear me dis-agreeing with you on that one.

I know you love BlackBerry and that's fine, but I don't think I'm far off the mark with what I'm saying which is basically: there aren't many situations where I'd offer up a Z10 as a viable alternative for other phones in the same price bracket. You as an example would be one of the people I'd recommend one to, big BBM user, etc.

Perhaps 'considerably inferior' was a bit harsh in my earlier post.

I love Blackberry and love the Z10 but that doesnt mean that it is perfect, its far from perfect but as ive said on here a few times...its a brand new OS much like how iOS and Android first started out so im looking forward to seeing better features being implemented. One of my biggest gripes with the Z10 is the lack of profile customisation but rumours are that those profiles that i was so used to on my 9900 will be making their way back to the BB10 platform in the coming mths.

As for BBM?? funnily enough there was a time where i had 50+ contacts on my list but now im down to 4 and tbh other than my missus, i dont bbm a lot so its hardly a deal breaker for me if it no longer existed. But i do like the security behind BBM, messages are still encrypted even though BIS is no longer needed.

 

[m4rk84]

To be fair Yas876 is rather open about his love of Blackberry so of course he will defend it.

From what I read about it, it was all fine but there's nothing to blow anyone away. The screen is apparently pretty poor too, as well as lag in some settings menus and the Android app emulator is using a really old laggy version of Android.

I agree with what Robbo is saying mostly, it does the job but offers nothing over the competition.

I think the best advice is Android or IOS depending on preference.

 

[Yas786]

Sickening fanboyism. I've used a Z10 and it's horrid. Already out of date before it was released. It would have to be a special special phone to even make up for the lack of apps.

Great post...would read again.

 

[Robbo]

*snip*

All fair enough. My point is this, I don't think the Z10 offers a superior alternative to the competition, not that it's bad or isn't worth considering.