Please help me pick the right smartphone for the job

trigan

trigan

trigan

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5 May 2014
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I would like to buy a used smartphone with 3G capability. The idea is to buy an outdated smartphone cheaply from eBay or Amazon but that will fulfil my requirements.
My requirements are these.
1. I need to have a smartphone which will enable me to use my voice to create a long text message and then edit the few mistakes that need correcting and then send it. Text messages I find are a great way of communicating since the other person need not be around when you need to contact them.
2. I need to use a smartphone to enable me to download the following app which will give me mass readings every day in church.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.universalis.android.calendar
3. The largest possible screen size so long as it has 3G. I will need this mobile broadband in order to access the mass readings app while I am in church since there will be no wifi broadband.
4. A smartphone which has a battery with a good reputation. Since it will be a used phone, will I need to buy a new battery?
Thank you for as much detail as possible since I am new to smartphones.
 
Hi what's your budget? There are speech to text apps available so that shouldn't be much of an issue, also the mass app shouldn't be an issue to any android, it will really come down to budget to meet all your criteria though a Note 1 or 2 spring to mind.
 
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Thank you very much indeed for your prompt replies, both of you.
My friend bought an HTC wildfire s for just £32 from eBay and he says it can fulfil my requirements. The trouble is that he told me he needs to fit a microSD card in order to make it create a text message using voice recognition. Why? And it is only 3.5 inch screen. I would like to buy a reliable brand smartphone with a larger screen ideally a 7 inch screen for no more than twice that price i.e. £64 including delivery.
The reason why I do not think it is a good idea to spend more is that I would like to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note 4G when it comes out [later on this year or next year] for it can be used as both a tablet and a smartphone and it will give me a really large screen.
 
With your requirements in mind we are definitely looking at a Galaxy Note type device. You say that you are waiting for the "Galaxy Note 4G", are you aware there are already three Galaxy Note devices on the market? The latest of which is the Galaxy Note 3 which does indeed have 4G.

Personally I would say you are wasting your time and money getting a budget device while waiting for the next Note, for your requirements spend more and get the already out Galaxy Note 3, it meets and exceeds your requirements and will last you a good while.
 
The Wildfire S has a small internal space, hence probably why your friend told you to use a SD card with it. In all honesty my brother had the phone and it was pretty sluggish.

I guess if you really are saving up for the Note 4, then try out the Wildfire S for now and see if it meets your needs, just to give yourself an idea of what you really want from a smartphone.

There's also the Asus Fonepad to consider, which is a 7" "phone", but double of what you want to pay. You don't really need a high end device like the Note series to do what you want, the Fonepad is good enough.
 
Good call re the Note 4, I'm waiting for that too, I recommend you do an eBay search in "mobile and smart phones" for Samsung then HTC then LG then Sony each time setting operating system to android, condition to used then put your price options from £1 to £65 all in your search options, then take your pick of the phones.
 
The Galaxy Note 3 is not it. With the price it costs, I can buy a tablet! I want to invest my money on a 10.1 inch tablet that is both a tablet and a smartphone as the Galaxy Note 10.1 is.
I want to buy a used smartphone that can fulfil my requirements in the meantime. Also it will act as a backup in case my future tablet gets dropped.
 
If screen size is a must, then a Galaxy Note 1 or a Galaxy Grand are both £60-£100 second hand.

If not, then a Moto G.
 
Orcvader,
Will the Wildfire S or Asus Fonepad enable me to create a long text message with a speech recognition software?
Does it come with a built-in speech recogntion software OR do I have to download an app from Google play store?
Can you suggest what the best app to download is please for this is of major importance?

I will do what ThePO2 suggests and get back to this thread and list down what phones are on offer so that you may then give me your verdict of their worth out of a scale of 10.
Thank you all. Much appreciated.
 
The speech recognition you are looking for is built right into android. It's worth noting that the later the phone you get the better the voice recognition is going to be however all Android phones are going to have voice recognition and interpretation.

In my experience a phone like the WildfireS just isnt worth it. It wasn't even a good phone when it launched. If you are intent on doing the cheap option look for a second hand Nexus4, MotoG or Galaxy S2.
 
As mentioned it's built into Android. If you're using the Google Keyboard there's a microphone icon next to the space bar, which converts your speech to text, and allows you to correct it afterwards. Since it's part of the keyboard, you're not just limited to texting.

Have a look at this video on how it works: http://youtu.be/wfy73uV3xlU?t=1m51s

It's based on a much older version of Android compared to the Fonepad, but it gives you an idea of how to use it.

On the other hand, I would suggest using other messaging services such as WhatsApp or Hangouts (requires the other person to use it too), as it can be cheaper than sending a text. This uses the internet (wifi or 3G, depending on what it's connected to) and can cost less for you, as there usually is a character limit of 160 for texts, which sometimes gets converted to a picture message instead, and costs more.
 
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I have been reading the reviews on Amazon.com for Moto G 8GB Sim Free Smartphone, Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II 16GB, Asus Fonepad ME371MG 7-inch Tablet and Nexus 4.

Based purely on the huge number of satisfied customers, the Moto is a clear winner with the best reliability record. Check it out here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moto-8GB-Sim-Free-Smartphone-Black/dp/B00ECBREK2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I know it costs £120 but it is brand new with a 12 month warranty. But if I spend less, I could end up with unreliability issues.

What I would like to know about this phone is:
1. Will it be able to fulfil all my requirements?
2. Will I be able to attach it to an external keyboard using a micro USB plug in order to write a Word document using Polaris app or similar ?
3. Would you recommend installing antivirus and antimalaware apps ? If so, what would you recommend?

Thank you all for your feedback.
 
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1) Yes, it fits your requirements well, if 4.5" is big enough for you.

2) You can, you need an OTG cable for USB keyboards, alternatively you can get a bluetooth keyboard as well.

3) No. As long as you stick with the Play store, then an antivirus is not needed.

The Moto G is a great choice, brilliant specs for the price. I'm not really sure about following Amazon reviews on phones however... considering how often these devices are updated, the reviews are usually out of date since they're based on older software :p.

The Fonepad is only about £20 more if you want the 7" screen, which will also fit your requirements. In all honesty the bigger screen will benefit you more if you plan to read from it.
 
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Re is a 4.5 screen big enough for your purpose, in a domestic setting you can "cast" your phone content to a flat screen tv, there is a variety of devices to enable this.
 
Thank you for your enlightening replies.
I could not believe it when I found the following Samsung galaxy note 10.1 the SM-P605 for sale here this afternoon quite by chance.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Gal...qid=1399471069&sr=1-13&keywords=galaxy+note+1

It is also shown on the Samsung website here:
http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/SM-P6050ZWABTU

Is this what I have been waiting for to be released? i.e. the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 WiFi + 4G ?
Can this tablet be used to phone landline or mobile phones through mobile broadband and NOT through skype via WiFi ?
If this is the new release, bearing in mind my requirements and I will say that an added requirement would definitely be to be able to write Word documents in my sunny back garden, should I buy the above Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 WiFi + 4G OR the 8 inch version Galaxy Note 8.0 4G & WiFi GT-N5120 which is listed here:
http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/galaxy-note/tablets/GT-N5120ZWABTU

Has one got an advantage over the other as regards e.g. multi-tasking etc.?
My vision is to be able to sit in my sunny garden with my microphone headset plugged into the 10 inch or 8 inch phablet listening to music and writing a Word document with an external keyboard and answering phone calls when they come through my headset and then continuing with my Word document after the phone call is over.
 
The larger Note 10.1s do not have any phone capabilities, the SIM is just to give it mobile internet.

The Note 8.0 on the other hand can do calling and texting, and does what you want. It's better specced than the Asus Fonepad but does cost twice as much. In terms of your usage, there's no difference though, both the Fonepad and the Note 8.0 can do what you want. However I guess the Note 8.0 will have longer support compared to the Fonepad, and will probably last longer too.
 
Orcvader said:
The larger Note 10.1 does not have any phone capabilities, the SIM is just to give it mobile internet.

The Note 8.0 on the other hand can do calling and texting, and does what you want.
Click to expand...

Can you tell me how you can tell from the specifications laid down at the Samsung website that the larger Note 10.1 cannot be used as a mobile phone whereas the Note 8.0 can, please?

Thank you.
 
My bad, checked the manual for the 10.1, this one can do texts and calling. Would be massive to use as a phone though... Perhaps get a handsfree bluetooth set to go with it, so calling is easier?

As a phone though, it's pretty big to carry around.
 
Orcvader said:
My bad, checked the manual for the 10.1, this one can do texts and calling. Would be massive to use as a phone though... Perhaps get a handsfree bluetooth set to go with it, so calling is easier?
As a phone though, it's pretty big to carry around.
Click to expand...

Orcvader, How wonderful !
Can anyone else confirm this please?
I read somewhere that on this tablet only a speakerphone is available. Does this mean that I can hold a phone conversation without using a wired microphone headset?
I distrust having a bluetooth device in my ears because it just could lead to a brain tumor.
Can you confirm that as long as I stick with Google Play store, then an antivirus program and an antimalaware program is not needed for this tablet?
I am worried about dropping the tablet. I will be using it constantly. Is there a foam rubbery case that I can place my tablet in but that would still allow me to use the tablet in church to read my mass readings from ? can you give me links as where to buy this from?

I am thinking of buying this tablet from here:
http://www.expeditelectronics.com/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-wifi-16gb-sm-p600-2014-edition-white.html

It is the white version which I much prefer. The problem is that this store does not seem to be covered by Amazon.
Also it is cheapest on the market. So maybe there is a catch? What is your advice?
Thank you all very much. You have been wonderful.

Trigan
 
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