Help choosing a new android phone for ~$500

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powderedtoastman

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Topic # 100781 18-Apr-2012 19:04

I'm planning on buying a new android phone (I previously used a Galaxy Ace) and have done a bit of research to narrow down my choices, but I'd like some advice to help me decide between them. I don't mind if the phone is parallel imported, and I'm aiming to spend around $500 NZD though I don't have a strict budget.

Audio, display, wifi, and GPS quality are important, and I would like to avoid any glaring deficiencies in other areas, but realize there will be tradeoffs since I'm not buying top of the range. Here are the phones I'm trying to decide between:

- HTC Sensation $560

- Sony Xperia Arc S $535
- Samsung Galaxy S Plus $500
- Samsung Galaxy W $450

- LG Optimus 2x $434

Those prices are from fairbuy[dot]co[dot]nz, and include $30 shipping. I don't know if this is the best parallel importer to buy from, but mobicity or others may have comparable prices.

I've included the Sensation although I'm not convinced I need to spend that much on a phone. The LG is a bit older but seems to have much better specs than I would expect given its price. The Xperia Arc S, Galaxy W and Galaxy S Plus all share the same chipset, CPU, and memory but differ in other ways. I'm leaning towards the S Plus, but then $60 isn't much more for the Sensation...

Any thoughts? Thanks.

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Reply # 611383 18-Apr-2012 19:16

powderedtoastman:
- HTC Sensation $560
- Sony Xperia Arc S $535
- Samsung Galaxy S Plus $500
- Samsung Galaxy W $450
- LG Optimus 2x $434

i would not get any of these if you have already own galaxy ace. my suggestion:

Galaxy Nexus (google pure experience) nz$668.99

I dont know much about fai rbuy.co.nz, but i have good experience from

1. einfo.co.nz (local store if you are based in Auckland, includes GST)
2. mobicity.co.nz (price does NOT include GST)
3. clove.co.uk (from UK, you may need to pay GST on top).

langers1972

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Reply # 611384 18-Apr-2012 19:17

I've got an Arc S as my work phone and I wouldn't recommend it really.

It's almost too light and thin and not at all comfortable to use, the power button is an utter pain too as its a tiny circular one on the top corner and it takes a lot of effort to press it.

Sounds trivial but when you use the power button to wake/unlock the phone you'll be surprised how annoying it gets.

It also comes with stacks of crappy Sony apps that you can't uninstall other than by rooting and removing the relevant apk files.

I have a Nexus S too and prefer that

plod

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Reply # 611389 18-Apr-2012 19:20

Or try something completely new. Lumia 710

blakamin

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Reply # 611390 18-Apr-2012 19:20

The Sensation is still an excellent phone if you put a custom ROM on it.

CdTDroiD

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Reply # 611408 18-Apr-2012 19:34

blakamin: The Sensation is still an excellent phone if you put a custom ROM on it.

I would get the Sensation if it has to be out of those 4 ;)

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nitrotech

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Reply # 611423 18-Apr-2012 19:53

Galaxy s had GPS issues not sure if they were still there in the S+

Optimus 2X had a VERY bad rep for random freezes, reboots and shutdowns - stay away!

Have you thought about an optimus black - solid phone with an IPS screen, not iPhone 4 good but pretty good. Under $500 NZ new

blakamin

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Reply # 611469 18-Apr-2012 21:05

Optimus Black has crap battery life.

nitrotech

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Reply # 611493 18-Apr-2012 21:24

blakamin: Optimus Black has crap battery life.

.... it's a hard road finding the perfect phone .........

Out of interest what do you call crap battery life - my sgs ii comes off the charger at 7.30a and needs to go back on between 6-8pm I think that's crap but how does the black compare.

blakamin

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Reply # 611499 18-Apr-2012 21:27

Ask people that get get 5-6 hours out of the black... sbiddle?

CdTDroiD

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Reply # 611500 18-Apr-2012 21:27

dont go near the LG man, dont compare at all

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nzgeek

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Reply # 611591 18-Apr-2012 23:47

If you're looking to buy any IT-related gear, make sure to look at [url=http://pricespy.co.nz]pricespy.co.nz[url] before you decide on a seller. You may find there's someone selling the item at a lower price. Make sure you look at user reviews for the seller too, as there are a few bad eggs out there.

@plod: The Nokia Lumia phones aren't half bad, but there are serious questions whether Nokia are going to survive more than another couple of years. The Lumia 900 is selling well in the US, but is barely moving in Europe. There are also big questions whether the current Lumia models will get an upgrade to Windows Phone 8 at the end of the year, or whether they're somewhat of a dead end in that respect.

kiwitrc

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Reply # 611619 19-Apr-2012 06:20

Speaking of Lumia and MS read this! Probably worth a thread in its own right.

CdTDroiD

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Reply # 611626 19-Apr-2012 07:22

He did say Android phone ;P

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kiwitrc

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Reply # 611642 19-Apr-2012 08:26

CdTDroiD: He did say Android phone ;P

Tell Plod that :)

Wade

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Reply # 611677 19-Apr-2012 09:46

I see fairbuy offering Galaxy Nexus @ $645, probably well worth the extra spend.

My 2c worth...

I have a SGS2 and have flashed a huge number of roms & kernels seeking the google nirvana. If i was in the market for a new phone I think i would skip straight to the Nexus. You get the pure google experience and dependable ota updates. the two biggest issues surrounding android seem to be updates and OEM customization, the nexus eliminates both.

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