Which Android Phone To Buy Here (Cost/value)?

[French jurist]

Hi,

My iPhone just died (RIP... will try to fix it though) and I need to buy a new smartphone ASAP.

I want to try an Android this time (good to know both worlds).

My requisites:
- I don't need the state-of-the-art technology, a smartphone which was modern 12/18 months ago is just fine.
- I need to have the possibility to tether it (I guess that's possible on an Android?)
- A good cost/value (better if it is assembled in Argentina)
- A good camera would be a plus.

Wildcard:
- I can afford a very expensive one too but what would be the benefit of it?

If you have suggestions about the model I should buy, that's welcome, thanks.

 

[scotttswan]

No idea about the Argentine market but the best/cheapest one a few years ago was the ZTE Blade (£70 ish in the uk)

The best price to power ratio phone a few months ago when i looked was the Huawei Ascend G 300.

 

[trennod]

Hey French Jurist, how about a Samsung Galaxy? They are pretty good value for money here and decent phones.

 

[Joe]

The only downside to the cheaper ones are:

They have a small screen.
They are slower.
Less memory - have to be careful with how many apps you install. If you only use a few apps like me (eg. Pandora for listening to music) it's not a problem.

I used a Sony/Experia in Baires and upgraded to another Sony before my travels because the're cheap in the US.

 

[French jurist]

Thanks a lot!

 

[johnw100]

I`d recommend the htc desire, had mine for a few years (bought in the uk) but I see personal sell it here now, it was about $2000. I still use mine daily , it has an fairly decent camera and does tethering like you wanted. Also check out the Samsung Galaxy S2 or S3(latest).
Ff you dont mind spending out the htc one x is on sale for $3299 on personals website, that has a great camera on it from what I hear.

 

[notebook.fix]

Hi, I'm now into my 3rd month with my Galaxy S3 & I can say that I'm very happy with all the options & features.
I agree with JohnW100, the HTC desire was a nice phone, I had one for a year but the downside was that the battery didn't last
as long as I would have liked. They are still good value though.

If you consider that they are not just a mobile phone, they are a decent camcorder with 1080p 30FPS video recording, a more than good enough fast 8MPX digital camera, a small tablet in your pocket (the S3's larger screen makes it much better to browse the internet), voice recorder /Dictaphone, calculator, Skype device, FM radio, obviously email too, and many of other functions, for example I can remotely log into my home computer & access files from any where if I'm connected to the internet. There are too many options that you won't know about till you get one.

It's the best 'bang for your buck' value if you find that you regularly use all the functions above.

I recommend the Galaxy S3, it's probably one of the best you can buy. With a fast quad core processor for all the multi tasking & with the higher resolution 720P screen, it's a revolutionary device. I love knowing I have a camcorder/camera in my pocket any time I want & I find myself not needing to run to my big laptop as much as I used to, it's the size of the screen that has pushed it into a very practical 'internet device' threshold. Note that at 8mm in thickness it's not as thick as some mobiles making it fit quite nicely in my pocket.

But if you worry that you may loose it or you are not the type of person that treats phones very well then I would say, go & buy a Galaxy s2 or a HTC sensation, they float around ar$2000.

Best of luck with you purchase.
Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S2

 

[johnw100]

T3 magazine actually gave the Samsung Galaxy s3 the best smartphone of 2012. http://awards.t3.com...msung-galaxy-s3
Looks a very nice phone but not cheap.

Also, Not sure i`d fancy using such a large, shiny metal phone in the centre of BA though, but thats just me.

 

[scottlyon]

I'm not going to recommend a model as they're always shifting and no matter which one you get you'll be wanting another soon enough.

I will however recommend XDA-Devs as they'll have a 'cooked ROM' for your device which will increase the abilities beyond the factory standard of almost any phone.

Read carefully though when installing, it can be tricky but once you've ditched whichever memory hogging apps the provider gives you with the phone you'll be very happy about how well it runs.

Best of luck!

 

[rogerH]

Just got a Galaxy S3 !! Great phone and also a great tablet with a nice wide screen...totally loving it ! was just a bit worried if the VPN would work on it and lol ! my uktvaccess account works great on my new phone! I highly recommend this phone. I love this tablet technology ...