Well i'm back to where it all began, with Apple iPhone...

[Martylaa]

Well i've finally realised that when it comes to smartphones i am a Apple man through and through.
After owning a iphone 4 for 2 years i sold it last September to make way for the iphone 5. However when that turned up i t came with a dint, a faulty cable and the fact i was going to have to fork out £988 over a 2 year contract. The iphone 5 was sent back and the search began for a new smartphone.
First up was the Nokia Lumia 800 on giffgaff, it took a while to get used to the operating system and the fact i run a imac and ipad took some getting used to with the softwares differences. A lack of apps and a poor camera also made me realise that i missed the app store and the simplicity of the plug in and download from itunes etc.
The final straw was the fact that Nokia would not be updating the software due to WP 8 coming out, that was it it was sold.
Next up is the Samsung Galaxy S3, now i've had this phone for 8 weeks now and yesterday i sold it, reasons are too much bloatware on the phone, didn't want to root it, plastic back made it look and feel a bit cheap. Then there was the issues of trying to work out how to make the battery last more than a day with barely any usage, setting up your screens, apps and widgets, camera was over complicated and finally it was just too complicated for me to work.
I did actually place a order for a Google Nexus 4 yesterday but have cancelled it due to it being too much like the S3 system.
I've finally realised i was most happy with my closed system on the iphone 4 it did everything i wanted and i knew how to work it lol. So as of today i have just purchased a new iphone 5 to run on giffgaff for £400 and back i go.
Android, Windows thanks for the memories but its Apple only for me....

[Smartass]

so... now you want a cake or something?

[tekno]

At least you were open minded enough to try other phones rather than blindly staying with Apple.

[Defender2010]

Originally Posted by Martylaa

Well i've finally realised that when it comes to smartphones i am a Apple man through and through.
After owning a iphone 4 for 2 years i sold it last September to make way for the iphone 5. However when that turned up i t came with a dint, a faulty cable and the fact i was going to have to fork out £988 over a 2 year contract. The iphone 5 was sent back and the search began for a new smartphone.
First up was the Nokia Lumia 800 on giffgaff, it took a while to get used to the operating system and the fact i run a imac and ipad took some getting used to with the softwares differences. A lack of apps and a poor camera also made me realise that i missed the app store and the simplicity of the plug in and download from itunes etc.
The final straw was the fact that Nokia would not be updating the software due to WP 8 coming out, that was it it was sold.
Next up is the Samsung Galaxy S3, now i've had this phone for 8 weeks now and yesterday i sold it, reasons are too much bloatware on the phone, didn't want to root it, plastic back made it look and feel a bit cheap. Then there was the issues of trying to work out how to make the battery last more than a day with barely any usage, setting up your screens, apps and widgets, camera was over complicated and finally it was just too complicated for me to work.
I did actually place a order for a Google Nexus 4 yesterday but have cancelled it due to it being too much like the S3 system.
I've finally realised i was most happy with my closed system on the iphone 4 it did everything i wanted and i knew how to work it lol. So as of today i have just purchased a new iphone 5 to run on giffgaff for £400 and back i go.
Android, Windows thanks for the memories but its Apple only for me....

Personally, gone are the days I would tie myself into a contract with ridiculous (UK use) terms and pricing. Well done on getting an iPhone 5 for £400. Did the same for my partner a few weeks ago. Sealed, receipt and brand new,,,£400, bargain!! Congrats! Gumtree?
Ignore the smartass post above.

[toondw]

i did something similar, tried nokia 920, nexus 4 and even bb z10 but going back to iphone. i dislike ios 6........or at least thought i did, but when i left, i missed its simplicity, i missed the way apps just work. im back!

and yes, ignore smartass, but bless he did try.

[jimbo1mcm]

Droid to Ip4 to GS3 to Ip5. Very glad to be back.

[surjavarman]

I dont believe you guys. No one has that much money to buy every flagship phone on the market.

[cambookpro]

Originally Posted by surjavarman

I dont believe you guys. No one has that much money to buy every flagship phone on the market.

They did sell them after, so it is plausible.

[daneoni]

My feelings towards other smartphone platforms are pretty much like the OPs. I've tried pretty much every smartphone platform out there save for BB10, and have found every single one of them lacking. Thats not to say iOS isn't but the things iOS does..it does well and thats the key. Its ecosystem is also yet to be surpassed.

WP7/8 is smooth and very close to IOS in experience but again the app situation could be better. And after the stunt they pulled with WP8 upgradeability, i simply cannot trust MS anymore not to screw customers over.

webOS suffered from poor hardware and was never optimised enough and there was a dearth of apps.

Android is fragmented, app quality isn't quite up to iOS platform, and you have to tweak, tweak, and some more tweaking to get a decent experience. Also all the noteworthy apps usually come to iOS first before Android late on.

BB5/6/7. Well...nuff said

Symbian...umm...yeah...

After sales services for these platforms also pale in comparison to Apple's. I dunno which other platform allows me to waltz into a store, state my problems, and walk out with a fresh phone within minutes.

Originally Posted by Smartass

so... now you want a cake or something?

Your username is very...apt.

[mbpretina]

Originally Posted by Smartass

so... now you want a cake or something?

lol, give him a cake and a pat on the head.

[BHP41]

Originally Posted by surjavarman

I dont believe you guys. No one has that much money to buy every flagship phone on the market.

Um...... Yes.

[SanjeevRana]

Originally Posted by surjavarman

I dont believe you guys. No one has that much money to buy every flagship phone on the market.

You dont need to believe but people do

For example I have had following phones in past 3 months (no particular order) :

Apple iPhone 5
HTC Butterfly
Samsung Note 2
Samsung Galaxy S3
Sony Xperia V
HTC One X+
Sony Xperia S

And I have a favorite local dealer of mine ... I stay with a phone for 7-10 days (average) and trade back for another ... losing about $50-$100 on each trade depending on phone demand at that time ... Apple ones obviously fetch the best trade price.

So I must have lost $1000 easy but thats just me

[Martylaa]

Originally Posted by Defender2010

Personally, gone are the days I would tie myself into a contract with ridiculous (UK use) terms and pricing. Well done on getting an iPhone 5 for £400. Did the same for my partner a few weeks ago. Sealed, receipt and brand new,,,£400, bargain!! Congrats! Gumtree?
Ignore the smartass post above.

Ebay actually brand new and sealed.
Bargain me thinks.

[toondw]

Originally Posted by SanjeevRana

You dont need to believe but people do

For example I have had following phones in past 3 months (no particular order) :

Apple iPhone 5
HTC Butterfly
Samsung Note 2
Samsung Galaxy S3
Sony Xperia V
HTC One X+
Sony Xperia S

And I have a favorite local dealer of mine ... I stay with a phone for 7-10 days (average) and trade back for another ... losing about $50-$100 on each trade depending on phone demand at that time ... Apple ones obviously fetch the best trade price.

So I must have lost $1000 easy but thats just me

i always loose about £600 - £750 a year on buying gadgets then selling them after. but i don't smoke, nor do i drink. so the money i save on those two vices pays for my gadget obsession. and more healthy!

[tl01]

Originally Posted by Martylaa

Well i've finally realised that when it comes to smartphones i am a Apple man through and through.
After owning a iphone 4 for 2 years i sold it last September to make way for the iphone 5. However when that turned up i t came with a dint, a faulty cable and the fact i was going to have to fork out £988 over a 2 year contract. The iphone 5 was sent back and the search began for a new smartphone.
First up was the Nokia Lumia 800 on giffgaff, it took a while to get used to the operating system and the fact i run a imac and ipad took some getting used to with the softwares differences. A lack of apps and a poor camera also made me realise that i missed the app store and the simplicity of the plug in and download from itunes etc.
The final straw was the fact that Nokia would not be updating the software due to WP 8 coming out, that was it it was sold.
Next up is the Samsung Galaxy S3, now i've had this phone for 8 weeks now and yesterday i sold it, reasons are too much bloatware on the phone, didn't want to root it, plastic back made it look and feel a bit cheap. Then there was the issues of trying to work out how to make the battery last more than a day with barely any usage, setting up your screens, apps and widgets, camera was over complicated and finally it was just too complicated for me to work.
I did actually place a order for a Google Nexus 4 yesterday but have cancelled it due to it being too much like the S3 system.
I've finally realised i was most happy with my closed system on the iphone 4 it did everything i wanted and i knew how to work it lol. So as of today i have just purchased a new iphone 5 to run on giffgaff for £400 and back i go.
Android, Windows thanks for the memories but its Apple only for me....

Same story here. Tried the note and S3 and neither one wows me. Much happier with my good ol' iPhone 5.

[lbros360]

Originally Posted by Martylaa

Well i've finally realised that when it comes to smartphones i am a Apple man through and through.
After owning a iphone 4 for 2 years i sold it last September to make way for the iphone 5. However when that turned up i t came with a dint, a faulty cable and the fact i was going to have to fork out £988 over a 2 year contract. The iphone 5 was sent back and the search began for a new smartphone.
First up was the Nokia Lumia 800 on giffgaff, it took a while to get used to the operating system and the fact i run a imac and ipad took some getting used to with the softwares differences. A lack of apps and a poor camera also made me realise that i missed the app store and the simplicity of the plug in and download from itunes etc.
The final straw was the fact that Nokia would not be updating the software due to WP 8 coming out, that was it it was sold.
Next up is the Samsung Galaxy S3, now i've had this phone for 8 weeks now and yesterday i sold it, reasons are too much bloatware on the phone, didn't want to root it, plastic back made it look and feel a bit cheap. Then there was the issues of trying to work out how to make the battery last more than a day with barely any usage, setting up your screens, apps and widgets, camera was over complicated and finally it was just too complicated for me to work.
I did actually place a order for a Google Nexus 4 yesterday but have cancelled it due to it being too much like the S3 system.
I've finally realised i was most happy with my closed system on the iphone 4 it did everything i wanted and i knew how to work it lol. So as of today i have just purchased a new iphone 5 to run on giffgaff for £400 and back i go.
Android, Windows thanks for the memories but its Apple only for me....

I would have given the nexus 4 a chance.... its the simplest of android you could possibly go. There is no bloat ware and is much less complex than Samsung's touch wiz. I love my iphone 4s and nexus 4 but you should have at least given the n4 a chance before canceling your order.

[Mrbobb]

Originally Posted by Martylaa

it did everything i wanted and i knew how to work it

For people who are switching platform, you have to be willing to go out of your comfort zone and learn new way of doing things. So if ur already comfy how things works, u probly won't be happy.

[cdmoore74]

As a Note 2 user I love Android and the complete control over the entire phone. But I don't recommend it to everyone. I bought my wife a iPhone 5 because she is a tech dummy and I don't want to be tech support. I do the same to my friends based on their knowledge when they ask me which phone to get. A lot of people just want to launch pretty apps that suppose to work in a good looking body and that's fine.
But I consider my Note 2 to be a hobby phone. Yesterday I came across a launcher that turned my phone into a Windows 8 phone (launcher 8) and another that turned it into a iOS device (espier launcher). And that's without rooting or hacking. Once you start hacking then you can load up custom ROMs of many flavors or in my case overclock the quad to 1920mhz with incredible battery life. My favorite is using my $40 64gig SD card as primary storage. The hacks are pretty much never ending.
But as I said people just want to launch a great number of apps and the iPhones do it well. Just too boring for my taste. And because Apple will most likely keep the same iPhone 5 design for the 5s my wife won't ask for an upgrade. My wife does not even know the difference between a iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s and most iusers don't care.

[Wrathwitch]

LOL! I WISH I could just be satisfied with stagnation. However reliable it may be!

I was Apple girl through and through, in fact I still recommend them to friends who are getting their first smartphone or to people who I know might need Apple Customer service. Not everyone has money to replace a damaged phone (ie: Samsung etc). Sammy is not renowned for it's customer service.

I have read many posts from people who tried Android for a few weeks and came back with nothing but negative comparisons, however, I have to admit it took me a couple of months to warm up to my S3. Maybe even half a year. Now I can't go back to Apple but I still wish I could find a hybrid between Apple hardware and customer service and Android Screen size offerings and customization...

Sigh... a girl can dream!

Glad you are happy with your new iPhone OP, I wish I could be

[JAT]

Originally Posted by Wrathwitch

Now I can't go back to Apple but I still wish I could find a hybrid between Apple hardware and customer service and Android Screen size offerings and customization...

Jailbroken iPad Mini?


Was there some cake? I'd like some cake.

[Martylaa]

iPhone 5 turned up, nano sim installed, switched on and all my contacts, music etc etc were there within minutes.
Simples, it's been a long road but I am glad I am back with Apple, it just works!

[Wicked1]

Originally Posted by Defender2010

Personally, gone are the days I would tie myself into a contract with ridiculous (UK use) terms and pricing. Well done on getting an iPhone 5 for £400. Did the same for my partner a few weeks ago. Sealed, receipt and brand new,,,£400, bargain!! Congrats! Gumtree?
Ignore the smartass post above.

Unfortunately in the US there are two main carriers with CDMA whose phones are locked to their services (Verizon and Sprint) and then there are two main GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) so there are limited choices. I would prefer to buy and unlocked and have the ability to go from here and there, but the fact is for me GSM the only viable carrier is AT&T with good service all around and a decent but not great price. That being said it makes sense for me to take advantage of getting the discounted phone every 18 months since I really can not go anywhere else.

US and EU are quite different in their offerings, and I think in all of Europe you folks pay more for less services than we get in the US, but I have not actual facts to base this on, but only what I see as far as plans go, it seems you get very little for a large monthly fee?

[Scrub175]

Originally Posted by Smartass

so... now you want a cake or something?

Awww. Really?

[Amplelink]

Originally Posted by Martylaa

iPhone 5 turned up, nano sim installed, switched on and all my contacts, music etc etc were there within minutes.
Simples, it's been a long road but I am glad I am back with Apple, it just works!

That's exactly why I'm "stuck" with Apple. It's just all too easy. I bought a Note 2, but promptly returned it after the two weeks I had to play around with it. Nice phone, but just doesn't have the overall fit and finish of my iPhone 5. That and all the apps just didn't seem on par with the iOS versions.

[Defender2010]

Originally Posted by Wicked1

Unfortunately in the US there are two main carriers with CDMA whose phones are locked to their services (Verizon and Sprint) and then there are two main GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) so there are limited choices. I would prefer to buy and unlocked and have the ability to go from here and there, but the fact is for me GSM the only viable carrier is AT&T with good service all around and a decent but not great price. That being said it makes sense for me to take advantage of getting the discounted phone every 18 months since I really can not go anywhere else.

US and EU are quite different in their offerings, and I think in all of Europe you folks pay more for less services than we get in the US, but I have not actual facts to base this on, but only what I see as far as plans go, it seems you get very little for a large monthly fee?

For most UK networks you really don't get much data in a contract package unless you increase the monthly payment. I use a pre pay network called giffgaff (sim only) (try googling them) that runs on the same network as O2 (a major network) but only costs £12 for unlimited monthly data, you get minutes and texts with this too. That's why I buy the handset outright. It's cheaper over the same contract time period offered by other networks. Maybe the USA has something like this?
What is your average monthly bill? With conversion it may be similar to our contract packages.