iphone or HTC: which mobile phone shall I buy?

[badmove]

I want a fancy one that will allow me facebk and google+ access, etc etc
What's the best? Relative advs or disadvs?

[niceguy2]

I would say that if you can afford it then the iPhone is still the best for most people in terms of usability.

But if all you want is FB & G+ and you have a more modest budget then practically any Android phone is fine. I'd just say avoid the old HTC Wildfire (the non S) as it's very slow. Try to get a phone with at least Android 2.2. Personally I like the HTC range but Samsung are also very popular.

[BerryLellow]

I've very much enjoyed using my HTC Desire HD. Having never had an iPhone i couldn't compare, but it does everything I need it to.

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

HTC Desire

[HumperdinkFangboner]

iPhone.

So easy and nice to use.

[Jux]

Lurve my HTC Desire.

[Mabelface]

Android, then you're not tied to iTunes.

[badmove]

forgive my naivety but is HTC an android - are they one and the same thing? What does HTC stand for.. and how much can I expect to pay?

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

Yes, HTC is Android, no idea what it stands for. Have a Google and look at the HTC desire, I pay 20pcm for mine

[Snorbs]

Android is the software that the phone runs to make it a phone rather than just an interesting lump of metal, plastic and glass (in the same way that iPhones run Apple software called iOS).

Lots of manufacturers make phones that run Android - HTC, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony Ericcson etc. Android itself is written and maintained by Google but most of the phone manufacturers take the basic Android software then tweak it a bit for their phones to make them stand out from the crowd.

[badmove]

oh thankyou.. that is very clear now

[JarethTheGoblinKing]

Sorry, was posting from phone. Snorbs much more informative, as usual

[Jux]

Another good thing about android is that they can run flash, which apple's software won't. I have an android phone and an iPad. I can't watch videos on the iPad; most of the sites I visit won't run without flash, really really annoying. (I know Microsoft are phasing flash out but it'll be a while before it's actually gone, and I'll be able to use Khan Academy, for instance, on the iPad.)

[ant3nna]

I had an iPhone and now have a HTC sensation. Much prefer my HTC, much more customizable - you can't even (officially) make ringtones for an iphone unless you've bought the song from the itunes store. Being able to visit sites with flash is good too.

The HTC user interface is quite integrated with Facebook so all your contacts automatically get Facebook pics

[ant3nna]

Sorry, hit post too soon.

Contacts profile pics automatically come from Facebook, the calendar gets peoples birthdays put in etc.

Camera on my phone (8mp) also much better than on an iPhone.

[OnEdge]

i phone !

[badmove]

I did go into a shop yesterday and was rather confused by the choice available.. what's the difference between a HTC desire/sensation/etc etc

[niceguy2]

The HTC Sensation is the current top of the range model. It's HTC's fastest phone, with the "best" camera and basically the best spec. If you can afford it, get it.

The HTC Desire S is slightly slower although I don't think most people would notice and has a smaller screen, lower spec camera etc. Still an incredibly good phone. Note, make sure you get the S model and not the plain model. The latter has real buttons at the bottom, the S has touch buttons. The reason is the non-S version is nearly 2 years old soon and that's practically a grandad in terms of phones. Still a good phone but you may as well pay a bit more.

If the Sensation is within your price range then also check out the Samsung Galaxy S2. This bad boy is arguably the best Android phone money can buy. Personally I found it a bit too light and plasticky for my tastes and the Sensation looked like it would survive a drop better. But each to their own.

actually I've just seen this deal on e2Save which makes this phone an absolute steal. £25 a month on a 12 month contract with £15 up front. Talk Mobile are owned by Carphonewarehouse and use the Vodafone network.

Good luck

[Snorbs]

The HTC Desire S, Incredible S and Desire HD are all effectively the same phone but with different size screens and varying camera quality. Pick whichever one you think will fit best in your hand (the larger sized screens make them harder to use single-handed if you've got small hands, but better for doing lots of web browsing and watching videos) and your pocket. These are all "mid-range" Android phones. Similar ones to look out for include the Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo, the LG Optimus Black and the Samsung Galaxy S (note, not S2).

As niceguy2 says, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is generally regarded as the current "best" top-end Android phone. The screen is fantastic and it's very powerful. A mate of mine has one and I covet it madly. A decent case for it hides the cheap'n'nasty backplate.

One thing to bear in mind is that there is a huge amount of competition in the Android market and manufacturers are coming out with new phones all the time. It's very fast-moving. I'd suggest not getting anything on a 24-month contract unless it's a very high-end one (like the Galaxy S2 or HTC Sensation) as you may find that a mid-range phone from 2011 won't be powerful enough to run 2013's applications.

[ant3nna]

Between niceguy2 and snorbs, you've hit on the reason I went for a sensation. It's high spec enough to be able to cope in 2 years time and felt sturdy enough to survive until the end of the contract. Not something I felt I could say about the Samsung Galaxy S2 despite it being a touch more high spec.

Yes, the screen is huge (4.3") but it actually feels quite good to use and I've got used to it surprisingly quickly.

[RamblingRosa]

This is a really useful thread. I'm also trying to work out what to get for my next upgrade. Want a smartphone but don't know if I should be paying extra for an iphone or just going for an HTC.

So is the HTC Sensation significantly different to the Desire?

And will I be able to get music that I've currently got stored on iTunes on the (Apple) computer onto an HTC phone or would I only be able to do it onto an iPhone

[niceguy2]

There are some differences but it depends on what you are after as to if you believe the differences are "significant".

The main differences are that Sensation has:

• Dual core processor (ie. faster)
  
• More memory (for storing more apps)
  
• Sense 3.0 UI (Looks nicer with a few funkier features)
  
• Larger Screen (This looks awesome once you get used to it)
  

Looking at deals, it seems there's not a big price difference between the Desire S & Sensation in which case, get the Sensation.

As for music, you won't be able to sync it like you can with an iphone but there are ways/tools to allow you to get your music out of iTunes and you'd have to rebuild your playlists & import your MP3's manually. Chances are you'd have to buy a bigger MicroSD card too. Even with the Sensation you only get a 8GB SD card so if you have a lot of music, you need a bigger card.

[RamblingRosa]

Thanks. I've found the Desire S free on a £20pm contract but I can't find the Sensation for anything less than £30. I guess I'll have to settle for the Desire. Sounds like the Sensation is much better but I'm really not very techie and currently use a very un-fancy Nokia (not touchscreen, no internet, no apps) so I'm not sure I'll really notice the difference between the two.

[niceguy2]

For most ppl I'd say they'd be perfectly happy with the Desire S.

Before you commit though to the £20pcm contract, consider this one from e2save. Basically it's £25pcm and £15 up front but crucially the contract is only 12 months, not 24 months. link here

It's TalkMobile which is owned by Carphonewarehouse and use Vodafone's network.

The reason is that 24 month is a hell of a contract and the pace of Android phones means that in a year, let alone two, you will have a dated handset.

[RamblingRosa]

Thanks so much. I've just found a Sensation for £25 per month (but with a 24 month contract).

I know what you mean about being tied into long contracts but I'd be more worried about the phone dying in that time rather than the technology becoming dated. All my technology is seriously dated so I don't think I'd notice

[niceguy2]

Good luck. The Sensation should last you two years without it feeling old. It's well designed. Just in the same way how the iphone 3GS is still a coveted phone and has stood the test of time well.