I'm looking at new phones but I dont know what to get...

[Pish]

I've been looking to get a new phone. I've had cheap end ones since I remember mobiles came on the scene.

I did get an iPhone 3GS on contract, but found unless I hack it and and invalidate the warranty that loads of functions are crippled! I had to charge it twice a day! Took it back, wasnt for me.

I'd like something that...

Has a half decent camera with a flash.
Can handle Google Maps or has similar.
Can handle MP3's and Film. With drag and drop, no iTunes type rubbish. Maybe have a slot for memory expansion.
Uncrippled Bluetooth.
Web Browser that can handle most of the web.
Flash.
Decent battery life.

Not essential but would be cool. Facebook apps.

At the moment, I've been recommended Blackberry Bold and HTC Hero, but I'm open to anthing except the Palm Pre and the iPhone. I've also been told there are many problems with the Nokia N97 too so... What do you think?

I would be grateful of any information.

Cheers

[RobM83]

There isn't a phone in the world that meets all your criteria.

All the phones you mention have the same battery life.
The Hero has the same Bluetooth options as the iPhone.
The cameras on all of them are average at best and you'll be lucky to find a decent flash between them.

Think honestly about what you want this phone to do. Don't think about its' shortfalls and convince yourself you need that, but think back over the course of this week and think what your current mobile hasn't been able to do that you needed it to do.

Believe me when I say that finding the phone with the longest feature list is a pointless exercise. Work out your true needs and find the phone that meets the most of them.

[Pish]

Originally Posted by RobM83

Don't think about its' shortfalls and convince yourself you need that, but think back over the course of this week and think what your current mobile hasn't been able to do that you needed it to do.

My current phone was made in stone age days, it can ring and text. Thats it.

I'm always carrying my 4 year old Zen mp3 player (which is held together with postal tape) and a knocked about Sony camera. They all need replacing so I thought I'd ask for some advice on what would nearly replace them all.

[RobM83]

That's easier then...

The first thing to note is none of your listed devices will be suitable if a digital camera replacement and a Creative Zen replacement are two of the key priorities.

The iPhone, Pre and the Hero will easily replace the Zen, but not the camera which is reasonable, but never going to replace a standalone, even an older one.
The Bold wont offer as good media playback as the other three and it's camera is average at best. This is a great messaging device though.
The N97 is best avoided on all counts, IMO.

For media playback and camera quality, the Nokia N-series (N86 etc) are a very good choice, with the exception of the N97 as mentioned. The Sony Ericsson Satio is another fine choice. These lack the internet browsing abilities of the iPhone and Hero though and are OK for a quick Google search of mobile versions of sites at best. Nowhere near the full internet though.

My advice is there isn't a camera phone on the market that can truly replace a standalone digital camera for all your needs. Many take very good daytime shots which will be fine for most purposes, but they still lack the detail and accuracy of standalones.

Media playback is easier, most smartphones do a very good job of this, so no worries there on any device mentioned so far.

Internet browsing, given your requirement for the full internet experience, is best left to the iPhone and Hero (or other Android device) - I'll comment on the Pre when I get my hands on my loan device shortly. These really are the best web browsers around and few others can match the overall experience.

So again the only way to make a firm choice is to work out your exact priorities in order and work through each device in turn. Sadly if unsurprisingly there isn't one device that is the best in every possible area, which your wish list covers.

[Pish]

I'll check these all out.

Another has come to my attention... Motorola Droid. Not out in the UK yet, but seems to look a good all-rounder. 5mp Camera with Dual flash. MP3/Video, up to 32GB with SD card. Maps. Flash. Web (I'm guessing similar to Hero, being Andriod OS). Facebook. Email. Both hardware and virtual keyboard.

I think I may hang on and see what comes of this.

It seems that all of these smart phones have one big down fall. Battery life. Though, I was thinking with the non Apple ones, the batter is removable?? Thus can carry a spare?

[RobM83]

A spare is always an option, although you can buy mobile battery chargers for a similar price as a replacement battery that can be used to charge most devices. I have the Proporta one (now sold as Ted Baker) that comes with changeable tips for most devices, which can comfortably give me two full charges of my iPhone.

Most smartphones are the same though and will need charging overnight if you make use of all the features. I've not owned or tested a smartphone in the last year or so that was much better than the others.

[Pish]

I think I'm gunna hold on and see what the Nokia N900 and Motorola Droid turn out like. They both seem to be as near to doing everything as I can find.

[Pish]

Also,

Cheers for replying!

[CH_Peter]

Make sure you test drive them in store for a good few minutes. A slow interface and unresponsive / inaccurate touch screen will destroy a phone experience.

Don't write off the iPhone, especially the 3GS. It may live in its own little bubble when it comes to apps and being tied to iTunes, but you can drag and drop to sync iTunes these days. 32Gb would be plenty of space. It handles music and film very well. It has perfect Google Maps integration (and a cracking Sat Nav app for £26). I never use the iphone bluetooth other than for car hands free (which works) and the web experience is top notch (no flash, of course, but YouTube is supported). Facebook app is excellent and free. The overall user experience and interface are simply outstanding and unrivalled.

The camera shoots reasonable video and OK-for-a-quick-snap photos.

As someone said, prioritise your list and needs and see what fits. The iphone is a winner for me, but it's not for everyone, by any means.

[NicolasB]

If you want to be able to take not-entirely-terrible photos in low light, then I suggest you get something with a Xenon flash rather than LED; the LED flashes really aren't much use. (LED is useful for taking videos in low light, I guess - can't use Xenon for that). But, as others have already explained, phones that do a (comparatively) good job of taking photos tend to fall down in other ways.

[Pish]

CH_Peter: When iTunes updates your iPhone/iPod and the music that is on the device is not on your computer it gets wiped off. I keep all my music on an external HD (1TB. Yea, I'm a music geek.) but my lappy only has 60gb harddrive. I'm always changing whats on my device as I listen to it pretty constantly. Transfering 30gb of files back and forth is abit opf a ballache even in these days of USB2.0. I want it to work like an external drive, no trying to update itself! Its a fashion accessory for no brainers.

NicolasB: I'll check that out.

[CH_Peter]

Yes, you are right. If you use two PC's then that would happen. Of course, drag and drop only works if you stick to the one PC.

[Pish]

Originally Posted by CH_Peter

Yes, you are right. If you use two PC's then that would happen. Of course, drag and drop only works if you stick to the one PC.

Its not twio PC's. It's one with an external Hard drive.