Mobile Phone thread - please include links to good deals

[charlesr]

Stupid name though

[VR46]

Has anyone got a OnePlus One? thinking of maybe getting one later in the week.

https://oneplus.net/uk/one

[charlesr]

Do they have any plans to move to android 5? And does their version of cyanogen come with root? (my barclays banking app refuses to work with root enabled and it's too useful to pass up - it's also the mobile PIN sentry for the main site so you don't have to carry the card reader around).

[wakka]

Two of my mates have OnePlus Ones, they're really nice handsets. Lollipop is available for them now I believe.

Not sure regarding root.

Rumours swirling of a second generation Nexus 5 later this year - have to say I'd be tempted if they returned to the previous pricing of ?300. Honestly can't see myself pulling the trigger though as my launch N5 is still super quick, I think I'll try to get a third year out of it.

[kryss]

Echoing your feelings about a new model Nexus 5, my N4 is still working fine so I see no need to be changing anything up right now.
But I guess we'll see when the spec and price gets announced.

[EvilBoris]

Got a Samsung Galaxy the other day and it's my first real experience with Android.

Overall very positive, immediately it highlights how unflexible IOS is in terms of tinkering.

[kryss]

^ exactly why people choose Android. Sadly there are people who go the other way as well.

[QualityChimp]

I upgraded my Sony Xperia Z1 Compact to Lollipop yesterday and it's really nice.
Just looking into some of the extra features and there's lots of options.

[speedlolita]

^ exactly why people choose Android. Sadly there are people who go the other way as well.

I don't really see what's wrong with just wanting something that works.

Yes you can configure everything under the sun with Android but at the end of the day it is still just a phone.

/tips iPhone fanboy hat

[Digfox]

Yes although both are such mature platforms that Android can be rock solid too. Since last year I've bought two Nexus devices which have replaced my iPhone and I have been surprised by how much Android has come on. So many of the complaints I had from owning an HTC Desire in 2010-11 have gone.

Truth is that it was very painless making the switch because so many of the apps and services I use are on both platforms. There are some things Android does better too, although its difficult not to admire iOS as the best all round platform (IMO).

[wakka]

Android has moved on far more quickly than iOS, mostly because iOS was so stable and got so much right from version 1.0. Android started out buggy, janky and totally unappealing aesthetically. But it's come on leaps and bounds in just a few short years, while iOS has developed more incrementally.

I use a Nexus 5 and iPad Air 2 heavily daily, and both operating systems are excellent now. The customisation of Android is good but I don't really use it that much, I mostly just enjoy the stock design features like the multitasking cards and Material Design. Android for me is much better for work as it has greater flexibility. When you are trying to get something done iOS can be a real pain, due to not being able to access the file system etc - for a relaxation/content consumption device it's lovely though.

For foreseeable future I think I'll stick with being dual OS. I wouldn't want an Android tablet as I don't like any of them much. Equally I really like stock Android and my still-very-fast handset was ?300 18 months ago instead of ?600 (or ?700 for a Plus). Just don't know if I could justify dropping 700 quid on a phone really. Not when you can get one with the same specs and a nice aesthetic for ?300.

[speedlolita]

To be brutally honest I don't consider either of them viable when I want to get something done, as you say. Will always need Windows/OSX/Linux for that - at least that is how I feel.

[wakka]

That's not always possible when you are out and about at meetings etc on workdays without a laptop with you though. There's not much in it at all but I feel more comfortable with Android for those work-related scenarios.

[Lebowski]

i own a pretty powerful android tablet on kitkat and an ipad 2, i much prefer the browsing experience on the ipad as even though its old its a hell of a lot more reliable for browsing the net, i can understand the need for tinkering but when this compromises the reliability of your device then id much rather have a few less options and everything work well, id agree with speedy for once, if your working and need to get jobs done quickly and efficiently a laptop tends to win out for versatility and reliability.

Android doesn't handle html5 video very well and can be quite buggy and slow with video playback, on upgrading to kitkat my tablet not only killed loads of apps and functions, but also did the same on my brothers Nexus tablet, youtube still regularly crashes and the youtube apps are not great either. the worst bit though is They still havent fixed the bugs with screen sharing on my device either, as since kit kat it disables the tablets wifi, I'm a bit mifffed about it as it used to be great for finding the latest animie and streaming it to the tv, now it would seem that unless I have a chrome cast I'm stuffed, i could always roll the device back but that's not the point my 3 year old ipad has never had these issues.

[Brad]

I have a note pro tablet and the wen browsing is functional, lets down a.device that is otherwise better than my ipad for everything else.