I was able to upgrade my phone a couple of weeks ago and it has turned out to be one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. Seriously, this is even harder than choosing a name for my son! I’m torn between going for the latest iPhone, going Android (shock horror!) or simply sticking with my old reliable and reducing my rather extortionate contract. So I figured I’d blog about it!
My last two mobile phones have been iPhones (the 4S and 5) and two-year long contracts. The contracts are quite the commitment (I would never be able to afford one outright) and it’s important that I love the phone I sign with. Prior to the iPhone I had a Blackberry, which I loved, but Blackberrys are so five years ago! I also have a habit of going with what’s perceived to be cool or succumbing to peer pressure. Luke had an iPhone 3 at the time I got an iPhone 4S and it didn’t take long for me to think iPhones were the coolest thing in the world. To be fair, I think I just wanted the apps at the time and to beat his highscore in Robot Unicorn Attack – which didn’t take long. I rock at it.
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I’m not very good with change and I like to have the latest versions, so when that contract was due an upgrade, I went with the latest iPhone at the time – the 5. Now I use my phone for sooo much and I’m actually finding some annoying restrictions with my current model. My contract is approximately £45 a month (quite expensive really but incorporated the cost of the phone), I have 16GB of storage (which gets maxed out quickly – I’m sure you’ve noticed how many photos and videos I have of Jenson!) and 2GB of data a month (I get close to using it up some months when I blog a lot during the commute but have the option to top up for more data rather than automatically running over and paying extra).
I’m definitely an Apple addict. I’ve had a MacBook Pro for about five years now and an iPhone for four and have thought for a while that I’d never go back. But living with a tech-geek opens me up to multiple debates about such topics and I’m open to trying an Android phone (eek!). Here are my absolute must-haves for my new phone/contract:
1. Great camera – I love the camera Luke got me for my birthday last year but most of my day-to-day photos are taken on my phone. It’s gotta be good
2. Lots of storage – I don’t regularly back up/transfer my photos and would like the option for an additional memory card (bye bye iPhone? Deal-breaker?)
3. Decent size – for years mobile phones were getting smaller but now they’re getting bigger again. I want my phone to fit in my hand and I want to be able to scroll through one handed
4. Price – I don’t want to pay more than £50-100 upfront (I can sell my current phone for a fair bit, with just a couple of nicks) and I don’t want to pay more than £40 a month
5. Network – although I’ve not been impressed with the customer service at EE, their reception is reliable in my home, at work and for most of my commute
6. Accessories – I’m very clumsy and need to be able to have a case with substantial protection. I currently have a pretty Orla Kiely flipcase but if I go with the iPhone 6S in rose gold (which is my favourite current option in terms of looks), I’ll want something that shows the actual phone off a bit more.
I saw an ad for the rose gold iPhone in the window of Carphone Warehouse and I think that, whatever I decide, I’d like to shop with them. I’ve shopped with Phones 4 U for nearly ten years and dealing with someone else sounds a bit intimidating (remember what I said about change?) but I’ve taken a look at their website to see what models and offers they have. I’ll also be taking Luke with me as he’s much more tech-savvy than I am and he’s my backbone! I definitely don’t want to be paying more than I originally set out to. So, let’s take a look at the options (pay monthly phones on EE at Carphone Warehouse).
The early obvious choices are the iPhone 6S and, having spoken to Luke, aka Yoda, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the LG G4. Here’s how they compare (I added the Nexus 6P to the search because it’s the latest version of Luke’s phone, which had a camera pretty much unrivalled by other phones when it came out)…
In terms of my spec, the Samsung wins by coming out on top four times, followed by the Nexus and LG with three points each and the iPhone dragging way behind. Which is a shame because a couple of weeks ago I was set on the iPhone – it’s a phone and brand I’m familiar with, it’s pretty and not a lot will change in terms of navigating apps and music etc. But needs must and I need a decent camera and more storage, so bye bye iPhone!
Luke browsed some YouTube reviews for me too and found one with a couple of guys discussing the camera on all three original choices – incredible!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_1Bgfl6qvk]
But there’s one more thing I need to check – accessories! I need a case that both protects my phone and looks good. So what’s available for each model?
For the iPhone (clockwise from top left):
Pipetto, £24.95
Rifle Paper Co, £30.00
Kate Spade, £30.00
Amazon, £7.99
Kate Spade, £90.00
For the Samsung (clockwise from top left):
Amazon, £2.99
Amazon, £3.99
Mobile Fun, £12.99
Mobile Fun, £12.99
Mobile Fun, £24.99
Amazon, £9.89
For the LG:
Mobile Fun, £19.99
Amazon, £7.99
For the Nexus:
Amazon, £9.99
Amazon, £6.99
I realise how completely superficial this sounds but the LG and Nexus have both now been ruled out because I’m not in love with any cases! The iPhone has the best range of cases but the Samsung has loads I’m in love with too, so it’s still a definite contender. If I was choosing solely on looks, it’d be the iPhone all the way but this morning I saw an ad for the Samsung S6, again, focusing on the camera, and I’m almost convinced it’s the phone to go for.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNM4YjF_UQM]
Later this week, I’m going to pop into the store and the phones, just to see how they feel in my hand in terms of screen size etc, and finally choose The Ultimate Phone. In the meantime, please leave me a comment with your recommendations – and feel free to comment on how anal I’m being about this!
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