New Phone Decision

[kwijibo]

My missus contract runs out soon, which means new phone for me, and my old iphone 3G for her

I'm torn on what to get - but at the moment liking the look of the Desire HD. Or I could upgrade to the Iphone 4. Or maybe there's something else more suited to my needs.

I mainly send texts, make minimal calls, and listen to music on the bus. I check weather each morning, and share prices a fair bit. I don't do a great deal of browsing the web on my phone, but I do use it occasionally to read the news on the bus.

The iphone has done fine, but a lot of things shit me about it. Mainly:

Before I got my iphone, I had a Rio Karma mp3 player, which whilst a brick of a thing, was fukn awesome. No matter what you were doing, you could rearrange the play list, insert a song next into the queue if you suddenly had a thought you wanted to hear that next, remove artist/album/songs from a massive playlist (say if you hit play all, but then wanted to avoid listening to one artist in particular) - all very easily. It was very cool. iphone has an on-the-fly playlist thing but its so shit I don't bother using it. I'd love a music player that could do that again.

The Desire HD is only available on 3/Vodafone, so it'd mean we'd both have to swap networks from Virgin. If we were going to swap, I'd rather swap to Tesltra so I have reception when I go away camping - but I've done without it for years, so can continue that way I guess. Telstra are fairly pricey as well.

Any thoughts? I haven't looked a great deal yet so there might be a better deal out there.

[Bauer]

I'm no real help but if I was to upgrade my iPhone 3GS I'd go for the iphone4. I still love my iPhone

I have had zero issues with it

[wabbit]

That's a tough one mate. As I don't have all the info on Androids music apps. Although the Desire HD does have a massive screen and some similar specs while others are less compared to the iPhone 4.

From memory you don't care to upgrade often. I was going to suggest waiting till June to see what the next revision of iPhone brings.

If you really want a run down on the iPhone 4 compared to the 3G/3GS, I'll type one up as I've own all 3 models.

[Bauer]

If you really want a run down on the iPhone 4 compared to the 3G/3GS, I'll type one up as I've own all 3 models.

No thats fine. I'll only read it and want an iphone4 if you do that

[Exar Kun]

I wouldn't worry about price with Telstra. My Desire is $49 a month with 1 gig of data which is plenty for me. Vodafone were offering about the same price for the Desire HD (with more data/calls etc) but I really wanted coverage everywhere I go. The wife much prefers my phone over her iPhone 3GS too but neither of us have played around with an iPhone 4.

[matticooper]

Telstra have the Desire or the Mozart available on the $49 plans (well they did at Xmas time when I was swapping over). I have Xperia and should have waited for the Mozart.

[pixelboy]

Yep another vote for the Desire on telstra!!
(If you do go telstra, try and get a business cap if you've got an ABN.. better value)
http://www.telstrabusiness.com/business ... ner=314011" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or wait a month and get the Nexus S on Voda!
http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/and ... /index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[wabbit]

Really a Nexus S though?

[kwijibo]

Yep another vote for the Desire on telstra!!
(If you do go telstra, try and get a business cap if you've got an ABN.. better value)
http://www.telstrabusiness.com/business ... ner=314011" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Or wait a month and get the Nexus S on Voda!
http://www.vodafone.com.au/personal/and ... /index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's for the GF and she has an ABN, so thats no problem..,. isn't the HD faster/betterer than the regular desire in all ways though? If she changed to telstra, I'd be inclined to swap over too for free/cheap calls & texts to each other, but I'm not sure they have very good low usage deals for me. If we went through Telstra, then might have to get an iphone and sell it and then buy DHD outright from somewhere (Since Vodafone have exclusiveness on DHD)

After much reading today, I think I am fairly sold on getting an Android phone. I've had an iphone - time for something new

[pixelboy]

The HD is faster but also quite a bit bigger.. too big IMHO

go to shop.. play with one..

oh and on a crap network!

[kwijibo]

I don't think Vodafone/3 have the troubles in Adelaide that they do in Sydney.. don't really hear people complaining about it here, or maybe I'm oblivious

Don't really want spend more than $50/month, so the Desire might have to do even if I like the DHD better. Looked at the Galaxy S too, but its obscenely expensive ($99 a month with telstra). Telstra $49 business cap plan comes with $20 MRO credit too though

[9ra55h0ppaH]

Don't really want spend more than $50/month, so the Desire might have to do even if I like the DHD better. Looked at the Galaxy S too, but its obscenely expensive ($99 a month with telstra). Telstra $49 business cap plan comes with $20 MRO credit too though

JB HiFi will give you a Galaxy S for $64/Month (which i assume is a $49 plan and 15/Month Extra MRO)...

Im about to sign up with Telstra, they dont do the Desire on the $49 plan anymore (been replaced with the Motorola Defy, Desire can be had for $61/Month) Im hoping they do some kind of deal with a new android phone in the coming weeks/month... current ones are a bit long in the tooth in my opinion :P

[nutty]

Yep thats the main problem, all the current phones are 6+ months old.. and it comes down to the biggest problem with android phones imho.

The manufactures are responsible for pushing updates out to phones, so once they stop selling it.. they will basically give up.

Ill keep saying it, the best android phone will ALWAYS be the latest google phone.. eg the nexus s

[kwijibo]

Pity Vodafone have an exclusive on the Nexus S.

Grasshopper - I believe telstra still do the Desire on $49 plan if you're a business customer (have an ABN). It might be worth holding out for the new releases and perhaps it'll push down the price on the Desire too.

[Sarsippius]

Another vote for the Desire if you can get it on the $49 business cap.
It's a bit weird with the personal caps, it was over $700 outright when you could get it on the $49 cap, now it's $600 outright but on the $79 cap. The next gen phones also seem a little ways off yet which could mean a bit of a wait for the desire to come back down again.
I would say overall the DHD is a better phone when you weigh up all factors but it's not that big a difference, I certainly never felt the need to upgrade from my desire. Telstra is meant to be getting the DHD soon though.
The other thing to be careful of is don't buy a phone from another carrier to use with Telstra, Telstra phones are 850/2100MHz where the others are 900/2100. Next G is 850 so you will be stuck on 2G using 2100 and Telstra are planning to eventually switch off 2100 altogether fairly soon.

[kwijibo]

So if I bought a Telstra phone and then used it on another network, I could only get 2G?

[wabbit]

Why aren't all these phones on all networks. Seems like a total fuck around.

[kwijibo]

Cos phone makers are like phone companies.. bastards!

[w00dsy]

because

[kwijibo]

I think I might stick with Virgin so we can still get the free virgin to virgin calls. Telstra only offer this if you're both on a business cap - minimum spend $49 a month which is way over the top for my usage. Virgin don't have the desire though

[Gizmo]

I got a new Nokia N8 on the vodafone 45 infinate plan awhile back. Unlimited calls and txts to any phone in australia and unlimited social networking and a 2 data a month i think it was.

[DexterPunk]

I don't personally see why anyone would bother with anything other than an iPhone. Each to their own i guess. It's been just about the best thing i've ever owned.

[kwijibo]

I got a new Nokia N8 on the vodafone 45 infinate plan awhile back. Unlimited calls and txts to any phone in australia and unlimited social networking and a 2 data a month i think it was.

Is the network as bad as everyone says?

[KNAPPO]

I have been on the Voadfone network for two months now in Pooraka SA and have had no issues with my Desire HD. So glad i picked up the htc over the iPhone
I think most of the Vodafone complaints have been coming out of NSW from what ive read.

Will be in Melbourne for a few days for the grand prix so im interested to see how it goes there, but yeah no problems for me on Vodafone.

Speedtest.net gives me 2.59mbps download and .59mbps upload which is fine by me.

[nutty]

I don't personally see why anyone would bother with anything other than an iPhone. Each to their own i guess. It's been just about the best thing i've ever owned.

I can say the same thing about android.. but we have had this debate over and over.. and whats funny is the only major advantage apple has (applications) will slowly start to die off
along with there market share http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=26562" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Roomate just ordered a Motorola ATRIX from the US.. ill let you know what its like when she gets it
http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/US-EN ... TRIX-US-EN" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;