Which Android To Choose?

[JW96]

Hi, I currently have a iPhone 3GS but I've decided that I'm going to go with a Android next (as my brother has a iPhone 5 & it's basically the same phone over & over) because I want something new. My contract runs out sometime in November (Yes I know that's quite a bit away) but I want some help deciding which phone to get, I want a phone which will be supported for 2 years.

I've been looking at the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z & the Google Nexus 4.

Which one is best? & if there's any other(s) please tell.

 

[SiempreTuna]

Personally - and phone choice is very subjective - I'd drop the Sony from your list and add the HTC One. Frankly, I'd be happy with any of those phones but the Nexus wins it for me because it's around half the price of the others.

Getting the latest version of Android first is also pretty nice plus. Of all the options, a Nexus is most likely to keep getting upgrades for the two years you specify. Given you'd probably buy the others via a network subsidy, even if the manufacturer releases an upgrade, there's no guarantee the network will pass it on.

The next Nexus will probably be coming out in November, so I'd definitely wait to see what that's like - the Nexus 4 is a fantastic phone at a simply astounding price. Its successor has to worth a look.

 

[iTzKPanda]

I was in a similar predicament a year ago. I spent 6 months researching and finally switched from the iPhone 3Gs to the Galaxy S2 and I must say: I like Android much more than iOS.

The HTC One is defintely a phone you should look out for as well. The subforum for it has been going crazy over the phone for a while.

Also be on the lookout for the Motorola X Phone. It's supposed to have "blow your mind away" features and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 as long as you don't mind the screen size.

All nexus devices and flagship phones (I.E: Galaxy S4, HTC One, Nexus, etc) are usually supported for around two years meaning they get about 2 upgrades. My Galaxy S2 was released with gingerbread, received Ice Cream Sandwich last year and received Jellybean this year.

I hope your Android journey will be as fun as mine was

 

[ExtremeNerd]

Moved to Device Comparison.

They fill different niches and could not be further apart. My only comment is to avoid Sony phones. They are well built, but software is bottom of the barrel. They rarely support devices and developers never do. I would recommend the One personally.

 

[Ssith]

i'd wait until at least august, possibly september, to even start looking. the phones for Q4 will be announced then, and you'll have picks of everything released up until that point, too. don't set your sights on one now, only to be heartbroken when it's discontinued, or a better model comes out right after you buy.

make a list of things that you absolutely need in a your phone. is an SD slot important to you? removable battery? HDMI out? how about powered micro usb (so it can read flash drives)? do you need NFC? are you a mediaphile and HAVE TO HAVE the best screen in town? what kind of form factor are you looking at, 4" or 5+"? heck, you might even be looking at JB vs KLP.

i know some of them are kinda meh, but some might be things you didn't know about. it's a fun decision to make. you can start looking at phones that have the things in your list now, and see if there's anything in the pipeline concerning upcoming models. it's a long time til november, at least in Phoneland.

 

[ExtremeNerd]

i'd wait until at least august, possibly september, to even start looking. the phones for Q4 will be announced then, and you'll have picks of everything released up until that point, too. don't set your sights on one now, only to be heartbroken when it's discontinued, or a better model comes out right after you buy.

make a list of things that you absolutely need in a your phone. is an SD slot important to you? removable battery? HDMI out? how about powered micro usb (so it can read flash drives)? do you need NFC? are you a mediaphile and HAVE TO HAVE the best screen in town? what kind of form factor are you looking at, 4" or 5+"? heck, you might even be looking at JB vs KLP.

i know some of them are kinda meh, but some might be things you didn't know about. it's a fun decision to make. you can start looking at phones that have the things in your list now, and see if there's anything in the pipeline concerning upcoming models. it's a long time til november, at least in Phoneland.

There's always "something better" around the corner when you speak about technology. If you play that game, you will never buy anything. Hardware specifically is at a point of equilibrium. There isn't a need for hardware to go higher, and it's cost restrictive. It is where it is, and probably won't go up much within the next year.

I agree with the list, though. Too often people don't know what they NEED. 32GB is overrated when you only need 2. Save yourself some money by figuring out the most important things to you.

 

[ouch1976]

There's no point thinking about the newest releases in April when you can't upgrade until November...like Sith said, there should be some announcements in the fall which will make the Spring releases look inferior...

The Nexus 4 will be over 1 year old by that point, which is a lifetime in tech-land...

 

[JW96]

Thanks for the responses guys, all I want is for it to be fast (e.g. Internet, Apps) I also want to be able to play some of the latest games. My main request though is that it will still be supported in the 2 years I'll have my contract, I know iPhone's get supported for about 3 years (3 OS updates). I don't think I will be getting a Nexus 5 as they will be new around the time my contract is up so they'll be fairly pricey but the S4 would have dropped down a bit (hopefully). I want to spend about

 

[iTzKPanda]

like Sith said, there should be some announcements in the fall which will make the Spring releases look inferior...

That's true in most cases, but the Note 2 was released last year and I'll bet you that it'll be one of the top phones spec-wise by the end of the year until the Note 3 arrives. Except screen quality.

Thanks for the responses guys, all I want is for it to be fast (e.g. Internet, Apps) I also want to be able to play some of the latest games. My main request though is that it will still be supported in the 2 years I'll have my contract, I know iPhone's get supported for about 3 years (3 OS updates). I don't think I will be getting a Nexus 5 as they will be new around the time my contract is up so they'll be fairly pricey but the S4 would have dropped down a bit (hopefully). I want to spend about