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Hey All,
I'm having a very hard time deciding whether to get the HTC HD7 or the Samsung Focus and was wondering if any of you could help out.
I'm going to post this in the Samsung Focus Forum as well to get their side of things so I mainly want to know from the HD7 owner's side of the story.
HTC HD7
Large 4.3" Screen (the main reason I want to get it)
Really nice design - mainly screen (Focus has too much plastic around the screen)
16GB Built in memory with option to void warranty and upgrade
Kickstand which will be useful since there are no docks available.
Dual LED flash - not too important for me as I hear the HD7 camera isn't too great.
Heavier than the Focus - seriously, I do prefer a denser phone
Comes with free GPS Navigation Software.
Samsung Focus
Amazing 4" SAMOLED display (although it is smaller than the HD7). I have a Zune HD and the quality of that screen is amazing.
Design is OK, a little plasticky for my taste
Very light, this is an advantage (even though I prefer a denser phone) as it is less noticeable in your pocket.
8GB NAND memory which appears to be much, much faster than the HD7 with the option to upgrade to 40GB with a 32GB card without voiding warranty. 16GB is probably enough for me but 8GB is definitely too small.
According to reviews, has an excellent camera.
Now my decision is even harder because I will not be able to see the devices until I buy one as I live in South Africa and will be getting a relative to send the device out to me. I will be immigrating to the US in less than a years time so if I get the HD7 I will be going with T-Mobile and if I get the Focus I will be going with AT&T as my SP. (Is one better / cheaper than the other?)
I hope you guys can provide me with some information to sway me either way
Thanks,
Jonno
Hi Jonno!
I kind of understand how you are feeling right now because I was also in this situation and when WP7 launched on 11th October I wanted to buy the Omnia 7. It depends what you really need/want from a phone.
Personally , I am not into S-AMOLED screens because of the lower sharpness and I am also not too overwhelmed by having the guy next to me reading all my messages etc. Vibrant colors is cool but you'll get bored of this pretty fast.
The official micro-SD support one the most important advantages if you ask me and NAND is indeed faster BUT I also think apps are not yet optimised for HD7's memory and might see an update soon ,because let's face it, the hardware is there and it can help.
Also a larger battery the 1500 one but the S-AMOLED screen kinda compensates the bigger battery and good sAR values but honestly I wouldn't mind having a 1500 in my HD7
For me, when I pay big cash for a phone I want to have a good-looking one and I might refuse a bit better specs for a gorgeous design which HD7 clearly has.
So, if you want a phone that simply has the specs go for the Samsung, if you want a sexy phone with a BIG display go for the HD7.
P.S. Are you saying you will be buying it in an almost 1 year time ? Ouch , by then you will have a better OS and other devices as well
Hi yly3,
Thanks very much for that advice.
I'm not necessarily after the best specs, I just want to be happy with my decision and I will never be happy until I research all of the options and am sure that I know what I want to do.
Yeah, I'm not too worried about the viewing angles (would also rather have poor angles so that I have my phone to myself). I just noticed in the Focus videos that the display seems almost surreal - the visuals just appeared on the top of the device as if there was no screen.
I'm also wondering about the speed of the two devices. If I get a Focus I will most likely be adding a SD card to it anyway so it'd be interesting to know the performance changes when a card is added to the Focus.
Yeah, as long as the battery lasts me the whole day I'm fine. Will charge it at nights anyway.
I would like this phone to act as a bit of an ambassador for the platform as I'm not sure when it's going to be launched in this country.
Oh, and no, I will be moving to the States in a year but hopefully purchase the device before the end of the month.
S-AMOLED or not the battery will last a little bit longer than HD7's one. Although reading through Microsoft forums I saw that there is not much of a difference between the batteries, Samsung might win in standby mode or using the phone only as a phone.
About the cards, it seems Microsoft is on this one and recommends we wait for the "official seal of approval cards" from them for the best performance. When those will be available , there is no word yet , in my opinion somewhere in Q2 if you ask me but that's just a wild guess.
A small reminder is that the Samsung has slightly less RAM (512 vs HD7's 576) but I am sure it's not a deal breaker anyway ..
If this helps you with anything Bill Gates' phone is the Focus
Yeah, as long as the performance of the HD7 is not a problem, and from what I've read it isn't, then I don't really mind.
If you add a card to the Focus and fill it up I doubt the performance will be any better that the HD7. As MicroSD cards improve it may be possible to upgrade to faster cards anyway.
Does anyone have any experience on how much bigger the 4.3" screen is than the 4" screen? From the pictures it looks to be quite a bit smaller.
Since the big deciding factor is the screen display, please take the time to read this thread I posted regarding AMOLED color representation
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=840883
Also, watch some review videos comparing the two!
Here's a good one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTLfGbvNATA
Also, since the phones are so similarly spec'd with the main difference being the screen, you should focus (pun!) more of you decision on which carrier is better.
For example, where are you moving to in the US? ATT has a stronger signal in the northeast but tmobile is much better in the south and west coast. The 3g speeds also vary depending on your location and if you use a lot of mobile data, expect to pay more for ATT since they no longer offer unlimited data plans.
Overall, you can expect to pay about 10 dollars less for the same plan on Tmobile vs ATT.
But like I said, service and reception should be your ultimate deciding factor since both phones are almost identical and priced the same.
Good luck with your decision!
One thing that I must say about the Samsung Focus that most people leave out of their reviews is that the back of the phone scratches very easily. Compare it to the iphone chrome rim and you get what I mean. It's been a week since my friend bought his focus and the back has already shown some wear and tear and he pretty much babys his phone. So if you do plan on getting the focus make sure you get a case or whatever.
Also, if you are looking for an "ambassador" device, always go with htc since developers on xda focus more of their time developing on htc devices. I mean the HTC XDA II was the reason why this forum was created!
About prices: everything unlimited- Text, Minutes, & Data.
On T Mobile you ll be paying between $80-$90 a month. But 3g is spotty and indoor 3g sucks with T mobile and I live in south florida. Every time I call to complaint they say their working on it, and thats been for three years now.
On AT&T you will be paying between $135-$145 a month for same service.
only difference is At&T has 3G coverage in way more areas than T mobile.
and they dont have the indoor problem with their 3G.
I have till Monday to return my HD7 and Im still debating on what to do cause Im off contract already. I love the phone but what I like most is the OS, Microsoft has done a beautiful job. Still needs a little touch here and there but awesome start I think. I would love to get the samsung focus phone from AT&T but as you see the prices are way more, I guess thats the price you gotta pay for better service. and Verizon is just as expensive. Sprint is the cheapest but the W7 phone they are coming out with is to small for my taste.
yly3 said:
S-AMOLED or not the battery will last a little bit longer than HD7's one. Although reading through Microsoft forums I saw that there is not much of a difference between the batteries, Samsung might win in standby mode or using the phone only as a phone.
About the cards, it seems Microsoft is on this one and recommends we wait for the "official seal of approval cards" from them for the best performance. When those will be available , there is no word yet , in my opinion somewhere in Q2 if you ask me but that's just a wild guess.
A small reminder is that the Samsung has slightly less RAM (512 vs HD7's 576) but I am sure it's not a deal breaker anyway ..
If this helps you with anything Bill Gates' phone is the Focus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems that for cards right now, the ones to get are sandisk class2, those are the ones that people have gotten to work in the hd7s and the ones that are now coming out microsoft certified.
Jonno2343 said:
Yeah, as long as the performance of the HD7 is not a problem, and from what I've read it isn't, then I don't really mind.
If you add a card to the Focus and fill it up I doubt the performance will be any better that the HD7. As MicroSD cards improve it may be possible to upgrade to faster cards anyway.
Does anyone have any experience on how much bigger the 4.3" screen is than the 4" screen? From the pictures it looks to be quite a bit smaller.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mrroey said:
Also, since the phones are so similarly spec'd with the main difference being the screen, you should focus (pun!) more of you decision on which carrier is better.
For example, where are you moving to in the US? ATT has a stronger signal in the northeast but tmobile is much better in the south and west coast. The 3g speeds also vary depending on your location and if you use a lot of mobile data, expect to pay more for ATT since they no longer offer unlimited data plans.
Overall, you can expect to pay about 10 dollars less for the same plan on Tmobile vs ATT.
But like I said, service and reception should be your ultimate deciding factor since both phones are almost identical and priced the same.
Good luck with your decision!
One thing that I must say about the Samsung Focus that most people leave out of their reviews is that the back of the phone scratches very easily. Compare it to the iphone chrome rim and you get what I mean. It's been a week since my friend bought his focus and the back has already shown some wear and tear and he pretty much babys his phone. So if you do plan on getting the focus make sure you get a case or whatever.
Also, if you are looking for an "ambassador" device, always go with htc since developers on xda focus more of their time developing on htc devices. I mean the HTC XDA II was the reason why this forum was created!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely want to keep the carriers in mind. At&t will get you signal just about anywhere, but doesn't have the best 3g/4g network so your data may suffer.
Tmobile isn't as widespread as the others, but if you live in a city chances are you are good. I live in San Antonio and always have reception (hspa+)
Yeah i also need an advice. Thinking between Samsung Omnia 7 or HTC HD7
HTC HD7
-better design
-bigger screen
Samsung Omnia 7
-better screen
-better battery life
can anyone help me to choose?
Hmm.. It definitely seems like I'll be going with T-Mobile then as AT&T sound too be just a little too expensive.
Thanks for the link on the Color Reproduction, very interesting!
Also interesting to hear about the Focus scratching, I imagine they used too thin a plastic to make it terribly durable.
Since I'll be stuck in South Africa for another year, the carrier isn't too much of an issue for me right now and I will only be able to fully determine which is best once I've tried them out in the places I'll be.
The HD7 always stuck out as me as the phone to get and I think as I look at it, it's turning out to be the better choice.
Does anyone think it's better to hold off till later next year? Maybe better devices (dual core, etc)? Looks like quite a few more coming next year according to http://pocketnow.com/windows-phone/how-htc-and-samsung-look-at-their-windows-phone-7-futures
But then again I can't wait until the next best thing comes out as there will always be some better coming out.
Thanks for all of the responses!
Regarding your concern about waiting another year for updated specs, you will feel the exact same way next year when your buying your newer phone. Think about it in the perspective of an iPhone user...they know for a fact that a new upgraded iphone is coming out in a year but nonetheless theres no talk about waiting another year to see what might be released whether its dual core or 10mp cameras.
The truth of the matter is technology will always be doubling in specs at an exponential rate so theres not point in waiting for a year cuz of course there will be better phones and hardware.
Ever since I bought my first G1, I always upgrade my phone in a year or sometimes less either due to better hardware released or just because I get bored easily. And after I buy the newer phone, I just sell my old one. At most i'll be spending about 100-150 to "upgrade."
For example. I sold my iphone 3gs on craigslist for 350 this summer and bought an iPhone 4 for 450 which was a pretty good deal. I then sold my iphone 4 for 500 and bought an hd2 for 250. And then I recently switched to the hd7 buying it for 450 with no contract.
So don't worry about holding off on buying a phone. They seem to improve at a faster rate than computers/tvs so its really not worth keeping around older hardware that grows more obsolete day by day.
Thanks for that.
Good to hear that you can sell them again for a respectable price.
One problem with technology is that very few people want to buy the old stuff if they have a choice so it's nice to know that it is not so for smart phones.
HD 7 for sure. The differences in AMOLED or whatever is not enough to make up for the sheer 4.3 inch size on the HD7. I loved it on my HD2 and told myself I would never go back to anything smaller. And I meant it. The HD7 is hands above as far as stylish looks and the "WOW" factor when you or someone else picks it up. Bottom line is, better looking phone with about the same performance across the board due to the OS just being that much more efficient.
Jonno2343 said:
Thanks for that.
Good to hear that you can sell them again for a respectable price.
One problem with technology is that very few people want to buy the old stuff if they have a choice so it's nice to know that it is not so for smart phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Last generation Android (Moto Droid, Nexus One, Desire) and iOS phones are usually in great demand since most people won't pay $500+ premium prices for the top of the line phones.
The majority of XDA community make up the small percentage of hardcore phone users that are willing to shell out however much for the newest spankn phones.
For your situation, as long as WP7 doenst end up flopping like the Palm webOS, you can expect the resell value of the HD7 to be pretty good in a year.
Had the same problem.
Solved, but wont tell you how
->> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833140
Hi All ,
Want to give WP8 a try with a mid-range device as i already have Galaxy S3 and Xperia Mini
best devices i can found suitable to my budget are HTC 8S and Nokia Lumia 620
in a direct comparison the 620 is better as it has a front camera , NFC , Multi-Band WiFi and 8GB of storage while the main better in 8S is it's battery
so which device you recommend , 8S or 620 ?!
or shall i discard the all idea of getting a WP8 device
Thanks in advance
The 2 things u should discard is those crappy Android phones, and get a decent WP8 phone
miodrage said:
The 2 things u should discard is those crappy Android phones, and get a decent WP8 phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Such a useful opinion should be made as a sticky post...
MohamedYousri said:
Hi All ,
Want to give WP8 a try with a mid-range device as i already have Galaxy S3 and Xperia Mini
best devices i can found suitable to my budget are HTC 8S and Nokia Lumia 620
in a direct comparison the 620 is better as it has a front camera , NFC , Multi-Band WiFi and 8GB of storage while the main better in 8S is it's battery
so which device you recommend , 8S or 620 ?!
or shall i discard the all idea of getting a WP8 device
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Back to what really matters, I don't like the 620 because of it's cheap plastic feel and bad eperience with previous Lumia series devices, which doesn't mean this one has the same glitches, but definitely the looks doesn't convince me... Anyway, if you really use video call/conference, the 620 is the way to go. Also the 8GB is another strong selling point in favor of the 8S.
About the 8S, I own one and it feels a superior phone comparing with my S2. Small, but robust and the soft touch really makes it stand out of the competition. The lack of front facing camera isn't a big issue to me because I don't use it, but the 4GB of storage is a limitation... I'm not the kind of person that installs apps for everything or just for fun, I just install what I really need, and so it is enough, but I admit it's a limitation.
Get the 620
100% get a 620 - I have owned both and i can tell you that everything works better on the Nokia. Although I prefer the look and feel of the 8S, the 620 is probably the best budget phone you can buy, with and front facing camera, 8GB storage (+mircoSD support up to 64GB), app services like Nokia Music and Nokia Drive and the size feels really good in the hand. I think the HTC 8S has one big problem - 4GB memory which is not enough as with a clean flash only gives you 1.7GB free space, and you cant install apps on to the SD Card.
I personally bought Lumia 620 few days ago, just to get some feeling where WP8 is, after few years of Android. I have to admit that I like how it feel in hand, sturdy while still possible to use with 1 hand. Personally not sure if I keep this phone (something about WP just keeps rubbing me wrong way) but atleast this gives some nice bonuses with all Nokia added bonuses (lenses, music app etc).
And tbh, if you gonna risk going to WP8 to try it out, go with Lumia 620. You get Nokia Music and Drive+ as nice bonuses to fairly nice phone.
MohamedYousri said:
Hi All ,
Want to give WP8 a try with a mid-range device as i already have Galaxy S3 and Xperia Mini
best devices i can found suitable to my budget are HTC 8S and Nokia Lumia 620
in a direct comparison the 620 is better as it has a front camera , NFC , Multi-Band WiFi and 8GB of storage while the main better in 8S is it's battery
so which device you recommend , 8S or 620 ?!
or shall i discard the all idea of getting a WP8 device
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the 620, it has nicer colors, front facing camera, 8 gigs of memory, it's a Nokia, Nokia Apps included, replaceable 3.5 mm jack, smaller screen and supersensitive screen as 920 and 820! The only thing that i hate about the 620 is its 1300 mah battery
I dont think the 620 can be considered as a mid range device.....It's nokia's low end lumia phone.....If you're looking for midrange, get he 820...
I see the Nokia Lumia 620 does not have a dedicated section on xda forum, not sure if I can request that of an admin / mod?
I should very much like to buy one for my Dad as they can be had for £150, however I am yet to find a guide / thread on here about getting it unlocked?
may be soon released lumia 720 will filling the gap between 820/620
miodrage said:
The 2 things u should discard is those crappy Android phones, and get a decent WP8 phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh god... When will these kinds of comments cease to exist?
Sent from my MK16i using Tapatalk 2
What do you think? Should i keep my HTC Desire HD or change it for HTC 8S?
Get an 820 or 810 if your t-mobile. Solid device with SD expandability.
Sent from Lumia 810 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I really dont like nokia i had bad experiance with my last 2 nokia phones
Sent from my HTC Desire HD using xda app-developers app
Huawei Ascend 1 good price for this phone. O2 sells it for £119.
Sent from my HUAWEI W1-U00 using Board Express
I can't stress this strongly enough: don't go near the 8S, the 4GB of memory and the WP8 other storage bug mean that you won't be able to install much more than a handful of apps before hitting the dreaded storage limit. I had to uninstall pretty much everything I had on mine just to get Evernote to install and run.
I'm not sure how bad this is on other handsets but the 8S is crippled by it.
The 8S is a beautifully made device, nice in the hand and packing a decent screen and camera, but all of that is negated by the memory problem.
Hi. Take HTC it,s better.
Sent from my Windows Phone 8S by HTC using Board Express
I recently faced the same choice and went for the 620. Happy camper, too (after about a week).
The phone feels nice and heavy, yet it's still compact. The included Nokia software is a nice bonus (works great), not bloatware as expected.
disclaimer: I never owned a high end phone like your SGS3, only the original Samsung Galaxy, LG P500 Optimus One, and the Xperia Mini Pro.
620 better
Sent from my Lumia 820 using Board Express Pro
---------- Post added at 11:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:25 PM ----------
Double internal storage and front camera
http://www.gsmarena.com/compare.php3?idPhone1=5147&idPhone2=5000
Sent from my Lumia 820 using Board Express Pro
MohamedYousri said:
Hi All ,
Want to give WP8 a try with a mid-range device as i already have Galaxy S3 and Xperia Mini
best devices i can found suitable to my budget are HTC 8S and Nokia Lumia 620
in a direct comparison the 620 is better as it has a front camera , NFC , Multi-Band WiFi and 8GB of storage while the main better in 8S is it's battery
so which device you recommend , 8S or 620 ?!
or shall i discard the all idea of getting a WP8 device
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely Lumia 620 is better than HTC 8S. For starters, the Lumia has 4GB greater internal storage facility. Moreover, it has the Nokia exclusive navigation and camera apps which are not available to the HTC device. The build quality might be better on the HTC (as usual) but you cannot say that Nokia's build quality is faulty or bad. Nokia is reputed for its excellently built devices and the Lumia 620 is no exception. My suggestion is, just go to a store and check out both handsets for real. I am sure you'll pick the Lumia.
nokia FTW
go with nokia!
HTC phones have no quality no more!
see my 8S in attached pic. it got broken in the first 2 days.
it was a simple drop! and then HTC asked me to pay around $260 to replace the screen!
I have been a avid android user and supporter for some years now but lately some of the models has started to let me down as time as has started to pass. Presently there are no Android phones that really gets me going and at the same point I would like to try out Windows Phone 8, but then problem comes; which phone to choose >.<
I ideally want one which has a MicroSD card slot, since I have a 64 gig card in my 9305 (SGS3 4g) that I want to transplant over, but hopefully at the same time not being forced to stick with an inferior WinMob model or version compared to what is already around and available. I am living in Europe which naturally also puts a hamper on the available models to me.
But any recommendations?
The top-end Windows Phone handset that also offers microSD support is the Samsung Ativ S. It's basically identical hardware to the GS3, though you might get better performance than was possible with Android (WP7 was better than Android on the same hardware, not sure about WP8). The best WP8 devices in general are going to be the Lumia 92x (920 and the recently-announced 925 and 928) models, but while these come with up to 32GB of internal storage they lack microSD cards, and their CPU/GPU/RAM are basically the same as the Ativ S (resolution is very slightly higher, 1280x768 instead of 1280x720).
MeX_DK said:
I have been a avid android user and supporter for some years now but lately some of the models has started to let me down as time as has started to pass. Presently there are no Android phones that really gets me going and at the same point I would like to try out Windows Phone 8, but then problem comes; which phone to choose >.<
I ideally want one which has a MicroSD card slot, since I have a 64 gig card in my 9305 (SGS3 4g) that I want to transplant over, but hopefully at the same time not being forced to stick with an inferior WinMob model or version compared to what is already around and available. I am living in Europe which naturally also puts a hamper on the available models to me.
But any recommendations?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, do you have a budget in mind? Although the Samsung Ativ S is a good phone, they lack of any particular support from Samsung is damning. As a result, as of now, if you really want a high end Windows Phone which will also get supported from the maker, then that has to be the Lumia 920 (although it doesn't have a card slot). The other option would be to get hold of the Lumia 720 (incredibly sleek as well as having a card slot), though not really high end, but in many opinions, better than the Lumia 820 (which does have a better screen aspect ratio).
devious avatar said:
Well, do you have a budget in mind? Although the Samsung Ativ S is a good phone, they lack of any particular support from Samsung is damning. As a result, as of now, if you really want a high end Windows Phone which will also get supported from the maker, then that has to be the Lumia 920 (although it doesn't have a card slot). The other option would be to get hold of the Lumia 720 (incredibly sleek as well as having a card slot), though not really high end, but in many opinions, better than the Lumia 820 (which does have a better screen aspect ratio).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OS support mainly comes from Microsoft may be Nokia has some more features but all OS updates come from Microsoft for all the devices AFAIK
DynamicRam said:
The OS support mainly comes from Microsoft may be Nokia has some more features but all OS updates come from Microsoft for all the devices AFAIK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that is true. MSFT will send out the updates and they do sport the same features, but what I meant was by the way of differentiation. Nokia with its various apps (especially Here Maps and Here Drive) amongst other stellar apps is really making a difference to the ecosystem. They regularly update their apps, as well as sporting many games and apps which are Nokia exclusive. Just look at the recently announced Hipstamatic app. It will first come to Nokia for an exclusive period.
All I meant to say was, by and far, Nokia is the only phone developer who is taking the ecosystem seriously and furthering its development.
Currently the Ativ S is the only top-tier WP8 phone with an SD card slot, but it is nigh impossible to get in the states, and I'm not even sure what carriers whould support it. Plus, WP8 is an afterthought to Samsung, so don't expect much in the way of support for the phone.
Nokia is a fantastic company, makes great phones and absolutely supports them beyond what any other cell phone company does. Their flagship phones (i.e. the 920 and variants) are unsurpassed, but they lack SD card support.
The highest end Lumia with SD card support is the 820/822, which is flagship minus the camera and big, high-res screen. Performance is at least as good as the 920 series and better than any Android phone.
The 8X is also an excellent phone, not quite up to par with the 920s but still extremely good. It lacks SD card support and the app support Nokia provides, but is more svelte and "fashionable" if you will.
There are two variants of the Ativ S. The SGH-T899M can be imported from Canada (easily and not particularly expensively), pre-SIM-unlocked and with no external (and very minimal internal; you have to go look for it) carrier branding. It works flawlessly on T-Mobile's bands (including their LTE). It will also work on AT&T, not quite as well (not all of AT&T's LTE bands are supported, I think, but some places are) but well enough.
The Nokia 92x line is definitely the "best" aside from the lack of expandable/removable storage. They have the highest-resolution displays, the most internal storage, the best cameras, and the best apps.
If you like swype keyboards, you'll miss them. Otherwise, the only real nitpick I have is haptic feedback not able to be disabled on the permakeys (back, win key, etc). I only got a Windows phone for app development though. My galaxy nexus is still my normal phone, even if Android is a bit more laggy and eats more battery.
Samsung phones are able to disable the feedback using an OEM app. Other phones would be capable of it if we can break out of the sandbox (yet another thing we had in WP7 and are missing in WP8, at least in the current state of homebrew).
hey guys
ive been using a nexus s for the past few years, and i've enjoyed android, but ive realized to get a fast android you need to spend money. nexus s is good, but ive found it really slow and painful. also its broken now.
so what i now want to know is should i get a windows phone? ive heard they are fast and dont have to be very expensive. ive been looking at the lumia 520 and it looks pretty damn good for its price. if theres something better for about $200 australian please let me know here
The 520 is well worth it's money. Sure, you have to sacrifice a couple of things, but it's still miles ahead of similarly priced Android devices.
My sister bought one recently, she switched from Galaxy Mini, so obviously she's impressed with the phone's performance. Hell, I have an 820 for about a year now, and I was impressed with the 520. It really is a solid device all around, it even got the "Best low-cost smartphone award" at the MWC, so that tells you something.
520 is definitely a good starting point for trying out WP. On the other hand, you could go for the 620, it's similarly priced, but has some advantages. Have a look online and compare them and you'll see what suits you best...
Yeah.... not sure what the price of something like the 620 is in Aus, but it's worth looking around a bit. There aren't that many WP8 devices anyhow; you could basically compare them all on one page if you ignore minor variations.
The 520 is one of the lowest-end WP8 devices out there. It lacks quite a few things that are otherwise standard, like a camera flash LED, and has the minimum RAM that Microsoft allows (which means some games will not run on it). On the other hand, it performs all the core features of the OS, and runs most apps, quite well.
DaviUnic said:
The 520 is well worth it's money. Sure, you have to sacrifice a couple of things, but it's still miles ahead of similarly priced Android devices.
My sister bought one recently, she switched from Galaxy Mini, so obviously she's impressed with the phone's performance. Hell, I have an 820 for about a year now, and I was impressed with the 520. It really is a solid device all around, it even got the "Best low-cost smartphone award" at the MWC, so that tells you something.
520 is definitely a good starting point for trying out WP. On the other hand, you could go for the 620, it's similarly priced, but has some advantages. Have a look online and compare them and you'll see what suits you best...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats good to hear, thanks. ive done a bit more googling and just found out nokia has released the lumia 525, which has 1gb of ram compared to the 520's 512mb. the most annoying thing is it hasnt been released in australia yet. do you know if a windows phone like this bought online (unlocked) would work here... ive had problems with flashing the wrong radios on my nexus before, is there something similar that could occur in the windows os? ive always been cautious with buying online and there always seems to be a bigger risk with support and returning products
lukazar said:
thats good to hear, thanks. ive done a bit more googling and just found out nokia has released the lumia 525, which has 1gb of ram compared to the 520's 512mb. the most annoying thing is it hasnt been released in australia yet. do you know if a windows phone like this bought online (unlocked) would work here... ive had problems with flashing the wrong radios on my nexus before, is there something similar that could occur in the windows os? ive always been cautious with buying online and there always seems to be a bigger risk with support and returning products
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According to my research, Australia uses GSM-900 and 1800 bands, as does all of Europe, Africa, middle east and most of Asia. So if you're planning on buying the phone online, make sure it supports these two bands and that it's carrier unlocked and unbranded. As for 3G, Australia uses bands 1, 5 and 8. Other than that, you should be fine.
I forgot to mention the 525, so if you can, get that instead of the 520. Although RAM is the only difference, at least you'll be able to play all games, and it costs mostly the same.
DaviUnic said:
According to my research, Australia uses GSM-900 and 1800 bands, as does all of Europe, Africa, middle east and most of Asia. So if you're planning on buying the phone online, make sure it supports these two bands and that it's carrier unlocked and unbranded. Other than that, you should be fine.
I forgot to mention the 525, so if you can, get that instead of the 520. Although RAM is the only difference, at least you'll be able to play all games, and it costs mostly the same.
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thanks a bunch, but one more question, have you shopped for phones online before? and if so, where do you recommend i should shop?
Not really, someone else would probably be of more help than me...
I've had my 521 for few months now and have been very happy with it. Its the sister phone of the 520.
Sent from my RM-917_nam_usa_100 using XDA Windows Phone 7 App
I got mine (ATIV S, which is one of the more hackable WP8 models) off Amazon, but there are plenty of options.
I have the Lumia 520.. definitely worth the money. Camera is extremely good despite lack of flash, and it feels faster than my Nexus 4 more often than not.
lukazar said:
hey guys
ive been using a nexus s for the past few years, and i've enjoyed android, but ive realized to get a fast android you need to spend money. nexus s is good, but ive found it really slow and painful. also its broken now.
so what i now want to know is should i get a windows phone? ive heard they are fast and dont have to be very expensive. ive been looking at the lumia 520 and it looks pretty damn good for its price. if theres something better for about $200 australian please let me know here
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Hey, I recommend you very much, I have a Lumia 520 and it's pretty cool.
200$ is very much, you can get it for 60$ (for AT&T, with unlock code $90): http://www.amazon.com/Nokia-Lumia-520-GoPhone-AT/dp/B00E45043A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393866160&sr=8-1&keywords=lumia+520
I would recommend Lumia 525. It is running Black (GDR3+Nokia features) and have 1GB RAM but has no LED flash. You may also look to 820 that has a better display and cam and priced about 280$ US in Russia (or 10000ք (Russian roubles)) also it`s no longer produced so you`ll probably need to find it
I like my Lumia 520 but the lack of a file manager, flash, and a better selection of apps were a bit disappointing. Also every time I turn on my phone I get an SD card warning even though my SD card is perfectly healthy and fine and works in both my computer and my secondary android phone. I reallllly am hoping 8.1 dramatically improves the phone.
slyr114 said:
Also every time I turn on my phone I get an SD card warning even though my SD card is perfectly healthy and fine and works in both my computer and my secondary android phone. I reallllly am hoping 8.1 dramatically improves the phone.
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That could be a defective unit, doesn't necessarily indicate a problem with the entire line of phones or even the OS itself...
DaviUnic said:
That could be a defective unit, doesn't necessarily indicate a problem with the entire line of phones or even the OS itself...
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Yes I realize my phone is most likely defective in that regard but I was not saying its a problem in the entire line of Lumias or even this specific model, just my personal experience. As for the last part about 8.1 improving the phone, that was just an in general thought, I really hope the new update improves everything I love about the phone and fixes what I do not. Also can anyone recommend a good music player with good playlist building support? The default music app is kind of convoluted in creating playlists right now.
Hi there, and good to see another potential convert!
I'm Kenneth, and I've been using a Nokia Lumia 620 for almost a year now, and I have been a Nokia user from the womb 'til the tomb. I've used the Lumia 710 as well for about half a year prior to my 620, so almost 1.5 years using Windows Phone. I have used both Android and iOS and have settled for Windows Phone because it just felt natural to me.
Anyway, enough of romanticizing my relationship with my Lumia 620. However, the Lumia 620 has the same internals as the Lumia 520, i.e. CPU, RAM, storage. Even though the specs are absolute bare minimums on the Lumia 520 and the Lumia 620, I've noticed that those phones are extremely snappy. They run majority of apps from the Store, however, not all that require 1GB+ RAM, which is a small minority. Furthermore, usually Windows Phone apps that require 1GB of RAM will get optimized to run on low-mem devices.
If you disregard what the specifications look like on paper, however, my phone has barely lagged with Windows Phone even though it uses the bare-minimum specs. Using Windows Phone is a very rewarding experience with constant updates that are quite uniform between all Windows Phone devices, with a few pretty quirks from Nokia if you have the Lumia series devices. Also, along with a fast and snappy OS, it looks beautiful and simple. Everything works and is quite logical. It is a difference to Android and iOS, a fresh face, which gives it a somewhat unorthodox approach to a smartphone UI. The apps bundled are also good value-adds.
Currently at **** Smith the Lumia 520 is on sale for $99 locked to Telstra in Australia. However, I am not sure if the offer has expired yet. Typically it's $149 outright. The only alternative I can think of is the HTC 8S which only has 4GB internal memory which is a suicide mission on Windows Phone, whereas the Lumia 520 has 8GB. So nothing is better there. However, it is a more rewarding experience using Nokia for WP because Nokia puts a lot of effort into the Lumia series compared to HTC and Samsung.
That's all I have to say, but hope it's all logical. Would definitely recommend a Lumia 520 mate, for that price range. However, a Lumia 620 might be a better bet with the front facing camera and the LED flash - if that matters to you because I chose 620 > 520 because of that factor. However, Lumia 620 is a bit fatter, and the screen is smaller, hence making it look a tad chubby.
Good luck with your phone choice, and I hope you enjoy being a Lumian/Windows Phone user when you do purchase one.
Oh, I almost forgot - if you need 1GB RAM, I would recommend checking out the Lumia 525 from http://www.kogan.com.au/ which is about $20 more than the 520 on the same site. It comes unlocked, runs more apps than the Lumia 520/620. Choose that phone if camera flash and front facing camera isn't important from the 620.
Kind regards,
kunafpls
slyr114 said:
I like my Lumia 520 but the lack of a file manager, flash, and a better selection of apps were a bit disappointing. Also every time I turn on my phone I get an SD card warning even though my SD card is perfectly healthy and fine and works in both my computer and my secondary android phone. I reallllly am hoping 8.1 dramatically improves the phone.
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A bit of a necro but I just noticed this thread in my secondary email, and I'd like to say I have this SD card problem as well on the 525 I did end up buying. The issue could have arisen when the card actually physically got jammed in the slot, and I had to remove it with tweezers. I'd test it with other SD cards but my only other ones are formatted to my PSP. It does get really annoying sometimes.
Hey XDA Users Should I buy the Nokia or the Galaxy S5
If you want to go with windows phone get the htc one m8. If you want to go with android go with the lg g3.
Without more information about how you use a smartphone (or how you would like to use one), whether you're already invested in either the Android or Windows [Phone] marketplaces, and what kinds of things are important to you... there's no way to tell you.
The 1020 has by far the better camera, and will probably have better battery life.
The S5 has a bigger and better screen, and more features.
The S5 has much better specs (but Android needs better specs for a good experience than WP8 does).
it depends...
It highly depends on what you want, galaxy s5 probably has more features better battery backup (the difference is marginal though and depends on usage) but lumia 1020 has a better camera and a more stable OS.
What do you prefer, Android or WP. I use lumia 925 and i have used Android before. I prefer WP now but it has its own limitation which however should not be a dealbreaker. I prefer WP for its simplicity, stability and its improving everyday
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aclegg2011 said:
If you want to go with windows phone get the htc one m8. If you want to go with android go with the lg g3.
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HTC has got a poorer camera compared to other high-end devices, find lumia 930 instead. i have little or no objection about lg g3
Don't buy either. The 1020's only benefit is the camera and they're releasing a new 1020 like phone within the next 4 months most likely. The rest of the hardware in the 1020 is far from impressive. The 1520 and 930 camera is not better than the Lumia 1020 camera.. but it IS better than the S5 camera, by quite a margin since the Cyan update! Only to get better with Denim. Remember the Lumia 1020 has a few other drawbacks too, like a really slow camera (amazing pictures, but that thing is SLOW).
The S5 is a phone with a lot of partially functioning gimmicks and Android. It's only a consideration if you REALLY need specific things Android offers over WP8.1 But since 8.1 and 8.1 Update the list is shrinking rapidly. The LG L3 isn't much different from the Samsung S5 honestly, besides having a little less bloatware and a different setup for camera and all. Also the Samsung is a little smaller, which I personally prefer. 5.1" is really the maximum for me. I also prefer the amoled of the samsung over the LG screen. Sure the LG has a lot of pixels, but battery suffers for it a little and the difference between the samsung and LG .. I just couldn't see clearly enough to overcome the benefits of the amoled screen. And you won't notice the difference between 3GB and 2GB of ram. The LG is a phone that fights with specs, where they don't matter all that much for real world performance.
The HTC One M8 For Windows Phone (wtf name) looks OK, but it's also quite a lot more expensive than the 930, while offering very little benefits. If those differences are important enough for you, go for the HTC. But me personally, I hate the HTC design as it's way too geeky, while I love the green 930. Also camera is quite important to me, so that makes the HTC not an option anymore (the camera really is awful compared to Galaxy S5 and Lumia 930).
Like many I was a long time Android user and for some really weird reason I suddenly came home with a Lumia 925. After using that for a while, I just can't go back to Android. But if you're not spoiled by WP yet, your options are still open. I wouldn't hesitate for a second anymore and get a Lumia 930. It obviously offers everything the 1020 does and a lot more. Couple it with a DT-903 with the breathing light and it's the best you can get right now. (http://www.nokia.com/global/products/accessory/dt-903/)
Thanks
Thanks for all the replies but I am going to stick with android I just need help with the best android phone should I get the s5 or the 1+1
Or should I wait
To get the Note 4 Cause the Note 4 looks amazing in battery and performence :highfive:
Where are you guys
Hmm? no reply in a while oh well I guess the Note 4 it is then :good:
Note 4 or lumia 930 is the question you should be asking
And it's a tough choice but probably the Note 4 wins
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My house phone's better than your iPhone.
I think Lumia 1020 is outdated. You should consider recent models like 930 or 830.