Smartphone advice needed

There is a tension between smartphone as phone and smartphone as tablet. For placing bets, larger is better; for other purposes, including carrying around in your pocket, smaller is better. Some phones are heavier than others of similar size.

Depending where you are "out and about" you might lose signal, especially 4G.

Watching races on your phone will chew up a lot of data (and beware the impulse to hurl it across the room when yours gets done on the line).

What's the difference between a Tablet and an IPad. Tablets seem to cost about £100, and IPad's cost about £400.

Sorry if this may seem like an obvious a question to anybody who has knowledge about these things but I really have no idea all I have is this standard computer.

No moves – An ipad and tablet are both the same thing but the ipad is a tablet made by apple.

For a few years, ipads were superior to any other tablet available but that has changed recently. However, ipads are still worth considering for people who aren’t very proficient with these sort of things. My Mum (who is 70) wanted a tablet for light use ie. Internet shopping, holidays and email, and we got her an ipad as we knew it would be easier for her to use.

To the OP, if you are looking for a smartphone, I can highly recommend a Motorola Moto G which is a great phone for the money. A new 4G version has just been released and can be found for around £140. However, if you are happy with the non 4G version (and no sd expansion slot) you can pick one up for a lot less. This thread says they are available in some Tescos for as little as £59 which frankly is a massive bargain (anything under £100 is a great price for this phone).

There is a review of the phone here:
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http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/moto-g-1199218/review#null

oops, I didn't post the Tesco's thread:
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http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/moto-g-8gb-3g-version-59-instore-tesco-found-gateshead-1970323

The android phones are cheaper than iphones and are perfectly good to use. You can change the batteries of android phones, so can carry a spare or two. You can't change the battery in an iphone without taking the device apart.
Depending upon your age and eyesight, you might find it useful to buy one with a bigger screen. If you are looking at most web page, you'll find it easier to navigate with a bigger screen. The Samsung devices are very good. You don't need to buy the latest one. Check the cost of the phone with & without contracts. It's normally cheaper to buy one without a contract. (Unlocked, SIM free) e.g. The S4, S3 or S2 would be fine depending upon your budget. Have a look at giff gaff and three for your SIM card & pay as you go bundles. Make sure you get the right type of SIM card for your phone! Ask some friends what there experience of various phone networks are in your area.

Good advice from Stow there, However not all android phones have replaceable batteries - the Moto G that I mentioned above does not have a replaceable battery which is one of its flaws (mentioned in the reviews). This obviously has to be weighed up against the price, how much use it will get and how soon you are likely to replace your phone.

thanks everyone, some interesting points there... one of my best mates has the moto g and he highly recommended it in terms of value for money. I don't anticipate using it a lot, mainly on saturdays when I go to footy matches. If I use it to access the internet via wifi, will I be able to use normal betting sites or will I need to get all their different apps?

If thats all you want to use it for then you can't go wrong with the Moto G - you just need to decide whether to fork out extra for 4G and an expansion slot. 4G may not even be available where you are - you can find out on your provider's website.

As for betting apps, when you access a betting website, most of the time you are re-directed to their mobile site which is normally all you need. I put bookmarks to the different sites on one of my phone's pages for quick access. Of course, you can download the apps if you want to.

Android phone

I Phone

Smartphone

Could somebody tell me a)what is an Android phone? B) what is an IPhone and how does it differ in function and price from an android phone? C) what is a smartphone and how does it differ from either an android phone or an IPhone?

They are both smartphones, an Android phone is a phone that runs the android operating system, there are different brands of phones which use it. An IPhone is made by Apple and uses its own operating system, and they are usually a lot more expensive than android ones.

Smartphones are just mini computers that can do a range of things besides phoning. I-Phones, Android Phones, Blackberries, Windows 8 phones are all smartphones. The difference between Android, Apple, Blackberry etc is the operating system. All OS are not compatible with each other but most popular Apps have a version that works on each OS. No matter what phone you choose you will have a range of apps that will suit your needs.

Apple (I-Phone) is top of the range while Android is a generic brand but the most popular.

One thing you should be aware of is data use. Sites like Betfair and general browsing won't use up much data but if you watch Youtube then it will eat into your data a lot. That's a separate thread but something you should be aware of. I pay £10 PM (PAYG) and get 1GB data, unlimited texts and 500mins but it's the data I would use most. Think about what you will use the phone for and choose the right plan.

What is your budget and what will you use the phone for? If your budget is tight then you won't go far wrong with that Moto G.

I own that Moto G (love the HUKD site BTW) and it's a great phone. I use it for podcasts (radio shows you can download and listen at leisure), Facebook, Mobdro (Google that one as it's not available on the Play store ) and a few other Apps I find really useful. I also use my phone as a Wifi hotspot so I can run a Windows 8 tablet when I'm out and about. I even develop a bit for my own use (Android uses Java.)

I use my phone daily, it's now one of those devices I think how did I ever live without.

Also, if you are looking for a new "sim only" deal (or if you feel you are paying too much at the moment) then look no further than here:
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http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/best-sim-only-deals-megathread-1623625

One last point, if you see a cheap smartphone but it is locked to a provider that you don't want, its generally easy to get it unlocked. A quick ebay search will find an unlocking service for under a couple of quid.

Thank you, some good advice here.

i got a smartphone recently a nokia luma and they gave me a free 32 inch tv ( free my @rses ) the bill came in at £38 a month i cancelled direct debit and kept tv and ill just fire a payg sim card in now

its windows and picks up wifi anyway so dont really need data , buses and all that sh1t have wifi now anyway

but i refuse to sit on a but clued to a screen like a zombie like the rest of the population , i fkcing hate walking about with phones tbh unless its needed like going to meet someone etc , too many people sit in pubs and just text all night , cant even shoot a game of pool without someone being on fb to show them what tehir drinking

sit on a bus*

can someone clarify something for me - if I connected to wifi and wanted to watch live streaming, would that affect my data allowance?

tia

Nope

cheers joel

wifi in mcdonalds is free also , just sit there or on a bus and watch a game if you like

app required for smartphone using windows

If you are BT customer, these deals are quite good. BT now own ee and the 4G is very good. None of the network providers coverage is good for all areas. Most have a postcode checker.

http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/products/4g-sim-only-plans/bb.html?s_cid=con_ppc_maxus_vidZ60_T1&vendorid=Z60&gclid=CJSolYGAgMcCFcPKtAodoKoOSg&dclid=CI6NmoGAgMcCFY7cGwodEQkIgg

Having seen a windows phone, I would not have one if given £100 with it.

The Dolphin app is a good browser for an android phone. You can change the user agent to desktop & use full websites, rather than the mobile version that many browsers would direct you to.