Hello all, my phone contract is up for renewal now and having used an iPhone 3G for the past 18 months I feel it's time for a change. Much as I love the concept of an iPhone 4 I want to move away from Apple and am interested in Android (and WP7 to a lesser extent). My main use is web browsing, and video, with a bit of casual gaming and email thrown in. A bigger screen is a must. So I have arrived at the conclusion that the Dell Streak might be a good upgrade. The reviews all seem very positive, especially since the FroYo update, but what are these things like to live with? If anyone has any personal views/reviews of this device I would love to hear your musings.
I'm not a big fan of iTunes, and just fancy something a bit more open-ended to play with. My other half wants to hang on to her iPhone "because it's easier", but I'm a real gadget lover & prefer more of a challenge! Also the larger screen size is a real benefit for me, and the iPhone 4 is waaaay to expensive for my liking!
Hi have also been recently looking for a phone, might want to try this: HTC Desire HD http://www.htc.com/www/product/desirehd/overview.html Reviews: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/smartphones/363274/htc-desire-hd http://www.reghardware.com/2011/01/05/review_smartphone_htc_desire_hd/ Only thing to note is the register review states that you'll need a £40 contract to get it free - utter tosh If you can get hold of the current issues of PCPRO, they have a mega lab test of smart phones in it.
personally i have the samsung nexus s and i am very happy with it. going to root it today dell streak is kind of big, its not exactly pocketable, it wouldnt be my first choice. you should also check these out: htc desire hd, samsung nexus s dell venue
The Desire would have been my next choice, but I still can't help being attracted by that five inch screen!! Agreed - too much, I can get the Streak or Samsung Galaxy S for "free" paying £28/month with my business tarrif, can't really justify much more than that. It's massive even for a smartphone! The first essential purchase if I did get the Streak would be a bluetooth headset - I'd feel a bit odd holding a great big slate to my face!
A friend of mine had one of these, and I had the chance to play about with it for a while. Can't tell you what it's like to live with day to day (though I doubt it differs that much from my Desire), but I can tell you my impressions of it after playing with one for a few hours. It's MASSIVE; no hyperbole here, if you've never actually held and used one, it is bigger than you think it's going to be. It might fit a large jacket pocket, but this thing isn't going to easily fit your trouser pockets. It makes an adequate phone, though you do look a bit odd with it pressed up against your face - more so than the old-school Nokia N-Gage "sidetalking" nonsense. I'm not really that bothered by the size; I have large freak-hands and I don't really care how daft I'd look in public. It comes into it's own for web browsing, youtube, video and other apps. The screen is really lovely and it's at that sweet spot of being not too big that the apps/OS don't scale up properly, but much clearer than the standard 3.2-3.5" screen size. It is only an 800x480 resolution, so it's no more than the average high-end Android phone, but the extra size really makes a difference - especially for web-browsing. If you don't mind the serious bulk, you have no reason not to go for it - I'd have one instead of the Desire, if I had trouser pockets big enough for it! Although get it insured, and I don't mean with whatever insurance the network operator tries to foist on you - those policies are usually an expensive waste of money. The Gorilla Glass might be quite tough, but the LCD is still quite sensitive to knocks and bumps. Dell will want to charge you around £310 to repair the LCD, and a manual repair might be tricky. My aforementioned friend stored hers in her handbag and found the screen damaged one day - no excessive shocks involved, and it was even in a case. The glass itself was undamaged, but the LCD had been damaged: parts of the screen were dark, and there was the obvious tell-tale "bleeding" effect. I'd highly recommend having a look at one in a store first. If you find that it might be just that little bit too bulky, go for the Desire HD instead. Still a crystal clear and vibrant screen, but that little bit more pocketable. EDIT: Damnit... My netbook contract is just about to expire, so I may be looking for a replacement. I think I've managed to talk myself into getting a Streak on a data-only plan!
Because they're £500, plus extra per month for a data plan. Whereas, the Streak is free on a £25 per month plan. Mobiles.co.uk lists the Galaxy Tab as being available on three for £40 a month - no up front cost - but I can't find the same offer on the three website. I'd rather go direct to the network. EDIT: Ah, ok. That's the reason I can't find it on Three - they haven't released it yet... http://www.three.co.uk/Phones/Coming_Soon. I may well hang on then...
Sorry mate, I finished that in a rush so it didn't come across correctly. It is utter tosh because 10 minutes of googling would have told the reviewer that one of the most referenced and important 'facts' he stated in his review was wrong. Desire HD (no upfront cost) for 25.50 per month http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/fre...-bundle-25-53-a-month-50-auto-cashback/860427 I mean seriously, what a naff reviewer
Thanks all for your feedback and suggestions. All things considered, I have gone for the Streak. It seems to be exactly what I was looking for. Size does matter Currently got it updating to FroYo, can't wait to start using it properly. BLC - good shout on the insurance, I'll be getting that sorted asap!!
It's one of those things you never think you'll need - until you drop your shiny toy (or it gets stolen) and then kick yourself for not getting insurance! It's possible to repair it yourself; there is a teardown on iFixit. I've seen various reports about the screen & glass though. The glass is definitely bonded to the LCD, meaning you'd have to replace both even if only one of them is broken, but iFixit reports that the whole assembly is glued into the chassis; however other reports state that it's just held in place with some small clips. All things considered though, I'd rather have a decent insurance policy pay for a replacement!
Insurance is pretty a no-brainer on a smartphone purchase if you ask me. The last 2 XDAs I owned eventually broke without being bashed about that much, and I've already had to make 2 claims on my Palm Pre (stolen in France then managed to crack the screen). Being able to fill out a form and have a new phone within a week is incredibly re-assuring and means you don't spend the whole time feeling petrified of dropping it.
You'd be amazed at how many people fail to insure their expensive shiny things that they lug around everywhere. Or those that don't properly check that their insurance actually covers said shiny things. Working for an insurance company is a double-edged sword
Buying OEM parts from the internet is much cheaper than additional warranty (since they still have to make money off selling you warranty) but extended warranties are easier to deal with. I personally don't buy warranty for anything. On the chance you don't break your phone, you will lose out a lot. You can't really be kicking yourself since you can still order parts off the internet. Warranty also don't cover things like minor scratches and batteries.
Insurance is not the same as a warranty, at least not in the UK. A warranty generally covers wear & tear, manufacturing faults, unexpected/unexplained faults, hardware failure, etc... Whereas insurance covers accidental damage (like dropping it), accidental loss (leaving it on the bus), theft, etc. In the case of the Dell Streak, the insurance is worth it. Sure you can replace parts (like the screen & glass assembly) yourself, but it's expensive and tricky to do. There are no user-accessible screws on the Streak, you have to pry the casing off to get at the screws. It's far easier to let someone else replace/repair it; if you do it yourself, you run the risk of totally hosing it. Since most household insurance will cover mobile phones, it's not even a really expensive option.
Might want to add it to your house contents insurance rather than getting bespoke insurance as that can be cheaper and also sometimes can be more comprehensive
