Tidgy

alot of average press on it, seems to be a bit of a flop compared to most apple product reviews, seems to be even the fan boys are struggling to argue the positives about it.

Interesting how apple have actualy managed to get it to work with the UK 4G network though, shame by the time 4G is up and running it will be the launch of the iphone 7 lol

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

What were people expecting from the 5? Apple always take what they had an try and improve it, they never launch a completely new model for fear of scaring off loyal customers.
At the end of the day, all of these smart phones are phones that can go on the internet, take good pictures and play some music.
I am not an Apple fan but I actually think the new iPhone looks quite smart with the glass and aluminium construction. Speed wise, they are all much of a muchness these days.

Will I be upgrading to an iPhone 5 next year? No.
Am I looking forward to see other manufacturers follow suit with the design materials and including 4g? Oh yes.

P1Fanatic

Had a look at an S3 yesterday. No doubt it's slick but build quality is similar to my lowest spec kindle and the size is ok if you carry a handbag/manbag

My contracts been up since May. Will wait and see what tariffs are on offer. Fancy a move to Voda but historically they have been on the pricey side and they only seem to offer 12 or 24 mth contracts when 18 is the happy median for me. The fact I can sell my 4 and cover the handset price of a 5 makes upgrading a no brained for me.

The way some of the people talk on here about phones & specs you would think they were buying a car not a mobile.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

But owning a better phone makes you a better person.
Don't you know that?

Tidgy

ignoring handset, Vodaphone will be most expensive (prob £1-5 more a month) but I came back to vodaphone after having enough with Orange's sheet network. I find it best signal and most reliable

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Where are you Tidgy?
I have found the complete opposite with Vodaphone down here in Kent.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

£25 for the adapter as well?
I'm tempted to go for something different and get one of the new Nokia's.

Tidgy

nottingham, my guess is as usual with mobile coverage it varys depending where you are and what handset (been to epsom and bristol inside buildings as well), but i've not had signal issues since i went onto voda and HTC titan handset.

JackClark

Risky move. Nice hardware but the software track record is abysmal.

davyboy

I guess I'll have to get one for free* and make a judgement. Right now the S3 is the best phone on the market, this coming from someone who like apple products.

* Proper free, not 25 a month for 2 years free.

P1Fanatic

How would you get an S3 for free davyboy?

Cannon Fodder

iTrader: (100)

I really wanted this to be a big leap forward from the 4S, it would seem to be more of a slight skip.

I got rid of my 4S, and went for a Galaxy S3 with the thought that if the iPhone 5 was worth it that I would buy one on release but I can't see much to make me want to go back to an iPhone at all.

I suppose you could call it a slight evolution rather than anything else, very disappointing to say the least. I could have been classed as a 'fanboi' at one time and would happily have gone back to an iPhone if the 5 had been as good as some of the rumours suggested, oh well let's hope the 5S or the 6 are better out of the box.

jonc

The iPhone 5 offers nothing more other than it's another mechanism for Apple to relieve you of your hard earned cash. There is nothing to see, move along, move along....

JackClark

I'm having a little trouble understanding how people see the 5 as such a small step forward from the 4, even the 4S. It has a whole new Chip for processing and graphics, 2x faster. It has a lot more connectivity options, including 5GHz and LTE. It's construction is outstanding, using unique materials. It's the thinnest smartphone available. It's lighter. You can still use it with one hand.

Suggesting that the S3 is better just seems completely ridiculous other than it has a bigger screen.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

All the sniping aside, I do have a serious query regarding the new iPhone 5 and LTE/4G. It really is about providers.

Been with 02 since the dawn of time and when I had a lot more hair

Anyway every 2 years I have upgraded the phone with them and started another contract. Their customer service is very good especially as a select customer but the signal at home is shocking. Many a conversation is had on the front driveway as that is the only place to get a bloody signal.
Anyway like the idea of the LTE/4G but obviously that would mean either waiting for 02 to stop arguing with OFCOM and roll it out on their networks, probably next year ? or to jump ship and sign up with EE.

Thing is I am on a nice 12 month contract with 02 and I doubt EE could match it but I would be classed as a new customer (who as we know get all the good deals)

So is the LTE/4G side enough incentive to ditch a network that I have been with for ages ?

Thoughts ?

jonc

You can get signal boosters/repeaters. Vodafone do one for example (http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobi...ne-sure-signal) but not sure if just boosts Vodafone signal or all GSM900/3G signal. But there are third parties that sell similar mobile boosters.

P1Fanatic

Swiss I am in the same boat as you. I stuck with O2 as the wife worked for them up until about 2 weeks ago so I got friends & family 30% of monthly tariff and still do. Will only lose it I change contract. They do have good customer services and UK based. I called up asking about call charges in Oz before a holiday and the chap ran me through everything like disabling vm to save me any unwanted charges – was a breath of fresh air. But I have the same poor reception at home. Not sure Vodafone is much better. My work phone is voda and reception seems ok but it’s an old Nokia and larger sim so can’t just stick it in my iphone 4 and test it.

I don’t think you will see much if any difference between existing customer offerings on tariff and handset prices compared to new customers. At least with O2 they offer existing customers things like early upgrades etc.

I don’t think 4G is worth jumping ship for even with EE talking about getting out before Xmas I am dubious about that and doubt anything serious will happen in the next 12 months. Half the time I haven’t got a 3G connection tbh.

JackClark

I doubt LTE will solve your problems, unless you live in a select city.

Tidgy

fan boy arrived to argue then,,,, lol

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

This isnt the reason they are arguing, the argument is giving the biggest network in the UK the go ahead to use bandwidth for 4G whilst the rest have to wait for the spectrum auction, its called competition law and the reason all the other networks are up in arms about it as its literally breaking them as no one else has that spectrum available except EE.
4G would have been here before the Olympics if it wasnt for OFCOM dragging their feet (note Government).

Tony

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

I did look into these a while back (Femcell or similar) but 02 do not do them. Vodafone is the only company that does

Thanks for that, something to consider. It is a toss up between new handset which I am eligible for that has some whizzy nice new features but retains the same ****e signal at home or move to a provider that has a better signal at home but cant offer me the same deal/contract.

Live in Bucks, work in London. So I get the speed when at work but nothing at home. Not a problem because I have fibre at home so wifi speed is good. It is the call quality at home that gets on my nerves

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Do you understand the reason other manufacturers use plastics instead of metals as cases?
Its very simple, its not cost, its because plastics are more shock resistant than metal, drop a metal cased phone and it normally breaks, drop a plastic cased one and its normally ok, so it may look good, just dont drop it (and many other phones are LTE complient and have been for nearly 2 years in some cases )

The iphone 5 is pretty poor considering what else is out there (its more of a backwards step than forwards, puts apple about 1.5-2 years behind the competition, especially in the innovation category).

Tony

Gigsy

Seriously, ten pages?

Want an iPhone. Buy and iPhone. Want a Samsung. Buy a Samsung. Then STFU.

99.999% of the people that use either don't use them to the full extent of their capabilities anyway so all the ***** waving about "my screen is bigger than your screen" is all a bit effing pointless IMHO.

P1Fanatic

The S3 handset prices differs per contract at least on O2 & Voda so not sure why its made out to be 1 set price.

Nothing else on there makes it stand out for me so as has been stated its more down to personal aesthetic & handling preference.

JackClark

What an idiot. They use plastic because it's cheap, easy and thin. How on earth you can claim that the iPhone 5 is 2 year behind the competition is unfathomable, you truly are a victim of propaganda and marketing.

P1Fanatic

You just edged us another post towards 11 pages

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

STFU??

Samsung's
Truely
Fcucking
Un-Beatable

Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Says the Apple Fanboy! Still trying to defend the iPhone

Tidgy

US offline price it think, although as you say varies so can take that with a pinch of salt, its mroe the tech specs that are of interest on that.

So much for jack the fanboys claims lol

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

So we are calling people names now are we Jack?
How mature of you.