Another new phone topic...budget 13k

G

Geekhead83

Adept
I have a Samsung Monte and really want to move on from a resistive touchscreen..so am looking out for a new phone.

Questions:-

1. Q: Budget?

A: 13k

4. Q: Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them.

A: No Samsungs please..

5. Q: Preferred input method (Touchscreen, QWERTY, etc.)?

A: Touchscreen

6. Q: Camera required or not? If required, please specify type like front camera/flash/etc.

A: a 5MP camera would be good but not a requirement.

10. Q: Any other requirements?

A:

Wi-fi hotspot : Need this as I generally carry my Itouch with me all the time. -- Very Imp.

Screen size: 3.5" at least (the Monte has a 3.2" and seems a bit small to me)

Display type : Any

O/s : Android (Gingerbread with an update to ICS preferred). Not sure if Mango has tethering but no bluetooth and the Zune s/w are/is a big no no.

11. Q: If you have already considered a phone then please mention the model.

i) HTC One V - Too costly for 17k, no expandable memory/removable battery (My Samsung hangs a lot...)

ii) Neo V - Did not somehow like the design or the feel of the phone...again is around 17k

iii) Xperia Mini - Screen too small!

iv) Galaxy Ace/Plus - Not inclined towards it...dunno why. Maybe the design or it being a samsung.

v) Explorer -- Seems a good buy, but no ICS upgrade! Plus Internal memory issues deter me.

My usage: No Gaming (have the Itouch for it), occassional music (again have the Itouch for it).

Surfing/email checking/fb'ing - Yup.

Would be using the camera a bit as well.

I was looking at older phones as well like the Desire S, Incredible etc... but none of them are close to my budget. Somehow I am more inclined towards HTC, coz I'm tired of the plasticky Monte from Samsung.

Also, I would be buying the phone from Alpha.... if I do not get it there then it would be via flipkart/Letsbuy.

So you see, I am really confused after all that research and would appreciate some advice.
 
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http://deals.ebay.in/FoneZone/android.html

as in here Xperia Ray is for 13.6K (almost in your budget)

and Neo-V is 15.3K (well, less than 17k)

- Ray got better cam (8mp) and will be getting ICS. But a 3.3 inch screens seems small.

I was looking in the same range, Couldn't decide yet.
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Bhutoria_1989 said:
#[member='Geekhead83'] Bro, the thing is your budget is best for Windows Phone 7.5 like Nokia Lumia 710 and Omnia W (Metal not Plastic)

Android phones in 13K budget are not VFM.
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Yeah I would assume that as well loking at the reviews. The mango OS seems butter smooth as well, though I have not received any clear answers on the Bluetooth and Wi-fi hotspot thingie on it.

@mathrisk : May I ask why arent you going for the Xperia Ray?
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#[member='Geekhead83'] the link #[member='mathrisk'] has provided has Dealer Warranty that is why it costs so less
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Hotspot is there on new Mango phones. With regards to Bluetooth its a WIP as 1st gen Handsets are able to transfer files using BT after some hack.
 
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The Omnia W does seem like a good option....i see wifi hotspot being mentioned on both gsmarena and flipkart... are there two versions of the phone (plastic / metal) ?

Any other 'android' options ..upcoming or current?
 
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Geekhead83 said:
The Omnia W does seem like a good option....i see wifi hotspot being mentioned on both gsmarena and flipkart... are there two versions of the phone (plastic / metal) ?

Any other 'android' options ..upcoming or current?
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Hi buddy from the pics it seems that Omnia W has a metal back while the handset as a whole is plastic.

There are a few upcoming Android handsets in the mid range but you'll have to bump your budget up a bit for them.

Omnia W should be fine for your needs but if you can't bear with the plastic then you may as well checkout the Lumia 710 its made of polycarbonate material & according to recent news will support WiFi hotspot through a software update shortly but do check it again.

About the Bluetooth file transfer check the XDA forums, they may have a hack for enabling it.

Do update here whatever you buy.
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Geekhead83 said:
The Omnia W does seem like a good option....i see wifi hotspot being mentioned on both gsmarena and flipkart... are there two versions of the phone (plastic / metal) ?

Any other 'android' options ..upcoming or current?
Click to expand...

Guess Omnia W is a good choice. It has a smooth OS and a good screen. Its Windows so there arent many apps but then you got your itouch for that, right?

Also there is only one piece as mentioned by #9 cooleagle,. I did check the phone out in the store and its has a good feel

For Andriod, if ICS is not that important then HTC Explorer is VFM!

I too am in the same situation as i want to upgrade from my Samsung Corby TXT and am confused which one to buy.
 
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Hmm...so thats probably out then. I have finally shortlisted the following....will be checking out Alpha in a couple of days (hopefully) and see which one of them falls in my budget or thereabouts....

Htc Incredlble S - 18k

Htc One V - Online price - 17k

Xperia Neo V - 17k

Xperia Ray - Online price - 18k

Omnia W - 15k

Htc Explorer - 8.5k

By online I meant non-ebay sites like flipkart, saholic etc....so should be considerably lower in alpha(?)

Please let me know if there are any better deals or if anyone has visited alpha recently scouting for these phones....
 
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Sony Ericson Live with walkman check out this bro the only negative thing is 3.2inch display, other than that it meets all ur needs for 13k from ebay. Gingerbread upgrade it to ICS.

My friend is using it, it is really a good deal for 13k.
 
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hadnt heard of the Burst... sure seems to have good reviews.... But no warranty
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The Live seems like a good deal for those who want a good music phone...I have my Ipod for that
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... just need a good display and wifi hotspot really, which is what made me shortlist the explorer as well.
 
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Geekhead83 said:
hadnt heard of the Burst... sure seems to have good reviews.... But no warranty
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The Live seems like a good deal for those who want a good music phone...I have my Ipod for that
happy19.gif
... just need a good display and wifi hotspot really, which is what made me shortlist the explorer as well.
Click to expand...

For your usage as a hotspot the Wave 3 is spot on.Has a good battery life and the screen beats anything in this price range.

I myself use the Wave 1 as a hotspot for my tab and it pulls ahead of the droids anyday in the battery department.

Only thing I have against the Wave 3 is that it has a 4" screen against the 3.3" of the Wave 1 but comes with the same batetry capacity of 1500mAh

Another option might be the Omnia W.Same battery capacity and SAMOLED screen albeit with a better OS at the same price
 
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Check out Dell Venue I ordered one from Sulekha @ 13.6K. It's a really good phone, well built, BRILLIANT 4.1'' display, decent horsepower, nice camera, decent battery life and comes with a 16GB microSD. Dell stage is good on it.

XDA Dev's are also continuously developing better OS & apps for it, so support is good.
 
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@Marcus - the Wave 3 from all the reviews seems like a premium phone. But the Bada OS... hmmm.

Is the Venue upgradeable to Gingerbread? I know it wont have ICS support for sure, but correct me if I'm wrong....coz if it does have ICS, it would be a no-brainer for me. ...EDIT: Just read this

Now I'm defn leaning more towards the Omnia W...
 
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