Budget 10-15K Smartphone under 15K for mainly browsing & mails

[polza]

1. Budget?
A: 15k
2. Preferred Form Factor(flip, bar, slider)?
A: Bar
3. Preferred display type?
A: Not so sure about this. Should have good brightness and decent viewing angles. Pictures must be crisp though and not washed out.
4. Do you have any brand preference or dislike? Please name them.
A: Nokia, Sony, Samsung
5. Preferred input method (Touchscreen, QWERTY, etc.)?
A: Touchscreen
6. Camera required or not? If required, please specify type like front camera/flash/etc.
A: Atleast a 5MP shooter with LED Flash + AF
7. Preferred operating system? (Android, Symbian, iOS, Windows Phone etc).
A: Android, WP8
8. Preferred connectivity options? (3G, Wifi, Edge etc).
A: Wifi, Edge
9. What is your intended use for this phone(internet, camera, multimedia, mails, etc)?
A: Camera, Music, Mails, Browsing, a few apps. No gaming!
10. Any other requirements?
A: Don't require dual sim. Will be buying in a couple of weeks. Phone should not lag! I've been using my IPhone 3G for 3 years and am finally fed up of all the darn delays in operation!
11. If you have already considered a phone then please mention the model.
A: None

 

[shanx]

You said a few apps are what you require, are you willing to settle for a Lumia 720? I think you can get it for around 16k locally! Is your iphone 3g working?? Can you ask your local dealer for an exchange price?

 

[blr_p]

Lumias don't work too well with gmail. They do but its not immediate like with android.

He did not mention what server he will use for mail.

He also did not mention what 'apps' he needs.

 

[polza]

Lumias don't work too well with gmail. They do but its not immediate like with android.

He did not mention what server he will use for mail.

He also did not mention what 'apps' he needs.

I'll require Yahoo Mail support. Not Gmail. Also the apps I'll be using are the usual for eg. Whatsapp, M-Indicator (Since I'm from Mumbai) etc..

I don't do a lot of gaming, but I might install a couple of small ones. I do like the Lumia 720, but if there's an Android that could match it at this price, then it'd be great. Else I'll settle for the Nokia.

Also how's the battery backup? Will it go through the entire day without having to charge it?


Thanks.[DOUBLEPOST=1376968983][/DOUBLEPOST]

You said a few apps are what you require, are you willing to settle for a Lumia 720? I think you can get it for around 16k locally! Is your iphone 3g working?? Can you ask your local dealer for an exchange price?

The IPhone is working, but it's all bruised and battered. The housing has cracks & scratches all over. So I'm planning to keep it as a souvenir rather than dispose it off

 

[shanx]

There are a few droids at that range but battery life varies! The LG L9 will give you a day and a half on battery backup( provided you find an ICS version as the JB version will give you a day only!). The Huawei Ascend P1 is also very decent in battery life! Sony Xperia L is present but i dont think it will give you more than a day. On standby the L9 on ICS takes the crown. For your needs its safer to go with the Nokia 720 only!
Droids under 20k usually need quite a bit of tweaking before everything looks and feels decent for use!

 

[F3niX]

I own a Lumia but I would still suggest the L9 or Xperia L or Xperia M (to save some money) than a Lumia.
With bitter battles between MS and Google, I Doubt Google will extend a helping hand. Soon most of its services might not work on a Lumia, and so go for a Droid just to be safe.

 

[blr_p]

I'll require Yahoo Mail support. Not Gmail. Also the apps I'll be using are the usual for eg. Whatsapp, M-Indicator (Since I'm from Mumbai) etc..

I don't do a lot of gaming, but I might install a couple of small ones. I do like the Lumia 720, but if there's an Android that could match it at this price, then it'd be great. Else I'll settle for the Nokia.

Also how's the battery backup? Will it go through the entire day without having to charge it?

Windows Phone Store

Check that out and see if the apps you need are present. When you say browsing, there is no flash support. Try to go to the nokia store and play with the 720 and see whether it renders the websites you want. Any store which has wifi will do.

Hardware wise there isn't an android that will match the 720 for the price. The 720's forte is its camera. Will take better photos indoors.

Lumia 720 Battery test results which is very good. Will get through a day. Heard the reviewers say battery life is better with battery saving on rather than on its default mode.

Since you're coming from an iphone, you don't have any android dependence yet. The 720 will not be too difficult to switch to. The weak point with windows phones is the present app support, that is the only limitation.

if you got this far then the only decision left is which colour to go with. If you go 'naked' then you can choose what you want. If you use a case black will be better.

 

[polza]

Windows Phone Store

Check that out and see if the apps you need are present. When you say browsing, there is no flash support. Try to go to the nokia store and play with the 720 and see whether it renders the websites you want. Any store which has wifi will do.

Hardware wise there isn't an android that will match the 720 for the price. The 720's forte is its camera. Will take better photos indoors.

Lumia 720 Battery test results which is very good. Will get through a day. Heard the reviewers say battery life is better with battery saving on rather than on its default mode.

Since you're coming from an iphone, you don't have any android dependence yet. The 720 will not be too difficult to switch to. The weak point with windows phones is the present app support, that is the only limitation.

if you got this far then the only decision left is which colour to go with. If you go 'naked' then you can choose what you want. If you use a case black will be better.

Thanks for the help.

The App Store seems sufficient for me. I could find most(or all) the apps I needed. Regarding the need of flash support, I will have to check that out. But I guess that's not too big a deterrent.

So I reckon I'll go ahead and get the 720. Also, I hope there won't be a problem of the current list of WP8 phones getting 'De-supported(?)' by Microsoft in the near future as I intend to use it for atleast the next 15-18 months.

If there's anything else I'll need to know about the WP8 OS, kindly let me know soon

Thanks.

 

[blr_p]

Also, I hope there won't be a problem of the current list of WP8 phones getting 'De-supported(?)' by Microsoft in the near future as I intend to use it for atleast the next 15-18 months.

See this

Microsoft will make updates available for the Operating System, including security updates, for a period of 36 months after the lifecycle start date. These updates will be incremental, with each update built on the update that preceded it. The distribution of these incremental updates may be controlled by the mobile operator or the phone manufacturer from which you purchased your phone, and installation will require that your phone have any prior updates. Update availability will also vary by country, region, and hardware capabilities.

m$ will support WP8 till Jan 12 2016. So its up to Nokia to allow these updates.

Amber update which enables FM among other improvements will prolly roll out at the end of next month for the 720.

If there's anything else I'll need to know about the WP8 OS, kindly let me know soon

Contact your nearest nokia service centre and inquire about the cost of a battery replacement & screen replacement and time to complete the repair. On some forums i've heard of Rs.9-10k to replace a broken screen. That's over 50% of the original cost. What isn't clear is what the extent of the damage was, though invariably people say they just dropped it and the screen broke. The charges needs to be confirmed.

The other point is whether there will be an 725 model coming out with a bigger screen, like what happened with the 620-->625. Or 920-->925

 

[hahahari]

Let me know if you are interested in a second hand One X.

If you decide to go for the Lumias, I would suggest you wait a bit and see what the 725 brings to the table. If nothing, it should drop the price of 720 further.

 

[Sumit05]

For now sony experia M

 

[harryneopotter]

^^ yeah..i was about to say that .. Wat about Xperia M. Looks decent for its price.

 

[Rico]

Thanks for the help.
If there's anything else I'll need to know about the WP8 OS, kindly let me know soon

Thanks.

The phone will automatically do the screen orientation i.e changes from portrait to landscape when flipped. There is no setting to disable/lock this.
Would be annoying when you are in lying your bed texting , browsing etc.

 

[manu george]

what about n9

 

[F3niX]

Xperia M is decent. And it ticks all boxes for you. Dont expect it to be a Gaming Champ though.. Only normal titles work fine. AA or AAA titles will definitely lag.
Even then, I feel the Lumia 520(which I am using) is great for now. Much better battery backup and a lot more stable than any droid.
If you change phones every 12-15 months like me, then it is your best bet right now

 

[Sumit05]

Here is the full review by Ranjit.