Need New Phone

[PlaneMan]

Motorola G5 is a good option.

 

[The Duke]

I’d go moto G5, nothing against WF, I just like motos offerings. Two of my kids have the G4 and had no complaints.

They are quite large, so you will want to check it against your pockets.

Also I’d buy off amazon, as my girl managed to break her charge port (her fault) and as usual, they just sent a new one no questions asked. We just had to return the broken one with in 30 days.

She was out a phone for all of about 18 hours. Probably less, I contacted Amazon about tea time, and the replacement was here before lunch. They may be taking over the world, but they are doing it so politely.

Lol let’s wait till they are a monopoly.

[Ed P]

Thanks PM – I think the ‘higher contrast’ (brighter) screen and battery life gives the  Swift2 a big edge. I’m afraid that my eyesight no longer has the same sort of contrast adjustment that it had in the past.

[Jason]

Shame this wasn’t raised 36 hours ago, as most of the Wileyfox units were heavily discounted on Prime Day. I bagged a Swift 2 X for £150. Today it’s £220. Great phone, though I don’t think I’d pay that for it. Slow sellers on eBay, Wileyfox phones, even when priced below Amazon.

[Drezha]

Only issue I have with the G5 is that I was thinking of getting a second SIM for cadets – that way I can have a SIM card that parents can contact me on without me having to hand over my personal number. But if I do, I can’t use the microSD slot.

#firstworldproblem

Other than that, it’s a good phone, but is on the bigger side, especially with the case I’ve got on it (a Spigen one – cant recall which one)

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[Ed P]

I have found that any phone > 5.2 inches becomes a bit of a pain to carry around. Often they will only fit in a jacket or trouser pocket – the latter is now ruled out for me as two screens have become cracked while doing silly things with the grandchildren. Anything over 5.5 inch is even difficult to carry in a jacket. Shame really as a 6 inch screen gave it pad-like usefulness.

[The Duke]

With bezels shrinking 5.5″ is as big as it was.

Although i now have a 5″ phone, and I think it’s now regarded as small, I think 5.5″ is probably the new normal.

I recall getting the htc one x @ 4.8″ and my wife laughed at the size, calling it a rediculous size. I think her current  P9 is 5.2″ iirc.

[JayCeeDee]

Drezha wrote:

Only issue I have with the G5 is that I was thinking of getting a second SIM for cadets – that way I can have a SIM card that parents can contact me on without me having to hand over my personal number. But if I do, I can’t use the microSD slot. #firstworldproblem Other than that, it’s a good phone, but is on the bigger side, especially with the case I’ve got on it (a Spigen one – cant recall which one)

 

I’ve been looking at the G5 as a future phone, and this concerned me. I did a bit of research and ended up HERE. It seems that you can use 2 sims and an SD card.?

[Drezha]

JayCeeDee wrote:

I’ve been looking at the G5 as a future phone, and this concerned me. I did a bit of research and ended up HERE. It seems that you can use 2 sims and an SD card.

Looks like Carphone Warehouse are selling the single SIM version as I don’t think I can get a second SIM in.

My SIM Tray. Doesn’t appear to have a second slot – at least, not one that looks like the one in this video.

Mind, I was looking at Three as well (so I could use it in Ireland when I go with the girlfriend on holiday) but it would be useless on Three as the second SIM as it’s locked to 4G/3G/2G on the first SIM and 2G only on the second. See here.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[JayCeeDee]

Amazon is the only place at the moment selling the Dual Sim. It’s also got 3GB memory instead of 2. HERE.  It’s what I’m watching. (Didn’t think to check the price of this on Prime Monday!!:( ) Never mind, the Xperia is holding it’s own at the moment.

[Drezha]

Ah, that might be the confusion – I’ve the G5 Plus, not the G5.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[JayCeeDee]

According to GSM Arena – my go to site for phone comparisons – the Plus can come with dual Sim as well. See HERE. Amazon didn’t help, there seems to be grey imports only on there ( Italian? translation of colour and £17 UK delivery.)

[The Duke]

Just noticed the g5 (non plus) doesn’t have Nfc (still), so I’d go with the WS spark 2x. Nfc is now a must for me. Use android pay that often now, I rarely carry my wallet. I’m almost cash free. (bar tolls).

It’s getting less often I need to get the emergency visa card out the car. Funny enough petrol stations, cos I’m to lazy to go in the shop and pay.

[Richard]

Steve, I have followed your advocacy of Android pay with interest. I think that the first issue is the assumption that the mobile is hand held. While true for many it is rarely in my hand but it is often buried in my pocket. Android pay repeats this, for me invalid assumption quote:

No need to juggle between your phone and wallet at checkout. With Android Pay, you can keep doing what you’re doing on your phone. Just wake your phone and hold it to the terminal — you don’t even need to open the app. I don’t juggle, it is  rarely in my hand.

Perhaps because it’s in my pocket, it simply loves sleeping. Extracting, waking it and re-entering the passcode is time consuming. It also dislikes and often ignores my worn fingers, requiring the use of a foam tipped wand. Sadly this two handed process, is considerably slower than single handed card use. Unless I can control its narcolepsy tendency (and I have tried hard to keep it awake, – suggestions welcomed) its use is problematic. I see its value for online shopping, – but only if you are able to use the mobile for such activities. Web sites are often painful to use as my eyes are not as young as yours! The need for constant scrolling up, down, left and right is not helped if you are using old fingers.

[Sadly my experiment using wired headphones was no more successful than with Bluetooth, I still ended up having to dig it out and ‘start it up’ negating any hands free capability. So it is back to the drawing board on that one.] The love affair is on hold for the moment – my wife wants nothing to do with it and youngest daughter is struggling with her expensive Samsung, which my wife can only charge.

[PlaneMan]

I’ve never had to unlock my phone to use Android Pay. Just tap it on the terminal and it works.

 

[Richard]

PlaneMan wrote:

I’ve never had to unlock my phone to use Android Pay. Just tap it on the terminal and it works.

Interesting, the saga get ever more interesting. However, do you know if the phone locks itself semi-randomly? That is one of my main disrupters.

[PlaneMan]

I have my main phone set to auto- lock after 10 minutes of inactivity. 99% of the time I lock it manually. Unlocking it takes a fraction of a second thanks to the fingerprint scanner on the back (recessed) and can be done one handed which is very handy now I walk with an elbow crutch all the time.

It might be worth delving through the settings (should be in display, screen timeout or similar ) to see what your phone is set to do, if you haven’t already.

[Richard]

I can see why you need single hand operation, though I do prefer no hands whenever possible. I think I might have cracked using a facial image, –  I have no finger scanner.But it is still a two handed performance.

I am trying to find a way to chose and book an orthopaedics appointment (for another hand problem) but at a reachable hospital. All the easy access ones have nothing and even the far away ones are months ahead. Not much point going there as it would be almost impossible to get home without the car if another operation was needed.

[The Duke]

I don’t juggle either Richard, being a, man I’d keep my phone in the same pocket and my keys in another. My wallet no longer takes up the pocket it once did.

Re unlocking etc, when you have it locked via finger print, you just take your phone out an touch your finger. Much faster for all. In tesco I use the tesco app instead of android pay,  as it doesn’t have the £30 limit. I’d like that to be lifted via a pin insertion, but it not atm.

But there is defo no juggling. If I know I’m going to spend over £30 in other shops, I grab my visa out my car door pocket, then transfer the money to alliance over once home.

The simplest way to raise the £30 limit would be to able yo transfer a balance onto the android pay account, then implement a pin lock or a user defined  limit. As atm the limit is set to the standardised Nfc payment limit.

I wouldn’t use android pay if I needed to unlike multiple phone the old way. As before finger print unlock, I wouldnt set a lock on my devices. Cba with, though today we also have smart lock, which I have set to my Bluetooth buds so when my phone is on my person and withing 30 foot (give or take) of my buds, the phone is never locked, it bypasses the fingerprint. So today I may of turned on the pin/password screen lock. Also i have my Smart lock set to many locations and wifi networks. So the lock rarely gets in my way. Ev n when you it’s on though, it’s just a single half a second tap to the wake button.

I don’t get the same juggle reference as it’s just the same as grabbing for your wallet, only simpler as you don’t need to o then open it and re achieve for a card / cash. Just ‘grab and bump’.

Although if the limit is upped, you must not forget you do lose out on any visa protections over 100£, as it’s Google handling the transaction not visa. One to think about in the future, on a transaction to transaction  basis.

[Ed P]

I still like the convenience of being able to glance at a watch rather than ‘dig’ for a phone. Having even a cheap ‘smart’ watch on your wrist allows the Bluetooth in it to keep your phone unlocked all the time the two are close. (around 20 ft in this case).

[Author]

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