I have been stumbling along with an old iphone 3g for some time but it seems to be dying. It stopped being able to use wifi months ago and today the phone doesn’t want to charge up.
I have a PAYG contract on it for £10 per month and I’ve never come close to exceeding my minutes so I just want to get another PAYG phone. I don’t use it for music, I check my gmail, send texts and phone people. I occasionally will look at maps, but that is about it. My wife thinks it’s a sin to not answer a phone but I am more than happy to ignore it. I had lost it last week for almost the whole week and I didn’t miss it at all. I like that the iphone feels solid and is very robust, some of the newer phones are too flimsy feeling to my mind.
So - my requirements are:-
Simplish smartish phone.
Robust
Unlocked ideally (or unlockable)
Cheap (because I can’t justify spending hundreds on something I care about so little).
Hi Rob, Yeah Android phones are ok - in reality I don’t need the power and features they have and having something robust that does the minimum things I need is more important than having the latest and greatest phone… I’ll go check out the Galaxy and Wildfires in a phone shop to see if they feel plasticky…
I think my phone heard me writing this. It has been sitting plugged in to my PC all day without charging - just buzzing like a dimented fool every few moments then shutting up for a while then switching itself off.
However, it has “suddenly” accepted a bit of charge. It would be nice if it lasts long enough for me to find a replacement…
I bought my son a Nokia Asha 300 for Xmas on payg. He loves it so much ive just had to change him onto an £11/mth contract (sigh)
Its small, lightweight, easy to use and does everything he needs.
Currently £50 (new) in carphone warehouse.
I seem to remember it was made to be fine in water, dusty areas, being dropped etc.
It’s a year and more old, but would be fine for light usage.
The new Xperia Z is waterproof, but I’m not sure about ‘rugged’.
Also… what was Gavin’s phone? He showed me a video of some guys skimming it on water, driving over it and all sorts.
One last comment, I would say don’t be put off by a phone feeling ‘plasticy’. The Samsung Galaxy S2 and S3 are often said to be ‘cheap’ but most people report dropping them and them surviving just fine. The build quality is actually very good. Generally better than HTC phones of the same time.
Thanks Andy for that. By rugged I really mean a phone I can throw in my pocket and not feel like it will snap. I often sit on it, lose it down the back of the sofa and so on. Speaking to Mr NiceBlade this evening I am leaning toward buying another iphone - perhaps a 4 or a 3gs (sorry Andy I know you aren’t a fan). They do all I need and stand up to quite some abuse.
Having said that I plugged in my phone at home (from the wall socket) and it has charged normally. I’m wondering if my laptop has been scuppered by some IT policy, ventrally deployed. Worked fine yesterday, but not well today…
I hve an old phone that you can use, it has no camera, 12 colours but its smart how it uses the power. 100% goes to calls and texts. battery lasts a millenium
actually my iphone3 is rugged! got dunked in a pool when it was new (dont ask ) left in a rice bowl for 3 days and still years later works fine! only says no simcard once a month on its period but as a lad, Im used to things breaking down once a month
you all focused on rugged and waterproof phones for builders/plumbers/etc… give the man a brake and he may actually from time to time use, I don’t know, maps or email or God forbid “Angry birds”, listen to radio (internet one) and sometimes snap some quick photo.
Depends on budget but I would really spend 140 on I4 than Xperia, got the feeling that Sony should stick with TV’s.
Whilst I’ve not tried this years top end Xperia, last years really surprised me. I wasn’t a fan of Sony phones, but I took the Xperia with me when we went camping last year and it actually really impressed me.
For me, the iphone is “rugged” because it doesn’t flex and creak like some of the plastic phones I’ve held. My iphone today is holding some charge, so maybe it’s safe for now…
If it dies, let me know - I have a perfectly good iPhone 3G sitting on my desk gathering dust and a HTC Desire, also perfectly good, just gathering dust
Looking to sell both but haven’t got around to putting them on eBay - PM me if interested!
) left in a rice bowl for 3 days and still years later works fine! only says no simcard once a month on its period but as a lad, Im used to things breaking down once a month