UKC

As mentioned briefly in an earlier thread, my Galaxy S2 has vanished so I am looking for a replacement (I am on contract for another 12 months and I did not insure the phone and can't be bothered going through home insurance)

The Huawei Ascend G300 is getting very good write-ups and a colleague swears by his, and I had a play with one in the shop. Apparently they are £80 in Tesco at the moment (says £100 online, I don't know if there is an instore deal?)

Any other recommendations or Huawei horror stories?

Ta!
Been muddling along with an ancient Nokia 6300 which has its charms but I'd like SatNav and useable Internet back, basically. The S2 was overkill for my needs

In reply to Blue Straggler:

If you do that, either buy from Carphone Warehouse as most of their phones are sold unlocked (check this), or buy on the same network you are currently on, else you might find it won't work on your present contract.

Neil

In reply to Blue Straggler: I've just replaced my daughter's HTC Wildfire S for £65 worth of Tesco Clubcard vouchers - they're doing double the value if you spend them on electronics.

In reply to andy:
I used to have the wildfire S, great phone. Replaced recently due to contract renewal with the desire S, slghtly bigger screen and flash support <so can get iplayer via a wireless network>
whatever phone you get be sure to get a case for it to cover the screen when not using it, my wildfire S was ruined by putting it in my pockets with coins, keys etc and loads of tiny scratches on the screen makes the touch funtions very cranky.
Fave apps at the moment are tune-in radio, internet based not FM so full range of worldwide channels and you can listen via the phones internal speaker. The FM/AM radios usually need headphones as it uses the headphone lead as an antenna. Enjoying wasting time with 'the logo game', I dont play many games but this one gets the grey matter moving...

In reply to Blue Straggler:

the register has a fairly recent review.

http://www.reghardware.com/2012/08/22/ten_low_end_android_phones/

In reply to blanchie14c:

I never protected the S2 screen and it was fine, is that because it's "Gorilla Glass"? I didn't molly-coddle it, it went in pockets with coins etc. Had it for 8 months of such abuse. I guess a cheaper handset won't have such a thing.
The thing is, can I get a new Wildfire S for sub-£100 and is it any better than the Huawei?

Thanks for replies so far. I don't have Tesco Clubcard points, it may be something I have to look into (I try not to have any supermarket cards so I won't get swayed into buying expensive toothbrushes or food I don't like, just for a few pence worth of points, but it sounds like there ARE some benefits...)

Oh I am on Vodafone so I assume any Huawei I buy will be unlocked to that.

In reply to dissonance:

Cheers, Huawei seems to come out on top there. The Orange SF looks OK but I don't want to be getting into warranty invalidation by unlocking, and the Huawei still seems better anyway!

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Do people do that?

In reply to blanchie14c:

May I ask how much data the In-Tune radio uses over an hour?

I only ask as the company car can only get Radio Wave, abd that's when I'm in Blackpool. I hate Radio Wave, I also only have 500Mb monthly data limit.

So if, I have the radio running for 6 hours or so for 12 shifts, would I eat that allowance quickly?

Cheers

In reply to The Lemming:
I really don't know how much data it eats, certainly not enough for me to ever had gone over my 1 gig limit. Perhaps a lookysee at the website to get an idea but if its too much for your liking then you can lower the kbs streaming rate. For the usage you are suggesting I'd suggest buying yourself a DAB for work. I have tune-in on if I'm out fishing and there is a footy match on or maybee if i'm cycling to work and need my popmaster daily fix. Yea, DAB sounds like the way to go or get a cheapo TV and listen to radio through the freeview, thats what I have in my office - a 14" LCD with built in freeview. Just can't be doing with crackly 5live anymore, got be be digital these days. How are you getting radio wave down there? I start to lose it at Preston, 20 miles away. Advert-radio we call it here, I think they have bought unlimited rights for men at work - down under and the weather girls - its raining men. Both get played at least once a day and have done for the last 15 years or so <True story, Lemming will confirm that!> Radio Lancashire is better for local stories otherwise R2, 5Live and smooth

In reply to blanchie14c:

You forgot to mention 'Golden Brown'. That gets palyed for ever. Thankfully I lose Radio Wave at Cleveleys headding back to CodLand.

Just checked Tune-In and I'd use up my daily allowance in 7 minutes flat. However I will check to see if I can reduce the but rate. Failing that, I'll stick with my MP3 full of 70-80's music. Stuck in a small cab for 12 hours should make lots of friends at work.

In reply to The Lemming:

I tried to listen to a German rock station (that I used to listen to when I lived there) via that on a journey from the North West to MK, and found that I could only keep a solid signal around towns and cities. So don't know how well that will work.

I am starting to get the impression it's the true future of radio broadcasting, though, rather than DAB which remains somewhat of a damp squib.

Neil

In reply to Neil Williams: I think the reason for such a poor radio reception in the north west is down to the amount of depression and decay in the air, its so thick around here that radio waves can't get through

In reply to The Lemming:
Off topic:
Yes I do still have THEM, check your reader can open mobi files though as thats what they are. Giz a shout if you want them!

In reply to blanchie14c:

Sounds like Atlantic 252, the station that only owned 30 records at a time (20 of which were permanent, 10 of which were rotating stock from the charts two months previous )

In reply to blanchie14c:

Cheers

In reply to Tall Clare:

I was exaggerating to make a point, but yes. From Tesco's POV, that is the main point - help to sell things that the customer might otherwise not have considered buying. I think you knew that though.

In reply to Blue Straggler:
Since I may (probably have) just killed another phone at the weekend can you post a review up of what you do go for? Ta
Although I may have a chat with a mate of mine who works for O2 and see if he’s got any spare ones floating about.

It turns out that water and phones really don’t mix (the second such discovery in 6 months..) the first walking, the second canoeing.

In reply to Blue Straggler:
I remember 252 <long wave> and the hourly phone up to win some cash if you have their car sticker. The DJ's had really naff names too like Dusty Rhodes and Sandy Beaches

In reply to gingerdave13:

I will do, but I am no geek and only use a few apps etc so my review won't be as comprehensive as some! Was having a chat with my colleague who has the Huawei and I had to stop him after a few minutes of wittering about processors and Ice Cream Sandwich, I just said "whoah, I am not that geeky"

In reply to blanchie14c:

Oh hello! :-P

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Betcha can't say that under a motorway bridge

In reply to Blue Straggler:

We do our "big shop" with Tesco delivery each week, and I buy fuel there as it's there ork Moggsies in Skipton. I don't buy anything with points in mind, yet every quarter they send me about £30 worth of vouchers - which translates into £90 worth of hotel or days out vouchers of £60 worth of mobile/electrical stuff vouchers.

It doesn't influence what we buy, I guess it makes it slightly more likely that we'll use Tesco but our alternative delivery is Ocado (expensive) or Asda (couldn't get on with their website, and not different enought to Tesco to make it worth changing), so to us they are a spin off benefit of doing something we'd do anyway.

In reply to andy:

Thanks for that. Sorry if you thought I was tarring all "loyalty" users with the same "muppet" brush, I really wasn't! I have in fact just got a Nectar card as I do a lot of my shopping and fuel purchases at Sainsburys and I've managed to not randomly buy a hundredweight of cinnamon - so far so good!

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Orange SF is a poo phone, don't get one of those.

In reply to Parrys_apprentice:

Might get one for the bog then

In reply to Blue Straggler:

I have the Huawei Ascent G300 and I love it. I have had it about a week and have not got a single criticism for it. I paid £5 to get it unlocked on fleabay so I can run it on any network so am a very happy chappy. I have had more expensive phones, but this can do everything they can. Battery life is a little over 24 hours so has to be charged every night (like every other smart phone).

In reply to Tall Clare:

I don't, but I married someone who does.

In reply to JoshOvki: I thought the networks had to let you unlock them for nothing nowadays? O2 certainly unlocked mine and my daughter's phones for nowt as I wanted to put a French sim card in when we're away.

In reply to andy:

Only after a year. The providers massively subsidise the price of the phones so if you buy a new phone you are stuck with them, wait for a year or pay someone to unlock it. Vodafone wanted £20 to unlock the phone I just bought.

In reply to andy:

Damn, I bought food with mine, couldn't think of any electronics I wanted - didn't think of phones as being the same department.

Anyone know if Vodafone price-match? isme.com do the Ascend G300 at £89 (£99, but £10 off your first order and free delivery).

In reply to Blue Straggler:

That's not quite how they work though. Boots points, yes. Supermarket points, no.

In reply to Tall Clare:

Oh ok, my comments were based on the 1998-9 Sainsbury's model as that is the last time I had a Nectar card until very recently. I am always happy to be re-educated.

In reply to Tall Clare:

Sainsbury's definitely works that way. Every week I am handed vouchers at the checkout offering me bonus Nectar points if I buy X or Y product, or extra bonus points if I spend Z amount in one shop. Both of those are fairly clearly aimed at getting me to buy stuff I wouldn't normally, or in quantities I wouldn't normally buy. Only very occasionally do they offer me bonus points on stuff I buy anyway, and those are the only ones I use.

Ascend G300 is £80 in Tesco, or £65 if you spend £30 in store. At these prices, it's no wonder that they are out of stock! No joy online either (where I am sure I saw it at £100 the other day, as opposed to £80 or £65). Those offers stand till the end of September if they get any in stock, and a Clubcard is not required ( I guess it could be £40 on "double points" Clubcard vouchers, indeed I think my colleague got his at Tesco that way for £50 on vouchers when it was £100 RRP)

In reply to Blue Straggler:

Right, I have put my name for one at Tesco!

#put my name DOWN for one.

In reply to andy:

How did you get them to do that? They told me it would cost £15 to get my on its last lets Monte unlocked!!!.. it would be cheaper for me to do it through an independant shop!!...

In reply to Allan Thomson:

I'm on pay monthly - it's £15 if you're PAYG.