UKC

As title, looking to replace my phone as it's dieing on me. I'd like it to -

Connect to my email
Bluetooth (for headphones)
Basic app functionality (such as whatsapp messenger)

As with anything else, cheap! Any personal good experiences with the lower end smart phones?

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 for £150 unlocked unbranded from car phone warehouse (inc £10 O2 sim card).

The phone is getting Android 4.1 which will give it a good life span in terms of future app requirements. It has a front camera for video calling and a dual core chip.

I bought it last week and I couldn't find a better value phone.

In reply to Voltemands: I've got one of these: http://goo.gl/Mn2G7

Works a charm and does everything you want.

In reply to Philip:

Another vote for the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 here

In reply to Voltemands:

Galaxy Ace 2 as well.
Free with £15.50 monthly package ( with my loyalty discount I got 300 free mins, 500 texts and 500mb data plus unlimited calls to UK landlines.)
Internet costs me nothing as long as there's a wifi connection available.

My Missus was so impressed she got one as well - and I was impressed because I got the same deal for her - even though she'd just had a PAYG phone before that.

GPS function is great -- I use it with Strava for logging my bike rides.

In reply to Lord of Starkness: I forgot to add it's with T Mobile.

In reply to Voltemands:
Oh dont be such a cheapskate...get a bloody iphone for goodness sake

In reply to Philip:

I have the original Ace, which at the moment is around £80 boxed and new but I would not buy it again. The Ace 2 sounds good if it takes Android 4.1.

When my contract expires next year, I will buy a phone outright rather than sign another contract.

In reply to kieran b: I would, I really love gadgets and usually any excuse to spend money and I'm there. But I recently brought a garmin 910XT so the iphone no longer has anything I'd use it for that a cheaper version wouldn't do.

In reply to Voltemands: Ok great, looks like I better check out some reviews for this Ace 2 and Lumia 800. Cheers people.

In reply to Voltemands:

The cheap deals on the Ace 2 are not on the latest models -- the OS is Android 2.3.6

My wife and I have got ours within the last month and have the old OS.

I think the models running android 4 are only just becoming available, but generally at higher prices / tariffs.

In reply to Voltemands:

I bought a Samsung Galaxy Y at Carphone Warehouse last year for £50 as a Vodafone upgrade and it has been brilliant.

It's on a Voda PAYG with a Text and Web Freebie.

I use it for all the mountain and MR stuff. That includes mapping and locaing apps and tethering wirelessly to a laptop (which has worked in various coverage types with speeds from 9kb to several Mb).

The built-in email app is good. I use Opera Mobile when in 3G or HSPDA coverage and Opera Mini when in GPRS or EDGE coverage: good results. WiFi works well, as does Bluetooth.

Most heavy usage facilities are turned off or turned down to conserve battery life. Without long voice calls, GPS, tethering or lots of Opera Mobile browsing, the battery makes it through the second day. Usual stupidphone rubbish.

In reply to kieran b:
Don't be such a sheep :P Just because it's twice the price of other phones, don't mean it's twice as good haha

In reply to kieran b:

I had both an i phone and a galaxy for a couple of months when I had a company i-phone and my personal galaxy. I stopped using the i phone, the galaxy was just so much more instinctive for me.

In reply to Jim Fraser:

What?? "Smartphone" and "brilliant" in the same sentence?

Who are you, and what have you done with Jim Fraser?

In reply to Voltemands: Sony Xperia Ray - small size - bonus. Android. Does all the standard stuff. Get one from Ebay.

In reply to Voltemands:

I'm going to hi-jack your thread now, sorry.

Could someone recommend a smart phone (probably a cheap android) for use as a mobile wifi hotspot with my tablet/laptop and for voice calls and texts only.

In reply to Voltemands:
I like my Iphone a lot

In reply to Hirosim:

Quite like my iphone 4s

It cost me £100 up front for the upgrade and £20 a month for 500 minutes/5000 texts/1gb of data.

Quite a bit nicer than my old HTC Wildfire

Tesco Mobile seemed to be the cheapest option too

In reply to Voltemands:

HTC One S is a decent phone. Wouldn't go for a spec any lower if you want to use apps as you will find it frustrating, IMO.

Neil

In reply to Ridge:

Yes. It's come to that. It's all about context, context, context. We are where we are.

You can't buy a new Nokia 6300 any more. It's usually a choice between the smartphone breed and ludicrously simple bricks on £9.99 offers that you can't even back-up to a PC or do decent texting with.

Importantly, the Y fits the top pocket of my paramo jacket with the earpiece connected.

In reply to andic: No problem. I'm still deciding...

In reply to Voltemands:

htc wildfire. Very cheap now but will do what you want.

In reply to jenniwat001:

get a nexus they are cheap and supported do all you want and more. Anything else isn't worth the hassel imho

In reply to mountainpenguin:

This is very likely going to be my next phone, when my contract runs out next year.

In reply to Voltemands:

How about the cheaper Alcatels, e.g.

https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/phones/alcatel/ot-983/

Or a Huawei of some sort.