Looking to buy a new phone.

deeplove

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 19, 2006
Messages
276
Quick suggestion on what's available to me.

iphone 5c or htc one mini.

will only be web surfing when connected to a network.
love to take pictures and video.
only for texting.

saw them both in person and i like the feel of the htc one mini but the 5c in green is also nice.
 
Between those, the 5C definitely. Much better camera and overall hardware.
 
Are you already financially invested in one of the app ecosystems? If so, I'd just go with whichever one that is.

I personally don't like iOS, so I'd say the HTC one mini by default, so that that for what it is. But with the one mini, you get a better build quality perception with the aluminum chassis and front facing speakers, which I think is a pretty nice feature. The HTC one mini also sports better battery life.

On the other hand, I think 1GB of RAM (which the one mini has) on android 4+ with a more recent processor does hold the performance back--launching apps and app switching is definitely a lot more sluggish on my nexus 7 (with 1GB ram) than on my phone (Optimus G with 2GB RAM--hardly any sluggishness to speak of).

Also--not to sound like a smartass, but will you be actually using it as a phone/smartphone? You only mentioned web surfing when connected to a network, and then taking pictures and video. If you're not really using cell data/minutes, why not just get an ipod touch if you're only going to be using the smartphone features on wifi?
 
thanks for the info.

yes, it's for emergency only when i'm out and about. i won't be using it to chat on the phone or surf the web. maybe the occasional logging on to facebook or instagram. but other than that i will be on a network most of the time since i work from home.

i'm more interested in a phone that will play media better (music and video playback) and picture quality. that's what i use my smartphones for really. for emergency calling, once in a while fb and instagram and heavy network usage. hope that all makes sense.
 
Yeah, that makes sense.

I really think the front-facing speakers on the HTC One Mini make a good argument for a media-oriented device. However, it only comes as a 16GB version with no mini SD card slot--so you cannot expand the memory. Same is true for the 5C (can't expand the memory), except you can get 32GB versions with more internal space.

On the other hand (not to give you yet another thing to consider, lol), the HTC one mini supports USB on-the-go, meaning with the proper micro USB adapter, you can plug in a USB stick to your phone and easily access/transfer files without the need for a computer (assuming you have the files you want on a USB stick).

Maybe that will end up being the deciding factor--if you need more than ~11GB of internal storage space (what's left on the one mini when you get it), and the only other option is the higher-capacity 5C.

Have you used either an android or iphone as your phone previously?
 
I recently upgraded from the HTC One X to the HTC One purely for the front facing speakers. In all honesty they make a huge difference. The reason for my choice wasnt so much for media ( I use bluetooth headphones for that 95% of the time) but for GPS use in the care. With rear speakers I have a hard time hearing directions but with the front facing speakers I can hear the directions clearly.
 
As far as media consumption is concerned, if you don't mind iTunes, then I'd argue that the 5c is probably the device for you. It's has great app support for all sorts of media consumption, and would probably suit you well. Then again, the One mini would also be suitable if you're media is not entrenched in iTunes.
 
The storage makes sense but I usually swap out tunes on my phones. Never more than two or three CDs. I do have some micro sd adapters. But that's not a make or break deal for me. Quality of pictures, video and music I guess is more important.

I had a original galaxy s and did enjoy android. A little more work than iOS. Don't know how much more stable android has gotten. I was actually trying to wait for Ubuntu but don't know how long that will take.

I really appreciate the help guys. You all are great.
 
I'd go with the iPhone 5c for the superior media playback (this is Apple's forte, remember) and the camera. The One Mini has an Ultrapixel camera, but not the optical image stabilization that really makes the One's camera work.
 
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