Smartphone

Tamrin

Hi can anyone reccomend a smartphone that's easy to use for someone who has not used one before.

DUTR

All of them are easy to use, you can type on a PC, so you can use a smartphone .

MattLFC

iPhone and Windows Phone are by far the easiest to use imho - the choice depends on your budget and preference. Blackberry (version 7) is okay, but is effectively obsolete now with the impending launch of Blackberry 10 in September.

Android is clunky, and no amount of overlays can disguise that unfortunately, so steer clear of it if simplicity is what you're after (it has a lot more to offer for "power users" however, than any other platform).

Don't bother with Symbian or Bada, both are even more dead than Blackberry 7 lol.

buscape

Lumia 710. Windows Phone, cheap £99 and very easy to use.

MattLFC wrote:

Don't bother with Symbian or Bada, both are even more dead than Blackberry 7 lol.

Not true, support for Symbian will continue until 2016, some current devices have just had an update and the 808 Pureview comes out this month.

JJ_Egan

Top end SGS3
Budget range the new Huawei Ascend G300 at around £100 .

jje

electrobix99

I am really happy with my Windows phone and would recomend the Lumia 800 or 900 by Nokia.

Easy to use and enough apps if you want those.

MattLFC

buscape wrote: »

Lumia 710. Windows Phone, cheap £99 and very easy to use.



Not true, support for Symbian will continue until 2016, some current devices have just had an update and the 808 Pureview comes out this month.

App developers arne't interested though, Nokia are planning a PureView for Windows Phone; the only reason it's not been released on it from the start, is because they have more flexibility with Symbian (it's their own OS).

Symbian Belle (well Nokia Belle as it's now called) is actually a really nice OS, and is everything that Symbian 3 should have been originally, but it was simply too little, too late. The failings of the original Symbian 3 and Anna, proved fatal to the platform from a consumers point of view, and if consumers aren't interested, developers aren't interested. Nokia's alliance with Microsoft was the final nail in the coffin.

MarkBargain

MattLFC wrote: »

Android is clunky, and no amount of overlays can disguise that unfortunately, so steer clear of it if simplicity is what you're after (it has a lot more to offer for "power users" however, than any other platform).

Most people I know have Android phones, as I do, and find them very easy to use especially if you already have a GMail account. There is a wide market of Android phones available so don't rule those out.

MattLFC

MarkBargain wrote: »

Most people I know have Android phones, as I do, and find them very easy to use especially if you already have a GMail account. There is a wide market of Android phones available so don't rule those out.

Have you actually used iOS or Windows Phone, as well as droid? Droid pales into insignificance in comparison for simplicity, and that's what the OP requires.

All three OS's support GMail natively, so the support of which, is nothing to shout about.

buscape

MattLFC wrote: »

App developers arne't interested though, Nokia are planning a PureView for Windows Phone; the only reason it's not been released on it from the start, is because they have more flexibility with Symbian (it's their own OS).

Symbian Belle (well Nokia Belle as it's now called) is actually a really nice OS, and is everything that Symbian 3 should have been originally, but it was simply too little, too late. The failings of the original Symbian 3 and Anna, proved fatal to the platform from a consumers point of view, and if consumers aren't interested, developers aren't interested. Nokia's alliance with Microsoft was the final nail in the coffin.

Agree completely, you've clearly been following the 808 and Symbian and you clearly know your stuff.

Usually when people say 'Symbian is dead' it's based on what they read from certain websites without having used it since the days of the N97 if at all.

I would argue that the networks and retailers in the U.K have contributed to the demise of Symbian, the only current one I see is the 700.

MarkBargain

MattLFC wrote: »

Have you actually used iOS or Windows Phone, as well as droid? Droid pales into insignificance in comparison for simplicity, and that's what the OP requires. .

I haven't, as these operating systems are available on relatively few devices and I wouldn't rule out the biggest share of the market when looking for a mobile phone. iOS limits the user to expensive iPhones and Windows has a fraction of the apps.

I am sure all three have pros and cons, but I wouldn't recommend ruling out Android as most users are very happy with it.

Tamrin - Going back to your original question, if you suggest a budget I or others will suggest a phone.