Posts by Mark .

Re: Pulling the plug might mean just that.

I don't see any 3GS phones, I do see older other kinds of phones.

I don't get why second hand sale is an indicator - I wish I thought of these arguments back in the last days of the Amiga, "A £2000 Amiga 4000 is a much better buy, as you can sell it for almost as much". I don't know if your second hand price comparisons are true, but higher second hand prices are usually an indicator of less progression and advancement in newer models, as there's nothing new to drive the price down of older models.

Anyhow, if you're someone who needs to care enough about making money back on second hand price, go buy a much cheaper (but still better than iphone 5) Nexus 4.

"pretty sure Apple replace it for about £130 - you break your S4 and unless you have insurance that could be a £400-500 replacement."

No, they don't, unless you have their insurance too.

Re: return of the ipaq?

I wasn't aware that the US was the entire world.

(And the US market has always been very different from the rest of the world; one where Nokia has always had little presence, and Apple has done its best, with Android not dominating as much compared with the rest of the world - interesting to see then Android having a rebound in the US.)

Re: Poor choice of name

What I see: "As an IT literate, I too would be completely ignorant to the name of the cloud hosting service for the major OS used by 90% of users. Rather than using my IT literate skills in a 10 second Google search to educate myself, I'll just jump to a conclusion, and assume that there can't possible be more than one use for a commonly used word in the English language. I'd also tell people to buy Apple ipods at Apple Records, and I think that Windows and X Windows are made by the same company."

I don't mean to be harsh, but this really is user stupidity that's been reported, and an IT literate should know better - either straight off, or know how to look it up. And ignorance shouldn't allow companies to own the English language.

Re: Fascinating

Um no, phone market is now Samsung 1st, Nokia 2nd. So Nokia have lost out to Samsung, but they've been in the phone market for years too. And describing these companies as "upstarts" is laughable - they're the ones who are multinationals in multiple industries, where as Nokia pretty much only does phones.

I'm still amused that one million sales was hailed as an amazing success for the new IOS platform in 2007, but multiple millions is seen as bad when it's a new Nokia or BB platform.

Re: New meaning to concealed carry

If only it was just that. Round here, seems like the Apple users walk around holding their phones in front of them all the time - might as well staple a Apple logo on their heads.

Then there's the stupid noises it makes all time, annoying when you're on a train and there's the token iphone user in the same carriage. Users of other platforms are sensible enough to switch off the sounds and change the ring tone (though, it wouldn't surprise me if IOS doesn't even have this option yet).

Re: So apple HAVE paid something then

Was it more than "1 billion dollars for rounded rectangles" comedy-amount?

Re: ASA should be scrapped

True, though I think it's fair to say the advert could do with more explanation, because it does seem odd to restrict it based on what you exchange - indeed, why does someone "trading" get a free tablet, but someone buying outright doesn't? Usually the reason for doing this is they'll sell the old one, but then this seems unlikely with iphones. Perhaps it's intended to reward people for converting. If it's a "trade" offer but only at specific phones, that should be clearer.

But I do entirely agree that the iphones are more than just two models - sorry, just because Apple decide to count them as identical models so they can misleadingly claim "single best selling model" doesn't make it true.

Re: @ anonymous coward 'gullible people like me'...

That the Nexus 4 is cheaper than an S3/S4 isn't an argument, because you're comparing different phones - the point is that the Nexus 4 is much cheaper than comparable phones.

True, we shouldn't go by some made up quote on the RRP, but we should go by what the actual real cost of buying the phone is (the same phone that is, not some alternative cheaper one).

In my experience, it varies. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy outright, suggesting things aren't always really subsidised. Other times, it's cheaper to get on contract. This was my experience with the Galaxy Nexus - 24 month contract at £31 = £744. Compared to buying outright from Amazon at £400, plus £15/month for equivalent SIM only contract (exactly the same, on the same network), giving £760. (Although yes, it's a fair point to note that the subsidy here wasn't a huge amount, and the idea the phones are "free" is certainly a myth.)

And yes, it's possible the lower cost comes from a deal from the manufacturer, rather than being paid for by the network - who knows.

Re: I sort of agree.

I don't think that any application is "killer" - different people have different reasons. For me, I love having maps everywhere, from the Google Maps app in ~2006, to Nokia's (and later Google's) free sat nav.

As much as I hate to admit it, sites like Facebook and Twitter probably helped a lot. Although social networks existed in the early 2000s, these were sites like Livejournal where people were expected to write a lot more, and it wasn't so easy to do on a phone - so even though having Internet everywhere might have been something useful, most websites don't work well on a phone. Email might have been useful, but most people were probably happy to use texts, and wait until they got home for email.

But the obsession with reading or writing short status updates wherever you are suddenly made Internet on phones much more useful.

Another point may be that Internet data allowances used to be far more stingy. I was someone who wanted Internet, but rarely used a phone, but you could only get Internet years ago buy paying for a high end contract where you were paying for loads of hours and texts, things that I didn't need. The moment it was allowed on PAYG made it much more viable for me.

Also, I don't think there was really any sudden event - if you look at sales, there's been continual growth in Internet enabled phones (which remember isn't just so-called "smart" phones). It's more that as devices become more powerful, the technology is more usable. And web browsing - one of the most useful things - is also one of the most power hungry for most users. Around 2000, you had the spec that made them comparable to earlier home computers, but not very good for browsing. By 2005, this was more plausible. By 2008, this was much more doable, though it still wasn't completely smooth, and opening loads of memory hungry tabs might be a problem. By 2010 onwards, it's mature.

Re: "fast enough"

But a phone that's more than fast enough now will have the advantage of lasting longer due to being more future proof. I'm not sure what you mean by stable platform, and people are free to keep their Android phones for 4 years too. It's not clear to me that the iphone platform is better in this regard. If you mean that older iphones can get the latest OS, that's a myth, as they don't get all the functionality.

Android barely existed 4 years ago so it's hard to compare that timescale. But I don't see that a 2 or 3 year old Android phone gives a worse experience than a 2 or 3 year old iphone, if we compare like with like (i.e., comparing two phones that were high end when bought). There are loads of people worldwide still using 4 year old Symbian phones, I'm not sure there are as many people on iphone 3G phones.

Most people want phones that work, and most people do that with Android phones.

"I was still paying too much so I traded it in for a flip phone that pretty much just makes a rare phone call."

Yes, exactly - if one doesn't one high specs, there's no need to spend high prices at all, S4 or iphone or otherwise.

Re: it doesn't alter the market dynamics that nobody wants WP

Your history revisionism to place Apple on the top of everything is off:

"MSFT missed smartphones and first Apple ate its lunch, then Google knocked Apple off the table as has been eating ever since. WP is irrelevant."

Nope, Apple has never been number one (and actually even Windows Mobile outsold the original iphone). Symbian dominated until 2011, when overtaken by Android, not iphone.

"MSFT missed tablets, Apple ate its lunch, and Apple's still eating. It's even eating MSFT's core: desktop users. Macs and Macbooks are more popular than ever."

Yes I even saw one with one the other day. But wake me up when Macs outsell Windows. And when tablets outsell laptops, it'll be on Android (Apple's share collapsed in Q1 this year).

I don't understand these arguments. If popularity really matters, then you shouldn't ever be using Mac or iphone. If it doesn't matter, then why try to pretend they're more popular?

I don't think a Windows monopoly a good thing, but I'm confused when people suggest that everyone instead using Apple (no choice in hardware *and* software, and a much more closed platform on devices with no keyboard) would be a good thing. Your argument isn't "It's good to have more choice", it's "Haha MS are going to die".

Even if what you claimed was true, I don't see why you're cheering about it. You can still at least install Linux on your PC (made by your choice of company) if you prefer, but good luck having a choice for your Mac and ios world.

Re: What I learnt from this review

"Apple has a better app store. Samsung has a better camera."

No, the Galaxy Zoom has a better camera is what it said - and that's a dedicated smart camera. Whilst it is another option for someone wanting phone+camera, it's less likely to fit the bill for something that fits in your pocket, and you carry around all the time.

The point about apps was more if you wanted complete app coverage - basically the problem is that there are still companies only catering to the minority of Apple users, not even with an Android app. (Though personally I'd rather simply not do business with a company if they want to lock me out, rather than having it dictate what phone I have to buy. And on a real smartphone, a web browser works just fine for websites anyway.)

So yes, it is a positive review if those are the only down points - and one of those down points will likely be challenged with the Pureview announcement now just weeks away.

Re: Did they say that with a straight face?

Nokia are ahead of Apple. It's only when you compare them to just their WP sales that they're behind.

Re: Google apps optional

Symbian phones will cease production in a few months, and certainly won't be remaining, "feature" phone or otherwise. It's S40 that they use for their "feature" phones. There is also their new Asha low end smartphone platform (which has outsold Nokia WP sales in some quarters, I believe).

"Nokia only uses Windows. Why?"

I don't know, and nor do you. The "evil" thing that MS were meant to have done years and years ago would be enforcing conditions against other OSs as a requirement for licensing Windows - because not being able to sell Windows PCs would be a problem.

But then the very mention of HTC and Samsung proves your point wrong - it can't be due to any dodgy licence requirements, as why doesn't it apply to HTC and Samsung? And even if MS picked on Nokia, if it was really true they'd do better with Android, why wouldn't they just do that, if MS told them they had to choose between them?

Now, it may be that there is some other kind of agreement, perhaps involving money, but that's no longer "evil", that's a choice between two companies to form an alliance.

Other possibilities are that they don't have the resources to make two sets of high end phones on different platforms (even though Android is free and they could reuse similar hardware, they'd still need to port their applications, then there's testing, distribution, support, marketing...)

Re: Note 10.1

"Why do some manufacturers release a tablet without GPS built in?"

Same reason they skip on cameras - most people buying them will have smartphones that already have GPS, and they'll have the phones with them all the time. Why do I need two GPSs/cameras? True, sometimes having location is useful for having applications, but it's not a fundamental requirement. And using sat-nav instructions means there's little advantage for a larger screen to look at a map, since you don't need to.

Though I agree high end tablets might as well include GPS as standard - but I can see why it's missed on some lower end ones.

Re: Just because the UK lags behind...

"It's no wonder no one is buying the flagship model"

Indeed this may well be a reason. But then if people are buying different Samsung models instead, why care - comparing individual device sales (as much of the media like to do) is flawed. No doubt we'll hear negative reports if the S4 doesn't meet its forecasts, but it won't matter if Samsung sales overall remain high.

"Take a lesson from apple, gulfstream, all the automotive manufacturers - and keep your development models under wraps until they're almost out the warehouse door"

Though we hear nothing but endless hype and rumours about the next Apple product, months or even years before release...

Re: Anyone with retail knowledge on here?

I don't know about Tesco, but last time I was in a Sainsbury I saw prominent placement for Kindle Fires, and Ipads. (And not a Nexus 7 in site.)

I think it's easy to underestimate just how important shop distribution is - it's both a form of advertising (how many people even know about Chromebooks? Even if people don't spontaneously buy a Kindle Fire with their fruit and veg, they're made aware it exists, and will be more likely to buy it over alternatives they don't know exists - same idea with lots of people who aren't even aware of Android tablets existing, thinking it's just Apple). And even for us geeks who know what options are available - I like being able to just buy something in a shop (where I can also return it if it goes wrong), rather than faff with Internet shipping.

Never mind Chromebooks - when are we going to see the Nexus 10 available in shops... (Better resolution than any ipad, way cheaper, but no one knows it exists!)

Should maps and street view blank out those dodgy places too? Your Yellow Pages example is where people buy commercial advertising, which doesn't seem relevant here. The analogy would be more if someone was using a phone number for naughty purposes, and expecting Yellow Pages to have to check every phone number just in case.

Re: Stable Door?

Code compatibility? The dominant smartphone platform with 75% share runs the majority of apps on a virtual machine, and already supports Intel. WP uses a virtual machine also. And all the feature phones run various Java based stuff.

So there'll be a 10% niche of phones stuck on ARM only, but I think 90% is more than a big enough market for Intel!

For the retired doctor, is 75% share not enough? (I don't think the VHS vs Betamax analogy works for platforms, because Apple and MS at least are never going to give up on their own platforms.)

Switching platforms always takes a bit of getting used to, whichever way you go, I found some Android niggles annoyed me coming from Symbian, but I've got used to it now.

Re: @Big Van Vader

I agree with your post, but:

"A lot of those Symbian devices are very old, however, so don't contribute to the "app economy" which is the main reason why a rational person would even care about whose phone OS is most popular."

Actually, even if we limit installed userbase to just phones in the last few years, one can get an estimate that still puts Symbian in 3rd place, only recently overtaken by iphone, and that's still a time period well in the timeframe when phones were shipped with Nokia Store, and support Qt etc, so well supported by Symbian application developers.

(From my own personal experience, the large installed userbase of Symbian, even with older phones like the 5XXX series, is partly why I see 50-100 times as many downloads on Symbian to Android.)