A new phone
I bought myself a
new phone the other day. My existing phone had been playing up for
months, constantly insisting it couldn’t find a SIM card, when I knew
for a fact that it was just there, underneath the battery, and the
phone clearly wasn’t looking hard enough.
new phone the other day. My existing phone had been playing up for
months, constantly insisting it couldn’t find a SIM card, when I knew
for a fact that it was just there, underneath the battery, and the
phone clearly wasn’t looking hard enough.
Eventually, I bit
the bullet and decided to go in and replace it. I didn’t want a new
phone contract, just a new phone, so I thought it would be easy.
the bullet and decided to go in and replace it. I didn’t want a new
phone contract, just a new phone, so I thought it would be easy.
Oh how naïve I was
back then.
back then.
Obviously, the first
thing I did was to go online. I’m not an idiot, I know that if I go
into a mobile phone shop, the last thing I can expect is mobile phone
advice. They’re all on commission, so naturally they’ll just try and
sell you the thing they get paid most for. Luckily, the web is full
of mobile phone comparison sites, and of course they’re all reviewing
things out of the goodness of their hearts, so I decided to go to
these for a completely free and unbiased opinion.
thing I did was to go online. I’m not an idiot, I know that if I go
into a mobile phone shop, the last thing I can expect is mobile phone
advice. They’re all on commission, so naturally they’ll just try and
sell you the thing they get paid most for. Luckily, the web is full
of mobile phone comparison sites, and of course they’re all reviewing
things out of the goodness of their hearts, so I decided to go to
these for a completely free and unbiased opinion.
Then, I hit my
second snag. £500? For a phone. I can buy a new fridge freezer for
less than that. I could eat out at the top Michelin starred
restaurants in the country one a week for a month, and still be
paying less than it would cost for latest Samsung, Sony or HTC. But
the reviews were all telling me that only the top of the range phone
would do. All the others were, apparently, rubbish. No processing
power, slow charging, crappy camera, and worst of all, nowhere near
as pretty. All of these phones were so bad that, in last years
reviews, they’d only been place at the number one position and
described as ‘the only phone you’ll ever need’. Apparently forever is
a lot shorter than it used to be.
second snag. £500? For a phone. I can buy a new fridge freezer for
less than that. I could eat out at the top Michelin starred
restaurants in the country one a week for a month, and still be
paying less than it would cost for latest Samsung, Sony or HTC. But
the reviews were all telling me that only the top of the range phone
would do. All the others were, apparently, rubbish. No processing
power, slow charging, crappy camera, and worst of all, nowhere near
as pretty. All of these phones were so bad that, in last years
reviews, they’d only been place at the number one position and
described as ‘the only phone you’ll ever need’. Apparently forever is
a lot shorter than it used to be.
In fact, one of the
rubbish phones was the same model I currently have. I loved that
phone. It did everything I wanted it to. In fact, I’d only ever had
two problems with that phone. Firstly, the on board storage was a
little too small – I kept on running out of space in the middle of
a download, and even an additional memory card didn’t help. The
second problem was the fact that the phone didn’t seem to know what a
SIM card looks like.
rubbish phones was the same model I currently have. I loved that
phone. It did everything I wanted it to. In fact, I’d only ever had
two problems with that phone. Firstly, the on board storage was a
little too small – I kept on running out of space in the middle of
a download, and even an additional memory card didn’t help. The
second problem was the fact that the phone didn’t seem to know what a
SIM card looks like.
So, I did my
research, and narrowed down the options, convinced myself that the
current phone fault was a manufacturing error in one batch of phones,
and therefore wouldn’t affect me if I bought a new one, and checked
the prices I could get online.
research, and narrowed down the options, convinced myself that the
current phone fault was a manufacturing error in one batch of phones,
and therefore wouldn’t affect me if I bought a new one, and checked
the prices I could get online.
Of course, if I got
one online, I’d have to wait 4-6 working days, which means two weeks
in real terms and, due to the fact that I needed a working phone
straight away, realised I’d need to go into a physical shop to buy
one. This adds about 20% to the price but I didn’t really have a
choice, so I headed in.
one online, I’d have to wait 4-6 working days, which means two weeks
in real terms and, due to the fact that I needed a working phone
straight away, realised I’d need to go into a physical shop to buy
one. This adds about 20% to the price but I didn’t really have a
choice, so I headed in.
In the shop, I
headed over to the SIM only display and browsed the models. The phone
I wanted was there, but annoyingly my subconcious had been doing some
thinking on the way over and had decided that even my existing model
was more than I really needed given the price. I don’t really take
pictures, don’t really use social media, don’t watch videos and don’t
run any but the most rudimentary of games. In fact, all I really use
it for is making phone calls, checking my email, Google Maps and
iPlayer.
headed over to the SIM only display and browsed the models. The phone
I wanted was there, but annoyingly my subconcious had been doing some
thinking on the way over and had decided that even my existing model
was more than I really needed given the price. I don’t really take
pictures, don’t really use social media, don’t watch videos and don’t
run any but the most rudimentary of games. In fact, all I really use
it for is making phone calls, checking my email, Google Maps and
iPlayer.
I perused the
phones. They all seemed capable of making phone calls. I ticked that
off my list of requirements. I was able to narrow it down even
further by eliminating all phones with a display smaller than postage
stamp. However, the main requirement was online storage, and none of
them seemed to have this listed. They all listed MHz of processing
power, Gigapixels for the camera and exactly which level of cache was
used on the motherboard but things like MB of storage was apparently
not relevant. I asked a handy phone store guy.
phones. They all seemed capable of making phone calls. I ticked that
off my list of requirements. I was able to narrow it down even
further by eliminating all phones with a display smaller than postage
stamp. However, the main requirement was online storage, and none of
them seemed to have this listed. They all listed MHz of processing
power, Gigapixels for the camera and exactly which level of cache was
used on the motherboard but things like MB of storage was apparently
not relevant. I asked a handy phone store guy.
“Hi,” I said, “I
was wondering how much space I had for downloads on these phones.
This one for instance.” I pointed at a random phone that looked
nice and cheap.
was wondering how much space I had for downloads on these phones.
This one for instance.” I pointed at a random phone that looked
nice and cheap.
“Hold on. I’ll
check.”
check.”
The bloke
disappeared behind his desk. I waited patiently. Eventually he came
back.
disappeared behind his desk. I waited patiently. Eventually he came
back.
“That one’s got
8MB.”
8MB.”
“Okay, that’s
probably a bit too small for me.”
probably a bit too small for me.”
“Hold on. I’ll
check.”
check.”
As I waited I
checked out his name badge. He was the assistant manager. This was
promising. He must have been there at least two
weeks.
checked out his name badge. He was the assistant manager. This was
promising. He must have been there at least two
weeks.
Finally,
he came back. “Yeah, that’s one’s eight meg as well.”
he came back. “Yeah, that’s one’s eight meg as well.”
“Okay,
well I probably need more than that. Do you have anything larger.”
well I probably need more than that. Do you have anything larger.”
“Oh,
those are all more expensive,” he told me.
those are all more expensive,” he told me.
“I’ll
cope.”
cope.”
“Oh,
right. Are you sure? Some of
them come with expansion slots. You can add extra memory. It’s dead
good.”
right. Are you sure? Some of
them come with expansion slots. You can add extra memory. It’s dead
good.”
“Okay,”
I played along. “Does this one come with an expansion slot.”
I played along. “Does this one come with an expansion slot.”
He
paused. I could almost see the steam coming off his brain as he
thought about it. Finally, the cogs stopped spinning and he turned
back to me.
paused. I could almost see the steam coming off his brain as he
thought about it. Finally, the cogs stopped spinning and he turned
back to me.
“Hold
on. I’ll check.”
on. I’ll check.”
In
the end I got the one with the most Gigapixels. It just seemed
easier.
the end I got the one with the most Gigapixels. It just seemed
easier.
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