Due for an upgrade

[lankeela]

I am with vodaphone and have got a sim only phone, plus a netbook (Acer Aspire One) which is due for an upgrade next month. I use the netbook at work at night (on it now!) for about 2/3 hours some nights. I use it for emails, facebook and browsing sites like AB. I would like to get something that lets me do all that on a phone, but its got to be easy to use, and big enough for me to see! Thinking of swapping the phone and netbook for a Samsung Galaxy or Nokia Lumia - not sure how these things work and if they would be suitable for me. It would work out about less half what I am paying now for the two things. Any suggestions? Want to stay with Vodaphone as quite happy with the service.

[lankeela]

Should add that the netbook is very slow to get online, takes about ten minutes waiting for it to find signal and get online. Work colleague just gets his phone out of his pocket and hey presto he can get his emails almost instantly!

[sunny-dave]

Surfing on a phone is not the same as using a netbook.

I use a Samsung Galaxy S2 for internet access when away from home and it is better than any other phone I've tried - but it is still way slower to type stuff in than on a netbook and the browsing can be pretty frustrating at times.

Go and have a good play in a Voda shop - they should let you use a 'real' phone for long enough to get an idea of what it can and can't do.

Is the Acer yours to keep if you terminate the mobile data contract? If so you may be able to use an Android phone (like the S2) as a wireless access point and connect the Acer with wifi through that, giving you the best of both worlds.

[lankeela]

Yes it will be mine, so might try that. If the phone is easy to access the t'internet I probably wouldn't use it for so long at a time, just that once I have managed to get online with the netbook I dread turning it off again!

[sunny-dave]

The best phones I've seen this year are the new Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Sony Experia T - both excellent handsets in their different ways. A slightly cheaper option is the Motorola Razr i - again a very good handset with an excellent screen.

You can also get very good deals on the Samsung S2 - now superseded by the S3, but still one of the best phones available.

[mikey4444]

Trying to type long passages into an email or word document on a smart phone will drive you MAD !

Smart phones are OK for occasional internet use but you can't beat a good laptop. I too have a ACER Aspire One, which I am very happy with indeed. It has an 11.5 inch screen, which is very "useable"

[lankeela]

Mikey can I ask how your netbook works? Mine is on a sim card and it takes ages to switch it on, find a signal, get a connection and then get onto the internet. Sometimes it can tak15 - 20 minutes. When my contract runs out is there any way I can use it by getting a dongle or something and not use the sim card?

[hc4361]

Lankeela, I use my netbook outside a wifi area by putting my phone in to 'mobile hotspot' mode and connecting to the phone wifi.

That way I pay for one lot of data for both phone and netbook. Works very well, too

[lankeela]

Bit technical for me but I think I understand!