Buyer's guide to Smartphones in NZ

Image courtesy of DigitalTrends.com

So you've decided you want to buy a smartphone but don't know anything about them? Well you've come to the right place, especially if you want to buy an Android smartphone. 

This guide was written for first time buyers to describe what Android smartphones do and what you should be looking for when buying one. I've broken the article into sections with Budget, Mid-range and High-end handsets with some options for each price range along with a recommendation. 

For our foreign readership, all prices are quoted in NZD and include 15% GST. Handset pricing was found using PriceSpy.

If you are buying your first smartphone, or even just your next smartphone then read on!

Firstly here are some things you will be able to do on all of the phones regardless of which one you choose:

• Make phone calls
• Send Texts/MMS
• Use Clock, Stopwatch and Alarm functions
• Browse the internet over 3G and WiFi (meaning you can read Stuff.co.nz on the go)
• Browse, post and upload pictures to Facebook
• View and Send Emails (Gmail and other Email)
• View maps and navigate using GPS
• Listen to music
• View weather based on your location
• Play games like Angry Birds
• Watch Youtube and other videos
• View and sometimes edit Office documents
• Capture and share photos and video
• Customise homescreens with widgets of your choice

The user experience of these activities will differ greatly depending on the device you buy. Typically budget devices have smaller low resolution screens so they display less at once; everything looks more pixelated and they typically have low visibility in sunlight. They also perform more slowly so if you are not patient you will get frustrated waiting for your phone to catch up. As price increases the quality of the user experience typically also increases. Android phones can range in price from ~$200 for a budget handset up to the $900-1000 mark for the latest and greatest device. The diversity in pricing, design and functionality is what makes Android such an attractive platform.

One important thing to note when purchasing a smartphone is that you will probably need to purchase a ‘Data’ pack for whichever mobile network you use. Here’s a quick comparison chart of New Zealand prepaid combo packages for the newly minted smartphone owner:

Prepaid mobile plan comparison

Plan Name	Network	Data	Minutes	Texts	Price
Text Pack	2Degrees	50MB	30	2500	$19/mo
Data Pack	2Degrees	300MB	30	300	$19/mo
TalkTextData	Telecom XT	200MB	20	1000	$20/mo
Smart25	Vodafone	100MB	50	2500	$25/mo

I'd also like to mention the Skinny network as their weekly plans are too complicated to fit into the table above but for some people they have flexibility and pricing options that will suit. 

Budget Phones less than $250

LG P500 Optimus One

Price: $175 from Gadgets online

This budget handset is very popular in New Zealand and for good reason; it has great specs for the price and is an excellent starter phone for the new Smartphone user.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Good starter phone
• Good battery capacity
• Fairly low price

Cons:

• Small display
• Display might scratch easily
• Low resolution screen, meaning it can't fit a lot on at once and it may look pixelated
• Can be slow when performing intensive tasks
• Camera is not that great
• Quite thick so can feel a little bulky
• No Adobe Flash support
• Runs older Gingerbread Android Operating System (OS)

Huawei Sonic U8650

Price: $199 from Dick Smiths (Only works on Skinny network for first 9 months unless you pay $30 to unlock)

The Huawei Sonic is not very popular but has reasonable specs for the price. Unfortunately it comes locked to the Skinny network and will only ever work on Skinny or Telecom XT.

Pros:

• Same size display as iPhone
• Price is competitive
• Svelte design

Cons:

• Will only work on Telecom XT or Skinny, not 2Degrees or Vodafone
• Low resolution (might look pixelated)
• Display might scratch easily
• Low resolution screen, meaning it can't fit a lot on at once and it may look pixelated
• Can be slow when performing intensive tasks
• Camera is not that great
• No Adobe Flash support
• Runs older Gingerbread Android OS

HTC Wildfire S

Price: $235 + Shipping from HITECH Mobiles

The HTC Wildfire S is the most expensive of the budget handsets and quite frankly isn’t worth it. The Sense UI is quite bloated and lags the phone down. The form factor is also unusually squat, especially when sitting next to its big brother the HTC Sensation.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Nice interface
• Good build quality
• Decent 5MP Camera

Cons:

• Small screen
• Low resolution (might look pixelated)
• Can be slow when performing intensive tasks
• Low battery capacity
• No Adobe Flash support
• Runs older Gingerbread Android OS

Quick Comparison Chart – Budget Phones

Phone	LG P500	Huawei  Sonic	HTC Wildfire S
Price	$175 + Shipping	$230	$235 + Shipping
Display Size	3.2”	3.5”	3.2”
Display Resolution	480x320 HVGA	480x320 HVGA	480x320 HVGA
Weight	129g	120g	105g
Scratch Resistance?	No	No	No
Processor	600MHZ	600MHZ	600MHZ
Camera	3.2MP	3.2MP	5MP
Video Camera	640x480 VGA	640x480 VGA	640x480 VGA
Front Camera?	No	No	No
Battery	1500mAh	1400mAh	1230mAh
Adobe Flash?	No	No	No
Network Compatibility	2Degrees/Vodafone	Telecom/Skinny	2Degrees/Vodafone
Android Version	Gingerbread 2.3	Gingerbread 2.3	Gingerbread 2.3

Recommendation for Budget Phones:

AndroidNZ recommends The LG P500 for the financially constrained smartphone purchaser. This device is a good all-rounder for the budget segment and the best bang for your buck at only $175. 

Mid-Range phones over $250 & less than $500

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray

Price: $289+$30 Shipping ($319) from Fairbuy NZ

While I haven't seen the Xperia Ray in person, judging by the photographs it is an attractive phone indeed. It has a petite form factor that will entice some users while driving others away.  With competitive specs and an excellent camera this phone is sure to impress for such a low price.

Pros:

• Powerful processor (1GHZ)
• High resolution screen (very sharp image)
• Excellent camera (8 Megapixels)
• Excellent video camera (720p HD recording)
• Very light at 100g
• Slim and small to fit in small pockets or handbag/purse
• High capacity battery
• Supports Adobe Flash in the web browser
• Scratch resistant glass on screen
• Front-facing camera for video chat

Cons:

•  Small 3.3” screen

Motorola Defy Plus

Price: $325+$30 shipping ($355) from Fairbuy NZ

The Motorola Defy+ is an ultra rugged and durable phone designed for the adventurous. It is IP67 certified meaning it is sealed from dust and can withstand water up to a depth of 1M for 30 minutes. These ruggedness features mean the Defy isn't quite as pretty as some other handsets, but if you're the type of person who frequently drops their phone then this may be the handset for you.

Pros:

• Powerful processor (1GHZ)
• High resolution screen (very sharp image)
• Reasonable 5MP Camera
• Scratch resistant Gorilla Glass screen
• Dust/Splash proof
• Very high capacity battery
• Good sized 3.7” screen

Cons:

• More expensive due to ruggedness
• Arguably less attractive than other phones
• Runs older Gingerbread Android OS

Huawei Ideos X5

Price: $289 + Shipping from Cool Mobile

The Huawei Ideos X5 is a fairly straightforward phone. It doesn't have any ruggedness features; it isn't particularly attractive, but it has reasonable specs at a reasonable price.

Pros:

• Large 3.8” screen
• Good resolution screen (not very pixelated)
• Decent processor speed
• Reasonable 5MP camera

Cons:

• Screen scratches/cracks fairly easily when dropped
• Unimaginitive design
• Battery life can be erratic
• Runs older Froyo version of Android OS

Quick Comparison Chart – Mid-Range Phones

Phone	Xperia Ray	Defy Plus	Ideos X5
Price	$319	$355	$289 + Shipping
Display Size	3.3”	3.7”	3.8”
Display Resolution	854x480 FWVGA	854x480 FWVGA	800x480 WVGA
Weight	100g	118g	130g
Scratch Resistance?	Yes	Yes – Corning Gorillla Glass	No
Processor	1GHz	1GHz	800MHz
Camera	8MP with flash	5MP	5MP
Video Camera	720P	720P	720P
Front Camera?	Yes	No	No
Battery	1500mAh	1700mAh	1500mAh
Adobe Flash?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Network Compatibility	Vodafone/2Degrees	Vodafone/2Degrees	Vodafone/2Degrees
Android Version	Upgrading to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich	Gingerbread 2.3	Froyo 2.2

Recommendation for Mid-Range Phones:

The Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is the best mid-range phone with very good specifications for the price, a slick design and a compact form factor to boot.

High-End Phones over $500

HTC Sensation

Price: $508 + Shipping from Expert Infotech

The HTC Sensation is the lowest price of the High-End handsets and has very admirable specs considering. It has quite a nice form factor which fits nicely in the hand, although it is a little on the hefty side.  HTC’s Sense overlay is a little bloated but most people will enjoy the extra eye candy. Overall a pretty good buy for the price. If you want more information I wrote a three part review for TelecomTech available here:

• Part 1 - Unboxing & Initial Impressions
• Part 2 - Entertainment & Media
• Part 3 - GPS & Telephony

Pros:

• Large 4.3” High resolution qHD display
• Fast Dual Core processor 1.2Ghz
• High quality 8MP camera
• Can record 1080P Full HD Video
•  Solid aluminium/rubber feels good in the hand
• Scratch resistant glass on the screen
• Front-facing camera for video chat
• Runs latest Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS

Cons:

• Requires you to buy a Micro SD if you want more than the 8GB standard
• Some might consider it heavy at 148g
• Quite large (Although my Fiancée has one and doesn’t have any problems with this)
• LCD screen is not as bright as other competing screen technologies

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Price: $619 + $30 shipping ($650) from Fair Buy NZ

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the official Google handset for 2011 and was the first phone to introduce a high definition 720p display. While most of the specs are fairly standard for a High-end handset the screen and the stock Android experience make it stand apart. You can check out our review over here.

Pros:

• Stock Google Android device so very fast and gets updates to the software faster than other devices
• Large 4.65” Super high resolution 720P HD display
• Great legibility in sunlight
• Scratch resistant glass
• Fast Dual Core processor 1.2Ghz
• High quality 5MP camera with fast shutter speed
• Can record 1080P Full HD Video
• Slim design
• Comes with 16GB memory built-in
• Front-facing camera for video chat
• Runs latest Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS

Cons

• Quite large so small hands may find it difficult to use
• Can’t expand the memory so 16GB is the maximum

Samsung Galaxy SII

Price: $665 + $30 Shipping ($695) from Fairbuy NZ

The Samsung Galaxy SII was Samsung’s flagship handset of 2011 and for good reason. It has an incredibly vibrant and large display and is blazing fast for everything you’d expect to do on it. The oversaturated TouchWiz interface might not impress everyone but for most people it adds utility and a consistent look and feel across the device. As a side note; some people find this device feels flimsy due to being lightweight, however the build quality is superb and it is very durable. Its also worth noting that nearly every AndroidNZ Editor owns one of these. 

Pros:

• Large 4.3” display
• Great legibility in sunlight
• Scratch resistant Gorilla Glass
• Fast Dual Core processor 1.2Ghz
• High quality 8MP camera
• Can record 1080P Full HD Video
• Slim and light design
• Comes with 16GB memory built-in
• Can expand memory with a Micro SD
• Runs latest Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS

Cons:

• Can feel cheap/plasticky in hand
• Screen is only 800x480 which can make screen elements look bloated on the large screen size

HTC One X

Price: $839 + $30 shipping ($869) from Top10

The HTC One X is the latest flagship device from HTC and the first of the latest generation of smartphones. The processor is blazing fast, the display is probably the best in the business (at the time of writing) and it only has a few minor niggles that will let down a minority of users. If you have the cash this device comes highly recommended. Over at Geekzone NZtechfreak is writing for the TelecomTech blog where he is currently covering the One X so check it out for first-hand impressions.

Pros:

• Great legibility in sunlight
• Scratch resistant Gorilla Glass
• Super fast Quad Core processor
• 32GB onboard storage
• Incredible clarity on the 4.7” 720P HD Display
• Good battery capacity
• High quality 8MP camera
• Can record 1080P Full HD Video
• Front-facing camera for video chat
• Runs latest Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS

Cons:

• Non-removable battery
• Non-expandable storage
• Size may be too large for some people
• Quad core is more for boasting rights than anything else

Samsung Galaxy Note

Price: $754 + $30 Shipping ($784) from Fairbuy NZ

The Galaxy Note blurs the line between phone and tablet with its huge 5.3” display. It’s basically a super-sized and supercharged Galaxy SII. For most people it’s too large, but for the few who can wield it the Galaxy Note is formidable indeed. For more detail you can read the incredibly detailed review from our Editor-in-Chief NZTechfreak here.

Pros:

• Supersized 5.3” Super high resolution HD (1280x800) display
• Scratch resistant Gorilla Glass
• Great legibility in sunlight
• Has a capacitive stylus for annotating
• Fast Dual Core processor 1.4Ghz
• High quality 8MP camera
• Can record 1080P Full HD Video
• Slim, despite its large size
• Will actually fit in most pockets even though its massive
• Comes with 16GB memory built-in
• Can expand memory with a Micro SD
• Amazing battery life
• Front-facing camera for video chat
• Will run latest Ice Cream Sandwich Android OS 

Cons:

• Too large for most people so visit a Vodafone store to try before you buy

Quick Comparison Chart – High-End Phones

Phone	HTC Sensation	Samsung Galaxy Nexus	Samsung Galaxy SII	HTC One X	Samsung Galaxy Note
Price	$508 + Shipping	$650	$695	$869	$784
Display Size	4.3”	4.65”	4.3”	4.7”	5.3”
Display Resolution	960x540 qHD	1280x720 720p	800x480 WVGA	1280x720 720p	1280x800
Weight	148g	135g	116g	130g	178g
Scratch Resistance?	Yes – Corning Gorilla Glass	Yes	Yes – Corning Gorilla Glass	Yes – Corning Gorilla Glass	Yes – Corning Gorilla Glass
Processor	1.2GHz Dual Core	1.2GHz Dual Core	1.2GHz Dual Core	1.5GHz Quad Core	1.4GHz Dual Core
Camera	8MP	8MP	8MP	8MP	8MP
Video Camera	1080P	1080P	1080P	1080P	1080P
Front Camera?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery	1500mAh	1750mAh	1650mAh	1800mAh	2500mAh
Adobe Flash?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Network Compatibility	2Degrees Vodafone	All	All	All	All
Android Version	Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0	Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0	Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0	Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0	Upgrading to Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0

Recommendation for High-End Phones:

The high-end range is the most difficult to recommend just one phone. If you're on a tight budget but want the best phone for your money then the HTC Sensation is a good choice, if you want the largest screen possible then the Galaxy Note could be the phablet  for you (phone/tablet hybrid). All of the current contenders are very competitive, so it really depends on your budget, size preference and finding the one that fits you. 


You may also want to consider waiting for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S3 which is likely to trump all of the current handsets in every regard, except perhaps price. If you're also excited about the impending announcement of the S3 then you may want to have a read of this editorial from NZtechfreak.