Hello! Going to buy my 1st smartphone, need advice.

[NightLunya]

Hello!

I'm, NightLunya , 21 years old
I am a computer technician and webmaster, administrator and manager of a nonprofit organization on a series of Japanese video games ( to avoid pubs, I will not put a link to my question here).
I also practices cosplay
I'm from Hainaut , Belgium. I speak French

I stumbled upon some video review smartphones and I fell on a YouTube channel named "JTGeek" who provide smartphone review in french , which then redirected me to a french forum. But, the forum looks so dead, so I decided to look at a large forum who speaks about China phones, and I'm now here
Now, I'm looking at a smartphone who worth value for my money, good but cheap , since my old cell phone or HS .

So I was tempted to buy a smartphone that I think good, but I think this forum will provide valuable assistance as exploring all brands available and attractive price, it gave me a little doubt about my choice ... And I guess with a lot of people who have more experience , you could help me. Be careful, I'm quite "demanding" ^^"

So...
I am much informed me on existing Smartphone when I came across some interesting products. But the more you look, the more we discover things, and therefore I'm really lost on the choice of the phone in question .

I have some criteria I search on the phone in question , as well as a few questions. I am a computer technician so I know the technical terms and use them, but since I am a novice in the great smartphone , I wonder about some utilities certain functions ...

Anyway , that's kind of what I'm looking for ...

What I seek of preference:

- Reliability : Something reliable, and pretty solid , no doubt marks;
- Longevity: Potential for a good life ( I count not change Smartphone every year) , I target to 5 years if possible;
- Screen: A beautiful screen , it is legible and fluid at the same time . Also usable in all conditions (gloves included). HD would be fine ^ ^ " A solid screen too, which does not break on the first drop of 10 cm . ... ;
- Multi- function : This phone will essentially be use for call, emails, calendar, show pictures / video presentation, Internet, and remote control of devices and computers;
- Powerful: But useful, in case of having something fluid and efficient , I am interested in the Quad -Core and 2GB RAM. I was told that Mediatek CPU were quite poor , so if there is way to avoid (even if it is the majority mark ... )
- Storage: For storage, if it has a MicroSD slot, it's OK ;
- SIM : Not required , but if it has a dual -SIM is better ... but it is a detail ;
- Size of the phone: I'm not looking a " phablet " wholesale upper screen has 5 " I'm not interested I want a powerful and multifunctional phone, but I do not need big brick in my pocket ^ ^ . "
- Connectivity: Wifi, 3G+, Bluetooth ;
- Language: Possibility to have it in French, but English is fine too;
- ROM: OS customizable , possibility to update . I guess there is only Android for this. Maybe ROM update too?;
- Autonomy : The largest possible. And if there is way to disable functions to extend the life of the phone , I'm interested ;
- Gadgets : Bwah , maybe Gorilla Glass?, and something that I could put the phone in case , I not looking for others gadgets.
- Other : If possible to IP57 standards. Not that I work in the dust or water , but at least the risk of failure is limited;

What I 'm not looking (basically, these criteria really does not matter to me ) :

- Storage: ROM I care very little. I was used to a limited 1GB MicroSD and 32 MB ROM phones. As the MicroSD can expand the storage, I'm fine ; BUT! In this way, apps should install on MicroSD. If not, a little ROM is anyway good.
- Gadgets Image: Camera: I have a Sony DSLR and compact . So the camera phone really does not matter. For videos ... I have a Full HD 60 fps Canon camera ... well... it may take photos and videos, but I'm not looking for high-quality, as I already have the items to do it ^^"
- Gadgets Sound: this is a smartphone , so the speaker ... should not expect superb quality . Honestly DTS , Dolby... I'm not interested . As long as I can put a headphone on and adjust the graphic equalizer to correct some missing tons , it's good ;
- Screen: A Full HD on a Smartphone? As the dpi is correct, a 1280x720 HD is ample . No need of 1920x1080 on such a small screen ;
- Connectivity: 4G ... honestly, I could compare the 3G + and 4G in many people and I do not see the big difference. So I did not necessarily need 4G. I think the 3G+ gives a rate sufficiently interesting.
- Appearance: Comments on phones that resemble others and being told that it is a fake, honestly I do not care. I like the design of the HTC, but I do not really bring the matter over .

My questions:

- I saw recently some Octo -Core Smartphone on the market. But actually .... the usefulness of Octo -Core compared to a quad-core on a Smartphone? Already on the PC, Octo -core has a pretty useless utility at this time.
- The frequency of CPU Smartphone Is very impactful ? I mean , is there a big difference between a 1.4 Ghz CPU and 1.7 GHz , 2 GHz see ?
- Since I intend to use this phone in the long term , is it wiser to take the most impressive components ( thus favoring a Octo -Core for the future, and more RAM ) or this detail is negligible ? Especially that at present , we always sell Single -Core and Dual -Core with a small RAM, so I guess these settings are far from obsolete .
- Battery extender : how it works ? What's it like ? Useful ?

_____________________________________________

All for a relatively small budget.
I examined the possibilities and I adapted my budget accordingly.

I would like to spend as little as possible , but I know that this kind of phone will not find at 50 € ( otherwise it would be a dream ) .
My maximum budget caps 250 € . No more. However, the cheaper the better .

I am very particular about what I want, but don't worry, I myself have researched and reviewed the best would fit my needs .
However, I think with your recommendations and experience, you may be able to find even better than me.
I heard a lot of branded goods as Xiaomi , Lenovo and Huawei, who deserve their place alongside HTC, Samsung ( Apple not talk to me , not at the ankle of the other technically ). In the opposite I heard many peoples having problem with brands like Zopo, so I'll avoid this.

My first choice was focused on a Huawei Honor 3 "outdoor", which is one of the phones that fits most in my selection criteria.
But I 'm interested in any advice, that's why I ask here .

Thank you for reading me that REALLY LONG subject ^^", see you soon !

[aus9]

1) well I am aware you are fussy but let me try a couple of questions for you.

Have you researched the frequencies that your wireless provider (phone company) uses in Belgium?

eg http://www.gsmarena.com/network-bands.ph...ry=BELGIUM

2) How fussy are you on damage to screen......Is that specification after installing a protective case/cover or without it
-----without it.....and much higher drop I know would be gorilla glass at much higher cost
---with case I can drop my non-gorilla phone from 10 cm but choose not to make a habit of it



3) Is water resistance one of the key points for your interest in Huawei Honor 3?
---I am guessing it rains a lot in Belgium.....but not much in Australia
------I cheat had have a plastic zip bag but can't use phone outdoors in rain.

4)

SIM : Not required , but if it has a dual -SIM is better ... but it is a detail ;

Is this you using google translate or a typo?

Sim not required means you don't need to make phones calls or txt messages?
But I see you do want Wifi which is good.

5) Since you are technically good, are you planning to custom ROM your phone?
eg
http://www.needrom.com/phone-roms/huawei/honor-3/ has only a few multilang ROMs
(meaning not just English Chinese)
------but as long as you can get to playstore you can install an app called
anylocale

Speaking of which......what keyboard layout do you prefer?

You can google "android playstore belgium keyboard and get
https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai...putdevices

6) If you need to wear gloves because of snow etc, you can't use a touch screen instead you are looking at a stylus screen
which tend to be much cheaper but not sure if any are waterproof

but you can use voice to text....google search (by voice) for a capacitive screen

http://backcountrynavigator.com/resistiv...chscreens/

good luck

[NightLunya]

1) well I am aware you are fussy but let me try a couple of questions for you.

Have you researched the frequencies that your wireless provider (phone company) uses in Belgium?

eg http://www.gsmarena.com/network-bands.ph...ry=BELGIUM

2) How fussy are you on damage to screen......Is that specification after installing a protective case/cover or without it
-----without it.....and much higher drop I know would be gorilla glass at much higher cost
---with case I can drop my non-gorilla phone from 10 cm but choose not to make a habit of it



3) Is water resistance one of the key points for your interest in Huawei Honor 3?
---I am guessing it rains a lot in Belgium.....but not much in Australia
------I cheat had have a plastic zip bag but can't use phone outdoors in rain.

4)

SIM : Not required , but if it has a dual -SIM is better ... but it is a detail ;

Is this you using google translate or a typo?

Sim not required means you don't need to make phones calls or txt messages?
But I see you do want Wifi which is good.

5) Since you are technically good, are you planning to custom ROM your phone?
eg
http://www.needrom.com/phone-roms/huawei/honor-3/ has only a few multilang ROMs
(meaning not just English Chinese)
------but as long as you can get to playstore you can install an app called
anylocale

Speaking of which......what keyboard layout do you prefer?

You can google "android playstore belgium keyboard and get
https://play.google.com/store/apps/detai...putdevices

6) If you need to wear gloves because of snow etc, you can't use a touch screen instead you are looking at a stylus screen
which tend to be much cheaper but not sure if any are waterproof

but you can use voice to text....google search (by voice) for a capacitive screen

http://backcountrynavigator.com/resistiv...chscreens/

good luck

Thank you very much for your answer
So...

1) A large amount of EU networks use GSM 900 and GSM 1800 in 2G.
For 3G, UMTS 900 and 2100 are often used too.

Thus, this phone is compatible with our network.
Also, I've seen today in a phone shop that the Huawei Honor 2 was for sale and fully compatible. If Honor 2 could work here, Honor 3 could, too.

2) Just in case of ^^" (Just because many users with broken glass on iPhone... I wouldn't like this to happen so fast. Maybe iPhone glass are piece of ****, idk)
You know, dropping accidently it's phone may happen... as I'm a bit clumsy ^^"
So, as long as the glass doesn't break at first drop... it's fine. A pledge of safety for me ^^"

3) Yes, it rains quite a lot in Belgium ^^" I guess I'm not in the worst country for rain, but we have more rainy days in Belgium than sunny days. Well, just another pledge of safety. This phone is an investment for me, so I intend to take care carefully.

4) Hahahaha x) I just laugh... omg, my misspelling xD
Of course I need it to call and send SMS... What I just mean is I don't especially need a dual-SIM phone. Simple-SIM is enough for me ^^" Double-SIM is just a bonus.

5) Yes, I'm planning to customize ROM.
For Keyboard layout, I'm most used with belgian AZERTY, but QWERTY is fine too, i usually use QWERTY for Japanese applications.

6) The Huawei Honor 3 support gloves for it's screen. But it's not for snow. I'm a cosplayer (wearing fancy costumes) and as I own my website for my organization, I'm very often in exhibition, and I could directly show to the customers. Just removing my gloves in each presentation to "random" peoples will really annoy me quickly.

[WuddaWaste]

Welcome to the forums, @NightLunya !

I have to mention the ability to adapt any glove to work with a smartphone screen. There are tutorials on the web, but in short you sew a few stitches of conductive thread through the fingertip of any glove and it will work with any touchscreen. It may be a better solution than buying into a technology that isn't totally mature yet.

[NightLunya]

Thanks for this advice, WuddaWaste, it's a nice idea ^^"

I made new search today and I found new phones who could fit with what I'm looking for.
Now I'm hesitating with those models:

- Xiaomi Mi3
- ZTE Nubia Z5S
- Huawei Honor 3 (or 3X)

As I heard, those 3 brands are really great, and not very expensive.
If you have more advices or phones to recommand me, just tell me ;)

[aus9]

Xiaomi Mi3

US $400 exceeds your price range?
ZTE Nubia Z5S ....what is your NX model number as prices vary
Huawei.....so not the outdoor model? so does not have to be waterproof?

If you have more advice

iOcean G7 basic model
yeah its out of stock but US$100
gorilla glass, accepts gloves
minus to you is its too big with a 6.44 Inch screen and not waterproof according to my eyesight

but cop a load of battery size 3500mAh

no wonder its sold out? iOcean G7 basic model

www.1949deal.com/iocean-g7-mtk6592-octa-core-1-7ghz-android-4-2-smartphone-2g-ram-16g-rom-6-44-inch-fhd-gorilla-glass-gesture-sensing-3g-white.html

[ftomas]

The phones you say are not cheap! 2 with snapdragon 800, so good machines

For what you want you may consider some cheaper phones, from nice chinese brands:

Xiaomi redmi note, octacore 2gb ram, its very fast and 5.5''
Xiaomi redmi 1s, snapdragon 400, 4.7'' but cheap
Xiomi has a nice building quality and also has a fine UI - MIUI

Others to consider are the THL T100 or THL T10 or even THL T200, all mtk octacore but with good reviews

[WuddaWaste]

It's also worth noting that the quad-core MediaTek processors did have some issues endemic to that particular SoC's architecture. GPS being the leading problem. My experience with the 8-Core MTK processor has been rather favorable.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with any of the phones or brands you're mentioning so I'm going to distance myself from this discussion and hope someone more knowledgeable about them can chime in.

[Hubrecht]

I'm too from Belgium, also speaking French.
I already ordered chinese phones, and I am very happy with the first one:
It's an HTM H9001
I am waiting two Star N8000
The HTM has a big battery, and comes with a spare one.
It's a Samsung Galaxy S4 clone, with few differences. Resolution is lower, but still very good. The camera is not the best but it's working.
No bug after six months.

[NightLunya]

It's also worth noting that the quad-core MediaTek processors did have some issues endemic to that particular SoC's architecture. GPS being the leading problem. My experience with the 8-Core MTK processor has been rather favorable.

Unfortunately, I have no experience with any of the phones or brands you're mentioning so I'm going to distance myself from this discussion and hope someone more knowledgeable about them can chime in.

But, is a octo-core phone really useful? Or quad-core is really enough for "everything" ?
You don't have to distance yourself from this discussion, I mentionned 3 brands I know, but I'm always hearing another advices with others brands.

I'm too from Belgium, also speaking French.
I already ordered chinese phones, and I am very happy with the first one:
It's an HTM H9001
I am waiting two Star N8000
The HTM has a big battery, and comes with a spare one.
It's a Samsung Galaxy S4 clone, with few differences. Resolution is lower, but still very good. The camera is not the best but it's working.
No bug after six months.

Parfait ça, j'aimerais bien qu'on parle en privé pour en savoir un peu plus ;)
Aucun souci coté réseaux?
________________________________________________________________________

I'll take note about the Xiaomi phones...

And the iOcean is really interesting for it's price, but this screen is... FHD 6.44", way to big for me x) ... this, and octocore, it wouldn't run more with a smaller phone with smaller battery ^^"

But... what worth iOcean and THL? And what about the Star and HTM mentionned too? Are those phones in as good quality as Huawei/Xiaomi?