Phone.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Not quite sure what it is. Has been PAYG for ages.

[Dave Liquorice]

You'll have to ask your provider.

[RJH]

I'm not sure what typical means. I do a couple of texts and calls a day, couple of pics, bit of maps, and lots of faffing about - mainly news apps.

The maps I have are the proper OS maps when I'm out and about, preloaded on the phone. I have about £100 worth. But obviously that's not for everyone.

Indeed. My guess is that the Moto G's camera would be a step up from the Nokia. I like what I read about the rest of the phone - fast processor, half decent battery, and crucially a good screen. Like an iphone at 1/4 of the price.

Can't say I blame you. Low use PAYG can be had very cheap - I think Vodaphone?

I pay £10 or so a month with a Tesco account. If money was an issue I'd find another way. And TBH I think I'd be glad to be rid of the phone and (especially) text.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I probably make one or two calls and texts a week - and receive about the same. My 'generation' is more landline based.

The inbuilt maps on the N95 have been fine when I've needed them. Which is not often, compared to using the satnav in the car.

From what I've read it seems to be considerably inferior. Up with which I will not put. ;-)

Yes - I spend under £100 a year.

Looks like I may have to pay out the thick end of 500 quid if I want a decent camera - in one of the top of the range Samsungs.

[Theo Markettos]

Google Maps generally does me for satnav - having live traffic for free is really handy.

Care to point us in the direction of the comparisons? I have a Sony Ericsson C905 which was a high-end cameraphone of its day, but is utterly trounced by the other phones I have, which are a Galaxy Nexus (the Moto G of

2012, though at a higher price) and a Note 2.

Have a look at Three's 321 tariff: 3p/min, 2p/text, 1p/MB No monthly commitment, so if you don't use it you don't pay.

I think you've have substantial inflation about what you mean by a 'decent' camera. Looking at N95 pictures with today's eyes makes me distinctly 'meh': they're nothing to write home about. If you really need a top-end phone, try one from a year or two ago. For example, the Galaxy S3 is about

120 quid these days.

Theo

[polygonum]

If the camera is your main feature, why not the Nokia 1020 or, what I have as a work phone, the 1520? The 1020 is well under 1020 SIM-free. Or the new 830 (still much less than 500). The 1520 manages to take some amazingly good photos in difficult conditions (huge contrast between very bright and very dark, very close, etc.). Unfortunately the Lidl fisheye adaptor doesn't quite reach to the lens with its clip mechanism! :-)

I wouldn't choose a Nokia only because of the limited apps, but I am very impressed by their cameras, and their Drive+ GPS is pretty good.

[stuart noble]

I recently picked up a Sony Eriksson W995 for £25. I can see the screen without glasses, so texting outdoors is nice and easy. Decent camera and allegedly it's a Walkman too (I wouldn't know)

[Dave Liquorice]

As you are like me and don't change phones very often or break them. It might be worth looking at what you can get on contract with the phone "free". 2 years at £10/month = £240 for service and new phon e and as you are then on contract an option for cheap free "upgrade" in two years or drop back to PAYG.

That is what I did for the last phone change. No.1 Daughter couldn't get her head around it and was saying thay PAYG would be cheaper for my low use. Probably correct as plain monthly expenditure but I'd have to have coughed up £200 for the phone I wanted and pay the running costs.

[RJH]

snip

Looking at it in a bit more depth, it seems that the Moto G's camera may be not much - if any - better than your current camera, so point taken on the Moto.

So it's down to reviews and anecdote. And it'd be remiss not to point out that the operator plays no small part:

:-)

[polygonum]

Yes, but...

With PAYG you can switch phone companies whenever you want. With contracts there always seems to be a much better deal available the month after you sign up, sometimes from the same provider. And if reception proves to be poor in an area where it is important to you, then you can switch to make the best of what signals are available.

Get a SIM-free phone so no painful or expensive unlocking procedure.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Interesting - I'll look into it. Thanks Dave.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Perhaps I should say what I'm basing it on. Normally pictures taken of cars at a classic car show - so not low light conditions. Many of those I see on the same forum I post mine to are considerably inferior to mine. And I doubt many have such an old phone as mine. So I sort of assumed the average modern phone doesn't have as good a camera as the N95. I could of course be totally wrong. There are also some excellent pics taken on a proper camera to use as a base line. I know the person who takes them - but most of the others are from phones.

[Davey]

I have a similar requirement, just wanting to add a camera facility to my already minimalist mobile 'phone needs. One question: If I get a 'phone that offers Facebook and Twitter sharing, such as the Nokia 225, can it also download direct to a PC? I ask, as I once had a company cell 'phone in the US that could not, its pictures could only be e-mailed.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I simply plug the N95 into the PC via its USB socket and backup everything. Also handy for sending a text message etc from it using a proper keyboard. ;-)

[Davey]

Which suggests that others might, especially Nokia. Thanks.

Any more confirmations or denials, anybody?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd expect any reasonably modern phone to have a connection to a PC to allow you to back up or trasfer things like your address book and so on. Although more likely by Wi-Fi than cable. Or as well as.

[Davey]

That's good, and logical, which is also why it isn't necessarily true! Nobody I showed the one in the US could believe that it had no USB connection, nor any other published way of copying pictures other than by e-mailing them.

[polygonum]

Confirmed from personal experience: Nokia 935 Nokia 1520 Samsung Galaxy S2 Nexus 7 (yes, that's a tablet, but it does connect)

[Davey]

Many thanks. It looks as though Nokia are good.

[Tim Streater]

If you want a decent camera, buy a DSLR, not a sodding phone.