Confused like Hell for a ~20k phone !!!

Hi guys

After about 7 years, atlast, i decided to buy a new Android phone.
I've been using Sony Ericsson W580i(

pls don't laugh ) for calling/messaging purposes & an ipod touch ( which my brother no longer needed ) for my multimedia purposes.

The SE W580i has been through the rough patches of my life . Its time for it to get some rest.
So, i hopped on to my Bike & went to the nearby Shop to check out the latest Android phones.
I was shown these mobiles from the shopkeeper :

Samsung galaxy Grand Duos - 19k
Samsung Galaxy Quattro - 16k
Samsung Galaxy Mega - 23k
Samsung Galaxy Core - 15k-ish
Sony Xperia L- 15k-ish
LG L9 - 15k-ish
& some other Indian companies Mobiles..

Out of these, Galaxy Mega is pretty much out of budget as its about 23k..
My budget is about 15-17k which can be stretched to 20k in case the mobile's really really good.
Grand Duos looks pretty awesome, but from what i read online, its not worth 19k.
Galaxy Quattro has 4 processors, but it seems they're a bit weak
No idea about galaxy core.. O__O
Xperia L seems to be the flavour of the month..a lot of fairly positive reviews for it..
L9 is pretty old..came out in Nov 2012..not that much interested in LG

I'll be using the Mobile for Internet, about 4-5 apps would probably be opened most of the times ( FB, whatsapp, couple of games ), Camera is an fairly an Important part as i'll be using it quite often.
Loudspeakers : not that much as i hardly listen to music in speakers..I use earphones most of the times.
Will be using it to watch movies when travelling long distances( read : on trains

)

Based on what i saw in the shop, Galaxy grand looked good..the UI was friendly & colourful.camera was pretty good..didn't have a chance to use either quattro nor Core nor mega.
Xperia L seemed fine, but the camera pic quality was ok..Front camera quality was horrible as it was VGA..lol

I am leaning towards the Xperia L atm, but since i had no idea about the quattro or galaxy core, i decided to open up a thread & ask for advice/suggestions..which one should i go for ?? :O
I'll be using this phone for the next 3 years or more easily..so a bit futureproof mobile is even better
I am not even gonna look towards the Indian Mobiles section...sure their specs are pretty awesome, but their after-sales service leaves a lot to be desired..8 of my friends have got micromax Canvas, 4 of them have encountered problems & 3 of them are still running once a week to the service centres hoping they'll get a solution.

Pls help me.

thanks
Regards
ash

Xperia L is a great mobile for 15k. Good performance for the price, looks stylish. It will get 4.2 update from SONY(most probably). It may also have good dev support in future(rooting, custom ROMs, etc). Overall its a good phone to buy.

Galaxy Grand is also a good phone, better camera than Xperia L as u pointed but its only major drawback is screen resolution. For a 5" screen, its resolutionis only 800x480, so low ppi-pixel per inch, 186ppi(L also has same resolution but its 4.3" screen, 220+ ppi). With low resolution, screen won't be sharp. We use phones very close to our eyes compared to laptops, so it needs more ppi. If u spending 20k, get a screen with 200+ ppi minimum.
Get Grand if u badly need a dual SIM phone.

Galaxy Quattro : Just don't buy it (quad core A5 processor)

Galaxy Core: Don't know about its processor, most probably its A5 dual core, so leave it

Note: Xperia L & Grand have A9 dual core processors

Thanks for the reply Anupam !

I think i'll go with Xperia L then..I wish it had a better camera..

Spending about 16k & getting mediocre camera just doesn't fill right..on the other hand, spending 18k & getting mediocre display on grand duos also doesn't feel right.. :duh2:

but it seems Xperia L will be much better on the long run, so i'll stick with it..

P.S : n00b ques - i found the UI on samsung grand to be much colourful & better looking than the one on Xperia L.. Is there a way to customize the UI on Xperia L to make it look like Samsung's UI ( like are there themes ??? )?

thanks again for all the help.

^

Xperia L doesn't have a Cortex A9 processor, it has a krait dual core chip which is closer to A15 than A9.

Yeah its Krait cores with performance between dual & quad core A9 ....

ashs1 said:
Thanks for the reply Anupam !

I think i'll go with Xperia L then..I wish it had a better camera..

Spending about 16k & getting mediocre camera just doesn't fill right..on the other hand, spending 18k & getting mediocre display on grand duos also doesn't feel right..

but it seems Xperia L will be much better on the long run, so i'll stick with it..

P.S : n00b ques - i found the UI on samsung grand to be much colourful & better looking than the one on Xperia L.. Is there a way to customize the UI on Xperia L to make it look like Samsung's UI ( like are there themes ??? )?

thanks again for all the help.

Ya, u may find Samsung's Touchwiz UX launcher somewhere in net

ok..so i went to the nearby reliance digital store to finally buy a Xperia L, but it was Out of stock & he informed me that it'll be available on Tuesday for sure. Just as i was about to leave the store, he asked he requested me to check out the Nokia Lumia series
& BAM, the Nokia Lumia 720 was standing there in the shelf..sexy like megan fox..
I checked out the UI ( seemed very new, yet nice), the touchscreen was perfect & the camera was "omg, its awesome !!"
It seemed to be better than Xperia L in almost every department except the Appstore.
I know that the Windows Appstore has lot of less apps than the google playstore or ios appstore, but How bad is it ??
& also the Lumia 720 has 512mb ram..is it sufficient for windows 8 while most of the android phones have more than 1gb ram ?? Is multitasking possible in Lumia720( lets 3-4 apps at same time) ??
I am kind of a casual game player..so does the windows Appstore has some good (free preferably ) games that are noteworthy ??
I am incredibly Impressed by the Lumia 720..i read a lot of reviews online & more than 95% of them have said very positive things about it & am seriously considering about getting it..
Is the windows phone appstore developing ?? is there any scope for it in the future ? like i said in my 1st post, i'd like my phone to be a bit future proof( atleast 3 years )
i would like to know whether its worth investing about 17k on an OS whose appstore is average at the moment ? does it have the basic apps like fb, twitter, internet browsers, video players, whatsapp, palringo, instagram, skype, etc ?? will it have better apps in the future ??
& what about the movie playing capabilities ? does it support the popular formats while playing videos ? like 720p mp4, 720p mkv, flv ??
what i was thinking was even if the appstore is avg. atm, maybe i can use the Lumia720 for cellular, messaging, internet, movie, camera, music purposes while for gaming purpose, i could use my old faithful ipod ??

I am extremely sorry for so many questions, but i haven't purchased a mobile for myself in the last 7 years & i am extremly nervous about getting the right now.
thanks for the help.

If you can extend the budget by only 1.5k you can get lumia 820 it has got 1 gb ram and all games available on wp8 can easily run on lumia 820. Wp8 appstore less than the android one and is growing rapidly. And about your query only IE browser is available on wp8 but it's very fast indeed, no other video player is available than default one and it can only play .mp4 , .avi and .wmv files at 1080p resolution. 100's of games are available at price 55,110,160 and 320. All gameloft games are at rs 360 and most are available at rs 55. For future proofing every wp8 device will be supporte by microsft for 2 years. Lumia 820 has best specs you can get at this price of 22k.

Gauravs90 said:
Lumia 820 has best specs you can get at this price of 22k.

Lumia 820 is a heavy phone at 186g. Better get Xperia SP at that price range

ashs1 said:
1.Is the windows phone appstore developing ?? is there any scope for it in the future ? like i said in my 1st post, i'd like my phone to be a bit future proof( atleast 3 years )
2.i would like to know whether its worth investing about 17k on an OS whose appstore is average at the moment ? does it have the basic apps like fb, twitter, internet browsers, video players, whatsapp, palringo, instagram, skype, etc ?? will it have better apps in the future ??
3. what about the movie playing capabilities ? does it support the popular formats while playing videos ? like 720p mp4, 720p mkv, flv ??
4. what i was thinking was even if the appstore is avg. atm, maybe i can use the Lumia720 for cellular, messaging, internet, movie, camera, music purposes while for gaming purpose, i could use my old faithful ipod ??

1. Ya. Ya. Don't expect futureproofing for 3 years. Better to get Xperia L. It will eventually get dev support, so custom ROMs will start building up. So even if Sony stops support, u can always rely on guys at xda for android upgrades

2. I would recommend investing in Android for long run, maybe WP will become great..... so really can't comment on this one. It has most of basic apps. Ya

3. I think yes, for all queries. It plays 1080p for sure

4. Why do that when there is a good android phone that u can buy. Many games that are free in Android & iOS are not available for free in WP8, like Angry Birds...... So Android takes edge over WP8

Moreover Lumia 720 & Xperia L have same CPU & GPU.......

Advantages of Lumia 720 over Xperia L:
- Better looking
- Better battery life
- Better camera (i suppose)

Don't go for a windows phone, you will get bored after some time.
Xperia L is very good for its price.
But now the companies have increased the price of almost all mobiles due to dollar rate.

^ Can you elaborate on how one will get "bored" if one chooses a Windows phone over an Android?

For those who are suggesting xperia l must know that its video recording is pathetic than all the xperias released till date... Pls check gsmarena review. And its screen quality is not also upto the mark having low sunlight legibility and low contrast, I personally experienced that.

And all the major apps are available on wp8. One dosen't get bored by them.

In Android, u can do an entire UI change from Play Store or install new ROMs........ try new features... etc

darkv0id said:
^ Can you elaborate on how one will get "bored" if one chooses a Windows phone over an Android?

Because there are not that many apps and not much customization options.

aroraanant said:
Because there are not that many apps and not much customization options.

The days are over when one can say that there are not many apps in wp8. Every basic and important apps are cover under wp8. And alternatives are present for every app in android.

And for customization microsoft will never allow this as it will effect the fluency and smoothness in wp8.

App installation will be a huge pain in the ass, if you know what i mean..
Good luck getting Asphalt 7 if you dont have a credit card

I purchase asphalt 7 with punjab national bank mastercard debit card. I purchased with no problem however SBI visa debit card do not work. It may be bank dependent.

Gauravs90 said:
I purchase asphalt 7 with punjab national bank mastercard debit card. I purchased with no problem however SBI visa debit card do not work. It may be bank dependent.

My SBI Mastercard failed at Play Store but cards of Pvt. bank are working

anupam_pb said:
My SBI Mastercard failed at Play Store but cards of Pvt. bank are working

Yup. I don't know what's the problem with SBI visa and mastercards. Everytime I have to purchase something I have to rely on others.

Guys..i got the Xperia L

I was very tempted by the Lumia720/820 but at the end of the day, as a student, i guess i'll be benefitted more by android than W8..i am assuming W8 is more focused on Working-class people who constantly check emails ..
that being said, my dad after checking out my phone, he is now considering getting a new one for himself. :-D

I think Lumia will be the perfect one for him. He constantly uses outlook on PC & doesn't needs loads of apps..He just needs basic news app, cricket score app..

Xperia L seems to be a popular phone..i visited 5 stores & 3 of them didn't have any stock left.. :O
I got a white colour Xperia L..Still discovering the new features of the phone..
8MP primary camera is pretty decent..VGA secondary ( front) camera is very pathertic, tbh..

i overheard the shopkeeper say to someone that some firmware update & the camera image quality & battery backup will get better..can this happen or was he just making a fool of that poor customer ?? :O
one doubt,..is there a stock internet browser of Sony ?? i found only 2 browsers pre-installed : google chrome & opera mini..
& for the love of my life, i can't seem to connect to Internet..I manually entered all the details for new APN after talking with customer rep.( docomo ), but still unable to connect.. :/

ashs1 said:
i am assuming W8 is more focused on Working-class people who constantly check emails ..

shopkeeper say to someone that some firmware update & the camera image quality

Wrong & wrong...

I encountered my first problems with the Xperia l..
1. It shows the roaming icon on top even though i am on home network.
2. No matter what, i can't connect to internet on docomo 2g Network. Calling & messaging works fine. Internet worked fine on my older sony ericsson mobile.

I checked out the support site of sony & a few more people have also complained about internet connectivity problems on xperia L. They too have Docomo as their sim & they too get the roaming icon to top in-spite of staying inside home network..
who do i contact for this problem ? sony or docomo ?? :/
I just hope this stuff gets resolved asap..

^^ Docomo seems to have internet connectivity problems..
Port your number. :-D

DoCoMo provides pathetic service in upwest. U have to use another sim.

ashs1 said:
I encountered my first problems with the Xperia l..
1. It shows the roaming icon on top even though i am on home network.
2. No matter what, i can't connect to internet on docomo 2g Network. Calling & messaging works fine. Internet worked fine on my older sony ericsson mobile.

I checked out the support site of sony & a few more people have also complained about internet connectivity problems on xperia L. They too have Docomo as their sim & they too get the roaming icon to top in-spite of staying inside home network..
who do i contact for this problem ? sony or docomo ?? :/
I just hope this stuff gets resolved asap..

Is the use data while roaming option enabled ? Check it in Settings, connectivity, more options

Gauravs90 said:
DoCoMo provides pathetic service in upwest. U have to use another sim.

Yeah agreed. ;-)

Me ported from Docomo to Voda & really happy.

Chaitanya said:
Yeah agreed.
Me ported from Docomo to Voda & really happy.

i got the Interent working somehow..but still gets disconnected after 30 mins & it takes 10-15 mins before i can get connected again..internet wasn't this bad on my W580i.. :O
It also shows Roaming icon when i am inside Home network..when i contacted the Customer care, they gave the lamest of excuses like :
1. Due to rainy season, network could get affected & hence, it could show roaming by mistake..

( WTF ?? lame )
2. Change from WCDMA/GSM to GSM.
3. Change from Automatic network search to Manual Network search.

None of the above helped me..still shows roaming icon.

I must say, it looks like the tata docomo has trained monkeys for customer care executives. Such Hopeless answers.. :/

I visited the sony support website & it looks like a lot of other people who are having xperia L & using docomo are also having the same problem( showing roaming icon at home network & internet connectivity ).

I am thinking of porting my No. from Docomo to Vodafone.
Is prepaid GSM plans good in Vodafone ??
How about the connectivity in Maharashtra( nagpur) & Tamil Nadu ( chennai ) ?? i'll be mostly using 2g plans & sometimes 3g..is the internet reliable & speeds satisfactory ??

Hmm you are from south??
Heard idea & Airtel are good there. Vodafone ain't that great in south.. (It's beautiful in NCR/Delhi & near about regions.)

actually i am from Nagpur..but i often visit chennai.. hence, i was checking which networks are good out there..
I am gonna eliminate airtel from my list..bloody guys, cheated me out of Rs.1500 couple of years back..very unpleasant experience..

No idea about the connectivity in your regions..

ashs1 said:
actually i am from Nagpur..but i often visit chennai.. hence, i was checking which networks are good out there..
I am gonna eliminate airtel from my list..bloody guys, cheated me out of Rs.1500 couple of years back..very unpleasant experience..

Yeah !! that's a bad thing about Airtel, I lost 99 Rs.. :-(

But still I will recommend Airtel
Aircel is another good network, good connectivity in Chennai, don't know about Nagpur. Its plans are cheap

anupam_pb said:
Its plans are cheap

So is their service quality & internet speeds..
what about Idea?? does it have good connectivity?? If yes then go for it cause they are cheap & service is acceptable..

Chaitanya said:
So is their service quality & internet speeds..
what about Idea?? does it have good connectivity?? If yes then go for it cause they are cheap & service is acceptable..

Call quality was ok......sometimes got busy tone(Airtel is best in congestion free network, I think)....
I get good net speeds in 2G.... as far as 3G is concerned, they give 3.6MBps 3G(~150KBps DL speed), that's why its much cheaper than others, others give 14.4 MBps (In Airtel, I got download speeds of 500KBps)

Probably I had a bad experience then..

Anyone tried updating that sony music app by infibeam( pre-loaded in Xperia L ) ?? i updated it about 4-5 times...still can't use it.