Switching to Android.

I'm getting a lot of requests for Mobile phone buying advice, handsets and mobile deals.

To be honest, there has never been a better time to buy a mobile with cheap running costs, but people who want big savings, need to get used to a new way of funding them.

Truth be known, there has been very little innovation in the past few years with mobile phones. Very few innovations that most of us would consider 'must have's anyway.
3D touch, fingerprint sensors, flexible or curved screens are far less significant than a great camera, good battery life, fast processor and a great screen.

Speaking of screens, most cheap phones now have screens with better resolution than top notch handsets. This is where most phones get their wow factor.

Although I will make some recommendations, I'd like to help people find their own deals (and share them with me). Both sim cards and Phones.

I'd urge everyone to look for a great spec handset for a low price (I'll explain how in a moment) and Great sim only deals on 30 day rolling contracts.

Phones fit into 4 categories.

• Budget - Cheap and cheerful Sub £100
• Entry - £100 to £200
• Mid range £200 to £400
• Flagship £400 plus

For me, the most exciting market is the Entry, this is where some real staggering bargains can be found, and not necessarily towards the £200 mark either (see below). This category includes some real flagship killers for peanuts.

Firstly the handset specs you should be considering.

Battery life. 

• 2000 Mah should be a minimum for a phone with a screen of 4.5 inches or higher. 3000 Mah is desirable. 

Screen.

• Screen 1280x720 is good. 1920X1280 amazing

Memory

• 16Gb as a minimum, Many entry level handsets have 8gb (or 8000mb) which can be a pain to manage as Android will steal a couple of Gb. 

Processor 

• Quad core as a minimum, Octacore even better. Dual core, best avoided. Don't fret too much about the speed, unless you're going to be playing racing games. 

You may wonder, processor, memory, why should I be bothered? Hassle free life is the answer, less time managing space on your device, and less lag means a smoother button pushing experience, less frustration when switching from application to application.

Handset shelf life is tremendously quick, so what's a great deal today, may not be the best choice in a few weeks.

At the moment, here are my top choices. 

Handset. 
Lenovo K5 from Argos £129.99 Look at the specs and reviews. Incredible value for money.

Sim deal 
Virgin 2GB for £10 2500 minutes, unlimited texts 2Gb of Data on EE 3G on a 30 day rolling contract.

So add this up.

If you compare this to a 24 month deal, the total running cost is £370 (10x24)+(130) or, £15.40 a month equivalent.

Find a better spec handset with a more generous allowance you will not, on any network, through any retailer!

However there are arguably better handsets available for different amounts, and arguably better sim deals. If you find something you like, share below and I'll try and give you my honest opinion.

Happy hunting!!