Choosing a smartphone can be overwhelming, but Store-3 are here to help!
Check out our at-a-glance guide to smartphones, so you can make an informed decision on the best mobile for you. Read on for more information about all our favourite smartphones available from Three right now!
Our Favourites...
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| Screen: | 3.5" Capacitive Touchscreen |
| Operating System: | Android 2.2 (Froyo) |
| Price: | From £13/month |
| Why we like it: | The Galaxy Ace is an enduringly popular value all-rounder, with a standout camera among the cheaper smartphones, and a simple squared-off black design that's very classy for the value price tag. |
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| Screen: | 4.6" Capacitive Touchscreen |
| Operating System: | Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) |
| Price: | From £23/month |
| Why we like it: | The Xperia T instantly became the coolest phone on the market after an appearance in the blockbuster film Skyfall in the hands of no other than James Bond himself. 007 is clearly a smartphone connoisseur, opting for a sleek and gorgeous handset with the perfect screen for photo and video. It's also our cheapest Ultrafast-enabled mobile for top-notch data speeds! |
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| Screen: | 4" Capacitive Touchscreen |
| Operating System: | iOS 6 |
| Price: | From £34/month |
| Why we like it: | No smartphone guide could be complete without a representative from the iPhone stable, and we love the latest iPhone 5. Apple were the first to make a smartphone with wow-factor that we all wanted to own, and the 5 is the most powerful, slimmest and lightest, and most feature-filled yet, whilst keeping alive the Apple tradition of a clean and simple user interface, beautiful build and amazing array of quality apps. |
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| Screen: | 5" Capacitive Touchscreen |
| Operating System: | Android 4.2.2 Jellybean |
| Price: | From £35/month |
| Why we like it: | The latest Galaxy flagship, the S4 is an absolute powerhouse filled with all the features you could think of plus plenty more! The huge full HD screen is perfect for web browsing, gaming and video, and the design is classically curved and super slim Galaxy. |
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What are the differences between operating systems, and how do you decide?
The operating system is the software that runs your phone, and is an integral part of the device. It determines how you interact with your phone, and will have a particular design, look and feel that in some operating systems may be customisable, in others less so. What apps you can run on your phone also depends on the OS - some have a huge app store, others a more limited selection. Each operating system comes in various different versions which have been developed and updated over time; in some cases your phone may come in the box with a particular version of the operating system, but be upgradable to a newer, slicker version.
The Big Players
| Latest version: | iOS 6 |
| Pros: | Clean and intuitive user interface, large range of high-quality apps. |
| Cons: | Not very customisable - you can't alter homescreen layout, or add icons & widgets. |
| Why we like it: | Responsible for the industry shift towards application-based smartphones, iOS still offers the best quality and most diverse range of apps (available from the App Store and compatible with your iTunes account). The latest version provides super fast processing, as well as a host of new features including new and improved Siri Voice Command, the Passbook application for virtual tickets and vouchers, and fully integrated (without being intrusive) Twitter and Facebook for intuitive and easy one-tap sharing. |
| Recommended phone: | The Refurbished iPhone 4S 16GB is a great value way to experience iOS. Its gorgeous glass design has a real high-quality feel as well as a cool industrial look, and its powerful dual-core processor provides a satisfyingly smooth experience. |
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| Latest version: | 4.2.2, also known as Jellybean |
| Pros: | Personalisation, large app store (the Google Play Store), wide range of handsets. |
| Cons: | Can feel a bit complex to use, user interface isn't as clean and simple as others. |
| Why we like it: | As open source software, Android is available on a huge selection of handsets, and encourages a wider variety of developers to build apps. It also allows mobile phone manufacturers to put their own spin on the OS - Samsung's TouchWiz and HTC's Sense interfaces are probably the most well-known examples of a manufacturer's "skin" layered on top of basic Android. The best OS for customisation of widgets, apps and homescreens. |
| Recommended phone: | The Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is a mid-range smartphone that packs a real punch. Not as small as its name suggests, the S3 Mini comes with a decent sized 4" screen but isn't too large to slip in a pocket. Slim and light, it runs the latest Android Jellybean. |
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| Latest version: | Windows Phone 8 |
| Pros: | Attractive design, easy to use, Windows PC compatibility, exclusive Windows apps. |
| Cons: | Much smaller app store (Windows Marketplace) than iOS or Android. |
| Why we like it: | The latest Windows Phone 8 platform offers a beautiful, colourful and individual alternative to the established titans of Apple and Android. Windows Live Tiles are perhaps the most recognisable feature of the OS - you can customise your home screen to show apps, contacts, playlists, photos...anything you like on a real-time updating tile, whose colour and size you can choose. There are also plenty of exclusive Windows apps - with Microsoft Office a huge benefit. |
| Recommended phone: | The combined might of Windows and Nokia makes the powerhouse Nokia Lumia 920 a phone to be reckoned with. The phenomenal camera with Carl Zeiss lens is a huge selling point, the large screen really shows off the attractive Windows tile interface and Nokia's mapping and satnav apps are truly excellent. |
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| Latest version: | Blackberry 10 |
| Pros: | Seamless and rapid email apps, integrated inbox, BBM (Blackberry Messenger). |
| Cons: | If Blackberrys don't appeal, this isn't the OS for you! |
| Why we like it: | Makes great use of the unique Blackberry trackpad, and is designed for those using QWERTY keyboard, sometimes in combination with a touchscreen. Over 100,000 apps available through Blackberry App World. |
| Recommended phone: | Blackberry's budget offering, the Curve 9320, is a compact messaging machine that'll keep you connected wherever you are. |
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What Make of Smartphone is Best?
All the major manufacturers produce smartphones with an individual look and feel. You might also want to consider the different operating systems available on your favourite manufacturer's phones - read on to learn more!
Mobile Phone Manufacturers
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| About Samsung: | Currently the world's largest maker of mobile phones, Samsung's wide range of Android Galaxy smartphones provide options ranging from the great value Galaxy Ace to the super-powerful, almost tablet-sized Galaxy Note Series and very latest Samsung Galaxy S4. The signature plastic build keeps the Galaxy series lightweight, and you're guaranteed a wider range of colours than just boring black! |
| Operating System(s): | Mainly Android. |
| Top pick: | Get a great bargain on the Samsung Galaxy S III. The most popular smartphone of 2012, the S3 is still one of the best mobiles on the market, and can be snapped up now on Three for just £26/month. |
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| About Apple: | Smartphone pioneers with the famous iPhone, Apple excel at producing premium smartphones made from high-quality materials. The iPhone look may have progressed through several iterations, but remains iconic and instantly recognisable in black and white. Choose between the industrial glass design of the iPhone 4 and 4S; and the two-tone iPhone 5 which is slimmer, lighter and made from brushed aluminium. |
| Operating System(s): | iOS |
| Top pick: | iPhone remains a premium smartphone choice, but if you're looking for a bargain on a real high-quality phone, Three's iPhone 4 deals are definitely worth a look. Made with glass and steel and sporting Apple's superbly sharp Retina display, iPhone 4 will also automatically update with the latest iPhone software in iOS 6 to ensure you don't miss out on the smoothest smartphone experience in town. |
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| About HTC: | HTC have traditionally excelled in making Android beautiful, with the intuitive and gorgeous Sense user interface. They also stand out from the crowd in developing useful non-gimmicky features, for a smooth and personalised smartphone experience. |
| Operating System(s): | Android |
| Top pick: | Probably the best-looking Android phone ever, the award-winning HTC One has an attractive aluminium design that oozes quality. There are plenty of unique software features too: an innovative camera that excels in low light conditions, easy snap and share of short video clips, and infra-red technology that means you can use the HTC One as a clever remote control for your TV! |
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| About Sony: | The Sony Xperia series are multimedia superstars in which Sony's technical pedigree in camera, audio and video technology shines through. In many cases you'll find photographic features and settings lifted straight from their excellent camera range, whilst the Mobile Bravia Engine that optimises screen performance was perfected on Sony TVs. |
| Operating System(s): | Android |
| Top pick: | The Xperia range provides top-class phones in every price bracket, but we're particularly impressed by the bang for your buck in the Sony Xperia T. Free at just £23/month, the Xperia T packs in plenty of top-end features: Ultrafast data; a whopping 13MP camera; plus NFC for contactless payments and one-tap sharing between devices. |
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| About Nokia: | Nokia's collaboration with Windows Phone has led to some of the most unique mobiles on the market. With sleek, high-quality design, superb camera lens technology and the famed Nokia reliability, the Lumia series has won many fans. Also of note are the exclusive Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive apps - two of the best-kept secrets in the mobile world (and branded as HERE Maps and HERE Drive for Windows Phone 8). Nokia Maps is a lifesaver that works excellently even when offline, whilst the satnav and turn-by-turn voice navigation of Nokia Drive is second to none. |
| Operating System(s): | Windows Phone |
| Top pick: | The Nokia Lumia 710 is a compact phone running the Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. The colourful Windows Live Tiles are shown off to full advantage on a clear screen with minimal glare, even in bright sunlight, and all the great Windows Phone features are present and correct. You also have the luxury of a physical camera button, reducing the shakiness of your snaps by miles! |
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| About Blackberry: | Originally famous as business phones, the appeal of the QWERTY keyboard and excellent Blackberry messenger service has now attracted a much more diverse crowd of loyal Blackberry fans. With the new Blackberry 10 operating system and its innovative swipe controls, Blackberry have expanded far more into touchscreen territory - who knows what the future holds! |
| Operating System(s): | Blackberry OS |
| Top pick: | The latest Blackberry Q10 combines the latest Blackberry 10 operating system with the classic Blackberry full keyboard - now new and improved for even faster and more accurate typing. |
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Some features you may want to consider when choosing your phone...
There are some things common to every smartphone: email, web-browsing, social networking, games... but there are other more specialist features that you may not have considered. Read on to see if any of the following are for you!
Special Features Explained
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| What is it?: | If your phone is Ultrafast-enabled, it's perfectly placed to take advantage of Three's Ultrafast network, which is rapidly being rolled out across the UK. You can find out more about the technical side on our Ultrafast information page, but suffice to say that an Ultrafast phone on the Ultrafast network gives you blindingly fast internet speeds! |
| What phone do I need?: | The range of Ultrafast-enabled phones is ever-expanding, but our current favourite is the superlative iPhone 5. Pair it with an All-You-Can-Eat data plan to really make the most of the internet on your phone! |
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NFC (Near-Field Communication)
| What is it?: | NFC allows devices to communicate with just an easy tap - if you've ever used an Oyster card on the tube, that's NFC! But what use is that on a phone, you may ask? In some ways, this is a technology that's not yet come into its own - whilst the technology to make payments using your NFC phone is out there, it's not yet a widespread practice. However, there are some very nifty ways you can take advantage of NFC right now - there's no easier way to share photos, music and other files than a quick tap between two NFC-enabled phones, for example. This is becoming easier and easier, as most top-end phones now come with NFC (though not iPhone...yet) and it is becoming more mainstream in mid-range devices. |
| What phone do I need?: | One of our favourite NFC-enabled phones is the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. The S3 Mini is a great mid-range Android all-rounder, deservedly popular for packing plenty of features into a lightweight, attractive design and running the super-smooth and very latest Android Jellybean operating system. |
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Waterproof
| What is it?: | This one doesn't need too much explanation, but it's certainly useful! Some smartphones are handily designed so that all the outlets are sealed up - so dropping your mobile in your drink, or using it in the midst of a downpour, doesn't spell the end of the world. |
| What phone do I need?: | The Sony Xperia Z is a top-of-the-range smartphone that can survive 30 minutes submerged in 1m of water! Not bad at all... |
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Stylus
| What is it?: | Traditionally, a stylus was useful in combination with a touchscreen smartphone for increased accuracy, and so you could use your smartphone whilst wearing gloves! Whilst both those benefits are still present, they are far from the extent of the modern stylus' capabilities. Samsung's S-Pen stylus, for example, can be used for handwriting - which your smartphone can then translate into typed text. It also responds intelligently to varying levels of pressure and can be used when hovering over your screen like a mouse cursor, to pinpoint the exact position you want before you tap. |
| What phone do I need?: | The Ultrafast Samsung Galaxy Note II is built for use with the S-Pen stylus, and its 5.5" screen really makes the most of it! |
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