Budget of 18k. STRICT. Cellphone

[arkadeep]

I have a budget of 18,000 no more no less.
I want the best phone possible.
Any OS works for me.
But I would like to have a decent number of apps at my disposal to download

But just out of curiosity, does anyone have any idea how much the HP Pre 3 is going to cost?
webOS looks awesome.

But coming back to my present query, I really like the Wave II
Is that the right choice?

[Sam]

^^ Wave II doesn't have this: decent number of apps. try Motorola Defy.

[arkadeep]

Originally Posted by Sam.Shab

^^ Wave II doesn't have this: decent number of apps. try Motorola Defy.

I'm really not looking forward to that phone because of the extremely high radiation levels.
Any other decent choices out there?
I can wait it out till April.

[pauldmps]

^^ Where are you checking radiation levels of cellphones ? Motorola confirms to SAR guidelines so this should not be an issue.

I would suggest Samsung Galaxy Ace. Wave II is a decent phone at its price but Bada has almost no future.

[arkadeep]

Originally Posted by pauldmps

^^ Where are you checking radiation levels of cellphones ? Motorola confirms to SAR guidelines so this should not be an issue.

20 cell phones with highest radiation levels:
Motorola Defy - 20 cell phones with highest radiation levels (photos) - CNET Reviews

Galaxy ace? I'll look into that....
Are there any HTC phones out there in this range?
I've been using a Nokia 6070 for the past 5 years now.
How long are these phones expected to last?

I went through a lot of Defy reviews and it's support forums. Seems to have a lot of problems. No front facing camera as well.

[pauldmps]

^^HTC Wildfire. Seriously not recommended.

Hardware of these phones will last as long as you don't throw it off your balcony. The software, however, gets outdated pretty soon. This is because Google releases newer updates to Android regularly but the handset manufacturers are reluctant to update their old phones.

Currently, the Defy is running Android 2.1 & Motorola has announced an update to Android 2.2 soon. But don't be surprised if they back-out later as they've done earlier.

Samsung Ace which is selling at 15k at flipkart.com (still not available in market) runs Android 2.2.

Android 2.2 is recommended than 2.1.

For your worries regarding the SAR levels, here is a quote from the same site you listed above:

It's important to note that in publishing this list, we are in no way implying that cell phone use is harmful to your health. Research abounds, but there still is not conclusive or demonstrated evidence as to whether cell phones cause adverse health effects in humans. While some studies have found a possible link between long-term (10 years or longer) cell phone use and brain tumors, decreased sperm count, and other ailments, other research has found no such effects. The science will continue, and we will continue to monitor the results, but it can take years of exhaustive research before studies actually prove anything (if they ever do).

Also the SAR level of Defy is 1.5 which is much less than the allowed 2.0 level in Europe.
Compare it to the Indian-brand phones like Micromax, Lava, etc. which exceeds the 2.0 mark.

[arkadeep]

One final statement.
Say I wait it out till April. Any better phones expected at this price point?

[NainO]

^ probably
And don't rely on HP, their new offerings (IMO) won't be hitting indian market anytime soon.

[pauldmps]

^^ Can't say now. The Mobile Web Congress in Barcelona starts on 14th of this month. Expect new releases there. Availability in India is, however, a different matter altogether.

Surprisingly Samsung released Galaxy Ace & Pop in India before official launch in the MWC. Phones to look forward are LG Optimus Me & HTC Wildfire 2 (rumored)

[NainO]

^ in his budget he might be able to grab Motorola Cliq 2.

[pauldmps]

^^ Specs & price please. I am hearing about the phone for the first time.

[NainO]

^^^
Motorola Cliq 2 Specs
Motorola Cliq 2 Review

[arkadeep]

You sure it's there in India?
I mean it's not there on flipkart

But even then, screen......256k colours

[pauldmps]

I won't wait for the phone as it looks kinda high-end. It won't be available in this budget even if it available in India.

And stop worrying abut colors, as I've said they don't make much difference.

[NainO]

^ well if PhoneArena says "its a mid-end phone", I gotta believe them

[Sam]

maybe by April we'll have Wildfire2. could be launched in WMC.

[arkadeep]

So what's the final verdict?
Should I wait it out?

[pauldmps]

^^ Since WMC starts just in 2 days, its better to wait unless you want to grab whatever is available.

[desiibond]

I really doubt if there are any sub-20k phones that will be released immediately after MWC. There is only one good phone that I think of. SE Halon. Most of the new releases are expected in March and later.

[arkadeep]

I have spent five years with a Nokia 6070.
I'll wait till April then.

[sumit269]

IMO
If u arent really keen towards android (very rare nowadays)
then u SHOULD consider nokia c7

I was having a similar dilemma in this budget since all have their + and -es.

I bought it cos i mainly wanted to see movies and videos during my daily travel to office and i couldn't have been happier. amazing clarity.
its got unmatched display resolution in this price range.

and battery life (nokia is best at hardware) is amazing.

if u want u can check out the ovi store for the apps that u want..
does not match up to the standards of the android market for sure but if it has what u want, then good for you.

so basically depends on whats your purpose for the phone.
if its for:

Apps: android ( stretch budget above 20k and you have some great choice)
Chat n social networking: BlackBerry
Display and camera: C7 or if possilbe for u, N8.

another reason i dint go for an android phone is that every few months there is a new version of android coming up and any phone is sure to be outdated in a few months. so if you are the types who doesnt spend very frequently (mayb 3-4 years), choose wisely and wait for the android OS to stabilise

---------- Post added at 04:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------

another thing, samsung ace has got a terrible battery life with even an average daily usage.