Which phone for web browsing/texting

[th0r0n]

Cancelled my contract with the Orange get out clause, and am now looking for a new phone.

I browse the net and text a lot on it, if the screen's good enough I might use it for watching movies as well.

Any recommendations? I'm looking at the HTC Hero at the moment, is the browser any good?

[tommyturnip]

I think my htc touch hd is brilliant for web but you may get frustrated texting with no keyboard.

[Flibb]

Ive just moved from a kaiser to a touch diamond 2, couldnt be happier. Not having any problems with text input for email of txting.

I picked my one up from mobile phones direct, I do not call or txt much, but use email a lot. They were the only place that offered the TD2 on T-mobile. I did originally look at orange, but was put off buy the way they charge for data. T-Mob wanted over £200 to upgrade my phone, buy taking out a new contract I got it for £40 on 1 £25 x 18 month contract.

By teh way the new HTC win mobile phones are a lot quicker than previous ones, although my kaiser with a particular rom / radio combo was quick, the TD2 is noticeably snappier.

[DeludedGuy]

If you have thin girly hands, you could get away with a touch screen keyboard for texting, even though I find it annoying after a while, I prefer to feel and get some sort of feedback when I press something.

I personally wouldn't recommend any touch screen phone if you plan to text a lot, as I have found it to be less accurate than a phone with a hardware keyboard. I have used the iPhone and Touch Diamond 2, but I guess my fingers are just too chunky.

The only phone I can think of that meets all your criteria would be the HTC Touch Pro 2 or the Xperia X1; both have high resolution screens which makes it great for browsing the web, and both have hardware keyboards.

[Flibb]

Dont forget there are a large number of virtual keyboard you can use on winmobile, I use the phone keypad in xt9 mode.

[th0r0n]

I'm looking at the HTC Hero most, had a go on an LG touchscreen phone that vibrated when you touched it and found it easier to use than a normal phone keypad!

[th0r0n]

Is there zero chance of o2 getting the HTC Hero?

[Flibb]

By far the best deal I got on my TD2 is by finding a company that packages a simfree phone with a contract. Obviously they can only do this if the phones available simfree. Might be worth dropping
http://www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/
an email, they dont currently have the hero on 02 but they might be planning to.

[directhex]

Is there zero chance of o2 getting the HTC Hero?

I think so. They're throwing their lot in with Samsung as far as Android is concerned.

You could buy an unlocked one if you like. £400 to you, sir.

[r3morse]

I just got myself a HTC Touch Pro, for a fairly good price of eBay.

It's a great phone and HTC's skin for windows mobile is amazing

I got it on a sim only contract with vodafone, ~£12 for 600 mins and unlimited texts.

[th0r0n]

Hmm, I'm tempted by an iPhone...

£55 cashback when buying a 16GB 3GS from mobiles.co.uk
£100 cashback when buying o2 Simplicity SIM for 1 year (£20 per month) with Unlimited Web Bolt-On.

This sound like a good deal?

[Yorkieshaman]

Very, very happy with my Google G1/HTC Dream: bought it from their website, £99 + £20/month for 100 mins and 100 txts and unlimited internet. That was about 5 months ago, so it may well have come down. The combination of hardware keyboard and IM-style texting (i.e. when you text someone it works like an IM conversation: you can see all the previous messages back and forth, and to send you just type and hit 'return') is fantastic. Web browsing is very good: a few misfires with the trackpoint thing when you're trying to navigate a page with a lot of small links, but very speedy.

If there were some better apps/games in the marketplace and you could tether it to a laptop as a modem, it'd be perfect. Well worth at least trying out in a shop.