Why I bought this phone: I had to admit it, WebOS was dead. I had to choose between iOS (iPhone 4S at the time was their latest model), Blackberry (the Z10 was just announced), a Windows phone (Nokia Lumia 910 was their top of the range model at the time) and Android. 

I hope I do not need to go into why the iPhone is very attractive (huge app store, loads of compatible accessories, easy to use.....) However, I had many chances to play with different iPhones and I own a 1st generation iPod touch. I could not see enough of a benefit to pay a lot more for a 4S when a 4 would serve my purposes. I also found that the operating system, while a revelation to begin with, had not visibly developed much since its first version.

The rumours around the Blackberry 10 OS was that it had taken a lot from WebOS. This attracted me. The Z10 offered a phone that would integrate the main uses of the modern mobile phone, calendar, contacts, text and keeping up to date with social media. The marketing at the time was highlighting that when you were about to call someone or text them, the phone would bring up their most recent Facebook update or something similar. To me, that meant that I could quickly find out what they’ve just been up to, or maybe what mood they’re in. The gestures needed to navigate the operating system also attracted me as well as the easily apparent multi-tasking.

With Nokia making Windows handsets (this was in the preliminary stages of the combination of Nokia and Microsoft) I felt reassured that this would not be as bad as earlier Windows phones. The handsets themselves, looking back and at to what’s available now (January 2014) are very good. The operating system seems to be holding up OK, i.e. I’ve not heard of any catastrophes but their app store does seem to be lacking compared against the Google Play store and the Apple app store.

Android is by far the most popular mobile phone operating system but there is a huge range of different handsets available which meant that if I did choose not to go for any of the other operating systems I would then have to choose which handset I wanted. In other words, it would have been much easier to choose another operating system (Windows: the Lumia with the biggest number, Blackberry: the Z10, Apple: iPhone 4).

After much discussion, reading, testing and deliberation I decided to go for Android. Their operating system allowed having widgets on the home screen, automatically sorted the installed apps menu and gave me a level of control over the internal workings that the others would not allow. More on that later though.

Now that the operating system was chosen, which handset to choose. At the time, there was the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4 which were in the running as the best Android handset on the market. The Samsung Galaxy Note also attracted my attention until I tried to hold it and I realised that it was too big. Sony have a good name behind them and there were many reviews raising the Xperia Z. The HTC One had stereo front facing speakers which makes a lot of sense and makes watching a movie on the handset worth considering. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a full HD 5” screen. (A good pictograph of the difference in screens can be found at this comic although it doesn’t show the Sony or the HTC). Again, with much testing (the first time I touched an S4 to try it out it crashed), reading and deliberation I chose the S4. 

The S4 advertised having specific accessories such as the S-Band which could measure how well you sleep, the heart rate monitor, the scales and also the flip cover with a window to show you what you want to know.

Thoughts so far: 

Firstly, the handset: The handset is very nice, the screen is worth the hype and the camera isn’t too bad. Samsung have, in my opinion, dropped the ball with this one though. I have been waiting a long time for the S-Band to be available and in the end decided to go for the Fitbit Flex. Their heart rate monitor is also not to be seen. (Quick research while composing this reveals that the S-Band is still out of stock and the heart rate monitor is designed for an app that is no longer available.) I’m glad that I have decided to still use a battery case even though it more than doubles the thickness of the phone as this ensures I have more than enough battery to talk to my wife when I’m travelling home. As the phone is not that thick to start with the extra thickness does not look too out of place. The battery case also comes with a stand which makes viewing videos on the phone much easier.

Next, the operating system: To tie in with the last comments on the handset, I would prefer it if my thigh could not operate the phone while it is still in my pocket.