Many people are wanting to shift to android. Most of them are normal people who spend 10-15K on a cellphone. If you have 30K to burn, get the Galaxy S II and rejoice. For the rest, I believe that, atleast in India, you are restricted to the Galaxy Ace, Defy, Defy+, Xperia Mini, Mini Pro, Wildfire S or the Salsa or if you want to extend your budget, the original Galaxy S i9000 is available on Flipkart @ 19K INR. I will currently discuss the drawbacks of each of these phones.
1) Galaxy Ace: One of the best selling phones in this price point. Good looks (pretty much like an iPhone), good screen, 3.5" seems neither too big, nor too small. But, it was released with Froyo, it will (or probably already has) receive(d) the GB update, and looking at Samsung's track record, another update is unlikely, although the dev community might be able to cook up something. Also, add to that the old chipset you are getting doesn't make the phone worth 13K-it should be priced more around the 10K mark.
2) Defy/Defy +: The only difference between the phones is that the Defy + gets GB and a 1GHz proccy-but Motorola's software is not very optimised, so you might experience some lags. Also, many have a problem with the high SAR value on the Defy, which just borders on the acceptable limits. The Defy+ will probably be released at a price north of 16.5K, as the old Defy currently retails at 15K. Also, Motorola's service has become non existent in many cities, and before you give the Google has bought it argument, the acquisition has just happened, and it will probably take a little more than a year to get Motorola to its former status. Otherwise it is a good buy, as very few phones are dust, water, shockproof.
3) Wildfire S/Salsa: Essentially the same phones, they have an excellent build, and the HTC Sense is not only full of eye-candy, it is also very practical. Unfortunately, its lack of internal memory is what destroys an otherwise awesome phone. Every app, even after moving to SD occupies some space in the memory. Google Apps take up space too, and strangely download updates on the phone, so if you just want a pretty looking phone with little or no apps, you will be happy. Otherwise, I doubt it.
4) Xperia Mini/Mini pro: Now, the only-I mean the only drawback of this phone is that it is thick and has a small screen: that is only in specs. In your hand it will seem like a very, very tiny, petite and cute phone. Sure to draw more attention than diamond studded rims, this hot piece from SE is probably the most value for money cellphone you can buy on the market. Yes, 16mm might seem thick, but with this design, it works. You might have trouble slipping it in your pocket if your wear tight jeans, but it is worth the trouble. The screen might be small, but it is one of the best screens I have ever seen- The blacks are sharp, text is clear, colours are vivid. Couple that with a fast processor, and you get scores north of 1600 in quadrant. This phone looks horrible in pictures compared to in real life. I would suggest you look at this phone's dummy/demo piece before making your decision. Since all any of you will be worried about is the smallish screen and thick body, the phone's design seriously overcomes these limitations. Also, SE has promised ICS updates for this phone next year, which is a lot more than any other manufacturer has promised. Also, the mini is ironically the cheapest of any of the phones I have mentioned. So if you want to jump onto android, this is the way to go.
Symbian is not included in this conversation, as it is leagues behind in OS, apps, hardware (the 1GHz processor in the mini is more powerful). Nokia is overpriced, outdated, and with WP7, which has the same drawbacks as Symbian, they will continue to crash and burn. If you want advice on any other phone, please do tell, as I researched them all before buying the mini
1) Galaxy Ace: One of the best selling phones in this price point. Good looks (pretty much like an iPhone), good screen, 3.5" seems neither too big, nor too small. But, it was released with Froyo, it will (or probably already has) receive(d) the GB update, and looking at Samsung's track record, another update is unlikely, although the dev community might be able to cook up something. Also, add to that the old chipset you are getting doesn't make the phone worth 13K-it should be priced more around the 10K mark.
2) Defy/Defy +: The only difference between the phones is that the Defy + gets GB and a 1GHz proccy-but Motorola's software is not very optimised, so you might experience some lags. Also, many have a problem with the high SAR value on the Defy, which just borders on the acceptable limits. The Defy+ will probably be released at a price north of 16.5K, as the old Defy currently retails at 15K. Also, Motorola's service has become non existent in many cities, and before you give the Google has bought it argument, the acquisition has just happened, and it will probably take a little more than a year to get Motorola to its former status. Otherwise it is a good buy, as very few phones are dust, water, shockproof.
3) Wildfire S/Salsa: Essentially the same phones, they have an excellent build, and the HTC Sense is not only full of eye-candy, it is also very practical. Unfortunately, its lack of internal memory is what destroys an otherwise awesome phone. Every app, even after moving to SD occupies some space in the memory. Google Apps take up space too, and strangely download updates on the phone, so if you just want a pretty looking phone with little or no apps, you will be happy. Otherwise, I doubt it.
4) Xperia Mini/Mini pro: Now, the only-I mean the only drawback of this phone is that it is thick and has a small screen: that is only in specs. In your hand it will seem like a very, very tiny, petite and cute phone. Sure to draw more attention than diamond studded rims, this hot piece from SE is probably the most value for money cellphone you can buy on the market. Yes, 16mm might seem thick, but with this design, it works. You might have trouble slipping it in your pocket if your wear tight jeans, but it is worth the trouble. The screen might be small, but it is one of the best screens I have ever seen- The blacks are sharp, text is clear, colours are vivid. Couple that with a fast processor, and you get scores north of 1600 in quadrant. This phone looks horrible in pictures compared to in real life. I would suggest you look at this phone's dummy/demo piece before making your decision. Since all any of you will be worried about is the smallish screen and thick body, the phone's design seriously overcomes these limitations. Also, SE has promised ICS updates for this phone next year, which is a lot more than any other manufacturer has promised. Also, the mini is ironically the cheapest of any of the phones I have mentioned. So if you want to jump onto android, this is the way to go.
Symbian is not included in this conversation, as it is leagues behind in OS, apps, hardware (the 1GHz processor in the mini is more powerful). Nokia is overpriced, outdated, and with WP7, which has the same drawbacks as Symbian, they will continue to crash and burn. If you want advice on any other phone, please do tell, as I researched them all before buying the mini
