[General Questions and Answers] olly230:
Its phone upgrade time for me here in the UK.

I thought I'd share my recent thoughts on the current mobile environment from my perspective. I have got myself thoroughly confused looking for info on this so I hope I can gain some insight from the tech aware users of XDA.

I have a good handle on HTC and Asus but that has taken about a week of digging and I'm tired so I thought I'd post here.

Currently I do not own a laptop (just a gaming PC) and i have a Desire original.

I use the web enough on my phone when at home instead of my PC to now be annoyed by the screen size so I think its time for a tablet.

So I need a new mobile contract, a phone and a tablet and as usual I want the best spec for the least money.

I'll start with phones.

My desire is wicked but its been over two years of married bliss and I've dropped it so many times its bound to go wrong the minute I rely on it.

For a replacement I think 4.7 inches is too large for a phone, especially when most domestic browsing can be done on a tablet/laptop/PC.

Now the next level of power is available with the Tegra3 and S4 CPUs. I don't think content developer have fully utilised the dual core chips so I'm almost sure the next 2 years of content will not really push the capabilities of the Dual core chips into obsolescence.

The Sg2 has been the best handset out there but is now a bit common and 4 of my friends have one. (I shun the herd)

Latest CPUs seem to come with 4.3 or 4.7 screens.

So I guess I'm looking at the 4.3 range.

OPtions

HTC One S

Padfone

other - will the Sg3 be 4.7 as rumored?

Have I missed a diamond of a dual core phone released in the past 12 months that will provide joy for the next 2 years?

Now tablets.

I'm not planning on watching hour after hour of film on it as I have a TV.

But I will watch a bit and I'm sure the odd long journey might use it a bit.

Current champion is the Transformer prime - best so far. (or the TF101 for the real bargain hunter)

BUT

Asus are bringing out the transformer infinity to fight the ipad 3 in the high resolution stakes

the pad300 for the lower end.

and the padfone.

What are the rumours form other companies.

I think I can cope with 720p video and I'm not much of a mobile gamer (thats why i have a PC)

How much to pay?

I can get a sim only contract that services my needs for £10.50/mnth

So thats £252 over 24mnths

HTC One S with probbly be £430-450 sim free

SG3 will be similar

The Transformer infinty costs £600 - too much

Pad 300 a mere £250

So sim (252), phone(450) and tablet(250) can be done for approx £950 over 24mnths

or

Carrier will give me phone and contract for £642 + £250 so £892 over 24mnths

or

Sim only (252) and a padfone (£530) £782 over 24mnths

So the padfone is the cheapest way to get a reasonably sized modestly powerful phone that is not the 'norm' and a tablet experience.

But what can the Pad 300 or a Transformer Tf101 offer that a padfone can't?

THe HTC one S and padfone are equally matched (apart form the sense UI that i am very at home with vs lack of SD slot and integrated battery issue)

What are the other options?

Have I missed any gems?

What would you do?