Upgrade from Samsung Focus to 800 or 900?

[woodbane]

As the title says I'm considering an 'upgrade' in purchasing an off contract 800 or 900 from my beloved Sammy Focus.

I'm not ready to be tied in to another contract and also want to wait and see how WP8 pans out a little come the end of the year. I have $300 from some work back pay burning a hole in my pocket so thought I may as well get one of these two phones.

Titan is too big for me, tried the Titan I, great phone but my hands are just too small for that big screen as I really like one handed use.

To that end I was originally leaning toward the 900 but I'm seeing that there do seem to be quite a lot out there that have issues, bear in mind I'll be buying used.

I'm not too worried about the FFC, not really sure how often I'd use it anyway. My main 'concern' with the 800 is the 3.7" screen. Am I going to notice any discernible difference from the Focus given that it's a 4"? Looking at pictures it seems the 800 makes better use of running the screen almost to the edge of the device which may give it the illusion of being bigger then it is.

Anybody here go from a OG Focus to a 800 or 900 and care to share!

All replies gratefully received.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[freestaterocker]

Well I have an HD7 currently... I have larger hands and tried out the 800. It is a joy to type on. I made no errors over several text messages. While it's true that the live tiles seem to get better as they get bigger you should have no trouble adjusting to the smaller screen. Buyer beware, though... There are 800s out there with issues, too.

 

[toyotast165]

900. Went from a focus flash to the 900. I do prefer the size of the 800, but that's just in my pocket, in my hands, give me the 900 any day. the little bit extra of screen real estate is worth it. Whether typing, reading, or viewing, that little bit extra of screen is worth it. Also having the front facing cam can't be ignored. Took 1 use to be hooked. Oh and it has lte

 

[undisputed n00b]

I had a focus and upgraded to a Lumia 900. I say you should get the Lumia 900 because it is much better than the 800 and focus. The 900 has a non pentile clear black display and despite the lower pixel density it looks worlds better than my focus which has a pentile display, the lumia 800 also uses a pentile display. The phone issues are mostly software related and Nokia has been updating the phones but it may take a while to fix all of the problems. The camera on the 800 and 900 is the same camera on the N9 so the camera being crap is due to software. IMO the Lumia 800 is the better looking phone.

The Lumia 800 on amazon is currently $405 which is cheaper than buying it at a Microsoft store but for $45 more you could get a lumia 900 off contract. Amazon.com: Nokia Lumia 800 black 16GB -FACTORY UNLOCKED-: Cell Phones & Accessories

 

[danwc]

I went from the focus to the 900. Love it except for the camera. The camera is a serious downgrade. In all other ways the 900 exceeds the focus. I agree the 800 looks better in pictures. But screen size is too small for my tastes

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

 

[oldgaius]

iPhone 4 to 800. Only disappointment is that I waited so long before I pulled the trigger. 800 because I preferred the smaller size, the curved screen, and I didn't want to wait an indeterminate amount of time before O2 decide to sell the 900.

Two tangible benefits of the 900: bigger battery and non-Pentile display. I thought the screen res would look bad, but it still looks great. It's too big for me, coming from a 3.5" screen, but I've creeped up to the 800's 3.7" one. Maybe one day...

Hopefully you'll be happy with whichever you pick.

 

[woodbane]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I actually thought of one issue that would probably push me to the 900 over the 800 - I use my phone every day in my car in a powered proclip holder.

I think the 800 has a covering or flap for the micro usb charging port? This would be a total pain having to constantly open and close plus it would probably get broken fairly quickly.

I'm seriously tempted by the 900 but my major concern is the camera, it looks like it royally sucks. From the pictures I've seen I'd say my Focus takes far superior pictures. Is this likely to get fixed or do people think Nokia will just dump it when they start releasing WP8 handsets?

Again, thanks for the feedback - happy to hear more.

 

[oldgaius]

Yes the 800 has a magnetically-closed flap: nice and neat, but not as convenient as the always-accessible port on the 900.

I don't know where we stand regarding camera issues, but if the situation is that 800 fine but 900 not, don't let it alone put you off the 900. I believe all thinking suggests any difference between the 800 and 900 camera (if there is any) is software related, and I trust it will be fixed soon.

Edit: For clarity, I'm not making any assurances regarding the quality of the 900's camera relative to other phones - merely that you shouldn't use it as a key differentiator between the 800 and 900.

 

[woodbane]

That's what I thought about the 800 - that would be tricky with my car holder I think and I really do use it a lot.
I've just been perusing the 900 picture thread and while there are some terrible pictures there are also some very good ones. Seems the recent update has helped and also changing the settings to increase saturation and contrast.

I'd love a good thread explaining what each of the camera settings does (as I'm not much of a photographer).

Hmmmm, decisions decisions....

 

[oldgaius]

That's what I thought about the 800 - that would be tricky with my car holder I think and I really do use it a lot.
I've just been perusing the 900 picture thread and while there are some terrible pictures there are also some very good ones. Seems the recent update has helped and also changing the settings to increase saturation and contrast.

I'd love a good thread explaining what each of the camera settings does (as I'm not much of a photographer).

Hmmmm, decisions decisions....

Hopefully this should go some way towards explaining camera settings:
http://www.windowscentral.com/understanding-your-windows-phone-camera

 

[woodbane]

Even more of a dilemma! I just went in to an AT&T store and played with the 900 and the Titan II. Now I'm really torn becasue the Titan II felt reeaaaaaalllly good in the hand, I was surprised given its screen size.

I tried a Titan I when my last upgrade came around and I simply could not get the hang of it nor use it one handed at all well. I dunno what they did to the Titan II but it felt completely different and was very easy to use, even one handed.

The 900 actually felt quite bulky after handling the Titan II. I was also surprised how good the screen on the Titan II was.

Dammit! Now I'm more confused than I was earlier. I'd have to say it's between the 900 and Titan II now.

 

[oldgaius]

Even more of a dilemma! I just went in to an AT&T store and played with the 900 and the Titan II. Now I'm really torn becasue the Titan II felt reeaaaaaalllly good in the hand, I was surprised given its screen size.

I tried a Titan I when my last upgrade came around and I simply could not get the hang of it nor use it one handed at all well. I dunno what they did to the Titan II but it felt completely different and was very easy to use, even one handed.

The 900 actually felt quite bulky after handling the Titan II. I was also surprised how good the screen on the Titan II was.

Dammit! Now I'm more confused than I was earlier. I'd have to say it's between the 900 and Titan II now.

More help from and article and comment section:
http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-900-or-htc-titan-ii-one-better-other

 

[woodbane]

More help from and article and comment section:
http://www.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-900-or-htc-titan-ii-one-better-other

LOL, I just finished reading it before you posted this! Definitely some good comments and observations there.

It's a tough call, it really is.