Wow, some great stuff here, thanks everyone.
 
I think I'll be going down the Android route, so that has focussed me towards the Samsung.
 
But then again, now I have to decide between 3G and 4G
 
I'm not interested in stuff like camera quality, or downloading lots of data particularly fast. What I am looking for is being able to get a few apps that will aid my photography (hyperfocal distance calculator; ephemeris; remote camera control), and Android appears to have everything covered there. Also, as I only have the desktop PCs, it would be cool to be able to connect to my Wi-Fi and browse the internet around the house.
 
I don't anticipate using the internet 'directly' over the phone system, only when Wi-Fi is available. Plus of course the stuff I can already do on my current phone - texts and phone calls.
 
Off to check that website now Paul, cheers mate.

SteveStrummerUK
I'm not interested in stuff like camera quality, or downloading lots of data particularly fast.

You will be....

 
YOU...WILL...BE

 
 
You're not helping
 
 
 

Steve, I had a Win 8 phone for a few years and finally got my first smartphone (a few months ago). I'm really happy with the Android route and there's an app for just about everything you need. I also went with the monthly pay-as-you go and got the LG G3.
I wanted a phone with really good hardware as I knew that's what's going to hold up in the long run. This G3 is slightly on the higher end (pricewise), but for the midrange series the Motorola Moto got excellent user reviews (more bang for the buck). I actually started off with looking for a midrange phone and always seem to end to up looking at the Motorola phones(looking at reviews). Finally, I decided to go for the gold and got the LG (since I figure I'll be anyway paying for it for awhile).  
 
This forum has some uptodate discussions on mobile devices and I got some very useful info by just reading through the threads: http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=37
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Thanks Mesh.
 
Although I've been dead set on not taking out a monthly payment plan, just out of interest I had a look back through my last two years bank statements, and was rather surprised to discover that I've actually spent an average of £10.41 per month on calls and texts. So all of a sudden, getting a nice new phone and probably more call time and texts that I'll ever use on a regular basis, might actually start to make more sense.
 
Back to the research

 
Thanks to everyone here who helped me in my research, I really appreciate it folks
 
I hadn't even considered the Motorola Moto range suggested by Mesh, but it turns out the Motorola Moto G with 4G is absolutely perfect for my requirements - it's 4G, has GPS, 4.5" screen and runs Android.
 
Having decided to opt for a monthly tariff instead of pay-as-you-go, I'll admit it's at the top end of what I really wanted to pay, but considering what the phone has to offer, the extra over my current p-a-y-g average seems completely worth it.
 
I ended up choosing a 24 month contract from Tesco at £13.50 per month.
 
That £13.50 monthly fee breaks down at (24 x) £4.50 interest-free payments for the phone itself (grand total of £108, which incidentally is cheaper than their buy it on p-a-y-g price of £115), and £9 for the package.
 
For £9, my monthly allowance is:

• 500 minutes (currently on offer, it's usually 250 minutes)
• 5000 texts
• 500MB data

By way of comparison, £9 on my current Virgin p-a-y-g buys me about 40 minutes of airtime.
 
All in all, I'm quite satisfied that I've ended up picking the right phone/package for me, and the truth is, I would have more than likely never ended up making this decision without the great advice I've picked up in here.
 
Thanks again

Steve, I was thinking which phone you decided to get and just saw that you got the Moto G. How do you like it so far and Android as well?

I can't believe you bought a mobile phone!  Do you know that people may start calling you on that thing??!  How annoying is that?! 

Mesh
Steve, I was thinking which phone you decided to get and just saw that you got the Moto G. How do you like it so far and Android as well?

It arrived yesterday and I'm patiently waiting for my kids to show me how to work it reading the instruction manual

SteveStrummerUK

Mesh
Steve, I was thinking which phone you decided to get and just saw that you got the Moto G. How do you like it so far and Android as well?

It arrived yesterday and I'm patiently waiting for my kids to show me how to work it reading the instruction manual

Just operate it like you would in Sonar...............arbitrarily keep pushing buttons.