Wrapping up

I went to the UK and Europe with no technology but a smartphone. How'd it work out?

Did I need any other devices? No. There was not one moment at which I wished I had a laptop or a tablet. There's basically nothing in that line that these smartphones can't do. There were moments when I could have made use of a proper camera, but I never found myself really regretting not having one. The photos I've brought home on the Desire are of acceptable quality and I can show them to people right on-screen, as the screen is so large. And there are only 79 of them. Beat that!

Was the Desire the right device to take? It's hard to say without trying out other devices. Any decent smartphone would probably have done the job just as well. The functions I mostly used were the browser, camera, and inbuilt Google navigation (with GPS). There are a good handful of devices offering the same functions with the same quality, but I'm still very pleased with the price at which the Desire offers them.

Did I use the Desire right, having got it? On the whole, yes. Buying a local SIM was the best thing I could have done, as it gave me constant access to data for navigation purposes. To my surprise, I also used quite a few of the free texts that came with the package.

There are two things I would do differently next time. I'd definitely try harder to get a spare battery and external charger. Although I was lucky enough to have a trustworthy roommate this time, it would have been good to be prepared for having to lock my phone away at night (though then I wouldn't have been able to use it as an alarm clock - a standalone alarm would probably be necessary). The other thing I'd change is to rely more heavily on Google Navigator. At first I tried to get around by just looking at the maps, whereas Navigator would have meant fewer wrong turns and less confusion on the many street corners in London that have no visible signs.

Would I do it again? Yes, of course.