by "BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
Published 06/01/2017 at 15:15
by "BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
Published 06/01/2017 at 15:15
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STARS: 0
My Nokia Lumia 920 is slowly biting the dust, so I’m thinking it might be time for a new phone. I like it for the camera, and the OS really isn’t bad (Windows Phone), but there’s a few things that are driving me crazy about it:
- The power button is starting to wig out. It keeps trying to power itself off without me touching anything.
- The vibrator motor was starting to fail. I’d have to flex it in a certain way to make it work right.
- It occasionally gets hot, and needs to be rebooted (a software problem).
- There’s a few apps that I want that are available for iOS and Android that aren’t available for Windows Phone.
- Microsoft has all but admitted that Windows Phone is pretty much dead.
This leaves me with basically two options: Apple or Android. I don’t really care for Apple, as I don’t have an Apple account, iTunes account, or any other Apple device in our house. I do like their hardware, but there’s a few things about them that drive me crazy. I do like the aftermarket support, though. There’s a ton of replacement parts for when you inevitably drop your phone, and there’s tons of cases and whatnot available (so that your phone doesn’t explode when you inevitably drop it).
Android seems hit and miss. Some of the hardware seems like good value when compared to Apple. I really do like my wife’s HTC One M8. The concern I have is more about the software. My most recent experience with it wasn’t positive (trying to get a 2012 Nexus 7 onto a version of Android newer than 5.1). It seems like each vendor has their own version of Android, and they all seem to fail to update in any reasonable time frame. The Nexus series phones do seem nice, but given my experience with my dad’s Nexus tablet, it makes me leery that a Nexus phone wouldn’t get support after two years. Given that my current phone is pushing 3.5 years, I’d ideally like to keep something at least that long. There’s always the option of rooting it and putting on an AOSP version of Android, but then you lose things like Google Play support unless you’re willing to muck around with side-loading things. Maybe not the end of the world, but not really that well supported.
So, if I were to go the Android route, what phones would you folks recommend? Ideally I’d like something durable (as it will be inevitably dropped), but not too expensive.
"itschrome" (itschrome)
06/01/2017 at 15:19, STARS: 1
Galaxy s8. I’ve had a 2,4,6 and never had any issues they work and work well. they also always have great cameras.
"BLCKSTRM" (BLCKSTRM)
06/01/2017 at 15:21, STARS: 0
Galaxy S 8 - just read the reviews.
I’ve got a Galaxy S6 Edge, and Samsung has actually been pretty good about continuing to push updates to the phone.
I ran competitive intelligence at Samsung Mobile for 6 years - I’ve been around the block more than anyone I know with this stuff.
If you want, there’s a lot of pro/con with each ecosystem, and I could go into a lot of depth if you’re really on the fence.
"79 horsepower monster" (tdwpgtp)
06/01/2017 at 15:23, STARS: 0
A few years ago, I’d have recommended Samsung, but quite frankly I’m disappointed with the direction they have gone. It seems rather than trying to differentiate from the iPhone, they tried to appeal to iPhone users. Anyway, I don’t think my S7 is/ the S8 are BAD phones, but I certainly don’t like it as I did my S4, and I’m fairly certain there are better options available.
Whatever you do, do not buy an Android phone through Verizon, or you will not be able to do anything fun with it.
"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
06/01/2017 at 15:27, STARS: 0
For a $200-300 unlocked Android phone with minimal fussing with the stock Android OS and likely to at least get some software updates, check out the Moto G5 Plus. If you’re willing to put up with more tweaks to Android, check out the Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe, Huawei Honor 6x & Honor 8.
"Mr. Plastics powered by GreyGoose" (greygoose)
06/01/2017 at 15:27, STARS: 0
I like my LG G6 a lot. I like the version of android it runs much better than my wife’s samsung. But to be fair, I don’t like the samsung GUI on pretty much any of their products. Battery life has been stellar, and it’s easier to hold than some of my previous giant phones, even though the screen is just as large. Cons: $$$
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
06/01/2017 at 15:28, STARS: 1
No worries about the Verizon thing - I’m in Canada. :)
I’ve heard not great things about the newer Galaxy phones as well. Two co-workers have the same phone and they both dislike it because of the poor battery life.
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
06/01/2017 at 15:30, STARS: 0
Interesting! I’d certainly like to hear your opinion, if you don’t mind.
"79 horsepower monster" (tdwpgtp)
06/01/2017 at 15:41, STARS: 0
I know this is just an anecdote, but the (forced) update from kitkat to lollipop is what single handedly ruined my otherwise wonderful S4. After the update, the phone would become unresponsive for anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour every other day. It really made using the phone quite a chore, and it cut my battery life nearly in half. Sometimes it is better to not update to a firmware that wasn’t designed for your older phone. With that said, I vowed never to purchase a Samsung phone again....which I did this winter :sigh:
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
06/01/2017 at 15:43, STARS: 0
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
06/01/2017 at 16:09, STARS: 0
Before buying ANY phone, look at the cost of replacing the screen. My daughter cracked the screen on her S7. Replacements were over $200 because the digitizer is bonded to the glass and it isn’t easy to separate them. We ended up replacing it under the insurance, but the deductible was $140 and we had to wait for several weeks because the phones are on constantly on backorder.
Meanwhile, I’ve replaced several iPhone screens for less than $30.
"BLCKSTRM" (BLCKSTRM)
06/01/2017 at 16:42, STARS: 1
I should also note I’m not at Samsung anymore, so no skin in the game there!
There are several advanced features on Samsung phones that Google hasn’t incorporated across all of Android yet, and are things that would absolutely keep me from going to another OEM.
These first two are most important, at least to me.
Samsung supports multiple windows, including resizing pop-up windows on the phone. Here I’ve got Torque running in the back, YouTube for free music, and Maps for navigation. LG has something a little bit similar, but their implementation is much less user friendly.
The other thing is the AMOLED display - there’s not much else like it (though occasionally Samsung sells it to competitors like Motorola). Apple is even switching to Samsung AMOLED displays this fall. The colors, the blacks, the ability to adjust the brightness SO LOW you can sometimes barely even read it at night. It’s literally like RWD when everything else is FWD. Other companies have spent millions in R&D and marketing to make FWD handle more like RWD and seem like it’s competitive with RWD, and then one day you drive RWD and you’re like, “HOLY SHIT! THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN MISSING!?” This is what the AMOLED is like - especially when you’re watching movies, and SUPER especially when you’re watching movies at night. AMOLED displays also use less battery, especially when you’re watching movies or other things with dark backgrounds. This is beacuse AMOLED displays actually create their own light, whereas LCDs FILTER the backlight, which is always on if the phone is on. This is how Samsung can display a clock on a black background on the phone all the time and have it not really use any battery. The “dark” themes and also come in handy when you’re trying to save some battery life. This is a picture of my wife’s phone at night - absolutely zero backlight.
Apple finally allows other keyboards, but most people still naively use the default keyboard. Most Android keyboards have released some version of a swiping keyboard, but the best is still the original - Swype. If you don’t know what this is, you need to try it out. It will take a couple days to get used to it, but it will change your world. For years iPhone people would talk derisively about bigger phones, and how it required you to use two hands to type. And then they came out with a bigger phone that required two hands to type. And all along, the joke was actually on them - because no one using Swype was using two hands to type. It’s light years faster than pecking out words a letter at at time. Do you type on a physical computer keyboard with just two fingers? Seriously, this was a game changer back in the day, and is still far more important to actually getting things done than most reviewers (who are generally iPhone people) understand.
In particular, the S8 has a microSD card slot that can handle up to 2 TB cards (even if there are only 512GB cards commercially available so far But seriously, what’s max storage in an iPhone?). LG’s latest flagship, the G6, also supports the new XD capacity microSD cards. But not all flagship phones do (Google has notably avoided SD cards).
I think I also mentioned the waterproofing, which I think LG (and I think even the iPhone, though not as deep) have added to their current flagships.
Finally, the rounded display edges on the Samsung phones are sexy as hell. They tried for two generations to sell an Edge and a normal version of each phone, with special gimmicky features for the Edge version. Forget the gimmicks. It’s sexy, and that’s all that really matters to most people. And that’s why for the S8 they just went with one version with the edge display. I’ve seen several reviews from strongly pro-iPhone reviewers who have conceded that Samsung has pulled ahead of Apple design-wise - in large part due to that display.
I’m probably forgetting some stuff. Samsung’s fast charging is way faster than anything else I’ve seen. The wireless charging is awesome, and way faster in the new phones, too. My kids ruined my wife’s charging port, and instead of paying to fix it we just got her a wireless charger. They also have some really good battery management settings, including a couple different battery saver modes that can stretch you a long time if you’re really low (and is one of the benefits of that AMOLED display I mentioned).
The specs on the S8 are better than anything else out there, but you can look that stuff up if it matters to you. My experience is that processor speed and / or storage doesn’t matter in year 1, usually doesn’t matter in year 2, and starts to show its age after year 3 - so it’s not about how it handles things today, but how future-proof it is. With a 10nm chip and storage upgradeability that can eventually handle 16x the largest iPhone storage (and probably more storage than you have in your laptop), this is about as future-proof as it gets.
And the new DEX computer-in-your-pocket thing looks fantastic to me. I was pushing them hard to do that when I left two years ago - glad they finally followed through with it.
I don’t know if Apple is an option for you, but it’s not my style. The whole iOS (actually, all of Apple’s ecosystem - I have to use a Mac at work and hate it) just feels like... I don’t know. Traction control you can’t turn off?Probably actually more like training wheels to me. People express frustration with locked Android bootloaders - but even locked Android is light-years ahead of Apple in terms of tunability.
I used to geek out about that stuff (unlocking Android, etc), but I eventually got tired of it - most people don’t actually get much productivity in exchange for all that work, but again - you might be the type who loves or really leverages that stuff.
Most of the software stuff - and the display - are still applicable on older Samsung phones, with the S7 / S7 Edge being the sweet spot (waterproof, microSD card) between features and a lower price.
But whichever direction you go, if you do get an old phone, make sure it’s a new old phone. Batteries are a pain to replace now that they’re going the waterproof direction, and heavy usage takes its toll on the battery over time. I tether a LOT (like 160+ GB / month) between the auto consulting I do and my family watching Netflix, and it’s been pretty rough on my battery. So start with a phone with a new battery if you can. (factory refurbished might be a good solution, but you’d need to make sure the battery is new - which may or may not be doable).
OK - well! Didn’t mean to write a book, but here we are!
Hope that’s worth something for you!
"Out, but with a W - has found the answer" (belg)
06/01/2017 at 16:46, STARS: 0
I second the Honor 8 (full disclosure: I’ve got one). The EMUI skin used to be absolutely horrible, but since the Nougat update it’s pretty close to stock Android.
"404 - User No Longer Available" (toni-cipriani)
06/01/2017 at 17:37, STARS: 0
Look at this year’s mid-rangers with a 625/626, considering you’re using Windows Mobile, so doesn’t sound like you use a lot of apps. Has a very nice blend of battery life and sufficient performance.
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
06/01/2017 at 18:44, STARS: 0
I hear you. That’s basically what happened with every single 2012 Nexus 7. They got forced to update from 4.4.4 to 5.x, and everyone I know that had one has basically stopped using it because it became so slow it was unusable. This is partly what makes me leery of Android as a whole. But sticking with Windows Phone seems to have plenty of drawbacks as well.
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
06/01/2017 at 18:44, STARS: 0
Thanks for the recommendations. I’ll take a look.
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
06/01/2017 at 18:48, STARS: 1
Ha ha! As a Canadian, I appreciate it, but sorry. :P
"Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer" (smallbear94)
06/01/2017 at 18:52, STARS: 0
:(
"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
06/01/2017 at 19:02, STARS: 0
Have a look at the Blackberry DTEK 50/60 Android phones:
https://ca.blackberry.com/smartphones/dtek50-60-by-blackberry/specifications
Here are two reviews:
https://www.androidcentral.com/blackberry-dtek60#eVf39sIxmZHYEEqO.97
"79 horsepower monster" (tdwpgtp)
06/01/2017 at 19:44, STARS: 0
My wife’s old Nexus did that as well. Then again, my iPhone 4 did that way back when, too. I may be a “foil hat” type, but I think it is all intentional.
"Nauraushaun" (nauraushaun12)
06/01/2017 at 19:59, STARS: 0
The oneplus 3T is an awesome phone that is on party with phones twice its price. It’s just been discontinued though stock is still available. I hope the replacement oneplus 5 is even better
"pip bip - choose Corrour" (hhgttg69)
06/02/2017 at 05:55, STARS: 0
iPhone.
"Lokiparts" (lokiparts)
06/02/2017 at 08:43, STARS: 0
I know you said you have had mixed experiences with Google/Nexus devices but I would highly recommend looking at the Google Pixel phones. I have one and it is just by far the best phone I have ever used. It’s fast and smooth it never lags and just works. I’m a self confessed giant nerd and I used to bounce from phone to phone trying to get the next best thing. On average for the last 5 or 6 years I probably haven’t kept a phone longer than 6~8 months. I have used many phones over the years from every major brand and this is the first time that I have genuinely not had a desire to upgrade my device any time soon, because it’s just so good.
The camera is phenomenal and most reviewers rate it as one of, if not the best that you can get right now in any phone. Also keep in mind the two year update promise is the minimum support not the maximum. I can promise you most other manufacturers are not going to be pushing any serious updates out to their two year old devices either. And even if they do it’s going to be a version of Android that has already been on Google devices for at least six months already. For example the Samsung S7 phones are not much more than a year old but they have only just gotten an update to 7.0 last month, which was released back in August of last year on Google devices. In fact Google devices are already onto 7.1 or better and they have even released an open Beta of 8.0 if you want to try it.
"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich)
06/02/2017 at 13:09, STARS: 0
The trouble with the Pixel devices is that they are so crazy expensive. I’ve heard there’s also quite a backlog of screen repairs. I’m looking at buying the phone outright, rather than being on a contract.
"Lokiparts" (lokiparts)
06/02/2017 at 13:46, STARS: 0
Yeah they are expensive, but realistically they’re not really any more expensive than any other flagship phone out there. I bought my Pixel outright as I have preferred to do with my phones. But I was able to sell my old phone to recoup some of the difference, so that helped defer the cost quite a bit. Plus the carrier I use was running a promotion where if you bought a Pixel they would refund you half of the purchase price (as monthly installments over 24 months). So in the long run my 128GB Pixel only really cost me about $100.
Also I don’t know about the current status of Pixel repair backlogs, but I can tell you that when my wife’s Pixel had defect that was covered under the warranty back in March we contacted Google and they sent us another one within 3 days and we just sent the old one back. It was that easy, and it cost us nothing out of pocket.
For what its worth if price is a major consideration and you want to buy something outright take a look at the OnePlus 3T. They are also very nice phones and they are much more affordable. Before my carrier ran the promotion that allowed me to buy the Pixel I was seriously considering pulling the trigger on one of those instead.
Or if you are on a fairly tight budget I will echo what someone else said and recommend the the Moto G5+. They are fantastic devices that are hard to beat for the price. Overall they may not boast top tier specs but they’ll definitely get the job done reliably.