New Phone Recommendations

"BJohnson11" (brettjohnson01) 09/25/2014 at 15:05 • Filed to: None

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So my Samsung Galaxy Nexus is finally crapping out on me, and I'm due for an upgrade with Verizon, so I'm looking at new phones. I just got back from the Verizon store checking out all the phones and something struck me as odd; all the Android phones are the same. Phones like the new Galaxy s5 (and the S4), the LG G3 (and the G2), the HTC phones, they're all very similar; large (really, why is the new trend to do huge phones?), plasticy feel, and running what appears to be very similar versions of Android's OS. The only phone that really felt different was the new iPhone 6, which I really like because of how it feels with its aluminum body (bending be damned), but I like Android too much as an OS to move to the dark side. So I'm open to recommendations. Right now I'd think my top choices are the S4, the G2, and maybe the Droid MAXX (32 GB version). Thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Have this badass AMX laying patch as pennance.

Nibbles > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:07

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Nokia Lumia Icon.

tromoly > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:07

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I have the LG G2 right now, IMO it's powerful enough to last for a number of years. I really don't have any complaints with it, I really like having the buttons on the back instead of the side, and with how they're laid out it's really easy to know which button is which.

Just my $0.02, hope it helps.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:08

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YOU TOO HAVE A VERIZON GNEX?!?!?!

RazoE > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:08

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Galaxy S4 is the best out of those. It has TONS of technology (and tons of crap you'll never use). It has a giant modding community. They're built modular, so it's incredibly easy to repair them and parts are anything but scarce.

KirkyV > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:08

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If you're after an Android phone with a nice, metal body, then why not get a HTC One M8? The new Moto X has its charms, too.

Personally, I like to stick with Google's Nexus phones - I've got a red Nexus 5 right now, and plan to keep it for at least another year - but, if I wasn't really fussed about stock Android, I'd be all over a HTC One.

Sweet Trav > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:09

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I'm very happy with my HTC one.

EL_ULY > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:09

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Galaxy S5 sport because waterproof 4K recording capabilities and battery life, among a trillion other reasons :]

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 15:09

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I have the One M8 in red, nothing cheap or plasticy about it.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 09/25/2014 at 15:09

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I use one to chromecast Netflix and as my fios remote.

BJohnson11 > RazoE 09/25/2014 at 15:10

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Good to know you can get into them. That was one thing that KILLED me about the Nexus was when I cracked my glass, there's no easy dropout replacement glass. Bonded screen meant a whole new screen and I wasn't about to pay $100+ for that.

BJohnson11 > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 09/25/2014 at 15:10

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Indeed.

KirkyV > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/25/2014 at 15:12

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The red One M8 is possibly the best-looking smartphone on sale today.

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:12

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I recommend the Nexus 5, as it's powerful enough for a while, and it's not quite as big as all the other phones.

Plastic_Ramen > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:12

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I mean, if you are considering the G2, the G3 does all of that and more and is only slightly taller. I found while using mine, that it was still (mostly) manageable with one hand. The screen is absolutely gorgeous and lightning fast pictures cannot be discounted. Finally, I am also having to sell mine because I unfortunately need money; however, If the features of the G3 do not sway you, the G2 is an absolutely kickass choice.

BJohnson11 > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 15:13

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I did like the phone. Just a bit big for my taste, but it was definitely nice.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 09/25/2014 at 15:13

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What ROM do you use? I switch from CM11 to AOKP and feels almost like a new phone to me.

thismightbemylastburner > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:14

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I've got a Kyocera Event. Its a base model smartphone. I love it. It was $35 at best buy with a Virgin Mobile $35/mo. unlimited data plan. No contract, I can dump it any time. But for 35 bucks a month and a phone that cost only as much, its perfect. It can do all basic-level stuff. Email, text, voice dial, swipe (works great!). It just doesn't have high level stuff like finger print recognition.

E92M3 > RazoE 09/25/2014 at 15:14

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I second the S4. I resisted it for so long because of it's size (coming from an htc incredible). I got used to it quick. I turned on my icredible the other day to retrieve something and it seems too small now.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:16

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What ROM do you use? I switch from CM11 to AOKP and feels almost like a new phone to me.

Edit: Food for thought, Droid Turbo it even comes with a cool name!!

yamahog > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 15:16

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I have a 2013 Moto X and it's great. Motorola's shitcan customer service is not.

lone_liberal > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:16

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The new Moto X. I have the earlier version that I got after my Verizon GNex died and it's solid. It's almost pure Android so there is no clunky skin and the hardware is solid. Giz had a review of it that was pretty positive.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:17

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worked at a Verizon corporate store for years so my advice... Each brand has their flagship device out right now. Performance wise they're all overkill compared to anything you'll need the phones to be doing. Quad core this and ddr3 that - it's the difference between having a lambo, Ferrari or benzo but you're only using it to get groceries.

Go for feel and size, button layout and how the screen looks. I used the Gnex and Note II for a while and grew to hate the Samsung (touchwiz) interface.

I personally went with the HTC m8 as Kirky mentioned.

Buying - order it online. Having worked in a retail location I doubt things have changed and because you aren't a small business or adding lines to your account the sales rep is likely going to make maybe $10 for the sale and will need to shove accessories (at least $100 worth) down your throat to fend off their lurking managers. They know you can buy genuine of the exact same type on Amazon for half the price... They know. Just wait til one of the dingbats fires up the AR Drone and bounces it off a customer's head (yeah it happened more than once).

Just make sure you click the "phone only" button or they'll stick you with an overpriced bundle pack that's "full of savings"

KirkyV > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:18

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http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size#/p…

How about the X, then? It's a decent bit smaller and, with its aluminium bezel and bevy of customisation options - you can have the back in, among other materials, wood or leather - can be made into a very attractive phone.

KirkyV > yamahog 09/25/2014 at 15:20

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I wouldn't know. The 2013 Moto X wasn't even offered with Moto Maker over here, so fuck all people bought them.

scoob > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:20

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I'd wait for the new Nexus, if your contract isn't up by then.

BJohnson11 > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 09/25/2014 at 15:22

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I had a buddy root mine with AOKP a while ago but haven't done much with it since.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 09/25/2014 at 15:23

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AOKP - I've always liked stripped down not trying to be too fancy ROMs.

Vanilla Android has always been my favorite really. I don't mind Sense that's on my m8 but what touchwiz did to my note II was horrible.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 15:23

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Moto's version of Android is basically stock Android with a few Moto add-ons that don't intrude. They will also be first in line for any updates along the Nexus devices.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:25

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See my edit.

djmt1 > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:26

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If you can find one get a OnePlus One. $349 for essentially a S5 with borderline stock android.

Trevor Slattery, ACTOR > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:26

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I just ordered a Galaxy 5S active (water resistant) after being an iPhone guy for several years. I will probably keep my iPhone to use in the car as a storage device. Looking forward to the new experience as my first smartphone was a Samsung Blackjack II.

BJohnson11 > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 09/25/2014 at 15:26

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Thoughts on buying from Costco? I've heard they're fairly competitive with pricing and wont push accessories on you.

KirkyV > Where have all the lightweights gone? 09/25/2014 at 15:27

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I know, but they still don't get updates quite as promptly as the Nexus phones, and can't be had for the same bargain prices. Besides, when I was phone shopping, the 2014 Moto X hadn't been revealed yet, and the 2013 model was an utter rip-off over here, and couldn't even be customised. My red Nexus was a lot cheaper and, to my eye, quite a bit better to look at.

I do like the sound of some of the always-on voice stuff, though.

BJohnson11 > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 09/25/2014 at 15:28

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Any idea when it's coming? Article didn't seem to say.

Tapas > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:30

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MOTO X UNLOCKED! (Or the G)

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:31

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Sometime in October I think.

nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:32

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go for it. Costco / best buy / Wal-Mart / etc advertise phones for lower than corporate prices to get you in the store. Sure they may be taking a hit on the profit but while you're there they can make back that profit a few times over when you buy some other random stuff.

CB > Tapas 09/25/2014 at 15:33

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I second the recommendation for the G, unless you take a lot of pictures with your phone. The camera is pretty meh.

Steve in Manhattan > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:37

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I have a 5C in a Lifeproof case, and I think I'll just get a regular 6 next time around and put it in a Lifeproof case - otherwise the phone feels to light and thin in my hand.

Where have all the lightweights gone? > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 15:37

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Have you looked into the One M8 Google Play edition? It's the M8 running stock Android. https://play.google.com/store/devices/…

KirkyV > Where have all the lightweights gone? 09/25/2014 at 15:40

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Yeah... No. (In all fairness, I probably wouldn't have gotten it anyway - the Nexus is just so much cheaper off-contract - but the option would've been nice.)

Where have all the lightweights gone? > KirkyV 09/25/2014 at 15:46

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The Moto G is also an option https://play.google.com/store/devices/…

KirkyV > Where have all the lightweights gone? 09/25/2014 at 15:50

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Again, not available here as a Play device—and besides, the Moto G - while a great budget device, by all accounts - is a little more basic than I'd like. It's the sort of phone I'd happily recommend to any of my less tech-enthused family and friends, but wouldn't have myself.

In any case, I'm perfectly happy with my Nexus 5 for now; the next mobile device I plan to purchase is the upcoming Nexus 8/9/the new 7, to replace my ailing iPad 2.

Textured Soy Protein > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 15:50

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I went from a Galaxy Nexus to a G2.

Overall I've been pretty happy with it, and I feel like it strikes a good balance between screen size and overall size. Not sure I'd want much bigger of a phone. The stock LG launcher and keyboard are kinda crap but easily replaced. I like Nova launcher since it's mostly a more-customizable version of the stock Android launcher, and I kinda bounce between Google keyboard, Swype and Swiftkey.

There are 3 things that somewhat annoy me about it, but not to the point of being dealbreakers:

1. For some reason LG decided to replace the multitasking soft button with a menu button, when there's no real need for a menu button since apps have their own menu buttons. Multitasking is instead accessed by long-pressing the home key. Which sometimes results in going to the home screen rather than bringing up multitasking.

2. Unlike non-Verizon G2s, Verizon insisted on removing from the wifi control panel, the option to disable "wifi networks available" notifications. So anywhere you go that has wifi signals but you don't connect to them, you get persistent notifications that there are in fact wifi networks around you.

3. The Verizon wifi hotspot requires paying for hotspot access on your plan, which I use so infrequently that I don't want to subscribe to it. I used FoxFi on my GNex just fine, but the G2 blocks FoxFi.

All of these can be fixed by rooting. I know #1 & #2 can be addressed with the G2 Xposed app (no custom ROMs needed), and #3 can be fixed with this mod . I haven't gotten around to messing with them yet.

Honestly though, the only reason I'm still on Verizon is because of their coverage. I'd rather pay less for service. If AT&T's network were better around me, I'd switch to either Straight Talk or Cricket (they're both no-contract and use AT&T's network).

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 16:09

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You think the HTC one M8 feels plasticy? I would say try out a windows phone, but they all have polycarbonate backs...

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 09/25/2014 at 16:10

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One of us! One of us!

BJohnson11 > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 09/25/2014 at 16:11

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The M8 was an exception, just the size of it is pushing me away.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 16:14

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Dude, I went from an iphone 4s to an M8 and now I don't understand how I put up with such a tiny screen!

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 16:39

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GET THE DROID RAZR M, I've had mine for a year and its been solid. About 4.4 inch screen and doesn't feel plasticy. Corning Gorilla Glass screen and Kevlar on the back. They (Verizon) are selling it for only $0.99 so if you can get it, you won't regret it.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/sma…

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 16:56

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I may be biased as I just picked one up on sunday, but I have gotten used to the size really fast coming from a 4s. I do have huge hands though...

TDogg > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 17:56

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I have a G2, but if I were to upgrade today, I'd be leaning towards the 2014 Moto X. It has a 5.2" screen, which is just shy of too big for me. Great 13MP camera, actually useful software features, and it has a nice thin metal frame around it to feel a bit more premium.

Plenty of color choices too

Here 's a comparison to the Iphone 6.

TDogg > nFamousCJ - Keeper of Stringbean, Gengars and a Deezul 09/25/2014 at 17:58

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+1 on TouchWiz being horrible. I had a Galaxy S3 and I hated it the interface. Then again, I wasn't super fond of my G2's stock UI either. I end up rooted with some sort of stock-ish Android ROM regardless it seems.

TDogg > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 09/25/2014 at 18:01

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Going up in size seems crazy at first, but, like you said, it's easy to adapt within just a few days. I remember when the 4.7 S3 felt humongous and the 5.2 on the G2 now feels normal. Anything about 5.5+ though? A bit much because I tend to do a lot of one-handed messaging and it becomes unusable there.

Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 19:37

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Oneplus One. Seriously, it is awesome.

Conan > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 20:43

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I'm looking at the Moto X+1 or Project Ara for my next phone.

Justino6969 > BJohnson11 09/25/2014 at 22:48

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Galaxy S4 with Cyanogenmod and a wireless charging coil insert.

merkyg > BJohnson11 09/27/2014 at 20:30

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I'm due an upgrade next week - been looking at the Xperia Z2, anyone got experience of 'em? or alternatives? (no iPhone suggestions - I just can't live like that). I'm binning off Samsung after 2 years of battery-related bullshit and weak plasticy build. Only concern about the Z2 I have is non-removable battery...