|
All fair points. I just come from a 2012 mindset of computer hardware where get less and less benefit the more money that you put in, to the point that it makes very little sense buying the top of the line. You were typically better off buying a new $400 video card every 2 years than a $800 every 4. Maybe this is less true for smartphones as you get less improvement year to year. I will spend some time looking at the pixel 2 XL more and might swipe it before that deal ends.
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2018 03:27
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 04:35 |
|
|
Ingenium posted:All fair points. I just come from a 2012 mindset of computer hardware where get less and less benefit the more money that you put in, to the point that it makes very little sense buying the top of the line. You were typically better off buying a new $400 video card every 2 years than a $800 every 4. Maybe this is less true for smartphones as you get less improvement year to year. I will spend some time looking at the pixel 2 XL more and might swipe it before that deal ends. This also isn't true in computers anymore, if you bought a $200 video card 2 years ago you could sell it for $400 used right now. Also, RAM doubled in price and SSDs cost more than they used to. An $800 PC from 2016 is more powerful than an $800 machine right now.
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2018 03:48
|
|
|
Twerk from Home posted:This also isn't true in computers anymore, if you bought a $200 video card 2 years ago you could sell it for $400 used right now. Also, RAM doubled in price and SSDs cost more than they used to. An $800 PC from 2016 is more powerful than an $800 machine right now. Thanks Bitcoin
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2018 03:57
|
|
|
Twerk from Home posted:This also isn't true in computers anymore, if you bought a $200 video card 2 years ago you could sell it for $400 used right now. Also, RAM doubled in price and SSDs cost more than they used to. An $800 PC from 2016 is more powerful than an $800 machine right now. Had heard about that ya. Assumed that phones were less affected but maybe component costs are shared.
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2018 04:09
|
|
|
Ingenium posted:Had heard about that ya. Assumed that phones were less affected but maybe component costs are shared. Nah, it's more that Qualcomm has an effective monopoly on SoCs. As such, there are only so many choices you can make and you're either going to get the best one everyone's using or the budget one everyone's using. That effectively culls the midrange out of the market because it turns out things move quickly enough that the budget one is good enough to have been the flagship a couple years ago. The only problem you have by going for the budget line is a lack of features that may matter to you like NFC or a compass or a great camera. Are you better off in the long run buying the best cheapest phone there is every year instead of the best one this year at three times the price and keeping it for as long as possible? Probably, if pennies are your most important care, but you do miss out on the aforementioned features until they finally creep down into the budget line and the price difference to me is negligible since most people value their phone highly. The thing is though the midrange or last year's flagship is the worst of both worlds. Neither are going to last as long as the Pixel 2 (promised updates and support for 3 years) and both are twice the price of the best budget phone out there so upgrading every year isn't as cost effective. You're way better off if you either spend $2-300 on a budget phone every year or $900 every 2-3 years on the best phone you can buy.
|
|
#
?
Feb 21, 2018 13:01
|
|
|
Let's say I unironically want a non smart phone device, like a flip phone. Any recommendations? Is there a way I can get a RAZR while maintaining my tmobile account (they seem to only sell an alcatel model).
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2018 03:59
|
|
|
Country/Provider: USA /Ting Current contract status: none, Ting is pay as you go. Budget (phone/plan): Looking for a phone $100~, don't care if it's pre-owned. Willing to spend more if there is a significant increase when it comes to performance compared to price. Features I know I want: I want an Android with good battery life and a big screen. I have an IPhone 5 that is falling apart, the charging port is loose, the battery is shot, the data doesn't work well with carriers outside of AT&T on my current model phone, and it is freezing more and more. Looking for something the complete opposite of that (so reliable and sturdy) but in an Android. Hope I'm not asking for too much at such a low price point. I don't know a whole lot about Androids but I want to get away from the IPhone and don't know where to look first.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2018 04:02
|
|
|
Kudaros posted:Let's say I unironically want a non smart phone device, like a flip phone. Any recommendations? Is there a way I can get a RAZR while maintaining my tmobile account (they seem to only sell an alcatel model). Look at Nokia, they’re selling old school classic flip phones. Should work with T-Mobile. You could even be Neo: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/02/nokias-latest-nostalgia-bait-feature-phone-is-the-8110-banana-phone/ (I kind of want this phone)
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2018 04:12
|
|
|
There's always money in the bananaphone
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2018 04:19
|
|
|
rivid posted:I have an IPhone 5 that is falling apart, the charging port is loose, the battery is shot, the data doesn't work well with carriers outside of AT&T on my current model phone This is going to sound dumb - but if you go to your Settings and go to Cellular and then Cellular Data Options, is there a switch to enable either 4G or LTE? I switched to Ting and didn't have either of those enabled, and then when I enabled them, my data went from 2G speeds to MUCH faster speeds
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2018 05:36
|
|
|
So in Europe (sweden - Telia) what's the goon recommended for roughly equivalent to the goon recommended US Moto G5+? Basically my parents need a new not too expensive phone for business, ios or android irrelevalnt I think.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2018 00:22
|
|
|
I've got a Moto X Pure, and after 2+ years, the battery is starting to discharge pretty quickly through the day under normal use. I can't seem to find a good replacement battery for the phone, so I'll probably sell it and get a new phone. I like the phone, so I'm looking for a replacement that's comparable. I'm looking for: Good screen (Pure has 1440x2560) Decent camera (Pure is 21mp) Long battery life Good speakers SD slot 64 gb onboard (Preferred) Unlocked (I'm currently on Ting, but may change) I'd love a replaceable battery as well, but I'm pretty sure nobody makes a phone with that option any more. I paid under $500 for the Moto X Pure, so I'd like to keep the cost around there, if possible. EDIT: I guess I should wait a bit with the S9 coming out soon. berzerkmonkey fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Mar 2, 2018 |
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2018 01:19
|
|
|
Currently have a paid off LG G4 on Verizon that is starting to show its age (especially in the volume and power buttons). Would the Moto G5+ that I can get from my costco unlocked for like $180 be a slight improvement to the G4? I'm pretty happy with the level of all of the my LG's features, so getting something comparable or a little bit improved for under $200 is pretty appealing. Otherwise I guess I'll just shell out for a pixel 2. Side note: I owned a moto x pure for about 30 days in 2015, and it ended up crashing in some unfixable way where the phone couldn't be used (I forget how) and Motorola customer service wanted something like $50 to overnight a replacement to me, so I said fuckit and took it back to verizon and got the LG. I'm pre-disposed to not liking Motorola.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2018 14:43
|
|
|
stealie72 posted:Currently have a paid off LG G4 on Verizon that is starting to show its age (especially in the volume and power buttons). I mean you understand the situation, do you want cheap and okay or expensive and great? You've got the facts right, it's just which way you want to go with it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2018 16:23
|
|
|
stealie72 posted:Side note: I owned a moto x pure for about 30 days in 2015, and it ended up crashing in some unfixable way where the phone couldn't be used (I forget how) and Motorola customer service wanted something like $50 to overnight a replacement to me, so I said fuckit and took it back to verizon and got the LG. I'm pre-disposed to not liking Motorola. A lot of people on here have the same feeling toward LG for the same reason. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2018 16:30
|
|
|
LastInLine posted:I mean you understand the situation, do you want cheap and okay or expensive and great? You've got the facts right, it's just which way you want to go with it. Yeah, sorry if I didn't ask it right. Mostly making sure the G5+ isn't a step backwards. LastInLine posted:It's probably not going to feel any worse than what you've got and considering it's got an extra 1GB of RAM it's probably going to be a bit nicer when it comes to keeping apps in memory and switching between them. It's definitely not going to blow you away, but pretty much anything is going to seem better than what you're used to. Excellent, thank you!! stealie72 fucked around with this message at 17:36 on Mar 3, 2018 |
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2018 17:04
|
|
|
stealie72 posted:Yeah, sorry if I didn't ask it right. Mostly making sure the G5+ isn't a step backwards. It's probably not going to feel any worse than what you've got and considering it's got an extra 1GB of RAM it's probably going to be a bit nicer when it comes to keeping apps in memory and switching between them. It's definitely not going to blow you away, but pretty much anything is going to seem better than what you're used to.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2018 17:10
|
|
|
So I have somehow managed to make it to 2018 without ever owning a smart phone, but I think I am going to need one soon. My priorities are: Durability. I work outside and something that can take a knock is definitely needed. Water proof would be fantastic but probably more than I want to spend? Battery life. Again thanks to working outside it needs to have half way decent battery life. Decent ish camera. Not needing anything super fantastic but its a large reason why I want to buy a smart phone in the first place. Other than that I just want a basic smart phone, not really looking for anything high performance. I live in the UK and would almost certainly want to use pay as you go rather than a fixed monthly charge as I barely use my current phone and I don't anticipate using a smart phone as an actual phone much at all. Currently I have an ancient Nokia C2, not in any contract. I don't want to spend a fortune on this but can afford £100-150 easy enough. I could afford more but due to priority 1 I don't want to spend more unless it really is made of titanium.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2018 17:28
|
|
|
Well my 5X is self-imploding and I'm ready to upgrade. Anyone have any insight/opinions on The Essential Phone? I've heard some good things for it's build/price point. I'm split between the Pixel 2, the Essential, and the iPhone 8 right now. Basically all I care about are a small form factor (they're all equal on that front) battery life (I think essentials beats Pixel 2 which beats iPhone 8) and software that doesn't poo poo itself on the regular (iPhone's best here, but not sure who does it better between the Essential and the Pixel 2). I'm on Cricket (no contract) and in the US.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2018 22:56
|
|
|
El Mero Mero posted:I'm split between the Pixel 2, the Essential, and the iPhone 8 right now. One of those is not in the same class as the others. Not stating which one that is allows everyone to believe they're correct but of course only a third of them are.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2018 23:12
|
|
|
El Mero Mero posted:Well my 5X is self-imploding and I'm ready to upgrade. The Essential has bad reviews and who knows what the support will be. Get a Pixel 2 or iPhone.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 00:00
|
|
|
LastInLine posted:One of those is not in the same class as the others. 2/3 are correct in this case.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 00:50
|
|
|
I had an iphone 6 with Verizon for the last few years that just died on me. I didn't really stay in touch with the phone market much, so i went into the store and got overwhelmed. I liked the iphone's accessibility and features, but i hated dealing with itunes and apple mostly. Also it would be nice to get something with a decent camera, as i'm a photographer and like to have a spare. Something cheaper but with still decent features? I'm in the US. And should i just go prepaid? Seems to be a lot more options out now.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 05:23
|
|
Erostratus posted:I had an iphone 6 with Verizon for the last few years that just died on me. I didn't really stay in touch with the phone market much, so i went into the store and got overwhelmed. I liked the iphone's accessibility and features, but i hated dealing with itunes and apple mostly. Also it would be nice to get something with a decent camera, as i'm a photographer and like to have a spare. Something cheaper but with still decent features? I'm in the US. The cheap phone to get is the 4GB version of the G5S+, it has a decent camera but it's a bit lacking in low light situations, it's pretty great in every other way though. I was without my computer for a few days because of hardware problems and I used my G5+ for everything including a lot of video watching and it lasted all day at 70% brightness, there is something to say for a phone that can do 8 hours of screen on time and still have 20% battery left afterwards. If you want a camera that is a real step up you are going to have to start looking at the flagship phones and spending a lot more money. IIRC the Pixel 2 has the best camera among the flagships.
|
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 05:47
|
|
|
I finagled my way onto the Sprint SERO plan a long time ago. Never had any reason to shop around. However now that I'm married I'm wondering if there's any way to get a better deal by having two people on the same phone plan. My wife has AT&T with unlimited data that runs a little under $100 a month (now that her phone installment plan is paid off). To be worth switching, the monthly total would need to be $145 or under after taxes and fees for both of us, and we'd have to retain unlimited data and texting. For phone selection we'll just stick with iPhones. Neither of us are in a rush to upgrade our hardware, so if either of our current phones can be carried over that's a plus. If not, no biggie, but if new phones add significantly to the monthly cost that's another factor to consider. Country: USA Current contract status: both of us out of contract in a few weeks Budget (phone/plan): iPhones at $145/mo. or under for 2 people Features I know I want: unlimited data, texting Alternatively, a single plan for just my wife that comes to like $80 or less. But I think SERO has had a price bump since my last upgrade anyway, so some new bundle may be the best way to go regardless.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 16:54
|
|
|
Minidust posted:I finagled my way onto the Sprint SERO plan a long time ago. Never had any reason to shop around. However now that I'm married I'm wondering if there's any way to get a better deal by having two people on the same phone plan. My wife has AT&T with unlimited data that runs a little under $100 a month (now that her phone installment plan is paid off). Which iPhones do you have ? That affects which networks they can work on. FYI your sprint iPhone is likely locked, so you will have to call sprint and request it unlocked for domestic use first. If it’s paid off they’ll do it, standard disclaimer that sprint customer care is usually awful. Options: Cricket (uses ATT): looks like its $60 for line 1 unlimited, $50 for line 2. $5-10 off with autopay. Plus tax. Network prioritized after 22GB. https://www.cricketwireless.com/cell-phone-plans Verizon: $140 plus tax for 2, $130 if you do autopay. Plus tax. That’s for the go unlimited, so you get network prioritized if a tower is congested. $15 discount if you happen to be in the military. https://www.verizonwireless.com/plans/verizon-plan/ T-Mobile: $120 with autopay, no tax. I think it’s $130 without autopay. Network prioritization at 50GB. https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phone-plans Sprint: I won’t recommend sprint.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 17:20
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:Which iPhones do you have ? That affects which networks they can work on. FYI your sprint iPhone is likely locked, so you will have to call sprint and request it unlocked for domestic use first. If it’s paid off they’ll do it, standard disclaimer that sprint customer care is usually awful. I see T-Mobile also has that "Netflix on us" offer for 2+ lines. Any weird strings attached there? Does an existing account just get flagged as free? The promo page makes a point of mentioning Netflix "for almost any device" so I have to wonder. Also, since it's been forever since I've shopped - is it pretty much a given that you keep your existing number these days, or is that something providers will charge for?
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 17:44
|
|
|
Minidust posted:Great info, thanks! My (Sprint) phone is an iPhone SE; wife has 6S+ from AT&T. Her account does have some message now about being eligible for unlock fwiw. I've kind of anticipated issues converting a phone from Sprint so I'm prepared to accept that if I must! Ok, both your phones are compatible on any network, you will just have to get them unlocked. Sprint you call to get it unlocked. ATT you go to this website: Att.com/deviceunlock I don’t think there are any strings attached to the Netflix promo, it’s for the $10.99 plan, I think it’s a bill credit on your T-Mobile account? Couldn’t tell you beyond that. You keep your numbers. You will need your account number and PIN number from sprint and ATT to switch. Look on your online logins and bills. T-Mobile I think has a one time setup fee of $25-40ish per line.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2018 18:07
|
|
|
I asked before but got no answer; is there a recommendation like the no brainier 4gb moto g5+ since we can't get it here? I mean in terms of that sort of price level and hey it's simple just get this. Otherwise I am clueless as to what to get
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 15:48
|
|
|
NLJP posted:I asked before but got no answer; is there a recommendation like the no brainier 4gb moto g5+ since we can't get it here? I mean in terms of that sort of price level and hey it's simple just get this.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2018 16:30
|
|
|
I've been considering dropping SERO on Sprint just because the data speed has started to really bug me after all these years, and the price/performance just isn't worth it to me anymore. I am seeing most of the major carriers seem to have their lowest prices available for multi-line plans, but I'm shopping for one line by myself. How often do TMobile and Verizon have promotional offers? I use about 10-15 GB/month and it looks like TMobile has a decently priced plan at $70/month. Is that my best bet? I'm not itching to move right away, but in the next couple months I'd like to be on a better network. I'd buy a new phone outright, not interested in leasing/paying per month for one. e: oops. Country/Provider: USA/Sprint (SERO) Current contract status: Contract is up, can leave any time Budget (phone/plan): Plan - I'd like to keep it within $20 or so of the $50 I'm at now, so around $70/month would be nice. Phone n/a Features I know I want: Nothing special. Hotspot would be nice but not a dealbreaker. GentlemanofLeisure fucked around with this message at 18:21 on Mar 8, 2018 |
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 18:19
|
|
|
GentlemanofLeisure posted:I've been considering dropping SERO on Sprint just because the data speed has started to really bug me after all these years, and the price/performance just isn't worth it to me anymore. Yeah , T-Mobile is $70 (with autopay), Verizon and ATT I think are both 75 with autopay. All plans charge more for hotspot. Not quite sure on T-Mobile, but most carriers are offering a $150 gift card to switch your number over. Verizon for sure is. Cricket is $60 a month for unlimited data, $55 with autopay. They use ATT, so coverage will be better. ATT used to limit cricket speeds to 7-10mb, but not sure if they still do that.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 18:28
|
|
|
I don't think they are having any big specials right now ($80 off a phone), but maybe look at Project Fi. You pay for the data you use, but they limit your bill to $80/month (and limit speeds over 15GB. You're limited to Google phones and I got annoyed with the network switching when I was on there, but they're still a no nonsense service with geeky features (hotspot, free international calling) that may be worth it to you.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 18:50
|
|
|
So with the Cricket "2 GB High-Speed Data" and "5 GB High-Speed Data" plans, is there really no penalty for going over other than throttled speeds? If so, that's a nice low-risk proposition for people who aren't sure exactly how much data they'll use. Considering I work from home these days the 2GB might even be worth trying (though I'd probably just go with 5GB since the auto-pay credit makes it just a $5 difference).
Minidust fucked around with this message at 19:16 on Mar 8, 2018 |
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 19:13
|
|
|
You can also add 1 GB for a $10 fee if you go over and need the speed and don't want to wait until your plan renews.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 19:23
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:Not quite sure on T-Mobile, but most carriers are offering a $150 gift card to switch your number over. Verizon for sure is. Uthor posted:I don't think they are having any big specials right now ($80 off a phone), but maybe look at Project Fi. You pay for the data you use, but they limit your bill to $80/month (and limit speeds over 15GB. You're limited to Google phones and I got annoyed with the network switching when I was on there, but they're still a no nonsense service with geeky features (hotspot, free international calling) that may be worth it to you.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2018 20:17
|
|
|
Provider: AT&T/USA, not under contract Current phone: OPO Budget: Meh. <$500? Can go higher if necessary, but cheaper is better. Features: Long battery life, clean version of Android My OPO is getting long in the tooth - battery life is in the toilet, and it's starting to drop more calls (though that may be a function of AT&T). I'm considering switching to Project Fi and was wondering if anyone here has it or has tried it. I'm looking at the Moto X4 Android One, since I don't think I really need the bells and whistles of a Pixel. 95% of my phone usage is calls, text, e-mail, basic apps (banks, Google maps for navigation, a couple different chat apps - no real gaming, no streaming video on a regular basis, few photos etc.) My data usage is generally low - <2GB per month. My main concerns are - how is the network switching on Project Fi? I don't know anyone locally (Houston) who has it, but is it generally decent or is it not as good as promised? Also, I've never owned a Motorola phone, but polling my friends has given very mixed reactions - love it or hate it (though admittedly most are on the Samsung or iPhone bus these days regardless). Are they decent quality these days, or am I probably buying a headache? I'm all ears for any other suggestions, but I do want a phone that will last me awhile - I don't want to feel forced to upgrade in 6 months or even 12 if it can be avoided. Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2018 08:39
|
|
|
Shooting Blanks posted:Provider: AT&T/USA, not under contract If you're fast you can get a Pixel 1/XL for $235/$260 which might be a better choice than the X4.
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2018 10:36
|
|
|
Shooting Blanks posted:Provider: AT&T/USA, not under contract Fi is a combo of T-Mobile and sprint, so ask your friends who have T-Mobile what here do stage is.
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2018 11:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 28, 2024 04:35 |
|
|
LastInLine posted:If you're fast you can get a Pixel 1/XL for $235/$260 which might be a better choice than the X4. It mentions that these are Verizon phones, but elsewhere it mentions that they are unlocked. If they are Verizon how hard is it to unlock it for use on AT&T (or another carrier if I look to lower my bill)
|
|
#
?
Mar 9, 2018 13:23
|
|