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I use Google Fi, and I'm looking to replace my old-rear end Moto X4, which isn't even worth trading in. Looking at what they have available at which prices, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G and the Motorola One 5G Ace are what's in my range. I was thinking maybe the Pixel 5a if I could swing it, or do the subscription plan (which actually seems to be slightly more expensive than the discounted price if you buy it outright, but it does come with the upgrade after 2 years.), but between the two cheaper phones, what do you folks recommend? I've read a couple reviews of each, so I've seen what those writers say about pros and cons, but I'm curious about any folks that have more regular use experience with them. Thanks.
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Nov 27, 2021 18:42
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Detective Thompson posted:I use Google Fi, and I'm looking to replace my old-rear end Moto X4, which isn't even worth trading in. Looking at what they have available at which prices, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G and the Motorola One 5G Ace are what's in my range. I was thinking maybe the Pixel 5a if I could swing it, or do the subscription plan (which actually seems to be slightly more expensive than the discounted price if you buy it outright, but it does come with the upgrade after 2 years.), but between the two cheaper phones, what do you folks recommend? I've read a couple reviews of each, so I've seen what those writers say about pros and cons, but I'm curious about any folks that have more regular use experience with them. Thanks. I have a Motorola One 5G Ace and really like it, but of course a lot of stuff is going to be subjective. I like the minimal spin Motorola does on Android, and the gestures and tweaks are actually useful. I have an unlocked 6GB memory/128GB storage model, so am not sure if the performance of a 4GB/64GB model is going to be the same, but everything on mine is snappy and fluid. A lot of the reviews bag on the camera, but it's been fine for me. The phone is big but for me is right at the line where it is still manageable - it's pretty much the same size as my last phone, and fits in my pocket comfortably using a slim case. The one negative thing I'd mention would be that I'm still waiting for the Android 11 update, and after that Motorola has not committed to any OS updates. It should still get security updates for a couple years, though, and hopefully Motorola will pull their head out and get better about software updates in general. I have never owned a Samsung and haven't liked their take on Android the times I've used someone else's phone, so can't offer a direct comparison.
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Nov 27, 2021 22:33
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Can anyone recommend a screen protector for the Google Pixel 5a 5G? I'm thinking of getting the Spigen Tough Armor case but am not sure how to protect the screen. My old phone just uses one of those OtterBox cases that includes the screen cover, so I've never tried a separate screen protector before and don't know what to look for. The Spigen cover is sold out otherwise I'd probably just get that and be done. Also, does having a cutout for the front-facing camera cause any issues like dust build-up?
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Nov 28, 2021 17:22
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Cool Dogs Only posted:Can anyone recommend a screen protector for the Google Pixel 5a 5G? This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09G2BZHW5 Went on very easy with the alignment tray. I’ve only had it on my phone for about a week so can’t testify as to the long term durability, but it seems decent. I’ve used this style screen protector on several phones, though not from this brand, and I’ve never had an issue with dust build up on the camera.
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Nov 28, 2021 17:47
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Khizan posted:This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09G2BZHW5 Thanks, I pulled the trigger and ordered that one. Should get it on Saturday. I will report back if there's any issues in case it helps anyone else.
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Nov 29, 2021 00:59
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So I have Mint Mobile stand I notice that I can’t really stream 4k or even 2k most of the time despite having unlimited 5G. Sometimes it gets so slow I can’t even stream 1080p on YouTube. Is Mint Mobile just this bad or is this normal for cellphone services?
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Dec 2, 2021 19:35
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punk rebel ecks posted:So I have Mint Mobile stand I notice that I can’t really stream 4k or even 2k most of the time despite having unlimited 5G. Sometimes it gets so slow I can’t even stream 1080p on YouTube. I haven't used Mint, but it looks like "video optimization" is covered in section 8.7 of their Terms and Conditions. You might be running into that? https://www.mintmobile.com/plan-terms-and-conditions/
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Dec 2, 2021 20:16
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Also, mvno carriers are the first to get de-prioritized when towers get congested.
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Dec 2, 2021 21:02
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Also, the fine print on their "unlimited" service says that customers who exceed 35GB of data a month will be limited to 480p video quality.
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Dec 2, 2021 22:50
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CaptainSarcastic posted:Also, the fine print on their "unlimited" service says that customers who exceed 35GB of data a month will be limited to 480p video quality. I realize that, but I’m nowhere near 35GB right now. I just don’t know if streaming 4K on 5G should be the norm, since I don’t know how 5G performs on a big boy service.
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Dec 2, 2021 22:52
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I have a grandfathered Verizon data plan (x2) and we pay about $185 a month. My young son wants a cell phone and that would be approx another $40. Around 225 a month is making me sweat, so I went to the little Boost Mobile place by my house and they said they’d do all 3 lines with unlimited talk text and data for $110 monthly and no contracts etc. He said they use AT&T towers and don’t throttle data. We’re bringing our own devices. Do I need talked out of this? It’s half the drat price. Thank you for any advice. Edit: United States, Verizon currently, but not set on it. Absolutely do need to keep my phone numbers though. Chinook fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Dec 3, 2021 |
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Dec 3, 2021 21:18
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I used Virgin, which is now mostly Boost and it was okay (was limited to phones at the time). I used Cricket and it was fine. I'm now on Verizon prepaid and am paying like $40 for one line with 12 GB of data? and it's fine. Mint seems to be popular. You lose priority if towers are congested, check the fine print for speeds and throttling of video quality, know that customer service will be degradated. That's all worth several hundred dollars a year for me. Transferring numbers should be near instant, but make sure you have your codes and junk when switching plans.
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Dec 3, 2021 21:24
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Just personal experience but every MVNO I've tried (4 or so over the last few years, including Mint) always had something that just didn't quite work. Texts wouldn't go through, or sms would but not mms, or slow speeds. I finally said gently caress it and signed up with the major carrier that my employer had the biggest discount with. No regrets.
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Dec 4, 2021 02:33
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I spent years on Cricket (before they went AT&T) and then years on Boost (when they were using Sprint), and both were fine for me. Boost was actually really good service, and kept giving me free upgrades just because I hung around - by the end I was paying the same amount for 4GB of data that I had for 1GB to start with. Never had a complaint with the service I received on either one. The only reason I left Boost was because T-Mobile is killing off the Sprint towers and Boost was going to use T-Mobile towers, meaning I needed a new phone and carrier since I know T-Mobile doesn't reach my house. I went to AT&T prepaid and discovered they don't reach my house, either. I've ended up on Verizon prepaid now because they are the only carrier with usable signal in my house, but my backup is on Tracfone (using the Verizon towers), and both work great. I think MVNOs can be fine but the cost/benefit between them and prepaid plans from the main carriers has become a lot more competitive than it used to be.
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Dec 4, 2021 05:25
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I can't remember who I started with (they're long out of business, I think they had a purple logo?) in the late 90's, then went Cingular, I think AT&T, Sprint SERO (with a Palm Pre), Virgin (my first Android), T-mobile prepaid, Project Fi, Cricket, and no Verizon prepaid. I left Virgin cause you were limited to their crappy phones at the time. I left T-mobile due to the allure of Project Fi. I left Project Fi cause it turns out they actually kinda sucked. I left Cricket cause Verizon was a little cheaper for more data and I had a couple of dead spots. Other than Project Fi, I've had little issues with any of the services. Project Fi led to a lot of anxiety over my usage and I had to constantly janitor which towers I was on or I'd have crap service, it wasn't worth my time or effort and saved a ton of money leaving.
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Dec 4, 2021 12:33
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Chinook posted:I have a grandfathered Verizon data plan (x2) and we pay about $185 a month. My young son wants a cell phone and that would be approx another $40. Around 225 a month is making me sweat, so I went to the little Boost Mobile place by my house and they said they’d do all 3 lines with unlimited talk text and data for $110 monthly and no contracts etc. He said they use AT&T towers and don’t throttle data. We’re bringing our own devices. Not saying you have to stay on Verizon, but fyi you’re over paying. If you have the original original unlimited plan, like, cool, but at this point unless you use 100GB a month you should change your plan. 3 lines on Verizon if you do two medium unlimited plans and one on the base for your kid is $55 + $55 + $45 = $155. Requires autopay with a debit card. Adding a line they’ll offer $600 off a 12 mini or 12. Or a free galaxy S20 FE. If either of you are military , teacher , nurse or first responder there is an additional discount. If you need further help on Verizon, PM, post here or the Verizon thread. PM is the best way to catch me right now because it’s December, but I work for said company and can help you order said phone if you want help and such.
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Dec 4, 2021 14:44
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Uthor posted:Other than Project Fi, I've had little issues with any of the services. Project Fi led to a lot of anxiety over my usage and I had to constantly janitor which towers I was on or I'd have crap service, it wasn't worth my time or effort and saved a ton of money leaving. Fi seems a good idea but I agree, it's stressful and ends up being expensive
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Dec 4, 2021 15:02
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soo in case my s10 oled screen does finally crap it self on me, what are some options for a phone to last me more than 3 years? I've stopped gaming and even using lots of social media apps on it, just youtube, podcast and posting really. Even when I have to post on twitter i just use the mobile web page through chrome. Honest Thief fucked around with this message at 14:39 on Dec 6, 2021 |
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Dec 6, 2021 14:36
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CaptainSarcastic posted:I spent years on Cricket (before they went AT&T) and then years on Boost (when they were using Sprint), and both were fine for me. Boost was actually really good service, and kept giving me free upgrades just because I hung around - by the end I was paying the same amount for 4GB of data that I had for 1GB to start with. Never had a complaint with the service I received on either one. The only reason I left Boost was because T-Mobile is killing off the Sprint towers and Boost was going to use T-Mobile towers, meaning I needed a new phone and carrier since I know T-Mobile doesn't reach my house. I'm also a Boost customer and they've been sending me notices that the CDMA network is being shut down and my phone will be affected. Apparently I either have to get a new 5G phone (mine is a lower-end Samsung 3G/LTE from 2016-ish), or they give me a new sim card for the one I have. I'm thinking I'll get a new phone for 5G capability and the fact that Samsung has been stingy with security patches the past couple years on my current model. I'm also thinking of not continuing with Boost/T-Mobile because for the past 18 months I've been unable to receive or send MMS. I'd say 80% will not work, and once in a while some will come through. I looked it up and supposedly it's an issue with Samsung phones only. My signal with them is otherwise very good. I live in a tiny town out in the country but there's a tower near my residence so I always have full bars at home. I'm guessing T-Mobile owns that tower now? On TM's coverage map I'm in the "extended 5G range". An option in my area is my former gigafiber ISP from my last place of residence (https://ting.com/). They offer mobile service, but I'm not sure if they're a MVNO. There's a "DISH Wireless" copyright on the website, guess the satellite TV company owns them now? They have a pay-only-for-what-you-use plan which would be very economical for me since I'm a homebody and don't use a lot of mobile data. My choices for new phone with them would be Samsung Galaxy A42 5G or Motorola one 5G ace. I'm guessing I could get either of those from Boost/T-Mobile as well, if I decide to stay with them. Looks like the biggest difference between the two are screen types/res (the Samsung is 720p Super AMOLED vs the Moto's 1080p LTPS LCD, and I don't know what either means) and internal storage (Samsung has 128 GB vs Moto's 64). I'd be using a microSD so that latter difference isn't major. Oh, the Moto is $50 cheaper and comes with a charger. Pleasantly surprised to see that both still have 3.5mm headphone jacks (and microSD slots, for that matter), thought the industry had done away with them at this point. 3G's being shut off at the end of March next year so I have until then to decide. Or not because my current phone is LTE-capable? I dunno 
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Dec 6, 2021 21:06
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Ofecks posted:I'm also a Boost customer and they've been sending me notices that the CDMA network is being shut down and my phone will be affected. Apparently I either have to get a new 5G phone (mine is a lower-end Samsung 3G/LTE from 2016-ish), or they give me a new sim card for the one I have. I'm thinking I'll get a new phone for 5G capability and the fact that Samsung has been stingy with security patches the past couple years on my current model. Dish picked up Boost as part of the Sprint/T-Mobile merger, so are nominally going to be their own carrier but are currently having to function as an MVNO. Due to recent T-Mobile fuckery (like shutting down CDMA towers way earlier than they said they would) Dish has now signed a contract with AT&T so if you stay with Boost you'll actually be using AT&T towers, if not now then soon. Ting is an MVNO, and as far as I can tell with a quick search will use T-Mobile and Verizon towers, although they are also owned by Dish. The whole carrier market is a mess, especially after Sprint getting absorbed by T-Mobile. As to the phones, I've personally avoided Samsung but own a Motorola 5G Ace and been happy with it. Mine is the unlocked version, though, so it has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage compared to the 4GB/64GB version sold by carriers, and I couldn't swear to the performance of the carrier version.
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Dec 9, 2021 22:06
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If you still want to go the prepaid route, I have used AT&T Prepaid for a few years now and have had nothing but excellent service with it. I never feel throttled. In fact, they don't even throttle the non-unlimited data plans, but even when I used the unlimited one I never seemed to be throttled. In huge crowds I still get a super fast signal. In this day and age I would never suggest anyone use an mvno as their main service and think that those should only be used as secondary services. YMMV depending on where you live, of course, but in my past experience, mvnos were often unusable in congested areas.
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Dec 10, 2021 05:10
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SweetMercifulCrap! posted:If you still want to go the prepaid route, I have used AT&T Prepaid for a few years now and have had nothing but excellent service with it. I never feel throttled. In fact, they don't even throttle the non-unlimited data plans, but even when I used the unlimited one I never seemed to be throttled. In huge crowds I still get a super fast signal. In this day and age I would never suggest anyone use an mvno as their main service and think that those should only be used as secondary services. YMMV depending on where you live, of course, but in my past experience, mvnos were often unusable in congested areas. My impression is that it varies considerably by region, and around here my experience with MVNOs has always been fine. That said, my main phone is now on Verizon and my back-up is on Tracfone - the major carrier prepaid plans are now competitive with MVNOs to a much greater degree than they used to. With autopay and loyalty bonus I already pay less on Verizon than I did for my Boost service and am getting 1GB more data per month. In a few months I get another $5 off my monthly bill, driving my bill lower than it's ever been. My Tracfone plan is cheaper, but that phone basically doesn't get used and my plan is to let the small amount of data build up on it with Tracfone's rollover in case I need to use it a hotspot or something in the future.
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Dec 10, 2021 05:32
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CaptainSarcastic posted:Dish has now signed a contract with AT&T so if you stay with Boost you'll actually be using AT&T towers, if not now then soon. Ok, that's good to know. For some degree of futureproofing purposes, AT&T's 5G coverage is pretty spotty where I live but T-Mobile's seems to be fine (I'm in their "extended range", whatever that means). Actually, a 2nd look at T-mobile's map makes it really hard to tell the difference between LTE and 5G Extended - they both appear to use very similar colors. SweetMercifulCrap! posted:In this day and age I would never suggest anyone use an mvno as their main service and think that those should only be used as secondary services. YMMV depending on where you live, of course, but in my past experience, mvnos were often unusable in congested areas. CaptainSarcastic posted:My impression is that it varies considerably by region, and around here my experience with MVNOs has always been fine. Again, I live out in the country so the towers probably won't be very congested. But the concerns with MVNOs are noted. T-Mobile's lowest prepaid tier is $15/month for 2.5 GB, and they claim to increase that every year one is on the plan. That's more than I'd get with Ting ($15 gets 1 GB of data). CaptainSarcastic posted:As to the phones, I've personally avoided Samsung but own a Motorola 5G Ace and been happy with it. Mine is the unlocked version, though, so it has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage compared to the 4GB/64GB version sold by carriers, and I couldn't swear to the performance of the carrier version. Hm, apparently I can get the 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage version from T-Mobile with a prepaid plan. And it's cheaper than Ting's price ($294 vs $349) for a slightly inferior version (4/64). If I can confirm that version comes with a headphone jack (T-M's site doesn't say), and that I can actually get 5G where I live, that would lean me towards T-M prepaid. Guess I'll need to stop by one of their stores. Thanks for your responses.
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Dec 10, 2021 18:41
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Extended range 5g is lower frequency, so reaches further but not as fast as the higher frequencies.
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Dec 10, 2021 19:48
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Country / Provider: USA, Republic Wireless (month-to-month prepaid) Current phone: Moto G5+, purchased for $225 in November 2017 Guidelines: - Android - Need to stay in the same ballpark, price-wise - Don't need latest and greatest - Is everything USB-C now? I have a ton of micro USB cables.  My Moto G5+ has served me well for four years, but it's now at the point that plugging in a power cable causes it to hard lock, forcing me to restart the bootloader and reboot the phone. This will sometimes take the battery from 40 percent to 10 percent. So I'm guessing the battery is finally going. I'm not tied to staying on Republic, but I do like them and I get excellent service here in Dubuque, Iowa. Their basic plan of unlimited talk / text / 1GB data for something like $22 a month is pretty nice. Really, I just want a more modern version of my G5+, a daily driver phone that I can use for web, email, chatting, photos. I don't do games on my phone or anything really advanced beyond that. And getting the hell beyond Android 8 will be a godsend. Timby fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Dec 12, 2021 |
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Dec 12, 2021 03:20
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Is there a good option for 3 lines on Verizon network around $75 a month? Visible has been throttling us so badly that pages don't even load most of the time.
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Dec 14, 2021 18:41
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lwoodio posted:Is there a good option for 3 lines on Verizon network around $75 a month? Visible has been throttling us so badly that pages don't even load most of the time. Unfortunately not at that price. Lowest 3 line plan is $135, maybe $110 if you happen to be military , teacher, nurse or first responder.
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Dec 15, 2021 02:26
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Timby posted:Country / Provider: USA, Republic Wireless (month-to-month prepaid) Does Republic allow unlocked phones now? I had the original Moto X way back in the day for them when they were one of the first T-Mobile/Sprint providers. I haven't heard anything glaring about the latest gen Motos so those are probably a safe bet. Are you opposed to buying used? You can find something like a Pixel 4 for that budget. Or an S10/10e.
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Dec 15, 2021 07:40
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cage-free egghead posted:Does Republic allow unlocked phones now? I had the original Moto X way back in the day for them when they were one of the first T-Mobile/Sprint providers. I bought a couple Motorola phones this year and I like them - one's a lower end Motorola G Play and the other is a mid-tier One 5G Ace. I think the most common complaint about Motorola is their update policy is kind of poo poo, being very slow and not guaranteeing more than one Android version update and 2 years of security updates. I'm still waiting on my Motorola One 5G Ace to get Android 11, while strangely enough my much lower-tier G Play already got it last month. I'm pretty much okay with it (as long as my Ace eventually gets Android 11), and figure I can probably install Lineage OS when the security updates finally peter out in 2023 or 2024.
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Dec 15, 2021 10:10
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I need to make a phone recommendation to someone : Android Replacing a Nexus 6P, looking for something similar in size. Performance is really not hugely important. Good battery life would be nice.
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Dec 15, 2021 12:52
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K8.0 posted:I need to make a phone recommendation to someone : Any particular budget? Unlocked or are they committed to a specific provider? How important is the camera?
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Dec 15, 2021 13:03
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Sorry, thought I put unlocked in my post but I missed it. Not looking for a flagship phone, but definitely willing to pay for a midrange device if it's likely to mean the phone lasts longer. This person isn't going to care if they have a phone for another 5 years as long as it's reliable and doesn't have weird issues. I suppose long term updates would be nice but I suspect that would be too much of a constraint. Camera is a nicety but not hugely important. I'm not sure what cameras on more budget phones are like these days, but as long as it's not objectively crap it's fine.
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Dec 15, 2021 13:47
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Samsungs or Pixels will have the longest / most updates. Maybe the Pixel 6, although the screen size is about 1/2" bigger than the Nexus 6P. That and the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE are both $699 though.* (Actually $599) For lower budget devices, Motorola's tend to be the go-to, probably the most expensive model that's in your budget. Terrible updates though. Also, congrats to them on having a 6P that made it to 2021. Mine died due the bootloop issue 4ish years ago, I'm shocked any are still out there in the wild. E: Pixel 5a would be an almost perfect fit regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 14:06 on Dec 15, 2021 |
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Dec 15, 2021 13:58
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regulargonzalez posted:Samsungs or Pixels will have the longest / most updates. Maybe the Pixel 6, although the screen size is about 1/2" bigger than the Nexus 6P. That and the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE are both $699 though. You can't really compare size like that when the aspect ratio has changed, the Pixel 6 is slightly narrower than the 6P and as tall. Pixel 6 is also $599.
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Dec 15, 2021 14:04
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K8.0 posted:Sorry, thought I put unlocked in my post but I missed it. It’s probably slightly over your budget but the Pixel 6 would be worth it.
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Dec 15, 2021 14:23
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K8.0 posted:I need to make a phone recommendation to someone : Which network?
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Dec 15, 2021 16:32
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CaptainSarcastic posted:I think the most common complaint about Motorola is their update policy is kind of poo poo, being very slow and not guaranteeing more than one Android version update and 2 years of security updates. I was thinking of getting a One Ace but that's simply not good enough. I guess this confirms the long-held question I had about who controls when our phones get updates (carrier or manufacturer). Anyway, looks like it's Samsung for me again. Although I dread that because I don't want another phone that has major issues with MMS. There's the Pixel 6, I suppose, but it's $100 more than the A52, which is already more than I wanted to spend (300-400). T-Mobile's prepaid site doesn't seem to have the A42, only 32 and 52.
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Dec 15, 2021 18:46
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i was going to get a pixel a while ago but really i don't think i have any reason to that justifies the cost. i'd be looking to buy upfront, don't want too many monthly debits. so i'm thinking a phone around £200. i've been looking around at these various nord and poco phones which are in or just above that price range. i realise these won't be 'the best' phones or whatever but i really just want something that's fast-ish and also my mobile banking app will now no longer update on my phone so the issue has been accelerated. any suggestions on a phone or things to avoid? unlocked so i can hopefully just swap my sim into it and continue with my current plan
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Dec 15, 2021 23:03
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Charles posted:Which network? I'm pretty sure they're on Cricket but I don't think they'd care about switching. Absent any other ideas, the Pixel 5a definitely seems like a good suggestion, so thanks for that.
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Dec 16, 2021 02:08
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K8.0 posted:I'm pretty sure they're on Cricket but I don't think they'd care about switching. I'm asking for device compatibility reasons, but you're good with a Pixel 5a
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Dec 16, 2021 06:44
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