|
My parents live in the middle of nowhere in Northern California, and like to travel around some (Hawaii a lot, Colorado every year, and then random trips otherwise; Texas, Reno/Tahoe, etc.). Verizon has about the best coverage in their home area, AT&T is a non-starter. My mom is already on a Verizon pre-paid plan (using a Moto X4 Prime Edition I got her on Prime Day). My dad is looking to get off his prepaid US Cellular plan for something with better coverage. I'd like to get him a cheapish phone (he's hard on phones). I'm considering a Moto X4 if only because I've also got one, but that would be the top end of the budget ($250). He uses virtually no data, same with my mom, so I was going to put them on a two-line prepaid Verizon plan. Looks like the Nokia 6.1 doesn't work on Verizon; any other phones I should be looking at? I'm inclined to have them stick with Verizon because they can definitely afford to pay a little more for the better network coverage, and I want their experience to be as problem-free as possible (the less over-the-phone tech support I have to do, the better).
|
#
¿
Oct 11, 2018 07:06
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 07:19 |
|
|
Okay, quick question for the phone plan geniuses in the thread: I'm about to start a new job, and I want a separate work phone for this job (they pay me enough that I'm willing to deal with this instead of them covering the phone cost). I have Project Fi for my carrier currently, so since I'll be using the phone on WiFi at my work site, really it's going to cost me $15/month. Google Fi currently sells the Moto G Power for $50... but only if you port a number over; if you're getting a new number, it's $250. My plan is to sign up for Ting with an old phone, get a number from them, then port the number to Google Fi and order the new Moto G Power. Are there systems in place to prevent me from doing this, or am I going to run into any substantial hiccups? Or is there an easier way of doing this I'm not seeing?
|
|
#
¿
Jan 29, 2021 05:59
|
|
|
Okay, a more complicated question: instead of doing the above, my dad is looking to get off of Google Fi, so: I think what I want to do is migrate all three of us over a Verizon contract plan, additionally migrate their landline to a new Verizon line. Google currently has a deal where you can get a Pixel 4a for free with a new or transferred phone line on Verizon (requires a two-year contract and credit checks, but my credit is 800ish). I'd like to just do that four times (replacing both of my parents' Moto X4s, and then getting a Pixel 4a each for their landline and my net new work phone line). I think if I get two Start Unlimited plans for the landline and work phone, and three Play More Unlimited plans for our actual phones, then sign up for the Verizon credit card, paper-free billing, and auto pay, I think this comes out to $130 a month plus taxes and fees. So, if I migrate my phone over from Fi to Verizon, then just order the phones through Google attached to my newly-created Verizon account, will it automatically knock down the per-line price as I get more lines? And when will that take effect, after a month, or will it pro-rate for the rest of the current month if I do it immediately?
|
|
#
¿
Jan 31, 2021 03:26
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:Ok , few things I was not aware of that military discount, and have signed up for it. Good to know I can get the same free Pixel deal through Verizon. Thanks for the help, Duckman.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 31, 2021 21:24
|
|
|
My Pixel 3XL seems to be getting pretty long in the tooth. I'm in the US, with Verizon, and changing carriers isn't really an option (I have five lines with them, as my parents are on my plan, too). I'm going to ask a question I'm pretty sure I already know the answer to: is there a good option that isn't Android or iOS? Ideally something privacy-focused? I use my phone mostly for email, texting, news sites, SA, and Discord. No social media other than Discord (if that counts). I also use it for directions a lot. Definitely prefer phones on the larger side, and it would need to support Swype-style keyboards (this is an absolute deal breaker). I'd previously really liked a lot of Android native apps, but Google has gotten rid of or wildly changed most of them for the worse (Hangouts, Google Play Music, and Google Wallet, for instance). I have a work phone that is a Pixel 4a, so if I needed an app or something that wasn't available in the ecosystem, I could use that. And I work in IT, so I'm fairly technical, and willing to deal with some amount of pain-in-the-rear end to get away from Android/iOS on my personal device. I realize this is probably mostly old man yelling at cloud, and I'll probably wind up with a Pixel 6a or 7.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 9, 2022 19:27
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:Not to rain on anyones parade, but LG made some of the worst phones, with the worst hardware and software support, no software updates, and their solutions were to try and sell by gimmicks like sliding second screens, curved displays for no reasons, etc etc.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 7, 2022 07:17
|
|
|
Lurks With Wolves posted:Well, after nearly five years the battery on my Pixel 2 is starting to actively go to poo poo and it's time I started thinking about a replacement that I'll also keep until the battery goes to poo poo. I have no interest in leaving Android, and the $450 price point for phones like the Pixel 6A or Galaxy A53 is about as high as I'm willing to go. Realistically picking one of those is probably going to be the best choice long-term, but if there's any other recommendations I'd be glad to hear them. Next month the Pixel 7 hits, even if you don't want to buy that phone, the price on the 6/6A is likely to drop. I've got a 3XL, that's what I'm waiting on.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 9, 2022 22:04
|
|
|
Jack B Nimble posted:Hey, Overwatch 2 requires a "real" cell phone attached to their client. I have used an app called burner that lets you generate temporary/limited phone numbers. Be aware that a lot of two-factor authentication does not work with these numbers; people doing the authentication block them, they probably claim for security reasons, but in reality they almost certainly want that sweet, sweet data.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2022 06:13
|
|
|
I was gonna hold out for reviews, but Verizon is offering me $700 on a trade-in of my Pixel 3XL for a Pixel 7 Pro. Is that likely to go down in the next couple of weeks, or can I safely wait until late this month? Also, can that be juiced at all (it seems ridiculously high for a phone that old, but I may as well ask), or is that the most I'll be able to get out of them (after taxes and upgrade fee, works out to $360 for the 128GB Pixel 7 Pro).
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2022 00:01
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:I can re check tomorrow , but I believe it goes all month. I will probably hit you up in a couple weeks, get you that commission. Honestly, I can't imagine I'm not gonna get it; I like large phones, I hate bloatware, most of the pre-release reviews say it's not much different than the 6, and I'd rather pay a little more for another six months of security patching.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2022 00:18
|
|
|
My Moto X4 is about to drop off Verizon's supported devices list. This is a land line I ported over for my parents because it was cheaper for them to have a cell phone than a land line, but they didn't want to give up the number. It very rarely gets used. I Googled a bit and didn't find any "we'll give you this replacement phone for free" program; is there a replacement phone that: 1) Will be getting security updates for few years 2) Is very cheap/free I was looking at some of the Moto G phones, not sure which one to get. EDIT: Also, if there is a "get a free phone because yours is going to stop working" program, would appreciate a link. Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 03:42 on Oct 24, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Oct 24, 2022 03:32
|
|
|
runawayturtles posted:I currently have a Pixel 3 that's just about dead, so I need a new phone: Are you still on Google Fi?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 4, 2022 02:10
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:If you switch to Verizon post paid they’ll give you a $700 trade in towards the pixel 7 or 7 pro. Main catch is 3 year contract , plan is $70-80 a month. Can confirm, got $700 for my Pixel 3XL, which is substantially more than I paid for it.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 7, 2022 01:45
|
|
|
CongoJack posted:What is a reasonable price to pay monthly for a phone plan? My family wants to change to Verizon but it would be $60 a month and I don't know if that is reasonable or not. For one or two lines, depending on data usage, pre-paid or Google Fi are both good if you can deal with the lack of support on Google Fi. I have five lunes, and Verizon wound up being very affordable for that.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 6, 2022 23:06
|
|
|
Tiggum posted:Country/Provider: Australia/Amaysim What's more important to you: headphone jack, or having it work for a long time? The two are mutually exclusive.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 13, 2022 16:56
|
|
|
Tiggum posted:How so? I've never had any issue with a headphone jack on any device, as far as I'm aware. Because new phones that are going to have software/security updates for a long time don't have headphone jacks. You can buy a cheap or off-brand phone with a headphone jack, but that isn't going to last a long time. Literally two posts before yours: Khizan posted:I sort of feel like "No, you can't get a headphone jack" should be in the thread title at this point. I'm with you, I want a headphone jack, I hate Bluetooth, I hate adapters, I hate not being able to use headphones and charge at the same time. Still got a Pixel 7, because I hate not having updates more. Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 18:39 on Dec 13, 2022 |
|
#
¿
Dec 13, 2022 18:36
|
|
|
Tiggum posted:Well, working reliably is the most important thing then. It doesn't matter if I can plug headphones in or not if the phone doesn't work. If necessary, I could even use my old phone purely as an MP3 player as that's one of the few things it still does fairly reliably. I don't know Australian pricing, but the Pixel 6a comes in at just about your size requirement, and is currently $300 US at the Google store, should be good for quite awhile into the future. It's a solid phone.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 15, 2022 22:31
|
|
|
Peristalsis posted:I'm in the same boat. My current phone (pixel 3a) is starting to get a little slow and a bit flaky, and the battery isn't what it used to be, so I want to grab a good deal while I can. I had heard that Best Buy was selling them for $250 - I even confirmed it with a phone call - but when I got there, they were $300 unless you got some sort of activation with it. Basically, just under $300 at Amazon seems to be the best I can do for a new one. That's a little annoying, since I was really hoping for something closer to $200. I also see that the pixel 7 is $450, and it makes me wonder if I should just splurge on that, but I can't imagine it has anything I really care about that's worth $150 more. I think the biggest reason to get the Pixel 7 over the 6a is another several months (maybe a year...?) of security updates
|
|
#
¿
Apr 7, 2023 23:06
|
|
|
Peristalsis posted:Good point. It looks like it's only 3 extra months of guaranteed security updates at this point, which doesn't really seem worth $150. Especially since the phone would have to last over 4 years to get to that point. I've had my current one for over 3 years, but my previous (and first) smart phone only lasted a couple of years and change. I swapped a 3XL for a 7 when it first hit on Verizon; with the trade-in, I wind up paying $100 for the phone. I don't know if they'll do a similar deal when the 7a hits in a few months, but if your phone isn't giving you bad problems and you're on Verizon, it might be worth waiting.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2023 00:27
|
|
|
Jinnigan posted:what are the main differences between a galaxy 23 and a pixel 7? besides price and OS, is it just the cameras? If you've never had a screen with a curved edge, I highly recommend going to a store and handling it before you buy, it is what turned me off the Pixel 7 Pro.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 13, 2023 19:05
|
|
|
Grapplejack posted:I've got a pixel 3a right now and I've been thinking about upgrading but I'm not really sure if I should pick up a current phone or just wait another generation; I can spend up to $700 so I was looking at the Samsung or the new pixel but I've seen enough people upset with the tenor chips tendency to overheat the phone as a reason to look at other phones. Who is your current carrier?
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2023 19:25
|
|
|
Wendigee posted:I'm sorry if this has been covered before. I couldn't find a consensus on the Pixel 7a. I have a 7, I'm very happy with it. I honestly haven't heard a ton about the 7a, so I wouldn't be able to give you much to compare. My other phone is a 4a, and I'm pretty happy with that, too, for the price I paid. Still holds up decently for what I use it for.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 12, 2023 08:19
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:Sure. Hey Duckman, I think the mod is looking for somebody to volunteer to make the OP, Duckman. Duckman.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 16, 2023 17:12
|
|
|
Shine posted:Alrighty, same as before except now the G Power is the one feeling slow. Specifically, it slows to a crawl when connected to Android Auto, which is annoying because I usually mess with my phone for a minute or two before I start driving, and having my phone bog down and freeze up makes that frustrating. It also sometimes hitches while both navigating Gmaps and playing music, which annoys me while I'm driving. Is your carrier still Ting?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 28, 2023 22:18
|
|
|
Outrail posted:I really liked the pixel 5a but the screen has died twice now when it was dropped less than two feet in a decent case. Like black screen of death. I need it for backcountry work so the weak rear end screen isn't acceptable. I use Spigen cases on both my Pixel 4a and my Pixel 7 and am a giant klutz who has dropped them on very hard surfaces many, many times and haven't had any damage from it. Is the "decent case" you're using TPU?
|
|
#
¿
Nov 10, 2023 23:17
|
|
|
AceOfFlames posted:So should I switch from Android to iOS? On one hand I already have an iPad and an AppleTV and like the increased integration. I also don't care that much about integration. On the other I worry about stuff like getting passwords and passkeys locked to Apple. What do you think? I used an iPhone for work for awhile, and I cannot imagine splitting my personal stuff between the two walls gardens; it was fine with work stuff on Apple and personal stuff on Android. I definitely chose Android, but if I wanted an iPad and Apple TV and all that, I would 100% also be using an iPhone. iMessage is also a million times better than any of the current Google messaging apps, and Apple Pay has been Apple Pay since Apple released it, without the "Google Wallet; no, Android Pay; no, Google Wallet for this, Android Pay for that; no, wait, Google Wallet" thing that Google goes through every couple of years. The phones are more expensive, and you have fewer customization options, but since Apple finally allowed you to start using third-party keyboards and browsers, even that is less of an issue.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 13, 2023 17:14
|
|
|
Okay, this talk about an $800 credit for a Pixel 5 trade-in made me go check, and my Pixel 4a that is no longer getting security updates is apparently also worth an $800 trade-in credit (I have Verizon). This is my work phone, and my current personal phone is a Pixel 7; if I were to trade-in, would there be anything I would need to worry about if I wanted to switch the two phones (i.e. put the new Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro on my personal line, and put the old Pixel 7 on my work line)? They're both on the same account, I'm still getting the trade-in credit from my Pixel 3XL applied to the Pixel 7 (another 18 months or so left on that), work phone is on a 5G Start 1.0 plan, personal phone is on a Play More plan.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 15, 2023 22:02
|
|
|
Duckman2008 posted:Your work technically owns the 4a. Verizon won’t care, just general fyi. So, it looks like I have to upgrade the plan if I want to get the $800 credit (it's only $200 on my current plan). Doing the math, over the three years of payments plus the upgrade fee, it'll run me $675. I'll get $200 if I stick with the same plan, but still have to pay the $135 in upgrade fees, and have $540 in savings. I think I'm probably just going to hold off for another year or two; I don't keep anything too sensitive on my work phone, and I'll pick up something on the cheaper end next year or the year after.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 16, 2023 03:22
|
|
|
Organic Lube User posted:So I've got a Moto G Power 2021 on a $40/mo H2O Wireless plan, and it's been having ghost touches frequently enough that it has texted random poo poo to my boss. I'd like to see what my options are for replacing it, including contract plans. I'd prefer to stick with an Android phone, something that can do calls, music streaming, texting, and gps simultaneously without crashing or closing apps constantly, and preferably have a decent battery life. I don't care about the camera capabilities, as long as it has one. The savings on combining lines is pretty massive on Verizon. They go from the most expensive to one of the cheapest; for 5 lines between me and my parents I'm paying an average of $37 per line (three "welcomes," two "unlimiteds"). It won't be as big of a difference at 3 lines, but it'll definitely save quite a bit annually; it's definitely worth talking to your mom, and you can both be administrators on the account (both of my parents are administrators on our shared account).
|
|
#
¿
Nov 21, 2023 01:15
|
|
|
Not exactly a phone question, but our internet is currently out. For the future, if I wanted to buy a hotspot to use as a backup internet connection for my housemates who work from home, would that be a good way to go? Is there one you can buy and then just turn on for a handful of days when you need it, then just not have service the rest of the time? EDIT: I'm currently on a Verizon post-paid plan with 5 lines. Ham Equity fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Jan 26, 2024 |
|
#
¿
Jan 26, 2024 06:21
|
|
|
Maldraedior posted:after years of abuse and several major surgeries my S8 Active has decided to die and I think instead of resuscitating it I should probably let it go. The main selling point when I got it was the smaller size and the fact that my coworker dropped his 20 feet off a ladder onto a sidewalk and it lived. The Pixel looks like it might be what I want to go with but how sturdy are phones now? Can I grab one off the internet and just move the SIM or do I need to let AT&T know? I rarely use it for games anymore it's mostly for music and youtubes. I am an enormous loving klutz and drop my Pixel phones all the goddamn time on all sorts of surfaces (concrete, tile, carpet, etc.). I've been using Spigen TPU cases for my last couple of phones, and run into no issues with them breaking.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 16, 2024 22:47
|
|
|
Every fold phone I see someone using has the screen seemingly hosed up along the fold, like all crinkly. Is that just what's going to happen if you're using a fold, or are these people doing something wrong?
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2024 22:52
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 07:19 |
|
|
reversefungi posted:Want to switch back to Android from my iPhone 14. From what I understand, the S24 seems a bit more reliable, and the Pixel 8 has a better camera/interface. How bad are the reliability issues on the Pixel 8? I had an S22 previously that I liked well enough, only thing that drove me crazy was that the vibration was incredibly weak and I always missed calls. Don't do a ton on my phone, just typical music/social media/work apps. I'm pretty deep in the Google ecosystem in terms of mail/photos/calendar if that sways the decision one way or another. Also open to older phones/other brands. It'd be nice to have a good camera but it's not a desperate need either. Apple Pay, iMessage, and iTunes are all better than their Google equivalents. You can use Gmail from an iPhone, is there a particular reason why you want to switch? And I say this as someone who has been all-in on the Android ecosystem since the Galaxy S2.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 24, 2024 21:51
|
|