Recommend me a phone and/or plan

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kbar: Aug 9, 2002

dorkasaurus_rex posted:

Right now, I have a Droid 3. I've had it for years and I really like it.

That's a pretty good trick, seeing as the Droid 3 was released last July.

As much as I dislike Motorola's poo poo, the writing's sort of on the wall with this one. Need a hardware keyboard, global roaming, and to preserve your unlimited Verizon data plan? Congrats, you're getting a Droid 4 off of eBay or craigslist. If Verizon's Galaxy Nexus had global roaming I'd tell you to get over the keyboard poo poo, but I guess we're stuck on that one. I know you said you don't care about 4G, but Verizon's domestic LTE network is poo poo-your-pants amazing and is basically the only reason to tolerate their batshit terrible pricing and obnoxiously curated phone selection (seriously, you could have a cooler phone, a lower bill, and easier international roaming on T-Mobile). That said, a grandfathered unlimited Verizon plan is worth holding onto, basically forever.

It's pretty adorable what lengths Godzilla07 will go to to recommend iPhones to people.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 14:39

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# ¿ May 18, 2024 01:38

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

HTC hasn't put out a winner since the Nexus One/DroidInc/O.G. Evo, in my opinion. Even the One X is hamstrung with a lovely DAC, and frankly at the speed these guys are iterating it gets really tiresome to have sit and wait for the community to fix the vomitware they're preloading with Android.

I understand your disenchantment with Android, but the Galaxy Nexus and the Nexus S are incredibly formidable devices at their respective price points. The Galaxy S III is a complicated story with a lot of caveats (as most Galaxy S stories are!) and the Verizon GNex had some early issues, but really -- both Nexuses are very solid recommendations.

I'm daydreaming, ITT. Someone should build a phone with:

- Snapdragon S4
- Galaxy S III's camera
- HTC One X's display
- Wolfson WM1811 DAC from Galaxy S IIII
- Stock Jelly Bean and an unlocked bootloader
- button-free Galaxy Nexus body style
- Simultaneous launch of an HSPA+ unlocked version and Verizon and AT&T LTE versions

That's a phone I'd buy the loving poo poo out of

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 15:20

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

ExcessBLarg! posted:

1. The One X has an SLCD screen that, while I wouldn't say it's "better", some folks greatly prefer over the SGS's PenTile AMOLED screen. This is really a preference thing, and I personally prefer the SGS3's screen, but others hate it. If you haven't seen them in person, you should really check out both devices at an AT&T store and compare them.

I'm really surprised to see this from you. The Galaxy Nexus's display gets a pass because 720p is loving dense at 4.65" and because it crushed everything that came before it, but the One X's display is pretty objectively superior. I'm a big fan of the Galaxy Nexus and -- like you -- I prefer AMOLED where possible, but it's disconcerting to see Samsung blowing it up a little and leaving PenTile intact on the GS III, and it's downright fugly on the Galaxy Note.

The display is the one thing about the One X that really shines.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 15:24

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

That's a silly hangup, I'm pretty sure there's a hard button on there that acts like a battery pull (or something).

It really would be worth your time to try a Nexus device (or, heh, an iPhone) sometime for just a month or so. Many, many people (myself included) found that while they aren't quite able to hit hardware keyboard typing speeds whilst thwocking thumbs on glass, they can get pretty drat close. I'm assuming Motos/HTCs/non-Nexus Samsungs have stupidfuck aftermarket keyboards preloaded that somehow make the experience magically shittier.

The extra bulk, the loss of rigidity, and the anemic device selection make hardware keyboards sort of a not-worth-it-anymore tradeoff.

# ¿ Jul 19, 2012 15:40

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

Jer posted:

I could really use some help - I got an Incredible 2 awhile back and I've never really taken the time to analyze whether or not I'm getting hosed on my wireless bill. It feels like I am; I mainly use my unlimited data plan for messaging/e-mail and I'm well below 1 GB per month.

You're getting hosed on your wireless bill because you're (1) paying for discrete text messaging that could be dropped, and (2) you decided it was a good idea to pay Verizon prices for a 3G phone in spite of them having a pretty lovely 3G network.

Verizon's 4G (LTE) network on the other hand, is great, and even if you don't see a reason to use >1GB data/month today, you'd be foolish to discard an unlimited Verizon plan. Basically you want to get onto an LTE phone right away. There are two correct ways to handle this, one is more of a pain in the rear end and the other is simple.

1) Drop the text package (use Google Voice instead); this should drag your bill to $70/month + bullshit taxes/fees. Do you have a corporate e-mail account or an @*.edu e-mail address available? Either one could save you some money every month on Verizon; my old university e-mail address got me 18% off.

Buy a cheap first-gen LTE phone off of craigslist/eBay just so that you've got something that will vonnect to Verizon's LTE network, make calls on their voice network, and get you an LTE SIM card. HTC Thunderbolt and Samsung Droid Charge should be $100ish used. Neither is a very impressive smartphone and both are poster-children for why manufacturers should not touch the operating system -- oh hey and they have lovely battery life, too. But, they'll get you the LTEs and they'll do so cheaply. Augment this with a Verizon LTE "MiFi" puck hotspot-thing. Even though you'll have a voice plan, you can actually get unlimited data on a MiFi by just putting your active LTE SIM into it (Verizon may tell you this doesn't work, but it very much does). An unlimited LTE MiFi puck for 70 bucks a month is actually pretty awesome, and I still drop my SIM into my puck pretty regularly. You should be able to find a Verizon Novatel 4510L on craigslist for under 90 bucks. With a puck, you can get your laptop, your tablet, and even a smartphone (without a data package) online all at once. You could take the SIM out of your MiFi and put it into the cheap LTE phone you bought earlier in this paragraph everytime you want to make or receive calls and tap your 450 minute bucket with Verizon, but it's kind of a huge pain in the rear end and not worth doing (ask me how I know). Your best bet here is to buy a secondhand smartphone that'll work with T-Mobile Prepaid so that you can place calls for $0.10/minute, and just leave it connected to the puck over Wi-Fi for data.

I did this for awhile, but ultimately got sick of having to keep two things charged and on me when I left the house (prepaid smartphone and the MiFi). If you legitimately never place or receive calls and wouldn't be inconvenienced by not having that capability, then yeah dude, gently caress it. Just keep a MiFi and the Nexus7 in your bag and dance all night.

2) This is the much easier option. Still drop texts and investigate discounts, but just get a Galaxy Nexus off of craigslist (expect to spend $250-300ish). With a pretty trivial level of effort you can put Jelly Bean on it, and voila, you basically have a Nexus 7 that's a couple inches smaller, a little slower, fits in your pocket, and makes calls. You can use FoxFi (check Google Play) to tether to your tablet, but tethering on a phone is much shittier than using a MiFi.

- - -

If you get a hotspot plan from Verizon, you're going to be paying $50/month for 1GB of data. If you follow option #1 you'll be paying $70/month for unlimited data. In my opinion, it's not worth saving 30% for an anemic data cap that will be incredibly loving easy to run over if you ever decide you enjoy Spotify, YouTube, or you know, actually using the internet at all.

GreenBuckanneer just get a GNex off of Google Play for $349 and do the $45/month Straight Talk plan everyone recommends. If you can use 100 minutes a month or less, do the $30/month T-Mobile prepaid plan. Done.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2012 10:06

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

Sounds like you're good to go, then.

ExcessBLarg! posted:

But that's my point, it's the only reason to give the AT&T One X a look since the SGS3 is equal or superior in every other metric.

Sorry if I was unclear, I don't think anyone should buy the One X basically ever. I'm enough of a zealot to believe that you really shouldn't be buying the SGS III either, unless you're going to hack it (and even then, wait until the custom ROM situation is particularly ripe). It pains me to see non-enthusiasts buying these loving shitbrick phones with no concept of what they're (not) getting, especially when the Galaxy Nexus is so cheap, so palatable, and so Jelly Bean.

I'm just saying that in a vaccuum (or a hypothetical spec-your-own-phone laboratory) it seems like an easy pick to go with the One X's display right now. I'm under the impression that they got the black levels and battery life on that display pretty similar to current AMOLEDs (thus equalizing AMOLED's biggest advantages), but I haven't really kept up with the side-by-sides on these two.

But yeah, objectively, and purely from a hardware perspective, the best full-package phones on the market are the international SGS III followed by the domestic SGS III's.

# ¿ Jul 20, 2012 10:18

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

Blinkman987 posted:

Features I know I want: No iPhone. The best hardware. Clean functionality. No crashing, no constant power cycling. I can't loving stand it when something I buy doesn't work or is a piece of poo poo. I need good coverage in Orange County.

This is tricky because the best Android hardware right now is the Galaxy S III, but it's got gross non-stock software on it that's going to give you a colored perception of the platform. Normally I'd just say order a Galaxy Nexus from the Play Store for $350 and be done, but if you're going to pay AT&T prices you really ought to get an LTE phone so you can take advantage of AT&T's LTE.

If you're willing to hack your poo poo, there's a lot of cool ROM options for the SGS3. Most people aren't going to go down that road. The stock experience isn't horrible or anything, but it's just kinda tasteless and a symptom of lovely hardware partners playing Developer when they ship phones. If you can wait a few months, do that, but otherwise just get an SGS3 and either hack it or tolerate it. Personally I think the redesigned iPhone plug is less-terrible than skinning a perfectly-good OS, but everyone's different.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2012 02:34

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

We can't see the future, but realistically there's "probably" no Nexus refresh on tap for this year.

So, yeah, Galaxy S3 is gonna be the way to go. Just realize you're getting a tampered-with Android experience.

# ¿ Sep 20, 2012 09:04

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

I live in SF, Verizon's definitely tops in the Bay. AT&T has gotten better, I don't think anybody is horrible though. The beauty of prepaid is you can just try poo poo and cancel it if it sucks.

I like T-Mobile Prepaid or Ting (a Sprint MVNO) for your dad.

# ¿ Oct 3, 2012 01:48

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

Yeah for T-Mobile I'd just say gently caress it and buy the $350 GNex. It's a bit more complicated on AT&T and much more complicated (to the point that it's not the best option) on Verizon.

Then again, can you wait 2-3 weeks? We're supposed to know the details of the next Nexus by the end of October.

# ¿ Oct 12, 2012 01:38

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

CerebralDonut posted:

Features I Want
Main feature is a better selection of phones - I specifically would like access to an Iphone and the Galaxy Nexus. We do not use our phones all that much for talking, so I'd be interested in getting the fewest minutes possible [700 minutes is perfect]. I think we are all interested in getting some form of 3g/4g, but probably the minimum possible [300 mb is fine.] Other than that, we just want a carrier with decent service and a good phone selection. As a result, I'm looking into Verizon or AT&T, but I'm not sure which to go with. Any ideas?

at&t's tiered prices are retarded bullshit, stick with T-Mobile and get your family a gaggle of Galaxy Nexuses (do it after the new Nexus announcement, we'll likely see a GNex price drop) if you're not having any coverage problems with them in your area.

The GNex has better maps, a great mature OS in Jelly Bean, an adequate-enough camera, a comically low price, full support for America's cheapest carrier, and almost certainly any app your folks are going to want.

kbar fucked around with this message at 08:25 on Oct 29, 2012

# ¿ Oct 29, 2012 08:19

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

If you're in the Bay, get the S3. AT&T's got LTE deployed here, so the Nexus 4 (the other good option) is a non-starter.

You should really look into a custom ROM though (ugh, I know). The stock software on the GS III is wildly offensive and basically a complete disservice to the quality of the hardware.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2012 03:42

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

I can't believe current Verizon customers are paying 90 loving dollars a month (more like a hundred after taxes) for voice, a single gigabyte of data, and a mostly-deprecated messaging service. Voice and 2 gigs on Straight Talk for $45 a month looks pretty amazing by comparison, unless AT&T is some kind of unreasonable shitshow where you live.

It's really hard to reconcile that they're letting motherfuckers like me slink by paying $49/month for unlimited LTE and a voice bucket while totally bending over new customers. Wonder how long before they borrow a page from Sprint's historic "Irritate SERO Users Until They loving Give Up" playbook and disallow activations of new handsets on unlimited plans...

# ¿ Dec 24, 2012 07:52

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# ¿ May 18, 2024 01:38

kbar: Aug 9, 2002

Dango Bango posted:

Country/Provider: USA

Current contract status: Verizon - still on my mom's family plan for the unlimited data and eligible for a phone upgrade.

Basically, I'd like to get a Galaxy S3 and keep the unlimited data if possible, but I've never bought a phone outside of Verizon. What are my options and where are some good places to look? Also, what should I watch out for to make sure I don't get something I can't use with Verizon? I've seen the selling/trading phones thread here and wouldn't be opposed to buying a used phone, but I have no idea how that works on the Verizon side with getting the phone switched over to my number/info/plan.

e: I should mention, I'm not dead-set on an S3.

This is relevant to your interests.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2013 22:40

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