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So let's start this off by saying I tend to be a very frugal person. So frugal that about a year and a half ago I opted to get the Galaxy Tab (7 inch) from Verizon on a 2 year contract for only $100 on a $35 a month 3GB data plan. I slapped Skype on it, grabbed an online number and tied that into my Google Voice account and for a total of $41~ a month ($6 a month on average for an online number for Skype and unlimited minutes) I had a device with unlimited calling, unlimited texting, and 3GB of data which turned out to be plenty since I used the wifi when I was at home. This was awesome despite holding up a 7 inch tablet to my head to make phone calls, which I didn't care. I mean yeah people look at you funny but I was the one laughing since I was saving over $50 a month on my phone bill. And I could play Angry Birds on a big screen! I really really loved this setup.
I sold that tablet to my brother 9 months ago now and he just kinda carried over the plan. I did that since I moved to Chile for that amount of time and now I'm moving back to the States come next week and I want a similar setup. No carriers offer data only plans though that work well in my area. I switched from AT&T to Verizon since big red's coverage was 100x better where I mostly used my phone. However the data plan I had gotten with that tablet has gone away due to the "Share Everything" stuff although it still is only $40 a month for the share everything tablet data plan but none of the newer tablets they offer catch my eye since I really want that 7 inch sweet spot which is actually able to still fit in most of my pant's back pockets. This brings me to my best thought so far but there's one large caveat...
Mobile hotspots. I have narrowed down the choice between Verizon's Mifi 4510L and US Cellular's Samsung SCH-LC11 and then using that to connect to a Nexus 7 which looks like a better and more powerful Galaxy Tab that I had only used a year ago. I'm definitely leaning more towards US Cellular though since they offer a 2 GB plan for $25 a month and only an extra $10 per GB used above the 2GB limit while Verizon's crazy pricing for their Mifi 4510L starts at $50 a month for 4 GB of data which I'd probably never use all of it. I never even used 2 GB from what I remember from before. Although that's still a huge bargain compared to pretty much everyone else who has opted for those ridiculously overpriced plans for their rinky dinky smartphones. I kid of course. The base pricing for the devices is $188.99 out the door for a pre-owned certified Mifi 4510L without a contract and $200 (after $50 MiR) for the Samsung on a 2 year contract. After a year the Samsung would save me $300 but that's also stuck on a 2 year contract, although if I had to cancel it'd only be $150 to do so and I'd still be ahead $150 above big red. But the one large caveat to this is the battery life which on the Samsung is about 3 and half hours active usage and the Mifi 4510L says 5 hours but the Samsung has a removable battery. Now I drive fairly often and at my work and home I'll more than likely have wifi access, thus negating the need to plug in the mobile hotspot, the tablet however would also use up more battery due to the wifi being on all the time. It's definitely a trade off but one I'm willing to make I believe since on the US Cellular (Which has really great service where I live although I don't believe I can get 4G from either) side of things I'd be saving $900 a year.* So what does xda think about this? Any thoughts or insight? Other suggestions that I more than likely missed? Or mistakes in my plan? (I've been known to make plenty of those.)
Now I do know that it doesn't have to be a tablet. I'm tempted to get the Galaxy S III off-contract and just use it wirelessly the same way. However I'll still be lugging the mobile hotspot wherever I'll be. Other bonuses to the hotspot is... It's a hotspot. Super easy to share my connection. Although I was able to do that with my old Galaxy Tab very easily as well so not a huge deal. Thanks to those that stuck through my huge post and seemingly large amount of rambling. I didn't mean to post this much but it just turned out this way.
*This is accounting that I never have to pay an extra $10 for a GB over the 2GB use and accounting for a $100 for a normal plan. I could go ahead and say I'd be saving $1800 over a normal smartphone plan although I have around $400 to put down at first so saying an average smartphone goes for $200 with a 2 year plan I'm still saving $1600 once those 2 years are up.
TL;DR - I'm cheap and want to get a mobile hotspot and use a tablet (Nexus 7) connected to it via wifi as my phone to get the cheapest monthly data plan and run all my talk and texts through Google Voice / Skype.
I know all the tech sites and forums and whatnot always rave about the newest flagship device and seem to ignore even well specced budget phones, especially region or carrier specific ones. I am on T-mobile but am constantly checking out the new phones available on AT&T since T-mobile phones suck in general. There are some amazing budget phones that are almost as well specced and even better built, costing half the price, with 1/100 the publicity. Earlier in the year I bought a Pantech burst for one of my relatives. It only cost $200 on eBay. It was super smooth and fast, and the AMOLED screen made it pop. I was always playing with it and comparing it to my $450 HTC One X. The One X was actually slower, and the screen didn't feel as resilient. The camera was much better, but besides that, I couldn't really find any reason to justify the 2x++ cost.
Today I went to go play with more phones. AT&T has two new budget phones. The LG Escape and the Pantech Flex. They are both running a dual-core S4 and lightly skinned and super fast. Both have qHD displays at 4.3" with top tier IPS and AMOLED displays. At that screen size, 720p wouldn't have made much a difference for me or most people, and it's a perfect hand-holding size. I find it just as usable as the 4.8" S III, and even easier and faster than the cumbersome 5.3" Note I am currently rocking. The cameras are only marginally worse than top flagship phones, and they come with NFC and even big batteries. The LG Escape is a standout with 2150mah battery and a really great feeling curved and thin build that's grippy and rather seamess and unbroken. The petite size with very narrow bezels also makes it stand out. LTE is a given. Both devices are literally brand new just came out and you can easily find them on eBay for $250. I'm really digging the LG Escape and get more and more annoyed thinking about the $520 I dropped a couple months ago to get the international Galaxy Note in my pocket that is slow and clunky and big. And no it's not about price depreciation and tech obsolescence. The Note still costs $520 even today, and most flagship phones of yesteryear are still expensive on eBay.
Last year the difference between high-end and budget was more dramatic since the cameras were way better on the high-end side and you got dual-core instead of single core. The screens were also terrible with WVGA and poor viewing angles and colors. This year is very different. Budget phones have the same blazing S4 krait processor that the high-end has, with all the same NFC, GPS, bluetooth, and everything else under the sun. The cameras have not improved much at the high-end whereas the lower-end has caught up and is nipping at their heels. Build quality is even better on the low-end in many cases (cough S III cough), and they always have removable batteries and microSD slots to expand their pitiful 4GB of memory. In a month, the LG Escape and Pantech Flex will probably drop to $200. The S III and One X are both still super expensive. This year at least, the tortoise has caught up to the hare, and budget-conscious consumers should be aware how great the lower end offerings are this year, and not be afraid to save a ton of money. It's not every year the fastest processor available becomes commoditized for budget phones and carriers are forcing LTE and big batteries into everything from low to high.
This is true. Just look at the Droid RAZR M and Atrix HD and HTC One XL. All $100 on contract
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I noticed too, now it's making purchasing decisions harder.
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This is true. Just look at the Droid RAZR M and Atrix HD and HTC One XL. All $100 on contract
EDIT: I noticed you said the HTC One X is super expensive. This is not quite true, as I stated above, is priced at a budget level. It's also only $20 on contract through Amazon Wireless
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I work at at&t and no way the one x is slower benchmarks are wayyy faster on oneX but ya At&t doesbt have any bad phones out really they are all cool in their own way
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Kflan22 said:
I work at at&t and no way the one x is slower benchmarks are wayyy faster on oneX but ya At&t doesbt have any bad phones out really they are all cool in their own way
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NO WAY!
Well howdy Kflan22
I recently bought a brand dual core phone, with 4.3" ips screen, 1gb RAM ! 540x960 resolution and so on for 191 USD. And running so smooth.
It's a ZTE V970...not bad at all.
Yeah the Droid Razr M is a phone I'd buy! If it wasn't on Verizon...
Kflan22 said:
I work at at&t and no way the one x is slower benchmarks are wayyy faster on oneX but ya At&t doesbt have any bad phones out really they are all cool in their own way
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda app-developers app
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Wasn't really talking about benchmarks. Just general UI smoothness. The Burst felt a lot smoother, even within apps.
I'm basing these on eBay prices. Why would you want to lock yourself to a contract when you can save so much on monthly fees with a no-contract plan? I don't really pay attention to those Amazon Wireless or Best Buy or special sales because they all have a catch, and you usually have to be a new customer for the best deals.
The One X is still a good $350 for a new one on eBay.
I would not consider the Razr M a budget phone. It doesn't fall under $200. In fact, it's like over $450 on eBay. You could buy it on contract for $100, but the same goes for a lot of other flagship phones. The contract price usually doesn't correlate directly with the second-hand market price, so even if the Razr M dropped to free on contract, it would still be $400+. It only goes down over time. It's strange because if a phone is perceived as a budget phone like the Flex or the Escape, even if it has a $400+ MSRP, it will be a paltry $200 or less from the get go on eBay. It's all perception, even though the MSRP is probably right and the difference between the budget and flagship phone is really only $100-150 to buy retail as well as wholesale, people think they gotta price it way low since its budget.
It's kind of amazing how something like the Atrix HD, which is even faster/bigger/better than the original Razr on Verizon, is priced lower at around $300 new. The old Razr still commands $350+ for a new one. The Razr M still has qHD and the same internals as the Atrix HD but is a good $150 more. Yeah these are all eBay prices. Since the Atrix HD was launched as a budget $99 phone, even though the MSRP is probably only $100 difference at most from both old and new flagship phones, people will sell it much lower. Ditto for other budget phones that have an even bigger price disparity and sell for under $200.
It sucks if you have a budget phone and want to sell it used and get the most out of what the claimed MSRP is, but find out it sells for less than half that new and even less used. The on-contract price you paid is not a good measure of the phone's wholesale value the carrier paid since whether free or up to $200, the expensive contract plans make up for the difference and then some. That's how they can afford to drop everything to a penny on sale days, although they would of course love you to get the crappiest cheapest smartphone anyway. If you plan on buying these budget phones of course from eBay, and their perceived value drops them like a stone, it's a steal.
This minor difference between budget and high-end is gonna get much worse with Windows 8. They are all literally 1.5Ghz S4 Krait with 1GB RAM. Will a slightly better camera and a slightly bigger size/resolution screen really justify the over 2x price premium for a flagship?
we'll see
itsalexaye90 said:
Yeah the Droid Razr M is a phone I'd buy! If it wasn't on Verizon...
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dang them verison, built in sims...
You get what you pay for.
I think a good budget phone with good specs as far as i search, sony experia tipo. Try to check it out in the web.
Definitely better if "budget" phones are simply last gen flagships. It would make for much better compatibility down the road.
That LG looks nice but I have a couple of friends LG phones and they have a lot of little issues so I'm a little gun shy of them right now.
I think we're starting to hit a sweet spot for phone tech. Jelly Bean runs great on a dual core phone with 1 gig so you don't need new tech for a nice phone.
I totally agree, just seeing the Galaxy S III on MetroPCS is pretty amazing. I know its kind of off topic, but it still surprises me.
i think a phone with s4 cpu and 1 gb of ram do the job for a year or two ...
mohammad13 said:
i think a phone with s4 cpu and 1 gb of ram do the job for a year or two ...
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It depends on the user. Not everyone would afford or even like to change phone after a year or two..
I have been looking at some of the Pantech phones as well. I havent pulled the trigger because I havent found much information on durability and reliability.
well for me i always prefer budget phones in general .. i don't like to spend much money on a phone that i could whack or loss any moment...
So, who's still stuck in a contract and when does it end? What are your plans when it does end? Upgrade or leave and go to a prepaid plan?
My contract ends on 12/14/13 and am counting down the days when I can leave Verizon and never look back. It makes me sick to pay $180/month service for two smart phones when I can go with a prepaid service and save $80-$90. So I plan on waiting it out and not even toying with the idea of upgrading and locking myself into a phone that will become obsolete in 6 months and a plan that is overpriced and includes ridiculous fees and charges.
I will be looking to spend around $200-$250 on a phone. I know that I can get a SGS2 or Gnex right now for that but in 9 months I'm thinking that the price of a S3 will come down to where I can afford it. I'm also looking at a RAZR or RAZR Maxx. Used of course. I originally started looking on Craigslist, but am thinking Amazon is the way to go.
I obviously want the most for my money and something unlocked or unlockable and plenty of support available for the phone.
What other options will I have in that price range?
HTC?
Samsung?
Motorola?
Sent from my CM10 Droid X2 using Tapatalk 2
I did the same thing last November. I saw how much Sprint wanted monthly for a smartphone and now I have a smartphone for less than I was paying them for just minutes and texting with no data.
I was looking around to buy a phone and I personally felt it was better to spend a bit more money and get the GS3 (which was about $400 when I got it) so that it would last me longer and not already feel very dated. I put it on a card and I've already paid it off - very minimal interest accrued.
If I were you, I'd get the S4 or something if you're looking to buy at the very end of this year - that way they'll be on the market for a while and you can likely find one used at a decent-enough discount over buying new. I feel like it pays to spend more on something better.
Or you could buy an N4 new if you don't care about removable battery and sd card.
You could also just buy a really cheap phone or flash whatever you have now to a pre-paid service - and save the money you were paying to Verizon and put it aside to buy a better phone.
You have a long time. Ultimately, I wouldn't worry about it yet. See what you can save up between now and then, just wait and see where prices will go by then (The Nexus phones aren't much more to save up for you and I'd bet a new one will be released between now and then - a great value if the hardware is right).
Pennycake said:
I did the same thing last November. I saw how much Sprint wanted monthly for a smartphone and now I have a smartphone for less than I was paying them for just minutes and texting with no data.
I was looking around to buy a phone and I personally felt it was better to spend a bit more money and get the GS3 (which was about $400 when I got it) so that it would last me longer and not already feel very dated. I put it on a card and I've already paid it off - very minimal interest accrued.
If I were you, I'd get the S4 or something if you're looking to buy at the very end of this year - that way they'll be on the market for a while and you can likely find one used at a decent-enough discount over buying new. I feel like it pays to spend more on something better.
Or you could buy an N4 new if you don't care about removable battery and sd card.
You could also just buy a really cheap phone or flash whatever you have now to a pre-paid service - and save the money you were paying to Verizon and put it aside to buy a better phone.
You have a long time. Ultimately, I wouldn't worry about it yet. See what you can save up between now and then, just wait and see where prices will go by then (The Nexus phones aren't much more to save up for you and I'd bet a new one will be released between now and then - a great value if the hardware is right).
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If you're looking for a phone, you're not going to find much for around $200-250 besides well used S2s right now, and S3s aren't going to come down as dramatically as the GNex did when the N4 was announced. The S3 is still a solid powerhouse that will command at least $300 at minimum for a well used one when all is said and done after the S4 drops. If you're just looking to expand your functionality of your phone, but not have to pay the insane carrier prices/payment schemes for equipment, or worse, MSRP, then you may be in the market for a cheap N7 like myself. I was originally looking for a Note or N7, if I could get the Note, that would be the end of it, but since I found a brand spanking new N7 I've been very happy overall with my pair of Androids. I can still upgrade my phone later, but because I'm not relying on my phone to do anything other than handle my data connection and provide me with a physical handheld to use for calls, I'm not quite as concerned about upgrading it anytime soon. I had already anticipated when I upgraded from a beat up Optimus 3D to the S2 that I would have to stick with whatever I got at $250 (I got super lucky, it was only 2 weeks old) for the better part of at least a year before I could even think about upgrading my phone again. I got that itch shortly after when I found myself semi-limited by the phone as far as certain gaming capability. I then eyed a Note or N7 in order to get my gaming fix. The N7 I ended up getting has since been a VERY handy tool for not just getting my mobile gaming fix, but for remote troubleshooting, home network/pc management when I get calls from my roommates for broken services.
Before you make ANY purchase, ask yourself a couple questions about what you really want. Do you want a device to game on? An accessory/toy? An internet connected tool? A better communications platform? I found that I was already satisfied with my phone and only wanted to get a bigger screen, longer battery life, and better gaming support, which made the Note and N7 perfect options. Note if I chose to drop $400 on a used one and have a phablet, or an N7 for $200 and just never take my phone out of my pocket.
Either way, I would recommend looking into Swappa.com, the Marketplace replacement as this is where I found my N7, and Craigslist (though be VERY CAREFUL here) for the S2.
What I mean by be VERY CAREFUL with transactions on Craigslist is that I've heard of people buying a lightly used phone from somebody for decent money on there, only to find the phone doesn't work anymore and rejects the carrier a month or two down the road. This is typically because the original seller bought the phone on a payment plan and have since either stopped making payments, or have dropped the carrier altogether, and the carrier has responded well within the contract and blacklisted the device on the network. Swappa is a lot more reliable for not dealing in possibly abused/misrepresented items, but you'll pay a premium for this peace of mind. Good luck!
I use my phone now primarily for streaming spotify while at work, email, texting and browsing the web. My WiFi connection at work is sometimes unreliable so I rely heavily on my 3g connection. I'm not as concerned about having the latest tech either. I would probably be fine for a couple of years using a gnex or s3. Although I probably would go for the s3 simply because of the removable battery and SD card slot.
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Cynagen makes some very good points. I am mainly interested in changing carriers and lowering my contract price, and was looking at buying something new and unlocked. Tethering to a full-featured, higher spec tablet makes a lot of sense if the main use case is data. I rarely use my phone for voice, and most times am within wi-fi coverage.
=RV=
redvelociraptor said:
Cynagen makes some very good points. I am mainly interested in changing carriers and lowering my contract price, and was looking at buying something new and unlocked. Tethering to a full-featured, higher spec tablet makes a lot of sense if the main use case is data. I rarely use my phone for voice, and most times am within wi-fi coverage.
=RV=
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It's an okay idea, but the phone's battery is going to drain FAST if it's constantly tethering. And unless you're paying for tethering, there might not always be a reliable work-around to get it to work anyway.
My S3 lasted about 4 hours of continuous tethering and it was pretty warm. Instead of it being able to manage going to "sleep", you'd have to do that manually - turn your tethering on whenever you want to use your tablet. Which may work depending on patience and usage.
Another idea might be a data-only SIM in a tablet and make calls over VOIP or just keep a spare phone for the minutes if that's what you want.
I have a phone and a tablet and I use my phone more often on a daily basis - it would not be practical to bring my tablet where I most often use my phone - the size difference is big enough to go from "kind of bulky" to "full on leg shield if you can even get it in your pocket".
I'm not knocking the idea, just saying you need to consider the downsides, too. I almost went for it, myself, but with the $30/mo T-Mobile plan I decided just to get the S3. It's a good size for carrying in a pocket, and I have a 10" tablet that's a great size for watching movies, too (bought it from a friend). I'd recommend going to a store and comparing sizes. For me, 7" just didn't fit in - it was too small for what I wanted to use a tablet for and too big to carry around all day - but if you have to carry a bag or something, it might be a better fit.
Pennycake said:
It's an okay idea, but the phone's battery is going to drain FAST if it's constantly tethering. And unless you're paying for tethering, there might not always be a reliable work-around to get it to work anyway.
My S3 lasted about 4 hours of continuous tethering and it was pretty warm. Instead of it being able to manage going to "sleep", you'd have to do that manually - turn your tethering on whenever you want to use your tablet. Which may work depending on patience and usage.
Another idea might be a data-only SIM in a tablet and make calls over VOIP or just keep a spare phone for the minutes if that's what you want.
I have a phone and a tablet and I use my phone more often on a daily basis - it would not be practical to bring my tablet where I most often use my phone - the size difference is big enough to go from "kind of bulky" to "full on leg shield if you can even get it in your pocket".
I'm not knocking the idea, just saying you need to consider the downsides, too. I almost went for it, myself, but with the $30/mo T-Mobile plan I decided just to get the S3. It's a good size for carrying in a pocket, and I have a 10" tablet that's a great size for watching movies, too (bought it from a friend). I'd recommend going to a store and comparing sizes. For me, 7" just didn't fit in - it was too small for what I wanted to use a tablet for and too big to carry around all day - but if you have to carry a bag or something, it might be a better fit.
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I can confirm that it does drain the battery fast! To address this issue I bought a USB-OTG adapter, and just carry one of my 3 microUSB cables with me at all times. When my phone runs low while I'm on the train or bus or something, I use the USB-OTG cable from the tablet to my phone to keep my phone alive, and while it'll drain the tablet faster, I actually get about a 1.25% charge per 1% drained on the tablet (idle), so it's actually pretty efficient (this surprised me). When I'm in the office, I'll let the phone drain down to warning levels <15% and then use the USB cable to connect it to my desk computer in order to charge up, usually towards the end of the day. The tablet I only really charge at home each night when it's practically dead itself. (I practice stretching the batteries out as far as you can stomach (normally <5%) as you're supposed to with Li-Ion.)
I thought about getting a GSM N7, but when I saw it was an extra $100, plus another $30/mo for a data-only SIM card with unlimited service, when I could tether to my cellphone for free, I chose the $200 one-time & free/mo because T-Mobile just sees Android devices and doesn't care.
Evaluate your end goal, and review all possible avenues towards that goal, I chose the cheapest easiest way for myself, and while you may not have these same avenues available, make sure you do all your research to see if you can get anywhere close.
@Pennycake: I don't know how you only got 4 hours of continuous tethering, I get at least 6 straight on my S2. Check what OTHER processes you have running and see about getting a kernel you can undervolt as well as drop to a super bare minimum speed. (My S2 when WiFi tethering to my N7 sits active @ 192Mhz as that's all that's needed to maintain connection, otherwise it hits deep sleep.)
I don't tether all that often, so it's not a big issue to me (it was on a train ride and I probably won't be travelling again for another year).
Another idea is to use the $30/mo data only and use Google Voice + a VOIP service (like Groove IP) - turning the tablet itself into a phone that way. I read an article about someone who did it and really considered it for a while (in my case, I'm glad I didn't because I don't have the data coverage to make calls everywhere I normally am - sometimes I'm getting only GPRS where I can easily make a call, but not so much over data).
After reading a comparison on S3 compared to One X, it seems as though overall the S3 looks better. Has better battery life, SD card slot, better camera. Now that HTC is out of the picture, I will look into comparing the RAZR phones to the S3. I have heard that Motorola phones have better reception than Samsung. Is this true or just a few people's experience?
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To op. You can talk about early cancelation. Sometimes it doesn't cost as much as you'd think. I did that with at&t thank god for it. That was the worst and so over priced. I'm with Verizon and love it but you sound like you're paying way to much. I pay 99 a month unlimited text and data (my plan started before this family shared data thing) and 500 anytime min but I use Skype anyway.
I think I might switch depending on the shared data thing since there are 2 users on my plan.
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5imp7y said:
To op. You can talk about early cancelation. Sometimes it doesn't cost as much as you'd think. I did that with at&t thank god for it. That was the worst and so over priced. I'm with Verizon and love it but you sound like you're paying way to much. I pay 99 a month unlimited text and data (my plan started before this family shared data thing) and 500 anytime min but I use Skype anyway.
I think I might switch depending on the shared data thing since there are 2 users on my plan.
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Early termination would be too much for us. We currently have three lines, two of which have data plans, the third just an extra line that we added almost two years ago to use it for an upgrade. Our two main lines would cost about 200 each and we would then have to buy two phones.
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Let's just get it started and facilitate it here. The discussion that is inevitable to be here anyway :laugh: . Moto X Pure vs Nexus 2015 (however many there may be...)
I guess the new Moto G can go up against the smaller Nexus 2015, if there is one. And the Moto X Pure can go up against the larger Nexus 2015, if there is one.
I'm preferring the Moto X Pure:
It will have a MicroSD slot and that's not a feature we've been seeing in Nexus devices.
The Moto will likely cost far less than the Nexus.
The Moto will be released sooner than the Nexus.
The Moto has Moto Maker. No need to buy skins.
Those are some that come to mind. Feel free to share yours.
Let the greatest Android phone debate of 2015, BEGIN !
I bought a moto X 1st get on Verizon before moto maker was available. I keep forgetting about moto maker tbh. Just one more thing to be excited about. The list looks great to me
I choose Nexus due to some likely features:
1) USB Type-C
2) Fingerprint Scanner
3) Likely available through carriers (yes, I consider this a plus. I don't get why people are so against paying $200 for a top-of-the-line phone)
p.s. I do get why people don't like contracts but come on, that's some serious financial incentive.
No nexus for me as they will not support sd cards so im stuck between the moto x..g4 pro and the note 5...most likely the moto x will not actually outspec the nexus 2015 but the g4 pro will
Other than Motorola, the other phone makers aren't really adopting the voice activation while the phone is asleep. I'm not sure if the next Nexus will have Okay google while the phone is asleep but on the side of the fence that's thinking it won't. It's the one feature that keeps coming back to Motorola phones. Even if the nexus does have it, I don't think you'll be able to customize the launch phrase which is really nifty to keep immature friends from f'ing around with your phone .
You are comparing 2 different animals. I will dump my s6 once moto comes out then dump moto once nexus comes out. Then repeat.
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Moto all day. I have the S6 and I miss Moto Display. Nexus Ambient Display doesn't compare
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I've had the nexus 4 and the nexus 5 (skipped the 6 - too large for my hands and out of my budget at the time).
I absolutely adore the nexus phones. Top spec at a good price. Sure, some sacrifices were made (which I can handle for the price that I picked the phones up at) but I've had so many little issues caused by bad build quality that it's just sending me crazy.
Nexus 4; overheated like hell and cracked the back case. I had times where the phone would be idle sat on my desk at work (even tried this in safe mode) and the phone was warm/hot to touch quite often.
Nexus 5; on button sticking! This one drove me absolutely insane - where you'd tap the button to turn the screen on, next thing you know, the phone reboots itself.
It's such a shame really and that's the main reason why I'm switching to the Moto X Style - Motorola has decent to really good build quality. I'll still be keeping the n5 as a backup (after getting the battery changed) but I'm kind of done with Nexus phones now. And seeing as Motorola keeps its android near stock and updating quite quickly, I won't be missing much at all.
89titanium said:
3) Likely available through carriers (yes, I consider this a plus. I don't get why people are so against paying $200 for a top-of-the-line phone)
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Some carriers are doing away with this option, or at least making it less financially reasonable -- they tack on a fee to your monthly plan that you wouldn't have if you brought your own phone, meaning you'll end up paying more in the long run anyway. With AT&T, you can be grandfathered into an upgrade plan, but make any changes to your service and you're bumped out and have to use one of their financing options, where yo'ure basically buying the phone outright but paying in installments.
thebobmannh said:
Some carriers are doing away with this option, or at least making it less financially reasonable -- they tack on a fee to your monthly plan that you wouldn't have if you brought your own phone, meaning you'll end up paying more in the long run anyway. With AT&T, you can be grandfathered into an upgrade plan, but make any changes to your service and you're bumped out and have to use one of their financing options, where yo'ure basically buying the phone outright but paying in installments.
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Well, that's completely different than a subsidized contract purchase. I have Verizon, so I believe you're referring to something like their "Edge" option. It's paying for a phone in full in installments. They try to cover it up by saying "free anytime upgrade with Edge service added onto your bill!" I believe all the major carriers still do traditional up-front discount with 2-yr agreement though.
89titanium said:
Well, that's completely different than a subsidized contract purchase. I have Verizon, so I believe you're referring to something like their "Edge" option. It's paying for a phone in full in installments. They try to cover it up by saying "free anytime upgrade with Edge service added onto your bill!" I believe all the major carriers still do traditional up-front discount with 2-yr agreement though.
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Nope, not confusing it. I can only use AT&T as an example, but if you do their "two-year contract" price, so you get a new phone for ~$200, you pay a "$40 smartphone access charge" per smartphone on your account. If you do "Next", which is their version of "Verizon EDGE", you pay $25 for the same access charge per phone (but you're paying for the phone outright). So you're paying $15/month more for your wireless service with the subsidized phone, whihc works out to $180/year. Over your 2-year contract you not only paid $200 for the phone up front, but you paid 360 dollars in extra fees too. Still cheaper than buying out right, but not by nearly as much as you think.
Verizon may not pull the same shenanigans (yet) but ... I'm anti-Verizon for a whole host of other reasons. As someone who likes to tinker with his phone, finding phones and ROMs that are Verizon-friendly limits everything WAY too much.
Nexus will almost certainly have wifi calling. Not so sure about moto even with M release. Nexus will also be first to have M
ambervals6 said:
You are comparing 2 different animals. I will dump my s6 once moto comes out then dump moto once nexus comes out. Then repeat.
Sent from my SM-G920T
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I'm with you, I've never kept a phone longer than 6 months. I move right along with technology
---------- Post added at 08:58 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:55 AM ----------
NCguy said:
Nexus will almost certainly have wifi calling. Not so sure about moto even with M release. Nexus will also be first to have M
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From what I've read, I'm pretty confident that the Moto X will be second
NCguy said:
Nexus will almost certainly have wifi calling. Not so sure about moto even with M release. Nexus will also be first to have M
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Moto X will have Wifi calling via Android M.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=62127468
Although it goes beyond "vanilla Android ROM" features. The chop to turn on flashlight and other such features, will be a nice plus for the Moto Style/Pure too.
thebobmannh said:
Nope, not confusing it. I can only use AT&T as an example, but if you do their "two-year contract" price, so you get a new phone for ~$200, you pay a "$40 smartphone access charge" per smartphone on your account. If you do "Next", which is their version of "Verizon EDGE", you pay $25 for the same access charge per phone (but you're paying for the phone outright). So you're paying $15/month more for your wireless service with the subsidized phone, whihc works out to $180/year. Over your 2-year contract you not only paid $200 for the phone up front, but you paid 360 dollars in extra fees too. Still cheaper than buying out right, but not by nearly as much as you think.
Verizon may not pull the same shenanigans (yet) but ... I'm anti-Verizon for a whole host of other reasons. As someone who likes to tinker with his phone, finding phones and ROMs that are Verizon-friendly limits everything WAY too much.
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Speaking as an associate in a Walmart Connection Center, I would like to point out that if you are a data hog and use 10GB or more /month you only pay $15 for the line access on AT&T Next, so it comes out cheaper to use the installment option. This does only apply if you pay for that much data though. It is definitely a raw deal if you are a data sipper with 1 or 3 GB instead.
Let's not conflate phone plans vs phone hardware...
The discussion of plans/subsidies, etc... is completely different from what phone hardware is preferred.
What matters to me is that I can purchase an unlocked phone - thus decoupling plans and carriers completely from the equation.
As a current Nexus 5 owner - the ability to use GSM or CDMA was highly significant, as was the phone being unlocked. As a 3rd party carrier customer (TING) - bringing an unlocked phone that will run on both networks gives me all the flexibility I want.
Price then becomes the next biggest (biggest?) factor. When the Nexus 6 was announced - the fact it came in at such a high price wrecked the unlocked/carrier-free equation.
So what I'll be looking at with the Moto X Pure and Nexus 2015 and perhaps the OnePlus 2 (though this is GSM only ) - will be
- Price
- Unlocked/Carrier free
- battery life - has to get 1 full day w/heavy use (I love having replaceable batteries also)
- Features in relation to price (most phones nowadays don't differentiate features enough anyway - just a leap frog game)
- Size (the size of the N5 is perfect, could stand a little bigger but not N6 size)
- Feel - very subjective - but I personally love the feel of my N5, the rubber grip, fit in hand, don't make it so slick I can't hang on to it. Also, I don't want to feel I need a case to protect it. Why do I want to pay for a thin/light phone and put a case on it? I will ALWAYS put on a screen protector though!
- As close to pure Android as possible (but heck - I'm going to flash it anyway ;P )
- I like having an SD card but it isn't a deal killer, thought I'd hate not having one on my N5 - but don't miss it that much.
- Camera - not a biggee as I use a real camera for anything worthwhile. I don't care how good your camera is - selfies look terrible
- Durability...Unlike others - I plan on my next phone lasting at least 2 years and would love to get 3+ out of it.
Its going to take a great phone for a great price with most of the above before I give up my N5. The N6 wasn't close but the Moto X Pure - does look like it may do it.
89titanium said:
I choose Nexus due to some likely features:
1) USB Type-C
2) Fingerprint Scanner
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This plus it will have wireless charging I'm sure.
As much as I am looking forward to android m I am hesitant only because I rely on xposed for so much. I didn't realize this until I used the g4 for a month without it or root.
89titanium said:
Well, that's completely different than a subsidized contract purchase. I have Verizon, so I believe you're referring to something like their "Edge" option. It's paying for a phone in full in installments. They try to cover it up by saying "free anytime upgrade with Edge service added onto your bill!" I believe all the major carriers still do traditional up-front discount with 2-yr agreement though.
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Click to collapse
True, but all carriers have discounts when you don't get a subsidized phone, plus there is an upgrade fee with Verizon for subsidized phones, which really makes the cost about the same and you then are stuck in a 2 year contract.
I'd be really curious to see the size comparison to the G4, which I have now. I had the G3 and it was the largest I told myself that I could go, but when the slightly larger G4 came out I decided to go with that. They praised the slim bezels so I'm hoping it's not much larger than the G4.
Fingerprint scanners are risky
Regarding a fingerprint scanner possibly being in the 2015 Nexus. I have to say, that does not attract me to it at all. In fact, it even turns me away from the device a little.
For anyone who has not already done so, I highly recommend a long and slow read through this XDA article:
Fingerprint Authentication – Just a Plain Bad Idea
Hello guys!
Do you have the problem like I do that I really would like to buy a fresh, new, fast phone with a new original battery, but looking at the current market I can not find any that suits to me? I am not talking about poor performance or lack of choice, but size... I'm really not interested in those enourmous 6"-6.5" phones because that big size is not comfortable for me, even though I have big hands.
Where is the era of 5"-5.8" phones gone? Do you think the large phones trend will ever stop?
In my situation I'm trying to look at used phones market, but this is also super problematic. If I find a used 5.5" device that suits me, it's battery is pretty much dead. I could buy a new battery and replace it without a problem, but there is no way I can find an original/genuine battery that will have a reasonable and solid life time. This is pathetic I think the dying 2-years batteries is the main trick that corporations use today to force us to change phone every 2-3 years ?
Do you feel me?
Well the way I've decided to combat this is by subscribing to Samsungs access program where I pay like 40 a month and in 9 months I can upgrade to the note 21 or S21 (if I choose to switch). I had the note 9 for 2 years and what I've noticed is I refuse to outright sell my phones for cheap rates after dropping 1200 plus on it. So now I've accumulated phones over the years since Samsung switched up and stopped allowing the early upgrade program with carriers. I got stuck with an s7 plus and 2 note 9s that are just collecting dust. I'm not selling either one for a few hundred dollars. And with insurance from Verizon, if anything happens to my phone I can just get a refurbished one sent to me and then I'll just trade that one back in when I'm ready to upgrade next year. This way I get the fresh new flagships every year and stop accumulating phones. The only downside is the fact that I wanted a phone with dual sim capabilities but Samsung only sells single sim in the US. I guess you can't have it all. Hopefully they eventually fix this issue and provide esim and/or dual sim capable phones in the future.
Now as far as smaller phones, I am not too sure. I believe all the major brands now have been offering smaller variations like the s20 e or fe or whatever its called. The only downside to this is I believe although they are cheaper then the full size flagships, they sadly do have less features and/or tech such as the cameras.
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