Hey all, new to the forum, but have been an Android user for a while. (if the read is too long, skip to the bottom few questions)
Ive been looking at newer phones and Ive been really really tempted the prospect of being a specs-***** that had the latest top of the line equipment. And while Ive been so indecisive about what resolution and screen size I really needed in a phone, I asked myself "why not get a tablet too?".
Ive always had modest phones...Pantech Pocket, Optimus F6, etc. Ive never had a 5 inch phone or a phone with HD resolution...but while I was out in the store yesterday seeing if I would like such phones, I really did like what I saw. I realized I much enjoyed 5 inch screens and that they will fit in pockets well, and I was amazed by 1080p video on the HTC One M8. I loved how it felt in my hand too. I didnt know a 5 inch phone could be so comfy and pocket-able as well. I even looked at the LG G3 and while I liked the 1440p content I saw...I couldnt say there was a significant improvement that I could detect over 1080p on screen sizes under 7 inches. That said, the LG G3 was also very comfy to hold and had great color reproduction that was better than the M8 (is that the screen tech or the QHD doing that?)
So I came home and did research into pricing. And I realized that high end GSM phones with 1080p or higher capability were pretty expensive to buy off-contract. I have Tmobile prepaid and dont want to enter into a contract just to save money on a phone (especially since my bill will go up a bit). Then I saw that many bigger tablets with good resolutions had attractive prices.
So i thought to myself..."what exactly do I need my phone to do when Im commuting, at work, or out on the town?" I know I need 4g speeds, a phone over at least 4.5 inches but still comfortably pocket-able in both dress pants and slim jeans, and I also need a phone that wont allow me to detect pixels in videos, pictures, or text when 12 inches from my face. Also, I do serious gaming on my pc...so any Android games I play will be stuff like Subway Surfers or emulators (N64, Genesis, etc)
That all said, I am still interested in watching HD video on a nice screen. But once I picked up phones that got close to or beyond 6 inches, my thumbs couldnt reach across the width of the screen, and I couldnt reach all of the icons comfortably with one hand without repositioning how I held the device. Nevermind how big this would look and feel in a pocket at work or in the bar.
I figured that given Im not going to be a huge power user on my phone, that instead of going for a top of the line big screen phone, that I could go midrange, but then also get a tablet if I really wanted to look at HD content on a larger screen. Im doing research at the moment, and seeing if I can get a really good phone and tablet for the price of a large flagship full HD or even QHD phone.
So I thought to get some advice here from people who have both tablets and phones;
1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?
2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?
3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?
Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.
jaycrewz said:
1. Given my needs, do you think I need 720p or 1080p in a phone?
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720p is perfectly fine up to about 4.7" or so. At 5"+, the difference between 720p and 1080p is definitely noticable.
2. For those who have phones at least 5.7 inches, how comfortable are they in your pockets and in day to day use? Do you feel I should sacrifice screen size in a phone purchase in order to further fund a tablet?
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Can't help you with that.
3. In a tablet, at what screen size do you recommend QHD over FHD?
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For a 7-8.4" tablet FHD is fine. With 10" tablets FHD is alright too; perfectly useable. Going QHD though will definitely have a visible difference. Those QHD Samsung tablets are rather expensive though.
Lastly, part of the reason I am considering a tablet is that I know itll split the cost of my budget between devices. Im concerned with shelling out $450+ on just a phone, because I know a phone will be more susceptible to damage given how I use phone and where I take them. My tablet would see less travel and less risky use.
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Myself, I have a Nexus 4 and a LG G Pad 8.3. No data on the G Pad, but I can tether it to my phone either by hotspot or by bluetooth with PdaNet+. I don't know what you prefer in tablet size, but for me, the 8.3" is perfect. 7" tablets seem just a bit too small, and 10" tablets aren't comfortable to use with 1 hand. The G Pad 8.3 is as big as you can get and still be useable with one hand. It's also small enough that it isn't a burden to carry in a backpack.
If you could tell me what your total budget is, I could help you with some suggestions. For example, if you don't want to spend more than $650, you could get a Nexus 5 32GB from Google (don't buy from T-Mobile) for $400 ($350 for 16gb) and the LG G Pad 8.3 for under $250. The LG G2 can be had for $310, which is a great deal for a phone that's still rocking great specs.
The other option would be to just get a really big phone (phablet) like a Note 3 or a HUGE phone like the Sony Xperia Z Ultra (6.4" screen). The reason I suggest a phablet is that you're going to be far less likely to take your tablet many places. And over time, you'll probably be less and less likely to take your tablet along. I love my tablet, but it mostly stays at home. I took it with me to work all the time when I first got it, but these days I usually just don't bother, even though it's perfectly convenient for me to slip it in my backpack. There are definitely times where I wish I had the bigger screen, but it's usually not worth bothering getting out my tablet, setting up the hotspot, etc. If I commuted by train or bus though, I'd have the tablet with me every day. But with a phablet, I'd have a big enough screen for almost everything, and since it'd be my phone I'd always have it with me.
There's also the Nexus 6/S/Shamu that's about to be officially announced. It'll have bleeding-edge specs, including 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805, 3GB RAM, and a 5.9" QHD screen. Prices are expected to be $400/450, depending on storage options.
In the end, it really just depends on how much you expect to actually be using your tablet.
Just go for the M8 mate and forget the tablets.
Go for both.
If you are not too particular on brands, try to amazon or ebay or etc phones from China like Meizu, Xiaomi, ZTE, Oppo, Huawei.
Their prices are really good and some of the FHD, Quad Core phones can be less than $300.
That will leave you spare change for a QHD 8 inch odd Tablet. Same goes for these.
There are many China brands of phones and tablets that are known to be very good and comparable or better than the internationally branded counterparts.
You will be amazed how how some of these phones/tablets usage and feel are better than the internationally branded ones.
Of course I forgot to mention the Nvidia Shield Tablet for $299.
@Planterz - Thnaks for the informative reply. It was very helpful. Youve given me much to consider.
@Bink Feed - I considered getting just the M8 at first, but I just cant see myself paying over 450 dollars for one phone. Especially considering how I take care of my phones, the price is too offputting. I'd feel better spending much less money on a phone, especially in the case I have to repair or replace it. Plus, if I get a tablet I have something big to look at and Id save phone battery.
@marcusloke - Yeah Ive researched some Huawei, Oppo, and ZTE phones. Ive seen good reviews depending on the model. Ive seen great reviews on OnePlus phones...but you need an invite to buy from that company. And the waiting list is long. And 300 was the threshold I was trying to stay under for my phone and tablet, each. Ill take a look at the Nvidia tablet..thanks
jaycrewz said:
@Planterz - Thnaks for the informative reply. It was very helpful. Youve given me much to consider.
@Bink Feed - I considered getting just the M8 at first, but I just cant see myself paying over 450 dollars for one phone. Especially considering how I take care of my phones, the price is too offputting. I'd feel better spending much less money on a phone, especially in the case I have to repair or replace it. Plus, if I get a tablet I have something big to look at and Id save phone battery.
@marcusloke - Yeah Ive researched some Huawei, Oppo, and ZTE phones. Ive seen good reviews depending on the model. Ive seen great reviews on OnePlus phones...but you need an invite to buy from that company. And the waiting list is long. And 300 was the threshold I was trying to stay under for my phone and tablet, each. Ill take a look at the Nvidia tablet..thanks
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In October can you buy it without invite ( OnePlus )
November/December will my HTC One M8 arrive !
I was in a similar dilemma. I bought the OnePlus One 64gb fhd for £270 and whilst I was waiting bought a Nexus 7 and a chromecast. I love both devices and use both extensively through the day. Despite their relative closeness in size, both have their tone and place and both are portable enough to go in decent size pockets. The OnePlus is unlocked and it doesn't void your warranty by routing. You have to wait to get an invite, but the Nexus made waiting bearable. The pair provably go over your budget but are still leers than a top end phone, so I thought it worth sharing with you.
There are 3 threads devoted to discussions about devices, please repost your question in one of these three threads: The what should I buy thread or the The Device Suggestion Thread or the The Device Comparison Thread.
Thanks!
Related
Hey Guys,
I'm seriously getting into dev work now for a living and therefore I need a tablet - my next app is going to be a tablet only news reader app (think Flipboard, Feedly etc combined and optimized for a tablet).
Was going to go for the Nexus 7 but I find it just too damn small and ugly. Nexus 10 is sold out and expensive and I can get a Note 10 brand new for about £250. Only things I'm worried about is the screen resolution and performance. Read a couple of reports about lag so just wanted people's opinions. Considering the price I can get it for as well would it be a good choice?
And if anyone can point me in the direction of some news apps they use on their Note would be appreciated
I do not feel any problem with resolution, It's enough even for watching movies. Reading is more than a good on this devices. Laging in multiscreen is solved upgrading from ICS to JB so it's not necessary to worry about it. You should not see any lags during reading of course.
I'm satisfied with this devices, but there is a lot of another cheaper solution of course. I can recommend SGN10.1 without doubts.
Well forget the resolution for a minute and go watch HD movie on the note and then tell me how the screen is
Honestly, screen resolution is fine unless you've read stuff / browsed on a nexus 10 or iPad 3/4. As for lag, I have come to the conclusion that certain builds released by samsung have lag while others don't. I personally don't and I'm on Build IMM76D.N8010XWALG4 which is android 4.0.4 (there are other 4.0.4 builds floating around as well).
Either that or you just can't satisfy some people...
Honestly with 2gb of ram I have never experienced lag except when I have a few things open, am downloading and installing apps and want to watch a movie.... What do you expect, even the PC slows down when you have a large amount of processing happening and ram being exhausted...
The resolution should not bother you unless you are one of the people who hovers about 5 inches from the display..
Other than that, the real concern for possible buyers would be the plastic casing. Are you fine with that, or do you really need that aluminium "premium" feel? Having played with various tablets (including the Infinity), I can say I honestly don't care because I'd put it in a case anyway, but if it bothers you, you probably won't be happy with this tablet.
Finally, while this tablet is really good, I think in terms of price and specs, you'd be better off with a Nexus 10 if you don't care about the stylus. You're guaranteed updates more quickly and for longer than if you got this tablet. Really, the biggest strength of this tablet is the stylus and its stylus-based application so if that's not even on your list.. I don't think you really want to get this.. (Although how much cheaper is the Nexus 10 for you? JW)
About the plastic case - From reading posts, most people seem to put their note into a case anyway... Whether its a folder style case, jell case, leather or silicone you'll find that the note is lighter than if you had the metal case....
As for the HD screen, I find the note screen is excellant to watch media on, as was stated previuosly, unless you sit with your face pressed up against the screen you won't really notice the difference. I like that Samsung really got the best out of what they gave and it isn't too bad..
crazyfool_1 said:
Hey Guys,
I'm seriously getting into dev work now for a living and therefore I need a tablet - my next app is going to be a tablet only news reader app (think Flipboard, Feedly etc combined and optimized for a tablet).
Was going to go for the Nexus 7 but I find it just too damn small and ugly. Nexus 10 is sold out and expensive and I can get a Note 10 brand new for about £250. Only things I'm worried about is the screen resolution and performance. Read a couple of reports about lag so just wanted people's opinions. Considering the price I can get it for as well would it be a good choice?
And if anyone can point me in the direction of some news apps they use on their Note would be appreciated
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Off topic. From which uk shop.
sent from my muffin
So, I almost pulled the trigger on this device, but I got à last minute deal on an LG OG Pro with a BUNCH of extras, case, screen protectors, charger, etc. for a little over $300.
I'm asking those who recently purchased the N5 and have received the device: Does it live up to your expectations and the hype surrounding it?
I'm still having thoughts about trying to get one, but I only use one device at a time, so for me, I'd have to get rid of my LG OG Pro to swing the N5, but....
The LG OG Pro has:
32GB of internal storage and SD expansion
3140 mAh user replaceable battery
5.5" Full HD IPS+ display
A slightly poorer (although more MP) camera, judging by reviews, and a slightly older S600
How I justified the choice was the above factors of expansion, but I do miss the fully unlockable bootlader option.
Is it worth it, if all I really want is to run CM/AOSP, or should I wait for something else? (Maybe the Oppo N1?)
I'd appreciate your honest feedback after the initial honeymoon phase. Everybody loves their device the first few days, I guess, but is anyone disappointed?
I think you got a pretty good deal for the amount of money you spent.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
I'm very happy with my panda. Just having the piece of mind that I'll get the updates first and I can do what I want to my phone were huge factors.
Sent from the jaws of my Hammerhead!
I think it's pretty good for the price and $30/month plan on T-Mobile makes it really attractive to me. I'm really sick of contracts and like the fact that I got something for a decent price which will allow me to flash a ROM and get updates with no issues. I'm not sure what the "hype" is based on but it's not like it's the most amazing phone ever made. It's a developer phone and not really intended for people who don't appreciate it for its flexibility.
As far as disappointments go, I think I would only attribute to that to the screen. That is, however, coming from multiple AMOLED screens and my eyes just aren't used to this bright white backlight. I'm sure I'll get used to it but it would have been nice to get a nicer screen.
Newegg has the HTC ONE X for $230.
is that even worth buying at this point?
heres the link
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16875502142
Thanks in advance!
ill give thanks to all relevant answers!
I still think this phone is fantastic. It could use a little more RAM perhaps but in everyday situations I can't fault it.
Sent from my Evita
Agree w/ Tim here, but for that price you can go to swappa and get a nice Nexus 4. Same screen res, camera (even though ours is better), and screen size. Also, the n4 is a little more future proof w/ 2 gigs of ram and a s4pro chipset.
4ty-phive said:
but for that price you can go to swappa and get a nice Nexus 4. Same screen res, camera (even though ours is better), and screen size. Also, the n4 is a little more future proof w/ 2 gigs of ram and a s4pro chipset.
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Sounds like you are comparing specs and not actual quality. Just because the screens have equal resolution, does not by any measure mean they will have the same image quality. HTC displays blow away LG any day. One X had the best display on any smartphone in its time, and probably only surpassed by the display on the One. In general, LG hardware is consistantly underwhelming. Folks comparing the One X to even the Nexus 5 have mentioned the One X has slightly better display, camera, and speaker; and that the N5 is only an upgrade in terms of the processor and RAM.
That said, whether the deal mentioned by the OP is a "good" one or not is completely subjective. Depends on your personal situation and expectations. If you are on a budget and not eligible for any type of carrier subsidy, the One X is still a decent phone for that price. On the other hand, in a few months it will be 2 years old (a long time in the smartphone world) and HTC (as well as Samsung) will likely be releasing their new flagship, 2 generations newer than the One X. Personally, I don't usually buy tech that is even 1 generation old, much less 2. But again, it depends on how much you are willing to spend on a device, and what you expect out of it.
Well, wouldn't your use of "quality" is also subjective? I mean I'm pretty sure there are people out there that would say the n4, sg3, or some other high-end device (at the time) has better "quality" than our phone. So, yes I did refer to specs because it's not subjective. The OP will have to consider the "quality" factor that you mentioned. However, the OP will also have to consider updates that may or may not come to the phone. HTC has already proven that our phone is not a priority any longer. So we have to depend on the community for said updates. Google, on the other hand, will still continue to update the n4 couple more iterations (I'm assuming here), hence why I used "future proof". Don't get me wrong, I agree with you on the "quality" of this phone. It's why I purchased it a little over a year ago.
Yeah, I've been looking for a reason to warrant spending the hundreds to upgrade this phone, but its proven fruitless .
With that given, I wouldn't buy it new now for $240. You can get the LG Optimus G 970's for less than that and they're quad core, with 2gb of ram and have expansion port.
its a gr8 phone if u can manage with stock android 4.2 sense 5 wch is really good...... thr is plenty of dev support for kitkat n ahead bt u cannot rely on future... for me its still better option than moto g r nexus 4 purely for its quality...
4ty-phive said:
Well, wouldn't your use of "quality" is also subjective? I mean I'm pretty sure there are people out there that would say the n4, sg3, or some other high-end device (at the time) has better "quality" than our phone. So, yes I did refer to specs because it's not subjective. The OP will have to consider the "quality" factor that you mentioned. However, the OP will also have to consider updates that may or may not come to the phone. HTC has already proven that our phone is not a priority any longer. So we have to depend on the community for said updates. Google, on the other hand, will still continue to update the n4 couple more iterations (I'm assuming here), hence why I used "future proof". Don't get me wrong, I agree with you on the "quality" of this phone. It's why I purchased it a little over a year ago.
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Is quality subjective? To some extent yes. But you can read in review after review that HTC's displays are superior to just about any in the industry. Some might find the over saturated colors on the Samsung OLED screens to be more to their liking. But LG displays, I don't think you will find too many folks that think they are better than HTC.
Its just a peeve of mine when consumers fall for the marketing gimmick of touting nearly meaningless specs/stats. MPs on a camera and resolution on a screen do not in any way guarantee that the actual image quality is good. Things often sound great on paper, and less so in real life. And while the quality is somewhat not quantifiable, it is also not always completely subjective.
OK. To the OP, I apologize for getting off track. I will answer your question directly: no, I don't think spending $230 on this phone is a good idea. I wouldn't pay more than $160 brand new. There are better alternatives out there for the money. You should consider your what you want out of your perspective device and consider your options.
And when I say SMALL I really mean that because anything above 11.5 cm to 12 cm seems medium to me and anything above that seems plain big or giant like 14 or 15 cm phone. Don't they have the technology to build a great small 4 inch screen smartphone with decent front and rear cameras and a smooth android version? They do! Then why not give us such phones because there are enough people who would like decent sized screens and small and great smartphones! -- So, WHY are there no small smartphones anymore?
I don't know, it look like these days, small is associated with cheap and under-performing. I know, it's a false assumption but, it seem that people associate a smaller phone with the small device they had 3-4 years ago. I know, I have been guilty of this too. When I see a small phone, it's hard for me to avoid associating it with my first phone (Samsung Galaxy Ace), it was small and it was crappy. Hardware was simply not up to the task and Gingerbread was ugly. Now, in 2015 it would be possible to install high performing hardware on a small screen because technology has advanced, I know.
PlayHunter said:
And when I say SMALL I really mean that because anything above 11.5 cm to 12 cm seems medium to me and anything above that seems plain big or giant like 14 or 15 cm phone. Don't they have the technology to build a great small 4 inch screen smartphone with decent front and rear cameras and a smooth android version? They do! Then why not give us such phones because there are enough people who would like decent sized screens and small and great smartphones! -- So, WHY are there no small smartphones anymore?
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my guess, not enough demand. im guessing the average desired size is around 5-5 1/4" right now. manufacturers will always move in the direction of the majority of their customers wants, or they will loose customers.
bweN diorD said:
my guess, not enough demand. im guessing the average desired size is around 5-5 1/4" right now. manufacturers will always move in the direction of the majority of their customers wants, or they will loose customers.
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I agree with the trend, but I think there would be enough demand for 4 inch screens packed in a less than 12 cm phone with great specs. Make it with gorilla glass, IP65 and IP68 resistant, at least 5MP front and 16MP rear cameras with all available enhancements, removable 2500+ mAh battery (so the talk time or using apps for many hours through the day won't be an issue), put in a smooth android to work on a quad core platform (& +dual sim).
Then make it a limited edition (say 100,000 devices) that sells internationally. And DON'T MAKE IT CHEAP!
Say sell it for £500 a piece. See if it sells, and HOW FAST it sells. I bet the batch would be sold pretty fast!!!
If a success, then add something in the specs and make a very similar variant to continue and feed the demand.
I am the only one who would LOVE such a phone? If there are others too, then post, let's make our voices heard!
Sorry to dig out an old thread, but the situation hasn't changed yet
I've been searching for a while now for a more or less up-to-date (max 2-3 years old) compact phone. I totally agree with [MENTION=64403564 [user=7152785]@PlayHunter[/user][/MENTION], I know that the trend is to go 5 inch +, but I really like to have a small phone in my pocket and I've already been wondering if I'm the only one
Even with my old Sony Xperia Mini (yes the very old one ),
Nico3d3 said:
Hardware was simply not up to the task and Gingerbread was ugly
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but I really liked it for being Jeans-friendly And 3 of my friends bought it just because of the same reason after seeing it.
Sure, there are the Sony Z5/X/XZ Compact, but those are already bigger than my 5" Nexus 5.
I liked the size of the Z1 Compact and the iPhone 4. I think a phone in this size, with small bezels, a 720p screen and mid-to-high range hardware would attract many people.
The problem is obvious:
bweN diorD said:
im guessing the average desired size is around 5-5 1/4" right now. manufacturers will always move in the direction of the majority of their customers wants, or they will loose customers.
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I was thinking the same as @PlayHunter:
PlayHunter said:
Then make it a limited edition (say 100,000 devices) that sells internationally.
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A friend of mine once found a Chinese manufacturer, where you could configurate a phone as you wish (he got a 6" with TV Receiver, extra Battery and CyanogenOS) for ~€200, they were also making small ones. At the time he told me, the company has been bought by Lenovo and shut down... So here I was, thinking what to do if my (already too big ) Nexus 5 goes dark one day.
I ended up being in contact with a custom Android device manufacturer, who could produce our dream phone, for a reasonable price, with a minimum quantity of 5000 devices. If we could find enough people interested in this, we could make it happen ourselves
I currently have an S9+, and aside from the battery dying much quicker than it used to, it still runs fine. I was looking at trading in for the S21+ since T-Mobile has a decent offer, but I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth it. The specs don't look to be that huge of a leap above what I have now, slightly faster processor and slightly more memory, and the screen resolution is actually a downgrade. Plus, no SD card.
The Ultra looks like it would be, but I don't want to spend quite that much. I'm not seeing enough to convince me on the 21+ Am I missing something or is it really not worth upgrading?
BradHP said:
I currently have an S9+, and aside from the battery dying much quicker than it used to, it still runs fine. I was looking at trading in for the S21+ since T-Mobile has a decent offer, but I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth it. The specs don't look to be that huge of a leap above what I have now, slightly faster processor and slightly more memory, and the screen resolution is actually a downgrade. Plus, no SD card.
The Ultra looks like it would be, but I don't want to spend quite that much. I'm not seeing enough to convince me on the 21+ Am I missing something or is it really not worth upgrading?
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Jump on the hype train my dude ! Look at funny camera holes, not good 4 trypophobia lul
Spoiler: Me ranting about the design
No seriously, I think the upgrade is more on the look and feel side than anything else, and my personal tastes don't really hate the new design but don't love it either. It's like they tried to be revolutionary, then someone on twitter told them the first design was offensive to the [insert random common point, physical trait, interests and tastes] group of people, so they sanatized it so everyone would not feel it's awful. Well it worked, I don't think it awful but damn that's booooooorrriiiiiiiiiinnng.
in short I think you're fine with what you have, and i may even say try to look elsewhere a little, you might find your true love (in phone of course) in another brand
Have a nice day.
Raiz said:
Jump on the hype train my dude ! Look at funny camera holes, not good 4 trypophobia lul
Spoiler: Me ranting about the design
No seriously, I think the upgrade is more on the look and feel side than anything else, and my personal tastes don't really hate the new design but don't love it either. It's like they tried to be revolutionary, then someone on twitter told them the first design was offensive to the [insert random common point, physical trait, interests and tastes] group of people, so they sanatized it so everyone would not feel it's awful. Well it worked, I don't think it awful but damn that's booooooorrriiiiiiiiiinnng.
in short I think you're fine with what you have, and i may even say try to look elsewhere a little, you might find your true love (in phone of course) in another brand
Have a nice day.
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Thanks, I'm already leaning towards not getting the S21. I don't understand how it's barely an upgrade (and in some ways a downgrade) from the phone I've had for 3 years. Looking into the OnePlus 8T right now.
BradHP said:
Thanks, I'm already leaning towards not getting the S21. I don't understand how it's barely an upgrade (and in some ways a downgrade) from the phone I've had for 3 years. Looking into the OnePlus 8T right now.
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I have a OP8. OnePlus is. A good brand, but if you prefer smaller phones (which I doubt since you had samsung phones lol), check Google Pixels
Yeah, I like the biggest screen I can afford. Watch a lot of Netflix/Prime/Youtube on the go. I already went ahead and ordered that OnePlus 8T after reading more reviews and the forums here. Can't beat the price of free when I trade in the S9.
I decided to upgrade from my Note 9 to the 21+. Why? Because I felt like it and got a great deal from AT&T on my trade in. My Note was running fine, but it is getting a little long in the tooth since It's been 2+ years.
I chose the Plus because I wanted the bigger screen and bigger battery. The glass vs plastic wasn't an issue for me, I'd have been fine with either. I also didn't want to spend the $$$ for the Ultra since I'm not a big photo person, just a casual photographer for personal purposes. The plus was just in that nice sweet spot for me, and I knew this would be the last flagship that I'd get the big $800 credit from AT&T for a trade-in, so I figured I might as well take advantage while I could.
How much the battery on your S9+ last?
With the S21+ you will have twice the battery time. The 1080+ screen actually increases battery time by about 20-30% over the unncecessarily high (IMO) QHD+ resolution
And apart from battery is far better in processor power of course, and an upgrade in genearl in many ways... On screen fingerprint reader, much faster one, far better cameras, better audio, and so on
Definitely worth it. My last phone is exynos s9+ and definitely s21+ (exynos) double performance and double the battery life
I came from a VZW Pixel 3aXl....to a Unlocked phone... seems like an upgrade to me, plus I got 200 bucks tradein
BradHP said:
I currently have an S9+, and aside from the battery dying much quicker than it used to, it still runs fine. I was looking at trading in for the S21+ since T-Mobile has a decent offer, but I'm having trouble deciding if it's worth it. The specs don't look to be that huge of a leap above what I have now, slightly faster processor and slightly more memory, and the screen resolution is actually a downgrade. Plus, no SD card.
The Ultra looks like it would be, but I don't want to spend quite that much. I'm not seeing enough to convince me on the 21+ Am I missing something or is it really not worth upgrading?
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The s21 Plus looks great but honestly I went from Samsung to Sony to Huawei to Xiaomi and I find Xiaomi to be the best, decent custom ROM support and good hardware, a lot cheaper than Samsung devices too. Maybe take a look at the Mi 10 Ultra? Not sure about where you are from though, afaik you have to import them into the UK. If you don't mind flashing a new ROM to your phone and tinkering around with it, I'd go for a Xiaomi. Big fan of Sony's though, the hardware is awesome and they're pretty much bloat free out of the box
I moved from S10+ to S21+ and I'm happy with the change because S21's screen is flat, the battery life improved, the camera improved a lot, the fingerprint scanner is way much better than s10+, I like the screen to be setup to 96Khz for example, still it has the crappy amoled with terrible PWM like most of the phones... If you have the S9+ that has much worse battery than s10+, the s21+ could be a good choice in all senses.
Take in consideration that Android 11 is still not very good in general and we need to wait 6 month till we will see an improvement.
I never been interested in the ultra because its curved screen, is not practical.
Like everyone else whether a device is an "upgrade" comes down to preferences, useful features which make a difference. Price is a consideration but not an issue if the device stacks up. Trade-in promotional pricing doesn't motivate me for a number of reasons. First off, I don't want to deal with carrier bloatware. Secondly, I don't care to enter into a muli-year commitment with any Service Provider. Lastly, all US Galaxy variants are bootloader locked.
My daily driver is an SM-G9750, S10 Plus, Hong Kong variant. I would enjoy Snapdragon's latest SoC found on the S21 but that's not saying the S10 Plus is slow, it's not. A larger battery is also appealing but I'm pretty sure I'll still need to charge the battery once a day. The cameras on the S21 Plus are the same as the S20 Plus and the only difference from the S10 Plus is a bit larger appiture. 5G is in it's infancy but at this time many of the useful iOT it will enable aren't yet available. Additionally, many 5G users state it's not much faster if any, than a good 4G pipe but at this time for device manufacturers and service providers 5G is a goldmine, the greatest marketing scheme since light beer. Based on my preferences these are issues I have with the S21 Plus.
1) No MicroSD. Sorry but I have zero faith in Cloud Storage, not only for data security but privacy as well. Samsung has also reduced internal storage capacity. 256 GB isn't enough, I have to close double that amount on my MicroSD already and adding more every week. It also saves time when you need to transfer data to a new device.
2) Camera Housing. The S21 camera module is an improvement over the S20 which is awful. It blends into the frame a bit better but it still doesn't lay flat and will snag coming in and out of pant pockets. It also degrades the device's symmetry. Samsung has like many of their competitors have gone overboard with multiple lenses. I'm certain if you had a photo from an S10 and another from an S21 side by side, you wouldn't be able to tell which device created the snaps. That's the trend in mobile phones but if you want really great photos, use a camera not your phone.
3) 3.5mm Jack. Wired audio is the gold standard, Bluetooth doesn't compare and who wants the hassle with charging buds? Yes, I can buy new earphones with a USB connector if I don't want to use a dongle but then I can't charge my device while listening to audio files, which I do often. Plus I really like my earphones, they sound great!
3) Flat Display. I like the look of Immersive Displays. I do a lot of gaming and watch a ton of movies or videos. A curved display doesn't bother me at all.
4) Size. The s21 Plus and Ultra aren't pocket phones. They're huge, closing in on tablet size, just too big! I prefer a device I can easily slip in and out of my front pocket. If I went with an S21 it would fit well but sacrifice a number of features.
5) Screen Resolution. Not sure in most instances if I could tell the difference between 1080 X 2400 and 1440 X 3040 Pixels but why downgrade on an "upgrade"?
6) No Earphones or Charger. Not my biggest issues but then again isn't the S21 Plus supposed to be an "upgrade" over my current device?
samsung offered me a crazy good deal. traded in my note 20 which sucked anyway. gave me a huge trade in credit. only 199 which they jacked to 260 something with bogus shipping fee and tax. free galaxy buds plus. 200 dollar credit towards accessories. it was a crazy good pre order deal. its always the cheapskates who ask questions like this. of course your old phone battery is ****. thats gonna happen. is it worth it? if the phone has better features [except for losing MST] and costs next to nothing in trade hell yes it is. samsung gives me great offers and has since 2 years ago when I traded my S8+ in for an S10+.
I just bought it and upgraded from S8+
Apart from battery I can barely see any notable improvement so I imagine that from the S9 the improvement is even smaller.
I thought my phone was dead so I bought a new one. I then starting playing with the OS and "Odin"ed the **** out of it and now I have 2 almost identical phones.
Still worth for me as my old S8+ is not working properly with the camera and GPS but if the hardware would have been ok, I probably wouldn't have upgraded.
For me: Worth it 100x over. My previous phone was an lg g7 thinq.
That thing took a beating and was quite the loyal device.
However, it was my carrier that ultimately decided I jump ship and upgrade. After their recent merger, I began to roam in my upstairs office. Started to miss calls and texts. Bad bad bad.
So, as I said I jumped ship; to a carrier affiliated with my internet provider *cough*.
I looked over their offerings, and the S21+ jumped out as being the "best bang for the buck".
Never had a Samsung device before, but so far I'm loving it! My wife got one too, and she feels the same.
Got the 256GB variant, and that gave me some relief, as the lg was starting to act funky as I had to move a lot of apps to an sd card so I wouldn't run out of space.
Again, for me, totally worth it. Feels like I went from a buick to a lamborghini!
Am I late to jump on the bandwagon? Anyway, I just received mine a week ago and here are my thoughts why this should be worth or doesn't worth to be upgrade.
I came from Huawei P20 Pro. IMHO if you're holding last year models such as P40 Pro or Galaxy S20, you shouldn't upgrade to this one unless you're offered with a crazy trade-in deal.
So, if your phone is older than last year models? Like S9, S10, Huawei P20 Pro, or iPhoneX etc, the specs worth an upgrade, but the price is still arguable. You shouldn't get this one on MSRP. Only do it if there is some sweet deals. For example, in Brazil, they added a SF charger for free. That's the least deal you should go for. For me, in SG, I've received Galaxy Buds Pro and a Samsung 10k mAh Wireless Charging Power Bank, and a Samsung Clear Case. That deal is a can't miss one.
Storage-wise, on my previous P20 Pro, which is 128 gb, it barely hit to 80 gb after 2 years of photos and video recording. Have a few gb of songs downloaded but nothing else. I didn't install big-ass games. So, for this one, 256 Gb should last long enough for me. In case if the storage run out, I'll simply backup the large files to my PC and carry on. No big issue on the storage.
No audio jack is a bummer. My P20 Pro also doesn't come with a round hole, but at least, they throw a cheap USB to 3.5mm adapter in the box. Samsung even doesn't bother with it. So unless if you get a pair of Buds Pro like me, you should get some Bluetooth headphones, or if you still prefer your wire earphones, get those kind of adapters that you can plug-in your charger and 3.5mm audio jack at the same time.
For display, I didn't buy any of the previous Galaxy phones because of that waterfall edge display. Didn't fancy a curve edge especially because it's very hard to get a good screen protector. This flat screen is perfect for me. The issue comes where I have to decide between FHD 120Hz and UHD 60Hz display. I used to use UHD display on my LG V20, and if someone said the pixels are not noticeable, I'd surely give him a pair of glasses. They're very noticeable, but 120Hz wins over the 60Hz, so, I have to pick-up the FHD again.
For an Asian, I got a pretty big hands, so size of this phone is not a problem, especially it is even slimmer than some other smaller screen phones. But when your screen is 6.7" and FHD, the pixel density goes below 400 dpi (398 dpi to be exact). If you've got an OCD for this, get an S21, because it has got higher dpi than the S21 Plus.
To wrap things up, the deciding factor for me to choose this phone over other contenders such as OnePlus 8T, Mi 11 etc are as follows.
- Not Chinese Brand (currently, we're boycotting as much Chinese brands as possible)
- Excellent camera setup. (Easy win over OP 8T)
- larger battery
- sweet deals (to receive $300 worth of freebies for a $1000 phone is undeniable).