Looking for advice on choosing a phone. - General Questions and Answers

Looking for advice on choosing a phone. - General Questions and Answers

Ok so I'm gonna say sorry first. I know that there's 100s of these exact posts every week but I feel like I've run out of places to look and could use some help. Time has come for me to upgrade to a new phone, currently I'm using a ascend mate 2 on Android 5.1 and aside from some laggy performance issues it works for what I do with it.
That being said this monster of a phone (6.1") has started to bend from me having it in my back pocket and there's some blemishes on the screen and GPS only works sporadically at best.
I'm looking for someone to point me in the direction of a 5 ish inch phone that has plenty of rom support, wireless charging and decent amount of storage. The OnePlus 5 had me excited but just didn't do it for me. I won't justify $500 unless I'm absolutely sure I want it. I have TMobile for service.
I've looked into the op5, Xperia xz premium, and Pixel. I've considered the GS8 but have a GS6 for work and it's really buggy, also I might as well give them my first born to pay for them. I've had LG devices before and they always gave me problems but perhaps things have changed I don't really know.
I'd appreciate any help you guys can give, and again sorry for asking the typical redundant question.

I am I realize I posted this in the wrong place and can't delete. Mods please remove / close thread.

I've had the amazing s5 for years and never wanted to upgrade until I got a new job and got no signal. Love how it has the SD card and was able to switch batteries.
Switches to LG g4 on eBay for 80$ and purposely made it bootloop so I could send it to LG for replacement. So far so good and love everything about it especially the camera.
Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Related

Next phone upgrade?

Okay I hope I am allowed to post this in general, and I hope no one gets offended by anyway lol
I am going off to college (UCSD) this fall. I am considering buying an iPhone just for the fact that I want a completely functioning phone as my daily driver and I don't want to find myself trying to solve issues during school.
I am asking for some opinion.
I love android and flashing, but I find myself using a lot of time doing so, I dont want to do this and get distracted while I dorm in college and have other things to worry about.
I guess my question is, should I consider a new iPhone, or are the new phones like the s4 just as reliable? I know I'm going to get a variation of opinions, but that's what I want I really cannot make up my mind lol.
It just seems to me that all the apps are more reliable to use on an iPhone since they are developed for that specific device etc.
Thanks in advance for your opinion
Sent from my SGH-T769

LiveFaster said:
Okay I hope I am allowed to post this in general, and I hope no one gets offended by anyway lol
I am going off to college (UCSD) this fall. I am considering buying an iPhone just for the fact that I want a completely functioning phone as my daily driver and I don't want to find myself trying to solve issues during school.
I am asking for some opinion.
I love android and flashing, but I find myself using a lot of time doing so, I dont want to do this and get distracted while I dorm in college and have other things to worry about.
I guess my question is, should I consider a new iPhone, or are the new phones like the s4 just as reliable? I know I'm going to get a variation of opinions, but that's what I want I really cannot make up my mind lol.
It just seems to me that all the apps are more reliable to use on an iPhone since they are developed for that specific device etc.
Thanks in advance for your opinion
Sent from my SGH-T769
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you considered running just stock on the blaze? If you want real, real stable/reliable, stock is the way to go for this phone. No need to troubleshoot issues, wipe davlik, catlog and that kind of stuff. This also applies to all smartphones. Part of flashing a non-stock rom is assuming that nothing is ever 100% stable, but can be sometimes. Most roms are 99% stable, but it seems to be that the time you REALLY need your phone for something you discover that 1% bug
Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see what Thomas will bring with all his hard work on CM 10.1. But I just haven't ever been happy with standby battery life on CM10/CM10 based roms. That and wifi calling is a must in my basement (where my home office is).
Back on topic... regardless which device you get running stock will ensure 100% stability, that or running a stock themed/debloated/deodexed rom is also a safe way to go. Not to knock iPhones (they aren't that bad), but my father in law seemed to always be having issues with his iPhone 4. He kept losing his contacts. He just got a 5 a few days ago so I don't know how that will fare... I personally have over $100 in apps from the play store, and I don't want to have to buy apps all over again... soo.... My next phone will be a nexus 5 (got 4 bills saved already!) :good::victory: Just a few months to wait!
So yeah, I would recommend a nexus 5. Just wait 2 1/2 more months... rumors have it dropping in October. Current rumors have it with a snapdragon 800 (double the graphics perf from the 600 and modest clock bump), and a Nikon camera... drool....

yeah im looking to buy a Nexus 5 aswell, but i dont think it will have the latest procesor
its a mid tier phone, i personaly will be just happy w a LTE chip and timely updates...
whatever else they can cramp over my expectations its a plus
PS the Note 3 will be a beast... rumored to have the new flexible displays that you can not break and that latest procesor w 3GB RAM and LTE-A ...

Nexus 5? New Nexus Phone "the Moto X" will be most likely shown on August 1 as Motorola has already sent invitations. I have yet to see the Nexus 5.
Sent from my Blaze/HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta(using both )

xWolf13 said:
Nexus 5? New Nexus Phone "the Moto X" will be most likely shown on August 1 as Motorola has already sent invitations. I have yet to see the Nexus 5.
Sent from my Blaze/HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta(using both )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
naaah, they going to have a Nexus aswell...
the Moto seems like a good phone too, something to consider, especialy if they stuff a 4,000mAh battery as the rumors go... cant wait forthe release...

[Q] Note 3 or G2 ? (Multiple Questions)

I got the Galaxy Note 3 about 5 days ago, and I love it, its a powerhouse, doesn't slow down no matter what i throw at it. The S-pen is pretty fun too. The Air commands are relevant in some cases, but most of the time its just used as a sort of party trick, there are only a couple that I actually use everyday. But the downfall so far, which is a big one for me, is the fact that I can't do any ROMs or other types of Customization (kernels, Overclocking, etc etc) Which is my favorite part about having an android phone. I specifically taught myself some coding just so I could make my own roms. And before this I had the S3 and S4, and with the excellent ROM community the S3 and to some extent the S4 had, I assumed the GN 3 would too.
So with that being said, I've been thinking of selling it on Swappa and getting the LG G2 with the unused upgrade I have on my account.
So Basically what I wanna hear from you guys is your opinions about this. I am worried that I am gonna sell the GN3 for the G2, and then have buyers/sellers remorse, and it will be too late.
And How do you guys think the two devices stack up against each other and also what is the Dev support for the G2 like so far ? From what I've seen just browsing through the G2 forum on here, it looks like they already have some good ROM's available.
and the last thing I was curious about, is how many of you that own the GN 3, will use custom ROM's on your device if/when the Dev's figure out how to unlock the bootloader or some type of work around. I've read some stuff saying that using ROM's on the GN3 might not be such a great idea, since ROM's like CM and such, couldn't include support for the S-Pen and some of the other stuff that makes the GN3 what it is. Which I don't see why they couldn't include the use of the S-Pen and Multiwindow in the ROMs.
Sorry for asking so many questiosn in one post, but I have been bouncing this around in my head for 2 days now and can't make a decision. My back up plan is just to sell the GN3, re-activate my GS3 and wait for the Nexus 5. But I am enjoying having a Phablet, so wanted to stay with something bigger then 5"

BackSeatSuicide said:
I got the Galaxy Note 3 about 5 days ago, and I love it, its a powerhouse, doesn't slow down no matter what i throw at it. The S-pen is pretty fun too. The Air commands are relevant in some cases, but most of the time its just used as a sort of party trick, there are only a couple that I actually use everyday. But the downfall so far, which is a big one for me, is the fact that I can't do any ROMs or other types of Customization (kernels, Overclocking, etc etc) Which is my favorite part about having an android phone. I specifically taught myself some coding just so I could make my own roms. And before this I had the S3 and S4, and with the excellent ROM community the S3 and to some extent the S4 had, I assumed the GN 3 would too.
So with that being said, I've been thinking of selling it on Swappa and getting the LG G2 with the unused upgrade I have on my account.
So Basically what I wanna hear from you guys is your opinions about this. I am worried that I am gonna sell the GN3 for the G2, and then have buyers/sellers remorse, and it will be too late.
And How do you guys think the two devices stack up against each other and also what is the Dev support for the G2 like so far ? From what I've seen just browsing through the G2 forum on here, it looks like they already have some good ROM's available.
and the last thing I was curious about, is how many of you that own the GN 3, will use custom ROM's on your device if/when the Dev's figure out how to unlock the bootloader or some type of work around. I've read some stuff saying that using ROM's on the GN3 might not be such a great idea, since ROM's like CM and such, couldn't include support for the S-Pen and some of the other stuff that makes the GN3 what it is. Which I don't see why they couldn't include the use of the S-Pen and Multiwindow in the ROMs.
Sorry for asking so many questiosn in one post, but I have been bouncing this around in my head for 2 days now and can't make a decision. My back up plan is just to sell the GN3, re-activate my GS3 and wait for the Nexus 5. But I am enjoying having a Phablet, so wanted to stay with something bigger then 5"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Note 3, just go for it man !

I have the G2 with Cyanogen Mod installed. The phone is a nice size and this ROM is better than stock in my opinion. I didn't get the note 3 because of price and it was too big anyway. You can actually get the G two on Amazon for Verizon for one cent. Maybe for other carriers too I'm not sure.
Sent from my LG-VS980 using xda app-developers app

xxkellerman said:
Note 3, just go for it man !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well like I said, I already have the Note 3, got it about 5 days ago now, maybe 4, been a long week lol I love it, and it kicks every other phone's ass in sheer power. But as I also said, Being able to mod my phone is a huge huge part of the reason I buy one. Guess I shoulda done a lil more research about it first instead of just assuming.
nagael said:
I have the G2 with Cyanogen Mod installed. The phone is a nice size and this ROM is better than stock in my opinion. I didn't get the note 3 because of price and it was too big anyway. You can actually get the G two on Amazon for Verizon for one cent. Maybe for other carriers too I'm not sure.
Sent from my LG-VS980 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I saw that 1 cent thing. I could just open a new line on my account instead of using the upgrade and just switch everything over to the new line. The upgrade price is still 99$ which isn't bad, but 1 cent is better. And
CM is awesome, I've used it on several of my devices the only two that I've had that wouldn't work with it were my POS LG Revo and now my Bad-ass but Uber-Locked Note 3. And there are so many other ROM's, including writing my own, that I want to use. I love this note 3 a lot, but wtf, why can't they just let us mod our damn phones. We paid for em, its not gonna hurt them. The Knox Security should only be on government used devices as it was originally intended since the DoD/CIA/FBI etc etc has approved the use of Smartphones by their employees as official work devices. So of course they need there's to be secure, but I don't, I need it to be mine. The reason i dont like iPhone is cause it doesn't feel like its mine phone, I can't really do what "I" want with it, but android, i could always do whatever i wanted to it, make it look, feel, run, how I liked it. And they wanna take away one of the biggest and best reasons that put Android devices above the rest. Bull**** !
I think we should stage Coup of VZW and Samsung, and make some of the Dev's from here the CEO's of each of them. The world would be a better place. Maybe even stop world hunger lol
Another Question -
Do you think there is a noticeable difference in the 2GB of RAM in the G2 vs the 3GB of RAM in my Note 3 ?
oh and anyone know when the HTC One Max is supposed to come out, cause I am thinking about that as well. I looked it up earlier, but forgot what it said for release date, and wasn't sure if it was a legit one or just rumored

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!

Stick with the GS5 or go with the OPO

I have an AT&T Galaxy S5 right now, but the One Plus One seems to be the better phone. Should I make the switch? Or stick with what I have?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

jellymonster442 said:
I have an AT&T Galaxy S5 right now, but the One Plus One seems to be the better phone. Should I make the switch? Or stick with what I have?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I'll never but a mobile Samsung device again, so were I to advise you I'd drop the S5 and get the One. It's cheaper, won't have a locked bootloader and should have tremendous community support due to the affordability and CM relationship.
Of course, the last part is contingent on overall availability - hopefully that won't be an issue.

sell it and use the money to buy two OPO if you can get your hands on them. lol

Since you're on XDA we'll assume rooting and customization are important to you which pretty much makes the AT&T version of the Galaxy S5 a non-starter.
The OPO is closer in size to the Galaxy Note 3 than the S5 though, so you'd need to decide if the size is right for you to begin with.
GS5 has a great camera so that might factor into your decision too. We have yet to see any head to head image comparisons between GS5 and OPO but it's my understanding the OPO uses the same camera as the Oppo Find 7/a. I *have* seen a head to head comparison between the Find 7a and GS5 and the Samsung images were better, so it's reasonable to assume similar results may be seen with the OPO. I look forward to seeing a good shootout comparison, hopefully soon.
Since you're on AT&T it's worth noting that OPO only supports two out of AT&T's four LTE bands. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I assume the AT&T GS5 supports all 4 AT&T LTE bands, meaning it may perform better on AT&T's network in high traffic areas where those other two LTE bands are in use.
If you're eligible for a subsidized phone on contract from AT&T then the GS5 is cheaper. Otherwise at full price the OPO is cheaper.
Finally, OPO has no SD card expansion slot, the battery is not removable and it's not waterproof, so the GS5 wins in those categories too (except the lack a 32GB version of the GS5 is lame despite the SD card slot). The workarounds are to buy the 64GB OPO variant, carry a portable charger and don't drop it in the toilet. Probably not deal-breakers but still worth noting.

I don't understand
Please help me understand something.
It's not just this thread, but I see multiple threads on XDA and several other sites.
"should I keep X, or switch to Y".
Does your current device work, are you happy with it, does it do everything you like?
Why would you switch then, other than fill a fixation with something newer.
I see it all the time. People replace their phones, cars, houses, because something new
comes along or "everyone" is doing it. I guess I'm old...I just don't get the narcissistic need
to be getting the newest anything all the time. Is ANYONE happy anymore?

p51d007 said:
Please help me understand something.
It's not just this thread, but I see multiple threads on XDA and several other sites.
"should I keep X, or switch to Y".
Does your current device work, are you happy with it, does it do everything you like?
Why would you switch then, other than fill a fixation with something newer.
I see it all the time. People replace their phones, cars, houses, because something new
comes along or "everyone" is doing it. I guess I'm old...I just don't get the narcissistic need
to be getting the newest anything all the time. Is ANYONE happy anymore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're not meant to understand it. You and I grew up in a different time when we learned to be content with what we had and make the most of it. We drank a simpler KoolAid.
Over the last 20+ years advertising has zombified the millenials to believe that a new version of X is what is required to be happy. You see it everywhere these days. 4 year old car? So sorry you almost paid it off, come trade it in so we can bilk your for a new one. Cell phone almost 6 months old? Rent a new one from us at a premium price!
It's the new oppression/slavery. Keep you in debt buying smartphones so that you never look up to see that they've taken your rights, your savings, away. The TV industry is now attempting to follow suite with cellphones. HD4K is here and HD8K is already being touted attempting to get folks to dump their current 1080p displays.
For once, I'm glad to be older.

p51d007 said:
Please help me understand something.
It's not just this thread, but I see multiple threads on XDA and several other sites.
"should I keep X, or switch to Y".
Does your current device work, are you happy with it, does it do everything you like?
Why would you switch then, other than fill a fixation with something newer.
I see it all the time. People replace their phones, cars, houses, because something new
comes along or "everyone" is doing it. I guess I'm old...I just don't get the narcissistic need
to be getting the newest anything all the time. Is ANYONE happy anymore?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My current device works, but not at 100%. The USB port no longer functions so I can't hook it up to my computer. Also, my battery is giving out (dies in half a day). Otherwise, it does everything I like. So I'm shopping around for a new device. I'm just dropping by to see if it's a reasonable upgrade, or if I should wait for something else.
So people's decision to upgrade isn't always simply fixated on something being newer. People get new houses when their family outgrows their older one. People often buy themselves a nicer car when they can finally afford one after getting a better job. Plenty of reasons why people do the things they do. You shouldn't judge them for it, even if it's simply because they want something newer.

So should I get it or wait?

Should I get the OPO, or wait for the confirmed OnePlus Two? I mean, in a blog post, 3 winners of a photo contest get hands on w/ the two in hong kong. It's coming in Q3. Should I wait? Or gun it? I am stuck w/ an apple iphone 5 so :/

You should go for it. The price doesn't get better than what it is right now, $249 for the 64GB, and $349 with one year of Dropbox Pro. Plus, I read somewhere that OP is going to use the invite system to sell the OP2, which unless you don't mind the hassle is kind of a pain in the ass. I am keeping mine until I get more details about the OP2, if it doesn't come with a fingerprint support, I will probably move to next Nexus 6, but keep the OPO as my back up phone.

perkymango said:
Should I get the OPO, or wait for the confirmed OnePlus Two? I mean, in a blog post, 3 winners of a photo contest get hands on w/ the two in hong kong. It's coming in Q3. Should I wait? Or gun it? I am stuck w/ an apple iphone 5 so :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If I was faced with the same decision I'd still buy the OnePlus One now. It's cheap, you don't need an invite anymore, and it's a beast of a phone. The OnePlus Two isn't going to be as cheap, and they'll be reverting to the invite system again.

cgjjaf said:
You should go for it. The price doesn't get better than what it is right now, $249 for the 64GB, and $349 with one year of Dropbox Pro. Plus, I read somewhere that OP is going to use the invite system to sell the OP2, which unless you don't mind the hassle is kind of a pain in the ass. I am keeping mine until I get more details about the OP2, if it doesn't come with a fingerprint support, I will probably move to next Nexus 6, but keep the OPO as my back up phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, just go for it, considering the price.

I just received mine Saturday & I tell you the truth, I am very satisfied even after ditching my HTC One. I enjoy everything about this device & it sure is a beast indeed. Go for it, you won't regret it.
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Free mobile app

perkymango said:
Should I get the OPO, or wait for the confirmed OnePlus Two? I mean, in a blog post, 3 winners of a photo contest get hands on w/ the two in hong kong. It's coming in Q3. Should I wait? Or gun it? I am stuck w/ an apple iphone 5 so :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's hard to know to be honest... I've had the OPO since July of last year and, as everyone in this thread has said, it's an amazing phone, and that doesn't even include the price. I would say it depends on what you're interested in. If you like having the 'latest and greatest' phone with the newest CPU / GPU and most RAM (like me ) etc, I'd wait. But if you just want a great phone that will be able to run the next few versions of Android and all the apps in the world (minus some future games that require OpenGL ES 3.1 or something, but that's a good way off yet!) and has a great community to back that up (even when OnePlus leave it behind), as well as an amazing price, I'd go for it.

Had the same kinda question facing me. Stick with my Nexus 5 until the end of the year when the OP2 or new Nexus' are out, or go for the OPO.
Went for the OPO. Blows my N5 out of the water and will take me until the end of the year. If the phones i mentioned above are too expensive I'm happy keeping the OPO into next year.
Helps i got £100 for my N5.
Feels like such a premium phone. Took it to work on Friday and people were amazed that it cost so little.

Still a fantastic phone for the price had mine well over a year and still going strong was considering upgrading this month but I am sticking with the OPO for longer. It does everything I need on a phone the screen is still good, battery life is excellent, takes decent daylight photos and is fluid on CM12.1.
Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Hey guys, this seems like the most relevant thread to post in, but I agree with some of the previous comments, I really like the specs on the OPO, I currently have an HTC M8, with the same chipset, which runs phenomenal, however AOSP ROMS aren't the best for HTC Devices, they've always suffered from a lot of bugs, and GPE support has started to lag behind with the M9 being out.
I just purchased a 64gb model and am anxiously awaiting for it to arrive. My question is, how is the overall build quality of this device? I wasn't impressed with the N5 build quality and from videos and pics, this phone looks solid, but I've read about numerous users complaining about touch screen issues. Is this phone pretty solid? And how are AOSP ROMS on this device? Pretty bug free? Thanks!
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Coming from two LG G2, looking for a low-maintenance easy going >$100 phone

Hi guys and gals,
I'm at my second LG G2 since end 2015. Both phones let me down with their screens being jumpy and having ghost touch issues... I can't take it anymore.
Could you recommend to me a good reliable old model you loved I can buy for > $100?
I'd like something with a past and may be still active community base, coupled with having some good custom ROMs, battery life and decent speed for multitasking but no games. In OS terms, it's KitKat or Nougat. I can't stand Lollipop.
Like everyone, I dislike mostly UI lag and a temperamental brat. Open-minded and low-maintenance and easy going is definitely my type.
You saw my previous choices for the G2 despite its age so I think you'll understand where my preference goes.
I'm in France thus old models are still expensive compared to other parts of the world.
Oh and to add to the difficulty of the task, I don't have a computer anymore and can't afford to buy one for a foreseeable future, all the cooking has to be done without one obviously.
After reading this you probably think I should get a third G2...???
I hope I haven't forgotten any relevant piece of information. Thanks.

Lol, have a bricked G2 that has the same issue bud, that sh*t was annoying!!!
My advice? Nexus 5 was $99
OnePlusOne or 2 maybe,
Htc m7 or if you find an m8 that is quite a stable device in my experience ,
Hope that gives ya a few ideas to play with.

LilAnt530 said:
Lol, have a bricked G2 that has the same issue bud, that sh*t was annoying!!!
My advice? Nexus 5 was $99
OnePlusOne or 2 maybe,
Htc m7 or if you find an m8 that is quite a stable device in my experience ,
Hope that gives ya a few ideas to play with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. That'll teach me to think probability theory and for being stubborn.
Nexus 5. I couldn't find one at the price you mentioned. I only have access to eBay, Amazon being somewhat erratic about international shipping availability.
OnePlus One. That one had my preference however it's out of my league price wise.
HTC M7 or M8. I'll have a look. Thanks for the suggestions.

We have a dedicated thread for this here
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1620179
Please ask your question there
Thanks for understanding
Sawdoctor

Database Info

welcome