My current smartphone isn’t cutting it anymore. The main issue is that the OS is far enough out of date that it’s struggling and the hardware won’t support anything newer. So, after babying the phone and my apps for a while, I’ve decided to upgrade.
Since this seems to be the forum for it, I’d like some opinions on the best phones for my upcoming upgrade.
Some information:
My current phone is an Android (HTC Incredible) and I’m likely to stay with Android and my carrier (Verizon).
Cost of the phone is way down on my list of important factors.
I mostly use the phone for texting, GPS, internet, shopping/airline/hotel/restaurants (travel stuff). I only do a little streaming (occasional news, etc.). Oh, and I’ve found it can be made to function as a telephone when needed.
Given the age of my phone, battery life currently sucks. I’m on the fence as to whether really long battery life is a priority though.
The short list of phones I’m currently considering (in no particular order) is: HTC One M8, Moto X, Samsung Galaxy S5, Motorola Droid Turbo, LG G3, Samsung Galaxy Note 4. I’ve come to the conclusion that the Note 4 is probably the best phone of the lot, but it is so damn big! I’m not sure how I would feel hefting that thing up to my ear to answer a call.
Any thoughts, opinions, of relevant facts would really help me make a decision before my current phone gives up the ghost.
I have a Note 4 and I love it.
It replaced my Note 2.
The S Pen was helpful when I was buying a house last year. My printer stopped working and instead of downloading forms to my computer, printing them out, signing them, scanning them and emailing them back I could download them to my phone, sign them with the S Pen and email them back.
Much quicker and easier.
I don’t hold the phone to my ear, it is too big for that.
I use a bluetooth.
I haven’t held a phone to my ear in years.
From what I can tell, the Note 4 is a tad better than the Galaxy S5 in most respects, although about 10% bigger all around.
The HTC One vs. the Galaxy S5 seems to be pretty much a wash, from what I could tell when I bought mine. The selling point for me was that I could replace the battery in my Galaxy S5, while the HTC One has a built-in battery.
So if you’re ok with a relatively big phone / phablet, then the Note 4 is for you.
I went with the S5 because it’s waterproof. We don’t insure our phones, so the less easy it is to break, the better. LOVE it. Absolutely no complaints.
I have a Note 3 and love it. I do most of my email and Web browsing on it. I love the big screen of the phablet and will probably get a Note 4 or perhaps Note 5 when the time comes.
I would go with the Note 4 too. You will probably get used to the size soon enough and the rest of it is absolutely top class. I think it remains the best all-round phone even after the recent announcements at MWC.
If you absolutely need a smaller phone it depends on what you value. Pretty much all the phones you listed are solid with different strengths and weaknesses. The HTC One has a beautiful metal design and great speakers but an average camera. The GS5 is a fine all-round phone but some people don’t like the plastic design. The Droid Turbo has superb battery life and is otherwise decent. Etc.
Hmmm…I posted a whole thing on my LG G3 but it appears to have been eaten.
Samsung and others generally make phones suited for right-handers, which I am not. The LG G3 is symmetrical, with the power and volume buttons on the back, so I can use it just as easy with either hand.
Samsung in particular also has a nasty habit of putting the power/screen lock buttons directly across from one another. During the time I owned a Galaxy S3, I accidentally locked the screen countless times while trying to adjust the volume, and I adjusted the volume countless times while trying only to lock the screen. Annoyed the piss out of me. The LG G3 also has a tap-to-wake feature. You simply tap the screen twice and it wakes up. This is not dependent on activating “gestures” or “nfc” or any other feature that tends to drain the battery. The battery is 3000maH and I can go 2 days of reasonable usage on one charge.
It has a 4K/Quad-HD screen, a great camera, and a snappy processor. The battery is replaceable, too. It also has a built-in LG Health app that tracks your steps while you use it. This also has had no detectable impact on my battery life.
It is also a smaller form factor than the Note 4, which my pocket thanks me for. Especially once you put it in a case.
I’ve got an LG G3 too, and it’s a great phone. The five and a half inch screen doesn’t feel big in the hand, because the thing is designed to maximize screen space - slim bevels etc. I don’t know what it’s like in other markets, but in the UK it is significantly cheaper than similarly specced high-end phones.
One problem I did have, and this’ll be partly dependent on carrier, but when I activated it, a couple of days later it downloaded Lollipop over the air. That’s a good thing generally, but it was a bit cranky after, and the battery life was a bit shit. There quickly followed two patches, and now it’s rock solid, and I can get a day easily with a lot of use, and two days of my usual usage.
The replaceable battery is important to me too, as sometimes I’m away from an electricity supply for a few days at a time, and for various reasons I need to keep some contact with the wider world.
It’s tempting to wait for something like the S6. On the other hand, I’m traveling to Europe in late April and it would be nice to have some break in time with a new phone before such a trip.
“Next month” has a way of stretching in the world of smartphone releases.
Should I make sure I get a phone that runs Lollipop, or at least has an expectation of near term OS upgrade?
When I started looking at phones a month or so ago, only the Moto-X was running Lollipop. It sounds like some manufacturers are already pushing it out to some of the other phones on my list.
Doe anyone think that phablets are the wave of the future and soon everyone will be carrying something the size of a steno pad? If everyone has one, I won’t feel ridiculous whipping mine out.
I had the Galaxy S3 and now own the S4. I skipped the S5 because I like my S4 so much, but will be getting the S6 when it comes out if it’s well-rated. I like the hand size of the Galaxy line. I’d agree that the Note seems just a skoche too big, but that’s purely personal preference. Previously to the Galaxy run, I’ve had a Blackberry and an LG phone, but didn’t like either of them nearly as much as I like the Galaxy line. I’m also a Verizon customer.
I’ve got a Note 2 and love the size. If the Note 4 is similar, I’d be happy with it.
Yeah, it’s bulky and probably looks silly held up the the face, but really, how much time do we spend talking that way anyway?
Bear in mind you have to make sure it would fit in your pocket / purse or however you’d normally carry it; it’s worth going to a store and checking out a physical phone to give yourself an idea. Mine does NOT fit into the “phone pocket” on one of my purses though in that case it’s an artifact of the purse being badly designed; my older smartphone wouldn’t have fit there either.
Battery life may not seem like top priority but when you find yourself needing to charge every 2 hours, you’d regret it.
I avoided the Motorola phones, last time around, because the newer ones then no longer had replaceable batteries.
There’s an underappreciated advantage of larger phones — they provide more in the way of emergency rations.
Switching to serious commentary on the question, I’d put relatively little emphasis on battery life (auxiliary battery units for field recharging are fairly cheap and portable), and more on up-to-date software (definitely go for one that has, or is reliably reported to be on track for, the latest version of Android). A micro-SD slot is a good thing if you plan to carry a bunch of movies to watch during downtime, but not all that useful otherwise.
I do not believe it has gotten a lollipop update here in the US. I am glad to hear LG has of each available, that means it is just my carrier that is lagging.
I know this is a discussion about the best Android phone, but I feel compelled to make a pitch for the iPhone 6 Plus, which is my current phone.
First, battery life is spectacular. I am a heavy user, and I keep my screen very bright because I am visually impaired, which impacts battery life more than almost any other thing. In a 16-hour day of use, I have almost never run the battery out. I think a normal user could easily get 2 days out of it.
On software, Apple controls updates, not the carriers, so you get updates as soon as they are out, typically for at least 3 years (the latest version, iOS 8, works back to the iPhone 4S, released in late 2011). I think you have to get the Nexus versions of the Samsung Galaxy models to get pure Google Android with continuous updates, but I may be misremembering that.
The Verizon iPhones include an unlocked SIM slot, even if you get a subsidized one, so you can use them internationally with ease.
The camera is really, really good. It is not the highest megapixel phone camera out there, but the results are fantastic. It also takes 240 fps slo-mo video, which is crazy fun.
Before you dismiss the possibility of switching entirely, go play with one.
Looks like in the US, AT&T has pushed one out, Sprint should be next, and the other carriers don’t have a timeline yet. I am on T-Mobile, so hopefully it comes soon, as I am eager to try it.
