Cell Phone Thread

So it's about time to get a new phone. I need suggestions and recommendations please. Please be as detailed as possible. I would like a decent camera, but that's not my primary concern. I am sick of my phone crashing and would like something that will hold up for a while. I am being shoved towards the iphone or Galaxy, but I know there are other options as well.

What do you think?

I went from a blackberry to an iPhone 5 earlier this year and I LOVE mine. Can't speak to other phones but I can't imagine it gets much better than the new iPhone. I'm not a phone snob though so others may have other viewpoints.

My personal opinion is that Samsung makes cheap phones that break easily. The internal hardware is nice but I've never seen a phone screen break as easily as often as the Galaxy S3. I don't know anyone with a Galaxy S4, so I can't speak to that, but my experiences with the GS3 are enough to prevent me from ever buying a Samsung phone again - and I love Samsung, all my TV's and my washer and dryer are Samsung.

If you get their Nexus line it's not bad, but that's because Google calls the shots. My wife's Samsung Nexus holds up very solid and has been dropped quite a bit with no real damage done to it.

If you're getting an Android phone I think it's a mistake to get anything not branded 'Nexus.' Nexus is the line where Google calls the shots on the specs of the phone - Samsung, HTC, LG may make the phone, but Google designed it. It also has the pure, or original, version of Android on it; it's not all screwed up with HTC, LG, or Samsung's awful overlays on it. If you get a nexus phone you'll get updates to the OS almost immediately. If you get a non-nexus line you're at the mercy of the manufacturer and the service provider (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc); if the phone didn't sell well you may never get an update, if Verizon has put it low on it's priority list you may get it 3 months after everyone else. Those are not concerns with Nexus branded phones. I'm not sure I'll ever buy another android phone again, but if I do it will only be a Nexus phone.

Everyone I know with a windows 8 phone loves it, but I would put a lot of time into playing with one before buying it. Their app market is not very good. Same with the new blackberries. They're both small markets where most of the userbase is biased, so I'm not sure how much weight you should give their current users

That's all I have to offer on it :\

I loved my old HTC Incredible, and would have stayed with the HTC phones if they had better battery life. The new one coming out is supposed to be much improved, so I'll probably go back on my next upgrade (if it is indeed improved in battery life). Currently I've got a Motorola Droid Razr that gets the job done; I mostly got it for the battery life. It lasts all day with pretty heavy usage, no problem. If you don't use your phone as much, you can probably get 2 days out of one charge. That's what I was looking for.

I have one friend with a Windows phone and he hates it, but I have no idea what generation it is. He got it through work is all I know.

Reading this thread, and others on other forums, seems to me I'll stick with my old samsung rugby flip phone. I doesn't do any of the cool things all the modern phones do, but my battery last at least 8 days. Just don't text me, it could take over 10 minutes for a 7 word reply.....

I've seen a compact capacitor type recharger for smart phones for under 15 bucks. Charge it via USB, and take it with ya. I'm getting one for my daughter so she's never caught without a phone in an emergency.

I joined the world of smartphones about 8 months ago. I went for the iPhone 5. It does what I want is easy to use and I never have to spend any time on making it work. If you want to highly customize your phone the iOS is not for you, however if you want tons of apps and a lot of simple functionality it's the best choice.

My girlfriend loves her iPhone 5, I got it for her for Christmas. I'm not an iPhone guy so I don't have one, but its getting rave reviews in our household.

Galaxy S4. It's better than the iPhone in my opinion, and I have managed to use mine to sway avid iPhone lovers, because my phone is better than theirs. And Android is destroying Apple in market share, because it's a superior system. There are many reasons the S4 is better than the iPhone......

1. Use your phone as a remote control for any tv or cable box with an infrared sensor on it.
2. You can transfer files, photos, etc. to and from another phone or device just by touching it to yours.
3. Ability to add an SD card for added storage.
4. You can actually replace your battery if it dies.
5. You can watch and stream 1080p HD video.
6. Larger screen.
7. Group Play app (look it up, it's pretty badass)
8. You can use the built in camera app to automatically erase a blurry figure from the background or make your own animated GIFs.
9. The front facing camera can track your eye movement to keep the screen from turning off while you read.
10. The same eye tracker will allow you to read something, and automatically scroll without you ever having to touch your phone.
11. It has a standard micro USB port to make it easier to sync and transfer with your computer.
12. You can find most of the common functions by swiping the top of the screen downward, rather than navigating through page after page of menus.
13. The speakers are phenomenally better, to the point you can use it as a stereo without having to hook speakers into it.
14. The keyboard is setup like a normal keyboard with both letters and numbers, instead of having to toggle between screens.
15. Air Gesture - read up on it, also awesome.
16. The hardware and software for the iPhone are horribly outdated.
17. MHL (I don't know how to explain it, just research it)
18. 13MP camera vs 8MP.
19. Cheaper.
20. Destroying the iPhone in every review from techies and users.

It's all a matter of preference, but bias aside, the S4 is a superior phone in just about every single measurable category.

Come to think of it, the only advantage iPhone still has over the S4 is that accessories are in piles and widely available at any store that sells anything, even 7-11.

I have a Galaxy S2 that is 2 years old and never have had a problem with it. I will stick with the Galaxy S line-up henceforth.

Extreme said:

Galaxy S4. It's better than the iPhone in my opinion, and I have managed to use mine to sway avid iPhone lovers, because my phone is better than theirs.

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Everyone I know with the S4 raves about it also. I needed a phone right away, otherwise I might have waited a few months to get one. How is the battery life, Ex?

It really depends on whether you're a regular phone with occasional apps guy like me, or a full on addict like my wife. I charge mine at night, and it lasts me all day. My wife charges hers overnight too, but is on apps all damn day long, so she has to charge hers two to three times a day. You can also set it on power saving mode, where it automatically shuts off things you aren't using, dims down the backlight slightly, etc. to conserve power.

From what I've heard though, the average is 12-14 hours.

Got the Samsung Note II and couldn't be happier! There were some quirks I had to adjust to, but overall it is a great phone. Like Ex said about battery power, if you are using Apps, GPS or other features other than the phone and internet, battery doesn't last. I do not use anything but phone and internet and my battery lasts all day.

Got the wife the S3 since there was nothing about the S4 that she "needed" and the S3 cost next to nothing in comparison. She loves hers.

I had the original Galaxy S series phone and had it for 3 years...that is why I bought the Note II.

I wanted the Note II, but it the end I decided I would lose my mind carrying my phone around in my hand all day. I'm a phone in the pocket kinda guy, and there is already something too large hindering my pocket space to try throwing a ridiculously large phone/tablet in there

Extreme said:

I wanted the Note II, but it the end I decided I would lose my mind carrying my phone around in my hand all day. I'm a phone in the pocket kinda guy, and there is already something too large hindering my pocket space to try throwing a ridiculously large phone/tablet in there

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First off, it is called a phablet! Secondly, if fits right into a back pocket well. Is that where there is something large already hindering pocket space, the back?

Elephant said:

First off, it is called a phablet! Secondly, if fits right into a back pocket well. Is that where there is something large already hindering pocket space, the back?

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No, but the back pocket is where girls stick their cell phone. Just saying

Seriously though, I'd break it the first time I sat on it.

I've heard good things about the Note II too.

Miles Monroe said:

Reading this thread, and others on other forums, seems to me I'll stick with my old samsung rugby flip phone. I doesn't do any of the cool things all the modern phones do, but my battery last at least 8 days. Just don't text me, it could take over 10 minutes for a 7 word reply.....

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I actually envy you a little bit. if I could go back to a razor I would. at least you're not having your life cataloged by corporations and the NSA for quick, easy lookup in the future.

maybe one day i'll have a job that doesn't require email on the phone. or one that i get a work-only phone for that sort of thing.

tshile said:

I've heard good things about the Note II too.



I actually envy you a little bit. if I could go back to a razor I would. at least you're not having your life cataloged by corporations and the NSA for quick, easy lookup in the future.

maybe one day i'll have a job that doesn't require email on the phone. or one that i get a work-only phone for that sort of thing.

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LOL.. A I often wish I had something up to date. If I travel, I'm at the mercy of the hotel I'm staying, being I don't have a laptop. When camping, I don't see email for as long as I'm in the field. It's caused a few problems over time.

Nobody said:

No, but the back pocket is where girls stick their cell phone. Just saying

Seriously though, I'd break it the first time I sat on it.

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Actually , working with women, do you know that a lot of them carry their phone in their bra? Who the hell knew? What else have they got in there???

Boone said:

Actually , working with women, do you know that a lot of them carry their phone in their bra? Who the hell knew? What else have they got in there???

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Cash and bewbies!

Boone said:

Actually, working with women, do you know that a lot of them carry their phone in their bra? Who the hell knew? What else have they got in there???

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Lanky Livingston said:

Cash and bewbies!

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So I wake up in the middle of the night and open the thread to learn more about smartphones. Uh, this is more than I imagined.