A GOOD smart phone ? Which one ?

I got my very first cell phone 5 years ago @ 62 years of age. I had never felt the need prior to that. I was fascinated by the Droid Razr and bought one. What could be more appropriate for a straight razor user than a phone named Razr ? Meanwhile I 'knew' that I would never give up my land line, but within 3 months I shut that down and went solely with the cell phone to this day. The Razr was good but the battery was insufficient. After a year I was able to upgrade I went with the RazrMaxHD and have been happily using that for the past few years.

Now, the screen is cracked, the shell is half way coming apart, the microphone quit and you have to have it on speaker to hear. So though I hate to spend the $, I'm looking at another smart phone. What to choose ? Some praise the I-phone, others Samsung, there are so many variables. If anyone has the inclination post the good, the bad, and the ugly about your smart phones. :shrug:

I really like my iphone 6s. Some of the pluses are the screen clarity and camera.
The main gripe I have with it is the rounded sides. It is really prone to slipping off a chair arm, being dropped, etc. I had the iphone 4 and hardly ever dropped it. I drop the 6 about once a week. That being said it's pretty durable. I haven't broke the phone or cracked it and have owned it over a year. It also was submerged in a creek and worked after drying out in a bag of rice for 48 hours.

It sounds like you are as rough on your phone as construction workers are on boots. Although it could just be the build quality of the Razr, I do not know anyone that has one. My family has been a Samsung fan since I bought one to replace my 10" VCR combo TV some 14 years ago. I have a friend that is a bartender and quite hard on his phones. He purchased a waterproof/drop resistant smart phone, I think it is Samsung. Since you have had issues with build quality/you are possibly tough on phones, I think this should be a route to look into, regardless of the manufacturer. OR you could spring for a really nice case, Ballistic is the brand I was given when I received my phone and it seems capable... I cannot endorse/complain about windows phones, but that might be an avenue to look into if you own other windows devices. I think the Win10 is supposed to be easier to maintain sync across devices...

Wife has a SAMSUNG S6. Takes amazing pictures and videos. She uses it for all kinds of non phone related stuff. Had a few other "smart" phones before this one. THey all took a dump in one way or another.

I'm still using my Samsung Rugby flip phone. It's a phone, I don't text or play on the net with it. I don't need or want a comm center in my pocket.

In 2011, I had to get an iPhone 4 to be connected to my new lab's monitoring system. It was my first cell phone, while my wife probably had gone through at least 4 by then. Prior to that I carried a pager to be connected to previous monitoring systems, so my wife or friends could page me and I could call them back. I was fine with that. I felt no need for a cell phone. I still think they are overused. I'm already being mocked by friends telling me I have to upgrade my iPhone 4. I don't see any need. As long as it works, it will be fine with me.

Then again, I'd still be fine with this...

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Actually, I finally threw away my last one a couple years ago.

I carry a dumb phone. I flip it open and make a call the flip it closed. Now this may sound too old fashioned for most but it's lightening speed compared to the first phone i used that hung on the wall and had a crank on the side.

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Then again, I'd still be fine with this...

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Actually, I finally threw away my last one a couple years ago.

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Selling for $500 on ebay now ........... :rofl2:

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Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, It also was submerged in a creek and worked after drying out in a bag of rice for 48 hours.

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,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:roflmao

iPhone 6 for me.

It's like a new guy asking which razor to get.

On the high end are apple and samsung, a little below them are companies like lg and motorola and then you have dozens if not hundreds of others. Apple makes 2-3 models and updates them roughly every year. The others do the same for their flagship model in 2-3 variants, but have many more models at lower price points.

Start by deciding on your budget, then go to your provider's website and see what current phones fit in that budget. You can go to their store to see them in person too.

For the flagship phones it doesn't matter which provider - they make them for every one (which in usa are really four: verizion/sprint/at&t/t-mobile), and these days you can even use the same phone on different providers by simply swapping the sim card (not exactly the same as using the correct phone as some frequencies can be missing, but would function). The other providers like tracfone, h2o, etc. are using the infrastructure of the big one and just repackage the services in a different way.

You probably have realized it already, but one new thing with a smart phone would be a larger monthly bill because you'll have to pay not only for phone calls and text messages, but also for the internet on your phone (you select the data limit on your plan when you sign up). You don't have an option to have just phone calls and not pay for internet/data if you are going to use a smart phone - for that you need to stay with a dumb phone.

You can also complicate things further if you decide to switch providers (you can keep your phone number) but that depends on the coverage they have where you live - the only way to know if it's good is to ask people with different providers about their experience in the places you spend your time. If you're happy with the coverage you get with your current provider the easiest is to just stick with it for now.

Lastly I think most if not all of them ditched the 1- and 2-year contracts, or at least have the option of doing month-to-month service. I think all offer installment payments on the phone itself over 12-30 months, if you're credit worthy, and if you leave them early you have to pay the remaining balance, but no penalty for early contract termination.

Jimmy, I have had several over the years, right now the last 3 have been an iphone(wish I would have kept my iphone4) I gave the 6. And nothing is wrong with it, it's just big and I,m getting to where I don't even want a phone since I retired, but the phone does a lot and I did learn most of the functions. And I do admit I keep a lot of info on the phone.i had the Samsung too, they are great also. The one thing I suggest is for you to get a ballistic case or similar, you must be hard on them. I got one for mine while in the oilfield cause of the abuse. I even got the one that has a battery in it to extend your talk time away from the charging station. It was water resistant and sand proof (used by the military guys in the sandbox. Anyway that's my two cents they are both good or just get a dumb phone and save money. To quote someone here" I could be wrong, I was one time before ". Tc

Motorola have always given good service for me. MotoG over 2 years old. Current MotoG3 model will probably be next, or wait a while longer for the MotoG4.

I still have my old Nokia. I don't like touch screens and I don't like a tablet-sized telephone in my pocket.

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I have toyed with the idea of buying a BlackBerry for that reason. The Priv IMHO is too expensive and the keys too small for my big fingers.

Yeah, pretty personal choice. I decided between the Samsung S6 and the iPhone 6. For me, I chose the Samsung, because of price, more memory for the $, bigger screen, and I liked the Android platform (after coming from a Razr MaxHD). I have a bunch of Apple gear, so it was a tough choice. My wife has the iPhone 5 and is happy with it.

Try them both, play with the controls, use things that you think you'll use (texting, pictures, browsing, etc) and see if you like the ergonomics, control location, and operation. If you have a lot of Apple gear, you may want to lean that way, but sounds like you had an android so you might be interested in the Samsung.

I've found none with great battery life, and I find that some apps really drain the battery more than others. I usually have a portable battery, that I can tether the phone to, if I'm away from charging location. With the Samsung and wireless charging, I have two pads at home. It's an awesome way to charge the phone.

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Originally Posted by gugi

It's like a new guy asking which razor to get.

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Or maybe like a senior member asking 'which is your favorite razor and why' ........

Perhaps I didn't state my question clearly enough ......... what smart phone do you like the best, pros and cons of particular models in your experience please.

I've owned 2 phones over the past 5 years, been on contract with VZW until the 2nd one ran out and have been month to month ever since. I'm also aware of data plans and their costs. I'm aware of what the smart phones cost, and all of the other blather that I didn't ask for that you went through. Thanks for the info. :chapeau

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Perhaps I didn't state my question clearly enough ......... what smart phone do you like the best, pros and cons of particular models in your experience please.

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You still omitted your budget, so I guess we'll keep talking primarily about the most expensive segment with the most features.

I like iphone 5s for the size, iphone 6s for the latest features, galaxy s7 for the underlying linux and google philosophy, and palm pixi for the keyboard and the tiny size.

HTC 10 is supposed to be also very good , according to reviews on par with S7.
T-Mobile adds wi-fi calling and data functionality to their phones, not sure if other providers do. That is very useful as it allows to go on a very low data plan and use wiereless for anything data related.

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Originally Posted by gugi

You still omitted your budget, so I guess we'll keep talking primarily about the most expensive segment with the most features.

I like iphone 5s for the size, iphone 6s for the latest features, galaxy s7 for the underlying linux and google philosophy, and palm pixi for the keyboard and the tiny size.

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Thank you, and quite right, I omitted my budget. I would be going for one of those in that strata you've mentioned. I'd just buy the thing since even if they had a 'contract' discount on the phone I'd stick with month to month. I only require 1 gig of data since I mostly avail myself of wireless connectivity.

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Originally Posted by mainaman

HTC 10 is supposed to be also very good , according to reviews on par with S7.
T-Mobile adds wi-fi calling and data functionality to their phones, not sure if other providers do. That is very useful as it allows to go on a very low data plan and use wiereless for anything data related.

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I have their older model and like it a lot! At $100 with long warranty it is a winner. Connects to most services. I use Verizon.
~Richard

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Originally Posted by Geezer

I have their older model and like it a lot! At $100 with long warranty it is a winner. Connects to most services. I use Verizon.
~Richard

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Yeah Richard, but what about status symbolism ? What would my neighbors think ? :o

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Yeah Richard, but what about status symbolism ? What would my neighbors think ? :o

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Ah yes, status? At our ages, what is status? Three neighbors and a son also bought them............

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Originally Posted by Geezer

Ah yes, status? At our ages, what is status? Three neighbors and a son also bought them............

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Hey when I get into my 2005 Ford Focus ZX3 I want to have a smart phone suitable to the status of the vehicle ! .......... :rofl2:

I broke down and got a smart phone. I use Consumer Cellular they are the cheapest around and have good customer service even though they use AT&T which has crummy service in the hinterland over here. I use a Huawei, one of those over-sized models so I can actually see it.

It works, what else can I say. It uses android.

Ok...my turn to stir the pot.
I've had my phone for a little under 2 years. I do 95%+ of my internet stuff, texting, youtube video watching, picture taking and all the other usual phone stuff on it. I haven't found too much that the phone won't do.

What I really like about it...hasn't had one hiccup. No issues at all.

The culprit....LG G3. (I'm on it right now.)

Just my two cents..
Good luck in your quest for the ultimate electronic gizmo!

Pete <:-}

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I'd just buy the thing since even if they had a 'contract' discount on the phone I'd stick with month to month. I only require 1 gig of data since I mostly avail myself of wireless connectivity.

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Occasionally they make stupid promotions, like last fall they gave people $300 credit they traded in any working smart phone, but you had to sign up on the installment plan for the phone (your contract is still month to month and you can terminate it at any time). That's how my sister got a new phone at a significant discount.

Recently they've been sending me emails about getting two phones for the price of one, but I have all the phones I need for the moment and haven't bother to read it.

Here's Spendur's smartphone,,,,:rofl2:

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Jimmy this one will be free it is also has a survival mode, just in case.

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Jimmy,
I too am in the same boat. I am using an NV3 flip phone currently. I looked at Verizon the other day and the one that appealed to me most was the Apple IPhone SE. It is the newest one they have. I liked it due to the size. It is the size of the IPhone 5 with the guts of the 6S or 6+ or whatever it's called. I need it to be small. The guy talked it up pretty good. The wife has the Samsung S7 and likes it. It is pretty big though. I don't need a tablet sized phone. I am not a jetsetter or running a business out of my pocket.

I used Samsung Galaxy Notes for years as I liked the bigger display. Problem was that the batteries would wear out after a year and I was spending another $70 on a $500 phone. Went to Verizon store to get a new phone and the Note 5 now has a fixed battery that cant be replaced (at home). He showed me the iPhone 6S+ and it looked like a good display and even though you cant replace the battery on this one either, it has a one year replacement plan. Paid the $700 and went on my way. After 7-8 months with the iPhone, I prefer the Samsung Android platform.

This is a little (ok a lot) off top pic. I have several flip phones in good working order just not smart phones. Is there a place to send them and let our vets or current service men have them. I have the chargers with them. Just no SIMs card. Again i know this is off topic but if i don't say it when i think of it i forget:hmmm:

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

Here's Spendur's smartphone,,,,:rofl2:

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looks like the first phone i ever used.

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Originally Posted by rhensley

This is a little (ok a lot) off top pic. I have several flip phones in good working order just not smart phones. Is there a place to send them and let our vets or current service men have them. I have the chargers with them. Just no SIMs card. Again i know this is off topic but if i don't say it when i think of it i forget:hmmm:

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I'd give the VA a call an see if they might have an answer for you.

One thing that would be important, how good are your eyes? My parents have the Samsung S4 or S5 mini and my mom is too stubborn for reading glasses and has the text so large it looks like a dumb phone. Larger/Crisper displays can help with this. If you have good vision, ignore me, heh.

My Samsung S6 has WiFi Calling that saved me loads during international travels. However, it seems to slow down normal internet use and sometimes causes connectivity issues. I do not know if the WiFi feature is only available because I have Sprint or if it is a feature of the phone.

If you get a Samsung, don't lose the damn charger. I've been having problems getting the "proper" charger so that I can utilize the "fast" charging feature. Although, with my knowledge of batteries, the higher amp charging should reduce the life of the lithium battery. However, battery production and charging capabilities have dramatically increased in the last 18 months and I have not been able to see dramatic drop offs with regards to battery life.

If I took photos for stuff other than the odd razor/hone pic, I would want the removable storage of the S7. It is the only smartphone that I recall having this feature recently. I still have a dumb phone that has decade old technology and it has removable storage... That is my biggest gripe with any smartphone manufacturer, they charge waaaaay too much for more storage.

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Originally Posted by rhensley

looks like the first phone i ever used.

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Naa, that's the deluxe model on mine the mic doesn't move and it only has one bell.

Hey Jimmy
I've had the iPhone 3Gs, 5c and now Samsung S6Edge
I'm happy to get away from Apple. The Samsung integration with Gmail, calendar features etc. seems to be less proprietary.
The camera is incredible in comparison. The battery life is somewhat less however. the graphics are much crisper.
JMHO
Mike