Smartphones--which do you have?

Discussion in 'Computers & Tech' started by Coolia, Apr 26, 2014.

  1. Coolia

    Coolia New Member

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    I am in the market for a smartphone.

    I've had both a Samsung Galaxy and an HTC One and loved both. I felt I was paying too much for the service because I mainly just used it for emailing. Now that my carrier has low-priced plans, I'm ready to get a smartphone again.

    Any recommendations?
     
  2. vivalafalappa

    vivalafalappa New Member

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    I've had 2 android smartphones (Sony xperia s and galaxy note 2) and I've used to be an android fanboy, but now I'm considering to switch to iOS. Android has too many bugs and crashes. So yeah, I would wait for the iPhone 6 which will have a bigger screen finally .
     
  3. Libertarianforlife

    Libertarianforlife Well-Known Member

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    If price isn't an issue, I recommend the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or 3 on straight talk if you want to keep your number but reduce your plan costs. Right now for 45 a month you get unlimited everything, and 2.5gb of full 4G data, with unlimited 2G data after that. I have the Note 1, and it's BIG. I like BIG. It's over an inch and a half larger than the iPhone. The screen on my Note is larger than an entire iphone.

    For size comparison:

    [​IMG]

    You can actually USE IT to browse the web, and it comes with a stylus pen that you can use to jot down notes, use it to scroll and click around websites, or whatever. You can also put many more icons on the home screen. I would stay away from iPhones. They just don't offer the customization that Android phones do. You're stuck with iTunes with apple products, no such animal with Android. My Note uses AT&T towers via straight talk, so I get 4G coverage all the time where I live.

    And don't think they throttle you because Straight talk is cheap. Here is a screen grab of my galaxy note with straight talk standing in my driveway out in the country:

    [​IMG]

    Slow? I think NOT!
     
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  4. smevins

    smevins New Member

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    Is the Galaxy note compatible with those credit card swipe dohickies. I too am looking for a new phone (and will be switching the ST) but I need to figure out which ones I can do the swiper attachment with.
     
  5. Libertarianforlife

    Libertarianforlife Well-Known Member

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    That depends on the credit card device you are using. If it's compatible with android devices, it will work fine. The nice thing about the Note is that the included stylus will allow your customers to sign the screen just like they were signing at wal mart. This typically reduces the cost to the owner of the device as its considered more "secure" than a swipe without a signature and thus the credit card company will charge you less for each transaction. So you should be able to save money too! The stylus pen is kept inside the phone so it goes with you everywhere. Now that I know you need the credit card thing, Id say the galaxy note is a fantastic choice because of its built in signature capabilities.

    This comes with the phone and snaps into the phone when not in use and yes it does work that good:

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Nullity

    Nullity Active Member

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    Don't do it! I've used both iPhones and Android phones, and Android is superior to iPhone in just about every respect (software and hardware). My last iPhone was a 3GS several years ago (when it was current). After which, I switched to Android and never looked back - you'd have to pry it from my cold dead hands. In comparison, iPhones feel like they're made by Fisher-Price.

    V2778-laugh-and-learn-smilin-smart-phone-d-1.jpg

    Android is very mature and stable. Smartphones are like computers in this regard. I've never had much issue with crashes and bugs in either. The more crapware you install, the more unstable the system will become. That's not to say don't install things on your phone, or be nervous about doing so, just be more selective about it - don't install crap :p.
     
  7. vivalafalappa

    vivalafalappa New Member

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    I know android has many features, I've tweaked my phones with all sorts of mods and ROMs, but now I want a simpler phone, I really like iOS and here on android I can't get the same experience, the home screen for example, on iOS it's exactly how I want it, but on android there is no decent alternative, I tried so many launchers (espier, miui, ect) and none of them are comparable to the quality of iOS. And this is only one small reason why I want an iPhone , yes it's a closed system but you can always jailbreak it :p
     
  8. Coolia

    Coolia New Member

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    Yes, I actually had a Samsung Note before and liked it. I had an HTC phone before and liked that too. Right now, I'm debating whether to get another Note or HTC.

    I would not buy an Apple product.
     
  9. Marine1

    Marine1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I bought the Nokia 520 smart phone that runs on Windows. I love this phone and only paid $59.00 for it. It can do most of the things the high priced phones can do. It's even coming out with a talking personal assistant like Apple has. Has turn by turn directions, will tell you all the business in the area your in. Will tell you where your phone is on the computer if you lose it and allows you to either call it, lock it, or delete everything on it if you can't get it back. It lacks a front camera and flash, but takes great pictures. Best of all, I'm paying less than $30.00 a month for talk, messaging and Internet and no contract. It's perfect for me. Hell it's cheaper than what I was paying Verizon for a dumb phone all these years.
     
  10. Marine1

    Marine1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    If I were to buy an expensive phone, it would be an Apple. Not just because it's comparable to Samsung and HTC, but also because Apple has moved three factories back here from abroad and now it means jobs for Americans and isn't that what everyone wants? We can't get it if we don't support them when they're here.
     
  11. Coolia

    Coolia New Member

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    I've never liked Apple products and the way they're always adding little tweaks to call it the next number up. However, I didn't know they moved their factories to America. I thought their glass was being manufactured in China?
     
  12. wyly

    wyly Well-Known Member

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    My samsung galaxy 2 was glitchy, mrs wyly and one daughter never had an issue with their SG2s one is switching to nokia 1020 for the awesome camera and the other to a apple5 because it pairs up with her apple laptop and tablet...other daughter switched to i5 when she broke her backberry, loves her i5 but misses the BBerry keyboard...last daughter uses HTC1 she loves it but her messaging system has failed a number of times which requires her to delete and reinstall all her apps to recover her messaging system....my son uses a i4 and has no issues...

    When my SG2 was replaced I had a choice of samsung note or sony xperia z1...I went with the Z1 and it has never let me down, just an awesome device, I use a samsung tab 3.8 for net browsing...
     
  13. Marine1

    Marine1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Work at Apple's Arizona Sapphire Plant Continuing, Possible Expansion in Works

    http://www.macrumors.com/2014/03/26/sapphire-plant-construction/


    Average salary about $50,000 a year.
     
  14. Marine1

    Marine1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Foxconn to build plant in Pennsylvania - Nov. 22, 2013

    money.cnn.com/2013/11/22/technology/foxconn-plant/

    CNNMoney

    Nov 22, 2013 - A Foxconn factory in China. The contract manufacturer for Apple and other leading U.S. tech companies announced plans to build a plant in ...


    Apple picks Texas for $100 million plant - UPI.com

    www.upi.com › Science News › Technology

    United Press International

    May 22, 2013 - U.S. technology giant Apple's Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said the company would build a factory in Texas to assemble Macintosh ...
     
  15. Colonel K

    Colonel K Well-Known Member

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    Motorola Moto G. Cheap and cheerful.
     
  16. wyly

    wyly Well-Known Member

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    and if does what you need it too what more do you need...mrs wyly rarely browses the net, and she never txts, she needs a phone and loves to take photos, the nokia 1020 will be the perfect fit for her...

    For me I needed something bigger for my big fingers to txt and to do technical product searches on the net for work, take jobsite photos, still fit comfortably in my pocket and be dust/water proof...Sony xperia z1 fit perfectly...still it's more phone than I know what to do with, its under utilized...
     
  17. Marine1

    Marine1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    You can voice text with the Nokia, it has voice text too. Just say what you want and it will type it for you. Same with voice to type Internet addresses. Both features they have on their cheapest model.
     
  18. wyly

    wyly Well-Known Member

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    I voice command on my sZ1 but thats just another obstacle for me to overcome, still learning all my messaging options...
     
  19. Marine1

    Marine1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Which is what they and many other companies do to get you to buy another phone or product. But do you really have to have the latest new add on? To me, it's a waste of money. I could easily buy the best phone they have out there. Instead I bought one of the cheapest. Because this phone will do everything I want it to do. It doesn't have a flash or forward facing camera. But it takes great pictures and videos and there is nothing I need a forward facing camera for. I take the extra couple of hundred bucks and buy 20-25 more shares of Bank of America stock.
     
  20. LivingNDixie

    LivingNDixie New Member

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    Apple iPhone 5c 32gig in white. Love it. Third iPhone. I am a Apple covert. I feel
    their products are just better for me, but they do cost more.
     
  21. Marine1

    Marine1 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Good for you. If your going to pay out big money, or lock yourself into a two year contract to get your phone cheaper, why not buy Apple knowing it's now being made in the USA. It's as good or better than anything out there and your supporting American jobs and adding to the American economy. Isn't that what most of us have been complaining about, creating more good paying jobs? I know the Apple plant being built in Arizona is going to have an average pay of $50,000.00 a year. So why buy anything else if your going to spend that kind of money?
     
  22. Sadistic-Savior

    Sadistic-Savior New Member Past Donor

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    What Network are you on?

    I personally would avoid Samsung phones. Samsung makes awesome hardware, but Touchwiz is awful, and they have a hardware home button that slows usage down a lot IMO.

    For Verizon, I'd look into the LG G3. Awesome camera and display and CPU, high end everything. The Moto X is also a great buy as well if you don't care about camera as much...it has something very close to vanilla android and a cool voice-control feature I have not seen on anything else yet.

    For anything other than Verizon, the Nexus 5. Awesome camera, the fastest and smoothest UI of any Android phone I have ever used. Guaranteed to get updates faster and for longer than any other Android phone. And it is dirt cheap despite flagship-level specs.

    These are videos showing performance compared to an iPhone 5s:

    Appload speed test:

    [video=youtube;oI8snnLpEDE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI8snnLpEDE[/video]

    Race:

    [video=youtube;cZ6wskPyKhA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6wskPyKhA[/video]
     
  23. Sadistic-Savior

    Sadistic-Savior New Member Past Donor

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    The HTC M8 has one of the worst cameras of any flagship right now also.

    [​IMG]

    These images were taken with the Nexus 5. These are raw and unaltered. Some of them use a lens blur effect which HTC makes such a big deal about, and which the nexus 5 has also. The nexus camera has optical image stabilization which is why there is so little noise and it does great lowlight. The LG G3 has the same camera but with better specs (higher resolution).

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     

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  24. Coolia

    Coolia New Member

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    My carrier is AT&T.

    I use my phone mostly for email and to visit my favorite sites, but I also need it in case I need to download audio/video files for work.
     
  25. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    I'm 100% iPhone. I have an Android tablet, and absolutely despise the apps for it. Android software is just of lower quality than IOS software, more often than not. I personally think the Iphone 4 is probably the perfect size for a phone. If you need bigger, get a tablet.
     

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