[Discussion] What's your next smartphone / What should I buy

force70 · Mar 30, 2017

shadowdudez2 said:
Hello guys/gals, i was looking for recommendation on what phone i should buy now. I have had Samsung galaxy s3 since its release and now it seems i need\want to upgrade(broken screen and other tech issue). I mostly use my phone for music, reading and watching videos.I don't really care for camera, and willing to put money in now because i don't switch to new phones.(s3 for example, still have it.) Currency is CAD$ if that really matters.
Some options i was looking at were LG G6, S7 Edge or S8/S8+.

What I'm looking for in a phone

Good size screen for watching videos and reading.

Good battery life

Has customization[Rom,etc]

Will last me years, like my s3

Well that last point about roms is going to remove the g6 and likely s8 from your list due to locked bootloaders if you want a canadian device anyway.

The CAN s7 edge bootloader is not locked so custom roms and recovery arent a problem.

Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

Deleted member 5746995 · Mar 30, 2017

jamminen said:
I have xperia z3+/z4 and thinking about getting a new phone. I'd rather not buy 700e+ phone but not step down either, and to me camera quality is probably the most important factor. But seems really hard to choose, which phones would take better pictures/videos than this phone? I have read some a bit mixed reviews, ie. about xperia ZXs, or is Huawei P9/10 better, or galaxy s7... Or some other?

Get the S7

shadowdudez2 · Mar 30, 2017

force70 said:
Well that last point about roms is going to remove the g6 and likely s8 from your list due to locked bootloaders if you want a canadian device anyway.

The CAN s7 edge bootloader is not locked so custom roms and recovery arent a problem.

So i should just get s7 edge and not the newer phones? i want the phone to last and would you say it meets all the points i listed above?

force70 · Mar 30, 2017

shadowdudez2 said:
So i should just get s7 edge and not the newer phones? i want the phone to last and would you say it meets all the points i listed above?

Well im hoping the s8 exynos (international version) has an unlocked bootloader like the note 7 did. Thats what i will be getting for sure and if you dont care about having a canadian model thats what i would suggest.

Why buy a year old device when you can keep up with current times and get the latest generation?

LG has been all over the place in terms of what model is unlockable which is why i dont bother with them.

simonbigwave · Mar 31, 2017

shadowdudez2 said:
So i should just get s7 edge and not the newer phones? i want the phone to last and would you say it meets all the points i listed above?

I would get the S7edge of u want good rom customization support and development..the S8 being new probably wont have as much rom development immediately...also after the note7 debacle I would wait to see how is the "real" user feedback of the S8 after a few weeks/months. ...ie There could be some new unexpected problem we dont know about..the note7 was so hyped up also, like the S8, but as we know the note 7 was a major fail by samsung. The s7edge has been tried and tested and has good rom development in my opinion.

jamminen · Apr 1, 2017

doriandiaconu said:
Get the S7

Or maybe I wait for ZX Premium.... Have been checking it out and it just makes me drool

CWayne121 · Apr 1, 2017

Hi, hoping to get some advice on a new phone. Currently have a G5 and not happy with performance and lack of unlocked bootloader. GPS is bad and powerbutton is getting non responsive.

Needs:
Has to work with ATT
Custom ROM support
Good camera
Recent 2016-17 release
Fingerprint scanner
Fast performance but not a gamer - needs to handle operations quickly

Wants:
Always on display
SD card
Removeable battery
Type C connector
Strong build quality

What phones line up most closely? If I need to do some technical work out of the box I'm game for that.

Thanks for any advice

ewingr · Apr 1, 2017

CWayne121 said:
Hi, hoping to get some advice on a new phone. Currently have a G5 and not happy with performance and lack of unlocked bootloader. GPS is bad and powerbutton is getting non responsive.

Needs:
Has to work with ATT
Custom ROM support
Good camera
Recent 2016-17 release
Fingerprint scanner
Fast performance but not a gamer - needs to handle operations quickly

Wants:
Always on display
SD card
Removeable battery
Type C connector
Strong build quality

What phones line up most closely? If I need to do some technical work out of the box I'm game for that.

Thanks for any advice

Not much to choose from with Removable battery. The LG V20 is a nice fit, I think.

I tried it, and loved it, but had some problems with Blue Tooth, as some others have, and returned it. But many are happy with it.

mobilityguy · Apr 3, 2017

I'm turning to XDA for advice because I've been frustrated for the past month looking for a phone to replace my wife's 2013 Moto G. She's not at all a phone geek (that would be me), and the G was her first smartphone. The size is ideal, both in her hand and in any number of purses she bought because they had pockets exactly the right size to hold it. She also loves the Moto flip case that replaces the removable back and adds a screen cover without making the phone any bigger. She's fine with the 4.5 inch screen and she's looking for a midrange phone - no need for a flagship.

The G is almost four years old now, and we've both been looking for a replacement. Putting aside the fact that no one but Apple makes a decent phone with a screen under 5 inches, the smaller screen sizes all seem to include larger bezels so virtually nothing is available that's narrower than 69mm, and 71-72mm is more common even in "smaller" models. The G is under 66mm, and the difference is significant especially since the case doesn't add to the phone's dimensions. The smallest reasonable phone we found is the Samsung J3 and it's huge in comparison to the G. I got really excited about the Moto G5 till I found out that Moto in their infinite wisdom decided to only import the 5.5 inch G5 Plus to the US. Plus, even with a 5 inch screen, it's 73mm wide.

Here's what she's looking for:
Flip case available
66-67 mm wide, preferably even with the flip case on
Running Android 6 or higher, preferably with some hope of seeing Android 7 (that's my addition to the list)
Screen size 4.5 to 5 inches
Compatible with T-Mobile frequencies in the US
$200 or less in the US

You can see the list is pretty short, but I've had no luck finding anything that fits. How is it that Apple keeps cranking out 4.5 inch iPhones but not a single vendor of Android devices thinks there's a market there? Is there a correlation between small hands and iSheeepdom?

Any suggestions would be welcome. I'm even willing to import a phone if the radios are compatible. Thanks in advance.

DaKoin · Apr 3, 2017

So guys like how the S8 has been released do you think its that much better than the LG G6 or is it just a lot of hype!!??
I did a video trying to dissect the two to see how they stack up against each other...what do y'all think??

force70 · Apr 3, 2017

DaKoin said:
So guys like how the S8 has been released do you think its that much better than the LG G6 or is it just a lot of hype!!??
I did a video trying to dissect the two to see how they stack up against each other...what do y'all think??

I like the G6 but i dont like how LG locks the bootloaders on the majority of their devcies except a few like Tmo.and if your not a Tmo user getting the device sim unlocked is not easy. At least with samsung you can buy exynos which has yet to be locked down and is to sim locked.

Also remember the G6 is running last years snapdragon 821 so its already outdated with the 835 being out.

Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

zelendel · Apr 3, 2017

force70 said:
I like the G6 but i dont like how LG locks the bootloaders on the majority of their devcies except a few like Tmo.and if your not a Tmo user getting the device sim unlocked is not easy. At least with samsung you can buy exynos which has yet to be locked down and is to sim locked.

Also remember the G6 is running last years snapdragon 821 so its already outdated with the 835 being out.

Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

Bootloader locks are something people will have to learn to deal with as it is getting to the point that only one or maybe 2 devices will be released that are moddable every year. With the push for "security" it is not unexpected. Many have been seeing this coming since android was first released. It is only a matter of time until 99% of devices are locked down as bad as apple. Its just the way android and google are going with it.

force70 · Apr 3, 2017

zelendel said:
Bootloader locks are something people will have to learn to deal with as it is getting to the point that only one or maybe 2 devices will be released that are moddable every year. With the push for "security" it is not unexpected. Many have been seeing this coming since android was first released. It is only a matter of time until 99% of devices are locked down as bad as apple. Its just the way android and google are going with it.

Yep...its been getting worse and worse each passing year unfortunately. On the bright side it will save me from buying multiple devcies each year as once i cant mod i wont bother buying a new device lol

jamminen · Apr 4, 2017

mobilityguy said:
I'm turning to XDA for advice because I've been frustrated for the past month looking for a phone to replace my wife's 2013 Moto G. She's not at all a phone geek (that would be me), and the G was her first smartphone. The size is ideal, both in her hand and in any number of purses she bought because they had pockets exactly the right size to hold it. She also loves the Moto flip case that replaces the removable back and adds a screen cover without making the phone any bigger. She's fine with the 4.5 inch screen and she's looking for a midrange phone - no need for a flagship.

The G is almost four years old now, and we've both been looking for a replacement. Putting aside the fact that no one but Apple makes a decent phone with a screen under 5 inches, the smaller screen sizes all seem to include larger bezels so virtually nothing is available that's narrower than 69mm, and 71-72mm is more common even in "smaller" models. The G is under 66mm, and the difference is significant especially since the case doesn't add to the phone's dimensions. The smallest reasonable phone we found is the Samsung J3 and it's huge in comparison to the G. I got really excited about the Moto G5 till I found out that Moto in their infinite wisdom decided to only import the 5.5 inch G5 Plus to the US. Plus, even with a 5 inch screen, it's 73mm wide.

Here's what she's looking for:
Flip case available
66-67 mm wide, preferably even with the flip case on
Running Android 6 or higher, preferably with some hope of seeing Android 7 (that's my addition to the list)
Screen size 4.5 to 5 inches
Compatible with T-Mobile frequencies in the US
$200 or less in the US

You can see the list is pretty short, but I've had no luck finding anything that fits. How is it that Apple keeps cranking out 4.5 inch iPhones but not a single vendor of Android devices thinks there's a market there? Is there a correlation between small hands and iSheeepdom?

Any suggestions would be welcome. I'm even willing to import a phone if the radios are compatible. Thanks in advance.

What about Sony xperia xa, its only 66.8 wide and it even has 5 inch screen? Not sure if it will get nougat thou... But its in price range.

simonbigwave · Apr 4, 2017

zelendel said:
Bootloader locks are something people will have to learn to deal with as it is getting to the point that only one or maybe 2 devices will be released that are moddable every year. With the push for "security" it is not unexpected. Many have been seeing this coming since android was first released. It is only a matter of time until 99% of devices are locked down as bad as apple. Its just the way android and google are going with it.

force70 said:
Yep...its been getting worse and worse each passing year unfortunately. On the bright side it will save me from buying multiple devcies each year as once i cant mod i wont bother buying a new device lol

seems we r in a catch22 situation. more code in newer phones with more vulnerabilities with more security and encryption required to ensure privacy and security. ...can we "resurrect" the LabPhone idea and crowdsource a real "XDA LabPhone" (a developers dream) that isnt an April fools?

KevinX89 · Apr 5, 2017

I like galaxy s8, but it's too expensive.

ewingr · Apr 5, 2017

KevinX89 said:
I like galaxy s8, but it's too expensive.

You are right.

But I am struggling to find a phone that meets my needs. I'm hoping the next phone I purchase lasts me a good long time. So I went to a local retailer last night and took a look. My decision was "No way". Reasons beyond price are:

Very poor aspect ratio. Not conducive to reading, which I do a lot
Finger print sensor location is terrible for either hand
I've been a Samsung user for years. I don't know if the common complaint that Samsung phones always get slow is truly a Samsung phenomenon or actually an Android problem in general...but it has been a problem on all that I have owned. I was thinking that maybe the power of the S8 would override that concern. But given the two issues above the phone is not wanted enough by me to overlook this issue.

Sigh...I always complain that there is no perfect phone, but I'm about to decide none even come close to perfection.

sunnysagar · Apr 5, 2017

KevinX89 said:
I like galaxy s8, but it's too expensive.

I would suggest you to go for the s7 edge .The prices have dropped and it is smart buying to purchase s7 edge rather than the s8 as there is no remarkable difference between them except for their display.

force70 · Apr 5, 2017

sunnysagar said:
I would suggest you to go for the s7 edge .The prices have dropped and it is smart buying to purchase s7 edge rather than the s8 as there is no remarkable difference between them except for their display.

You sort of have a point but on the otherside for me personally if I were shopping for a device at this time I would never go for the year old version...better to get the current device it will be supported longer.

I mean your going to buy anyway so why go with the old one..kinda makes no sense looking at it that way.

Sent from my Note 7, S7 Edge or S6

KevinX89 · Apr 6, 2017

sunnysagar said:
I would suggest you to go for the s7 edge .The prices have dropped and it is smart buying to purchase s7 edge rather than the s8 as there is no remarkable difference between them except for their display.

I want to buy a used S8.

[Discussion] What's your next smartphone / What should I buy

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