next phone?

[xlr8tn]

Going next month or so to get new phones for the family. What's everyone using and how do you like it? I have really liked my current droid turbo 2. It's been my favorite phone I've ever had. I like the active display where I can just wave my hand over it to see the time. I like the chop feature for the flash light and twist feature for the camera. The problem is that we have 3 of them in the house and all 3 have charging issues. After a little research it's a pretty common issue with the droids and a little more research shows it becoming a problem with the moto z so motorolla is pretty much off my list which sucks because I really like this phone.

I like a big phone so I'm thinking about getting a note 8. I haven't read about them yet to see if there's any common issues. I had a note 2 at one time and it was an ok phone. About the only plus to that phone was I could remove the battery so I had a spare battery I could just swap out. Seems that's went away so no longer an option. Looked at the pixel 2XL but know nothing about them or anyone that even has one. Had an iphone years ago and will never have another one. What do you guys have and what are your favorite features?

[TTQ B4U]

Note 8. Amazing Screen, super fast - even in power saving mode; love the capability Bixby offers to control just about any aspect of the phones operation.

[jerrodh]

Love the LGG series phones I've had the LGG2, LGG3 & LGG4 and have enjoyed every one of them. Might not be the best phones out there but always got them for a great price and did what I could ask for them.

[Not Brian]

I have an S8+ and I still haven't gotten used to the curved edges of the screen. Also it's way longer than it is wide, so games don't fill up the whole screen. It's better than anything made by Apple though.

[Bigbird]

It's hard to go wrong nowadays. There haven't been any big catastrophic issues since the Snapdragon 808/810 (minus the Note 7 thing, but that was design, not the actual CPU or anything).

 

I've currently got an LG V30 and its really nice. There are some quality control issues with the screen (being that this is LG's first real OLED in a flagship), so if you decide to get one just make sure you're okay with the screen before you walk out of the store. Though I will say there's no comparison to Samsung's AMOLED screens, they're a generation or two ahead. The BASE camera is a little lackluster, but there's hope that a software update can help. Where it really shines is the fact that it's got a dual camera with a wide-angle lens. So instead of the "portrait mode" that most dual camera phones come with, this can capture more of the "shot" without having to back up so far away from the subject. It's also got a lot of great features for the video camera that I haven't really played with yet. Add in a 6" screen in a relatively small package, HDR support, water resistance, a micro SD card slot, and wireless charging...it's definitely worth a look especially if you find Samsung's version of Android too heavy.

 

The usual suspects, Samsung, LG (the G6 is pretty great too), and Google's Pixels are all great picks this year. Its been a really solid year for phones. I watch a lot of coverage on the latest phones and I've had an LG G6, Samsung S8, BlackBerry KeyOne, and LG G30 this year (and my wife has an iPhone 8+) so I can answer most questions if you have any!

[Lauren]

I moved from iPhone to a LG G6 over the summer and I love the G6. Does everything the iPhone can't do and more. Super reliable and no charging issues and gets a full day of heavy usage with ease. Being able to say "OK Google" and having it located direct look up or connect is outstanding

[xlr8tn]

I've never looked at the LG phones. I'll do that now. I'm leaning towards the note or possibly an s8+. I'm still open to looking at others though. Probably be next week before we go get them so I still have time to research.

[Dammit Charlie]

I made the switch from Apple to the Google Pixel XL. Freaking love this phone. Very easy to use.

[iwashmycar]

I've never looked at the LG phones. I'll do that now. I'm leaning towards the note or possibly an s8+. I'm still open to looking at others though. Probably be next week before we go get them so I still have time to research.

 

Depending on where you buy there are some good incentives out there around this time.

 

For example at Target, if you simply go there to upgrade or buy a phone you can get a $1-300 gift card per phone. Might be better than going to Best Buy and getting nothing extra.

[El Karacho1647545492]

switched from Samsung to iPhone8+ and have enjoyed it. Best battery life I've ever had on a phone. I'm sure the Samsung and LG phones are also excellent, but I didn't like them as much.

 

inb4 intentional performance fuckery meme

[xlr8tn]

Depending on where you buy there are some good incentives out there around this time.

 

For example at Target, if you simply go there to upgrade or buy a phone you can get a $1-300 gift card per phone. Might be better than going to Best Buy and getting nothing extra.

 

We just started looking at deals. Normally just go to Verizon. One year we did Best buy but I really saw no reason to go back. Verizon is doing a deal on the s8 now (BOGO) when you get an unlimited plan. That's about as far as we've looked so far.

[xlr8tn]

switched from Samsung to iPhone8+ and have enjoyed it. Best battery life I've ever had on a phone. I'm sure the Samsung and LG phones are also excellent, but I didn't like them as much.

 

inb4 intentional performance fuckery meme

 

I kinda wonder when it's all said and done if more companies aren't guilty of this or something similar. I know our phones always get shittier right about upgrade time.

[iwashmycar]

We just started looking at deals. Normally just go to Verizon. One year we did Best buy but I really saw no reason to go back. Verizon is doing a deal on the s8 now (BOGO) when you get an unlimited plan. That's about as far as we've looked so far.

 

The BOGO deals are almost ALWAYS only if you add a new line or even a year of Direct TV sometimes lol. So if you are just trying to upgrade two, you are likely SOL. Read that fine print.

 

Theoretically you could add a new line, port your existing number to it, then delete the new one, but 9 times of 10, they will not do that since its just a way around the system.

[zeitgeist57]

If there was a way to still use iMessage and stay connected to Apple's calendars and other conveniences, I'd leave Apple in a heartbeat. Our family is all Apple'd-Up and it's annoying that we maintain such a tether.

[Bigbird]

The BOGO deals are almost ALWAYS only if you add a new line or even a year of Direct TV sometimes lol. So if you are just trying to upgrade two, you are likely SOL. Read that fine print.

 

Theoretically you could add a new line, port your existing number to it, then delete the new one, but 9 times of 10, they will not do that since its just a way around the system.

 

Samsung did a legit BOGO for T-Mobile S8/+'s this year, no added lines, no strings attached. That's how I got mine.

[xlr8tn]

The BOGO deals are almost ALWAYS only if you add a new line or even a year of Direct TV sometimes lol. So if you are just trying to upgrade two, you are likely SOL. Read that fine print.

 

Theoretically you could add a new line, port your existing number to it, then delete the new one, but 9 times of 10, they will not do that since its just a way around the system.

 

Thanks....my wife was the one that saw that. Not sure how far she read into it. I'm going to look at it tonight. We're upgrading 4 phones so if we can buy 2 get 2 that'd probably be the way we'll go but I'll have to look at it.

[Otis Nice]

If there was a way to still use iMessage and stay connected to Apple's calendars and other conveniences, I'd leave Apple in a heartbeat. Our family is all Apple'd-Up and it's annoying that we maintain such a tether.

 

I like that android and Google are holding hands.

 

Anyway, I've used a few iPhones for work, have had the Galaxy S2, S3, S5, and S7, and at our last update my wife and mom went haywire and gave up the Samsung life to try the LG life. They seem to like LG ok but said next time they'd prob go back to Samsung.

 

Personally I prefer Samsung over any iProduct or LG, but that's just, like, my opinion man. I never owned the Note 7 so I can say with confidence that I've NEVER been let down. I strongly dislike the iPhones I've had to use. They were free and unlimited but I found myself using them for literally nothing other than work calls and texts. Many disagree, but that's my thoughts and feelings or whatever.

 

My next phone will be a Samsung but I'll likely try a Note next. My cousin has, like, 15 years in at VZW. He swears by Samsung. I always call him at upgrade time to see what I should get and he tells me what makers have what probs. "LG is good but..." Samsung has this..." "AppleLOL..." etc. That's just from a guy with 15 years experience in verizon cust service though. lol

 

For real, decide if you like Apple or Android. If Apple, iPhone obv. If Android, Samsung and LG are the 2 I have experience with that work well and I've heard nothing but great things about Pixel.

[Draco-REX]

I usually skip a generation between upgrades, which means I was thinking of getting a Note 8. But I've heard rumors that Samsung's next phones might be dual-screen. So I'm going to wait until they're announced.

[Green Bastard]

I just went from a s6 to the LG g6. So far I have no complaints about the phone. It isn't the latest and greatest, but it does everything I want it to.

[Mace1647545504]

I still have a s3 that my son is constantly griping at me to get rid of. I've been looking to upgrade but not to the newest thing available. I hate spending $800 on a phone so he has shown me the 1+ at $500. I don't know, my still works albeit slow and a bit glichy at times.

He has an x but he's been an apple fan boy since forever.

[CRed05]

Do yourself a favor and get a Pixel.

[El Karacho1647545492]

Do yourself a favor and get a Pixel.

 

Not trolling, looking for legit feedback. Aside from the raw Android experience, is there anything the Pixel does better than an LG G or Samsung S phone? I really wanted to like the Pixel and subsequently Pixel 2 but it always felt like last year's tech.

[CRed05]

Not trolling, looking for legit feedback. Aside from the raw Android experience, is there anything the Pixel does better than an LG G or Samsung S phone? I really wanted to like the Pixel and subsequently Pixel 2 but it always felt like last year's tech.

 

Well the pure Android experience is the big one. What's the S8 running these days? Android 7.0? Christ...talk about old tech, that's more than a year behind! I have an OG Pixel and recently got 8.1 OTA, knowing Samsung's track record, I'd be surprised if they ever get 8.1, 8.0 at best. I bet one year from now the Pixel will still feel as fast and snappy as the day you bought it, and the battery will last longer too.

 

Then there's Bixby...why bother when you can have Google Assistant instead. People try to get Bixby off their phones and replace it with GA but Samsung keeps blocking it

 

The Pixel 2 has the best camera of any smart phone out there, at least by DxOMark standards.

 

So to answer your question in short...things the Pixel will do better.

1) Give you a better UX

2) Keep you up to date on the latest OS plus monthly OTA security updates (not sure if samsung send out the monthly security updates)

3) Better Google integrated experience

4) Better Camera

5) Google Assistant

6) Better battery life

[xlr8tn]

That's where I start getting lost....what do you mean by pure Android experience?

[CRed05]

I don't know how much you know about Android so I'm going to assume that you don't know anything...

 

Android is owned by Google and it's open source, meaning that anyone (Samsung, LG, you, me) can go download the source code, modify it however we see fit, and then put it on any device that we want.

 

So Google maintains that source code, contributes the majority of the improvements and updates to it, with help from a few others, but Google owns it and sets the standards and overall vision for the OS, etc.

 

So naturally they design the entire experience of how you use Android, from things like designing and creating an entirely new font (called Roboto) that is supposed to be everything from ideal for mobile screens to how it makes you feel emotionally and all that shit. Then there are the things you'll notice more, apps. Google Assistant ties into the OS very nicely, so much so that on the Pixel 2 just by squeezing the phone will launch GA. Gmail, Maps, the phone dialer...every app that Google creates, all ties in nicely with the other Google apps and Android itself. Now with IoT (internet of things, smart lights, fridges, etc), GA ties in very nicely with most smart devices. Google is at the forefront of IoT and AI.

 

Now lets take Samsung. They take that source code and modify it to how they see fit. They get their Korean designers and come up with fonts, colors and just overall design that I describe as...not as good. Very gimmicky, out of date, more suitable for a child or someone who's into Tamagotchi, Hello Kitty and Pokemon. Don't get me wrong, they do come up with some cool features that Android doesn't necessarily have already, but usually they are very gimmicky and no one ever uses it (like scrolling down the page automatically when you're reading something).

 

Now all that designing and building out these changes and features take time. So by the time they're done modifying the source code, Google has already came out with another couple updates to the source code and therefor are always a step or 2 behind.

 

Nexus and now Pixel devices are the iPhones of Android, if that makes any sense.

 

Bit of a rant there, but I hope it makes some sense.