Choosing New Phone

[IsaacG]

I'm trying to find a new phone within the $300 to $370 range, and I don't want to go for a budget device, as that is what I am on right now. Instead, I am looking at refurbished flagships from 2017 or 2018 trying to decide between the Galaxy S9, iPhone 8, and Pixel 2 XL. Right now, the iPhone 8 and the Pixel 2 XL seem like the strongest options, the iPhone because of the long-term apple software support, as well as the A11 processor working together to futureproof it, though the storage and memory for the price isn't great. The pixel also seems like a good option because it has the oled screen over the iPhone, as well as the higher resolution, more storage, and 4 GB of ram, although the processor seems like a trade-off. I have no problem with having to install a different version of android later when Google or Samsung stops supporting their older phones. When it comes to hardware though, it seems to me like there will be many more replacement iPhone parts available in 3-4 years than either the pixel or the S9. Another reason I am not too excited about the S9 is I have held it before, and I am not a huge fan of its feel, which I think might really bother me if I end up using it. That doesn't mean that I'm not open to the possibility of using it.

[kokakolia]

I'm siding with the iPhone 8, because I have an iPhone 7 and I'm just very impressed by it. The 8 is only better I suppose, but it's not like you can tell the 7 and 8 apart anyways. I guess I'll just give you some bullet points to summarize my experience.

 

- Battery life is the only negative. You'll pretty much get 4.5 hours of screen on-time. Maybe more. If your battery is degraded, don't worry because any phone repair shop will replace your battery for $40 or less and it will take 30 minutes.

- The speakers still blow my mind. They're plenty loud, have a bit of bass and sound crystal clear. Doing phone calls is an absolute joy on the iPhone, and you can't really say that for most budget/midrange phones.

- The form factor. I know people will diss the huge chin and forhead and smaller screen on the iPhone 6/7/8. But the phone is perfectly sized to fit in your hand and easy to grip. You can text one-handed all day long. And the iPhone 7's design is growing on me. It definitely stands out in a retro kinda way, like a Fiat 500. 

- The haptic engine in the iPhone 7 vibrates like crazy. It's so powerful and it makes the phone feel more "premium". 

- 3D Touch is a godsend and I don't know why Apple removed it in the latest iPhones. It's like one of the few reasons to get an iPhone over Android. 

- The camera takes really good photos. But I don't take many photos.

- I would take LCD over OLED all day! I read many horror stories about screen burn-in on Samsung S8 and S9 phones. 

- iOS is nice and runs smooth. But it's much less intuitive compared to Android for basic stuff like adding a contact from a phone number, the missing back button, calling someone from a text message, the iCloud Folder app, notifications... It's not that bad, but I do miss Android sometimes for its ease of use. But apps on iOS just run better and Apple actually cares about updating your phone. 

- This is so minor, but I love how the cutest cases only come for the iPhone. 

- You'll be buying a new Lightning Cable every 4~5 months, the brand and quality don't matter. It just sucks. If your phone struggles to charge when plugged-in, be sure to clean out the lint inside the port before buying a new cable. I use a toothpick. 

 

Overall, the iPhone 7/8 is the most boring buy. You'll no doubt have buyers remorse if you get it. Any other phone looks more sleek and modern without the huge bezels and bigger screens. But I can't bring myself to hate the iPhone 7. It's so damn near flawless. And I would loathe the day when I'll have to upgrade to a gargantuan phone that's hard to use because it's all-screen. 

[Commodus]

Gonna echo the recommendation for the iPhone 8.

 

Simply put, it's going to feel faster, receive much better long-term software support and have a better accessory ecosystem (cases, headphones and the like).  The S9 and Pixel 2XL are basically ticking time bombs when it comes to OS support, since  they're likely months away from receiving their last major OS updates.

 

Also, don't fixate too much on relative RAM amounts.  iOS generally needs much less RAM to run well than Android.  4GB on the S9/Pixel 2  is borderline, while 3GB is plentiful on the iPhone 8.

 

I have to disagree with kokakolla's Lightning cable assessment, although it clearly varies depending on your usage.  I haven't had a Lightning cable go south on my since they showed up with the iPhone 5.

[IsaacG]

The reason I am a little worried about RAM is because I was looking at the iphone 8, not the 8 plus, and I was thinking two gigs might make it feel a little slow.

[Akira Shimazu]

im going with the pixel. everyone who reccomend apple is the ones who stuck inside apple ecosystem.

[IsaacG]

If any large vulnerabilities were found with the device, having updates would definately help, as well as optimizations and newer apps being compatible with the device.

[Commodus]

17 hours ago, IsaacG said:

The reason I am a little worried about RAM is because I was looking at the iphone 8, not the 8 plus, and I was thinking two gigs might make it feel a little slow.

Ah yes, the regular 8 has 2GB.  It shouldn't be slow, at least not up until the very tail end of its lifespan.  Keep in mind that Apple gave the 8 Plus 3GB simply to handle the higher display resolution, not to improve performance over the regular 8.

[Commodus]

6 hours ago, huilun02 said:

Care to explain how support and updates actually make an impact in your usage of the device? 

I don't know why you'd want your phone to stop receiving new features and security updates a year after you buy it.  Do you like the thought of being unnecessarily exposed to malware risks, or missing out on major software features, well before your phone needs to be replaced?

 

Android has its advantages, but please don't be an apologist for its inferior support.  If security and long-term support matter to you a great deal, you get an iPhone.